"This has been an unbelievable year," said Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District Athletic Director Arnold Minkoff on March 3. "With championships in two basketball teams, football, and soccer. It's just unbelievable! And, with no recruiting." These kids are local youth - they aren't recruited to play sports.

As he was saying that, the boys varsity basketball team members were being called out to receive their plaques as winners of the "C" title. When Coach Tom Robinson got his team plaque, he strode across the court holding it aloft. He pointed to the bleachers as if saying, "this is yours, and yours, and yours," and he held up his first finger. "Number One!"

The stands were uproariously happy.

The team gathered on their side of the gym for Mr. Minkoff to take their picture. Coach Robinson was in the middle holding up the plaque that will be hung in the high school foyer.

School Board President Lou Kaplan said, "It was a well deserved win against a well deserving team. They were both good competitors."

David Coston was delighted too. "Danny Coston played a phenomenal game. That kid is awesome. He's my brother!

"We did the same in 1992-93. Our father Julius did the same in 1965. It's all in the family," he said proudly. "Raphael Cornelius played amazingly too!"

Don Jarvis, another loyal Baymen fan heard David Coston taking and said of this game, "They played great.

"Like the game you guys played against Malverne. Amazing." That game was in 1993 and ended with a 67-64 win.

Mrs. Zaharia, who works at the Roosevelt School said, "It was a great game. I loved it and I don't have any boys in it!"

Frank Baker, former OBEN AD and now a Health teacher said, "They were absolutely great."

Parent Joe Caramico said, "They played great as a team all year.

Eliot Garrison agreed it was a great game. "It's like old time Oyster Bay basketball, right down to the wire!"

Game announcer Dave Mock came over after the win. "That final shot, by Josh Caramico was great. It was a 2-point jumper in traffic!"

The game had gone into extra minutes. For a moment, the Baymen thought it was all sewed up, but the officials said the time was not finished. The clock never hit double 0s. They put 2.1 seconds back in and allowed Cold Spring Harbor to try to lob to the other side. It was intercepted, said Mr. Mock.

Cold Spring Harbor led in the first quarter with 11-8; at half time the tide had switched and Oyster Bay was in the lead with 31-26. They kept the lead with: 43-39 and the final 58-57. The scores were pendulum strikes, first one scored the lead and then the other. The fans were led forward on a string!

The next hurdle to jump was the game on Wednesday, March 4 at Malverne as the Baymen faced Hempstead in the A-C championship game.

The Hempstead Tigers won 81-64.

"It was a good game," said Mr. Minkoff, "We played well. Hempstead is an exceptionally fine team. It is a big school -it was a tough team.

"Hopefully it prepared us well for the game on Tuesday," he said. "That is the one that really counts to us - wining the Long Island championship in the "C" division - competing against schools of equal size."

The Hempstead Tigers worked hard during the first quarter to set up a lead of 18-4 and took it easy in the next quarter. That was when Tiger sophomore guard Eric Ferguson took the ball and scored two-three pointers. He said Oyster Bay was getting too close.

Kurt LeBright was held to nine points after he totaled 35 points in the last two Baymen playoff wins.

Center Rafael Cornelius ended the game with 17 points in spite of the great Tiger defense.

This is the Tiger's fourth A-C title in five years. The loss, 81-64 leaves the Baymen 15-5 for the season.

Oyster Bay made five three-pointers in the game: Caramico - 2; and LeBright, Coston and DeBlasio one each. Caramico scored 12 points; LeBright scored 9 points; Cornelious scored 17 points; Coston scored 9 points; DeBlasio scored 11 points; Yardeny scored 6 points;

The excitement continued on Tuesday, March 10 as both the boys and girls teams played at SUNY-Stony Brook. The girls played at 6:30 p.m. and the boys as soon as their game was over. They were expected to be on the court between 8 and 8:30 p.m. to battle Center Moriches, said Mr. Minkoff.

"There should be a great crowd," he said.

The fans will only pay one admission for the two-game event!