Some of the younger swimmers on the Emmaus boys’ swimming team were not even born when the team started its streak of 15 consecutive district championships back in the winter of 2007-2008. Since then, the team has dominated the local boys high school swimming scene and there is no reason to think that the streak is in any serious jeopardy, although several other schools are making things tougher on the Hornets.

Head coach Tim O’Connor mentioned Liberty, Nazareth and of course, annual nemesis Parkland as the teams that are most likely to battle his team this winter. In their dual meet with Liberty last season, the Hurricanes won most of the events, but the depth of Emmaus prevented them from getting many other top-three finishers and Emmaus won the meet.

“I am really excited to see what we can do this season,” said senior swimmer Andrew Taylor. “We just had a club meet this past weekend that probably 90 percent of the swimmers on the team went to and everyone did really well and a lot of us set best times.

“I think that we can definitely win districts and then just see how we progress and go into states.”

While O’Connor is proud of his teams that have put together the long district winning streak, he wants them to strive for even more. Back around the time that the district winning streak began, Emmaus was also capturing state titles.

The boys won state gold in both 2006 and 2007 and the girls had an even longer streak stretching from 2004 to 2009.

“We always look at the meet against Parkland and really pay attention to that, and that’s great because it is such a rivalry and it’s a good gauge of how we are doing locally because they are always so good,” said O’Connor. “What I want to see is how we do against the Wilson West Lawns of the world because that gives you a better gauge of where we are on a bigger scale.”

The Bulldogs last won the state title back in 2008, unseating the Hornets, but have maintained a strong presence in the annual PIAA meet, finishing fourth in the commonwealth last season. Wilson and Emmaus have their annual dual meet on January 20 at home and will take part in the Wilson Relays on January 14.

The boys’ team has six seniors – Ryan DeJohn, Jack Engel, Ethan Ferris, Jack Niggel, Jack Reppert and Taylor – and the chemistry between the upper class and the freshmen just coming in has been strong this season.

“When we’re together, it’s not like we are in separate grades or anything, it’s just like we are all in the same group and we all get along well,” said Taylor, who has seen some impressive swims from freshman swimmers. “I am really looking forward to seeing how Andersen Borst and Reid Lovett do this season. Those are the two that really stand out because they are monsters in practice.”

“For the kids coming in,” said O’Connor, “they are used to competing in age groups, but now it’s just one group and you’re going up against kids who are a couple of years and even three years older and more experienced than you.

“These freshmen are intimidated enough when they come in here and we don’t want our upperclassmen to add to that. Our seniors have done an excellent job of remembering what it was like for them to come in as freshmen and compete and they have welcomed the younger swimmers.”