ONEIDA, MADISON COUNTY -- The Oneida football team is playing for a New York State Championship this Sunday when it takes on Rye at 4:00 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The community is feeling the State Championship fever as Oneida never even won a Section III championship before this year, let alone a State Title, but the opportunity to paint the state orange and blue has the city buzzing with excitement. "Yes, they are best team they will come home with it. the whole town is behind them" said Madison native Natasha Merrick.
Even local businesses are noticing the Indian pride "Pretty much everyone who comes into the shop really everyone's talking about the football team's success Pretty much, it's the rave of the town about now." says Zachary Lalond, the assistant manager at the Big Cheese Pizzeria.
That community support had motivated, as if they weren't already, the Indians. Not just to win a State Title for all their hard work and dedication but also its diehard fans and proud residents. "No Matter where I go in the town people are saying, Coach, congratulations. They say so much and after a while you become so humbled by all the congratulations you're getting. It's pretty amazing, I mean we knew we were going to be a good team but these kids have just risen to the occasion" said Oneida Head Coach Bill Carinci.
As you can imagine, it's our Toyota High School Game of the Week this Sunday. Action News Sports will have team coverage for the title game and will be there if Oneida raises that vaunted New York State shaped trophy.
