Warning to Suffolk County Class A girls soccer teams: If you think Shoreham-Wading River was good last year, wait until you meet this year’s team.

The county champions lost only two players — all-everything goalkeeper Lydia Kessel to graduation and defender Elizabeth Shields, who decided to play for a U.S. Soccer Development Academy team rather than high school soccer.

“We’re a year older, strong and smarter,” head coach Adrian Gilmore said.

The Wildcats (18-1-1) reached the Long Island final last year, losing on an own goal to North Shore, 1-0.

So, Shoreham’s goals are high.

“We should make the playoffs,” Gilmore said. “I see them as a team that can go a long way as long as the team stays healthy.

“I feel It’s a strong enough team to get back there.”

There are plenty of reasons why Gilmore is so optimistic.

Start with senior tri-captains Nicky Constant, who was second among Long Island goal scorers (29 goals plus 14 assists) and Emma Kirkpatrick (nine goals, six assists) up front.

“They’re both dynamic players,” Gilmore said. “Emma is the type of player who will do anything to get a goal. Nicky is more of a finesse player.”

Continue with four returning starters in the midfield with tri-captain and senior Frankie Lilly (nine goals, nine assists) and Ashley Borriello on the flanks and juniors Lakin Ciampo and Gianna Cacciola in the middle.

And finish with an imposing backline in center backs Madison Joannou, a junior, and sophomore Brooke Langella, who will replace Shields, and fullbacks Sara Hobbs, a junior, and Lydia Radonavitch, a sophomore.

“We got those girls for another year,” Gilmore said. “It’s a nice problem to have.”

Well, not for opponents.

Gilmore hasn’t made a decision on who will replace Kessel in goal as junior Alison DeVall and sophomore Abigail Wing are battling it out. DeVall, who has returned to soccer after a stint with the varsity volleyball team, played in the Brookhaven Summer League. “She was great,” Gilmore said, adding that Devall made two vital penalty kick saves against William Floyd to win the summer league crown. “No matter who wins [the job], I’m comfortable with that spot,” Gilmore said.

There will be a different dynamic to Suffolk girls soccer this fall. Instead of leagues, teams have been divided into two divisions — large schools (Class AA) and small schools (Classes A, B, C and D). The teams will be ranked similar to the way football, field hockey and lacrosse are with power rankings as teams accrue points for wins and draws. “This way, you’re going to play the best competition,” Gilmore said.

Then again, if Shoreham plays up to its potential, every time the Wildcats step onto the field their opponents probably will be saying that.

Riverhead’s goals are simple: improve on its 1-13 record of a year ago, be competitive and make a serious playoff run in 2019.

It’s not that first-year head coach Samba Traore is a pessimist. He is a realist as to where the Blue Waves are at this juncture.

“I am looking forward,” said Traore, an assistant coach the last few years who replaced Brian Cunningham as the head man. “I just want to have some wins. We keep improving. I’m looking forward to making the playoffs with this generation.

“To make the playoffs [this year], it’s going to be kind of hard, but I’m not giving up. Next year we can start making the playoffs.”

Traore, whose brother Lamine coached the Blue Waves’ boys team for several years, has been buoyed by the fact the team’s defense is solid. Junior Megan McIntosh, who enjoyed an outstanding year in 2017, will be paired at center back with freshman Marina Ronzoni. Sophomore Rebecca Cohen is another returning backline player.

“We have a better defense than the past four years that we struggled with,” Traore said. “We have a stronger defense this year.”

Junior forward Krista Romer will be the spear of the attack and senior defensive midfielder Isabella Carson leads a midfield that has been bolstered by sophomore Avery Elis, who played varsity volleyball last year.

“We have a couple of players who can make some noise,” Traore said.

Elis, who has played travel soccer, could make an impact. “She’s a box-to-box player,” Traore said. “Ever since the tryouts started, she has been fantastic.”

Traore will be quite happy as long as the Blue Waves keep improving.

He said, “Even if we don’t make the playoffs, it’s positive that we can keep moving forward and building toward the playoffs.”

Photo caption: Shoreham-Wading River’s Nicky Constant was second among Long Island goal scorers last year with 29 goals and 14 assists. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)

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Five days prior to the first bell of the school year, there already were some tough lessons learned by the Riverhead High School boys soccer team on Friday morning.

During the Blue Waves’ season-opening 7-0 defeat to Northport, those lessons included clearing the ball away from the front of the net, being better organized on defense and playing more possession ball.

It was a difficult start to the season and the Suffolk County League II campaign for Riverhead, looking to improve on a 3-12 season, at the Pulaski Sports Complex.

“Definitely difficult, kind of crushing,” said junior midfielder Ian Lull, the Blue Waves’ best offensive threat.

Yet, in many respects, coach Evan Philcox felt his team needed a result like that against the defending league champions.

“I think in the big picture we needed this to happen to us,” the second-year coach said. “We scrimmaged Mattituck yesterday and we looked pretty good. So, I think we came in with our chests out a little bit. A little bit of humble pie is good in the long run. The scoreboard was ugly, but ultimately, it’s only one in the loss column. We have 15 more league games to go.”

It should be noted the Tigers were ranked eighth among Suffolk Class AA schools in a preseason coaches’ poll and were picked to finish third in the league. Riverhead, which starts school on Wednesday, was chosen to finish last.

Senior midfielder Steve Siso, who scored twice, masterminded the attack with his passing and ability to get his free kicks on target.

The Blue Waves’ biggest problem was their inability to clear the ball after five rebounds, four of which came from saves by junior goalkeeper Owen Cassidy, the other off the crossbar.

Siso headed the ball home for a 1-0 lead for the visitors with 33 minutes and 38 seconds remaining in the opening half.

Then came five consecutive rebound goals. Siso scored with 19:38 left in the half. Michael Kucza, standing at the right post, slotted home a rebound of a Siso free kick with 14:08 to go for a 3-0 lead. Cassidy produced a fine diving save to deny Jack Kilmeade, but Kyle Kelly slipped in the rebound with 8:14 remaining. Andrew Carrano fired a free kick from distance that slammed off the crossbar before Kilmeade put it in with 6:23 left for a 5-0 halftime advantage.

Siso’s shot from the right flank produced another Cassidy save, but Mark Amella pounced on the rebound 1:25 into the second half before Ryan Reynolds closed out the scoring with a quickly taken free kick while Cassidy was lining up his defensive wall with 32:07 left in the match.

Cassidy said he shouldn’t have left so many rebounds, although he could have used some help.

“Getting my hands around the ball, should have done more of that,” he said. “Just having the defense mark guys coming in off the rebounds because you can’t catch everything. Once we got the defense a little bit more solid, we just started playing together.”

Northport coach Don Strasser saw it differently. “I give credit to our guys being in the right spot at the right time,” he said. “We kind of spend a lot of time making sure they never give up on a ball, never give up on a shot.”

There will be plenty of tomorrows for the Blue Waves to get better organized and get their act together. Their next game is against Lindenhurst on Tuesday.

Philcox was encouraged with his team’s spirit, despite the huge deficit.

“We stuck together,” he said. “Nobody took a yellow for their mouth. There was no dissent. There was no infighting. We didn’t get chippy, and start playing bush league on the field. The kids stayed together and tried to do what we were asking them to do. We started playing on our back foot a little bit more than we wanted to. We want to move forward this year. I have to say that same situation a year ago, it would have been dramatically different the way the group responded to it. It would have a been a lot more fighting with each other and tearing each other down and giving up on the field. We took the last shot of the game with 30 seconds to go. They were still trying. That’s a good sign.”

In that regard, Cassidy liked what he saw. He said, “If we just keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’re going to get somewhere.”

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Cesar Garcia controls the ball despite pressure from Northport’s Kyle Gallagher. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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A driver who sped through a DWI checkpoint struck a Riverhead Town police officer and then led police on a chase, resulting in a K-9 unit crashing and the dog in the vehicle being killed, according to a press release.

‘Rocky,’ a German shepherd who had been in service as a police dog since 2011, was killed in the crash when the officer’s vehicle left the roadyway and struck a utility pole on the south side of West Main Street. The dog was ejected from the car during the collision, police said. The officer driving, K-9 officer John Morris, sustained injuries that were not life threatening, police said.

The tragedy unfolded early Sunday morning at a checkpoint on Peconic Avenue. The Suffolk County district attorney had announced Friday extra patrols and checkpoints over the holiday weekend as part of the East End DWI Task Force.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., a dark colored Audi sedan entered the checkpoint and was directed to stop. Officer Sean Mackie began to interview the driver who then sped off, striking the officer. Several Riverhead police cars began to chase the suspect and the pursuit was terminated in Manorville when it was deemed too dangerous, police said.

The K-9 unit had responded to assist police in the pursuit when the crash occurred on West Main Street. The police vehicle sustained heavy damage and ended up in a wooded area on the south side of the road. Both officers injured were treated by members of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps and were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment, police said.

Both officers were treated and released Sunday, Police Chief David Hegermiller said.

West Main Street remained closed for traffic between Mill Road and Raynor Avenue early Sunday as the investigation continues, police said. The Long Island Power Authority will also be on scene to repair damage, police said.

No arrest was reported and the driver who fled the checkpoint remains at large.

Chief Hegermiller said the incident is still under investigation and he could not comment on whether police had a license plate number of the vehicle that fled. He said he was with Mr. Morris this morning and said he was “holding up OK.”

“He was with the dog for a long time,” the chief said. “He was upset.”

Chief Hegermiller said he believed Rocky was 8 1/2 years old. With more than years experience on the job, Rocky Point was on the back end of his police career.

“Both our K-9 units are very beneficial to police work and to the town,” Chief Hegermiller said.

The police dogs spend at least eight hours working each day with their handler, who also care for them in off hours.

In August 2016, officers mourned the death of police dog Vaki, a German shepherd who died after contracting a neurological disease. In early 2017, the town purchased a new dog, Titan, to work in the K-9 unit in addition to Rocky.

joew@timesreview.com

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Rose Horton has traded in Bishop McGann-Mercy green for Riverhead blue, and now the Blue Waves’ new girls volleyball coach has her work cut out for her.

The challenge stands in the form of taking over a team that went 0-14 last year, won only once in the past two years and has a 3-38 record over the last three seasons.

“The way I’m looking at it is there’s nowhere to go but up,” Horton said after distributing new uniforms to her players at the start of Tuesday morning’s practice.

This is a homecoming of sorts for Horton. She had played for Riverhead’s junior varsity team as a freshman before transferring to Mercy and playing for the school’s first girls volleyball team. Later, she became Mercy’s JV coach before spending the last two years as a varsity assistant at the Catholic school, which closed this summer.

Now Horton is back in blue.

“Go Blue Waves!” she said. “I think that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that in quite some time.”

This is an adjustment for Horton, who goes from one of the smallest schools in Suffolk County to the seventh-largest. Whereas Mercy typically had about 20 players try out for the team, Horton had 36 candidates at Riverhead. “The number doesn’t sound that different, but when you have to make those few cuts, it’s a big deal,” she said.

No former Mercy players have joined Horton in the trip across town. Among Riverhead’s most experienced players are senior setter Coco Wharton, junior middle hitter Melanie Vail, senior libero Bridget Tredwell, senior middle hitter Clare Stakey and sophomore outside hitter Tristin Jefferson.

Also back are: senior outside/middle hitter Alexis Polak, junior setter Rebecca Bassemir, senior right-side hitter Hannah Brewer, sophomore libero/right-side hitter Kaleigh Seal, senior outside hitter Shaye-Ann Cassara and sophomore right-side/outside hitter Elizabeth Dowd. Senior outside hitter Kelly Valencia and junior middle hitter Ravyn Tolliver are new to the team along with Jefferson.

“I have seen nothing but smiles on their faces for the past week and a half, which has been really inviting and really welcoming,” Horton said. “I think I’m definitely up for the challenge. What I’ve seen from the girls is a lot of heart. They want to be here and they want to win, but they also want to get better every day.”

What would make Horton happy this fall?

“I think making sure they have smiles on their faces from the moment they step into the gym — whether it’s game day or practice day — to the moment that they leave,” she said. “That’s really, really important to me. I want them to have fun and I want them to learn. If they’re leaving everything out on the court, win or lose, I’m a happy coach.”

Like a well-known insurance commercial, Shoreham-Wading River (7-8) is in good hands with Katlynn McGivney, the good-hands girl. The All-League setter plays a big part in SWR’s plans for this season.

“She’s just a natural leader,” coach Megan Johnson said. “She’s a huge component of our team.”

McGivney, two other seniors, right-side hitter Brianna Huebner and middle/right-side hitter Kendall Pluschau, and a sophomore, middle hitter Kaila Teodoro, lead the Wildcats into the new season.

Last year Shoreham reached the playoffs a third straight year, falling to Kings Park in the Suffolk County Class A quarterfinals.

This year SWR is counting on the players named above and three fellow returners — junior setter Samantha Rutkowsky, junior outside hitter Alyson Mallon and junior middle hitter Anna Baumeister — to show the way for the newcomers. That group consists of outside hitters Sarah Sheridan, Maya Klatsky and Paige Alessi, liberos Jessica Hitz and Lauren Halloran, and middle hitter Maya Manesis.

“This year we have a lot of new faces,” Johnson said. “We pulled up two freshmen. We have a couple of sophomores. Last year there was a lot of veteran players. We have a lot of talent. There’s a lot of talent across the board.”

Because of declining enrollment, SWR has dropped from Class A to Class B and moved down a league to League VII, where it will compete with Bayport-Blue Point, Elwood/John Glenn, Mount Sinai, Southampton and Hampton Bays.

“I think the key is going to build that chemistry with our new players,” Johnson said. “No matter how we play, there’s going to be new faces in our starting lineup, so building that chemistry is going to be the decisive factor.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Senior setter Coco Wharton is among Riverhead’s most experienced players. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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Hi, my name is Melody Calcano. I work for Maximum Motorsports as their finance manager.

I have been with Maximum Motorsports for about three and a half years now.

Before I came into finance I was in the sales department. I definitely have my own wonderful clientele, which I love to death.

I normally come in, I get my day set up by looking through all my deals that everybody has here, and start setting appointments up for when people want to come pick up their motorcycles. I check for online credit applications, get them approved, work them the best that I can and get everybody out riding. 

There’s a lot of talking about the motorcycles and finding out where people belong. As you can see, the store is very, very big. There is a lot of different options out there.

Melody Calcano of Maximum Motorsports. (Rachel Siford photo)

I actually used to race motocross with my younger brother. When I turned 16 I was offered a job at a different dealership, along the way I did find Maximum Motorsports, which is actually more of my home here. We are all like one giant family. But you hone in on a motorcycle, do some negotiating of course, make sure everyone is happy before they come into my office. Because my office is where you spend the money. I run the applications, go over monthly payments, go over extended payment plans, and a lot of things that would benefit you as a rider yourself.

My least favorite part is doing the paperwork, but the smile on people’s faces when they’re walking out of here with their new toy, it’s worth it all. My main thing here is we sell fun. We don’t sell something that everybody needs in life, so it needs to be a very fun, exciting experience, not necessarily such a project to buy a motorcycle — it’s an experience.

We’re like a big family here. This place is awesome, honestly.

“The Work We Do” is a News-Review multimedia project profiling workers around Riverhead Town. It is made possible by Peconic Landing in Greenport. See more photos on Instagram @riverheadnewsreview. 

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The heat is on.

As in the heat of a new high school girls tennis season.

But there was also actual heat on Tuesday. Plenty of it.

Both Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River tried to beat the stifling heat as much as each other Tuesday morning. By the time the non-league match began, a temperature reading of 78 degrees seemed questionable. It felt a lot hotter on Shoreham’s baking courts under the harsh sun. By the time the match was halted at noon because of a county-wide full heat alert, a reading of 84 degrees again seemed hard to believe. Another reading from another source about 20 minutes later read 90 degrees, and it rose to 94 not long after that.

SWR junior Alex Borriello appeared to have the most difficulty with the oppressive conditions. She struggled to continue before her third singles match against Gina Bassemir was stopped and declared a draw as noon arrived, putting a full heat alert into effect. Borriello won the first set, 6-3, and Bassemir took the second, 7-5.

SWR didn’t need that match, though, to secure victory, 4 1/2-2 1/2.

The weather was a challenge for all the players.

Riverhead senior Jordyn Stromski said it was “terrible. I’d rather be freezing.”

SWR senior Brianna Arabio felt it in her first singles match. “I was getting like delirious,” she said. “It was so hot. I kept thinking, ‘How am I going to finish?’ But I just pulled through.”

Indeed, Arabio persevered for a 6-4, 6-2 victory over senior Ryan Waski. It was a difficult 1 hour and 24 minutes for both players.

“It’s really tough,” Waski said. “I think it affects your mental game because you’re just so focused on how hot you are and you start screwing up.”

Arabio (2-1), a third singles player last year, has played her way to the top of the lineup.

“Over the summer … she must have really worked on her game because her serve is a lot stronger,” SWR coach Debbie Lutjen said. “She has gotten quicker and she’s hitting the ball harder than she did last year.”

Arabio jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set before Waski started heating up and finding her way, taking four of the next five games. Waski also grabbed a 2-1 edge in the second set.

“I was getting a little worried, but I tried not to let that get to me,” said Arabio, who put away 29 winners. “I tried to stay strong.”

And she did, outscoring Waski, 20-8, to win the last five games.

Both players, relying on placement shots and returns, appeared to be playing with heavy legs in the second set.

“It makes you get tired a lot faster,” Arabio said. “It gets harder to get to the ball quicker.”

SWR (2-1, 2-0 Suffolk County Conference IV) saw second singles player Catherine Erb and its third doubles team of Madison Dimpflmaier and Rosie Minneci raise their records to 3-0. Erb defeated Meghan Carver, 7-5, 6-2. Dimpflmaier and Minneci handled Lilly Kneidl and Sofia Salgado, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

SWR’s other win came from the first doubles pairing of Natalie Acker and Sydney Spuhler, 7-5, 6-3 victors over Jillian Shackel and Stromski.

Riverhead’s Joslyn Lessard beat Stephanie Searing, 6-1, 6-2, in fourth singles. The Blue Waves also prevailed in second doubles, with Delu Rizzo and Leah Zenk downing Kaitlyn Arabio and Mika Misawa, 6-2, 6-2.

What was Riverhead coach Rose D’Orsogna’s take on the heat?

“I think it’s been rough all week, to be honest with you,” she said after her team’s season opener. “I speak to the parents about making sure that [the players] drink water because high school girls tend to not drink water and they don’t eat as much. I keep telling them, ‘If you’re sweating, you’re already starting to dehydrate.’ ”

After the postgame handshakes, players were in no mood to linger. It was time to cool off.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Rosie Minneci (pictured) and her third doubles partner Madison Dimpflmaier and raised their record to 3-0 for Shoreham-Wading River with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 defeat of Riverhead’s Lilly Kneidl and Sofia Salgado.

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Shoreham Wading-River boys soccer head coach Russ Mitchinson certainly has his work cut out for him early on this season.

The Wildcats graduated 11 players. Only four seniors return to the Suffolk County League VI team.

“We’re a very young team,” Mitchinson said. “We’re giving up a lot size-wise, but we’re definitely a very skillful team.”

Mitchinson also has been encouraged by the team’s soccer IQ, attitude and attentiveness.

“We have a lot of soccer smarts,” he said. “We have a lot of guys who are willing to learn.”

A major key to Shoreham’s success will be senior goalkeeper Wesley Pase, an All-Conference selection last year. “He has played a major role between the pipes,” Mitchinson said. “He kept us in games that we didn’t deserve to be in.”

In front of Pase will be another senior, defender Joe Daleo. “We’re looking for him to take a leadership role in our backline,” Mitchinson said.

Two juniors are expected to provide some offense — forward-midfielder Jake DePaoli and forward James Rose, who was sidelined with a back injury last year. “We’re excited to have him back,” Mitchinson said.

Several positions are expected to be filled by freshmen and sophomores.

Mitchinson has implemented a new system this season — he did not go into detail — but he has trained the team with two or three formations “to see which ones work best with the guys we have.”

“For the younger guys, it will be up to them to get up to step to the varsity level of play,” he said.

When preseason opened, Riverhead coach Evan Philcox certainly had quantity as 83 players tried out for the varsity and junior varsity squads.

Now, he hopes that can be translated into quality.

“Just having more guys to pick from is a help,” said Philcox, who cut the varsity roster to 27 players.

Philcox enters his second season as head coach hopeful the Blue Waves can improve upon a 3-12 overall mark and 3-12 League II record. He said there’s a greater influx of enthusiasm than last year.

Having a full year has helped. During the winter, the team played one day a week and even held what Philcox termed “an intense 4 v 4 tournament” in which 60 boys participated.

Five players could hold the key to the Blue Waves’ success.

Junior midfielder-forward Ian Lull, last year’s team-leading scorer (seven goals) is expected to pace the attack. Seniors Chris Cortave, a returning All-Conference selection, and Will Yanes will pair at central midfield.

Juniors Erick Valladares, a center back whom Philcox called “a phenomenal athlete,” and Dan Arias, a left back, will anchor a three-man backline.

“Last year it was parking the bus in the back,” Philcox said of using many defenders. “This year if we give up a goal, I don’t think it will be a backbreaker.”

No decision has been made on the starting goalkeeper as seniors Manolo Espana and Elder Sosa and junior Owen Cassidy are battling it out.

One thing is certain. Philcox will continue a system of continuous substitutions, which he implemented last season.

“We’re going to play hard,” he said. “Last year I said we were going to use more subs and get everyone involved.

“If we can use fresh legs every five, six or seven minutes, then they’ll feel good about it. If we’re losing, there won’t be as much on all the guys’ shoulders.”

Since Riverhead is the most eastern team in the league, virtually every team opponent must travel a considerable amount of time to play at the Pulaski Sports Complex.

Philcox said his team is accustomed to long trips; other teams might not be.

“Hopefully, we can make a home-field advantage with that this year and in coming years,” he said.

So far, Philcox has liked the attitude, even of the players he cut from the squad. He offered two students manager spots and two other boys asked to be a part of the team in some way.

He said, “Whatever we are doing, it’s working.”

Photo caption: Shoreham Wading-River has an All-Conference goalkeeper in Wesley Pase. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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Players change, coaches change. Standards don’t.

That’s the clear message coming out of the Shoreham-Wading River High School football team’s preseason training camp. Standards remain high. The players say so, and the team’s new head coach says so.

“We have a solid nucleus of kids who are working really hard, and they’re looking forward to upholding the tradition that has been set before them,” said Aden Smith, who after two years as an assistant coach at Shoreham, takes over from Matt Millheiser.

It’s a winning tradition. Shoreham won three straight Long Island Class IV championships from 2014-16. In 2014 and 2016, Shoreham received the Rutgers Trophy, which goes to the outstanding football team in Suffolk County.

Shoreham has a 41-5 record over the past four years. The Wildcats have won at least seven games for six consecutive seasons, including back-to-back 12-0 campaigns in 2014 and 2015. Since varsity football was introduced to Shoreham in 1997, the Wildcats have built a career mark of 106-85, according to Newsday’s Andy Slawson.

The Wildcats see no reason not to add to that proud history in 2018.

Last year Shoreham (7-3) was ousted by rival Miller Place (10-2), the eventual Suffolk Division IV champion, in a county semifinal. Miller Place has been pulled up to Division III, leaving No. 1 Babylon (10-1) and Shoreham as Division IV’s top two seeds.

Shoreham still has its dual-threat quarterback, Xavier Arline, a three-year starter who will also play defensive back. The elusive Arline ran for 904 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, according to Newsday.

“I like the fact that he’s a team player and helps the team,” Smith said. “He’s been working hard all offseason.”

Senior lineman Liam Mahoney will help open running lanes for Arline and others.

“Liam is a hard worker and he’s committed,” Smith said. “He’s sacrificed himself over the offseason and he’s led by example.”

Shoreham has more experienced starters in senior running back/defensive back Dom Visintin, senior wide receiver/linebacker D.J. Brown, senior linemen JoJo Puckey (listed at 6-3, 350 pounds) and Jack Logan and sophomore lineman Matt Zahn.

Meanwhile, Mike Casazza moves from the offensive line to H-back. The talents of linebacker and special teams player Jake Meeker, multi-purpose player Anthony Cimino and wide receiver/defensive back John Schwartz will also be put to use.

Smith, 37, a former inside linebacker for Stony Brook University, is in his 28th year in football as either a coach or player. Will he feel differently Friday night when he takes the field as Shoreham’s head coach in its season opener at Southampton/Pierson?

“It’s like as you prepare for any game,” he said, adding: “I think the game days are special, but all the game days are special. I don’t take it for granted. I definitely cherish it and definitely appreciate it.”

Riverhead (3-5) would appreciate an appearance in the playoffs, something the Blue Waves missed out on by a mere place last year, finishing ninth in Suffolk Division II.

The question is: Does Riverhead have the horses up front to make that happen?

Leif Shay has never had an offensive line this raw before in his 21 years as Riverhead’s head coach.

“Obviously, the weak point of our team is the offensive line,” Shay said. “We got to roll out more. We have to run a lot more screens … because we’re going to struggle up front. We have to do what we have to do.”

The brand new offensive line consists of left tackle Chris Harris, left guard Eric Fuhrmann, center Aashray Gandhi, right guard Jack Qualey and right tackle Ronan Cruz. William Sellers-Beeker is also vying for time on the line.

“If we’re not huge we’re going to have be great with our technique,” Shay said. “They’re getting better every day. Our technique has to be perfect.”

That line will be blocking for an All-Division quarterback, Cristian Pace. Pace completed 90 of 152 passes for 1,212 yards and 15 TDs against five interceptions. He also ran 51 times for 260 yards and two TDs. “He looks fantastic,” said Shay.

Riverhead has another All-Division player in Tyjon Hawkins, a senior tight end/defensive end. Hawkins led the team in tackles (42) and sacks (8 1/2, tied with the graduated D.J. Chandler).

“He’s going to be the team leader,” Shay said. “He’s never coming off the field so he has to be a coach on the field.”

Liam Egan, a transfer from Bishop McGann-Mercy, is a major addition at middle linebacker and tight end. He made All-Division last year.

Junior running back Albert Daniels (111 carries, 440 yards), senior wide receiver/cornerback Anthony Marcello, senior cornerback Isiah Braunskill (30 tackles) and senior linebacker Derrick Parker (22 tackles) are also returning starters.

Deonta Sykes will be the first freshman to start at defensive tackle during Shay’s tenure. He will also start at tight end. “He’s probably our best defensive lineman,” said Shay.

Also expected to see action are linebacker/offensive lineman William Garcia, lineman Justin Wallace, defensive end/wide receiver Jaheim Woodson, wide receiver/free safety David Squires and defensive end Tyreek Parker.

So much will depend on how the offensive line develops.

“It’s a work in progress this year,” Shay said. “I think it’s going to be an exciting challenge. We’re going to watch kids step up.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Junior quarterback Xavier Arline, who also plays defensive back, is in his third year as a starter for Shoreham-Wading River. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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A Riverhead Middle School student who made highlight reels in 2016 for an improbable one-handed catch in a PAL football game is featured in Nike’s upcoming commercial with controversial NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The catch, which was captured on video, turned Riverhead’s Korey “KJ” Duff Jr. into a bit of a viral sensation after it was shared across social media and on ESPN. The highlight appears 37 seconds into the commercial, which is narrated by Kaepernick and will reportedly make its television debut during Thursday night’s NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.

“Don’t picture yourself wearing OBJ’s jersey, make sure OBJ is wearing yours,” Kaepernick says as Duff makes the catch, a reference to Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who has made a healthy living out of making routine circus catches. Beckham himself once shared the video of  KJ.

Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/x5TnU7Z51i

— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 5, 2018

Duff, who just started seventh grade and plays junior high football for Riverhead, made the catch as a 10-year-old with the PAL team in Longwood, where his father lives. Teammate KK Corbett of Riverhead was the quarterback who threw the pass.

Korey Duff Sr. said representatives for the advertising agency first reached out to him about featuring KJ in a campaign last month. The original plan was to fly KJ out to Los Angeles to recreate the highlight for the commercial, though there was some concern it could impact KJ’s future eligibility with the NCAA should an opportunity to play college sports one day present itself.

“Finally they just said they’ll use the original video,” Duff Sr. said.

The father said he had no hesitation granting permission for his now 12-year-old son to appear in the advertisement, even after he gained a better understanding of the controversy in recent days.

“There’s no hesitatation with a company like Nike, who would have never shown my son in a bad light,” he said. “I was all for the cause.”

The commercial is part of the much-hyped ad campaign Nike announced this week with Kaepernick, who started a trend among some NFL players of kneeling during National Anthem ceremonies in protest of incidents of police brutality against minorities. The quarterback, now a free agent with an active collusion case filed against the league last October, shared the full commercial on Twitter Wednesday with the tagline for the campaign.

“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt,” he wrote.

The polarizing marketing effort has received massive media attention since it was announced Monday and has led to protests of some who have called for Nike to distance itself from the embattled former Super Bowl signal-caller. President Donald Trump called attention to the campaign just hours before Kaepernick shared it, saying Nike is getting “absolutely killed with anger and boycotts.”

Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018

Still others, particularly fellow athletes, have ramped up their support of the quarterback, who has been sponsored by Nike dating back seven years, according to reports.

Former All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman said of the campaign and the apparel company, “they drew a line in the sand and chose what side they’re on long time ago. I can respect that.”

Just saw the Nike commercial with Kaepernick, they drew a line in the sand and chose what side they’re on long time ago. I can respect that

— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) September 5, 2018

Duff Sr. said it wasn’t until Tuesday, one day after the advertising campaign was announced, that he knew for sure KJ was a part of it. As for the boy, he was excited to see himself portrayed in the ad, but he kept his usual cool.

Even when the video, which was shot by another parent with the PAL team, first went viral, a 10-year-old KJ remained calm about it, his father said.

Suffolk County PAL president Anthony Williams said having a local youth football player involved in a major marketing campaign is great exposure for a sport that has seen a significant decline in participation in recent years.

“Right now we’re having issues fielding certain teams,” he said, adding that there are about 200 PAL teams in the county, down from more than 300 in the past.

In a bit of unintentional foreshadowing, Beckham Jr., who two years later KJ is compared to in the commercial, shared the video of the catch on his own Facebook and website.

Duff Sr. said Beckham Jr. is his son’s second favorite player behind Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. A two-sport athlete who has also played for Riverhead’s champion Little League baseball team, KJ hopes to continue playing both sports as far as he can take them, his father said.

“He loves both sports,” Duff Sr. said. “But he prefers football just a little bit.”

KJ, a tall wide receiver with some potential to play quarterback, will play junior high football for Riverhead this season after he returns from an ankle injury, his father said.

KJ played for Riverhead’s championship Little League baseball team this summer that reached the state tournament. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

gparpan@timesreview.com

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The bleachers on the home side of Nick DeCillis Field at Newfield High School began to thin out as the big crowd at Friday night’s Division II season opener headed toward the exits. On the visitor’s side, a jubilant Riverhead sideline began to celebrate what appeared to be a thrilling victory.

Mere seconds separated the Blue Waves from a Week 1 victory.

But in a wild affair that featured an entire game’s worth of highlights in the final five minutes, the ending was far from settled.

After scoring two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes and 44 seconds to go ahead 34-27, the Blue Waves kicked off with just 15 seconds left on the clock. The coaches directed the team’s kicker, freshman Recep Kocan, to place the ball high in the air toward the left sideline on the kick-off, and he did precisely that. But the rest did not go as planned.

Newfield’s kick returner caught the ball cleanly at about the 27-yard line, ran straight up the middle and found an open seam toward the right sideline. He brushed aside one last attempt at a tackle by the kicker around the 50-yard line and then raced untouched the rest of the way for a crushing touchdown.

But the game still wasn’t over. The Blue Waves still led by a point. And Newfield elected to go for a 2-point conversion to win the game rather the kick the extra point for overtime.

The Wolverines lined up in an I-formation and quarterback Max Martin handed off to senior halfback Chad Blaszky, who ran straight up the gut for the game-winning score.

Just like that, Newfield had escaped with a 35-34 win.

The kick-off return that went for a touchdown in the final seconds Friday night. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

“It was a wild one tonight,” said Riverhead coach Leif Shay. “Games like this only happen in the first week of the season. Just wild stuff that goes on.”

The game featured a bit of everything: spectacular catches, strong running, trick plays, 2-point conversions. The Blue Waves even scored a touchdown at the end of the first half after after a running a play with zero seconds on the clock.

“I love games like that,” said Riverhead quarterback Cristian Pace. “I love competing. I’ll do anything I can to get a win. Just came up a little short.”

Martin, a strong-armed, versatile quarterback, unleashed havoc on the Blue Waves (0-1) in the middle of the game as the Wolverines scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions. Martin threw a 47-yard touchdown, scrambled for a 32-yard score, ran in a 1-yard keeper and then scrambled for a 15-yard score.

The final touchdown put Newfield (1-0) ahead 27-19 early in the third quarter. Both teams traded possessions until the Blue Waves took over on their own 22-yard line with 4:44 left and down by eight. The combination of Pace and halfback Albert Daniels quickly moved the Blue Waves down field. Pace, who doesn’t typically look to run, scrambled 19 yards for a touchdown with 1:22 left.

“I didn’t really show I could run in the first half, so there were a lot of open running lanes and I just took advantage of it,” Pace said. “Everybody was just playing their part.”

Tight end Liam Egan celebrates the touchdown that put Riverhead ahead with 15 seconds left. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

On the 2-point conversion, Pace kept the ball himself on a naked bootleg and crossed untouched into the left side of the end zone to tie the game.

“Sold the run real nice,” he said.

Riverhead’s defense forced a quick three-and-out on Newfield’s ensuing possession and a big punt return by David Squires set the Blue Waves up to potentially win the game. Four plays later, Pace connected with senior Liam Egan on an 8-yard pass play for a touchdown to put the Blue Waves ahead.

The Blue Waves got a huge effort from Daniels on the ground. The junior rushed for 170 yards on 24 carries. He opened the game a 51-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. Squires also had an impressive varsity debut, hauling in two touchdowns, including a spectacular one-handed grab. He caught a 10-yard pass from Pace by grabbing the ball with his right hand as his arm stretched out into the end zone. He added a second score on the final play of the first half, making a leaping catch between two defenders at the 3-yard line and then spinning into the end zone.

Riverhead wide receiver David Squires hauls in a one-handed touchdown catch against Newfield. (Credit: Michelle O’Kula)

“Phenomenal catches for Egan and Squires,” Shay said. “Those guys have been working with Cristian in the offseason and doing a lot of work.”

Shay said the tough defeat to open the season could be a turning point for the team, which will bounce back to play at Copiague next week.

“They played with their hearts,” he said. “They played the entire game as hard as they could. I was actually happy they were upset because it meant that they cared.”

Top photo caption: Albert Daniels breaks tackles on his way to a first quarter touchdown. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

joew@timesreview.com

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Shawn Hirst replaces Pat Snyder as executive director of East End Arts. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

East End Arts has welcomed a new executive director.

Shawn Hirst, 37, started Aug. 6 and spent the month working with outgoing executive director Pat Snyder. Her first official day was Tuesday.

“So far so good,” Ms. Hirst said of her first month. “Everyone I have met has been warm and welcoming to me.”

She said her biggest goals are to increase fundraising for the nonprofit, to continue growing their programs and to help stabilize some of their internal business practices.

It was these goals that helped her stand out among the 50 candidates, John McLane, president of the Board of Directors at East End Arts, said.

“It was clear from the interview process Shawn came to us with experience at managing nonprofits as a business,” Mr. McLane said. “During the interview process she was incredibly prepared, probably the best prepared of all the candidates. And she has experience with the revitalization in Patchogue, which was key.”

Prior to coming to East End Arts, Ms. Hirst, of Lake Ronkonkoma, worked as the executive director of Patchogue-Medford Youth and Community Services for over six years, where she increased programs and diversified funding.

She said when she began they offered two programs in two schools for about 20 children. By the time she left there were nine programs in nine schools that serviced hundreds of children.

Her time there left her wanting to work for a bigger, more established organization rather than a grassroots program so she began working for SYJCC as chief development officer and the acting chief program officer.

“It was a very large organization, a little bit larger than I wanted,” she said. “I wanted to find a place that would give me that community feeling again but on a bigger scale … It kinda happened naturally that East End Arts was looking for somebody. I knew Riverhead was on the brink of something great, that’s what drove my interest.”

Ms. Hirst, who received her Bachelor’s Degree in social work from Syracuse University and her master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University, said she understands how important the arts are to the community and is excited to further developing and revitalizing programs to continue enriching lives of community members.

She said she’s excited to work with the staff, community, government and non-government groups and Board of Directors to further East End Arts growth.

During Ms. Snyder’s 23-year tenure she introduced numerous programs to the organization, including the Teeny Awards, JumpstART, Long Island Winterfest and the Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival, to name a few.

Ms. Snyder will be staying on throughout the year as an adviser to oversee the completion of some ongoing projects, Ms. Hirst said.

Ms. Hirst added that she’s most looking forward to next year’s Teeny Awards, an annual ceremony that celebrates excellence in high school theater, since her background includes working with youth.

“The arts touch lives,” Ms. Hirst said. “And does it throughout all stages of life. The arts isn’t something that comes in and out of our lives. From birth to death the arts have an influence over people that is profound.”

nsmith@timesreivew.com

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Shoreham-Wading River has a proud history in girls tennis. Eleven league championships, four Suffolk County team finalists. Individually, the Wildcats have produced four county champions and 13 division champs.

Things were sort of sidetracked when SWR’s tennis courts fell into such disrepair that they were closed for a while, but new courts were built in 2016 and the Wildcats have been building up their team since.

“I’m looking to get back to where we were,” said coach Debbie Lutjen.

Last year wasn’t a bad start. SWR (13-3) was the League VIII champion. That earned the Wildcats promotion to League VII, where they will find the competition tougher and will face powers such as Westhampton Beach, William Floyd and East Hampton/Bridgehampton/Pierson. Five of the league’s six teams will qualify for the county team tournament.

“Even though we’re young, I’d rather go up and play better competition because that’s what’s going to get us back to where we used to be,” Lutjen said. “We have a lot of freshmen on varsity, but when you play better competition, you get better.”

SWR graduated nine players, six of whom were consistent starters; two others played on and off.

Brianna Arabio, a senior who played third singles and had the best record on the team (15-2) last year, starts the season in the No. 1 slot. “Brianna has improved tremendously since last year,” said Lutjen.

Catherine Erb (7-10), a freshman in her third year on the team, holds the second singles position. Juniors Alex Borriello and Stephanie Searing were in the other two starting singles spots.

Natalie Acker and Sydney Spuhler form an all-freshmen first doubles team. Kaitlyn Arabio (Brianna’s sister) teams with fellow sophomore Mika Misawa at second doubles. Meanwhile, Madison Dimpflmaier and junior Rosie Minneci are at third doubles.

Also in the mix for doubles are freshmen Katie Dinowitz and Joelle Ialacci.

Now, Lutjen wants her players to believe in themselves.

“What I always tell my girls, if you’re not going to step foot on the court believing you have a chance, don’t even get off the bus,” she said. “I think playing stronger competition is going to make us better, so if we do qualify for the county tournament, we have a better chance of advancing.”

Bishop McGann-Mercy has closed, but elements of its girls tennis team, the pride of the school’s athletic department, can be found scattered throughout the county. Rose Hayes, who last year became Mercy’s first division champion, is now making a strong Westhampton Beach team even stronger. Mercy’s No. 2 singles player from last year, Kelsey Bundrick, is a welcome addition to Mattituck.

But Riverhead (6-6) has done very good for itself with the additions of five — count them, five — former Mercy players. That’s not a bad haul.

And they’re all players who have made an instant impact. Entering the season, senior Ryan Waski was positioned at first singles, sophomore Joslyn Lessard was at fourth singles and senior Jordyn Stromski and junior Jillian Shackel were paired at first doubles while junior Lilly Kneidl held a spot at third doubles.

So, what’s it like playing on a new team with a lot of former teammates?

“It’s nice to have the old friends from Mercy to play together, but the rest of the team is very welcoming to us, so we’re grateful for that,” said Stromski.

The rest of the initial starting lineup has Meghan Carver at second singles, Gina Bassemir at third singles, Delu Rizzo and Leah Zenk at second doubles and Sofia Salgado at third doubles with Kneidl.

“I think we’re pretty good,” Stromski said. “I think that this team will make it far and hopefully we’ll have a great season.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Ryan Waski, a senior playing first singles, is one of five former Bishop McGann-Mercy players in Riverhead’s lineup. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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The Riverhead High School girls soccer team isn’t playing the stylish samba soccer made famous by Brazilian teams, nor are they playing the “Samba” soccer their first-year head coach, Samba Traore, would like to see from them one day.

“I want to play samba soccer,” Traore said. “We have a long, long way to go.”

Perhaps one day the Blue Waves will bring soccer’s version of the samba onto the field, but it surely wasn’t Thursday.

Riverhead was penned in its half of the field much of the time and its defense was under almost continuous pressure by visiting Newfield. By the time all was said and done, Newfield walked away from the Pulaski Sports Complex a 3-0 winner, with junior Rebecca Regensburger scoring the first goal and assisting on the second.

But the damage could have been worse, much worse. Riverhead goalkeeper Crysten Apicello was credited with — gulp — 26 saves! Half of those saves came on either side of halftime.

Has Apicello ever made that many saves before?

“Not in one game,” said the junior.

If there were any players more tired than Apicello when the final horn sounded, it might have been the defenders who played in front of her.

“I’m exhausted,” said central defender Megan McIntosh, who played all 80 minutes and was joined on the back line by Emily Ortiz Herrera, Anna Pekar, Marina Ronzoni and Sophie Ruschin.

So, what was it like facing all those shots?

“Very stressful,” answered Apicello, who said it was “literally heart-pounding the whole game.”

It was something of a surprise that Apicello, a two-year starter, was in the game at all. Six days earlier she had spent the night in a hospital emergency room after taking a hit to her jaw in Riverhead’s 4-1 loss at Comsewogue that day.

Traore said: “She came in today and said, ‘Coach, I want to play.’ I was shocked. I got to give her credit.”

Newfield (3-1-1, 3-0 Division I) deserves credit for the way it played. The game was only 6 minutes and 48 seconds old when Regensburger, after stealing the ball, fired a low, right-footed shot that beat Apicello to the low left corner.

Regensburger later nudged a ball forward for Delani Budd, who finished at 21:00.

Megan Spina knocked in the third goal with 5:31 left in the match.

“There was pressure on the defense,” said Traore.

Offense — as in the lack of one — has been a problem for Riverhead (0-3, 0-3). Through their first three games, the Blue Waves have been outscored, 14-1. Avery Hillis scored the lone Riverhead goal against Comsewogue.

Newfield goalkeepers Elizabeth Pomaro and Nicollette Saladino combined for a three-save shutout Thursday.

The result aside, the Blue Waves were encouraged that they didn’t concede more goals to Newfield and pointed to signs of progress since last year, when the team went 1-13.

“Today’s game was a big improvement from especially last year,” Apicello said. “We made passes, we defended and we were just doing overall better than we normally would.”

Traore, who was named Samba in honor of his father’s best friend (it had nothing to do with soccer), said: “Today I don’t think we played bad. We played kind of OK. We just need confidence.”

And, some goals wouldn’t hurt. Scoring them, of course, is a lot easier said than done.

Maybe one day, though, the Blue Waves will play samba soccer, the sort of soccer that produces goals in bunches.

“One day,” Traore said. “Baby steps.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead midfielder Isabella Carson (right) tries to hold off Newfield midfielder Nicole Renelle in a battle for possession of the ball. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Shoreham-Wading River High School’s boys cross-country team has two returning state meet runners, but after that the Wildcats have question marks. That could have coach Bob Szymanski feeling a bit uneasy heading into the new season.

First, start with the known quantities — senior Joe Krause and junior Adam Zelin. They both braved the cold, muddy conditions in the state championships last year on the 3.1-mile course at Wayne Central School in Ontario Center. Krause, who had missed qualifying for the state meet the previous year by one place, was 29th among Class B runners in 17 minutes, 34.6 seconds. Adam Zelin was 78th in 18:33.4.

In the state qualifying meet at Sunken Meadow State Park’s 3.1-mile course, Krause was third in the class in 17:44.64. Earlier, in the Suffolk County Division Championships on the same course, Krause finished second in Division III in 17:26.69, the best time he has ever run at that course.

Zelin was fifth at the state qualifier in 17:58.44 and fourth at the division meet in 18:01.97.

Szymanski said Krause and Zelin “look pretty good right now. They’ve been running hard for me. They’re veterans. They know what to do.”

SWR (5-1) lost to East Hampton in the final dual meet last year and had to settle for second place in League VI. It won’t be easy for the Wildcats to duplicate that run.

“I think we’re going to be weaker than last year because I’m relying on a lot of freshmen to come through,” said Szymanski, who lost three scorers from last year. “When you go from losing the seniors to having freshmen, it’s hard to fill in.”

Health issues arose for the team’s Nos. 3 and 4 runners. Sophomore Jacob Jablonski tore an ACL and is out for the season. Eric DiLisio, a senior co-captain with Krause, broke his ankle four weeks ago and was recently given the OK to run again.

Anthony Zajac, the No. 1 eighth-grader on the junior high school team last year, could pick up some of the slack. Others who will be looked to for help are senior Andrew Liguori, junior Camden Sisler and four freshmen — Connor Blunnie, Thomas Constantine, Ryan Farron and Liam Flatley.

This year, for the first time since Nov. 8, 2008, the state meet will be run at hilly Sunken Meadow. That’s where Riverhead senior Ryan Carrick would like to finish his high school cross-country career.

Carrick has the ideal physique for a cross-country runner — tall (6-3) and lean with a long stride.

Carrick recently came in second place in the Jamesport Sound to Bay 10K race in 37:28.80, and looks ready for a strong run at the new season.

“I’m expecting good things from him this year,” coach Matt Yakaboski said. “He’s been strong. He definitely separates himself during the end of longer runs. He can go longer than anybody at pace.”

Carrick failed to qualify for the state meet last year, coming in 28th in Class A in 18:04.16 on an unseasonably warm afternoon at the Section XI Championships. Earlier, on that same Sunken Meadow course, he was third in Division II in the Division Championships in a dramatically faster time: 17:35.31.

Riverhead (3-3) has a decent base in Carrick and fellow seniors Ryan Keane and Michael Cunningham.

“I’m excited for the Ryans, to see what they can do, and to make their individual moves as seniors and see where they can stand,” said Yakaboski.

Where the Blue Waves are slim, though, is their depth. The loss of three of last year’s top seven runners will be felt. Senior Eoin McElhinney and the team’s only junior, Alex Martinez, may emerge into the squad’s top seven.

“My sophomores need to make a push,” said Yakaboski.

That group of 10th-graders includes Ben Catanzarro, Matthew Yakaboski (the coach’s son who missed the end of last season with shin splints), Gabe Burns, William Green and Kaden Lynch.

“I’m nervous about my depth, but if I can find another guy who can score in the top seven, we’ll do really well,” Yakaboski said. “I don’t know what to expect. I like the effort that I get all the time in practice. I like the camaraderie of the team and the boys enjoy it. What more can you ask for?”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Joe Krause, a senior who ran in the state meet last year, leads Shoreham-Wading River into the new season. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)

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Kerriann Otaño and her fiancé, Dane Suarez, spent two years planning every detail of their perfect wedding. Ms. Otaño would walk down a long walkway from the house they rented for their bridal party onto North Topsail Beach on the North Carolina coast.

The opera-singing couple would exchange vows in a small, personalized ceremony this weekend.

By Monday, it became apparent those plans would be washed away. Hurricane Florence had taken dead aim at the North Carolina coast. Mandatory evacuations for Topsail residents were ordered earlier this week and the storm made landfall early Friday morning, dumping devastating rain.

“When I think back to it, I was just numb for hours,” said Mr. Suarez, 31. “You spend two years picturing what the day is going to be, and we designed a super personal ceremony and I couldn’t even picture it being anywhere else.”

On Tuesday, the bride and groom drove back to New York and floated an idea on Facebook to reschedule the wedding this weekend on Long Island. They were worried no one would be able to rearrange their plans. Ms. Otaño, 31, a Wading River native, was soon inundated with hundreds of comments and messages, with offers of extra bedrooms for their guests to sleep in, backyards to have the ceremony in and tents to borrow.

“We thought we had lost it completely and that we were going to have to get married in my parents’ living room on Long Island,” she said.

Instead, thanks to the generosity of a high school friend, many different collaborators and several North Fork businesses, the couple will be wed Sunday afternoon at a waterfront restaurant in Southold.

The forecast: Mostly sunny and a high of 77 degrees.

“I think it’s even better than the wedding we would’ve had in North Carolina because I feel like it’s not just the 100 people that were coming to our wedding,” she said. “It feels like the hundreds and hundreds of people who helped make this happen.”

Kerriann Otaño and her mother Karen at A Lure Friday. (Credit: Rachel Siford)

The wedding reception and ceremony will be held at A Lure Chowder House and Oysteria. Ms. Otaño and Lauren Lovett, whose husband Adam is an owner of the restaurant, have been friends since their days at Riverhead High School. Ms. Lovett reached out to Ms. Otaño and offered the restaurant as a wedding space.

During Ms. Otaño’s 12-hour drive Tuesday, she mapped out the menu with Liz Werkmeister, a manager at A Lure. By the next day, the couple had a head count confirmed.

The guest list originally featured 100 people; about 50 managed to alter their plans to travel to the North Fork. Adding in extra guests from Long Island, the list rounded out at about 75.

“The owner is very community minded,” Ms. Werkmeister said. “He’d be happy to help anyone if he can make it work.”

One hiccup still remained for the couple. To acquire a marriage license in New York, they needed their birth certificates. Mr. Suarez is from Illinois. So his parents and siblings left at 4 p.m. Thursday and drove straight to the restaurant Friday where the couple was preparing for their big day. They arrived at noon, just in time for the couple to beat the 4 p.m. deadline for their New York marriage license.

More surprises awaited the couple Friday.

“One of the things we were going to have at our wedding was this donut wall,” Ms. Otaño said. “We were so excited about it.”

Her mother, Karen, surprised her on Friday with news that there would still be a donut wall thank to a donation by North Fork Doughnut Co. in Mattituck.

Dane Suarez and his sister Victoria at A Lure Friday. (Credit: Rachel Siford)

“It’s a beautiful story and it’s so beautiful how the entire community came together and pieced this wedding together in two days, when it took them two years to plan the destination wedding,” North Fork Doughnut Co. owner Kelly Briguccia said. “It’s really great to see a community do that, and we want to be a part of that, without a doubt.”

Zilnicki Farms in Riverhead will be donating the flowers for Sunday’s festivities.

The pair met during their senior years of college when Mr. Suarez’s a cappella group had a mixer with Ms. Otaño’s group, while they were both studying at different colleges in Indiana. They didn’t start dating until they met again at a three-month opera program in Sarasota, Fla. in 2013.

The couple, who currently live in California, is planning to spend all of next week on the North Fork, enjoying the area during their rare vacation time; their careers keep them traveling often.

“Through it all, nothing can stop us. We’re doing it,” Mr. Suarez said. “We’re so lucky.”

“I’m more grateful and more blown away than I think I’ve ever been in my entire life,” Ms. Otaño said. “To go from what was the saddest news, to thinking that we wouldn’t have any wedding at all, to getting all of this support and finding out that it was going to be better and bigger than we ever hoped.”

Top photo caption: Kerriann Otaño and her fiancé, Dane Suarez, at A Lure in Southold Friday morning. (Credit: Rachel Siford)

rsiford@timesreview.com

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Just how far the Riverhead High School field hockey team goes this year may very well depend on how low the Blue Waves can go.

Every now and then Angie Graziano’s coaches remind her to get low and position herself by the post, ready to knock a shot on goal.

Despite the good work done by Riverhead’s midfielders in the first half, Graziano and the rest of the Riverhead forwards weren’t getting sticks on what coach Cheryl Walsh-Edwards called “phenomenal” feeds into the circle in the first half of Saturday’s Suffolk County Division I game against Sachem North.

The message got through at halftime, though. Graziano was involved in all three goals, scoring two and assisting on the other, as Riverhead pulled away to a 3-0 victory in its home opener at the Pulaski Sports Complex.

What better way to celebrate National Field Hockey Day?

Graziano said, “My coaches were actually kind of mad at me because I wasn’t getting to the post in time, and then I finally got to the post and they were like, ‘See what happens?’ ”

Good things can happen when you attack the goal.

“Angie’s a strong player and you always hear us yelling at her to get low, get low because she’s so tall, too, and sometimes, you know, she’s standing up,” Walsh-Edwards said. “We’re like, ‘Get low, get low and move to the ball and you’re going to do good things.’ But, yeah, she had a great game today.”

Graziano is one of Riverhead’s four senior co-captains, Christy Falisi, Kayla Kielbasa and Sarah Rempe being the others. All four are four-year varsity players on what may be the best Riverhead team in decades, if not ever. So expectations are high. Very high.

Riverhead (2-1, 2-1) is loaded with nine seniors and has lost only two starters from last year’s Suffolk Class A quarterfinal squad.

That has earned the Blue Waves the No. 5 seed in the division. With that comes a challenging schedule, but Riverhead appears to be up to the challenge.

“I think we can handle it,” Graziano said. “The best thing about this team is definitely the energy. We bring a lot of energy. We have pasta parties the night before. Getting ready for the games, we’re always hyping each other up and if someone does something wrong on the field, it’s never negative. It’s just, ‘Next time you got it.’

“We all play with our hearts and we’re smart with the ball, and at the end of the day we’re all family. If we do have any high expectations, I feel like we can live up to them, like it’s not a problem, so there’s no pressure.”

But there was plenty of pressure on Sachem North goalkeeper Megan Biase, who made 11 saves. Riverhead dominated in shots on goal, 14-2, and penalty corners, 13-4.

“I think we dominated the first half, too, but we just couldn’t score,” Walsh-Edwards said. “We had opportunities. Sometimes we were standing up in the circle, they weren’t really moving to the ball and just lacked the aggression. We didn’t start off using our skills. The ball was off our stick a lot and Sachem North was picking it up.”

The Blue Waves listened to their coaches at halftime, adjusted and goals started coming.

Graziano broke the ice off a feed from Rease Coleman 75 seconds into the second half. Then, 8:30 into the half, Graziano set up Kayla Monticiollo’s goal. Just 2:45 from the end of the game, Graziano capped things off with her second goal of the game and third of the season, this one off a pass from Falisi.

Victoria Stapon made two saves for Riverhead’s first shutout of the young season. She benefitted from the work of defenders like Taylor McKnight, Peyton Choma, Sarah Rempe, Regan Montefusco and Lauren Kenny.

“It was the best game we played so far,” said Coleman, whose play, along with fellow midfielders Falisi and Katherine Goodale, drew praise from Walsh-Edwards. “We push ourselves and we don’t ever stop.”

The Blue Waves listened to their coaches, stayed low and attacked the goal. If they continue to do that, who knows where that will take them?

“I’m excited,” Walsh-Edwards said. “I told them they need to make some noise this season.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Laryssa Olsen (left) and Angie Graziano pressure Sachem North goalkeeper Megan Biase. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Unlike most years when the goal for Long Island’s top high school cross-country runners is to go upstate, the aim this year is to remain downstate, on the island.

The eyes of the New York State cross-country community will be focused on Sunken Meadow State Park on Nov. 10. Almost 10 years to the day since they were last run on Long Island, the state boys and girls championships will return to the hilly 3.1-mile course in Kings Park.

“We have a course that is known as a very difficult course,” Riverhead girls coach Justin Cobis said. “I think we want to defend that course and show the rest of the state that downstate runners are just as strong. I think Section XI can show its stuff.”

Riverhead juniors Christina Yakaboski and Megan Kielbasa would like to be among those Long Islanders defending their turf that day. Both ran in last year’s state qualifying meet at Sunken Meadow. Yakaboski was 15th in the Class A race in 21 minutes, 1.93 seconds and Kielbasa was 24th in 21:30.63.

Yakaboski, a former soccer player who took up cross country for the first time last year, has committed herself to the sport.

“I know her goal is to keep stepping up and improving,” Cobis said of the All-County runner and 2017 team MVP. “For the first time in her running career, she has spent the summer dedicated to running and training. She really focused this summer. She put in about 300 miles from June to August.”

Kielbasa, a four-time All-County runner, was the Riverhead News-Review’s Female Athlete of the Year for Riverhead for 2017-18.

“Her sense of competition on race day is extremely up there,” Cobis said. “She’s always been a phenomenal race-day runner. She’s also been extremely tough.”

And then there are a pair of sophomores, Linda Pomiranceva and Madison Stromski. Pomiranceva was one of the top five freshmen in Suffolk County last year, Cobis said, and Stromski was the League III Rookie of the Year.

Two juniors, Natalia Ruszkowski and Kristina Deraveniere, could also be among the team’s scorers.

Riverhead has gone 5-1 the last years in League III, both of those losses coming to Bay Shore. But Bay Shore has been bumped up to League II. “It opens up a big opportunity for us to step up in the league,” said Cobis, who believes this to be the strongest team in his five years as Riverhead’s coach.

“It’s like league championship or bust has been our mantra for the summer,” he said. “We’re going to measure our success, not how we run against other teams, but how we run against ourselves.”

For the first time in seven years, Shoreham-Wading River (5-2) enters a cross-country season without the services of the great Katherine Lee. Lee is now running for Georgetown University, but all is not lost for SWR. Far from it.

SWR has three All-County runners in its stable, and the Wildcats are expected to chase Mount Sinai in league, division and county competition.

League VI has produced the overall county champion the last six years (SWR three times, Miller Place twice and Mount Sinai last year).

“I’d like to see us give Mount Sinai a really good run for their money,” said coach Paul Koretzki.

Alexandra Smith will help. The senior was 41st among 125 Class B finishers in 21:54.4 in her second trip to the state meet. In the Section XI Championships at Sunken Meadow, she was seventh in 20:47.88.

“She’s in very good shape,” Koretzki said. “She’s running hard. Her training this summer was good. She looks like she’s going to have a good year.”

Junior Nicole Garcia and freshman Emily Cook are All-County runners as well. Also back are senior captain Danielle Ohrtmann and sophomore India McKay.

“I think we’re pretty good,” Koretzki said. “I think we’re going to be right behind Mount Sinai, and Mount Sinai’s going to be number one in the county.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead junior Christina Yakaboski was an All-County runner and team MVP last year. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)

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It wasn’t a case of insult added to injury so much as injury contributing to insult.

The injury came when Riverhead’s David Squires left the ground in an attempt to catch a pass. Moving gingerly, the junior was helped off Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field in Riverhead.

Only 6 minutes and 44 seconds had elapsed in the Suffolk County Division II football game, and Riverhead was without its defensive secondary leader. A secondary that has been having problems all season had just suffered a gut punch.

The secondary’s glaring shortcomings were underlined Saturday. Smithtown East receivers were open — wide open — time and again as Bulls quarterback Kevin Melore had a field day, throwing three touchdown passes and running for another. East finished off its first three possessions of the second half with TDs to beat the Blue Waves, 35-19, in their home opener.

At halftime, word had reached the press box that Squires, who plays wide receiver and defensive back, had broken a fibula. He was soon seen with crutches, sitting on the Riverhead bench.

Obviously, his loss was felt.

“He was the leader of our defensive secondary and with him out, we just had lapses because he was the guy who told everybody where to go,” coach Leif Shay said. “It’s just, we need brains more than we need anything else back there.”

“They’ve been struggling all year,” he continued. “With David out there, at least I got guys lined up properly, I got guys in the right coverages. Today you saw guys blowing coverages because they didn’t really know how to line up.”

On a sun-splashed, windy, blue-sky day, it was lights out for Riverhead as Melore (11-for-15 passing) burned them for 276 yards through the air and TD tosses to Joe Saccone, Nicholas Lardaro (three catches, 90 yards) and James Peters.

“We broke down on the coverage,” Riverhead middle linebacker/running back Derrick Parker said. “We got to work on that.”

Additionally, 115 rushing yards, including a 5-yard TD run, by Dean Shaffer helped East (2-1) to 415 yards of offense.

Riverhead (1-2) trimmed East’s lead to 14-7 thanks to Isaiah Barbieri’s good hands. Barbieri, tangling with defensive back Devin Butbul, somehow managed to come down with a 23-yard TD pass from Cristian Pace 3:45 into the third quarter.

But then East blew the game open.

“Our guys were physically outmatched,” Shay said. “You know, it’s hard going into a game when you know you’re going to be physically outmatched. There’s only so many schemes you can do when the other team’s stronger.”

An 18-yard TD run by Riverhead’s Albert Daniels (21 carries, 111 yards) and a 4-yard TD pass that Pace zipped to Anthony Marcello on the final play of the game made the score more respectable.

Daniels intercepted Melore’s final pass of the day, setting up Marcello’s last-second score.

Isaiah Brunskill returned two third-quarter kickoffs to the end zone, distances of 89 and 91 yards, but they were both called back because of blocking penalties.

“They were legitimate calls,” Shay said. “I’m not going to argue that.”

Liam Egan made a game-high nine tackles for Riverhead.

After the game, Shay pointed out that Riverhead starts three freshmen on the offensive and defensive lines. For many of his players, this amounts to on-the-job training.

“We’re starting a lot of freshmen on the team this year,” he said. “We’ll probably bring up a JV kid and just do the best we can with what we got. Right now our upperclassmen aren’t giving it to us, so we’re going with younger kids and we’ll just build for the future.”

On the plus side, Shay said he liked what he saw in the receiving department from Marcello (four catches, 67 yards) and Barbieri (three catches, 51 yards).

Parker didn’t sound discouraged. He said, “We just got to get better, man, get back on that practice field and get ready for Deer Park” in next Saturday’s homecoming game.

Daniels, who has 336 yards from 48 carries this season (7.0 yards per carry), said: “We got to keep fighting and focus more in practice. We’re a really good team. We got a lot of young guys coming up.”

Shay tried to put things in perspective.

“This isn’t going to be a Long Island championship team, but it will play its best game the last game of the year,” he said. “This is a young team. People are going to need to be patient with this team because they’re going to make mistakes. When you start freshmen out there, they’re going to make mistakes. You got to live with it, but those guys are going to be good in four years.”

As for now, fixing the secondary is of primary importance.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead receiver Isaiah Barbieri after making a 23-yard TD reception 3:45 into the third quarter. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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The Riverhead High School girls volleyball team may not be quite ready yet to measure its progress by wins and losses, but that long-awaited win on Friday sure felt good.

“It’s our first win in my whole entire time on varsity,” senior setter Coco Wharton said of the four-set, non-league victory over visiting Hampton Bays. “It was amazing.”

Wins have been few and far between for the Blue Waves, who are 4-43 over four years and went 0-14 last year. A mark in the win column, a taste of victory for a team that hasn’t had a lot of them, was just what the doctor ordered for the psyche.

“I think that that really kind of was like a turning point, like the girls realized that they could do it,” said Riverhead’s new coach, Rose Horton.

At the same time, being bumped up a league to Suffolk County League II isn’t making wins any easier to come by for Riverhead. A reminder of that was served Monday when a strong Northport team rolled to a 25-10, 25-13, 25-8 win. Host Riverhead (1-5, 0-4) had spells where it hung with Northport (5-0, 5-0), but the Tigers were more consistent passers, better hitters and just plain more experienced. All six of their starters are club players.

“They’re phenomenal,” Wharton said. “Their hitters are strong. That’s not easy to do. I would love to meet some of those girls. … They’re amazing.”

Sophie Campbell had 19 assists and Sydnie Rohme put away 11 kills along with six service aces for an improved Northport team that went 3-7 last season.

As a team, Northport held clear advantages in aces (17-2), assists (23-8), kills (25-8) and points (75-31).

No, life in League II is not easy, but then again, it should make Riverhead a better team, no?

“Absolutely, because they’re going to have no choice,” said Northport coach Chris Fritch. He said the Blue Waves “played hard. They fought. They tried hard. They really tried to claw their way back in a few times.”

As for his own team, Fritch said: “We played really well. We have to clean up a couple of things, but overall we’re happy. We’re sitting where we want to be in the league.”

Why shouldn’t they be? The Tigers sit in first place. They are the league’s only undefeated team and at the start of the day were one of six such teams in the county.

Riverhead was at the bottom of the standings along with Lindenhurst (0-6, 0-4).

Riverhead middle hitter Melanie Vail said the League II competition is going to sharpen the Blue Waves. “It’s going to kick our butt in the beginning, but in the end we’ll probably get a lot better,” she said.

Among the highlights for Riverhead were several tremendous diving/sprawling digs by Elizabeth Dowd and a courageous example of hustle by Wharton, who flung herself into a chair on the team bench to save a ball for a second-set point Riverhead won.

“All I saw was my coach on the bench, trying to run out of the way,” Wharton said. “When you get a point out of it and you see your girls behind you following you, like having confidence that you’re going to get the ball, it makes you feel good. Like, you don’t really care that you ran into chairs. You’re just more worried about what’s in the moment, like the point.”

Meanwhile, Riverhead is still a team learning how to win.

“Sometimes we get in our head,” Horton said. “Like 80 to 90 percent of the game is right between your two ears, right? And you got to be able to shake off something that’s not good that happened and just focus on the next play. Honestly, little by little, we see certain things that we struggled with at the beginning of the season starting to come together.”

And there’s some other things Horton is seeing that make her feel good: smiles on the faces of her players.

“That’s what I enjoy,” she said. “I love [seeing] happy faces.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Coach Rose Horton and her Riverhead Blue Waves have their work cut out for them in League II. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Since launching in Patchogue in May, the owners of Qwik Ride say they’ve given more than 9,000 rides in the downtown area.

Word spread quickly that the free golf-cart transportation service, similar to ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, was helping to ease parking woes in Patchogue. Last month, five more street-legal Polaris Gem E6s began operating in Huntington and more will soon be on the road in Northport and Port Jefferson.

Now, founders Dan Cantelmo and John Yancigay have their eyes on the East End.

“Riverhead is up and coming,” Mr. Cantelmo said. “And I’m sure with that comes parking issues.”

They see an opportunity for their vehicles during large events like Alive on 25, but noted that the carts could also be used to transport people to and from locations like the Long Island Aquarium, Tanger Outlets, hotels and the growing number of downtown breweries.

“We like to get the town on board,” Mr. Cantelmo said, adding that he’d be interested in meeting with the Town Board to devise a plan. All he would need from Riverhead, he said, is a place to store the fleet of golf carts and source of electricity to charge their batteries.

Riverhead would welcome the Qwik Rides with open arms, according to Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith and Riverhead Business Improvement District executive director Diane Tucci.

Though the parking issue is exacerbated by a large influx of cars for special events downtown, Ms. Jens-Smith sees year-round promise in Qwik Ride service. 

“It’s that last mile of transportation,” she said in an interview Monday. “You can get here by train, you can get here by jitney, but then once you’re here, how do you get to that next place? I think the Qwik Rides are part of addressing those issues,” she said, noting that it could encourage visitors from points west to use mass transit rather than bringing their own vehicles.

She also said it could be an option for the area’s aging population, enabling them to take advantage of downtown events, including shows at the Suffolk Theater and Vail-Leavitt Music Hall.

Dan Cantelmo started Qwik Ride with his childhood friend John Yancigay. The 30-year-old business partners were inspired by a similar service spotted on a trip to Nashville. (Credit: Tara Smith)

In Patchogue, Qwik Ride was pitched as a way to alleviate crowded parking lots, especially during events like Alive After Five. According to Mr. Cantelmo, restaurant workers in Patchogue are encouraged to park on the outskirts and hop on a cart from there. “This way, we open up parking spots for people coming to the village. They can now get that front-row spot,” he said. 

Patchogue Village officials have embraced the service while they continue to work on solutions, according to David Kennedy, executive director of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce. “It’s been a big hit,” he said, noting that it has been helpful transporting people from Main Street to waterfront locations on the southern end of the village. Even his neighbors, who live beyond walking distance from Main Street, have used it to avoid parking altogether. 

“Parking is still at a premium in Patchogue, but [Qwik Ride] helps give us an alternative option,” Mr. Kennedy said. “They’re environmentally friendly, electric and actually very nice looking. They look cool driving around. It checks a lot of boxes.”

Like Uber, Qwik Ride has an app to set pickup and drop-off locations and its drivers are vetted and background checked, Mr. Cantelmo said. 

Unlike Uber, the service is free; patrons are encouraged to tip their drivers.

The service isn’t meant to replace Uber, but to complement it — especially for shorter trips that aren’t economical for rider or driver. “You’re not gonna take an Uber from Dublin Deck to Main Street” in Patchogue — a distance of less than a mile — Mr. Cantelmo said.

Qwik Ride makes money by selling advertising on the six-passenger golf carts. Sponsors can advertise on video screens inside the carts or wrap the outside of the neon-green vehicles.

The 30-year-old business partners and childhood friends say they were inspired by a similar concept they saw in Nashville during a bachelor party. “We thought it was a cool concept and could work in local areas,” Mr. Cantelmo said.

Qwik Ride also aligns with a separate business they operate, Late Night Chauffeurs, a designated-driving service that gets customers and their vehicles home safely.

Before launching in Riverhead, Ms. Jens-Smith said she’d like the owners to meet with the Town Board as well as the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce and downtown revitalization committee.

“We have been looking into being able to put a charging station [downtown,]” Ms. Jens-Smith said.

She’s also hoping Riverhead will be considered as part of a new Suffolk County bike sharing program. In May, the county awarded a contract to Zagster, a Boston-based bike sharing program that operates dockless share services in over 100 municipalities in the United States. 

“Every downtown strives for walkability and a reduction in cars,” the supervisor said. “People want to go out to dinner, to go out to an event, without having to bring a car with them.”

tsmith@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Qwik Ride, a free transportation service, launched in Patchogue in May. The street legal, six-person golf carts could be hitting the streets in Riverhead soon. (Tara Smith photo)

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