SPORTS HALL of FAME 2018 LEGACY AWARD
Boys Basketball (26-2) NYS Class C Champions

It's impossible to summarize this amazing team in the short space provided, made shorter by including the remarkable 28-game run to greatness. Main thoughts only, please

Summer of 1996: traveling to a camp in Tennessee to experience basketball beyond the local bubble. 1997 Section 4 Class C finals: Trumansburg was missing their star player. Sidney's large early lead evoked over-confidence before they had a "crash & burn" response. Summer of 1997: another team camp, this time UMass. A rude awakening ensued when players with, let's say, a stronger physical presence tested the team's overall demeanor and determination. Lessons all learned....

December 1997: The Warriors won the opening Oneonta Drago Tournament, cruised into the holidays barely challenged and entered the STOP_DWI tournament undefeated..Sidney edged Candor, but fell to Walton. Suddenly their 7-1 record had a blemish.

January-February 1998. Recovery was instant, with a streak of 10 league wins, most by 30 or more points. In the Sus finals at the Arena, Windsor's Aaron Klumpp's 43 points could not offset three Warriors with 20 or more. But in that game, their point guard and "glue" Ryan Boyle suffered a knee injury. Oh no! In stepped junior Aaron Wood as a starter and freshman Michael Graham as a back-up guard. They complemented Jason Dorsey, Craig Dawson and the Miley brothers Neal and Eric quite well

Post season: No one will forget the close games that followed. Sectional semis against the much smaller Union Springs team, and the Arena-hosted finals, the one-point victory avenged with Walton. The nail-biting State semifinal over unbeaten Warsaw. Facing two 6' 8" brothers, one who blocked 12 shots, was a challenge. One that ended with a narrow 42-38 victory.

State finals: The next evening, that summer memory came in handy as Watervilet threw more than just passes at the boys. And they simply stuck to Coach Brazee's plan - play basketball. The 63-47 win said it all. Class C Champions.

There followed an anticlimactic Federation event the next week, but even that was memorable. A 28-6 3rd quarter turnaround after trailing at the half by 13 to The Dwight School was perhaps their best 8-minute stretch all year. The finals less that 24 hours later against a rested Turner-Carroll team (that boasted three future Division I players) had Sidney matching their opponents every step. Who knows what a equally rested Warrior squad would have been able to do? But 26-2 would be their mark.

As Mike Brazee mentioned while this page was being researched, the season was a success based on everyone doing their jobs. Starters, non-starters, coaches, staff, school and community. They felt the support. 20 years later let's cherish the memories of one talented, unified and thankful team..