2025 NW grad selected to help coach basketball

CHESTERTOWN | Elijah Horge, a key player on the 2023-24 North Warren boys basketball team that won the state Class D championship, has been chosen to serve as a volunteer assistant boys basketball coach for his high school. The decision to name Horge to the position was made by the North Warren school board at their June 15 meeting, when they reappointed Brian Gereau as coach of the junior varsity team, a post that includes serving as assistant varsity coach, so Horge will be working alongside Gereau. A 2025 graduate of NWCS, Horge was known as a tenacious defensive player who was quick on his feet and had a strong will-to-win. Additionally, during the 2023-24 boys basketball team's state championship campaign, Horge often gestured to the crowd, prompting them to cheer during the team's challenging moments, giving the players extra incentive to persevere. After graduating in 2025, Horge attended SUNY Oneonta and served as a student manager for the men's basketball team. This year, he transferred to SUNY Adirondack to major in Physical Education — and to be closer to North Warren with the intent of helping coach basketball. As a high school sophomore in November 2022, Horge began playing varsity basketball at North Warren, after he helped coach in the Chester-Horicon Youth Commission's summer basketball program. During that 2022-23 school year, when the North Warren boys basketball team won the Section II Class D championship and advanced to the state Class D semifinals, Horge began his role in routinely defending opposing teams' best players. During the following 2023-24 basketball season, Horge's role expanded, as he was occasionally his team's No. 2 scorer. In the 2024 state Class D semifinal game against Smithtown Christian, in which North Warren had been trailing by seven points in the fourth quarter, Horge played a large role in North Warren's victory, scoring 13 points. He rebounded the ball on the Knights' final shot — and sank three of his four foul shots in the concluding 90 seconds to seal the game. The following day, North Warren won the state Class D boys basketball championship, the school's first-ever state title in any sport. In that historic game, Horge contributed seven points and five rebounds, and he was crucial on defense. Two weeks later, when Horge's 2023-24 teammates were awarded All-Star status, North Warren head varsity basketball coach James Cuyler said that Horge could score from anywhere on the floor and had been vital in winning key games in which Horge's teammates were being closely guarded. "Eli is an animal — he's the heart and soul of the team — He brings energy to the floor, and if we need him to score to win, he scores," Cuyler said. On June 28, Cuyler said Horge's enthusiasm and experience would have a strong, positive influence on the 2026-27 varsity team. "Eli is full of energy, and I'm expecting the players to feed off it," Cuyler said. "Also, he helped out a college basketball team, and he's going to bring that experience to help North Warren's players succeed." Horge said he was eager to start in his role assisting in coaching North Warren basketball. "I am hyped and excited," he said. "Our 2026-27 team will be ready to compete in the Adirondack League. It should be a battle like last year, but it will be fun…I can't wait for the season to begin."

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2025 NW grad selected to help coach basketball

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