Blue Devils Go Out with a Bang, 41-12
Oh, what might have been. With a couple of breaks, the Huntington football team would be 7-1 and headed into the Suffolk Division III playoffs as one of the top seeds. Instead, the Blue Devils are looking forward to next year, even after toppling Hauppauge last Friday night, 41-12.
In retrospect, two home games will haunt Huntington all winter: A wild 41-39 loss to Sayville and a 14-12 overtime defeat at the hands of Rocky Point. Both of those teams have advanced to post-season play while the Blue Devils have closed the book on the year.
After losing so many talented players to graduation last June, no one expected Huntington (5-3) to challenge the league leaders this fall, but they did just that. “The kids really worked hard and we surprised a lot of teams,” head coach Steve Muller said. “It was really a rebuilding year yet we were able to make a playoff run.”
But, the heartbreaking losses to Sayville and Rocky Point ended any hope of finishing among the top four teams and qualifying for this weekend’s playoff semifinals. Yet, with its fate already known, Huntington still put on a show at Hauppauge (0-8), building a 27-0 lead by halftime and ending 2007 with a bang.
In his last game for the Blue Devils, running back Eric Santos enjoyed one of his best days ever, scoring on touchdown runs of one and 55 yards and accumulating 202 yards overall on 13 carries. Senior Dashaun Thomas (nine carries for 63 yards) also scored a pair of touchdowns in his final game, with a one yard plunge and an 11-yard sprint. “We are going to miss these two workhorses,” Muller said.
Huntington’s last touchdown of the first half came when Junior Sean Whitney intercepted an errant Hauppauge pass and returned it 95 yards. “It was one of the most exciting plays of the year,” Muller said. Whitney is expected to be a key cog in the 2008 machine.
Quarterback Quillian Respass scored Huntington’s final touchdown of the night, darting and dodging 33 yards into the end zone in an exciting display of the senior’s athleticism. Respass, as much as any player, played a huge role in the Blue Devils’ surprise season.
Muller said no one associated with the program is happy about missing the playoffs, but that it was good to end the season on a “winning note.” A very strong junior varsity team this season will strengthen the varsity program next fall as Huntington looks to become a post-season squad again.
Blue Devil Notes: Thomas added 10 tackles to his game resume . . . Sophomore place-kicker Paul Aramanda went five-for-six in extra point conversions . . . Muller completed his 13th season as head coach with an 82-40 mark . . . The Blue Devils outscored their opponents, 220-156.
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