Blue Devils Pin Foes on Senior Night

To paraphrase Julius Ceasar: They came. They saw. They conquered. Only this time it wasn’t the Roman emperor, but Blue Devil seniors Wynne Franciscovich, Shannon Koepele and Emely Herrera, who pinned their opponents on Senior Night in the Walt Whitman High School gym.

Wrestling for the Town of Huntington team, the three Huntington seniors were walked across the mat but their respective family members during a Senior Night ceremony attended by Huntington Superintendent Beth McCoy and high school dean Robert Gilmor. Festive posters celebrating the three seniors was affixed to the South Gym wall alongside those of several other seniors who compete for the TOH squad.

There were balloons, flowers and desserts along with gift bags for the seniors. Mrs. McCoy posed with the three Blue Devil seniors for a commemorative photo.

The meet itself pitted the Town of Huntington team against a superteam consisting of wrestlers from East Islip, Bayport-Blue Point, Sachem East and North and Sayville.

Wrestling under Walt Whitman’s huge mat lamb in a darkened gym, the three Huntington seniors all went to work quickly on their opponents with Franciscovich and Koepele enjoying first period pins. Herrera had to fight for it a little bit longer. She used multiple takedowns to wear out her opponent and eventually turn and pin her.

Athletic directors from Walt Whitman, Harborfields and Huntington were all on hand for the festivities as was Whitman Principal John Murphy. Professional photographer and Huntington alum Darin Reed captured the event on film.

A tournament at Harborfields and a dual meet at William Floyd remain on the schedule. The team has performed well and is hoping to send as many wrestlers as possible to the New York State Division I Championships.