H-ton JV Boys’ Basketball Finishes Season Strong

The Huntington High School junior varsity boys’ basketball team finished the season strong, stringing together a series of great games and coming within two points of perennial powerhouse Commack.

The Blue Devils were coached by Joe Crocco and captained by Timothy Hardge, Marco Salas and James Markotsis. The roster included 16 players.

Crocco said the team’s top players included freshman Max Manu and sophomores Timothy Hardge, Kavon Pittman, James Markotsis and Marco Salas. Hardge averaged 15 points at guard while Pittman pulled down eight rebounds per game. Salas was the best at defense and also averaged nine points per game. Manu averaged 10 points. Markotsis was strong on both ends of the court and was an outstanding leader.

Crocco had these remarks on his top players:

Timothy Hardge: “He missed the first six games of the year and came back and provided instant offense. He handled the ball and directed the offense.”

Marco Salas: “He’s intense on defense and led the team in steals and three-point shots.”

Kavon Pittman: “Came on late and led the team in rebounds. He’s an intense player who is always working on his game.”

Max Manu: “An excellent ballhandler, he’s a slashing type of player who is tough to guard and is very tough around the basket.”

James Markotsis: “He’s a very smart and steady player and a leader on the court.”

“I really enjoyed coaching this team,” Crocco said. “They worked very hard every day and their growth as a team was evident to everyone that watched us throughout the year.”

Crocco was pleased how the team improved during the second half of the season. “We won five of our last eight games and took one of the best teams in our league (Commack) to a two-point game,” the coach said. “Our best game was an overtime win against Newfield when we were down four with under one minute to go. Then in overtime, we won on a 7-0 run to win the game.”

The Blue Devils defeated three different teams that they lost to earlier in the season. Huntington topped Copiague by eight points and losing to the Eagles by 12 points during an earlier matchup. “From the start of the season to the end, this team improved tremendously,” Crocco said.

The coach said all 16 players were “invested in our success and never missed a practice. I was amazed at how much our team improved from game to game. We ended up the second half of the season with a winning record.”