Files & Kaufman Play to All-County Tennis Honors
October 27, 2022
Seventh grader Janita Files and freshman Mia Kaufman played their way to All-County honors to help lift the Huntington High School girls’ tennis team to an overall record of 8-5 (7-4 in the league).
The Blue Devils were captained by seniors Kate Balm, McKenna Buffa and Anna Bell Young and coached by Jamie Fishlow. Balm and Buffa captured All-League recognition along with talented eighth grader Amanda Ganley and freshman Isabella Palacios.
For the first time in the history of Huntington’s girls’ tennis program, the Blue Devils put two players in the county individual tournament.
“Janita is highly skilled,” Fishlow said. “She made it to county tournament and has a bright future. Mia is a second year starter and very talented player who also qualified for the county tournament. She will be a valuable player for years to come.”
Files went 12-6 in No. 1 singles as a seventh grader and Kaufman was 13-5-1 in No. 2 singles as a ninth grader.
Ganley and Palacios were also praised for their sharp play. “Amanda and Isabella are both young and eager to learn,” Fishlow said. “They worked very hard to improve their game and the results showed it. “I’m looking forward to working with them for many years to come.”
Ganley went 11-2 in No. 3 singles and Palacios was 9-7 in No. 4 singles.
Huntington will miss Balm, Buffa and Young. “Kate has been totally dedicated and a hard worker over her four years on the team,” Fishlow said. She leads by actions and example. She has a very positive attitude and is highly coachable. McKenna is also a very hard worker and has really improved her skills over the past four years. She’s a team leader and never gave less than 100 percent. It’s a pleasure to have her on my team.”
Balm and Buffa teamed up for No. 1 doubles and compiled a 10-7 mark. “They are a great duo on and off the court,” Fishlow said. “I have loved having them in the program for four years. They are both tremendous leaders.”
Young returned to the court after recovering from an injury and played well at No. 2 doubles. “I am so happy she could play this year after ACL surgery and rehab,” Fishlow said. “She worked very hard to return midway through the season. She attended every practice despite not being able to play. A four year starter, it was great how she stayed positive and was an integral part of the team throughout her recovery.”
The Blue Devils played well overall. Huntington lost several excruciatingly close meets. “This team consisted of a wonderful combination of girls,” Fishlow said. “Valuable veterans who dedicated four years to the program and newly competitive talent combined to result in a very successful season. Successful as far as performance on the court and cohesiveness off the court. From the off-season workouts, practices throughout the season, long bus rides and team pasta parties, this team became a highly competitive group and more importantly, a family with cherished memories that will stay with everyone well into the future. I feel that by the end of the season, all of the girls understood all of our team goals with lessons learned and they attained a high level of accomplishment.”
The Blue Devils had much to take pride in as the season wrapped up. “We qualified for the playoffs for the fifth season in a row and made it to the second round of the county playoffs for the first time in many years,” Fishlow said.
Huntington finished fifth in the toughest division in Suffolk County. Seeded eleventh in the county team tournament, the Blue Devils nearly upset No. 6 Ward Melville on its home courts. “It came down to a three set defeat at third doubles and we lost the meet, 4-3,” Fishlow said. “It was a great team effort and it shows the new talent we have and the hard work put in by our veterans.”
The underclassmen and their coach anticipate a great year in 2023. “I’m looking forward to next season,” Fishlow said. “We are returning half of the starting team. Our top four singles players, won over 70 percent of their matches. They are all young and eager to improve. Files, Kaufman, Ganley and Palacios will play a big role in leading our team to a higher division position and deeper into the playoffs. Looking for Jane Callery, Kiera Coulter, Claire Parks and players from the JV to step up and fill out the line-up.”
