Congratulations to Tom Sutton for his induction into the Section IV Hall of Fame. Tom played baseball, football, and basketball during his time at New Berlin high school. (Submitted Photo)

BINGHAMTON – On Saturday, April 29, Section IV athletics held its annual hall of fame induction ceremony held at the Holiday Inn in downtown Binghamton. The 2023 induction included 18 athletes, four coaches, and three contributions from various high schools that reside in Section IV.

Out of those 18 athletes, Chenango County’s Tom Sutton was inducted. Tom was a three-sport athlete (baseball, basketball, and football) at New Berlin High School before it became what is known as Unadilla Valley. Tom graduated in 1987 with an abundance of accolades from his time in high school.

A nice overview of his playing career was written in the ceremony’s program to detail each memorable moment of Tom’s playing career.

Tom was named the Evening Sun and Tri-Valley (T-V)’s first-team selection twice for his efforts at both quarterback and defensive back in football. He never lost a single game in his career with a 19-0 record and led the Hawks to three T-V championships. Overall, he passed for 1,132 yards, rushed for 393, and totaled 38 points.

In baseball, Tom played four years at second base. New Berlin captured two NYSPHSAA Class D championships, three Tri-Valley League championships, and ended with an overall record of 72-11 during Tom’s time with the Hawks. He finished with a .389 batting average and was named the Tri-Valley League all-star three times.

Sutton was the leading point guard on the Hawks’ basketball court, where he was named an Evening Sun all-county and Tri-Valley League all-star twice. He scored a total of 580 points, averaging nine points per game and the team went 34-4 in league play and 55-10 overall throughout the four years. The Hawks also won two Tri-Valley titles and a spot in the 1986 Class D finals held at the Broome County Arena.

Tom attended SUNY Cobleskill after graduation and played one year on the basketball team before transferring to Elon College in North Carolina. He achieved a degree in Business Administration and went on to earn his masters from Syracuse University.

Tom, along with his wife Debbie, reside in Norwich, where he is the Director of Retail Banking at NBT Bank. Together, Tom and Debbie raised three adult children; Tyler, Cassie, and Mike Sutton.

Congratulations, Tom.

-Information from Section IV Athletics