A Tradition of Excellence

Middle School Sports

Middle School Athletics Headlines

  Fall sports at Finley are gearing up this week. (Darin Reed photo.)
Spetember 5, 2023

Finley Fall Sports Season Ramps Up

The fall sports season at J. Taylor Finley Middle School is ramping up. Tryouts begin this week and are expected to extend into next week as well before rosters are finalized. There are two girls’ soccer teams, two boys’ soccer teams as well as football, co-ed cross country and field hockey teams for seventh and eighth graders to choose from.

  Huntington is filming sports games at three locations with Hudl cameras.
August 28, 2023

Blue Devils Livestream Many Athletic Events

Blue Devil sports fans will be able to watch livestreams of many athletic events during the fall, winter and spring seasons. Huntington UFSD has installed three Hudl cameras to record games in the Huntington High School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School gyms and atop the press box at Blue Devil Stadium.

 Finley Middle School fall sports are expected to attract hundreds of participants.
August 14, 2023

Finley Fall Sports Start on Wednesday, September 6

The J. Taylor Finley Middle School fall sports season will begin on Wednesday, September 6 with football practice. All other teams will start the following day, Thursday, September 7.


Middle School Athletics Information

About the Middle School Athletics Program

football huddle

A Longstanding Tradition of Excellence

Through the years, the Huntington interscholastic athletics program has played an important role in the lives of students and community members. An integral part of the Department of Physical Education, organized athletics in the Huntington School District date back more than one hundred years. Since the inception of sports teams here, Blue Devil competitors have won every possible honor bestowed on high school athletes.

Life Lessons and Opportunities to Participate

Students who choose to participate will learn lessons in the value of hard work, teamwork, personal sacrifice and commitment, time management, respect for authority and rules, as well as how to lead and follow. A myriad of sports are offered during fall, winter and spring seasons. Students can choose to compete on one team each season. Parents of athletes, alumni, and community members who want to support and become involved in the athletic program have an opportunity to join the Huntington Booster Club. This organization sponsors many activities and promotes and enhances the operation of the athletic program.

soccer celebration
huntington fans watch game

Communication made Easy

Schedules for all teams and directions to away contests are available from the athletic office or by logging onto the Section XI website at www.sectionxi.org.

Coaches are also available to discuss any aspect of their specific program with prospective athletes and/or parents. For further information, including tryout dates and sports offered by season, please call the athletic office at 631-673-2018.

Middle School Athletics Leadership

Jim Hoops

James M. Hoops

District Director for Athletics, Health and Physical Education

James M. Hoops assumed the position of district director of health, physical education and athletics on July 1, 2021. He previously served for three years as coordinator of physical education, athletics and special projects. He has worked full-time in the district since April 1984 and has been a physical education teacher since September 1990. He is also certified as a social studies teacher.

A graduate of John H. Glenn High School, Mr. Hoops obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees at Stony Brook University, through which he also obtained his school administrator certification. He has coached wrestling on the high school level and boys’ and girls’ tennis and girls’ soccer on both the middle school and high school levels. He has also coached middle school boys’ and girls’ soccer and baseball.

While serving as assistant coach to iconic Hall of Fame head coach Lou Giani, the Blue Devil wrestling team won several Suffolk and state team championships along with 17 individual county and eight state champions.

Mr. Hoops has also served as the district’s public information coordinator since July 2001. He maintains Huntington UFSD’s website content and also prepares items for the district’s various social media platforms.

Mike Marinello

Michael Marinello

District Coordinator for Physical Education, Athletics and Driver's Education

Michael Marinello has been the district’s coordinator of physical education, athletics and driver education since July 1, 2021. He has been a Huntington physical education teacher since September 1995. He earlier taught at Western Suffolk BOCES for five years.

A graduate of Sachem High School, Mr. Marinello earned an undergraduate degree at Springfield College in physical education and a master’s degree at Stony Brook University in liberal studies with a concentration in health science. He has coached high school golf, high school and middle school wrestling, JV tennis and middle school baseball and boys’ track and field.

Currently the head coach of the Huntington High School varsity golf team, Mr. Marinello is also an assistant varsity wrestling coach. He has been a well-known and well-liked faculty member and athletic coach who also lives in the community and has sent his own children through Huntington High School.

Mr. Marinello is a CPR and First Aid trainer. He has also been a volunteer emergency medical technician. He has taught driver education for many years and he leads the district’s program.

Middle School Fall  Season Athletic Teams

Finley MS

Fall Sports Season Athletics

Modified Program offerings

Dates

Dates

Teams

Teams

Contacts

Contacts

Policies

Policies

Head Coach: Jordan Ioviero

Assistant Coach: Kevin Thorbourne

Assistant Coach: Greg Dieterich

Head Coach: Marissa Bergmann

Head Coach White: Travis Smith

Head Coach Blue: Alex Nelson

Head Coach White: Shea Scully

Head Coach Blue: Alicia Furman

Head Coach : Eric Triolo

Head Coach Boys/Girls: Jarrad Richter

Head Coach Blue: Alicia Furman

Middle School Athletics Videos and Galleries

HHS National Honor Society Induction Ceremony 2021

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HHS National Honor Society Induction Ceremony 2021

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

Finley Sports Galleries and Slideshows

Action photos of our Finley Teams

Location image

Baseball 

June 3, 2023

View Slideshow

Middle School Athletics Honors

Information Coming Soon

Our Partners in Excellence

200+

Challenging Academic Courses

14

Academic Departments

30+

Interscholastic Athletic Teams

90+

Colleges and Universities accepting 2020 HHS Graduates