Finley Football Finishes at 5-1

The J. Taylor Finley Middle School football team won five of six games this fall behind a powerful offensive unit and a defense that rose to the occasion more than once. The young Blue Devils also displayed the ability to come back from a significant double digit deficit and win.

Coached by Jordan Ioviero, Kevin Thorbourne and Greg Dieterich, the Finley roster included more than 50 seventh and eighth graders. The group included more than a few potential high school stars in future years.

Finley was captained Alex Castro-Simpson (RB/OLB), Charles (Chuck) Rosselli (QB), Rory McDermott (WR/ILB) and Patrick Hassett (WR/OLB).

After winning its first two games, Finley hosted nearby rival Stimson, which quickly jumped out to a 20-0 lead after only three minutes. But the young Blue Devils didn’t quit, rallying for 38 unanswered points on a gorgeous fall afternoon. “This galvanized the team and they went on to have a great season,” Ioviero said.

Finley counted 53 players on its roster. “Another highlight to our season was beating Candlewood on the high school football field,” Ioviero said. “At the time, Candlewood was 4-0 and in front of large crowd, our team played some of its best football that day. Huntington pride was on full display that day, which was something we all were very proud of.”

The coaching staff hopes to continue building the roster size along with an emphasis on sound fundamentals, overall player development and winning.

“When looking back at this season, we will miss this eighth grade group,” Ioviero said. “They practiced hard and improved tremendously throughout the season. Our B team defense did not let up a single point which is a great accomplishment. We recruited two fantastic kickers and were able to convert on the majority of our extra points, which was critical throughout the season.”

Finley fielded many skilled players. “We had fantastic quarterback play from both Charles Rosselli and Finn McDermott,” Ioviero said. “Our team has a lot to be proud of and the future is bright for the Huntington football program.”