Patrick O'Brien Presented with Fred Cambria Award
Huntington senior Patrick O'Brien was presented with the Fred Cambria Award, the scholarship that accompanies it and a handsome plaque, too, at the 43rd Blue Devil Senior Athletic Awards Banquet earlier this month.
It was hard for a person to attend a Huntington athletic event and not find Fred Cambria somewhere near the sidelines. The Blue Devil fanatic was especially rabid 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 involved in a sport, you would still see him lending his support to the Men in Blue.
Paul McDermott, head varsity boys' lacrosse coach explained that the annual award doesn't necessarily go to a player who receives all-division or all-county recognition, but to someone who shows great sportsmanship and obvious enjoyment for the game of lacrosse. Mr. Cambria's widow, Betsy, on hand to make the formal presentation.
Mr. O'Brien is headed to SUNY College at Geneseo in the fall. He played a key role on the Blue Devil boys' lacrosse team this spring. The 6'2, 175 lb. senior was one of Huntington's midfielders. He scored five goals and added four assists. His two goals in a first round playoff game at Islip were crucial to Huntington's 11-9 victory.
Mr. Cambria, who passed away suddenly many years ago, continued to support the Huntington lacrosse program even after his own children graduated. He was well-known throughout the community and among the Blue Devil coaching staff as a pleasant man with an exceedingly upbeat personality.