Jamie McCullough
Class of 1991
More than a quarter century ago, a pair of twins proved wunderkinds on the New Milford High School soccer pitch, and also brought their splendid athleticism to Green Wave basketball and track & field.
Jamie McCullough, a three-sport standout with seemingly no limits as an athlete, was a creative playmaker in soccer, a quicksilver defender with a knack for getting to the hoop in basketball and a versatile sprinter and mid-distance runner on the track. In all three sports, a key teammate was his brother, Jesse.
Jamie was one of those soccer players who could have excelled anywhere on the pitch. That he scored 36 career goals and assisted 32 others certainly was central to his value to the Green Wave, especially as Jamie spearheaded many plays that resulted in goals by his brother. In tandem, the twins scored 85 goals, or almost two goals per match for their three seasons with the varsity.
For his soccer efforts, Jamie was selected all-Western Connecticut Conference all three seasons, and, notably, was chosen the Green Wave’s Most Valuable Player for his season campaign.
Once the weather chilled each year, Jamie McCullough morphed with ease from soccer natural to basketball whirlwind, a hard-court purveyor of derring-do with intimidating wingspan seemingly matched only by his brother, Jesse, and an admirable knack for disrupting whatever offensive plans were hatched by Green Wave opponents.
Like Jesse, Jamie was an underrated offensive player who averaged almost 12 points per game for 71 career contests as the Green Wave posted a 52-19 record with Jamie on the court. His 829 career points ranked fourth in NMHS annals upon his graduation.
For his basketball exploits, Jamie was voted all-WCC after both his junior and senior seasons.
Similarly to his twin brother, Jamie often played his best when the chips were down, helping the Green Wave win eight WCC playoff and state tournament games during his junior and season years. With Jamie teaming with Jesse and their stellar basketball teammates, the Green Wave played their way to the state class ‘L’ semifinal in 1989-90 and to the state championship game in 1990-91.
On the track, Jamie demonstrated a willingness to help the Green Wave win in any way he could, often running the unusual double of the 100 meters and 800 meters, and finding time to contribute to winning efforts by NMHS’ 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relays.
Highlighting his track career at NMHS were a leg as a freshman on the Green Wave’s victorious 4 x 400-meter relay in the Western Connecticut Conference meet; individual WCC gold medals in the 100 meters and 800 meters as a junior, and legs on the Green Wave’s first-place quartets in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 as a senior.
Jamie McCullough was far from through with sports when he collected his NMHS diploma. He soon was back at it with his brother, Jesse, playing four seasons of soccer at Hobart College in New York.
