Colorful Cast Lifts Blue Devil JV Football
A colorful cast of players helped the Huntington junior varsity football team turn in a memorable 6-1-1 season this fall. The Blue Devils outscored their opponents 221-85.
“This very young team performed well in every aspect of the game,” said Ron Wilson, who coached the team along with former Huntington great Todd Jamison. “Throughout the course of the season, they developed and matured into outstanding athletes and great young men.”
Sophomore quarterback Conor Reilly completed 85-of-130 passes for 1,144 yards and 19 touchdowns. He rushed 61 times for 566 and three touchdowns. “He’s an outstanding athlete with great leadership abilities,” Wilson said. “Truly a coach’s dream!”
Sophomore Frankie Caravetto excelled at wide receiver and middle linebacker. Despite missing the first two games of the season, he recorded 47 solo tackles, including 17 for a loss, recovered a fumble and pulled down an opponent for a safety. “He’s a multi-talented athlete who gave his best efforts every time he stepped out on the field,” Wilson said.
Jared Thorbourne, a superb sophomore slot back and corner back, made 28 catches for 263 yards and four touchdowns, rushed 36 times for 335 yards and four touchdowns, compiled 31 solo tackles, including three for a loss and picked off five passes. Wilson called him “an exceptional athlete who played every game with a lot of courage and heart.”
Freshman Shaheem Lewis emerged as the team’s best blocking lineman. After a game, opposing coaches would regularly acknowledge Lewis for his stand-out on-field efforts. “He’s big and tough,” Wilson said. “What more can a coach ask for?”
Huntington’s talent ran deep and the team’s coaches strived to maximize each player’s potential and fit them into the right positions. “Former President JFK once said, ‘One person can make a difference and every person must try,’” Wilson said. “Our team achieved success only by the extra achievements of each individual on the team. Our team conquered because we all were able to play and enjoy this great came of football.”
Sophomore wide receiver and outside linebacker Thomas Mulligan pulled in nine receptions for 118 yards and three touchdowns and made 29 solo tackles, including six for a loss. He also recovered a fumble. “Thomas is your ‘blue collar worker’ that works hard in games and practices,” Wilson joked.
Joshua “Scooby” Long rushed 53 times for 234 yards, recorded 17 receptions for 335 yards and scored four touchdowns. The freshman also had 37 solo tackle from his cornerback position, including six for a loss, and intercepted three passes. “Scooby is small in stature, however, he plays the game like he’s a giant,” Wilson said.
Freshman Davon Nelson joined with Caravetto to help shut down the inside runs of many opponents. “It’s been a while since we had a 6’1, 200 plus lbs. middle linebacker,” Wilson said. The coach said that Nelson and Caravetto were “a big part of our success defensively.” Nelson record 48 solo tackles, forced a fumble and recovered another. Four of his tackles were for a loss. He also rushed 18 times for 102 yards and four touchdowns.
Another key cog in the Blue Devil machine was sophomore Dan McQuade, who recorded nine receptions for 178 yards and three touchdowns and made 37 solo tackles, including 10 for a loss, picked off a pass, forced seven fumbles and recovered four of them. “Dan is another multi-talented athlete that we used all over the field,” Wilson said about the wide receiver and defensive end/linebacker. “Teams found it very hard to run outside of him, and when they did do to his side, he would strip or snatch the ball right out of the running back’s hand. He was just that good!”
As for the future, well, the coach doesn’t have too many predictions. “What can I say?” Wilson asked. “It’s JV football. Many of our ninth graders will probably be moved up to the varsity squad as sophomores next year. That’s the way it has been the last three or four years. You make do with what you have.”
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