Devon St. John and Luca Cuozzo Capture Dellecave Awards

Seniors Devon St. John and Luca Cuozzo are Huntington High School’s recipients of this year’s Guy “Butch” Dellecave Award, which is presented to one graduating male and female from each Suffolk high school who possess “outstanding accomplishments on the field of play, in the classroom and within the community.”

Ms. St. John and Mr. Cuozzo were joined by their families at a Sunday morning awards breakfast at Villa Lombardi in Holbrook, which drew of crowd of more than 600.

Guy “Butch” Dellecave was on the faculty of the Connetquot School District for 30 years. He was also one of the top rated basketball officials in Suffolk and the state and directed the Smithtown basketball summer league for 35 years. One of the main proponents of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, he founded the Dellecave Education Institute for Professional Development, which provided classes, workshops and seminars for administrators, teachers and coaches. Mr. Dellecave passed away suddenly on August 27, 2000.

The 25th annual awards program recognized 106 seniors from across Suffolk. Ms. St. John was one of five finalists for the female countywide award. She was asked to stand for the crowd to acknowledge.

The Dellecave Awards are presented by The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Butch Dellecave Foundation, Inc. The 106 award recipients were chosen on the basis of outstanding athletic ability as well as having displayed exceptional character and integrity.

During the breakfast, master of ceremonies Robert Schwender requested that each of the award recipients stand up and hug their parents for all they have done for the teenagers.

Devon St. John

Huntington senior Devon St. John has succeeded in every possible way over the past four years. One of Suffolk’s top girls’ soccer players, she was the third highest goal scorer in the county last fall, but she has especially shined on the lacrosse field. Cornell University has recruited her to play on its NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse team. She plans to pursue an academic major in economics with a minor in business at the Ivy League school.

President of Huntington High School’s Varsity Club, which represents and advocates for student-athletes and presents district officials with ideas to enhance the athletic experience, Ms. St. John is among the Class of 2025’s best with an overall academic grade average of 102.2071. She has earned varsity letters in soccer, Unified bowling and lacrosse.

Senior editor of the high school student newspaper, Ms. St. John is a two-time winner of the Huntington High School school-wide spelling bee. A New York Native American History Award winner and a Latin Club member, she was chosen by her classmates as a Natural Helper and served as a class representative on the Guidance Review Committee.

But more important than any team or personal honor is to the teenager is Ms. St. John’s interest in making the world a better place for her teammates, school and community. She has embraced important initiatives meant to elevate those struggling emotionally, financially and academically.

Ms. St. John helped organize and addressed the crowd of players and fans at the Huntington girls’ lacrosse team’s Morgan Message Day. The Blue Devils dedicated the game to the life and legacy of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke University lacrosse student-athlete who died by suicide in July 2019 after sustaining a “dream shattering” knee injury that sent the 22 year old into an emotional tailspin.

“In honor of Morgan Rodgers, Morgan’s Message was created to show student athletes that it is okay and it is courageous to ask for help,” Ms. St. John said. “In Morgan’s memory, we have to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated as such.”

Chosen by Huntington students as a Natural Helper, Ms. St. John has discreetly helped classmates work through their personal and family issues with kindness and compassion and in a non-judgmental way.

She shared her love for the Latin language with sixth graders, teaching them through a special Huntington School District program. Ms. St. John also performed tasks that many would feel are beneath them. For example, she has walked down New York Avenue in Huntington Station on a Sunday picking up large bags of trash, spreading mulch, planting flowers and beautifying terribly neglected areas.

The chief executive officer of her Virtual Enterprise company, Ms. St. John is also the head lifeguard at the Pine Hollow Country Club. She has served as a mentor to youth girls’ lacrosse players, collected and wrapped toys for children from underprivileged families in the community and is a National Latin Exam Award recipient.

When she graduates in two weeks, Ms. St. John will have completed 12 Advanced Placement and six honors level courses. But much more than achieving high grades, serving as team captain and scoring goals to lead her team is Ms. John’s willingness to do the grunt work required to make the world a better place.

Luca Cuozzo

Huntington senior Luca Cuozzo has been an amazing student and athlete, leading the Blue Devil boys’ lacrosse team this spring to its first victory over Ward Melville in 50 years. An incredible scorer and playmaker, he is one of the best high school faceoff specialists in the country. He has been recruited by the University of Massachusetts Amherst to play on its NCAA Division I lacrosse team and study finance.

Mr. Cuozzo’s current weighted grade average is 102. He has excelled, completing eight Advanced Placement and three honors courses and serving as his Virtual Enterprise class simulated corporation’s chief operations officer. He was a member of the company’s presentation team that placed in the Top 25 internationally.

The teenager is a quiet leader with a relatively soft touch. He sets the tone by displaying a remarkable work ethic and commitment to accomplishing his goals.

A founding member and organizer of Huntington High School’s Finance Club and Chess Club and co-founder of the Table Tennis Club, Mr. Cuozzo is also a participating member of the Interact Club, which strives to carry out hands-on projects and offers members a chance to make international connections, develop leadership skills and have fun while making a positive difference in the world. The general club motto is Service Above Self.

The Suffolk boys’ lacrosse Rookie of the Year as a freshman, Mr. Cuozzo has garnered All-County honors multiple times. As his goals, assists and faceoff wins have piled up, the senior hasn’t changed who he is; an encouraging, caring and kind teammate; a classmate willing to help anyone succeed and a young man in the Huntington community that lives his life with a team mentality, caring about others trying to make the world a better place day by day.

“The key to my success has been having a strong support system of friends and family,” Mr. Cuozzo said. “I’ve had some great teachers and coaches who have consistently pushed me to be my best. The part of high school I’ve enjoyed the most has been lacrosse season. I love being with my teammates and work hard at practice every day.”

Those who doubt the power of high school sports to transform the lives of teenagers should consider Mr. Cuozzo. Sports have taught him lessons involving the value of working hard, setting high goals, sacrificing to attain them and leading others in a quest to be the best. Most of these cannot be duplicated in a classroom, but they can motivate someone beyond sports. Mr. Cuozzo has used Huntington’s Interact Club to reach into and beyond the Huntington community to assist those with medical needs, financial problems and educational neglect, not because he has to, but because he knows it’s the right thing to do.