Ethan Lawless Named Newsday’s Defensive Player of the Year

Huntington senior football star Ethan Lawless was named this year’s Rob Burnett Award recipient, which is presented by Newsday to Suffolk’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Blue Devil great was honored before a crowd of 1,200 at the annual Suffolk County Football Coaches Association dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge.

The 6’2, 220 lb. Lawless played with abandon at his middle linebacker position, recording 87 solo tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, 11 quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. He helped lead Huntington to seven victories and an appearance in the county Division II semifinals.

Lawless moved from outside linebacker to the middle linebacker this year and called signals for the Blue Devil defense, which helped carry the team into the playoffs.

Game after game this past fall, Lawless came up big for Huntington, even when he was double or triple teamed. In the season opening upset of county champion Half Hollow Hills East, he made 13 tackles, including five that went for a loss and sacked the quarterback twice.

“Ethan can do it all on the football field and he did do it all for us,” Huntington head coach Ronald E. Wilson said. “His speed, strength, athleticism and overall physicality on the field makes for a presence that is hard for opponents to match.”

Lawless was joined by teammates Yasir Jones, Jacob Guzik and Jack Kamenstein in capturing All-County honors. All four were recognized at this week’s awards dinner.

Kamenstein was a finalist for the National Football Foundation’s award presented to Suffolk’s finest wide receiver. The 5’11, 165 lb. senior caught 43 passes for 843 yards and 10 touchdowns this past fall, ranking him third in Suffolk and on Long Island.

“Jack is one of the primary reasons we were among the top teams in the county this season,” Wilson said. “He accounted for a significant portion of our success. He consistently uses his athleticism, intelligence and competitiveness to gain separation and make exceptional catches. We nicknamed him ‘Surehands’ because if the ball is thrown anywhere near him, he is almost certain to bring it in.”

Kamenstein even recorded 19 tackles and three interceptions on defense. “Jack is an exceptional young man, gifted with athletic ability, academic excellence and tremendous mental toughness,” Wilson said.