Real life is rarely like the fairytales. Not every ending is a storybook one. Most of the time things just end in silence. When it comes to Jeff Limoncelli’s career he was prepared if his ending wasn’t perfect. He was content with his nearly three decade career, and the state title the Blue Raiders won back in 1999.
However, on Saturday afternoon Limoncelli walked off the baseball field for the last time as Horseheads coach, hugging his assistant coaches and his players, celebrating one of the best moments of his life.
The legendary Horseheads coach had the fairytale ending that few ever get, walking away from the game a state champion for the second time.
“I haven’t been that happy before,” Limoncelli said of winning the state title. “Not since marrying my wife and the birth of my kids. That was a good one.”
After nearly 30 years and over 400 wins Limoncelli walks away on top. The Blue Raiders are state champions for the second time, after winning a school-record fourth straight sectional title this year.
While many fans were rooting for Limoncelli to have his storybook ending, Limoncelli was thinking about those fans and wanting to do well for them.
“It means everything,” Limoncelli said of the fans. “I look at the bleachers, look at the support we have. The community, we’ve got Little League teams. The families, everyone supports us. I looked up in the bleachers and I didn’t realize how many people were here. I looked up and I go I really hope we win it for them. And, it really ended up being a great day.”
And, it was a great day, as so many have been over the years with Limoncelli at the helm in baseball and basketball for the Blue Raiders.
You could see the love the players had for Limoncelli as Mason Holloway made a beeline from the field and ran and gave him a huge hug after the win.
“I know it means a lot for him,” Holloway said of his coach. “It means just as much for us for him to go out like this. He’s been a legend in the area for basketball and baseball, and for him to finally win another one, I’m glad we can do it for him.”
The first time the Blue Raiders won a state title Limoncelli was in just his second year as the Blue Raiders coach. That team included a player named Bo Hays.
26 years later the Blue Raiders won another state championship and the player closing out the game on the mound was Micah Hays, Bo’s son.
“It means a lot,” Micah Hays said. “My dad played for him when they won the championship in 99 and just to be a part of this team and him coaching it and doing it for the second time, it means a lot.”
That’s the story of Limoncelli’s career. Coaching multiple generations of athletes, and leading them to success.
You could watch Limoncelli in the dugout in the final innings. He’d walk from one side to the other of the dugout, pumping up his players, making sure the energy was up.
After the game he talked about how the players keep their focus, and make sure to treat things like any other game. And, it absolutely was how the Blue Raiders treated things, however this game was different.
This game was the final one for Limoncelli. This was his last time pacing that dugout as a Blue Raiders coach, and walking away with the championship trophy definitely made things special.
“It’s been great. I am lucky because I have great kids. They are very coachable and it makes it easy. I had a tough time two days ago with my last practice and I even had a tear on the bus, my last bus ride. It’s not easy, but when you end it like this, it’s a little bit easier.”
This wasn’t a fairytale. This is real life. But, as Limoncelli talked after the game he realized how special this ending really is.
“I’m very blessed, because that doesn’t happen often,” Limoncelli said of going out as a state champion. “You have to have good kids who are a tight knit group who work hard for you and give you a chance and you get hot come playoff time and it goes quick.
“It seems like we got hot, we played well in all facets of the game. For this to happen, to go out like this. It’s surreal. Someone pinch me man, it’s great.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
