Blue Devil Unified Basketball Team is 5-0

Huntington High School’s Unified basketball team is sporting a 5-0 record heading into its final home game of the season against Northport on Thursday at 4 p.m. It will be Jersey Day in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.

The Blue Devils have topped John H. Glenn (40-37), Commack (46-37), Walt Whitman (52-43), Half Hollow Hills East (56-36) and Kings Park (46-39). The final two games will be played on the road at Half Hollow Hills West and John H. Glenn.

Huntington is led by head coach Jordan Ioviero, who teaches physical education at J. Taylor Finley Middle School. “I would love to see as many fans in the stands as possible for our final home game of the season on Thursday,” Ioviero said.

Unified basketball features Special Olympians paired with general education students who serve as teammates and assistants on the co-ed rosters. About three dozen Suffolk high schools are fielding teams this year.

Each year, the Unified basketball team holds Jersey Day, where they introduce each athlete with a staff member of their choice who has made a positive impact on them throughout their time in the Huntington School District. That day is Thursday.

“Each staff member will wear a jersey to match the player who selected them,” Ioviero said. “It should be a very special night that will highlight how far each of our players have come and how much the Huntington staff means to them.”

The ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. There will also have a special halftime performance featuring the Huntington Highsteppers, whose roster includes Unified basketball team member Camilla D’Anna.

“Unified basketball started off slow, but it’s quickly gaining interest and excitement,” Ioviero said. “In our first season we didn’t win a game. Now, in just three short years we are currently 5-0. To see how far this program has come is a very special thing.”

The coach said he would like to especially recognize one partner and one player. “The partner I would like to highlight is Kei Shan Miller,” Ioviero said. “He has done so much to help propel this program to where it is today. He has been with us since our first game, and to see the impact he has on our athletes and the Unified basketball program is something we are all very grateful for. The player I would like to highlight is Alexander ‘Zander’ Morris. Alexander has been with us since our first year as well, but this year he grew to a height of 6’7 and it’s been helping our team win games! Alexander is our leading scorer and our leading rebounder. In our last game against Kings Park, he recorded a career best 24 points and 10 rebounds. His double-double helped us win a very close game.”

The team has three times as many partners this season compared to its first year. “When I see two full rows of chairs at each of our games, it reminds me that not only is this basketball program growing, but the relationships between our partners and players are growing, too,” Ioviero said. “Our roster now has 36 players on it, which is so rewarding for me as a coach. Unified basketball brings out the best in athletics and to have the opportunity to coach this team is something I am very proud of. I am so thankful for all our partners. They do so much for our athletes, and the compassion they display on a daily basis is remarkable.”

Ioviero also praised his coaching staff, including Jimmy Byrne, Dr. Erica Murphy Jessen, Shannon Maloney, Kristiana Salerno, Matt Saraniero and Whitney Voyages.

“This year we had our very first media day, which was a huge success,” Ioviero said. “It highlighted all of our players and partners, as well as siblings and other family members. This year we have two pairs of siblings, Julianna and Ella Ackerman and Nica and Luca DiPietro. We also have cousins on the team in Alexander Morris and Isabella Morris.”

The team also started an Instagram page, which has generated even more interest in the Blue Devil program.

“We would like to welcome all students who aren’t playing a spring sport to come out for the team next year,” Ioviero said. “Unified basketball is a program that is going to continue to grow and continue to make a difference both on and off the basketball court.”