Blue Devil Football Players Gain Post-Season Honors
What the Huntington football team lacked in roster size it made up for in pure talent as seven of the squad’s 20 players earned Suffolk post-season honors following a 5-3 campaign.
The Blue Devils, coached by Steve Muller, Joe Poller and Kevin Zaharios, have struggled in recent years build roster depth and have needed to call players up from the junior varsity several times when injuries struck the varsity team. But, while few in number, Huntington’s football players have been skilled at their positions and dedicated to the program and to each other and that has helped carry the Blue Devils to lofty heights.
Although the team failed to make the playoffs this year, missing by a few points in the power rating system, Muller was pleased with the work ethic and overall effort of his players. Huntington has field a football team since 1895 and the community cherishes that long tradition.
Huntington was led by All-County seniors Eric Santos, Dashaun Thomas and Quillian Respass. Leon Barnett, who was named First Team All-Division and Pat Coffey, James Beck and Walter Stephen, who were each named Second Team All-Division, respectively, also played crucial roles for the Blue Devils.
“Eric was the workhorse on our team,” Muller said about the four-year varsity starter who led the Blue Devils in touchdowns and yardage. But, as good as Santos was, he wouldn’t have made it very far without the blocking of teammates like Thomas, who also led the team in tackles on defense. “He’s arguably the best blocking back I have ever coached,” Muller said about Thomas, who displayed a knack for grinding out yardage.
Respass also shined, excelling at quarterback and on special teams. “Quillian is a confident and gifted player who can take over the game at any time,” Muller said. Respass used his explosive speed and sometimes acrobatic abilities to evade tacklers and provide Huntington with an always present and dangerous scoring threat.
Prognosticators didn’t give Huntington much of a chance this year in rugged Suffolk Division III, but the Blue Devils proved the “experts” wrong. “We were 20-strong,” said Muller proudly . “The players gave all they had and came up a little short. They worked hard and showed great character.”
The coaching staff has been meeting and it knows what needs to be done to remain competitive. “We must rebuilt and increase our numbers for the future,” Muller said.
Blue Devil Notes: Beck and Coffey were also named to the Academic All-Division team . . . Beck also earned the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award . . . Santos, Thomas and Respass were named Police Athletic League (PAL) All-Stars . . . Coffey was recognized with a $500 Wings scholarship.
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