Finley Girls’ Basketball Teams Feature Future Stars

There are players on the Finley Middle School girls’ basketball “blue” and “white” teams that just might play a role in leading a future Huntington High School varsity squad to a championship. At least that’s the hope of Blue Devil varsity head coach Perry Marinelli.

Finley-Blue was coached by Flower Hill teacher Timothy Madden and captained by Valentina Diaz Gonzalez, Isabella Ulloa and Chloe Yoon.

“Valentina has improved a tremendous amount over the course of two seasons,” Madden said. “Isabella is a relentless defender and a great captain. Chloe played well at the point guard position.”

The coach said the team’s best accomplishment “is how each and every player improved their skill level as well as [their] knowledge of the game of basketball.”

In addition to the captains, the roster also included seventh graders Isla Campbell, Savannah Grigg, Cecilia O’Toole and Juliana Perotti and eighth graders Dayana Cruz Melendez, Leilani Dixon, Thania Guardado, Michelle Jean Baptiste, Eunice Nunez Gomez and Briana Velis Figueroa.

“I am proud of the effort of this group despite our final record,” Madden said. “They worked hard at practice and gave everything they had in games.”

Finley-White was coached by Finley teacher Hildi Stafford and captained by Emma Leiter and Charlotte “Charlie” Kindelmann. Kindelmann scored a team best 77 points. Katherine Gooch added 17 points.

“Charlie and Emma were a great combo on the court with their ball handling, shooting, grabbing, rebounds and hustling up and down the court,” Stafford said. “Katherine Gooch, Lia Rotunno and Arielle Melendez helped in moving the ball up the court. Dorothy Moise was excellent at grabbing rebounds. She got help from Naloine Nieves Morales, Kenya Benitez Flores, Charlotte Krause and Milania Waltelier. The team was rounded out with Quinn Robert and Melany Rodriguez Vasquez making some great offensive assists and Bacey Hubert making some great defensive plays. Mikiyla-Racquel Blizzard also made contributions to the team.”

Stafford said the team was comprised of a group of girls that worked well together. “They were constantly supporting and cheering for one another,” the coach said. “Regardless of the score of the games, the girls never stopped being positive or building each other up. We may not have won many games, but the girls never let that stop them from being exciting and playing hard. The girls never lost their positive energy or can do attitude.”

Stafford said she expects the predominately young team comprised of nine seventh graders and five eighth graders “to return and continue working hard. It’s such a positive, upbeat, hardworking group of girls.”