These Vikings have survived the storm for 78 years.
It was in 1947 that the Port Washington Boys basketball team won it all in Nassau County.
However, there's no need to scan for a lifetime to see the impressive hoops in high school, as the top-seeded Viking has traveled three times in a row to the AAA title game after losing the previous two to Baldwin.
The Nordic name Bunch will cut work at Saturday's Championship when he takes on the extremely strict second-seeded East Meadow Juggernaut at Farmingdale State University.
For director Sean Dooley, snapping the drought would be a “cool anecdote” and a “addition to the story”, but the finale is about unfinished business these days.
“We're just trying to get to the winning team,” he told the Post, adding that players don't want to be known as the bunch who ultimately didn't overcome the proverb hurdle.
For many seniors who have been playing Varsity since their sophomore year, getting closer to the past two seasons felt like '78.
“It's good to get it done in the end,” 12th Grade Shot Guard Kenny Daly told the Post. “It's very refreshing in everyone's minds.”
The boys are lively
The 18-4 team is ready this weekend. The excited team revolved during practice Wednesday. In this practice, even the sideline players were on the fever pitch because they were rooted in teammates.
Practice and play with enthusiasm highlights a lot of emphasis from Dooley, Nassau's AAA-2 Coach of the Year and 2023 New York State Coach of the Year.
“Energy is something you can control,” said senior point guard Kenny Reyes. Playing the game with Spirit is “more fun,” he added.
Daly recalls his “slow start” against Chaminade. Meanwhile, Dooley called out a timeout, simply putting the boys into a body and snapping early funk.
“We came out and dominated the rest of the game,” Daly said of the 66-46 victory.
Dooley proudly says that “there is no need to seek energy,” and the team's friendship is a dream come true.
“Everything gets along, there are 15 people supporting each other, and every guy is rooting for someone else's success,” he said.
Reyes said the current group includes some of his closest friends from the bus ride after winning a Saturday morning post-practice deli trip.
“We won it for the whole town and our graduated teammates. It's the best moment for me after showing what they've shown us for the past three years,” forward Ryan Shanahan said.
However, gangs who are older than the past 78 or 2 years have far more important motivations.
“I want to win because I want to go back together the next day,” Dooley hopes to move next to the Long Island Championship.
“The next time we lost was when we were together, and we don't want to stop being together.”
Air or sea
In addition to the championship plot, 19-3 East Meadow has won since losing to Port Washington (55-44) in December. In January, the Jets won a rematch. This was Port Washington's latest loss, a score of 57-47.
According to coach Tom Rottkamp, they are chasing unprecedented glory as the 68-year-old school never won a title.
He said the team is a real “brother band” with six seniors who have been playing together since sixth grade.
According to the coach, their focus remains on a healthy basic, not the storyline surrounding every game of the winner's take.
“It doesn't matter who plays,” Lotkamp said. “You have to win the game.”
Port Washington certainly isn't the norm for jets.
“They're really a good team,” Shanahan said. “I know we have to have a 32-minute full fight on Saturday.”
