The Huntington varsity boys’ basketball team is ready to jump ball. The squad is three weeks into practicing and the players and coaches are excited to finally begin the competitive schedule.
Head coach Brian Carey and assistant coach Kevin Thorbourne return to lead the Blue Devils. Huntington physical education teacher John Romano is also working with the team this winter.
Huntington's veteran head coach Brian Carey. (Darin Reed photo.)
The roster includes 14 players, including freshman Max Rentsch, sophomore Chad Rowe, juniors Lex Colato, Dan Danziger, Matt Girimonti, Jack Monahan, Nate Soric and Omari Stephen and seniors Jonah Anastos, Ian Ardell, Jake Costabile, John Paci, Elian Pimentel and John Tucker.
The Blue Devils open the season on Friday (Nov. 30) against Commack at 5 p.m. The Chamber of Commerce tournament game will be played at Kings Park High School. The second game of the tournament will be played on Saturday. (The time of game depends on whether Huntington wins or loses on Friday.)
Scrimmages at Brentwood and Copiague are set for next week. The league opener will be played at Bellport on Wednesday, December 12 at 4:30 p.m. A non-league game against Northport is scheduled for Saturday, December 15 at 2 p.m. League games at home against North Babylon (Dec. 17 at 5:45 p.m.) and Newfield (Dec. 20 at 5:45 p.m.) will follow. Another non-league game at home against Harborfields on Saturday, December 22 at 12 noon will close out 2018. League play will resume on Wednesday, January 2 at home against Smithtown East at 5:45 p.m.
Carey, a retired Commack science teacher, is a Huntington resident whose own sons played in the Blue Devil basketball program. He earned a BA degree in biology at New England College, an MA in liberal studies at SUNY Stony Brook and a second MA in counseling at the University of Bridgeport.
Huntington’s head coach began his career as an assistant coach at Commack South High School (1970-73). He was the JV head coach at Cold Spring Harbor High School (1973-76), varsity head coach at Commack North High School (1977-79), assistant coach at C.W. Post College (1979-81), assistant coach at Jericho High School (1981-84), varsity head coach at Half Hollow Hills East (1985-89), varsity head coach at Kings Park High School (1997-2006) and varsity head coach at Long Island Lutheran High School (2006-09).
Carey’s teams have won league, county and state titles and many of his players have went on to play college basketball.