Three Huntington High School boys’ basketball players collected honors at the Suffolk hardcourt awards dinner at the Polish Hall in Riverhead.
A large crowd of 300 players, coaches and parents was served a traditional Polish meal of kielbasa, ham and roast beef, sauerkraut, green beans and mashed potatoes and then sat back and listened to short speeches about the county’s best players and teams.
The 110 year old Polish Hall made for a quaint setting for the group. The facility has hosted the Suffolk Boys’ Basketball Coaches Association’s awards dinner for decades.
Accompanied by head coach Brian Carey and volunteer assistant W Gerard Asher, Huntington seniors Michael Abbondandelo, Mekhi Harvey and Gerard Federici attended the dinner and were honored with special awards.
Abbondandelo and Harvey garnered All-League honors. Federici was named All-Academic for his strong play on the court and exceptional academic performance.
Abbondandelo averaged 6.5 points and 6.7 assists per game. A top defender, he led the Blue Devils in minutes played. Federici was a team leader on and off the court. He averaged seven points per game. Harvey had a team high 12 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The Blue Devils had the 22nd most productive offense out of all large schools in the county. Huntington averaged 52.7 points per game. The Blue Devils were also 22nd in defense, surrendering an average of 62.0 points per game. Huntington was 14th in the county with 111 three-pointers.
The Polish Hall, complete with its unique interior and two chandeliers conjured up images of the movie Hoosiers and 1950’s era Midwestern, small town basketball. Some in the crowd found the evening to be a walk through yesteryear.
