The Huntington varsity football team looked sharp during a five-way scrimmage early last Saturday morning at the town’s Veterans Park complex in East Northport.
The Blue Devils took to the field for offensive and defensive scrimmage sessions against Harborfields, John H. Glenn, Walt Whitman and Northport. The action played out on adjoining turf fields.
Huntington head coach Steve Muller was pleased with how his team performed. “I thought we were great,” he said. “We did so many good things on offense and defense without ever really opening up our throwing game. We moved the ball very well on the ground.”
The opening weeks of pre-season have gone smoothly as coaches feel the players are working hard and forming a strong bond with each other. About 40 players comprise the roster.
Quarterbacks Torin Bograd and Alex Bellissimo both looked very good last Saturday as the two juniors shared snaps during the scrimmage. Huntington used its above average speed and excellent offensive line to break many long runs.
Players are still working on their timing and on nailing down their respective assignments on each play. The Blue Devils came up with several big plays over the course of the morning. Huntington plans to rely on its speed and if last weekend’s scrimmage is any indicator, the team will be able to put plenty of points on the scoreboard this fall.
Coaches were on the field during the scrimmage, teaching players following each play. Mistakes were quickly identified and addressed. Many players are still learning new positions. Muller was joined on the field by assistant coaches Cable Todd Jamison and Kevin Graham. Finley coaches Kevin Thorbourne and Jordan Ioviero were also on hand. (The Huntington JV participated in a scrimmage at Walt Whitman.)
“All things considered, it was a very positive morning,” Muller said. “We all liked what we saw. We’ll go back now and work on some things. Our goal is to always improve every day.”
Huntington will travel to Harborfields for another scrimmage on Friday at 3:30 p.m. The Blue Devils open the regular season the following Saturday (September 13) at home against powerful West Islip at 2 p.m.