Blue Devil Sports News
Jackie Contino dropped in 17 points and Lucie Guilino scored 13 to lift the Huntington JV girls’ basketball team over Harborfields, 55-44. Heather Forster and Hannah Burnett added 11 and 10 points, respectively in the winning effort. Laurelle Byrne-Cody provided the Blue Devils with a mountain of assists.
Waldron on Fire
Jackie Waldron had her best game yet in a Huntington uniform when she scored 25 points, including 10 from the free throw line in a 51-45 Blue Devil victory over host Islip.
The Buccaneers took an early 14-13 lead after one quarter before Huntington stormed back with a 16-7 run to gain the upper hand by halftime, 29-21.
The battle became tighter in the second half, but Waldron came through with nine points in the finals minutes, including a 5-for-6 effort from the foul line to help Huntington gain a satisfying six-point victory. Meredith McCourt added 12 points and Emma Hayes Hurley and Raynisha Witherspoon combined for another 13.
Finley Football-8 Struggles
This just wasn’t “the year” for J. Taylor Finley Middle School’s eighth grade football team. The Falcons, coached by Rick Eriksen and Phil Lowe, closed out the season with a 1-5 mark.
The 30-player squad was captained by quarterback Nick Arleo and running backs John Caputo, Bill Martin and Anthony Puca. The four captains and Ben Kocis, who showed a strong arm at quarterback, were the top players on the team.
“They will be better when they mature,” Eriksen said.
What a Game
After Harborfields opened the game with seven unanswered points, a dark cloud was hovering over Louis D. Giani Gymnasium. Then the Huntington girls’ basketball team went on an extended 19-9 run to take a surprising three point lead at halftime, 19-16. Some fans sensed a huge upset in the making.
While the Blue Devils played hard, diving after loose balls, battling for rebounds and showing some strong ball handling, the Tornadoes won out in the end, outscoring Huntington 27-19 in the second half to grab a hard fought 43-38 victory.
Raynisha Witherspoon led all Blue Devil scorers with 12 points. Jackie Waldron pumped in another 11 points and Lauren Visbal added nine.
Home Opener
The Huntington wrestling team will open its home dual meet season in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium on Friday, January 8 when it hosts Eastport-South Manor at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Huntington Falls
The Harborfields boys’ basketball team took command of the game early and surged past Huntington, 73-39. The Tornadoes scored 17 of the first 22 points in the opening eight minutes. Harborfields held a 35-16 lead at halftime and kept up its sharp shooting in the second half.
The Blue Devils were led by John Patron’s 11 points. Jeremy Rhodes, Tyre Brown and John McCarthy scored eight points each, respectively.
Huntington Wrestling Glory
In the first 60 seasons of the Huntington wrestling program, Blue Devil grapplers have won Suffolk crowns 76 times. The honor roll includes:
1953: Lou Giani 1954: Jerry Grenier 1956: Bob Fowler 1957: Don Grenier, Lenny Tetrault 1958: Don Grenier, Richard Holohan 1959: Don Grenier (MOW) 1960: Pete Schumacher 1961: Bob Tarantino 1962: Geoff Keane 1963: Rick Hauge 1964: Bob Zieler 1965: Ken Poulos 1972: Cipriano Roman, Charles Gadson (MOW) 1973: Charles Gadson, Lou Giani, Jr., Benjie Smith 1974: Jeff Thomas 1975: Jeff Thomas, Mike Picozzi, Mike Rosenbauer 1976: Mike Thomas, Mike Picozzi (MOW), Joe Giani, Jeff Thomas, John Karcher, Mike Rosenbauer, Tony Smith, Brian Gaffney 1977: Bob Lauro, Paul Widerman 1978: Paul Widerman, Mike Thomas 1979: Jon Dolan 1980: Jon Dolan, Rick Nardelli, Jim Flynn, Bill Gaffney 1982: Kieran Mock 1984: Gene McNeil 1985: Drew Jackson, Mark Billups 1986: Gene McNeil, Drew Jackson 1990: Ken Johnson 1991: Chris Smith, Brian Fischenich, Elias Perez 1992: Brian Fischenich, Elias Perez 1994: Adrian Bonilla, Jim Amira 1996: Adrian Bonilla, Chris Beck 1997: Dawid Rechul 1998: Dawid Rechul 2000: Pat Flynn, Steven Palacios, Jack Piana 2001: Pat Flynn, Steven Palacios (MOW) 2002: Pat Flynn, Steven Palacios (MOW) , Stephon Sair 2003: Shawn Riley 2004: Shawn Riley, Shaheim Bradshaw, Jack Sullivan, Pierre Delva 2005: Jack Sullivan, Jeremy Pellot 2008: Damon McQueen, Dashaun Thomas 2009: Damon McQueen (N.B. The term MOW refers to the recipient of the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.)
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