Christian Luca Wins Fred Cambria Award

Huntington High School senior Christian Luca is this year’s Fred Cambria Award recipient. The teenager plans to attend Indiana University in Bloomington in the fall and study economics.

The Blue Devil lacrosse stalwart was formally presented with a handsome plaque and scholarship stipend at the 58th annual Blue Devil senior athletic awards ceremony in the high school auditorium.

It was almost impossible to attend a Huntington athletic event and not find Fred Cambria somewhere near the sidelines. The Blue Devils’ biggest fan was especially enthusiastic when it came to football and lacrosse. His son Fred played on the Syracuse lacrosse team that won the 1983 national championship. Even when his children weren’t directly involved in a sport, you would still see him providing his support.

The Fred Cambria Award “is dedicated to a man who understood the meaning of respect, sportsmanship and community.” The Cambria Award is presented “to a player who shows great sportsmanship and enjoyment toward the game of lacrosse.”

The award carries with it a $300 stipend. Mr. Cambria, who passed away suddenly many years ago, continued to support the Huntington lacrosse program even after his own children had graduated. He was known throughout the community and by the Blue Devil coaching staff as a pleasant man with a lively and upbeat personality.

Mr. Luca played a key role on the Blue Devil boys’ lacrosse team that reached the county playoffs this past spring. He was also honored as a Distinguished Senior after compiling an academic grade average over 90 during every semester of high school.

“My success stems from showing up every day, even when I didn’t want to,” Mr. Luca said. “Many practices and late nights spent on homework made me want to quit. But I knew my coaches and teammates were counting on me. I wasn’t going to let them down. In retrospect, consistency and avoiding excuses are what got me to where I am today. I have mostly enjoyed the friendships I’ve made with students and teachers, the memories I’ve created, and the process of figuring out who I am. Lacrosse was obviously a huge part of my experience, but some of my favorite moments were simply hanging out with friends, feeling the energy at school events, and even discovering a newfound interest in certain classes. Two that stood out were Virtual Enterprise and Criminal Justice. As CMO of our VE company, Raydiance, I discovered my passion for business marketing. Similarly, my Criminal Justice class has opened my eyes to the legal system, prompting me to think differently about society and the way the world works.”

Mr. Luca said highlights of the past four years include his induction in both the National Honor Society and Math Honor Society and “consistently achieving the High Honor Roll.”