West Genesee High School

Overview

The school enrolled 1,737 students in the 2006-2007 school year. It is located in Camillus, New York, a western suburb of Syracuse, New York. The graduating class was 96% white (non-Hispanic) students according to the 2006-2007 school report West Genesee Report Card.

Recognized Academic Programs

The school offers a number of college-level course options for students through a variety of different programs.

Advanced Placement Courses

West Genesee High School offers a wide variety of Advanced Placement Program (AP) courses to its students. These courses are generally considered "much more rigorous than the general course offerings".

Courses offered include English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, World History, US History, Statistics, Calculus, Physics, Biology, French Language, Spanish Language, Studio Art, Music Theory.

Syracuse University Project Advance

In Addition to AP courses, the school offers a number of courses through the Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) program. The students receive Syracuse University college credits, but the courses are taught by teachers named adjunct instructors by S.U. and are taught in classrooms at the high school as a part of a student's regular day.

Courses offered through Project Advance include Economics, English, Psychology, Public Affairs, and Sociology.

Onondaga Community College

The school also offers courses for college credit through Onondaga Community College, a local community college. Like the SUPA courses, these courses are taught in classrooms at the high school.

Courses include Financial Accounting, Astronomy, CAD, Computer Information Systems, Contemporary Business, Photography and Precalculus.

West Genesee Wildcats

West Genesee High School's athletic teams are known as the "Wildcats". Their colors are navy blue and gold. All of the teams compete in the NYSPHAA's Section 3.

Students are able to participate in baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross-country, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling.

Lacrosse

The boys' lacrosse team, coached by Hall-of-Famer Mike Messere is widely recognized as one of the premier high school lacrosse teams in the United States, finishing the season 1st in the national high school rankings 8 times since 1990.

The team has won 15 New York State championships, including four consecutive between 2002 and 2005, and 34 Section III championships.

As of 2011, the program has produced 52 high school All-Americans since 1971.

John Desko, the head coach of Syracuse University's men's lacrosse team is a former player and alumnus of the school.

The girls' lacrosse team is also a regional power. The team began in 1995 and quickly rose to local and national prominence. The team has won six state championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2012. Between 2001 and 2003, the Lady 'Cats won 67 consecutive games, and as of 13 October 2008 the team has won 48 consecutive games dating back to the beginning of the 2007 season.

Ice hockey

The West Genesee hockey team is a 3-time NYS Champion winning in 1990, 2001, and 2010.

The West Genesee hockey program has enjoyed its first undefeated season (25-0) in school history and has recently won its 5th back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back Section 3 Championships. Coach Frank Colabufo has added his 300th win to his 24-year career record.

Athletics

A number of West Genesee's athletic teams have won state championships. As mentioned above, boys' lacrosse has won fifteen times. Boys' wrestling and girls' lacrosse have both won five. Girls' swimming has won three times. Boys' hockey and boys' track both have won three state championships. Football, boys' golf, girls' soccer have all won one state championship. Daniel Balestra was the lone state champion for boys' swimming.

In the fall of 2007, the football team claimed its first New York State Class AA Championship. The team's head coach was former Syracuse assistant coach Steve Bush who is now on the staff of the Miami Dolphins.

On June 21, 2014, former West Genesee High School Softball Standout, Cristen Barry was inducted into the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame

Marching band

The Wildcat Marching Band is nationally acclaimed. The Wildcats have placed first in the New York State Field Band Conference Championship 34 times (31 formal championships) in the competition's 42-year history. The Wildcats have earned first place in the Falls Church Tournament of Bands and the St. Petersburg Festival of States, appeared in the Washington Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, several nationally televised Buffalo Bills and Jets games, and participated in 25 BOA regional and national shows, winning Class AA regionals 3 times and in 1990, winning Class AA at the BOA Grand Nationals competition. The West Genesee Marching Band also won the 2013 USBands group 6 National Championship at MetLife Stadium on November 2, 2013. In the NYSFBC they compete in the National Class which is the highest competitive level in the circuit. The band alumni from West Genesee High School also march every 5 years in what is claimed to be the largest high school alumni marching band in the world with over 640 marching members. They maintain a website at http://www.wgwildcats.com

Clubs and activities

In addition to academics and athletics, West Genesee High School also offers a number of clubs and other extracurricular activities.

These include Academic Decathlon, Drama Club, Technical Theatre club, Foreign Language Clubs, Model UN, Honor Society, R² (Respect and Responsibility), Ski Club, Student Council and Class Senates, and Yearbook Club. ECOS (Environmental group) And Outdoor Club

Other

At one point (as of 2016) one of the teachers who was teaching Enriched Global 9 was accused of sexually harassing a young girl.