Blue Devil Sports Briefs
Huntington School Board members added Michelle Reilly (Finley assistant girls’ lacrosse), Krista Kozlosky (Finley assistant girls’ track), Nyesha Bowen (Finley assistant boys’ track), Jillian Talleur (assistant JV girls’ lacrosse), Brian Reynolds (Finley girls’ spring track), Linnea Michaels (assistant varsity girls’ spring track) and Jonathan Searles (assistant varsity baseball) to the Blue Devil spring coaching staff.
Long hours of training are continuing to pay-off for Huntington High School sophomore Zachary Teplin who is making quite a name for himself in regional and national gymnastics circles. College coaches are starting to take notice, too.
Teplin medaled in a pair of events at a Daytona Beach, Florida competition that drew 500 entries. Most recently he medaled in five different events at the second World Cup Invitational of the season. During the “regular season” Teplin medaled 15 times out of a possible 24 opportunities. He’s now training for the New York State Championships which will be held at West Point this Saturday (March 15).
The Huntington Booster Club plans on holding another golf outing and dinner honoring a former Blue Devil great next October. There hasn’t been an announcement indicating the honoree or the date yet, but rest assured, the event will take place.
At last year’s dinner, honoree Charlie Forte was extolled by Huntington alumnus W. Gerard Asher in a touching tribute. “Charlie is the greatest athlete ever from Huntington High School and one of the greatest in the history of Suffolk,” Mr. Asher said. Mr. Forte earned 10 varsity letters during his Blue Devil career.
After his scholastic and professional careers ended, Mr. Forte made All-World in softball several times in the 1960’s and 1970’s, Mr. Asher said, calling his former teammate “a spectacular player.” Mr. Forte starred in baseball, basketball and football for Huntington and after a stellar collegiate career at Wake Forest he later played in the New York Mets organization.
Mr. Asher said that Mr. Forte was an inspirational leader, “performer in the clutch” and a “great teammate and true friend for so many and for Huntington.”
Former Blue Devil baseball star Jon Searles is back with the program as assistant varsity coach. Searles has played with a number of Major League Baseball organizations since earning his Huntington diploma. He has also obtained a degree from the University of Pennsylvania along with the way. A hard-throwing right hander, he has signed to play this year with the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League.
Last year the 6-3, 200 lb. 27-year old was 4-3 with a 3.62 ERA with the San Diego Padres’ Double A affiliate in San Antonio. In his nine-year pro career, Searles’ best season came in 2005 when he went 6-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 80.2 innings for the Chicago Cubs’ Double A affiliate. That year he struck out 72 and walked just 29 in 59 appearances.
Searles was drafted out of Huntington High School by the Pittsburgh Pirates and has nine years of professional ball under his belt.
Phil Wayne, who was a pillar in the Huntington tennis program for six years, went on to play four years at the University of Delaware, compiling a winning record in both singles and doubles and earning numerous varsity letters and athletic and academic awards. Today, he is finishing up his Master’s degree requirements at Loyola College in Maryland. Mr. Wayne plans on beginning a career as a social studies teacher next September.
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