Blue Devils Celebrate Season
at Luncheon
Players, parents and coaches came together on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the Huntington High School boys’ basketball team’s successful season, which included winning the Suffolk League IV championship and coming within a whisker of advancing to the county semifinals.
The group gathered at Sal D’s restaurant on Wall Street in Huntington Village for a festive luncheon. Blue Devil head coach Brian Carey presided over the affair, which paid tribute to the young men who won 16-of-20 games this winter and lifted the spirits of the school and community.
Huntington’s roster included freshman Nat Amato, sophomores Kevin Lawrence and Shane McGuire, juniors Dan Mollitor, Kenny Charles and Quincy Nelson and seniors Andrew Hampton, Kenny McCarthy, Scott Gulizio, Shyheim Brewster and Matt Reed. Freshman Michael Abbondandelo and sophomore Max Angstadt were promoted to the varsity from the JV team for the playoffs.
“This was a great group of young men who have learned that hard work pays off,” Carey said. “They made a commitment to each other and set their egos aside. They put the team first.”
Parent and professional photographer Darin Reed created a stunning slide show set to music that captured many of the special moments of the team’s players through the seasons, even reaching back into their elementary school years.
State Supreme Court Justice W. Gerard Asher was also on hand. President of Huntington’s Class of 1959, he spoke to the crowd about his experience as a Blue Devil basketball player and what it has meant to him throughout his life.
A frequent fan at the basketball team’s home games, Mr. Asher described the bond that develops between Huntington athletes and how it remains strong through the ensuing decades. “Never forget where you came from; it’s a special place,” the judge told the players. “You will always have a connection to the Blue Devils. I know that I always have.”
The players brought big appetites with them to Sal D’s. The crowd dined on various Italian specialties, including six hot dishes, traditional Italian bread and garlic bread, an elaborate salad and a Blue Devil ice cream cake.
Carey spoke about what transpires at his hours long practice sessions, read poetry, paid tribute to his staff, touched upon various episodes dotting his career that is now in its fifth decade and joked about himself and his players. He stressed how much he respects each one of the athletes that made up this year’s team and how proud he is of them.
“Hold on tight to the memories of this season and of each other,” Carey told his players. “Always value these relationships. As the years pass, you will see how special they are.”