Different Colleges Won’t Interrupt Best Friends
They met many years ago and they’ve been best friends for as long as either of them can remember. So Kenny Charles and Dan Mollitor aren’t going to let the fact they will be attending different upstate colleges get in the way of something the two Huntington High School seniors cherish.
Mr. Charles is headed to SUNY Cortland where he plans to play on the Red Dragons’ basketball team. Mr. Mollitor will be 47 miles away at Binghamton University. That distance is no big deal to either of the teenagers who have come to rely on each other.
“I remember first meeting Kenny back in kindergarten in Mrs. [Noelle] Harper’s class at Flower Hill School,” Mr. Mollitor said. “I remember us first getting to know each other on the asphalt basketball courts during recess. Those were the days when I used dominate our one-on-one games.”
Today Mr. Charles is one of the top players in the state and Mr. Mollitor isn’t too shabby himself. He was an important cog in the Blue Devil machine last winter and played important roles on both ends of the court and as a team leader.
“Dan and I first met at Flower Hill School in Mrs. Harpers’ class,” Mr. Charles confirmed. “My first distinct memories of the friendship were several play dates with Dan at each other’s houses.”
The friendship deepened over the years as the two boys began their trek through the district’s classrooms. “Over the years Kenny and I have grown very close,” Mr. Mollitor said. “I’ve had the honor of competing with him in multiple sports dating back to middle school. Our competitive drive has drawn us closer together both on and off the court.”
In addition to basketball, the best friends played on the Huntington volleyball team together. During the spring season, Mr. Mollitor played tennis while Mr. Charles eventually gravitated to track and field. This past spring, in only his second season in the sport, the teenager earned county, state and national honors in discus and set a school record in the event.
“Dan and I being a basketball duo began on the Flower Hill courts,” Mr. Charles said. “As we grew older, we always remained good friends. The sports we both played only made the friendship more like a brotherhood. Dan is easily my best friend. There’s nobody I trust as much. He has never let me down. I’m lucky to have someone always on my side and always there to ask for advice. Although we’ll definitely make new friends in college, there’s no doubt this friendship will continue throughout and beyond college.”
The two teenagers aren’t just wonderful athletes, they are fine students, too. The duo takes pride in their academic accomplishments just as much as their athletic achievements.
“While Kenny and I will be furthering our education at different colleges, there’s not a doubt that our friendship will continue,” Mr. Mollitor said. “We plan to be in contact very often, if not daily. We are also very excited about visiting each other’s schools and enjoying what they have to offer.”
The close friends take comfort in knowing they can count on each other. “Kenny is one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met,” Mr. Mollitor said. “We’ve been through thick and thin throughout the last 12 years and he’s always been there for me as I am for him. We’ve shared countless memories attending Huntington’s schools and I can’t wait for what the future holds. Kenny has an extremely bright future. I know he’ll move on to do great things at Cortland, both athletically and academically. Ultimately, athletics has acted as a stepping stone for what we plan to be a lifelong friendship.”
It sounds like they will regularly jump in their respective car and travel down Interstate 81 to either Cortland or Binghamton. “While we are away at college we plan to visit each other as much as possible,” Mr. Charles said. “Either him coming to a basketball game or me going to hang out with him at Binghamton whenever I’m not busy.”