Powerful Finley Boys' Soccer
Compiles 8-1-1 Mark
Boys' soccer is rising in Huntington. The J. Taylor Finley Middle School team finished the fall campaign with a record of 8-1-1 under head coach Matthew Perlongo. It's a good omen for future success on the varsity level.
The 32-member Falcon squad was captained by Joe Saginaw, Santiago Alzate and Jorge Villela. Perlongo said his top players were Alzate, Josue Canales, Brendan Homire and Wilson Martinez.
Alzate and Martinez were a real-life dynamic duo. "Together the two make an unbeatable defensive unit," Perlongo said. While Finley had a high-powered offense, the defense played an equally important role during the successful season. The team's only loss came at the hands of Brentwood West, 1-0.
The coach said Canales is a "dominant team leader. Younger kids look up to him." The explosive Homire is "always a threat on offense," Perlongo said. The Falcons outscored their opponents by a lopsided margin.
The highlight of the year came near the end of the season. Finley took on a strong Hauppauge squad that was being favorably compared to a JV team. "There had been much talk that Hauppauge was unbeatable," Perlongo said. "My kids played really hard and gave them a great game." The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie.