With the 2007-2008 school year completed, there's one prevailing theme to many of the things that have appeared in this sports section over the last nine months.

There's been a lot to celebrate at Cornell.

Granted, there was no single highlight like the WPIAL basketball championships of the 1970s or in 2000, but it's quite possible that 2007-2008 will be looked back upon as one of the best years for Cornell athletics, if not THE best.

Based purely on results, the top Raiders team of the year was the boys swim team, which captured the school's first section title in three years and the first in a sport other that basketball for over a decade.

Playoff berths by the boys basketball team, baseball team (two in a row) and girls basketball team (first-ever), meant that also for the first time ever, three separate Cornell teams were in the WPIAL playoffs.

Let's not forget the individual effort of WPIAL 800-meter champion Sean Hunt, the first Raider to win District 7 gold in the memory of anyone involved with the program.

Yes, all the coordinated success could be coincidence. More likely, there's something behind the rise of the Raiders, who still represent the smallest public school in Allegheny County and the seventh-smalled co-ed school in the WPIAL.

"I think a lot of it has to do with the coaching," said Will Roncone, a 35-year teacher and former head football coach at Cornell, who has recently filled the tasks of an interim athletic director.

"We have a lot of good coaches that take the job real seriously and get the kids involved. Each team has more kids playing than there were in the past. I know for girls basketball, we used to have trouble getting enough girls, and this year we ordered 20 uniforms."

So having been around the district for the better part of four decades, does Roncone agree that this year was a bit of a Raiders renaissance?

"Off the top of my head, I think it's certainly one of the most successful years that I can remember," he said. "I think that builds a lot of pride within the teams, and then as the old saying goes, success breeds success."

If that saying is correct and the coaching at Cornell is part of the reason for the boom, there's no reason to think this success is a one-time thing.

It's very possible that some of these coaches could be with the Raiders for a long time. All but two varsity coaches at Cornell are in their 20s or 30s, creating a youth movement among the leadership.

In addition, the number of sports on offer at the school is at a new high, with a total of six boys and five girls sports to choose from.

There are still obstacles.

The school is slated to have 176 students in grades 10-12 next year, making it hard to compete year-in and year-out.

Cornell also doesn't have the same financial resources as much of its competition, especially in Class A where many of the schools are private.

Still, 2007-2008 was a banner year, and should serve as an example.

With some hard work, participation and plenty of Raider Pride in the community, there's no reason Cornell can't be a perennial winner.