TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 2/28/13
From Press Releases
West Genesee (NY) boys’ lacrosse coach Mike Messere has been named to the 13-member 2013 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.
The induction event is run by the National Federation of State High School Associations. It will be held June 27 at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver where the inductees include former NFL star Joe Theismann, Olympic gold medalist Harrison Dillard and NBA great Chauncey Billups.
Messere, a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, is one of five coaches in this year’s class, joining Ed Aston (swimming, Connecticut), Chuck Koeppen (cross country, Indiana), Chuck Lenahan (football, New Hampshire) and James Tate (track and field, Alabama).
Messere, head coach since 1976, has collected 15 state Class A titles and over 30 league titles for the Wildcats and won a national-record 757 games, against just 55 losses, for a .930 win percentage. Most notable was a 91-game win streak in the early 1980s and his 20 undefeated seasons.
No coach, high school or college, has more victories, and among Messere’s many tributes is the fact that dozens of his former players, including Syracuse head coach John Desko, went on to coach in the game’s highest levels.
Some of Coach Messere’s Career highlights:
1969: Began coaching career at West Genesee High School.
1975: Founded and developed Shove Park lacrosse program.
1981-1984: Coached West Genesee High School to 91 consecutive wins (165 straight in league), which is tied for the all-time national record
1984: Empire State Games Coach, won Gold Medal
1984: Received the Blind Men and Criers annual “John Arcaro Coaches Award” given to the high school coach who have been recognized for outstanding success in their sport.
1985: Inducted into Cortland Hall of Fame
1985: Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd”
1985; United States Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year
1991: USA Today – New York (All Sports College and High School) Coach of the Year
1992: Inducted to the Upstate New York Chapter Hall of Fame
1993: Received the New York State Distinguished Service Award from the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association
1994: Inducted into the United States Lacrosse Hall of Fame
2012: Broke the all-time record for wins by a high school lacrosse coach with victory over Oswego, eclipsing mark of 747 by Ward Melville’s Joe Cuozzo,
By the numbers:
Messere has won over 30 league championships; 14 undefeated seasons; 165 straight league wins; 29 Section III titles; and 19 Regional titles.
Under Messere, the Wildcats finished No. 1 in the National Rankings in 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003 and 2004. He has coached over 50 Scholastic All-Americans.
