Somers High School (New York)

Somers High School
Address
120 Primrose St. Lincolndale , New York 10540 United States
Information
Type	Public High School
Established	1962
Oversight	Somers Central School District
Principal	Irene Perrella
Asst. Principals	Philip Campbell, Brian Hunt
Grades	9-12
Number of students	1,200 (approx.)
Campus	Under Construction
Color(s)	Red, White, Silver and Black
Mascot	Tusker
Newspaper	Tusker Times

Somers High School is the public high school for the town of Somers, New York. Its mascot is an elephant; the teams' nickname is the Tuskers. This is to honor the town of Somers being known for hosting the first American circus. The school has undergone significant renovations and additions recently to keep pace with increasing enrollment.

Athletics

Football

Somers is well known for its football program which is coached by the legendary Tony DeMatteo, the winningest coach in Section 1 New York State football history.{fact|July 2008}} The team's best year was in the fall of 2000 when they won their only Section 1 title, defeating Nanuet 30-9 in the Class B title game. Somers was ranked 2nd in the state in Class B with a 9-0 record through the section title game. Somers outscored opponents by a combined score of 348-72 through those 9 games but was upset by unranked Rondout Valley of Section 9 28-14 in the NY State Quarter-Finals.

The Tuskers' best season since 2000 was the 2007 season when the team won the regular season League A title in Class A but then lost in the Sectional Semi-Finals to Ossining 11-9 on a failed 2pt conversion with just under a minute remaining in regulation. The Tuskers return a number of starters for the 2008 season. The Tuskers open up the season on the road at arch rival Harrison, and then at neighboring Yorktown for the first meaningful game between the two neighbors in over 10 years.

Other Sports

The school's only state championship came via the cross country team which has consistently been a winning program as well as the track team for several years. The boys lacrosse team has become one of the elite programs in the area over the past 10 years winning 4 consecutive Section 1 Class C titles from 2000-03. The team lost each of the first 3 years in the NY State Semi-Finals. In 2003 they defeated Manhasset HS in the Semis to advance to its first state title game where it would lose to Lafayette HS. In 2006, the team now playing in Class B, won its 5th Sectional Title. The lacrosse team has been to 7 sectional title games from 2000-2008 winning in 2000-03, and 2006 and losing in 2004 and 2007 title games.

The Girls Soccer has had recent success in the past 8 years winning 2 Sectional titles and making it to the NY State Class A State Semi-Finals in 2006. The Ice Hockey team, which will be celebrating its 10 year anniversary in the 2008-09 season, has always managed to put together winning records but hadn't gotten out of the first round of the Sectionals until the 2007-08 season defeating crosstown rival JFK High School. Somers is also well known for its Wrestling program, which consistently produces individual and team Section Championships as well as placing wrestlers in the states.

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. After 2000 the baseball team fell on hard times until the spring of 2007 when it won its first Section 1 title with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 7th inning in the Class A title game. The team followed up with another Sectional title in 2008 but both season would end in the fist round of the NY State Class A playoffs.

Turf Field Controversy

During the winter of 2006, a bond from the state was approved that would allow for an addition to be made to each school in the district, as well as a complete renovation of the baseball field, and the installation of a brand new field-turf field for the football team. The football field was promised to be completed for the beginning of the 2006 football season.

The only problem was that the school did not begin construction on the field until after senior graduation at the end of June. The field subsequently was not finished until after the football season was over forcing the team to play their home games at neighboring John Jay and Yorktown High Schools.