Coaches and Athletes Praised at Blue Devil Dinner
The Huntington athletic program kept its collective head held high this past year, with team and individual success stories, new school records, scholar athlete awards and significant rebuilding efforts in several sports that appears to have set the stage for a run at future championships.
Director of Athletics Georgia D. McCarthy paid tribute to members of the Blue Devil coaching staff and to the athletes themselves at the 42nd Senior Athletic Awards Banquet in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium last week.
Mrs. McCarthy saluted coaches, telling the group “Your leadership, guidance and genuine concern continue to bring out the best in our student-athletes. I truly enjoy and appreciate working with all of you everyday. Your time commitment in season and out of season does not go unrecognized. I hope you will continue to work with me in order to move all of our programs to the next level.”
The student-athletes, who make the program possible, were also cited for their determined efforts. “Athletics has played an important role in your life at Huntington,” Mrs. McCarthy told the 98 seniors who were honored at the annual dinner. “You have learned many life skills and lessons through your participation and it is now up to you to continue to develop these life skills and implement them as you enter the next phase of your life. Huntington has a very fine tradition in athletics and over the years you have played a very important role by contributing to this tradition.”
With several of her family members in the crowd, Mrs. McCarthy also offered warm words to them. “I would like to thank my family for their support throughout the school year and for the times that I am here with my second family,” she said. “I want to thank my dad for giving me the strength and knowledge to perform this job.” Her father, Ray Deren was a longtime director of physical education and athletics for the Huntington School District. He passed away in 1999.
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