Blue Devils Look to Break 50 Year Jinx
It hasn’t quite lasted as long as the Curse of the Bambino affected the Boston Red Sox, but it’s been nearly half-a-century since the Huntington High School baseball team won the league championship.
After Boston traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1918 the team went 86 years before they won a World Series title. That drought finally ended in 2004. When will the Blue Devil baseball team’s? Huntington players hope this will finally be the year when a championship banner gets hoisted up on the gym wall for the first time since 1965.
While Huntington lost several key players to graduation, many talented veterans are returning to the diamond, including senior Joe Cacciato and junior Alex Borman. The two players are entering their third year on the varsity and are expected to be among the best in the league.
The Blue Devils’ star pitcher, Kevin Montefusco is also returning for his final season before graduation. Senior Ryan Iwanicki and junior Will Harris will also play integral roles on the team. Senior Anfernee Lopez is expected play this year after sitting out last spring. Lopez has the talent required to make a significant contribution to the team’s success.
“As a school where baseball isn’t the most prominent sport, each person has to work extra hard to make up for our lack of numbers compared to other schools,” said senior Lee Reiver, who might move from second base to shortstop this year. “Hopefully we can begin to turn things around for Huntington baseball.”
Junior Chris Glowacky and seniors Leo Martinez-Santos, Matt Weinschreider, Nick Sherman and Jake Ryan are also returning for the Blue Devils this spring.
Huntington compiled a 5-15 mark last season under head coach Keith Barrett. The Blue Devils won three of their final five games. Cacciato played flawlessly in centerfield and batted a team-best .338. Montefusco led the pitching staff with three victories, fanning 27 batters while hurling 35.1 innings.
Despite the losing record, the season had its highlights. Huntington took two of three games against both West Babylon and Comsewogue and also topped second place Kings Park. While the team struggled to win games, it never quit and could never really be counted out.
Can the current Blue Devils turn the program’s fortunes around? Despite last year’s junior varsity finishing with a 0-19 record, the varsity’s veteran players are entering the season with optimism. They are dedicated to producing a winning season and maybe, just maybe, achieving something no Huntington baseball team has done since Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House.
Blue Devil Notes: Last season Cacciato notched a team-high 23 hits, including six doubles and he scored 11 runs . . . Reiver had 18 hits, swiped four bases and crossed the plate 12 times as a junior. . . Borman, who played outfield and shortstop last season and who might see time at catcher this spring had 15 hits, eight runs scored and 11 RBIs as a sophomore.