All systems are go for the two girls’ basketball teams at J. Taylor Finley Middle School. The squads have been practicing for two weeks and are set for 10 game schedules.
The teams are coached by district physical education teachers Timothy Madden and Alex Nelson. They practice and play their home games in the Finley gym.
Coach Madden’s team consists of seventh graders Ava Davis, Lauren Donaghy, Jenna Italiano and Anne Tyrell and eighth graders Tess Calabria, Jane Callery, Zaida Correal, Marley Joseph, Riley Murtagh, Neurdia Osias, Aylana Powell, Maya Sakellarios, Kaitlyn Sansiviero and Olivia Spada.
Madden has been a Huntington physical education teacher since September 2002. A graduate of Hauppauge High School, he obtained an undergraduate degree at SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree at Stony Brook University. He has coached football, basketball, baseball, track, lacrosse and softball at various levels.
The roster of Coach Nelson’s team features seventh graders Ariana Lepera, Isabella Morris, Chelsey Olivo, Maggie O’Toole and Kaylee Smalling and eighth graders Katherine Estrada-Morales, Emersen Evans, Stephanie Flores, Jazmyne Greene, Jessica Kuom, Joanna Lee, Jessica Maixner, Isabella McCarthy, Tinia McGee, Reese Rinaldi and Mia Thompson.
Nelson has been a Huntington physical education teacher since September 2017. A graduate of Smithtown High School East, he obtained his undergraduate degree at Adelphi University, where he dual majored in physical education and accounting. He is currently working towards his master’s degree in health education.
Licensed by Eastern New York Youth Soccer as a professional soccer trainer working for Long Island Professional Soccer, Mr. Nelson has coached middle school and JV soccer and middle school basketball. He trains travel soccer teams for the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
The two Finley basketball teams will play schedules that include five home games and five away games each. The squads will square off against teams from Stimson, Deer Park, Elwood, Candlewood, East Northport, Hauppauge, Northport, Commack, North Babylon-Robert Moses and West Hollow.