Final Record Deceiving as Talent Surfaces
The Huntington junior varsity boys’ basketball team forged ahead despite a tough winter that saw the Blue Devils finish with a 5-9 mark in league play (5-11 overall) under coach James Creighton.
Despite finishing down in the standings, Huntington had several players that at times showed flashes of brilliance and others that are expected to develop and contribute to the program in coming years. “It was a team with potential for the future,” Creighton said.
The biggest win of the year saw the Blue Devils come-from-behind to topple Islip. “The team truly showed its improvement,” Creighton said about the game. “The team came to play with their best efforts on this day.” The victory was highlighted by Thomas Thurmond’s 20 points, Tom Grossman’s gritty defensive play and Jeremy Rhodes’ game winning lay-up with 1:30 remaining on the clock.
Rhodes led the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounds and blocks and Thurmond was tops in assists. Grossman averaged a team-best four steals a game. The trio was complemented by the fine play of Jamal Brown and Dan Smith.
Creighton said that Rhodes proved to be a “good shot blocker with a nice touch from the outside for a big man. He has good inside moves, as well.” Grossman would have been the team’s defensive MVP, if there was such an award. The coach called him “a hawk around the basketball and an emotional leader.”
Smith earned the distinction of being the hardest worker on the team. “He does all the little things,” Creighton said. Thurmond shined as a “strong ball handler with excellent vision on the court” and Brown was the leading Blue Devil from the three-point arc as well as being aggressive on defense.
The team was a spirited and generally enthusiastic group made of hard core competitors. “It was a bunch of guys who showed that they could compete with anybody in the league when working on all cylinders,” Creighton said.
What does next season look like? “We will lose key players to the varsity team, but return a number of freshmen and some talented eighth graders will be expected to help out the team,” Creighton said in looking ahead to next year.
“Thomas Thurmond should play an even bigger role as a sophomore. I am looking forward to the maturity and improvement of the athletes next season.”
Blue Devil Notes: Denzel Brown, Najeem Caleb, Jeff Conte, Robert Hughes, Richard Lavelle, Eugene Moody, Shea Sair and Derek Schmelter rounded out the roster . . . Jamal Brown, Grossman and Rhodes captained the team.
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