With all the understandable frustration in Chautauqua County following the Jamestown boys' and Sherman girls' losses to private schools from Section 5 two weekends ago, a more positive story might been overlooked by area fans.
And what better time than now to shed some light on the schools' impressive achievement.
Despite those disappointing defeats in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Far West Regional, the Jamestown and Sherman basketball programs - both the boys and girls - can boast that they now simultaneously hold 2012-2013 Section 6 championship plaques.
Over the past five years, in fact, only two other schools in Section 6 (Olean and Allegany-Limestone) have managed to do the same, making the feat a rarity.
"This is the first time," Jamestown coach and athletic director Ben Drake said. "I think this is the first time ever at Jamestown. I know it hasn't happened since I've been here."
Sherman athletic director and girls basketball coach Mel Swanson agreed with his colleague, noting that it was indeed, "rare;" though the Sherman program has had a tad more success than Jamestown in this regard in recent years.
The last time both Wildcat crews concurrently owned sectional plaques was at the close of the 2000-2001 season. It hasn't happened since; though the girls have earned five more sectional crowns and the boys, including this past season, have won a pair.
Another interesting fact separated the two Sherman teams' season from the rest.
"This year was a little different," Swanson explained, "because neither of our teams won a (Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association) league title. We just played our best basketball at just the right time."
Like Sherman, both the Jamestown squads have had success over the years, to be sure; but unlike Sherman, never have their triumphs matched the way they did this time around.
Drake's Red Raiders won their first sectional crown in 20 years during the 1998-1999 season (Drake's first as head coach), and then had to wait 10 years before capturing another. Since then, however, they've won three of the last four Section 6 Class AA titles.
The now Mark Nugent-led Lady Red Raiders, on the other hand, clinched their first title in 23 years in 2006, and subsequently won the next two in a row - their streak ending the year before their male counterparts found themselves back atop the Class AA heap.
"I think it's great for the athletic programs to have both boys and girls be sectional champions," Drake said. "It isn't something that happens very often and it's a very difficult thing to do."
Drake credits two important factors behind the mutual success.
"(First), the kids are dedicated. It's not uncommon to see (players) from both teams at the 'Y' working for next year. They're really committed. (Second), we've got a lot of great coaches. I'm very fortunate to have a great coaching staff that works behind the scenes all year round. That's the big reason for the success."
To those sentiments Swanson added: "I would say that the consistency of the programs in terms of coaching philosophies (is another reason). Both (boys coach Cory Emory and I) are believers in developing skills and working on fundamentals, and both of us build our programs from the jayvee (or in Swanson's case, the junior high level) and up by focusing on that and trying to do the same things offensively (all the way through)."
And while it is an achievement of which both are certainly proud, the success does have one consequence for the two athletic directors and coaches - extra work on top of the already steady flow that comes with coaching and strategizing for their games ahead.
But, as Drake notes, he's more than happy to take it on.
"The playoffs always get a little hectic anyway," Drake explained, "but it's also fun. It's a good kind of work, and you'd rather be busy, because if you're not that means nobody is still alive (in the playoffs) anymore."