LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating the Middle Early College High
School Basketball Team and Coach Randall Rich upon the occasion of
capturing the New York State Class C Championship

WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be achieved
only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit, nurtured by
dedicated coaching and strategic planning; and
WHEREAS, Athletic competition enhances the moral and physical develop-
ment of the young people of this State, preparing them for the future by
instilling in them the value of teamwork, encouraging a standard of
healthy living, imparting a desire for success and developing a sense of
fair play and competition; and
WHEREAS, Established in 2003 with the help of a grant from the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, Middle Early College High School (MECHS)
was designed for average students who have high academic aspirations and
are too often overlooked; MECHS is a five-year high school program where
students are dual-enrolled in high school and Erie Community College;
and
WHEREAS, OTC Middle Early College High School offers two special
features, an enrollment of less than 400 students, and an opportunity to
earn a high school diploma and a tuition-free associate's degree from
nearby Erie Community College in five years; and
WHEREAS, The Middle Early College High School Basketball Team are the
New York State Class C Champions; in just their second year of varsity
sports, the Kats won the championship by a score of 74-41 over Maple
Hill High School at the Glens Falls Civic Center; and
WHEREAS, The athletic talent displayed by this team is due in great
part to the efforts of Coach Randall Rich, a skilled and inspirational
tutor, respected for his ability to develop potential into excellence;
and
WHEREAS, The team's overall record of 23-1 is outstanding, including
six straight playoff wins; the team members were loyally and enthusi-
astically supported by family, fans, friends and the community at large;
and
WHEREAS, The hallmarks of the Middle Early College High School Team,
from the opening game of the season to participation in the champion-
ship, were a brotherhood of athletic ability, of good sportsmanship, of
honor and of scholarship, demonstrating that these team players are
second to none; and
WHEREAS, Athletically and academically, the team members have proven
themselves to be an unbeatable combination of talents, reflecting favor-
ably on their school; and
WHEREAS, Coach Randall Rich has done a superb job in guiding, molding
and inspiring the team members toward their goals; and
WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride and
accomplishment, and Coach Randall Rich and the outstanding athletes on
the Middle Early College High School Basketball Team have clearly made a
contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition of their
school; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the Middle Early College High School Basketball Team; its
members: Justin Stokes, Davon Alexander, Darale Young, Davante Harper,
Keante Jones, Sean Mulhern, Pat Johnson, Khalid Brown, Curtis Harper,
Emmitt Middlebrooks, Cordell Torres, and Reggie Williams, and Coaches
Randall Rich, Dennis Wilson, and Jeremy Rowe on their outstanding season
and overall team record; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Middle Early College High School Basketball Team and to
the aforementioned coaches.