Blue Devil Girls’ Basketball Celebrates Senior Day
February 10, 2023
Gianna Forte and Kaci McDonald have both paid their dues and then some. The two seniors were honored by the Huntington girls’ basketball team’s coaches and players during a pre-game Senior Day ceremony on Wednesday in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
Forte has been playing on the Huntington varsity since the eighth grade. She has been an essential component of the Blue Devil squad ever since then. She also plays on Huntington’s varsity soccer and lacrosse teams. She has committed to play lacrosse at Stony Brook University.
McDonald is Huntington’s team manager, handling many obscure, but vital details that help the Blue Devil machine operate flawlessly. She’s at every practice, attending to individual and collective needs and on the bench on game days. The teenager starred on last fall’s county Final Four field hockey team.
A great athlete in her own right, McDonald could easily have suited up to play on the Blue Devil varsity basketball and lacrosse teams. But right now she’s content to fill an important role on the staff, assisting coaches on a daily basis.
Huntington girls’ basketball coach Michael Kaplan spoke about what Forte and McDonald have meant to the Blue Devils during the pre-game festivities as assistant coach Marissa Bergmann stood nearby with gift bags. Junior Kayleigh Bender got emotional while speaking during the ceremony.
“It has been the most special experience having the chance to wear a Blue Devil basketball uniform for these past five years,” Forte said. “The program is truly like no other and a lot of that is because of the amazing coaches and the girls on the team. I am going to miss going to practice every day and playing the sport that I have loved for so long. Having this chapter coming to a close is definitely super hard, but also I know I will forever have all of the memories.”
Both seniors, who are cousins, will miss the Blue Devil girls’ basketball program as they move forward with their lives.
“It’s been great to be a part of such an amazing team,” McDonald said. “I didn’t have to be on the court, but I still felt like a major part of the team. I hope other kids learn from me that you don’t have to play the sport to be a part of a team. Being with coaches Kaplan and Bergmann has taught me so much more than just basketball. This sport has provided me with lifelong friendships and experiences that I can take to the next level.”
