Finley Boys’ Volleyball Ready for Action

The J. Taylor Finley Middle School boys’ volleyball team is ready for action. It will take the court for its first match of the season on Friday against West Babylon in the Finley gym. The action begins at 4:30 p.m.

Coached by Washington Primary School physical education teacher Eric Mininni, the squad includes 18 players, including nine seventh graders and nine eighth graders. The team takes a bus daily for a one mile trip to Woodhull Intermediate School where it practices in the gym there. All home meets will be played in the Finley gym.

Homes meets will be livestreamed on the Finley Blue Devil Sports YouTube channel. In addition to West Babylon, home meets are scheduled with Great Hollow-Blue, Commack-Gold, West Islip Beach and Candlewood. Away contests are scheduled at Stimson-White, Lindenhurst-White, West Hollow, Stimson-Maroon and Northport.

The roster includes seventh graders Rhys Carrillo, Rocco Caruso, Jeremiah Dasque DeLeon, Jackson Dickson, Sebastian Mendia, Daniel Paiz, Martin Ramos Joyas, Henry Schmid and Keven Zuniga Reyes and eighth graders Lucas Biancardo, Luis Chavez Hernandez, Eric Heinz, Edgar Loeza Mendoza, Dylan Michaelson, Eli Rodriguez-Guevara, Darwing Ruiz Meza, Charles Stanforth and Josue Umana Molina.

Mininni has been a Huntington physical education teacher since September 1998. A graduate of Oceanside High School, he obtained an undergraduate degree at Towson State University in athletic training and physical education and a master’s degree at Adelphi University in health.

Minnini has coached middle school, junior varsity and varsity boys’ and girls’ volleyball, varsity softball, middle school boys’ track and field, junior varsity girls’ tennis and middle school boys’ tennis.

Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky led the charge to reinstate the Finley boys’ volleyball team last year after an absence of a decade. Since then about three dozen boys have suited up to play for the team.