Somers High School (New York)

Somers High School is a public high school in the town of Somers, New York, United States.

Academics

Somers High School offers a New York State regents curriculum augmented by Advanced Placement courses and a variety of electives. The school has local chapters of the National Honor Society and National Foreign Language Honor Society.

For the 2006-2007 school year Somers had a graduation rate of 100% with 97% receiving a regents diploma and 61% receiving a regents diploma with advanced designation. Of graduating students: 77% enrolled in a 4-year college, 18% enrolled in a 2-year college, 5% became employed full-time, and less than 1% joined the military.^[1]

In 2008, Alexander Saeboe won 2nd place in the team competition at the prestigious Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.^[2]

Athletics

Somers High School has an athletics program with many sports represented. Its mascot, an elephant, and the teams' nickname, the Tuskers, are to honor the town of Somers being known for hosting the first American circus.

Baseball

The baseball team had won only one league title, in 1972, until 2000 when the school won its second league title and eventually losing 2-1 to Harrison in the Section 1 Class B Semi-Finals. The baseball team would again win the league title the following year in 2001. Eventually losing to Brewster in the Class B Quarter-Finals. After 2001 the baseball team fell on hard times. In 2005, the team made the sectional playoffs defeating Pearl River in the opening round. The team would lose in the Class A Section 1 Quarterfinals to Nyack, New York. Two years later the emergence of Somers as a Section 1 powerhouse came with a walk-off home run by senior Mike Levine in the bottom of the 7th inning in the 2007 Class A title game. The team followed up with another Sectional title in 2008 but both season would end in the first round of the NY State Class A playoffs. In the 2009 Sectional Playoffs, Dan Zlotnick pitched a no-hitter against Lakeland HS to win the Section 1 Class A crown and make it a 3-peat for Somers.

In 2007 Rob Sanzillo, a Somers High School graduate (class of 2003), was drafted in the by the St. Louis Cardinals.^[3]

Football

The Tuskers' best season since 2000 was the 2012 season when the team won the regular season League A title in Class A and won the Section 1 championship over Sleepy Hollow.(42-13)The team lost then lost in the regional game in the state playoffs to Cornwall. (34-13) The team's final record was 10-1. In the 2013 season, Somers won the Section 1 title once again over Rye.(20-7) Unfortunately for the Tuskers, the regional game was once again a loss to Cornwall.(34-7) The 2013 team's record was 9-2. The 2014 team was on track for a 3 peat and their future looked bright, but had an upset occur in the Section semifinal game against Rye. Somers lost 21-19 and could not compete for a 3rd section title in a row. Somers football is always in the mix and the 2015 season should be an interesting one for the Tuskers. ^[4]

The current varsity coach, Tony DeMatteo, is the winningest coach in Section 1 New York State football history and has been named high school football 's most motivational coach of all-time by the NFL.^[5][6]

Ice Hockey

The Somers ice hockey team is merged with that of North Salem High School. In the 2007-08 season, Somers/North Salem had their winningest season in either school's history by finishing 16-9-1 and winning their first ever sectional game against rival JFK/Putnam Valley. The team was led by leading scorer Joe (JoJo) Marasco, who had 39 goals and 29 assists on the year.

The next season. in 2009-10, Somers/North Salem finished with a 16-10 record and again went to sectionals, beating Pearl River in the first round but losing to Pelham High School in the second round for the second straight year. Marasco led the team again with a school record high of 46 goals and 24 assists totaling for 70 points.

Basketball

While the Tuskers' boys' basketball team has struggled in a tough Class A division, in the 2005-2006 season the senior class led Somers to their winnest season in over a decade.

Lacrosse

The boys' lacrosse team has been to seven sectional title games from 2000–2008, winning in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2006. For this success, Somers has earned a reputation as being one of the elite programs in the area. The team, however, was defeated in the NY State semifinals in 2000-2002 and 2006 and in the state title game in 2003.

Since 2002, six Tuskers have earned All-American honors under the coaching staff of Jim Donohue and Tim Schurr:

Soccer

The girls' soccer team has won four sectional titles and reached the NY State Class A State Semi-Finals in 2006 and 2011. The girl won the Class A New York State Public High School Athletic Association State Championship in 2014. This was the first State Championship won by Somers Varsity Soccer. Amanda DeCosta was named All-American in 2006. Hannon Eberts was named All-American in 2014. The boys' soccer team won the Section 1 title in 1998 and finished the season ranked fifth in New York State.

Track and Field

The school's only state championship (besides girls soccer) in any sport came in cross country in 2004. The cross country team also won the sectional title in 2005 and 2007. In addition, the indoor track and field team won the section championship in 1984, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005–2008, and 2010. In 2006, though the boys won the Indoor County Championship in thrilling fashion, Juan Mendez, prolific relay runner and notorious inventor of the Mendez push up, absconded with the plaque. The whereabouts of the plaque remain unknown despite numerous attempts at reconnaissance. Mendez is still at-large.

In 2006, Noah Sandberg split 52 or 53 or something like that, though he could have been much more of a beast had he joined track before his senior year. Jeff May-Stahl was on the team in the 90s and he was pretty good. And don't forget about Gazzini. In 2008, Pat Hashmall, John Turro, Pat Porteus, and Todd Apgar placed fifth at nationals thus making them All-Americans. In 2010, Jon Groton placed first at the Eastern States Championship in the 200m, and Albert Tunas, Frank Licursi, Scott Friedman, and Isaac Shelby won the 4x800 relay. In addition, Hannon Eberts holds the school record for the 400 meter sprint, with a time of 57.9 seconds (2013 outdoor season). The outdoor track and field team won the sectional title in 2001-2004, 2007 and 2008. The team also had the legendary Michael Maloney run for them from 2009-2013.^[7]

Wrestling

Somers is also well known for its wrestling program, which consistently produces individual and team section championships as well as some of the state's best wrestles. Brian Realbuto won Somers' first state championship in 2009 as a freshman in the 103 pound weight class, and won another state championship in 2011 in the 135 lb weight class. He has over 130 wins and is on pace to break Joe Mazzurco's (Mahopac) Section 1 wins record by his junior year.

References

External links

• [somersschools.org/]
• Sports Schedule
• School Demographics Report