Reminick Era Begins with 50-46 Victory
The Brad Reminick Era officially kicked off with a victory last Friday night as the Huntington boys' basketball team toppled Jericho, 50-46. John Patron scored 24 points despite being double and sometimes tripled teamed most the evening.
Reminick called the verdict a "big win for the team psyche." It marked his first game at the helm of the boys' program. Reminick had built the Huntington girls' varsity squad into a Long Island power, advancing to the Suffolk finals three consecutive years and winning one county crown before turning his attention to the boys' team. He said he's ready for a new challenge.
"We were trailing most of the game but grinded out a win," Reminick said about the season opener. "It was ugly but we found a way to get it done." As the Blue Devils' girls' coach, Reminick built a reputation for sending highly conditioned players onto the floor and for teams that tried to run their opponents to the point of exhaustion. He's a strong believer in a fast-paced style of play.
Patron is Huntington's best player and he used a soft touch from the floor and strong play under the basket to keep the Blue Devils within striking distance. "He was a force on the glass both defensively and offensively," said Reminick about the star who averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds last winter en route to All-Conference honors.
Huntington went 4-10 in league play last year and was 6-12 overall. Following the season, head coach Mike Schmitz announced he was leaving to become an assistant coach at Dowling College. Reminick, who is Schmitz's nephew and who played on the Huntington boys' team while he was in high school, decided the time was right to switch positions.
Jericho is a traditional small school power in Nassau and they proved to be a tough foe for the Blue Devils. "We had some breakdowns on defense, but for the most part we played pretty solid," said Reminick about Friday evening's performance. "We were disappointed we couldn't get into our press more, but it is still a work in progress."
Huntington trailed 9-8 after the first quarter and was behind 23-18 at halftime. The Blue Devils pulled even at 28-28 entering the final eight minutes and then outscored Jericho 21-17 in the final frenetic frame to win by four points.
Trevon Brown (four points) entered the game for the first time in the second quarter and made an immediate impact. "Defensively he was the quickest man on the floor," Reminick said. "He forced a turnover right away and scored two huge baskets for us in the second half to tie the score."
The Blue Devil defense seriously clamped down in the third quarter, limiting Jericho's high powered offense to just five points. "We had them on the ropes but couldn't put it away," Reminick said about the game.
Patron took over the floor in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his 24 points in the final minutes. Huntington's Javon Robinson hit a pair of late game three-pointers "that were huge," Reminick said.
The team is feeling its way this early in the season. "It was our first game and we are all still learning about one another so it's going to take time," Reminick said. "I am very happy with the outcome, but we have a lot of work to do."
Blue Devil Rebounds: Huntington will host Islip on Thursday night at 6 p.m. in the first home game of the season . . . JT Taylor scored five points against Jericho . . . Tre Brown pumped in six points . . .John McCarthy dropped in three big points . . . Pat Reilly added two points . . .