The story of the Huntington High School fencing program is a twisting and turning one. It took several attempts to get it off the ground and it wasn’t until the 1935/36 school year that the effort succeeded.
The fencing club completed its first year of “organization” in the spring of 1936, according to that year’s edition of the high school yearbook. “Although fencing was introduced in the school several times in the past few years, there was never a permanent club,” states the yearbook.
Huntington High School was once located on Main Street.
Enter John Sage. While just who this man was has been lost to history, the yearbook notes that in fall of 1935, he stepped forward. He “was well instructed in the art and made a successful attempt to organize the club.”
Junior Lois Aboff served as the fencing club’s first president. Teacher Marvin Carter, a graduate of New York University, was the faculty advisor and Mr. Sage was the instructor, offering technical expertise and running practice sessions.
“Thrilling exhibition duels were held in the auditorium during lunch periods,” the yearbook stated. “In this way, many new members were added to the club. Members of the club also fenced during the halves of the varsity basketball games. This club is rapidly becoming very popular and is still showing progress.”
There would be more fits and starts for Huntington’s fencing program before it finally took permanent hold.
Since then the Blue Devil boys’ fencing squad has won league titles in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2002 and county crowns in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1990, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. The girls’ fencing team won league championships in 1998 and1999.