The winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 20 York

When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.

The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.

The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.

Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s best teams and best players. Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.

This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.

We present No. 20 York today and will add one program a day going forward.

20. YORK: 215-94

Decade’s biggest storyline: The decade produced record-breaking win totals for York basketball.

Prior to the start of the decade the record for wins in a season at York was 25, set in the 1961-62 season. That mark was matched in 2013-14 and then smashed the past two years with 29 and 28 wins.

The 29-win team of the 2018-19 stands out, however, as it impressed throughout the season while winning the Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament, a regional title over conference rival Oak Park and giving state power Young all it could handle in the sectional semifinal, losing 58-56.

Underrated highlight: York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament success –– both as a team and in the overall growth of the tournament –– is impressive and noteworthy.

The Dukes reached the title game of its own holiday tournament five times and won championships in 2012, 2015 and 2019. The 2012 title was the first time York won its own tournament in 30 years.

Earlier in the decade when coach Vince Doran took over the program, the tournament needed to be revitalized. At the time, York was having issues even filling its bracket with 16 teams. But in 2013 the tournament expanded to 32 teams and grew in stature. While so many tournaments saw a decline in attendance, the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic saw an uptick in fans and has been flourishing.

Player of the Decade:David Cohn (2013)

All-Decade Team:David Cohn (2013), Frank Toohey (2014), Nick Kosich (2019), Charlie Rose (2014) and Nate Shockey (2020) Editor’s note: Will Sullivan (2011) was inadvertently left off the initial All-Decade team. We regret the error.

Sun-Times file photo

Other decade highlights:

-Vince Doran was hired in 2012 and elevated the program over his eight seasons as head coach with a conference title, five regional championships and five 20-win seasons. He stepped down following the 2019-20 season. Former Yorkville coach Mike Dunn replaces Doran.

-York won five regional championships in the decade, the most regional titles in any decade in 100 years.

-Frank Toohey, who went on to play at Air Force, won more games than any player in York history.

-The decade featured five different players who scored 1,000-plus points in their career, including Will Sullivan, Nate Shockey, Erik Cohn, David Cohn and Nick Kosich.