Blue Devil Sports News
The Huntington girls’ basketball team allowed a double-digit first quarter lead to slip through its collective fingers and lost to archrival Harborfields, 39-34 before a crowd of about 200 at the Greenlawn school. The Blue Devils made far too many mistakes, including repeated missed shots on the same possession and an inordinate number of turnovers.
Huntington was outscored in the second half 22-11. Kerry Hicks contributed 11-points and five assists and Julie Forster had eight points and 15 rebounds. Yet, after a fast start, the Blue Devils were kept off balance for more than half the game.
Late this week Huntington is traveling to Harrisonburg, VA where it will practice and play a pair of games over a four-day period.
Cheerleaders Do Their Thing
The Huntington High School fall cheerleading squad included Meleika Amos, Yvette Contreras, Alyssa Cortes, Jennifer Cortes, Edna Delva, Rhiccia Gomez, Fatima Moreno-Boles, Cindy Portillo, Dayna Reyes, Glorimar Rivera, Leslie Stephen, Keirah Thompson, Alexis Velazquez and Gizel Velazquez. Rebecca Robey served as advisor.
Ms. Robey said the group was “a mostly inexperienced team” that “came a long way this season. Led by Edna Delva and Fatima Moreno-Boles as captains, the squad made their way through about 90 cheers to become a definite presence on the sideline.”
Finley Winter Sports Participation
The first of two winter seasons at J. Taylor Finley Middle School saw 170 students try out for five sports teams and 104 earn coveted roster spots. The girls’ volleyball team has 23 players, eighth grade boys’ basketball consists of 22 athletes and the seventh grade boys’ basketball squad features a roster of 16. There are 23 students on the boys’ swimming team and 20 girls are on the cheerleading squad.
Gridiron Honors for the Blue Devils
Five Huntington football players won post-season honors, including Brian Ruggiero, Nick Sammartano, Joe Brown, Sean Whitney and Calvin Bollar. Ruggiero was named to the All-Division and All-County teams and was also garnered Academic All-Division recognition and was a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete and was nominated for the Red Zone Player of the Year Award.
Sammartano was selected All-Division and Academic All-Division. Brown and Whitney were each named 2nd Team All-Division and Academic All-Division. Bollar earned 2nd Team All-Division honors, too.
Finley’s Fall Cheerleaders
The fall cheerleading squad at J. Taylor Finley Middle School was captained by Alexa Gorczycki and Brianne Bennett and included Nicolette Alayon, Alexa Antonucci, Erin Ball, Kristin Berner, Jessica Bonilla, Gilda Goldental-Stoeck, Christen King, Kahlia Knox, Gabriella Mandriota, Tara Purcell, Karina Ramirez, Ashley Rice, Samantha Verme, Felisha Williams, Tenisha Williams and Caitlin Yabroudy. Taborah Williams served as manager. Kim Wright was the advisor.
The cheerleading unit included a nice mix of experienced performers and newcomers. Highlights of the fall included a well-received pep rally performance. The squad looked sharp in its new uniforms and braved cool temperatures to keep spirits high during football games.
JV Football Finishes at 7-1
The Huntington junior varsity football team compiled a 7-1 record. The Blue Devils were captained by Richard Fernandez, Peter Kingston, Patrick O’Brien and Dan Plant. Those players along with Tyree Brown, Qu’ran Carter, Jack Forster, Nick Saputo, Steven Correll and Chris Kedell were the team’s top performers, according to head coach Todd Jamison, who returned to the sidelines after an absence that spanned many years.
The Blue Devils defeated East Hampton (52-6), Eastport-South Manor (20-13), Hauppauge (34-18), Harborfields (30-20), Comsewogue (29-22), Westhampton Beach (44-43) and Miller Place (40-18). The lone loss came at the hands of Deer Park, 18-12. The come-from-behind victories over Comsewogue, Harborfields and Westhampton were the highlights of the season.
Jamison called the team “very talented” and said the group “could be part of something special in the near future,” in a reference to a possible drive for a championship by the varsity team.
Calvin Bollar Runs Wild
Huntington sophomore Calvin Bollar enjoyed a fantastic football season, rushing 96 times for 664 yards and six touchdowns, catching 31 passes for 421 yards and five touchdowns and completing 30-of-40 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns.
“Calvin is small in stature, but packs a mighty big punch,” Blue Devil head coach Ron Wilson said. “He’s an exceptional athlete with limitless potential. It’s great to see him perform. He’s going to be great for Huntington football for the next couple of years if he stays humble and focused.”
New JV Softball Coach
Huntington School Board members have appointed Todd Jamison as the Huntington junior varsity softball coach. He was the head JV football coach this past fall, guiding the Blue Devils to a 7-1 record. He also works as a security guard at the high school.
Huntington Wrestling Glory
In the first 59 seasons of the Huntington wrestling program, Blue Devil grapplers have won Suffolk crowns 75 times. The honor roll includes: 1953: Lou Giani 1954: Jerry Grenier 1956: Bob Fowler 1957: Don Grenier, Lenny Tetrault 1958: Don Grenier, Richard Holohan 1959: Don Grenier (MOW) 1960: Pete Schumacher 1961: Bob Tarantino 1962: Geoff Keane 1963: Rick Hauge 1964: Bob Zieler 1965: Ken Poulos 1972: Cipriano Roman, Charles Gadson (MOW) 1973: Charles Gadson, Lou Giani, Jr., Benjie Smith 1974: Jeff Thomas 1975: Jeff Thomas, Mike Picozzi, Mike Rosenbauer 1976: Mike Thomas, Mike Picozzi (MOW), Joe Giani, Jeff Thomas, John Karcher, Mike Rosenbauer, Tony Smith, Brian Gaffney 1977: Bob Lauro, Paul Widerman 1978: Paul Widerman, Mike Thomas 1979: Jon Dolan 1980: Jon Dolan, Rick Nardelli, Jim Flynn, Bill Gaffney 1982: Kieran Mock 1984: Gene McNeil 1985: Drew Jackson, Mark Billups 1986: Gene McNeil, Drew Jackson 1990: Ken Johnson 1991: Chris Smith, Brian Fischenich, Elias Perez 1992: Brian Fischenich, Elias Perez 1994: Adrian Bonilla, Jim Amira 1996: Adrian Bonilla, Chris Beck 1997: Dawid Rechul 1998: Dawid Rechul 2000: Pat Flynn, Steven Palacios, Jack Piana 2001: Pat Flynn, Steven Palacios (MOW) 2002: Pat Flynn, Steven Palacios (MOW) , Stephon Sair 2003: Shawn Riley 2004: Shawn Riley, Shaheim Bradshaw, Jack Sullivan, Pierre Delva 2005: Jack Sullivan, Jeremy Pellot 2008: Damon McQueen, Dashaun Thomas.
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