The Huntington boys’ basketball team is continuing its preparations for what it hopes will be the 2021season. That’s still far from certain with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic putting a hold on “high risk” sports, which include basketball.
The Blue Devils have been training outdoors at the refurbished court complex at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School. Outdoor basketball conditioning harkens back to a time beyond the memory of anyone now living in Huntington.
The brick building now used as Huntington Town Hall was erected in 1909/10 as Huntington High School. The original structure lacked an auditorium and gymnasium. An addition in 1926/27 added those features. Without a school gym, players trained and even played games outdoors behind the school, in Heckscher Park and at other facilities in the village.
But today, training outdoors for the high school basketball season is virtually unheard of so the current conditioning program is something unique in modern history.
All of that said, the Blue Devils are giving their training sessions everything that they can. Second year head coach Jordan Ioviero is determined to develop a championship program. He’s working to create interest in the sport on every level in the district.
The Blue Devil varsity returns juniors Dylan Coleman, Kevin Drake, Charlie Girimonti, Max Rentsch and Henry Vohs and seniors Adrian Brooks and Zachary Gordon.
“I think we are going to have a great year,” Gordon said. “We’ve been working really hard in the cold weather, which shows how dedicated our team and coaching staff is.”
Last season’s junior varsity team included Joe Algieri, John Chirico, Finn Cocoman, Elias Frazier, Harrison Krywak, Christopher Maichin, John Marziliano, Liam McDonald, Aidan McNulty, James Rosselli, Nicholas Sineno, Daniel McNulty, Kei Shan Miller, Za’Khie Ramos, Amari Huitt-May and Jayden Taylor.
Ioviero and JV coach Patrick Reilly are hopeful that the Blue Devil program will be able to turn the corner this winter and be more competitive as its continues on the path of becoming a championship team.