Blue Devil Sports Briefs
After losing most of its starting line-up to graduation, the Huntington boys’ basketball team faces a rebuilding season in 2009/10. The Blue Devils reached the Suffolk Class A finals last winter. It was the seventh time the program advanced to the county championship game.
Huntington won Suffolk crowns in 1950, 1954, 1955, 1958 and 2006. It finished second in 1987 and 2009.
Wilson Issues Forecast
With so many talented seniors lost to graduation, what’s in the future for the Huntington boys’ track and field team? “I know I said it last year: ‘Next year is a rebuilding year,’” head coach Ron Wilson joked. “Well, next year will truly be a rebuilding year. Three of the top sprinters in the county have graduated. Our top distance runner has also graduated.
The 2009 Blue Devils won the league title, finishing with a sterling 7-0 mark. The squad was captained by Josh Daves, David Acton and Jacob Gayle. Wilson was assisted by Eli Acosta.
“We’re not totally out of it,” Wilson said about the prospects for 2010. “We do return Tyriek Johnson in the hurdles, sprints and jumps. Chris Sandoval, Dante Allen and Trevon Toney will return in the shot put and discus circles, where they should continue to dominate. Eric Szilagy, Ryan Ackerman and James Okula should return with some improvement in the distance events.”
Booster Club Golf Outing
The Huntington Booster Club will honor longtime Huntington High School physical education teacher and coach Steve Henry at the group’s annual fall golf outing on Wednesday, October 14 at Crab Meadow Golf Club in Northport.
The day will begin with registration, lunch and driving range practice from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by a shotgun start. Dinner and awards will conclude the day’s activities. The fee for golf, lunch and dinner is $200. Those wishing to attend the 6:30 p.m. celebratory dinner at the course can do so for $100. A range of sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Proceeds from the day will benefit the Booster Club’s initiatives on behalf of the Huntington athletic program. For more information about the golf outing, contact MaryAnne Hicks at 631-338-6976 or hicks.maryanne@yahoo.com.
Finley PE Awards
J. Taylor Finley Middle School physical education teachers Travis Smith, Mary Paar and Timothy Madden selected students James Byrnes and Katie Healy as the department’s 2009 Outstanding Achievement Award winners. The honors were announced at Finley’s annual awards night held late last month.
Teammates Head to Cortland
Blue Devil track stars Jacob Gayle and Joshua Daves are both headed to SUNY College at Cortland in the fall. The Huntington track program won’t be the same without the dynamic duo.
Gayle, who plans to major in elementary education, excelled as a sprinter and long jump specialist and held down the third leg of Huntington’s feared 4 x 100m relay. In the 100m dash, Gayle placed second in the league and seventh in Suffolk in a time of 11.33. The 4 x 100m relay team reached the county finals and recorded a new electronic school record time of 43.34 seconds in the event. “He’s an outstanding sprinter with great abilities,” track coach Ron Wilson said.
Daves, who major in physical education, was also a sprinter and long-jumper and was the anchor on the 4 x 100m relay team. He captured the league crown in the long jump and was fourth in Suffolk Division II and 10th in the county. “He’s truly an amazing athlete with unlimited abilities,” Wilson said. “He will be greatly missed!”
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