Blue Devil Football to Host Night Games

October 6, 1939. It’s been that long. The Huntington High School football team topped Patchogue in a Friday night game played before a standing room only crowd of 2,200 at Heckscher Park. The Blue Devils haven’t hosted another night game since. It’s been 84 years, but that long streak will end soon.

The100th anniversary season of the Huntington football team will include two night games played at Blue Devil Stadium in September. Both contests will kick-off at 6 p.m. with 20 sets of portable lights situated on the track and along walkways and the bleachers keeping the field and adjoining area well lit until play is complete. A private donor will be funding the lights through the Huntington Booster Club.

Huntington will play its first home night football game in 84 seasons on Thursday, September 14 against visiting West Babylon. A second night game is being added after Section XI called and asked for the Blue Devils to consider moving the fourth game of the season to a Friday night due to severe shortage of officials.

Huntington will host Smithtown East on Friday, September 29. Section XI, which was already experiencing a shortage of officials said the number of five-referee football crews has been reduced from 17 to 14 for 2023.

The 1939 night game is chronicled in the 1940 edition of The Huntingtonian, the high school’s annual yearbook. “For the first time in the history of the school, Huntington played night football on the local field,” states the yearbook. “A crowd of 2200 jammed Heckscher Park to see the Huntington-Patchogue game. The night was clear and the lights were good. The local boys starting scoring in the first few minutes of the game with Tommy Doran scoring and Joe Avino converting.”

Huntington High School was then located in a building on Main Street, which is now used as Town Hall. Heckscher Park was used for Blue Devil athletic events and physical education classes.

“Huntington 100” as the 100th anniversary team is being dubbed will feature a new coaching staff led by Blue Devil alum Ronald Wilson, who will be assisted by Antoine Swain, Dareus Smith and Kevin Graham. James C. Byrnes and James G. Byrnes, Jr. are expected to coach the junior varsity team.

Wilson plans to bring the team to an upstate New York camp for five days during parts of the first and second weeks of practice in August. Interest in the program is running high. Wilson expects as many as 100 players to suit up for the varsity and JV teams in the program’s 100th season.

The kickoff to the Huntington 100th anniversary season will come on Monday, June 12 when the Blue Devils tee-off at 1:30 p.m. for a golf outing at Crab Meadow Golf Course in Northport.

Wilson and his staff have organized what is expected to be a fun afternoon for football alumni and supporters of the program. Check in and preparations on the putting green and driving range are set for 12:30 p.m.

Fees for the day are $225 per golfer or $800 per foursome. Can’t play, but would still like to participate and attend the post-golf festivities, including the awarding of prizes. Dinner is available for $75. Sponsorships are going fast for $500 per hole.

To register for the golf outing scan the QR code at the bottom of this story or contact Coach Wilson at either rwilson@hufsd.edu or 516.658.4870.