Blue Devil Sports News
The Huntington High School girls’ soccer team recently gave a clinic for an HBC U8 girls’ team on the Blue Devil Stadium turf. The HBC players are all Huntington School District students.
Huntington head coach John Walsh and assistant coach Vinny Tannazzo were joined by their teenage players on the field, providing the HBC team with skill instruction and later putting them through a series of fun drills. The HBC players attended a high school game that same week and presented Walsh with a signed card expressing their appreciation to the Blue Devils.
H-ton Kicks 4 Cancer
The Blue Devil girls’ soccer team raised nearly $800 for the American Cancer Society’s efforts to battle perhaps the most dreaded disease known to mankind. Huntington’s annual Kicks 4 Cancer game pitted the Blue Devils against visiting Riverhead. The teams played with a special pink ball to show their solidarity with all those fighting their own personal battles with cancer.
Team tri-captain Katie Reilly coordinated the acquisition and sale of bracelets throughout the school community that served as the main fundraising vehicle. Players sold the bracelets over the span of several weeks.
Huntington wore special game jerseys and many players donned pink headbands. The scourge of cancer has touched the families of many of the Blue Devil players and coaches and team members worked hard to raise the monies necessary to make the game a success.
H-ton Boys’ CC Survives Test
The Huntington High School boys’ cross country team survived its first post-season test this week. The Blue Devils ran well in the Section XI Division II Championships at Sunken Meadow State Park.
“As a team we placed second in our race out of 10 in the division, a huge jump from the second to last we placed last year,” said Shawn Anderson, Huntington’s head coach.
Huntington junior Shane McGuire finished third in 18:06 to garner All-Division honors. Senior Kyle O’Brien, who has been battling some of the typical ailments and pains that afflict all runners from time to time, gutted out the race in 18:50.
Sophomore Ryan Smith improved on his time from last year by a minute, crossing the finish line in 19:40. Not far behind was senior Ethan Dwyer, “who had a better second half this year and ran an identical time to last year’s race, going 19:53,” Anderson said.
Rounding out Huntington’s top five was junior Danny Collins, who turned in a performance timed at 20:07. Sophomore Nick Sanin ran the race in 20:46 and freshman Graham Young, who made his debut on the course, turned in a time of 20:57.
“While we had some very positive results, with several athletes turning in personal bests, we’re still looking to have seven-for-seven as a team to click,” Anderson said. “With a little rest this week, the peak should come November 6 at the state qualifier.”
Fred Torres Passes Away
Former Blue Devil wrestling and football star Fred Torres has passed away following complications from back surgery. A member of Huntington High School’s Class of 1989, he passed away on October 20. He was 43.
Torres was a four time All-League wrestler and three time league champion. He was a three-time All-County wrestler and the Section XI runner-up in 1988 and 1989. He compiled records of 11-2 in 1988 and 14-1-1 in 1989 and competed in the 250 lb. super heavyweight class each season.
The Blue Devil wrestling teams that Torres competed on went 50-1 over his four year career, winning the league dual meet and tournament title every season. Huntington finished among the top four teams in the Suffolk tournament all four years, placing third in 1986, 1987 and 1989 and second in 1988.
Known for his smile and sense of humor, Torres did all the wrestling drills that everyone else did, despite being a “big man.” Most wrestlers in his weight class in the state didn’t do things like “leap frogs” in practice, but Torres did. He was loved by his teammates and feared by his opponents.
Torres was also a two-time All-League football player for the Blue Devils, starring on the offensive and defensive lines. Huntington went 8-2 and won the Suffolk League III co-championship during his junior season.
Born in Huntington Hospital, Torres was a familiar figure around town. Services were held in his honor at Evergreen Baptist Church last Saturday. His former coaches, teammates, friends and family packed the building to remember this special man.
Blue Devils Knocked from Playoffs
The Huntington girls’ soccer team gave defending Suffolk champion West Islip all it could handle in the Suffolk Class AA playoffs this past Monday afternoon before bowing to the Lions, 1-0.
The Blue Devils faced down West Islip’s strong offensive attack throughout the first half. Huntington goalie Taylor Moreno was badly shaken during an early game collision, but stayed in the net and made several sensational saves.
Moreno (nine saves) eventually gave way to her exceptional backup, Anna Gulizio (three saves), who played extremely well in difficult circumstances. West Islip goalie Cali Loeffler stopped four Huntington shots.
The Lions won the game when they scored on a header off a throw-in into the box with about 13 minutes remaining in the game. The Blue Devils attempted to rally late in the game, but Huntington ran out of time.