H-ton Tops Amityville; Eyes
Rocky Point
After topping Amityville for its first win of the season, the Huntington High School football team is looking to upset powerful Rocky Point this Saturday at Blue Devil Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
Huntington exploded for 21 first quarter points against Amityville last Thursday afternoon on its way to building a 35-0 halftime lead. “We established ourselves early, both defensively and on the ground,” Blue Devil head coach Steve Muller said. “We finally made some things happen on the field and everything came together as we planned.”
Huntington got untracked early as Jahmik Curry returned the opening kickoff 85 yards to the Amityville one-yard line. Quarterback Davonte Evans scored on the first play from scrimmage to give the Blue Devils a lead they never surrendered.
When Amityville was forced to punt on its very next possession, Infinite Tucker fielded the ball and scooted 45 yards to the Warriors’ 25 yard line. Two plays later, Tucker scored on a 20 yard run to give Huntington a 14-0 lead as a crowd of about 300 roared its approval.
“We were badly in need of a win,” Muller said. “All of us knew that and the team worked hard to get it done. Now we have to go from here.”
Evans rushed 10 times for 65 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed two of four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. Tucker gained 51 yards on three carries and caught a pair of passes, including one for a touchdown. The teenager made 11 tackles on defense.
Doug Taylor also had a big game, recording two quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery and rushing four times for 12 yards. Tim Mattiace and Tucker also had quarterback sacks. Exayvian Crowell and Dylan Stieve picked off passes. Placekicker Justyn Tesoriero was five-for-five in extra points.
JP Puca (seven carries for 36 yards), Tasean Betts (two carries for six yards), Max Polster (one carry for four yards) and Mattiace (one carry for four yards) also contributed to Huntington’s ground game.
Huntington needs to keep winning if it is to have any chance of qualifying for the Suffolk Division III playoffs. “All we can do is take one game at a time,” Muller said. “Right now, that game is Rocky Point. They are a very good team and we need to play well against them.”
Fourth place Rocky Point has defeated Hauppauge (35-7), Harborfields (34-14), Kings Park (41-13) and Mount Sinai (42-17) this fall. The Eagles dropped a one point contest on the road to Islip last week, 21-20.
Eighth place Huntington lost games to Miller Place (20-6), Hauppauge (7-2) and Islip (25-6) before cruising past visiting Amityville, 35-6.
The Blue Devils will gather in the school cafeteria this Friday night for a team dinner thrown by the player’s parents following the final practice before Saturday afternoon’s game.
Blue Devil Notes: Evans had one pass intercepted against Amityville . . . Former Huntington football heroes Troy Greene and Levar Butts attended the game . . . The Highsteppers competitive dance team performed at halftime . . . Former Huntington football coach John Paci, Jr. was at the game along with his son, former Blue Devil quarterback Dr. James Paci . . . Former Huntington High School athletic trainer Susan Contreras provided medical services at the game. She is on the staff of Dr. David Weissberg, a Huntington alumnus who was also at the game . . . Evans scored on runs of one, 17 and five yards . . . Junior Melany Lanham-Ciancia performed a flawless rendition of The Star Spangled Banner as choral activities director Victoria Mainville beamed nearby.