Harborfields 'Stands Up 2 Cancer'

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com  

Despite the football team’s struggles on the field, Harborfields High School students made the most of homecoming by raising money to help fund research for childhood cancer.

The Harborfields football team has endured a tough start to the season, and things didn’t get much better Saturday when they suffered a 29-26 defeat during homecoming at the hands of Eastport-South Manor.

The Tornadoes were looking for their first victory of the season after starting 0-3 with losses to Comsewogue, Islip and Westhampton, and they hoped the enthusiasm of the homecoming crowd would spur them to victory.

The students kicked off the day with a homecoming parade that traveled from the Harborfields Public Library to the high school and featured floats with the theme “Generations: HF Through the Years.” Seniors Eric Werbitsky and Kate Driver were crowned homecoming king and queen.

Harborfields students joined the Greenlawn Civic Association in their “Greenlawn Goes Gold” movement during homecoming. Sophomore Natalie Pedrazzi helped put the plan into action, and all funds raised were donated to Maggie’s Mission, a local organization that supports awareness and funds pediatric cancer research. Maggie’s Mission was created in honor of Maggie Schmidt, a Harborfields High School student who lost her battle with cancer in 2017.

Students and fans packed the stands after the parade for the kickoff of the homecoming game. Both defenses were solid to start the game, and the first quarter ended with the teams tied 0-0.

Harborfields held its first ever “Stand Up 2 Cancer” event, initiated by student Catherine Capodanno, at the end of the first quarter. Players, students and community members all over the stadium held up golden signs in recognition of loved ones who battled or are battling cancer.

The scoring opened in the second quarter. The Tornadoes got on the board after a 89-yard touchdown run by Thomas Sangiovanni, who finished with 100 yards rushing and 23 receiving yards in the game.

The Sharks from Eastport-South Manor also got their offense going and led 15-6 at the half.

In the second half, Harborfields junior quarterback Jonathan Osumn was a bright spot for the Tornadoes. Osumn broke one of his six rushing attempts for a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He had 147 rushing yards in the game.

Osumn completed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter during a desperate comeback attempt. The first went for 53 yards to senior Joe Mitchell, and the second was a 16-yard pass to junior Michael Panareillo.

The Tornadoes didn’t have enough wind to complete the comeback and lost by a final score of 29-26. Harborfields will look to notch their first win when they travel to Hauppauge on Friday night to take on the Eagles at 6 p.m.

T-birds Soar To Homecoming Win

Senior center Paul Bruno leads the Half Hollow Hills High School East football team onto the field before their Homecoming game. Photos/Half Hollow Hills School District

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The Half Hollow Hills High School East football team kept the crowd on its feet during last Friday’s Homecoming victory over Copiague.

The Thunderbirds entered the game with a disappointing 0-2 record in Suffolk Division 2 after losses to Northport and Smithtown West to start the season, but last year’s county semi-finalists were able to ride the Homecoming game energy to their first win of the season.

Head coach Michael Maratto praised his team’s sprit before the start of the season, and it was on full display last week as they outplayed the Eagles of Copiague on both sides of the ball.

The Thunderbirds offensive line, led by senior center Paul Bruno, set the tone early to help establish the run for Hills East. The Homecoming crowds were in good spirits early after an eight-yard touchdown run by junior running back Nyrle Sevilla opened the scoring.

The Eagles ran the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown of their own. Maratto was able to refocus his young squad after the setback, and they shutout Copiague until the fourth quarter.

Sevilla scored his second touchdown of the game, and the Thunderbirds defense forced a safety to give Hills East a 16-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Hills East scored 23 unanswered points in the second quarter on the back of strong performances on the defensive side of the ball. Senior captain Jon Spadafora recorded 10 tackles and a sack in the game, while Lewis Matherin added two sacks of his own.

Junior quarterback Brett Martin had an impressive second quarter as well. Martin broke one of his eight rushing attempts for a 65-yard touchdown, and also completed his lone touchdown pass of the game to Kahleil Nedd for 23 yards.

The Thunderbirds had a commanding 39-7 lead at the end of the first half, and their defense did enough in the second half to keep a comfortable cushion on the scoreboard as the game finished 44-21.

In addition his 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Sevilla also had two interceptions in the defensive side of the ball. Martin and Spadafora, who ran for 140 and 100 yards, respectively, supported Sevilla’s rushing in the Thunderbirds rushing attack.

Kyle Krause rounded out the stat sheet with one reception from Martin for 10 yards.

The Thunderbirds will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when they host the 2-1 Cougars of Centereach High School at 1:30 p.m.

Northport Brings 5-0 Record To State Champs' Gym

Northport High School girls varsity volleyball team has had success so far this season due to the players devotedness to their team.

By Sophia Ricco

sricco@longislandergroup.com

It seems that hard work and dedication is paying off for the Northport High School girls varsity volleyball team, who have dominated their games this season.

The team is currently 5-0, coming off wins against defending state champions Connetquot on Sept. 17, Bay Shore this past Thursday and Riverhead on Tuesday. Led by coach Christopher Fritch, the girls have won every game in three straight sets, aside from the Connetquot match that was 3-2.

The system that Fritch implemented when he became head coach three years ago took time for the girls to learn, but it is finally paying off.

“When myself and my assistant took over two years ago, we put in a new offense and defense system and it’s taken a little while for it start clicking and for everyone to be on the same page and know what’s expected of them,” Fritch said. “But they’ve bought into our system and now everything’s starting to click and come together.”

Before Fritch took over as head coach, the girls played a different style of offense and defense. Fritch admits that he took everything his players knew and changed it completely. Fritch implemented the techniques he used in his six years coaching boys vollyballhad upgrade the teams playing style. The style was unconventional for the girls, who were not used to transitioning between a rotational and perimeter defense. After three years, lots of practicing and running through fundamentals during the offseason, the girls have finally mastered their new plays and know what job they must do.

“We wanted to start doing something more complex on offense and then for our defense we look at play percentages, we look at where the holes are,” Fritch said.

But the team wouldn’t be where they are without powerful, dedicated players. Captain Sydnie Rohme is a primary hitter and a go-to player when the team is in trouble. Co-Captain Katie Kullack leads and runs the defense, while motivating her fellow teammates. Center Kelly McLaughlin also leads the offense and has phenomenal hands that distribute the ball well. Unfortunately, McLaughlin was sick for their game against Connetquot, leaving the team short an offensive player.

“We run a 6-2 offense but we had to switch our offense on the fly,” Fritch said. “But that being said, the girls really rose to the challenge and played great.”

After winning against the defending state championships, the team is focused on the present and most upcoming game, looking forward to their next win.

“Right now we’re just taking one game at a time,” Fritch said. “Our focus is to prep for whoever is next and that’s our main concentration. We don’t want to get lost in any hype, we want to stay focused and stay grounded.”

The team’s next game is at home against Walt Whitman High School at 5:45 p.m., Sept. 28.

Hall Of Fame Works To Keep Game Alive

Huntington Softball Hall of Fame President James Coschignano Jr., left, and Vice President Clint Riggs, right, present SPS Nation sponsor and player Mike Ruconich, center, with a plaque for winning Division 2 in the Town of Huntington recreation softball league.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The Huntington Softball Hall of Fame recognized earlier this month the top recreational softball team in the Town of Huntington.

After a season that ran from the end of April until August, the SPS Nation team was crowned champions of Division 2 of the Town of Huntington slowpitch softball league.

Huntington’s slowpitch softball league has been in existence since 1976 and is made up of teams of co-workers and friends who meet for weekly competitive games at the town run softball fields at Milldam Park in Halesite.

SPS Nation mustered an impressive regular season record of 22-2 on the way to their championship victory. In addition to SPS Nation, the teams from Axis Construction and the Valencia Tavern captured lower division titles.

The Huntington Softball Hall of Fame was founded in 1978 and is comprised of men and women who have played a major role in the growth of softball in the Town of Huntington.

Hall of fame president James Coschignano Jr. said the organization decided to recognize the winner’s of the softball league’s top division this year in an effort to “keep softball alive.”

“We are still trying to keep softball alive and well in the town,” Coschignano said. “We felt we should try to keep it alive, so we decided to donate a plaque to the winning team.”

SPS Nation’s victory in Division 2 made them Huntington’s top team because there were not enough teams to compete in Division 1.

Softball leagues have a rich history in the Town of Huntington.  At the time the Huntington Softball Hall of Fame was founded the games were fastpitch, Coschignano said, but the league has since changed to slowpitch.

Coschignano recalled days when he used to play softball almost six nights a weeks in several different leagues, but said the sport’s popularity is diminishing.

“There used to be six or eight leagues in the Town of Huntington, plus the firemen’s league,” Coschignano said. “It seems to be fading away, not that many people are playing any more.”

Despite the league’s shrinking size, Coschignano said the friendship and camaraderie created through softball is unmatched.

“That’s how all these people in the Hall of Fame met; we used to play against each other for years,” Coschignano said. “There’s definitely a level of camaraderie having known these people and played against them or with them.”

The Huntington Softball Hall of Fame will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Oct. 6 with an induction ceremony at Northport Yacht Club.

Wildcats Roar To A 2-0 Start On The Season

Senior quarterback Quinn O’Hara (No. 3) leads the Walt Whitman football team onto the field before their 35-24 win over Sachem North.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The Walt Whitman High School football team is off to an undefeated start this season. The Wildcats sit atop Suffolk’s Division 1 standings after a high scoring 49-46 victory at home against Brentwood on Sept. 7 and last Friday’s 35-24 home win against Sachem North.

After a 2-6 record last season, last weeks victory over the Flaming Arrows of Sachem North, who beat the Wildcats last year, could be the beginning of a comeback season for Whitman.

But a Wildcat victory didn’t always seem likely when Sachem North came to town. The Flaming Arrows dominated the first half with two huge plays. A 63-yard rushing touchdown and a 76-yard touchdown pass put Sachem North ahead 14-0 after the first quarter.

The Wildcats’ defense settled down in the second quarter and their offense began to move the ball. The Whitman offense, led by senior quarterback Quinn O’Hara, scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter.

Three of O’Hara’s four touchdown passes came in the second quarter, two of which were caught by senior wide receiver DaShawn Thompson. Thompson finished with four catches for 59 yards in the game.

The two teams went into the locker room at halftime with the game tied at 21, but momentum was firmly with the Wildcats.

Whitman’s defense dominated the second half, holding the Flaming Arrows to just a field goal. Grant Christensen, Jarrett Dalimonte, Tim Hunter each had an interception for the Wildcats, and junior linebacker Alex DiLorenzo recovered a fumble. Eric Bell and senior linebacker Christian Viteri each recorded eight tackles in the game.

The fourth quarter was all Wildcats. O’Hara showed his skills on the ground as well as in the air with a one yard touchdown run. He ran the ball 11 times in the game for 40 yards.

Whitman capped off the game with a late touchdown pass from O’Hara to wide receiver Kendall Wilkerson. The touchdown catch was Wilkerson’s second in the game, and one of seven total receptions for 77 yards.

The Wildcats hope to keep their undefeated streak alive when they travel to Bay Shore on Saturday where they are scheduled to take on the 0-2 Marauders at 1 p.m.

Strong Players Demonstrate A Will to Win

Seahawks on the sidelines during the team’s 36-0 victory at Island Trees on Sept. 7.

By Sophia Ricco
sricco@longislandergroup.com

After winning their past two games, the Cold Spring Harbor football team is hitting its stride early.

The team is finding its rhythm, head coach Jon Mendreski said. He attributes the team’s success to the previous season, partly because he has many returning players that have played together before, but also because the team lost in the county championship final last year, making them want it even more.

“They realized they want to get back to that county championship and they want to win that game,” Mendreski said. “They have it in their sights and continue to work hard for it.”

Even though Mendreski believes there are still areas to improve on, he feels as the season progresses they will put in more work and figure it out. Last year, the team graduated around 20 seniors, which gives them of “young crop” of kids to work with. During the first few games, Mendreski and his staff have been watching the boys to devise their strategies.

“We’re trying to find out our identity,” Mendreski said. “I think we have a pretty good idea after the first two games. What we’re all about, what we can and can’t do, and now we’ll build off of that going forward.”

Mendreski highlights his captains’ work so far this season, considering them all standout players, they are Raymond Costa, Thomas Milana, Richie Striano and Aidan Adomaites. He mentions the Striano family, made up of senior, Daniel and junior triplets, Richie, Dom, and Peter, as very influential players for team. There is also Anthony Naccarato, who is a center and inside linebacker, that does a lot for the team and demonstrates great leadership. Mendreski considers Ethan Burdo and Kolton Gagnon, who play both offense and defense, phenomenal players. Also, his wide receiver and defensive back Casey Reynolds, scored a 46 yard touchdown pass last week.

“We’re fortunate that we have a good offensive and defensive line,” Mendreski said.

“And our skills guys, we’re deep into skill positions.”

Along with coaching football, Mendreski teaches math to grades 7-12 and coaches the school’s crew team. He has coached football for 10 years, with this being his third year as head coach and has coached crew for 15 years.

“They both are constantly relying on your team sports. If you’re talking about a team sport, those would both be close to the top of the list,” Mendreski said.

The team has a big home game this Friday at 7 p.m. against Locust Valley and expects a tough schedule of games moving forward. They are looking forward to playing Seaford later in season, as they are the one seed and Cold Spring Harbor is the two seed.

“We’d like to get back to that championship game and make it a win this time,” Mendreski said. “Then get to the Long Island Championship in Stony Brook this year, that’s the goal. We gotta win two more games than we did last year.”

Mixed Start For Highly-Ranked Northport

Senior midfielder Elizabeth Cianciotti pushes the offense forward for the Northport Lady Tigers. Long Islander News archives photo

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The top ranked team from the Town of Huntington in girls soccer coming into the 2018-19 school year are off and running this season.

The Northport Lady Tigers were ranked at the top of this year’s preseason polls and are expecting a successful season on the pitch.

The Lady Tigers are looking to repeat as Suffolk County champions again this season under coach Aiji Gipp. The Lady Tigers went 18-2-1 last season, losing only one regular season game and the Long Island title game to Massapequa.

The season started well last Wednesday when the Lady Tigers opened the newly created Suffolk 1 division with a 2-0 win over Patchogue-Medford.

Opposition goalkeeper Cat Saxon made seven save in a valiant losing effort, but Northport just had too much in the locker.

Junior forward Olivia Carner got her name on the score sheet, while Lexi Sperling netting Northport’s second goal.

Goalie Bailey Piper has some big shoes to fill in net after Emma Havrilla graduated in June, but a four-save shutout in her first game of the season was a good start.

The Lady Tigers were quick to share the ball, and eager to communicate with their teammates.

As a result, Izzy Yeomans and Paige Leonard each earned the assist on one of Northport’s goals.

The Lady Tiger failed to build on this initial success two days later in their second game of the season when they struggled against Sachem East.

After a goalless first half, the game could have gone either way when the teams took the field for the second half.

Despite six saves by Piper, Sachem scored two second half goals to clinch a 2-0 victory against the Lady Tigers.

Northport looks to get back to winning ways this afternoon when they host the undefeated Thunderbirds from Connetquot at 4 p.m.

Coach Believes They ‘Have What It Takes’

John Glenn boys soccer game on Saturday, Sept. 22, will be followed by a ceremony honoring Sgt. Christopher Raguso, a former player who was killed when his helicopter went down on the Iraq-Syria border on March 15.

By Sophia Ricco
sricco@longislandergroup.com

The boy’s varsity soccer team at Elwood-John H. Glenn High School is off to a solid start this season, with a record of 5-0, the team is undefeated and hope they can keep it up the rest of the season.

This year, the team’s coach, Lou Hanner, believes his team could win the county championship, something they have not done in more than 10 years. In the last three years, the team has lost only five games. Hanner attributes his team’s success to his players working in harmony on the field.

“We have had a great group of guys who have grown into the team culture,” Hanner said.

The team is playing two big games this week, on Wednesday, Sept. 12 against Shoreham and on Friday, Sept. 14 against Southampton. They will both be tough matches, but Hanner believes his boys can win if they put into play all the techniques and plays they have practiced for weeks.

“We have a traditional system, things that we do are real simple,” Hanner said. “But we try to keep bleeding it... we keep running the play again and again.”

Hanner is in his 21st year of coaching soccer at John H. Glenn High School and feels he has a system that works for his team. At the moment, one of his captains and four year starter, Adam Astarita, is leading Suffolk County in scoring goals. His other captain, Nick Weiss, exemplifies hard work by getting into the starting lineup by putting in extra work during the offseason and summer sessions.

“I feel like some programs and coaches are more concerned about coaching style than worrying about results,” Hanner said. “I mean, we’re coaching a varsity high school, competitive, interscholastic sport so ultimately with our team, we’re playing to win. I’m playing to win games, I’m trying to teach our guys to win and be successful at life.”

The program does have simple rules that the coaches enforce with the team, that they believe teaches them discipline. Hanner is less concerned with a players style and how they play, instead he wants them to “follow and fall in line.”

“You’re not at practice on time, you will sit,” Hanner said. “We’ll have one of our captains not start tomorrow because he came late to practice. I’ve been telling the kids since day one, if you’re late, you’re gonna be dealt with. So because he’s the captain, he doesn’t have to sit? No, everything breaks down if you do that.”

Another reason the team has been able to work well together is because the team continues to play through the offseason. Starting the week after winter break, Hanner holds intramural soccer games on Friday mornings before school starts from 6-7 a.m. This extra play time gives them a leg up on other team’s who only play during the season starting in June.

It also gives Hanner and his coaching staff a chance to observe their players and learn more about their playing styles and commitment. Typically, 10-20 students will participate in a game and those who do find it helps them greatly. The intramurals are open to the entire school so at times Junior Varsity players will join a game and give the coaches a chance to look forward to future players.

“You learn about who’s committed, the guys who are there every single week and the guys who never come,” Hanner said. “You choose not to come there on a Friday morning, no one has other practice, no one has a band lesson, no one has other conflicts. So either you show up on Friday and get an hour’s worth of work in or you don’t come.”

The season really picks up in June during Brookhaven Summer League. This is when coaches can figure out who their core group of players are.

One team they are most looking forward to playing against is Centereach, who are the defending State Class B champions and won against John Glenn twice last year. If the team can make it through the playoffs, they will likely face them in County Semi-Finals or Finals. The next team they would play would be the Nassau County Finals winner, then they would go on to the Final Four State Championship.

But first, they must conquer their county, which is looking to be more difficult this year than ever since New York state recently changed the class system to drop more schools from Class AA to Class A.

“We’re one of the smallest schools in the class, but we’ve been good enough to win them... we just haven’t yet,” Hanner said.

Sgt. Christopher Raguso Memorial
The team is also looking forward to their game on Saturday, Sept. 22, that will be followed by a memorial ceremony for Sgt. Christopher Raguso, a former player and graduate of John Glenn that was killed in service when his helicopter went down on March 15. The team will be putting up a flag pole and monument in his honor and have a GoFundMe set up to raise money for the memorial. The game is at 10 a.m. and the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.