Blue Devil Football Throws a Party
The Huntington football program knows how to throw a party and this year’s celebration attracted nearly 200 players, parents and coaches. The event honored current middle school, junior varsity and varsity players and past coaches who helped build the Blue Devils’ storied tradition.
“It was a night full of excitement and good cheer and at times was emotional,” head coach Ron Wilson said. “It was a night that I didn't want to end. That's how great it was. What was even better was the number of text messages I received from the athletes later on that night saying how great it was and how appreciative they are of what we did for them.”
The dinner was postponed one day due to inclement weather and the site was moved to the J. Taylor Finley Middle School cafeteria, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm. The large crowd dined buffet style and many of the players came wearing ties. Following dinner, members of the coaching staff spoke about the season and presented the top performers with handsome trophies. Several new awards were also introduced.
Wilson said the current football staff is grateful to its predecessors, including Joe Lucey, John Paci, Jr. and Steve Henry, and wanted to pay tribute to them by renaming some of the annual awards the program dispenses. The three honorees coached most of this year’s football staff members while they were in high school. Likewise, some of the current staff coached Finley’s newest football coaches, former Blue Devil greats Stef Sair and Jimmy Creighton. A special award in honor of former Huntington standout Chris Pettit was also presented.
“There’s definitely something to be said about Huntington,” Wilson said. “It's a long line of Huntington pride and tradition that I am grateful to be apart of.”
The Steve Henry 12th Man Award was shared by Jake Gayle and Josh Daves for displaying “unselfish loyalty, individual leadership and the ability to overcome great adversity.” Ricardo Caballero was given the Joe Lucey Award for his “selfless contributions to the improvement of others” and for “earning the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates.” Calvin Bollar was presented with the John Paci, Jr. Award for being the team’s most outstanding back and displaying “a tremendous amount of talent on the field.”
Brian Ruggiero earned the Chris Pettit Award, which “is presented to the athlete who demonstrates exemplary sportsmanship, and whose attitude and dedication contributes the most to the overall spirit of the team.”
The award winners also included Joe Brown (outstanding offensive lineman), Sean Whitney (outstanding wide receiver), Cody Kirlew (outstanding defensive lineman), Louie Lopez (outstanding defensive back), Peter Knutson (outstanding linebacker), Nick Sammartano (most outstanding defensive player), Dante Allen (special teams’ player) and Will Coffey (rookie of the year). Bollar was also given an award for being the most outstanding offensive player.
Ruggiero and Sammartano received twin MVP awards and Kirlew was named the “most improved” player. All-Division and All-County awards were also distributed.
Junior varsity award winners included Tyre Brown (outstanding offensive player), Jack Forster (outstanding defensive player) and Daniel Plant (MVP). Finley seventh grade team players Nick Arleo (most improved) and J.T. Caputo (MVP) were given awards along with eighth grade team members John Mallouk (most improved) and Robert Fiato (MVP).
Finley’s seventh and eighth grade football teams were once again among Suffolk’s best and the JV squad finished 7-1 under head coach Todd Jamison, who returned to the program after a hiatus of more than a decade. The varsity posted a record of 4-5 and was competitive in every game, despite the loss of most starting team members to graduation last June.
Organizing the dinner for such a large contingent was a large undertaking. “It took a combined effort - a ‘Huntington family effort’ of coaches, athletes, parents, boosters and other support staff members from the district to not only make this a special night, but to make the season a success,” Wilson said.
The crowd filled the Finley cafeteria and included several cheerleaders, too. It capped off a season that saw the Blue Devils become a team that opponents underestimated at their own peril. Several Huntington losses came by maddeningly close scores, leaving both players and coaches to ponder what might have been.
“Every day we started practice with a quote and at the dinner, we ended with same quote we started the season with: ‘Hard work and dedication doesn't guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance,’” Wilson said about a phrase made famous by Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. “Some say we weren't successful because of our record of 4-5. The dinner was a confirmation for me that we were more than successful. These athletes formed bonds and new friendships that will last a lifetime. To me, that's success! Don't get me wrong, I like to win, but it just wasn't our time. Building lifelong relationships will last far longer than any wins will ever last.”
The Finley football coaches were asked to pick the most improved and most valuable players for both middle school teams. These young men were honored alongside the high school teams. “It would have been great to invite the entire teams from that level, but we are not there yet,” Wilson explained. “We just don't have the resources or room to house such an audience. However, those parents and athletes that were there expressed their gratitude to the coaching staff for the invitation and award. They said that they can't wait until they play at the next level.”
The evening closed with a stunning visual display that featured season highlights. “It was the slide show of the season that stole the show,” Wilson said. “Tim Madden (an assistant coach) did a Herculean job creating the slide show and for that we are very grateful. I think it gave the younger athletes something to look forward to. Each athlete was given a DVD of the slide show.”
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