Huntington Sports Briefs
The fall athletic season will kick-off with Huntington High School football practice on Mon. Aug. 18 at 8 a.m. All other fall high school sport teams will begin practicing the following Mon. Aug. 25 at 8 a.m. Fall teams at J. Taylor Finley Middle School start practicing on Thurs. Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. Tryout information will available during lunch periods on Weds. Sept. 3. For more information call the athletic office at 673-2018.
The Huntington varsity boys’ soccer team will attempt to continue its upward ascent this fall. The Blue Devils are coming off a 10-win season that saw the team reach post-season play under head coach John Pagano and assistant coach Jason Suarez.
Huntington returns core players Chris Sandoval, Nick DiPaola, Marcelo Guardado and Stevens Merilan. Guardado picked up nine wins in goal last year. Also returning are varsity players Thomas Curley, Cesar Guardado, Petros Kalodukas, Marco Lagone, Carlos Ramirez and Lucas Santise.
The Huntington varsity girls’ tennis team will attempt to improve on last year’s 7-5 record this fall. The Blue Devils will begin practicing on August 25. The team features returning starting singles players Kate Ackerman, Erin Brown and Sarah Lustberg.
Ackerman went 5-8 in No. 1 last year while No. 2 Brown finished 7-5 and No. 3 Lustberg was 9-4. “Kate had a good season despite playing some of the best players in the county,” head coach Jamie Fishlow said following the conclusion of the 2007 season. “Erin was very consistent and improved as the season went on,” added Fishlow. Both players earned All-League honors.
Lustberg made a huge contribution in only her first year on the team. “Sarah shows a lot of promise and has great enthusiasm for the game,” Fishlow said last fall. Victoria Alexander, Skyler Campbell, Kymberly Corley, Kara Grossman, Natalie Hartman and Caitlin Ortiz are also returning from last fall’s team.
Huntington High School girls’ basketball coach Brad Reminick is making plans for his team to travel to Harrisonburg High School in Virginia for a game on December 20 at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils are also trying to line up a game for Dec. 19 and if that doesn’t materialize they will scrimmage a second Virginia team that day. There is a practice planned at James Madison University. Harrisonburg is located in the Shenandoah Valley, about 400 miles from Huntington.
“I thought it would be a good idea to get the kids away and build some chemistry,” Reminick said. “We are looking forward to the trip.”
Eric Mininni has been named junior varsity girls’ tennis coach and Eliasib Acosta will take over the Blue Devil varsity boys’ cross country team. Huntington School Board members approved both appointments during their meeting on Aug. 4.
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