Turkey Feast for Blue Devil Football
There are many traditions associated with the Huntington High School football program. After all, the varsity team is more than 100 years old. One of the more recent traditions involves players and coaches sitting down for a turkey dinner around the time of Thanksgiving. It creates a family-type atmosphere for the Blue Devils.
The dinner usually occurs in years when Huntington qualifies for a post-season berth. That's because the team is still together into November, practicing and getting ready for a play-off game.
The dinner was not scheduled to be held for several years since the Blue Devils ended play when the regular season scheduled concluded. However, coaches have made some exceptions to the general rule. For example, in the fall of 2007, Huntington finished with a 5-3 record behind stars Dashaun Thomas and Eddie Santos, but didn't advance to the post-season.
"Although we didn't make play-offs that year, we coaches decided that if anyone group of athletes deserved a turkey dinner was that class of students," assistant coach Ron Wilson said. "We did it again the following year with Brian Ruggiero, Joe Brown, Joshua Daves, and Nick Sammartano. We didn't make the play-offs, but they were just a great bunch of classy athletes."
Huntington players look forward to the dinner and appear to really enjoy themselves. "We preach family all the time here in our football program, so what better way to celebrate the seasonal holiday with sharing a thanksgiving with feast with one another?" asked Wilson.
Georgia D. McCarthy, the district's director of interscholastic athletes joined in the fun by baking players an apple pie. The coaching staff contributes funds to purchase food and Wilson, a talented chef, works his magic.
"My dad, a pastor of Wyandanch Missionary Baptist Church, dropped off the food that had to be prepared in the oven and was asked to stay," Wilson said about his father, Louis. "It was a great afternoon."
While Huntington was knocked out of the play-offs by Islip in the semi-final round, 16-14, I bet that we gave those young men some memories they can cherish for a lifetime," Wilson said about the season and the turkey dinner.