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The Syracuse City Common Council unanimously voted to honor the William Nottingham High School varsity boys soccer team for its “historic” season, which culminated in the school’s first championship win in 37 years.

The team won the Section III Class AA Championship against East Syracuse Minoa High School on Nov. 4.

At Monday’s meeting, the team gathered in the Common Council Chambers, where Councilor At-Large Chol Majok delivered the resolution. Majok, a former soccer player and Syracuse City School District graduate, praised the boys for their achievements and highlighted their success despite facing competitors with more resources.

“Our city, our kids, don’t normally get appreciated for a lot of things, but you guys are fantastic,” Majok said. “We are all proud of you … (for) giving a good name to Nottingham High School.”

Nottingham High School, located in Syracuse’s Meadowbrook neighborhood, won the championship after a 16-game, undefeated regular season that left them ranked No. 4 in New York state. The team later lost to Bethlehem Central High School during a regional matchup on Nov. 9, ending a 19-win streak.

Almost half of Syracuse children live below the poverty line — the second highest child poverty among larger U.S. cities. According to the U.S. News and World Report, 80% of Nottingham High School Students are considered economically disadvantaged, while the rate at East Syracuse Minoa High School sits at 60%.

The resolution outlines the cultural diversity of the Nottingham soccer program, which features athletes from over 20 backgrounds — including Congolese, Cuban, Thai, Iraqi and Burmese, among others. Nottingham coach Claude Tuyishimire, a Tanzanian refugee and graduate of the school, told syracuse.com he considers the team’s diverse backgrounds to be its “strong suit.”

Syracuse and SCSD are home to robust immigrant and refugee populations. These groups have recently driven an increase in enrollment within the district, CNY Central reported in October.

During the meeting, Majok and other councilors shared the connection they felt with the team, as several councilors also went through SCSD.

“Up here … there’s more than one public school graduate,” 2nd Councilor Patrick Hogan said. “A bunch of us went to city schools, and we understand just what Councilor Majok said.”

Majok also reflected on his own experience playing soccer for George Fowler High School in Syracuse’s Westside neighborhood, where he said his team similarly ended a decades-long sectional championship drought. Like some of the players on Nottingham boys soccer, Majok also came to Syracuse at age six as a refugee from South Sudan.

“I remember when we used to travel outside of the city limits, they used to make fun of us,” Majok said, addressing the players. “And that was hard to really play a game that you love when people around are not (supportive) of you. But, you know what, that made us stronger.”

After Majok’s remarks, Hogan held a vote on the recognition, which councilors passed unanimously. Majok then recited the resolution before delivering a framed version of it to the team, inciting a standing ovation from those in the chamber.

Other business:

• The council again delayed its vote on whether to opt into New York State Good Cause Eviction laws. On Nov. 14, the Syracuse Tenants Union held a community town hall, which included 3rd District Councilor Corey J. Williams, to explain the potential effects of passing Good Cause. The decision has been on the council’s agenda since September.
• The council authorized the use of up to $400,000 to execute the NY SWIMS Thornden Park Pool Reconstruction project and $400,000 for a similar project at Onondaga Park. In late August, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul awarded both projects $2 million to modernize Syracuse’s public pools.

Published on November 25, 2024 at 6:48 pm

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu