Chris Hoke, Jerome Betits, Bill Cowher and Thomas Tull pose with the ball boys
Maine-Endwell rolled past Johnson City 40-16 in the Section 4 Class A Championship at Binghamton Alumni Stadium on Friday.
Maine-Endwell’s football success story will be presented to a nationwide audience via an ESPN 30 for 30 presentation next week.
“62: The Legendary streak of Maine-Endwell High” is scheduled to debut at 10 p.m. on Dec. 17.
Thomas Tull, Maine-Endwell alumnus and CEO of California-based movie-making giant Legendary Pictures, commissioned Emmy Award-winning producer/director Jonathan Hock to chronicle the Spartans’ quest for a fifth consecutive New York state football championship.
A film crew was present for five of M-E’s final six games this season, as well as for other program activities — up to and including Thanksgiving dinner in the home of coach Matt Gallagher and family.
The 30 for 30 presentation will be a half-hour show, said M-E athletic director Dave Cook, 22 minutes of content with commercial interruptions.
“Thomas has seen most of the footage and said it’s world-class quality,” Cook said.
Maine-Endwell set in motion its state-record 62-game win streak to open the 2011 season, and it was halted Nov. 20 with a 43-26 loss to Buffalo’s South Park High in the semifinal round of Class A state playoffs.
Hock’s crew members were conspicuous on Maine-Endwell’s sideline beginning with a Week 7 game against Union-Endicott, and for all subsequent contests excluding a Week 8 victory over Ithaca.
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A summary of the show’s content, according to Time Warner Cable’s website:
“An Upstate New York high school football team keeps a town together. This group of seniors have their legacy on the line as they carry the longest winning streak in state history into their final games.”
Members of Maine-Endwell’s football family will be provided a private advance screening in the high school auditorium, that gathering to be preceded by a Booster Club-provided dinner.
“It’s unfortunate we didn’t get the fifth straight title. That would have been really climactic for everybody involved,” Cook said. “But the community has been supportive of the whole project and everybody is really excited to see it come out.”
Tull’s contributions to his alma mater have included construction of a state-of-the-art baseball field as well as lighting for the football field. He was present for at least two football games this season, on one occasion accompanied by Pro Football Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis, Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Cowher and former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Chris Hoke.
“I don’t know if these kids appreciate the opportunity that Thomas has created for them over the years,” Cook said.
