Undefeated Coop Boys Basketball Wins State Championship
By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
BINGHAMTON
The Cooperstown Hawkeyes brought back the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C boys basketball state championship title after winning 52-43 over defending champion Berne-Knox-Westerlo on Sunday, March 22 at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.
Cooperstown finished a perfect season with 27 wins and zero losses. The Hawkeyes last won the championship in 2019, also under Coach John Lambert. Some locals welcomed the championship team bus on its way home this weekend with confetti at Milford’s four corners, while the Cooperstown Fire Department’s electronic sign congratulated them.
“Winning the state championship is a feeling of pure joy. The boys worked so hard and it is very rewarding for me as coach to know I helped them obtain their dream,” Lambert told AllOtsego.
Asked about how the team maintained such consistent success throughout the season, Lambert said, “We never talked about it during the season. We just focused on the game at hand and went to work. All credit to the boys for staying in the moment.”
“As for next year, I’m excited about my returning players who worked so hard this year. It’s their turn to shine,” Lambert said.
Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s Bulldogs roared through the playoffs before reaching the final, defeating each of their opponents by more than 30 points. The Hawkeyes stopped them in their tracks, leading 13-11 in the first quarter and 26-20 at the half. In the third quarter, the Bulldogs attempted a comeback by scoring 11 points to the Hawkeyes’ seven, but it wasn’t enough to make the difference. Leading by only two points at the start of the final quarter, the Hawkeyes sealed the deal with 19 points to the Bulldogs’ 12, totaling a 52-43 victory for Cooperstown.
Cooperstown senior Miles Nelen led the team in scoring with 20 points and recorded five assists. Senior Jackson Crisman put away 13 points and eight rebounds. Senior Cooper Coleman scored 10 points and had seven rebounds, and junior Brody Murdock added seven points.
Benefiting from a first-round bye because of its perfect record, Cooperstown fought hard through the semifinals to make it to the finals. In the semifinals the day prior, Saturday, March 21, the Hawkeyes were down by a point against Lyons with mere seconds left on the clock. Crisman saved the team with a buzzer-beater three-pointer, delivering the win with a score of 66-64 to advance to the finals.
Graduating seniors on the championship team include Brenin Dempsey, Ben Lewis, Christian Lawson, Miles Nelen, Cooper Coleman and Jackson Crisman.
