Four Huntington High School girls’ basketball players have claimed post-season honors. The group and their coaches were expecting to celebrate at the county awards dinner, but that gathering was postponed, rescheduled and ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So it took some time to get the county plaques into the hands of the teenagers.
The Blue Devils’ award recipients including Abby Maichin, Isabella Toscano, Jordan Forte and Emily Plachta. Huntington coaches Mike Kaplan and Marissa Bergmann saw to it that each of the players received the plaque they would have been presented at the county dinner, which was originally scheduled for March and then rescheduled for May 19 at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook. Ultimately, it was cancelled.
Maichin captured All-League, All-Conference and All-County recognition and was also named Academic All-County.
“Basketball was the highlight of my senior year,” Maichin said. “With how everything has turned out due to the current circumstances, I am so thankful that I was able to complete that chapter of my life the way I was supposed to. I was thrilled to be awarded the recognition that I got this year. I worked really hard to be the best basketball player and student I could be and it paid off.”
Forte and Plachta were tapped for the All-League team. Toscano also garnered Academic All-County honors.
“I am very happy to have received this award and I’m very happy for my teammates who were honored as well,” said Plachta, who turned in a great sophomore season. “I look forward to getting back in the gym for pre-season with the team and reaching new heights during the regular season. With hard work, I think we can really make a statement next season.”
Maichin is headed to the University of Notre Dame and Toscano will be attending the University of Oklahoma. Forte will return for her senior year and Plachta is coming back as a junior.
“I appreciate being named Academic All-County,” Toscano said. “It’s an awesome testament to the effort and hard work I put into my studies. I was happy to play basketball this season and I will always remember my time with my teammates and being a part of a playoff team.”
Forte started at guard and helped run the team’s offense. “Being named All-League means a lot to me,” she said. “This season was truly so special to me. The seniors made this year the best and made me want to work harder every day for them. Basketball season is so much fun and it means everything to me. Next year, I am looking forward to my senior year and having a successful season as a team. We have the opportunity to win the league and create something special with all the athletes we have. Coach Kaplan and Coach Bergmann have helped me grow not only as a player over the past four years, but a person as well. They have created not only a team, but a family.”
Although the county awards dinner was cancelled, the four players were all happy to get their awards and proudly posed with them outside their respective homes.
“We are so proud of our student athletes not only on the court, but in the classroom,” Kaplan said. “They were all dedicated to improving their skills this year and their hard work paid off in more ways than one. We were sad to not being able to have to dinner.”
