Blue Devil JV Football Finishes
Strong Run
The Huntington High School junior varsity football team won three of its final four games to finish the season with a 5-3 mark.
Coached by Jim Byrnes and Mike Bifulco, the Blue Devils were captained by Keegan Reilly, Dylan Stieve, Justin Wiegold, Tyshon Parker and Timothy Mattiace.
"This was a great team to coach," Brynes said. "The team really finished strong and really began to understand both our offensive and defensive philosophies. Looking ahead, this group really has potential to go as far as they want. We have a good mix of players that will make for a good future."
The season began with 36 players on the field and ended with 33 as one was lost to injury and another promoted to the varsity. Only one player quit the squad. "The team worked hard and stood together and grew together and became closer by the team the season ended," Byrnes said. Huntington played well in at least parts of every game and closed the year on a high note.
"Offensively, the team was very solid at all positions with exceptional depth," Byrnes said. Running a spread offense, freshman quarterback Exzayvian Crowell handed the ball off to running backs J.P. Puca, Will Thomas, Ta-Reek Hamilton and Jahmik Curry.
Receivers Justin Wiegold, Keegan Reilly, Dylan Stieve and Infinite Tucker were the main targets when Huntington put the ball in the air. Freshman Chris Abbondandelo also saw time at quarterback and was a "very solid contributor" for the Blue Devils, Byrnes said.
Defensively, the team was hard hitting and very aggressive. Aubrey Brewster, Ryan LaBella, Ariel Aguilar-Alvarez, Dorrian Poellnitz and Amaru Jones were among the group that made this a very strong unit. Freshman Max Polster came on strong in the second half of the season "making his presence known on defense," Byrnes said.
"The offensive and defensive lines were a key part of this team and a major reason why we were so efficient on both sides of the ball," Brynes said. Linemen Michael Lonergan, Erik Gabriel, Cameron Knox, Nick Castelli and Justin Sandoval "were terrific and played exceptionally well together," the coach said.
Sandoval became known as simply "U" for his remarkable ability to play anywhere as the team's utility man extraordinaire. "Justin helped solidify the center position and handled all of our kicking duties," Byrnes said.
Huntington put up some eye-popping stats. Crowell completed 101 of 163 passes for 1,160 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed 64 times for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Weigold caught 32 passes for 615 yards and eight touchdowns. He also recorded 18 tackles, including four for a loss.
Stieve had 30 receptions for 329 yards. He also made 39 tackles. Mattiace rushed 55 times for 241 yards and two touchdowns and made 10 tackles. Hamilton made 52 tackles along with 109 yards rushing. Tucker made 14 catches for 221 yards and also had 27 tackles, including four for a loss and two sacks. Reilly made five catches for 76 yards and had 29 tackles, including three for a loss. Thomas contributed 28 tackles and a sack.
A new tradition took root during the season as the player's mothers threw the team a pre-game breakfast each Saturday. "The boys looked forward to eating and bonding with their teammates each week," Byrnes said.
All 33 players contributed something to the team's success the coaches said. "I watched every one of these players grow as athletes and football players," Brynes said. "This group of players is very talented and with continued hard work and dedication the future looks bright as they move to the varsity level."
Blue Devil Notes: Huntington's wins came over Harborfields (14-13), Rocky Point (19-12), Deer Park (24-10), Hauppauge (42-15) and Kings Park (38-36) . . . The Blue Devils dropped contests to Eastport-South Manor (19-7), Amityville (24-8) and Comsewogue (31-16) . . . Crowell punted 25 times for 659 yards . . . Poellnitz had two interceptions and five tackles . . . Parker caught 11 pass for 80 yards and returned nine kicks for 139 yards. He also made 11 tackles, including two for a loss . . . Puca rushed 35 times for 177 yards and one touchdown and made 10 tackles, including two for a loss.