Blue Devil Senior Athletic Awards Night on Thursday

The 55th annual Blue Devil senior athletic awards ceremony will be held on Thursday night in the Huntington High School auditorium at 6 p.m.

Seniors who are slated to receive awards have received written invitations. Parents and family members are welcome to attend. The auditorium’s air conditioning and technological equipment will enhance the evening and ceremony, which is expected to run about 75 minutes.

Coaches will present 81 individual awards to their team members. Numerous special awards will also be presented, including the Section XI Gold Key Award, which goes to seniors who participated in at least eight of nine athletic seasons between grades 10-12. There are 11 Blue Devils who have qualified for the county award this year.

Many of the awards carry financial stipends. In all, $14,700 will be presented to senior athletes along with handsome plaques custom made for the Blue Devils.

The recipients of several other special awards will also be announced, including the Blue Devil Discipline, Desire & Dedication Award, which will be presented to eight seniors.

Among the awards being presented will be the William Class Memorial Scholarship; two Courtney O’Bryan Memorial Scholarships; four Huntington Booster Club Sportsmanship Awards; two Kleet Lumber Scholar-Athlete Awards; two Empire Automotive Group Scholar Athlete Awards; Fred Cambria Award, Peter Steen Memorial Scholarship, Donald A. Loughlin Lacrosse Founders Award; John Fulton Sr. Memorial Scholarship, Paci Family Football Leadership Award and the first ever Amanda Cullinan Foundation Resiliency Award.

Seniors Laurel Bonn, Dawin Preval and Gianna Forte will each speak about what it has meant to them to wear a Blue Devil uniform through the years. Senior Haileigh Smith will present the first ever Blue Devil Hall of Fame Award.

Senior Isabella Lanfranco will kick-off the evening by singing the Star Spangled Banner. Principal Brenden Cusack and Superintendent James W. Polansky will both speak at the beginning of the ceremony. Both are regulars on the sidelines and in the bleachers at Blue Devil home and away games.

The evening will conclude with an 11 minute film created by Darin Reed that highlights the 2022/23 Blue Devil athletic program. The film will be shown on the auditorium’s huge screen.