Blue Devil Football Looks to Next Fall
The Blue Devil football team is celebrating this week at its annual awards dinner in the Huntington High School cafeteria. A crowd of about 150 is expected to attend the Thursday night event that will recap a season that culminated in the Suffolk Division III championship and a trip to the Long Island finals.
While the coaching staff and players are still on the high that comes with winning the county crown, many are already turning their attention to next fall. With so many key players graduating in June, there is much work to be done. Ron Wilson, the team’s assistant coach might have put it best: “We have our hands full.”
Huntington will say farewell to many of the players that formed the backbone of its championship run, including quarterback Ben Kocis, bruising running backs/linebackers Troy Greene and Levar Butts, talented wide receiver/linebacker Christian Jamison, fleet-footed linebacker Y’Majesty Allen, sure-handed receiver Nick Arleo and gritty defensive lineman Anthony Puca. “These will be some difficult shoes to fill,” said Steve Muller, the Blue Devils’ veteran head coach.
The trio of Kocis, Greene and Butts garnered All-Long Island and All-State honors after turning in sensational seasons. Kocis won the Boomer Esiason Award as Suffolk’s best quarterback. Jamison was named the James LaBue Award winner as the county’s top scholar football player.
Suffolk coaches meeting this week to determine where teams will be seeded next fall. Section XI will then develop and release draft schedules in about a month.
Looking over the field of possible opponents, Huntington sees many challenges ahead. 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 are coming back with veteran squads.
“What does this mean for Huntington?” Wilson asked in reference to the loaded division. “It means that we are no way out of the loop.” The optimistic gridiron mentor, who considered stepping down from his position to take more graduate level college courses and to concentrate on coaching the boys’ winter and spring track and field teams, has decided to return to the sidelines with renewed fire in his belly for the task at hand.
While the Blue Devils are losing many skilled players to graduation, a talented cast will be returning. Offensive tackles Michael Lonergan and Asher King will be back along with offensive guards Amaru Jones and Jimmie Nelson.
Huntington is losing centers Daniel Giraldo and Don Tesoriero. “They did a phenomenal job feeding the ball to Kocis,” Wilson said. “That will be a tough position to fill. Snapping the ball to the quarterback is no easy task, especially at Huntington where we use both shotgun and under-the-center approaches.”
Infinite Tucker and Davonte Evans are coming back as two of Huntington’s “impact” players. They are talented receivers capable of going goal line to goal line with the ball. “They both ended last season with outstanding stats, but that was with the best quarterback in Suffolk throwing to them,” Muller pointed out.
Justin Weigold, who saw time at receiver behind Jamison and Arleo is also coming back and figures prominently in the Blue Devils’ plans for 2014. “Weigold is a tough kid that never complains,” Wilson said. “He gives you a 100 percent at practice and even more on game day, whether he’s in the game or on the sideline. He will always be remembered for the hit that was heard way across town, when he stopped an athlete from Bellport from tackling one of our running backs.”
Matteo McNeil will return as one of Huntington’s better blocking backs. He will also start on defense. Talented linebacker Tim Mattiace is expected to play a leading role on defense next fall.
McNeil and Nelson should help on the Blue Devil line along with Val Gutierrez, who played nose tackle behind Puca last season. Returning defensive backs include Evans, Tucker and Keegan Reilly. Sophomore Ta-Reek Hamilton is expected to contribute on defense and special teams. Placekicker Justyn Tesoriero will also be back.
Huntington will look to its junior varsity team, which compiled a 6-2 mark last fall, to fill in some holes in its starting lineup. JV quarterback Will Wright enjoyed a fine sophomore season throwing to primary target Jahmik Curry. Whether Wright moves into the varsity quarterback slot or another player possibly changes positions for the spot remains to be seen.
Dylan Stieve, Tasean Betts and Aubrey Brewster are three more players hoping to win starting spots. “They will need to have a great pre-season if they are going to contend in a rugged Division III,” Wilson said.
The Blue Devil coaching staff of Muller, Wilson, James McCabe, Tim Madden and James Byrnes will all be back on the sidelines. Former longtime coach Joe Poller, who took time off for his family, is also expected to return to the program in some capacity.
Blue Devil Notes: Evans, Mattiace, Nelson and Tucker all earned All-Division honors last fall . . . Steve Henry will be returning as Huntington’s game-day videographer . . . Once Section XI releases a draft fall schedule, Huntington officials will select a date for the high school’s annual homecoming festivities.