NSCHSAA

HISTORY

Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic Association is best known for its rich history in boys basketball. Fittingly enough, the league was established with boys basketball in 1951.

But it’s roots go back to the City and the formation of the CHSAA at a March 22, 1927 meeting chaired by Father Faivre of St. John’s Prep, according to an account in The New York Times. What began as a basketball and track league laid the foundation to competitive high school athletic competition that’s flourished to this day.

Long Island schools soon began to exert influence after the post-World War II boom. Enter the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA.

According to Newsday, it was known as the Nassau-Suffolk Private Schools League that first season and four schools — St. Anthony’s, St. Dominic, St. Mary’s and Seton Hall Prep of Patchogue — played a six-game schedule with no title game. Playoffs began in 1964.

St. Agnes joined the CHSAA in 1954 and dominated. According to Jim Lennon, the school’s first athletic director, the basketball team went 82-8 in its first five seasons. Legendary coach Frank Morris built St. Agnes into the first dynasty, winning seven of the first nine playoff titles from 1964-72 and producing eventual college coaches Brian Mahoney and Billy Donovan. St. Agnes was 491-122 with 10 league crowns and one state Federation championship in Morris’ 26 seasons.

Other noteable coaches spawned dynasties, from Gus Alfieri at St. Anthony’s (hired in 1968 and won league titles in 1973 and ‘74) to current Davidson coach Bob McKillop at Holy Trinity (from 1972-78) and college coaching icon Ralph Willard at St. Dominic (from 1974-82). Rick Pitino was once a star guard at St. Dominic and current C.W. Post coach Tim Cluess starred at St. Agnes before winning eight straight league titles as St. Mary’s coach from 1998-2005.

Girls basketball began league play in 1972 and St. John the Baptist star Debbie Brajevich (who later coached Kellenberg to a 2001 state Federation Class D title) put the league on the map. She went off to St. John’s University in 1977, and according to Newsday, became the first female player in the league to earn a scholarship.

Sister acts Michele O’Brien (St. Dominic) and Dawn Cerrone (OLMA) both played at St. Dominic before growing into successful coaches in the league. In fact, each has brought home state Federation titles. St. Dominic, winner of three Federation titles, took the league’s first, a Class C championship, in 1989.

Enter Holy Trinity. Coach Theresa LaBella-Huebner built the Titans into a dynasty. The program won four league titles in five years (1999-2003) and captured state Federation championships in 2004 (Class B) and 2005 (Class A).

The future looks even more promising. St. John the Baptist failed to win a Federation showdown with perennial Class AA champ Murry Bergtraum in March 2007. But the Cougars did add to the rich history of the league by knocking off 17-time state CHSAA champ Christ the King.

The CHSFL kicked off in the fall of 1954. A battle between 7-0 Chaminade and Queens power St. Francis Prep to conclude the 1957 season gave the league clout. Current Chaminade coach Bill Basel was the quarterback for the Flyers, who lost to coaching legend Vinny O’Connor and St. Francis, 18-12.

What began as a six-team league — Chaminade, St. Francis Prep, Mount St. Michael, Cardinal Hayes, Iona Prep and Stepinac — experienced boom times beginning in 1961 with the addition of Holy Cross. Long Island schools soon followed. St. John the Baptist, Holy Trinity, Holy Family, St. Anthony’s, St. Dominic and Mercy in Riverhead each eventually joined.

Great players abound. Chaminade guard Fred Miller won the first Thorp Award, given to the best player in Nassau, in 1942. St. Dominic running back Ron Ruggiero (1967-68) was the first two-time Newsday All-Long Island football player from the league. St. Anthony’s quarterback Chris Eanuzel, in 2005, became just the fifth CHSFL player since 1960 to take home the Hansen Award as Suffolk’s top player. And Chaminade tight end J.P. Foschi (opened the 2007 season with the Oakland Raiders) is the latest in a long line of NFL players.

The current three-class playoff system was added in 1998 and St. Anthony’s has dominated ever since, winning seven straight Class AAA titles from 2001-07. Along the way. the Friars won 64 league games in a row.