Abby Maichin, Emily Plachta and Jordan Forte led the Huntington High School varsity girls’ basketball team to the Suffolk Class AA playoffs this past winter.
The three hardcourt stars all garnered All-League honors. Maichin and senior Isabella Toscano were also named Academic All-County for their solid play and classroom excellence. The award is presented to the senior basketball players with the top grade point averages and SAT scores in the Suffolk.
All-Conference and All-County selections were set to be announced at the county basketball dinner earlier this month, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the affair to be postponed to later this spring. The top Blue Devils hope to capture additional honors at the event.
Captained by Maichin, Forte and senior Holly Wright, Huntington compiled a 12-9 overall record (7-5 in league play) under head coach Mike Kaplan and assistant coach Marissa Bergmann. The team won an early season tournament at Islip and took second place in another tournament at Center Moriches.
A talented senior who is headed to Notre Dame to play lacrosse, Maichin led the Blue Devils with 13.4 points per game. She connected on 17 baskets from beyond the three-point arc.
“Abby was an outstanding captain and leader,” Kaplan said. “She led our team in scoring and we are going to really miss her next winter.”
Plachta averaged 12 points per game in her sophomore season and pulled down countless rebounds in key games.
“Emily improved tremendously since last year,” Kaplan said. “She played multiple positions for us and was a great free throw shooter.”
Forte shined during her junior season at guard. “Jordan was a great captain and defensive specialist,” Kaplan said. “She led our team in steals and filled the role of guarding the opposing team’s best player.”
The highlight of the season came in a must-win late January game against Smithtown West that clinched a playoff spot for Huntington. “It was a tie game until the final seconds when everyone came together to pull off the win,” Kaplan said. “All 13 girls worked extremely hard and supported each other throughout the game. It was a very proud moment for the coaching staff.”
The roster also included freshmen Gianna Forte and Kaci McDonald; sophomores Katie Browne, Makaylah Frazier and Junie Nosile; juniors Alexa Amorison, Charlotte Maggio and Lisa Martin and senior Megan Byrnes.
“Charlotte, Junie, Lisa and Izzy did an outstanding job rebounding during key moments this season,” Kaplan said. “Gianna, Katie, Alexa, Holly, Megan and Makaylah all improved their offensive skills and set the tone defensively for the team. We were known by other teams as having one of the best defenses in the county. All the girls took pride in that and accomplished our goal of being a top defensive team.”
The Blue Devils will return nine varsity players next winter. “We have high expectations for success,” Kaplan said.
Huntington said goodbye to Maichin, Toscano, Byrnes and Wright during an emotional Senior Night ceremony. The four gave the Blue Devils everything they have.
“This group has been a pleasure to coach,” Kaplan said. “We are going to miss them in the gym. They have continued to represent Huntington girls’ basketball with pride.”
