These Vikings have weathered the storm for 78 years.
The last time the Port Washington boys basketball team won it all in Nassau County was 1947.
However, you donāt have to scan a lifetime to see impressive hoops at the high school, as the top-seeded Vikings are making their third straight trip to the AAA title game after losing the previous two to Baldwin.
The Norse-named bunch will have its work cut out in Saturdayās championship when taking on a very tough second-seeded East Meadow juggernaut at Farmingdale State College.
For head coach Sean Dooley, snapping the drought would be a ācool anecdoteā and āadd to the story,ā but this finale is all about the recent unfinished business.
āWeāre just trying to get to that point where weāre the winning team,ā he told The Post, adding his players donāt want to be known as the bunch who didnāt finally get over the proverbial hurdle.
For a slew of seniors who have played varsity since sophomore year, coming so close the past two seasons has mentally felt like 78 years.
āIt would be nice to finally get it done now,ā 12th-grade shooting guard Kenny Daly told The Post. āItās so fresh in everybodyās head.ā
The boys are buzzing
The 18-4 team is ready for whatever comes its way this weekend. The stoked squad was revved during a Wednesday practice in which even players on the sideline were at a fever pitch as they rooted on teammates.
Practicing and playing with fervor is something Dooley, Nassauās AAA-2 coach of the year and 2023 New York state coach of the year, stresses big-time.
āEnergy is something that you can control,ā senior point guard Kenny Reyes said. āItās much more funā to play the game with spirit, he added.
Daly recalled a āslow startā against Chaminade during which Dooley called timeout to simply psych up the boys and snap the early funk.
āWe came out and dominated the rest of the game,ā Daly said of the 66-46 victory.
Dooley proudly says he ānever has to ask for energy,ā and team camaraderie is a dream come true.
āItās 15 guys that all get along and support each other, and every guy is rooting for somebody elseās success,ā he said.
From bus rides after wins to deli trips after Saturday morning practice, Reyes said the current group includes some of his closest friends ā and that several recent alumni will be in the stands to pull for the team this weekend.
āWinning it for this whole town and our teammates who graduated, after all the support they have showed us the past three years, that would be the best moment for me,ā forward Ryan Shanahan said.
However, thereās a much more significant motivator for the gang larger than the past 78 ā or two ā years.
āWe want to win because we want to get back together the next day,ā Dooley said of hopefully moving on next to the Long Island championship.
āThe next time we lose is the last time we get together ā and we donāt want to stop getting together.ā
By air or by sea
Adding to the championship intrigue, 19-3 East Meadow has won out since losing to Port Washington, 55-44, in December. In January, the Jets won a rematch, which was also Port Washingtonās most current loss, by a score of 57-47.
They, too, are chasing unprecedented glory as the 68-year-old school has never won a title, according to head coach Tom Rottkamp.
He said the team is a genuine āband of brothers,ā with six seniors who have played together since sixth grade.
Their focus remains on sound fundamentals rather than the storylines surrounding the winner-take-all game, according to the coach.
āIt doesnāt matter who you play,ā said Rottkamp, who added there is mutual respect between the two schools. āYouāve got to win the game.ā
And Port Washington is certainly not taking the Jets for granted, either.
āTheyāre a really good team,ā Shanahan said. āWe know weāre gonna have to battle a full 32 minutes on Saturday.ā