Boys Basketball Team Reflects on State Title, Undefeated Season
By JAQUELYN CARLO
SUNY Institute for Local News
COOPERSTOWN
The Cooperstown varsity boys basketball team completed a perfect season on March 22 by capturing the 2026 NYSPHSAA Class C state championship, defeating the defending champion Berne-Knox-Westerlo 52-43 at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.
The victory capped an undefeated 27-0 season for the Hawkeyes and delivered the program’s second state title in seven years, the first since the 2018-19 campaign. Cooperstown’s disciplined defense and balanced scoring proved decisive against a Berne-Knox-Westerlo squad that had scored 100 points in its semifinal win the night before.
Senior guard Miles Nelen led all scorers in the title game with 20 points and 5 assists, steadying the Hawkeyes throughout a back-and-forth contest. Senior center/forward Jackson Crisman sank a dramatic buzzer-beating three-pointer in the semifinal against Lyons that sent Cooperstown to the final, then added 13 points and eight rebounds in the championship game. Senior Cooper Coleman contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, while junior Brody Murdock chipped in seven points.
Hawkeyes head coach John Lambert said the championship validated months of preparation and consistency.
“The season was great. Hard to not love going undefeated. It is very rare.”
Berne-Knox-Westerlo opened the championship game aggressively, racing to score early with several perimeter shots. Cooperstown responded by tightening its defense and controlling the tempo, holding the Bulldogs to just 43 points—a sharp contrast from their offensive output earlier in the tournament.
Murdock said the Hawkeyes anticipated the early surge.
“We knew that we needed to keep the ball out of the hands of their two best players, and their other players were stepping up and hitting a lot of threes,” said the junior guard.
As the game wore on, Cooperstown’s defensive pressure slowed Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s momentum. The Hawkeyes executed patiently on offense, won battles on the boards and capitalized at key moments in the second half to build a small but steady lead they would not relinquish.
In a tightly contested championship atmosphere, senior leadership played a crucial role.
“Obviously against a good team like that you never really know what the outcome is going to be, and in a back-and-forth game like that especially it’s all up in the air,” senior guard Coleman said. “But I never had a doubt that we wanted the win more. And I knew that was what was going to win the game.”
The Hawkeyes entered the final matchup well aware of the challenge ahead. The day before, the team watched Berne-Knox-Westerlo defeat North Salem 100-66 in its semifinal, a dominating performance that initially raised concerns.
Murdock admitted he briefly questioned the matchup. He had noted how tall and fast the Albany County team were, and how well they played together.
“But once we were on our way to the game and I was sitting on the bus, I knew that I would take my five guys over their five guys any day,” said Murdock. “Because I knew the work that we had put in behind closed doors. And we weren’t going to let the people in the crowd who supported us our entire lives down by losing the last game we were ever going to play together.”
That determination showed throughout the title game, as Cooperstown matched Berne-Knox-Westerlo possession-for-possession before gradually asserting control.
With one junior and four seniors in the starting lineup, the Hawkeyes relied on chemistry built through years of playing together. For Murdock, the lone junior starter and the only starter who will be returning for the 2026-27 season, the emotions ran deep.
“The thing I will remember most about this game is it being the last game that I will ever be able to play with my friends that I grew up playing with, and being able to end it on a win,” Murdock said.
The championship continues the upward trajectory of a program that has become a model of consistency. Under the leadership of coach Lambert, Cooperstown has recorded multiple sectional titles and deep postseason runs, including this season’s flawless finish.
With the celebration still fresh, Lambert is already looking ahead.
In the head coach’s words, “I am looking forward to defending our state title again.”
He expressed confidence in the players who will take on leadership roles next year.
“As for next year, I am excited to see what my current juniors—who will be seniors next year—can do. They practiced all year against the kids who played most of the time this season and won the state championship, so they are already kind of battle tested. But every year is different, so next year’s team will forge its own identity.”
For now, the Hawkeyes can savor a season defined by excellence, resilience and an unblemished record—one that will be remembered as one of Cooperstown’s finest.
This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.
