WALES, Maine — The Kansas City Chiefs played in four of the last five Super Bowls and won three of them. They’re a dynasty.
The New England Patriots in the Brady-Belichick era won 11 AFC championships and six Super Bowls. It’s a record other teams regard with awe.
The New York Yankees won the World Series in 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962. If you didn’t before, you now understand the deep-rooted hatred Red Sox fans have for the Yankees.
Extraordinary records, right? Yet they pale in comparison to what has been accomplished at Oak Hill High School in Wales by the Future Business Leaders of America. The chapter there has won the statewide FBLA competition an astounding 25 years in a row. If a football team had that streak, ESPN would have done five documentaries on it.
"We’ve always had this really high expectation for our kids and I don’t think they want to disappoint," head advisor Angela Roy said. "So they come in and work hard for us."
Although she’s too modest to say it, Roy herself has played a crucial role in the success. She participated in FBLA as a student at Oak Hill and after returning as a teacher has served as either the assistant or head advisor for 27 years.
"She’s just such a kind and supportive person," senior Destiney Samare said. "We really want to do well for her and ourselves."
What the students learn in the classroom has proven useful after graduation, which it should, given the name of the organization.
"I have a girl that is doing a wedding planning business," Roy said. "I have a boy that’s doing a landscape business. I just called a former student who is going to come and refinish my deck."
In a week and a half, the FBLA students from Oak Hill will defend their title and try to extend their championship run to 26 consecutive years. Are they feeling pressure?
"Oh, yeah, of course," senior Landon Bangs said. "But it’s good pressure, you know? It’s the pressure to succeed."