Huntington Football Regroups
Many of its best players were lost graduation last June, but the Huntington High School football team hasn’t lost any of its swagger. Blue Devil head coach Steve Muller is an optimistic guy and he likes what he sees during early season practices.
Huntington said goodbye to Ben Kocis, Troy Greene, Levar Butts and Christian Jamison, who were among Suffolk’s best players. Numerous other seniors also headed off to college and they will all be missed, to be sure. The exceptional set of teenagers led the Blue Devils to the county championship last fall and a near upset of three-time Long Island champion Lawrence in a thrilling game at Stony Brook University’s LaValle Stadium.
“We were fortunate to have some really great players on the team last year,” Muller said. “They were a hardnosed group of young men. Each one of them will be difficult to replace, but their graduation has created opportunities for our returning players.”
Muller is happy that 40 players turned out for the junior varsity program and 33 came out for the varsity team. Huntington has been undergoing conditioning exercises and drills and learning this year’s plays. Coaches are introducing some new offensive and defensive packages that cater to the strengths of this year’s roster.
The Blue Devils will host a scrimmage against Harborfields on Saturday at 9 a.m. The season opener is set for Saturday, September 6 at 2 p.m. against Islip. The game will be played at Bay Shore High School because Islip’s field is being renovated. Huntington will travel to Hauppauge the following Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. game under the lights. The home opener is scheduled for Saturday, September 20 at 2 p.m. against powerful Miller Place. It will be Homecoming Day at Blue Devil Stadium.
In addition to Kocis, Greene, Butts and Jamison, Huntington needs to replace fleet-footed linebacker Y’Majesty Allen, sure-handed receiver Nick Arleo and gritty defensive lineman Anthony Puca along with centers Daniel Giraldo and Don Tesoriero.
Suffolk Division III will once again be tough. Muller said that Sayville, who upset Huntington during the regular season only to fall to the Blue Devils in the Suffolk final, will return most of its team. Amityville, Rocky Point, Eastport-South Manor and Westhampton Beach will all feature veteran squads.
While the Blue Devils lost an assortment of talented players to graduation, a skilled cast has returned for the 2014 campaign. Offensive tackles Michael Lonergan and Asher King are back along with offensive guards Amaru Jones and Jimmie Nelson.
Infinite Tucker and Davonte Evans have returned to the field and are among Suffolk’s top players. Both are offensive and defensive stars capable of going goal line to goal line with the ball. Justin Weigold, who saw time at receiver behind Jamison and Arleo is also back and will be a key cog in the Blue Devil machine.
Matteo McNeil has returned as one of Huntington’s best blocking backs. He will also start on defense. Highly regarded linebacker Tim Mattiace will play a leading role on both offense and defense this fall. Joe Puca adds speed to the backfield.
McNeil and Nelson should help on the Blue Devil line along with Val Gutierrez, who played nose tackle behind Puca last fall. Returning defensive backs include Evans, Tucker and Keegan Reilly. Sophomore Ta-Reek Hamilton should contribute on defense and special teams. Placekicker Justyn Tesoriero will add to Huntington’s multi-dimensional offense.
Muller will look to the JV team, which finished at 6-2 last fall, to fill in some holes in the lineup. Right now, there’s a battle for starting spots taking place each day on the practice field.
“There’s a lot still up in the air right now,” Muller said. “We’ll use Saturday’s scrimmage to help us make some decisions. Our focus will then immediately turn to Islip. We want to be ready for the season opener.”
Blue Devil Notes: Evans, Mattiace, Nelson and Tucker earned All-Division honors last fall . . . Steve Henry will be returning as Huntington’s game-day videographer . . . Joe Poller has returned to the varsity staff after a family related hiatus . . . James McCabe is back as a varsity assistant coach . . . Tim Madden and James Byrnes will once again coach the JV squad . . . Strength, speed and conditioning coach Todd Jamison has also returned and will help call plays on game day from atop the press box.