Blue Devil Unified Basketball Remains Strong

Huntington High School’s Unified basketball team remained a force to be reckoned with, compiling a record of 4-2-2 under head coach Jordan Ioviero. The roster included 41 players.

“Our team had so many players who contributed and something that we are very proud of is that each of our players on our team scored a basket at some point this year and in many games, every single one of our players scored,” Ioviero said. “When looking at our top players, this year we would like to highlight Alexander Morris who was our leading scorer and leading rebounder. We would also like to highlight Maikol Arreaga, who provided our team with great energy through his defense. We could always count on Maikol to give us his best effort on the court.”

Ioviero is Huntington’s founding Unified coach and under his tutelage the program has been one of Suffolk’s finest.

“We are proud of all of our players’ hard work and dedication to our program,” Ioviero said. “We highly encourage all members of the high school and the Huntington community to come and attend our Unified basketball games. The impact that this program has on our students, their families and the Huntington community is something that everyone should experience at some point.”

“Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team,” according to Special Olympics. “It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.”

Huntington’s home games typically draw large crowds. A DJ was added this year and the music enhanced the already festive atmosphere.

“This program has made a difference both on and off the court,” Ioviero said. “Fans watching in the stands got to see the impact Unified sports can have and I believe that our message of kindness, compassion and hard work was spread to everyone in attendance at our games. Our players got to showcase their abilities on the court and they shined. Playing in front of large crowds, winning games, and making new friendships helped lead to memories that will last a lifetime. Our partners showed compassion and worked very hard to help give our players a memorable experience, and we are so appreciative for their help this season. This year was not only fun and exciting due to basketball games, but we also had some great moments like prom proposals and birthday celebrations.”

The Blue Devils bested Walt Whitman (50-23), Commack (51-48), Half Hollow Hills West (46-45) and Half Hollow Hills East (52-45). Huntington lost games to John H. Glenn (48-46) and Kings Park (52-44) and tied Northport (40-40) and John H. Glenn (38-38).