Blue Devil Wrestling Tournament on Saturday

The Huntington wrestling team will take to the mats on Saturday for the season opening tournament in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium. The Blue Devils will square off against teams from St. Anthony’s, Massapequa, Roslyn, Kings Park and Port Jefferson. The action begins at 9 a.m. and continues uninterrupted throughout the day to completion in the late afternoon.

Huntington is coached by Travis Smith, Michael Marinello and Jamie St. John. Saturday’s tournament will contested on three mats. A round robin format will be used with five separate rounds. Wrestlers in each weight class will compete against opponents from the other five schools over the course of the tournament.

This year’s team consists of freshmen Milton Maldonado, Jason Mejia, William Peters, Vincent Pupillo, Jefersson Quintanilla Chavez, Jose Rodriguez Alvarez, Brandon Canas, Gueniel Elysee, Xavier Garcia, Kenneth Gilhuley and Walter Kusterbeck; sophomores Henry Alvarez-Zelaya, Antonio Carusone, Jonathan Kraft, Carlos Marroquin, Thomas Smith, Justin Villatoro and Adrian White; juniors Cristian Alfaro-Bueso, Max Casiano, Josiah Freeman, Brandon Fucci, Jonathan Granito, Matthew Levine, Sam Nicotra, Dante Salgado and Christian St. John; and seniors Joseph Algieri, Brett Bender, Ibukunoluwa Olabomi, Enzo Pupillo, Silvio Torres and Zachary Zboray.

The team managers are Rosie Arner, Kaitlyn Sansiviero and Ava Tizzio. This year’s Finley wrestling coaching staff includes Jonathan Olivieri and Jose Alfaro.

Blue Devil Wrestling’s Roots Traced to 1933

The Huntington High School wrestling team traces its roots back to 1933 when the school sponsored a boxing and wrestling club. The club led to the creation of an interscholastic team for the 1937 and 1938 seasons before the sport disappeared again until 1951/52. It has been offered ever since then.

The 1934 high school yearbook states “Boxing and wrestling, a club long desired by the students of H.H.S. was, for the first time, taken up seriously and successfully this year. Under expert supervision, great strides were taken in the development of individual talents. The boys, realizing the importance of healthy bodies, endeavored to include in their organization such means as would prove directly beneficial to their physical developments.”

At one time, boxing was growing in popularity in New York schools. Reportedly, it was eventually banned following the death of a student participant somewhere in the state. However, in Depression-era Huntington, a group of boys took a liking to it.

“Regular meetings were held in the gymnasium during which some groups followed a training schedule while others participated in an interesting elimination tournament,” according to “The Huntingtonian.” “Mr. Roscoe Baker, who acted as faculty advisor, was of great assistance in promoting interest both within the club and in stimulating a desire for interschool competition.”

Senior James Sposato was the founder and president of the club. He is described in the high school yearbook as “an accomplished boxer.” The yearbook states that Mr. Sposato “gave valuable instruction in the art of self-defense and refereed the bouts in the tournament. The boys expect that interest in the boxing and wrestling club will mount to new heights and that in years to come the benefits of this club will be enjoyed by a greater number of high school students.”

The club led to the establishment of a wrestling team, which was coached by William Class. Following the 1938 season, so many team members graduated and there was such a lack of interest in the sport that the team was discontinued until the early 1950’s when math teacher Frank Kubisa helped bring it back to life as its coach.