What the 2019 high school football season had in store for Riverhead was a curious mystery of sorts. The Blue Waves had never played in Suffolk County Division I before, so in making the jump from Division II, they were plunging into the unknown.

Now, with most of the regular season behind them, the Blue Waves, seeded last in the 12-team division, have demonstrated that they can compete with Division I teams and win.

“Everyone’s kind of looking down on us like, oh, we were seeded last [in] preseason, but we kind of took that and made it like a chip on our shoulder and we just went out there and tried to fight,” said senior quarterback David Squires.

Riverhead put up a heck of a fight Friday night in its biggest test of the season — on paper at least — against the highest-seeded team on its schedule, No. 4 Ward Melville. The hard running of bruising senior Michael Fiore enabled Ward Melville to hold onto a 21-14 victory in East Setauket. The two teams, both 3-2, had never played each other before, according to records kept by Newsday’s Andy Slawson.

“I thought our kids played really, really well,” Riverhead coach Leif Shay said. “We came out against one of the higher seeded teams in the division and we had a chance to win the game. We were a couple of dropped passes away. I’m proud of our guys. It was a great effort.”

Ward Melville graduated nine starters on both sides of the ball from its 9-2 team of last year, but the Patriots returned two major pieces in quarterback Justice Spencer and Fiore.

Fiore showed his value. His 14-yard burst through the middle for a touchdown that snapped a 14-14 tie with 1 minute left in the third quarter was a display of strength and sheer determination.

Following the ensuing kickoff, Riverhead marched from its own 20-yard line to the Ward Melville 7. That’s where the Patriots took possession after Dan Cassera brought down Squires a yard shy of a first down.

Ward Melville then ran out the final 8:33 by picking up four first downs. The 5-10, 180-pound Fiore ran the ball nine times during that game-ending, 14-play series that concluded with Spencer taking two knees to wrap up the win. Fiore picked up 53 of his 174 rushing yards during that final clock-eating drive.

“We came up short, but we tried to do everything we could,” said Squires, who was involved in both Riverhead TDs, a 9-yard run by himself and a 9-yard pass to Isaiah Barbieri, who muscled his way across the goal line. “We all tried our hardest. They probably have one of the best running backs. He’s crazy. But we went out there and we did everything we could. We came up a yard short.”

Riverhead has quite a running back, too, in Albert Daniels. The senior continued his outstanding season, gaining 167 yards on 21 carries. For the season, he has 956 rushing yards and 12 TDs from 118 carries (8.1 yards per carry). Among his runs Friday were gains of 26, 28 and 22 yards.

“He’s just a phenomenal football player,” Shay said. “He does so much for us. We haven’t had a guy like that since Miguel Maysonet was romping the sidelines, so it’s nice to have a stud athlete back there doing those things.”

Ward Melville opened the game with a 12-play series, culminating in a fantastic connection when Spencer (10 of 19, 74 yards) drilled a 13-yard pass that the diving Jack Gillen snagged in the end zone.

Later in the first half, Spencer went through a stretch of six straight incompletions, but the Patriots did not abandon their passing game. On a fourth-down play, Steven Germain took a handoff from Spencer, rolled to his left and found Travis Moehringer for an 11-yard TD pass with 14.8 seconds left in the second quarter.

The first half was a busy one for the Riverhead defense. Ward Melville ran 37 offensive plays in the half while Riverhead had 15. For the game, Riverhead’s Tyreek Earl Parker (two sacks) and Lamarion Hopkins made eight tackles each.

“We came with our ‘A’ game,” Sykes said. “We came prepared.”

It was a well-played game, with neither side committing a turnover.

“I’m just trying to move on from this because it’s kind of frustrating,” Squires said. “It’s disappointing because we prepared so hard for this and we wanted this one so badly, but we just came up short at the end.”

Riverhead started the day in eighth place, two spots below Ward Melville.

The result notwithstanding, Riverhead can derive confidence from its performance.

“Riverhead football is back,” Shay said. “We’re competitive. We’re looking forward to trying to make the playoffs now.”

Photo caption: Riverhead running back Albert Daniels leaves Ward Melville’s Michael Fiore in his wake by picking up some of his 167 yards Friday night. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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This was the last of these tennis-themed Carver family reunions.

Tuesday marked the ninth time coach Mike Carver’s Southold/Greenport team played against the Riverhead team his daughter, Meghan, plays for. As if that wasn’t enough drama, it was a play-in match between the League VIII co-champions, with the winner earning a place in the Suffolk County Team Tournament.

“It’s been fun and also nerve-wracking at the same time,” Mike Carver said. “I’ll be glad when today’s over.”

When it was over, Riverhead was a 4-3 winner, with fourth singles player Joslyn Lessard securing the decisive fourth team point at Southold High School.

“It’s one and done, so it’s kind of like you’re in the tournament already,” said Riverhead’s first-year coach, Vic Guadagnino, who guided the Blue Waves to their first league title since 1991. “I’m excited the girls rallied behind each other. It’s just always good to see. It’s great to hear them calling each other’s names, making little pyramids on the side, cheering for each other. It’s fantastic. It’s what it’s all about. You know, the true fun in high school sports is watching kids have fun, and we had a lot of fun today.”

Meanwhile, emotions were a good deal more complicated for the Carvers.

Mike Carver hugged Meghan Carver before she headed onto the court. Then, after the matchups were announced, he gave the senior a loving tap on the head and wished her good luck in her first singles match.

Meghan Carver needed all the luck she could get against super sophomore Natalie Kopala, who had taken third place in the Division IV Tournament on Monday. Carver, the only player to take four games in a set from Kopala in league play this season, was beaten, 6-0, 6-1, in 37 minutes.

What was the breakfast discussion like at the Carver home this morning?

“To be honest with you, we were talking more about college preparation stuff that we still had to fine-tune,” Mike Carver said. “That’s how we distract ourselves from tennis. We talk about college and the college search. I don’t think we talked about tennis at all this morning.”

Asked about playing against her father’s team, Meghan Carver acknowledged, “It’s a really weird feeling.”

Was this ninth matchup over a four-year span any different?

“Yeah,” she said. “I think the stress is definitely higher and the stakes are definitely higher.”

Some of that stress could be attributed to Kopala, who brings a lot of game to the court. The two played some entertaining, long points, but Kopala’s quality showed. She put away 22 winners to Carver’s two, made half as many unforced errors (seven) and outpointed her opponent, 50-18. Kopala even scored three winners while returning serve. “I like doing that a lot,” she said. “That’s like my favorite shot.”

Meghan Carver said Kopala is “tough to play against, but I like playing with her because it just makes me play that much better.”

Both players said they dealt with leg pain during the match. Kopala said her left leg was bothering her after having played two matches Friday, two matches Saturday, practicing Sunday and playing the divisional consolation match Monday.

Carver iced her right knee after the match, as she customarily does. Her father said she has a bone ossicle lodged in her patellar tendon that has been causing her pain throughout her four-year tennis career. He said nothing could be done about it previously until a growth plate closed. She has an operation scheduled for Nov. 6 to fix the problem.

How much of this aching pain, sharp at times, does she have to go through when she plays?

“It’s a crazy amount,” she said. “It’s kind of hard to get through.”

Riverhead (12-1, 9-1), which is awaiting the release of the playoff brackets, won three of the four singles matches. Lessard’s 6-1, 6-0 victory over Kaitlyn Duffy sealed the team win. “I knew I had to win,” said Lessard.

Earlier, Gina Bassemir (6-1, 6-0 over Ellie Alloway) and Isabella Pagnozzi (6-1, 6-1 over Danielle Henry) scored wins.

Riverhead’s second doubles team of Lilly Kneidl and Delu Rizzo defeated Hannah DeSimone and Camryn Koke, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4.

The most competitive match of the day was at third doubles, with Southold’s Julia Mejsak and Ella Neese prevailing over Jordan Curran and Sofia Salgado, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-6.

Southold (9-5, 9-1) took first doubles through Jessica Latham and Reese Thompson, 6-0, 6-1 winners over Jill Shackel and Leah Zenk.

The bragging rights in these Carver-Carver duels belongs to the daughter. Mike Carver said Riverhead has an 8-1 record against Southold during Meghan’s time on the team.

When it was all over, Mike Carver gave his daughter another hug. “I’m proud of her,” he said.

Meghan was asked if the two would talk at dinner later that night.

She smiled and said, “We’ll see,” chuckling.

Photo caption: Riverhead senior Meghan Carver played against her father’s Southold/Greenport team for the ninth time in her career, this time with a playoff berth at stake. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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In order to unseat defending champion Mattituck — or at least pick up a piece of the Suffolk County League VII boys golf pie — someone was going to have to beat the Tuckers first. Good luck.

But that is just what happened when Riverhead and Mattituck met for their final regular-season match Oct. 8. It wasn’t easy, though.

Anthony Caputo fired a 2-under-par 34, Chris Timpone carded a 37 and C.J. Mauceri had a 38 on a windy day on the front nine at Cherry Creek Golf Links in Riverhead, lifting the Blue Waves to a 6 1/2-2 1/2 triumph and the first league championship in team history. The Blue Waves and Tuckers, both 9-1, are co-champions.

The match snapped a remarkable string of 31 consecutive wins by Mattituck, which nonetheless extended its team-record league title streak to five straight years.

Mattituck’s previous league loss was in 2015 to Eastport-South Manor, said coach Paul Ellwood, who could not recall the last time the Tuckers lost at their home course, North Fork Country Club in Cutchogue.

“Mattituck … they’re just good every year,” Riverhead coach Steve Failla said. “The path to hanging a banner was going to have to go through Mattituck and it wasn’t going to be easy.”

Failla, in his sixth year coaching the team, knows league titles are special, but being the first Riverhead team to win one is extra special. No other Riverhead team will ever be able to say it did that.

“It’s always nice to be the first team to hang a banner,” he said. “They don’t gloat about it, they don’t admit it, but I know they take a very quiet satisfaction in being that team.”

Failla said, “Mattituck handles pressure better than anyone I’ve ever seen … because they have the experience of winning championships for a long time.”

But the pressure was on Riverhead in that final match, and the Blue Waves came through, led by Caputo (37.3 nine-hole average) and Timpone (37.8).

Failla said Caputo has “ice in his veins. Caputo is at his best when the pressure’s on.”

As for Timpone, Riverhead’s longest-serving player in his sixth varsity season, the coach said: “Timpone doesn’t take anything for granted. He’s one of the toughest young men, I know.”

What has also helped Riverhead this season has been its depth. When J.D. Davide was ill the final week of the regular season and another starter, Alex Meras, missed a week because of back tightness, other people stepped up. Noah Strauss and Van Gatz, a senior who began playing last year for the first time, are among the team’s top six players.

Mattituck, which has a 66-5 record over six years, entered this season perceived by Ellwood as being a “slight underdog” to Riverhead.

In the loss to Riverhead, Mattituck’s Chris Talbot shot an even-par 36 and teammate Matt Seifert produced a 41. Talbot (39.3) and Seifert (39.7) have the lowest averages on the team, followed by Evan McCaffrey (41.7), Andrew McKenzie (42.1), Parker Sheppard (42.3) and Connor Fox (42.4).

“I thought we had a great season,” said Ellwood, who has a 98-8-1 record in his nine years as Mattituck’s coach. “We had no room for error.”

Riverhead looked headed to a victory over Mattituck on Sept. 17. Mattituck was trailing by nine strokes and Ellwood said he was preparing to congratulate the Blue Waves on a win when McCaffrey and McKenzie both came in with 3-over-par 38s at North Fork Country Club to make up 13 strokes from the fifth and sixth spots in the lineup. Mattituck was a 7-2 winner.

Mattituck had to deal with some adversity, too. McCaffrey broke a couple of bones in his hand over the summer and missed the first two matches. He made it back in time for the first Riverhead match, though, and that was critical. “If we don’t have him, we don’t win that match, we don’t have a share of the league title,” said Ellwood.

Players from both teams will compete Thursday in a conference tournament for Leagues VII and VIII at Rock Hill Golf & Country Club in Manorville. That will determine who qualifies for the county championships.

Meanwhile, Mattituck and Riverhead are both awaiting the bracket seedings for the first county team tournament. Failla said Riverhead, winner of six straight matches, has secured a bye into the second round.

Ellwood has cause to feel good about his team’s performance for the rest of the season. “I think our character is the same as all the teams in the past,” he said. “We don’t put pressure on ourselves to win. We usually play our best golf at the end of the season.”

Photo caption: The Riverhead boys golf team secured the first league championship in team history. (Credit: Steve Failla courtesy photo)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Three days after the officially designated Columbus Day, the Riverhead High School field hockey team celebrated another Columbus Day of sorts.

Well, her name is Columbus and she did have a day. Boy, did she have a day.

Jessica Columbus came to Riverhead’s rescue Thursday with both goals for the Blue Waves, including the winner with exactly two minutes left in the second half of a 2-1 victory at Huntington. It was the final regular-season game for both teams, and the win may have been worth a home playoff game for Riverhead. Riverhead coach Cheryl Walsh-Edwards said the playoff brackets may be released as early as Friday.

Riverhead (8-6 overall and in Suffolk County Division I) has a number of big-name players — Kristy Troyan, Katie Goodale and Peyton Choma to name a few. Perhaps flying under the radar of all that talent is Columbus, a speedy junior forward.

“This may sound horrible, but [she is] definitely underrated because I think she’s just something completely amazing,” junior goalkeeper Izzy Williams said. “I don’t think that everybody gets to see that.”

On Thursday, spectators got to see what Columbus can do with the pressure on. Lauren Kenny took Riverhead’s ninth and final penalty corner, pushing the ball out to Goodale. Goodale made a quick dodge before driving the ball toward the right corner of the goal.

“I was just hoping that any of them would get a touch on it, and Jess was right in the right place to touch it,” Goodale said. “She was in the perfect spot. We were just so relieved.”

Columbus redirected the ball with a low shot past goalkeeper Julie Rogel.

“It was thrilling,” said Columbus, who had never scored two goals in a varsity game before and never had a game-winning goal before.

Williams said of Columbus: “I’m so proud of her. She just can like whip down that field and be like a silent ninja in the back. It’s definitely great to see that she got both of them today.”

Walsh-Edwards liked what she saw from Columbus. “I always told Jess that she has amazing speed,” the coach said. “When she played on the JV level, she was definitely a standout. You get that ball to her on the right side, and she has so much speed, she would just take off. So, this is her first year on varsity, though. It’s different. You know, it’s a different game, it’s quicker, so you have to kind of change with the level, and she’s come a long way.”

Columbus made it 1-0 at 19:46. But then Huntington (6-9, 5-9) equalized just 1:46 later through Laurel Bonn from a rebound of a Williams save.

The Riverhead defense underwent a couple of periods of intense, sustained pressure in the second half, yet somehow escaped unscathed. Williams made nine saves, playing behind a defense of Briana Palhares, Lauren Kruger and Rachel Rempe.

“They saved us goals down there,” said Goodale.

After the go-ahead goal, Riverhead had to survive a couple of pressure-packed penalty corners in its zone. It wasn’t until Kenny cleared the final one with no time left that the Blue Waves could breathe easy again.

“I work really hard in practice and stuff, and we definitely train for those moments,” said Williams.

A downside came with the victory, though. Riverhead’s leading points producer, Troyan, cried out in pain as she fell to the field turf at 16:28. The senior forward turned her right ankle after stepping on another player’s foot and had to be helped off the field while applying no pressure on her right leg. She didn’t return to the game, but later walked gingerly.

Troyan has bagged 11 goals and three assists this season and is an integral part of the offense, along with Ava Lily Sumwalt (10 goals, one assist). The good news for the Blue Waves is they expect to have a playoff game Wednesday, which would give Troyan almost a full week to rest and recover.

“I just talked to the trainer really briefly, but I think it’s a sprain, so we’ll have to have our trainer take a look at her,” said Walsh-Edwards, who pointed out that Troyan is one of the team’s seven-on-seven overtime players and one of its shootout shooters.

“I hope she’s good,” Columbus said. “We really need her. She’s a big part of the team.”

So, winning on a dramatic late goal is pretty exciting stuff. Is it the best way to win?

Goodale said, “Winning’s winning, so whichever way you can do it is great.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Ava Lily Sumwalt leads a charge down the left side in the second half while Huntington’s Stephanie Wickey chases her. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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One can forget about all that No. 12 preseason seeding and newcomer to Suffolk County Division I stuff. The Riverhead football team is no longer a surprise.

So, maybe you can’t call Riverhead’s 28-21 victory over Patchogue-Medford Saturday a surprise, but it was a shot in the arm to the team’s playoff chances.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a quality win like this,” coach Leif Shay said. “You know, it was great to come to somebody’s homecoming and let them know, not today. They’re not going to celebrate today.”

All the celebrating came on the Riverhead side. The Blue Waves are 4-2 with games remaining at Commack and at home to Walt Whitman, who were 3-2 and 1-4, respectively, at the start of the day.

When it was pointed out that Riverhead had crashed Patchogue’s homecoming party, running back/defensive back Albert Daniels said: “Yeah, we did. It was beautiful … We just came out and put on a show.”

That show featured a bunch of highlights from Daniels, who surpassed 1,100 rushing yards for the season. The senior ran with determination 42 times for 230 yards and three touchdowns, his 13th, 14th and 15th of the season. For the year, Daniels has 1,186 yards from 160 carries.

And yet, it was hard to overlook a tremendous game by outside linebacker Rayvon Moore. All the junior did was block a punt, make an interception, force two fumbles and recover a fumble. “He played like a demon today,” said Daniels.

Riverhead’s defense shined, forcing five turnovers by the Raiders (the Blue Waves had none). Tyreek Earl Parker turned in another strong game with a game-high eight tackles and a fumble recovery. Isaiah Barbieri had an interception, fumble recovery and five tackles. Patchogue (4-2) was held to 87 rushing yards.

Riverhead had made a bold move. Senior David Squires, who had started all the previous games at quarterback, was moved to wide receiver while junior C.J. Dorr was given his first start at QB. That move eventually paid off. Squires was targeted four times, the fourth being his only reception, good for a 39-yard TD catch. Squires said, “I saw the safety bite down on Barbieri and I was just like, ‘I’m going to the house.’ ” Recep Kocan’s extra point gave Riverhead a 21-7 lead with 1 minute and 56 seconds left in the third quarter.

Shay said he expects to keep Dorr at QB and Squires at WR.

“He played wide receiver last year,” Shay said. “He knows the offense from there. He did us a great service by playing quarterback and letting the young kid learn and get some time under his belt, and we just felt like the young kid was ready and we could get another weapon on the outside.”

Blue Waves capitalize on turnover as David Squires takes the slant pass to the end zone. 22-7 Riverhead with 1:56 left in 3rd. pic.twitter.com/3AMnoiNuZf

— RiverheadNewsReview (@riverheadnews1) October 19, 2019

Riverhead stretched its lead to 28-7 five plays into the fourth quarter on Daniels’ third score. Patchogue replied shortly after with a big play, a 77-yard TD pass from Tyree Jackson (10 of 26, 153 yards) to Marc Anthony Pedrosa (six catches, 117 yards).

After a 32-yard field-goal attempt by Kocan was blocked by Jake LaMonica, Patchogue pulled itself back in the game with Angelo DeVita’s second TD run of the day. But the Blue Waves were able to run out the final 3:33 with six Daniels carries and a knee by Dorr.

“We played blood, sweat and tears,” Moore said. “That’s how I describe us. We came out, played for each other.”

The game started on the right foot for Riverhead. After failing to gain a first down on the game-opening possession, Patchogue punted. Moore and Gaines-Bullock both shot through the line to pressure punter Connor Hughes. Moore got the block and the ball flew out of bounds at the Patchogue 4-yard line. Daniels ran it in on the next play.

“I came out with a lot of energy,” said Moore, who called it the best game of his life. “It was a good crowd and I just played the best that I could.”

Big run by Albert Daniels sets up a 5-yard TD run on next play and Blue Waves lead 28-7 early 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/Ae3DDwYOSr

— RiverheadNewsReview (@riverheadnews1) October 19, 2019

Patchogue was seeded 11th, but entered the game two spots above eighth-place Riverhead in the standings.

“The defense was playing amazing,” Squires said. “The offense was playing good. It’s a good statement win for us.”

The statement would be: Riverhead just might be a playoff player in Division I.

“Playoff picture, as far as I know, I’m not a power points expert, but I know when you beat a 4-and-1 team, you get a lot of points,” Shay said. “We still have to win two more games. That’s how we’re looking at it. We want to win every game we can win and try to get the highest seed we can.”

What they got Saturday was a nice boost in that direction.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: David Squires, moved from quarterback to wide receiver, races to the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown reception with 1:56 left in the third quarter. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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The Riverhead Blue Waves knew they would be running with some of the best high school girls cross-country teams in Suffolk County this season when they were bumped up to League II. Now, when talking about the elite teams in the county, they can look in a mirror.

Riverhead completed the League II season in a three-way tie for first place with Ward Melville and Sachem East. All three co-champions have 5-1 records.

It’s the second straight league championship for Riverhead, but unlike last year when the Blue Waves went 6-0 in League III (their first league crown since 1998), this title wasn’t nearly as expected, given the caliber of competition they had to navigate.

“The league is absolutely a monster,” Riverhead coach Justin Cobis said. “It’s full of perennially strong, powerhouse programs.”

Riverhead did its part in its final league meet, beating Sachem North, 19-50, at Sunken Meadow State Park Oct. 15. But then the Blue Waves needed help. They needed Ward Melville to hand Sachem East its only loss a short while later on the same course.

“We had to watch and wait and do some math on the fly,” Cobis said. “On that day, we were absolutely Ward Melville fans for about 15 minutes.”

The desired result came in, and when the Riverhead runners returned from a cooldown, they were greeted with happy news. “They screamed,” said Cobis.

Riverhead’s only loss was a 26-31 setback to Sachem East in its second league meet. The other Riverhead wins came against Commack, Bay Shore, Walt Whitman and Ward Melville.

Two seniors, Megan Kielbasa and Christina Yakaboski, have been the team’s top two runners and, with junior Linda Pomiranceva, Cobis said, “We have the best one-two-three punch in the entire county.”

Kielbasa, in her sixth season on the team, has made All-County the past five years. Cobis said Kielbasa and Pomiranceva have been running the fastest they ever have.

Over the summer, Yakaboski, took some time off for what Cobis described as “preventative rest. She has ended up coming through in a big way.”

The numbers 4 through 7 spots have rotated among freshman Lauren Matyka and seniors Kristina DeRaveniere, Natalia Ruszkowski and Madison Kelly, who never ran cross country before this season, but has had an impact.

Riverhead is ranked 15th in Class A in the state (the highest ranking of any Suffolk team) by the New York State Sportswriters Association in rankings released Monday.

An indication of how strong Riverhead is was seen at the Brown Northeast Invitational in Warwick, R.I., Saturday. Riverhead finished first among 16 teams in the Division II race with 93 points and an average time of 19 minutes and 34 seconds on the 5,000-meter course. Eastport-South Manor was second with 107 points.

pic.twitter.com/UgY6WmADOs

— Riverhead Track & XC (@RiverheadTrack) October 19, 2019

Kielbasa (fifth in 18:53) and Yakaboski (seventh in 18:59) were followed by Pomiranceva (19th in 19:41), Matyka (35th in 20:10), DeRaveniere (20:11), Kelly (20:54) and Ruszkowski (89th in 22:38).

The next question: Will Riverhead send any runners, or even a team, to the state meet, which will be run Nov. 16 in Plattsburgh?

That depends on how the Blue Waves do in the Section XI Championships Nov. 8 at Sunken Meadow. In order to qualify for the state meet as a team, Riverhead has to finish first in Class A in that sectional meet.

The last Riverhead runner to compete in the state meet was Katie Skinner, who was 11th in Class A in 2009.

“How great would it be to be in the mix to go upstate as a team?” Cobis said. “We need to have five girls on the same day perform at an outstanding level.”

Garcia sixth at Brown. Shoreham-Wading River senior Nicole Garcia came in sixth in the Division I girls varsity race at the Brown Northeast Invitational Saturday. Her time was 18:41.21.

In the Division I boys race, SWR senior Adam Zelin was 14th in 16:14.29.

Mike Burns, a junior, was the top Riverhead finisher in the Division II boys race in 17:15.35.

Photo caption: Riverhead won its second straight league championship, finishing in a three-way tie for first place in League II with Ward Melville and Sachem East. (Credit: Justin Cobis courtesy photo)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Some may have wondered whether Kristy Troyan would be able to play in the Riverhead High School field hockey team’s playoff game Wednesday, but there was no question in Troyan’s mind.

Troyan, who has a reputation for being a tough player, sprained her right ankle when she stepped on another player’s foot in the final regular-season game last Thursday in Huntington. The good news was that she had six days to rest and recover before Riverhead’s Suffolk County Class A outbracket game. It’s amazing what a bucket of ice and a whole lot of determination can do for a player.

“There was nothing that really was going to keep her from playing,” Riverhead coach Cheryl Walsh-Edwards said. “She was like, ‘I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be fine.’ Meanwhile, as her coach, I was obviously nervous.”

Troyan played Wednesday, and it was a good thing for eighth-seeded Riverhead that she did because she scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over No. 9 East Islip at Pulaski Sports Complex.

“I wasn’t sure whether it was going to be my last game or not, what was going to happen,” Troyan said. “I didn’t want that to be our last game.”

It was a discomforting sight to see Troyan go down in pain 16 minutes and 28 seconds into the Huntington game and then have to be helped off the field, applying no pressure on her right foot. For one thing, the senior forward happens to be the team’s leading points producer.

The day after that game, she said, the ankle was “hurting bad.” But she followed a regimen of icing her foot in a bucket and doing exercises, as advised by Walsh-Edwards, assistant coach Jim Janecek and trainer Chris Hildebrandt. She rested the ankle over the weekend before practicing Monday and Tuesday.

“I took it slow a little bit the first day I got back [because] I didn’t want to hurt it more, but it’s all good now,” said Troyan, who declared herself 100% and feeling good after Wednesday’s game.

Having a healthy Troyan on the field is a big boost for Riverhead (9-6).

“She’s really fast,” senior left midfielder Lauren Kenny said. “You can always count on her to score … She’s a big part of our offense.”

Troyan reached around goalkeeper Madalyn Von Hassel (eight saves) and knocked in her 12th goal of the season 2:49 into the second half, making it 2-0. (She also has three assists this year).

Asked if she had ever scored a bigger goal in her life, Troyan answered: “Maybe not. I don’t think so.”

Riverhead came out strong and its confidence was buoyed when Ava Lily Sumwalt swept in Riverhead’s first shot 3:31 into the contest. Sumwalt has 11 goals and one assist to her credit this year.

“I thought we had a really strong first half,” Walsh-Edwards said. “I thought we were dominating and I thought we had a lot more opportunities to score and just didn’t capitalize on them.”

East Islip (8-8) made things interesting when Allison Chiarelli scored with 3:29 left in the second half. The Redmen applied pressure through a couple of late penalty corners, which can wear down a defense. Riverhead outshot East Islip, 10-5, but the Redmen held a 13-7 advantage in penalty corners.

“I hate corners,” said Walsh-Edwards.

Troyan said: “My heart was racing the whole time. I was telling everyone that was on the 50[-yard line], ‘Just run as fast as you can because that’s the only thing you can do, and just get back on defense.’ It’s nerve-wracking, though, when that happens.”

Goalkeeper Izzy Williams (four saves) and defenders Lauren Kruger, Rachel Rempe and Briana Palhares, with help from midfielders Katie Goodale, Peyton Choma and Kenny, hung tough. Riverhead survived, and now as a reward will face No. 1 seed Sachem East (14-0) in a county quarterfinal Saturday.

“I’m really excited,” Kenny said. “We worked hard all season, but it’s my senior season, so playing one more game is the best you’re going to get. It’s one-and-done time.”

For the Riverhead seniors, who probably played their last game on their home field, it’s a nice memory to take with them.

Troyan, a four-year varsity player, said, “It’s sad thinking about it because I’m going to miss it so much.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Katie Goodale, left, and East Islip’s Alyssa Levy battle for the ball in Wednesday’s playoff game at Pulaski Sports Complex. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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A proposal to build a four-story luxury apartment building in downtown Riverhead ran into opposition at a public hearing last Wednesday, when several speakers said the building doesn’t fit in with its surroundings.

331 East Main Street LLC, a subsidiary of G2D Development in Huntington, has pitched its plan as a market-rate apartment complex at the site where a Subway restaurant used to be located.

The proposal requires both site plan and special permit approval from the town.

Chris Kent, the attorney for the applicant, said the plan calls for 36 parking spaces on the ground floor and 10 one-bedroom and 26 two-bedroom apartments. The building was originally planned for five stories and 44 units, but was scaled down, he said.

Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith said the town already has several affordable apartments downtown, and said market-rate housing is what the town is now looking for.

Greg DeRosa, CEO of G2D Development, said market-rate housing rarely results in children being sent to the local school district, and in the projects he has built or managed, no children have been enrolled in local schools.

“The first thought that comes to mind is 50 pounds being shoved into a 10-pound bag,” said Janice Scherer of Baiting Hollow. She said the town’s recent investment in a downtown “pattern book” was to “right size” the buildings in downtown.

“We’ve already had the five-story building,” she said. “Let’s not do a repeat.”

Ms. Scherer said the proposed building doesn’t match anything downtown.

“You have these tiny little buildings and then this massive building,” she said.

Mr. Kent said there are several large buildings in the area where the apartments are proposed, including the Hyatt Place hotel, the Sea Star Ballroom and The Preston House & Hotel.

Barbara Blass of Jamesport said she agreed with Ms. Scherer and added that the public was at a disservice because the town didn’t post the site plan map.

William Van Helmond, president of the Greater Jamesport Civic Association, said he was glad the applicant scaled down the project but added that the proposed building “doesn’t really conform in downtown Riverhead.”

Stephanie Ranghelli of Riverhead said the proposal doesn’t look like it reflects any history.

“To me, it just says ‘housing,’ ” she said.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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The biggest surprise in Suffolk County Division I football this season may be named the Riverhead Blue Waves.

Having gone 2-6 in Division II last year, Riverhead was a mystery team this year as it was moved into Division I for the first time. The Blue Waves didn’t know much about Division I, and the rest of Division I didn’t know much about them.

Respect was sparing. The Blue Waves were seeded dead last in the 12-team division.

Look at them now:

With a 21-7 upset of Commack Saturday, Riverhead is 5-2 and perhaps playoff-bound.

Who saw this coming?

The Blue Waves did, of course.

“We proved that we can compete with amazing teams,” Riverhead cornerback/tight end Christian Campbell said after the homecoming game at Commack Stadium. “Everyone looked down at us, chose us for [a] homecoming [opponent], but we showed them that they were wrong.”

Rising to Riverhead’s defense Saturday was, well, its defense. It was a defense that persevered in a stubborn defensive battle. It was a defense that responded to the challenge when a big stop was needed. It was a defense that held Commack (3-4) to 98 first-half yards. It was a defense that bent (allowing Commack to go 5-for-13 on third-down plays) but didn’t break when it really mattered (Commack went 0-for-4 on fourth downs).

And it was a defense that provided the touchdown that sealed the win, courtesy of Campbell.

Clinging to a 14-7 lead late in the fourth quarter, Riverhead had to punt from its own 33-yard line. The thing was, Riverhead’s first-string punter, Isaiah Barbieri, had been ejected from the game along with Commack’s Vincent Rotelli following a brief scuffle with 2 minutes and 51 seconds left in the third quarter. So, sophomore kicker Recep Kocan was sent out to punt for the first time in his career.

“I had my fingers crossed, my toes were crossed, my legs were crossed,” said coach Leif Shay.

Kocan caught the snap and delivered a booming 43-yard punt that pushed Commack back to its 24.

On the next play, Commack quarterback Aidan McCarthy, finding no one open downfield, whizzed a pass to the flat. Campbell read it perfectly, jumped the route and took his first career interception 22 yards to the end zone with 4:08 left in the fourth quarter.

“I knew it was over,” said the soft-spoken, mild-mannered Campbell. (“He’s one of those laid-back, surfer types, so give him a board, he’ll be happy,” said Shay.)

Commack ran off seven plays after that before turning the ball over on downs. Three runs by Albert Daniels completed his 192-yard day, and Riverhead had another big win.

“Another homecoming and another big crowd, and I think our guys get energized for the crowds,” Shay said. “Our defense has been playing great all year. We had the one long play that we gave up [McCarthy’s 42-yard TD pass to a wide open Dennis Morley on a busted coverage], but we know they’re not going to make a living on those types of plays. You got to be able to grind it out against us, and our guys are pretty stout.”

It didn’t hurt that Riverhead had senior middle linebacker Ethan Aube back for the first time since tearing his left meniscus in a preseason scrimmage.

“I was pumped up to play,” said Aube, who made six tackles. “I was so excited. Missing out [six] weeks of the season, it’s really tough, but seeing how we were competing every week, I just wanted to bring the same energy.”

Aube joined a linebacking corps that included Jack Qualey, Aaron Gaines-Bullock and Rayvon Moore (six tackles, one pass defensed). Deontae Sykes led Riverhead with eight tackles.

Commack’s Soel Melero made 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Daniels once again came through in a big way, with an 8-yard TD run on Riverhead’s game-opening, 11-play drive and a 75-yard beauty of a TD run, his 17th of the season, in the third quarter. Through seven games, Daniels has 1,378 yards from 193 carries (7.1 yards per carry).

“I know we get a lot of points for this,” Shay said of the victory. “… I think it secured us a playoff spot, but we want to try to not be the eighth seed. We want to try to get a little bit higher.”

Not a bad position for a preseason No. 12 seed.

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Deontae Sykes (88) and Rayvon Moore bring down Commack quarterback Aidan McCarthy. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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It rained, but it didn’t rain on Megan Kielbasa’s parade, nor that of her teammates on the Riverhead High School girls cross-country team.

The course conditions at Sunken Meadow State Park were muddy and — one would think — slow for the Section XI Division Championships as a light but steady drizzle fell Tuesday afternoon.

All in all, though, Kielbasa wasn’t complaining. Temperatures were in the low 60s/high 50s, and that suits the senior just fine.

“Honestly, cooler conditions are kind of better,” she said. “They’re more ideal for cross country.”

That may be one explanation for why Kielbasa ran her fastest time ever on the 5,000-meter course: 19 minutes and 54.99 seconds. It brought her fourth place in Division I. Teammate and fellow senior Christina Yakaboski was fifth in 20:06.96.

“I knew going into it that I just had to work on myself personally, do the best I could do, try to [run a personal record] myself, and I did that, so I’m really happy,” said Kielbasa, who had mud splattered on her legs. “It was just fast. Everybody went really fast today, which you had to adjust to.”

Also running for Riverhead were junior Linda Pomiranceva (14th in 21:12.14), senior Madison Kelly (26th in 21:43.65), freshman Lauren Matyka (28th in 22:00.11), junior Jordyn Jager (35th in 22:21.66) and senior Kristina DeRaveniere (45th in 22:57.15).

After the race and before the team results were released, Kielbasa was asked about Riverhead’s aim to repeat as the Division I champion.

“We’ll see what the results are,” she said. “I’m not sure yet. I don’t want to jinx anything.”

Then the verdict came in: Riverhead took second in the division to Ward Melville, which had 50 points. Riverhead had 70 points and an average time of 20:59.57, the best in the program’s history, according to coach Justin Cobis.

“We’re a really good team,” Kielbasa said. “Everybody’s so sweet, and we really care about the sport.

“It’s been a really good season. I’m very happy with the team. This easily is Riverhead’s best top seven [runners] that we’ve ever had.”

Shoreham-Wading River senior Nicole Garcia was third in Division III in 20:02.12.

Garcia went into the meet with the second-fastest time this season at the Sunken Meadow 5K course. Her 19:59.34 was second only to Mount Sinai senior Sarah Connelly’s 18:36.39. Connelly was first Tuesday in 18:40.81.

SWR’s Zelin ninth in D-III. Given his druthers, Adam Zelin would prefer not to run in rain. Having said that, he added, “But I enjoy running, so I’d rather run in rain than not run at all.”

And, all things considered, Zelin didn’t do badly for himself at all. The Shoreham-Wading River senior finished ninth in Division III in 17:51.88.

“It was a little bit rough with all the rain,” Zelin said. “Yeah, it definitely could have been worse. I mean, the course was definitely a bit muddy. I was so proud of my time considering everything.”

The boys championship race Zelin ran in was the first of six races on the course, which was already in rough shape.

Zelin said, “Definitely rough because what happened was there was like mud patches everywhere, so you really had to go where you wanted to go because otherwise you were stuck in a mud patch and you get your shoes all wet.”

Photo caption: Despite the rain and mud, Riverhead senior Megan Kielbasa ran her fastest time ever on Sunken Meadow State Park’s 5,000-meter course (19 minutes and 54.99 seconds) to take fourth place in Division I. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Senior David Squires was first to climb atop the monument that displays the Victory Bell outside Pulaski Street School. Fellow seniors Isaiah Barbieri, Steven McDonald and William Berkowsky followed.

Surrounded by a huge group of fellow classmates and Riverhead football supporters, the players paused before ringing. They looked back toward Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field.

Someone was missing.

They needed Albert Daniels.

Clutching a football in his left hand, Daniels — the Blue Waves’ standout running back — arrived a few moments later after completing a television interview. Daniels joined his teammates at the bell and the joyous sound of victory soon rang out as the crowd chanted in unison to 37.

“I’m like, they better not start without me, so I just sprinted over here,” Daniels said.

It was only fitting the Blue Waves waited for Daniels. The senior rushed for four touchdowns in the 37-14 victory against Walt Whitman on homecoming in front of a standing-room only crowd, his latest masterpiece in what has been one of the best individual rushing seasons in the program’s long history.

Albert Daniels carries the ball for Riverhead. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

The win locked the Blue Waves into the No. 6 seed in the playoffs as they avoided a potential drop in power points that could have seen them matched up with undefeated William Floyd. Instead, the Blue Waves (6-2) will travel to face No. 3 Longwood (6-2), likely Friday night.

“I’ve played on this field since I was 6 years old,” Daniels said. “All the greats have rung that bell over the years. To ring it once last time on the home field is beautiful.”

Daniels carried the ball 31 times and gained 194 yards. He scored on runs of 1, 35, 2 and 7.

After taking a one touchdown lead into halftime, the Blue Waves came out firing in the second half with scoring drives on each of their first three possessions, all touchdowns from Daniels.

“That’s a credit to my offensive line and coaches,” Daniels said of the rushing attack. “They do an amazing job game planning and offensive line does a great job blocking.”

Daniels first joined the varsity in Riverhead as a freshman. In those first three years, he never got the chance to experience playoff football.

Three years ago the Blue Waves were 1-7, matching their worst record since 1991. The next two years only added up to five more wins.

Tyreek Earl Parker and Lamarion Hopkins (75) sack Whitman’s quarterback, who lost the ball but was ruled down by contact. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

Now, with Saturday’s win, the Blue Waves matched their winning total from the past three seasons combined — all while competing in Division I for the first time.

Talk about a turnaround.

“I’m super excited,” Daniels said. “First time in playoffs after three-year drought. It’s a great feeling, especially in Division I.”

The Blue Waves will be vying for their first playoff win since defeating Deer Park in the first round in 2014.

Riverhead coach Leif Shay said heading to the playoffs brings back the spirit that Riverhead football has always been known for.

“The community backs these kids and it’s an exciting time,” he said. “They’ll ring the bell and all those traditions come back to life.”

While Whitman came into the game as a bottom-four team in Division I, the Wildcats were coming off a close game against Longwood. The Wildcats lost that game by three points, so the Blue Waves knew they couldn’t take anything for granted.

The bleachers were packed for the homecoming game. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

And Shay is never particularly excited when his team plays on homecoming, always wary of the potential distractions the players could face in the week leading up to the game.

“Credit to our guys that they came in focused and ready to play,” he said.

The Wildcats actually struck first in the game, scoring through the air on their second possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. But the Blue Waves answered with a quick four-play drive after starting in Wildcats’ territory. Quarterback Christopher Dorr connected on a 21-yard pass to Christian Campbell to tie the game.

Riverhead’s defense was outstanding the rest of the way as Whitman could get nothing going on the ground. The Wildcats relied on their passing attack with minimal success the rest of the way. The final two points for Riverhead came  on a safety.

Riverhead kept Whitman off the scoreboard again until late in the fourth quarter, at which point both teams were playing backups.

“I thought it was a great overall team effort [on defense],” Shay said.

Riverhead took the lead on a 10-play drive capped by Daniels’ first touchdown run from a yard out on fourth down with 6:54 left in the second.

Now it’s onto the playoffs.

“It’s going to be a helluva game,” Daniels said.

joew@timesreview.com

Christian Campbell hauls in a touchdown pass in the first quarter. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

The post Football: Daniels’ 4 TD runs spark Blue Waves to another win appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

For our final Times Review Talks event of 2019, we’ll be focusing on Riverhead in 2029.

“Riverhead: What Will It Look Like 10 Years from Now,” is set for noon on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at The Vineyards at Aquebogue. Topics expected to be discussed include the future of downtown development, Route 58, housing, Peconic Bay Medical Center, the EPCAL sale, the upcoming school bond vote and the revitalization of neighboring Riverside.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW

Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, Peconic Bay Medical Center President & CEO Andy Mitchell, Richmond Realty’s Ike Israel and Sean McLean of Mpact Collective and the Riverside redevelopment efforts are among the confirmed panelists. The discussion will be moderated by Times Review Media Group content director Grant Parpan. Representatives of the Riverhead School District, whose taxpayers will soon be asked to consider an $87.9 million facilities bond, declined to participate in the event.

Times Review Talks are panel discussions mostly on issues our communities are facing with the people who best understand the concerns and, in some cases, are in a position to make a difference. Times Review Media Group, which publishes both The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review, held six previous events this year and is currently planning more talks for 2020.

Audience members are invited to ask questions during the 90-minute events. The $30 ticket price ($20 for Times Review subscribers) includes lunch. Space is limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at bit.ly/TRTalks_November.

This month’s lead sponsors are Richmond Realty and Peconic Bay Medical Center. Additional sponsors are Riverhead Ford Lincoln, Riverhead Buick GMC, Suffolk Security Systems and Advantage Title.

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Two men were arrested Thursday for a robbery on Third Street in Riverhead, town police said in a press release.

Victorino Reynosa, 31, of Sag Harbor and Wilber Estuardo Garrido Veliz, 31, of Riverhead are accused of showing a 32-year-old man a knife, striking him in the head and stealing a cell phone and cash before leaving the area by foot.

Police said the two men matched a description given by the victim, who lives on Third Street, according to police.

Both suspects were charged with first-degree robbery. Mr. Reynosa was also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

They are expected to be arraigned Friday morning.

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Friday night’s playoff opener between Riverhead and Longwood could have been billed as the battle of elite running backs.

On one side, the sixth-seeded Blue Waves featured Albert Daniels, who came into the game with 21 touchdowns and a Suffolk County-leading 1,550 rushing yards, according to Newsday stats.

On the other side, the third-seeded Lions featured Anele Nwanyanwu, a 224-pound bruising back who is a likely candidate for the Hansen Award as the top player in the county.

On a frigid night that felt more like late November when the Long Island championship games are played, it was Nwanyanwu and the Lions who emerged on top.

Nwanyanwu’s touchdown late in the second quarter at Longwood High School was all the Lions would need in a 20-0 victory. The senior carried the ball 27 times and gained 165 yards, single-handedly outgaining the entire Blue Waves offense.

The Blue Waves (6-3) couldn’t generate any openings for Daniels to operate and the senior was limited to a season-low 34 yards on 19 carries.

Longwood (7-2) dominated at the line of scrimmage and its defensive line overwhelmed Riverhead.

“They were more physical then us up front,” Riverhead coach Leif Shay said. “That’s what I was worried about in [Division] I.”

The Lions feature four players on their roster above 300 pounds. That’s a lot of size to contend with.

Senior Chris Alvarado, at 6-1, 245, and junior Kory Stevenson, at 6-1, 303, both caused problems for the Blue Waves.

Riverhead ended the game with just three first downs.

Still, the Blue Waves were hanging around late, thanks to a formidable effort on defense. For as tough as Nwanyanwu was, the Blue Waves made him earn his yards.

Longwood led 7-0 at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 16-play drive that ate up nearly the entire quarter. Junior Fernando Rodriguez capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it a 14-0 game.

Nwanyanwu’s season has been remarkable for Longwood and a bit of an oddity, considering how it started. Nwanyanwu, who’s a standout linebacker on defense, said he had never been a running back until this season. He started the year as a tight end.

In Week 3, the coaches challenged him to take on running back duties. A week earlier, the Lions were shut out against Sachem East in one of their two losses on the season.

“I’m very new, very raw,” Nwanyanwu said. “Each game I get more acquitted to it. It’s new, I like it.”

Shay said he thought Nwanyanwu and Daniels are equal players, but the line play was the difference Friday night.

“He’s tough to bring down,” Shay said of Nwanyanwu.

Christian Doroski returns a punt. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Nwanyanwu ran with patience and he has the strength to bounce off defenders and a quick burst to elude tacklers.

With the temperature around 34 degrees at kickoff, Nwanyanwu knew he’d be in for a heavy workload as the passing game likely wasn’t going to be a huge factor.

“It was a ground and pound game,” he said. “So I had to get my mind right for the carries.”

It was a defensive battle throughout the first half and the Lions finally gained some momentum after a Riverhead turnover. The Lions recovered a fumble on a passing play to give themselves a short field with 5 minutes left in the second quarter.

On fourth-and-4 from the 8-yard line, Nwanyanwu broke through the left side and found the end zone.

Fourth down conversions were huge for Longwood throughout the game.

Albert Daniels is surrounded by Longwood players. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

The Blue Waves committed three turnovers, putting themselves in a tough position against a strong opponent.

“We hurt ourselves in the first half,” Shay said. “The penalties hurt us in the first half, the fumbles hurt us. We didn’t play well today.”

Longwood added its final score with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Noah Rattmer ran up the middle for 12 yards on a fourth-and-1 play.

The Lions advance to play No. 2 Sachem East next Friday in the semifinals.

The Blue Waves tried what they could to find a spark on offense. Christopher Dorr started at quarterback and Shay switched at points to use senior David Squires, who began the season as the starter. Squires completed one pass to Isaiah Barbieri for 29 yards.

Either way, the Blue Waves couldn’t sustain any drives.

Shay said he reminded his players in the final huddle that they had a great season.

“I told the guys right now you’re upset. Tomorrow you’re going to wake up and realize you had a great season. You went to [Division] I and won six games and nobody thought you were going to win any.”

Notes:

Riverhead senior Tyreek Earl Parker was taken by ambulance to a local hospital after sustaining an injury early in the fourth quarter. Parker was hit in the head while playing defense and complained of neck pains. He was immediately surrounded by medical personnel on site and an ambulance with the Middle Island Fire Department was already at the game. Shay said he was transported for precautionary reasons. Riverhead fans chanted Parker’s name and the senior gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was lifted into the ambulance.

Top photo caption: Longwood senior Anele Nwanyanwu eludes Riverhead’s Christian Campbell. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

joew@timesreview.com

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Local military families and residents gathered at the Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead Monday morning to celebrate veterans and honor the lives and legacies of the fallen.

Over 30 people attended the ceremony this Veteran’s Day, including a number of standard-bearers, and former and current servicemen and women.

Riverhead Councilwoman Catherine Kent spoke at the event, thanking “those who work tirelessly to watch over our veterans.”

“Let us remember and honor all of our veterans for what they have done to build a more peaceful future for us and generations to come,” she said. “If we show how much we love our country by honoring our veterans, then we can also show how much we love our country by loving our neighbors as ourselves. May God bless all who served and still do, and may God bless America.”

Councilwoman Catherine Kent addresses the group. (Credit: Mahreen Khan)

Following Ms. Kent’s words, co-chair of the Riverhead Combined Veterans Committee Mike Pankowski had a sergeant prepare the traditional three-volley salute, where three signals are fired into the air, followed by the sounding of the “Taps” bugle call.

The site is home to the granite memorial for World War I that honors the Riverhead men who served during WWI.

Following the ceremony, everyone was invited to enjoy light refreshments at the American Legion in Riverhead. The Suffolk County Historical Society is opening a newly interpreted permanent exhibit Nov. 13, called “Long Island in Conflict,” which “offers examples of uniforms, weapons, medals and other objects from our permanent collection, honoring Long Island’s contribution to our country’s defense,” according to a press release.

See more photos below by Mahreen Khan:

mkhan@timesreview.com

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Christina Yakaboski didn’t have to break her back to qualify for the upcoming New York State girls cross-country championships. She had already done that — break her back, that is.

Yakaboski didn’t go through her usual training regimen this past summer. After feeling some back pain, the Riverhead High School senior went to see a doctor and was in for quite a surprise.

“It turned out that I had fractured my back like years ago, I think playing soccer,” she said. “So, we wanted to just take some precautions and just make sure I was resting because my plan now is to run for another four years, so I wanted to make sure I could do that and just live healthy later on, so I was willing to kind of sacrifice this season.”

Yakaboski didn’t begin training until late August and although she has run in all of Riverhead’s races, she has sort of eased her way into the season. Then, one day last week, she told her coach, Justin Cobis: “I feel good. I feel back, ready to go.”

And how.

Yakaboski salvaged her season in the Section XI Championships Friday. She turned in her fastest time of the year at Sunken Meadow State Park — 19 minutes, 47.45 seconds — good enough for fourth place in Class A and a ticket to her first state meet. She will run Saturday in the state championships at SUNY/Plattsburgh.

It had to be doubly gratifying for Yakaboski, who had missed qualifying for last year’s state meet by one place and a mere 1.86 seconds.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “I definitely feel like I deserve that. I feel, last year, that was definitely a possibility for me and I just didn’t [qualify]. I feel that I should have, so I definitely was not going to let it go this time.”

Yakaboski and all the other runners had to contend with frigid, windy conditions. The temperature was 37 degrees at the start of the meet, with a wind-chill factor making it feel as if it was in the 20s. But Yakaboski said her days playing soccer outdoors in the winter had prepared her for the conditions.

What was her game plan for the race?

“Usually I do have a plan, I do have a very specific plan,” she said, “but on the [starting] line today, I was like, ‘I think I’m just going to wing it,’ and that’s what I did, basically. I knew I had to stay at the top, but I just wanted to kind of have fun.”

When Yakaboski saw the leaders set a pace early on that was a little too slow for her liking, she moved in front. “I think over the years I definitely developed a lot more confidence when I race, so I feel like I definitely tapped into that today and wasn’t afraid to lead for a little bit, so I’m definitely proud of myself for that,” she said. “I wasn’t leaving anything to chance.”

Cobis said Yakaboski led for two miles of the 3.2-mile race. “She ran a very smart race, so she put herself in a perfect spot,” he said. “She knows she doesn’t have the strongest kick, so she gave herself a lead enough at the end where she could hold on.”

Commack senior Fiona McLoughlin was first in 19:40.57, with Deer Park sophomore Gianna Marquez (19:46.64) and Lindenhurst senior Veronica Szygalowicz (19:47.05) grabbing the next two spots.

Yakaboski crossed the finish line with her second-fastest time ever on the course. Last year she clocked 19:45.18.

“It’s her best race ever,” Cobis said. “Whether it’s her best time or not, it’s her best race.”

Yakaboski is the first Riverhead girl to qualify for a state meet since Katie Skinner in 2009, said Cobis.

Another Riverhead senior, Megan Kielbasa, who had a splendid season, finished 18th in 20:37.76. She was later followed by teammates Linda Pomiranceva (21st in 20:44.33), Lauren Matyka (58th in 21:43.34), Emma Conroy (59th in 21:43.68), Madison Kelly (79th in 22:25.27) and Kristina DeRaveniere (95th in 22:51.93).

Riverhead finished fourth in the team scoring with 137 points. Ward Melville was first with 73.

How much does qualifying for the state meet mean to Yakaboski?

“Definitely a lot,” she said. “I came in as a freshman. I had no idea what I was doing. That was my first year running cross country, and to end my senior season going to the state meet is probably [my] best moment [in] cross country.”

Nicole Garcia of Shoreham-Wading River races in the Class B championship. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Shoreham-Wading River senior Nicole Garcia will also make her first appearance in the state meet. Garcia was fourth in Class B in 20:14.78.

“This is like my dream and I’ve been pushing for this for two years,” she said.

Also racing for SWR were Emily Cook (17th in 22:06.67), India McKay (27th in 22:47.54), Elenora Undrus (35th in 23:20.37), Colleen Ohrtman (45th in 24:30.08), Isadora Petretti (47th in 24:41.03) and Kelly Logan (49th in 25:11.20).

As with the other runners, Garcia had to battle a nasty headwind down the homestretch. She said: “I just had to fight the wind … I could feel the wind pushing me back. I was just trying to get through it.”

A place in the state meet was waiting for her at the finish line.

“Oh, I had to make it,” she said. “It was my only chance this year.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead senior Christina Yakaboski, who learned this summer that she had fractured her back years ago, qualified for her first state meet with her fourth-place finish in Class A at the Section XI Championships. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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Just because he had qualified for the past two New York State boys cross-country championships didn’t mean that the third time was a breeze for Adam Zelin. Actually, it was anything but that.

With some 1,000 meters to go in Friday’s Class B race in the Section XI Championships, Zelin needed to pass a runner in order to squeeze into a qualifying spot for the upcoming state meet. The Shoreham-Wading River senior did just that before finishing in eighth place.

“I really went for it today,” he said.

Shortly after the race at Sunken Meadow State Park, Zelin received word from his coach, Bob Szymanski, that he was in. He had booked a place for himself in the state championships to be run Saturday at SUNY/Plattsburgh.

“It’s definitely making my [senior] season a real memorable one,” Zelin said. “It’s just crazy how much I progressed [since] sophomore year. Each year I’ve gone to states and I keep getting better times here.”

Zelin completed the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes, 27.87 seconds, about eight seconds faster than he had ever run before at Sunken Meadow. (Miller Place senior Tom Cirrito took first in 16:16.89).

The cold, windy conditions didn’t sit well with Zelin, but he ran with every part of his body covered except his face and neck. He still had to run against a wall of wind down the final stretch to the finish line.

“If there’s no wind, you can live with the cold,” Szymanski said. “I liked running in 30-degree weather with no wind, but when you run in this kind of weather, this can psych you out.”

Zelin said the key to his success is simple: hard work.

“If I wasn’t working as hard, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said. “During workouts, I always keep that mindset, and I’m always trying my hardest.”

The rough weather almost seemed to help the Riverhead runners, five of whom ran the course faster than they ever had before. Freshman Graeme Olsen (47th in Class A in 17:59.94), junior Gabe Burns (60th in 18:24.27), junior Matthew Yakaboski (94th in 19:13.79), junior Pedro Arruda (104th in 19:27.69), senior Brian Noone (116th in 19:39.39) and sophomore Patrick Rowland (128th in 19:55.81) ran for the Blue Waves.

Smithtown senior Michael Danzi was first in 16:28.43.

Olsen, who has broken a number of Riverhead freshman records, beat his previous best time on the course by about 30 seconds. “It’s state quals, so I thought I’d just put it all out there and just leave everything behind and just run the best race that I could,” he said.

This being a state qualifying meet, the stakes were high.

“You feel the intensity overall,” said Burns, who also posted his best time at Sunken Meadow. “You can hear it in people’s voices as you run by them. You can see it in all the coaches around, rooting on the runners because you never know what’s going to happen in this race.”

Riverhead coach Matt Yakaboski, who will return six of his top seven runners next year, said: “They had nothing to lose … I said, ‘Go out and have fun.’

“I’m just really proud of the whole team. From where we started at the beginning of the season to where we finished was a dramatic drop [in times].”

Photo caption: Shoreham-Wading River senior Adam Zelin qualified for his third straight state meet, finishing eighth in Class B at the Section XI Championships. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Riverhead senior Christina Yakaboski ran the fastest time for a Suffolk County Class A girl in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Cross Country Championships Saturday. Yakaboski, competing in her first state meet, clocked a time of 17 minutes, 44.2 seconds, bringing her 29th place on the less-than-three-mile course at cold SUNY/Plattsburgh. She qualified for next week’s federation meet at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, according to coach Justin Cobis.

North Rockland senior Katelyn Tuohy was first in 15:36.5, finishing 25 seconds ahead of the next runner, Fayetteville-Manlius senior Claire Walters.

In Class B, Shoreham-Wading River senior Nicole Garcia, another state meet first-timer, was 11th in 17:42.6. Mount Sinai senior Sarah Connelly charged in first in 16:47.1.

Class C Mattituck competed in the state meet as a team for the eighth year in a row. The Tuckers, led by junior Bella Masotti and senior Payton Maddaloni, were seventh in the team scoring with 185 points. Camden was the champion with 75. Camden senior Elizabeth Lucason won in 16:51.6.

Masotti (18:48.7) and Maddaloni (18:52.1.) were 42nd and 44th. Later crossing the finish line for the Tuckers were sophomore Emily Nicholson (64th in 19:30.4), sophomore Kate Schuch (76th in 19:51.2), junior Emma Reidy (115th in 21:31.0) and Abby Rosato (117th in 21:35.2).

Southold had three girls in the Class D race: senior Olivia Lynch (42nd in 19:55.4), her sister, freshman Francesca Lynch (51st in 20:35.2), and sophomore Evelyn Helinski (93rd in 24:01.6). Tully junior Brooke Rauber was the Class D champion in 16:01.2.

On the boys side, SWR’s Adam Zelin ran in his third state meet. The senior came in 46th in the Class B race in 15:47.9. Pittsford Mendon senior Sam Lawler (14:26.1) won that race.

In Class C, Mattituck freshman Trevor Zappulla, in his first cross-country season, came in 79th in 16:45.7. Also running for the Tuckers were junior Luke Altman (111th in 17:31.2) and senior Eric Palencia (127th in 18:12.7). Skaneateles junior Caleb Bender won the Class B race in 14:41.6.

In Class D, Southold sophomore Isaiah Mraz completed his second straight state meet in 16:34.7, bringing him 33rd place. Southold’s other participants were eighth-grader Flynn Klipstein (68th in 17:38.7), freshman Jack Goscinski (82nd in 18:02.4), senior James Hoyt (86th in 18:12.8) and freshman Robert Doering (91st in 18:28.2). Shelter Island senior Kal Lewis took first in 14:28.1.

Photo caption: Riverhead senior Christina Yakaboski was the first Suffolk County Class A girl to finish in the state meet at SUNY/Plattsburgh. (Credit: Justin Cobis courtesy photo)

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Thirteen Riverhead High School seniors will continue their athletic careers in college. The students, mostly girls lacrosse players, wore their college apparel during a signing ceremony Friday in the district’s athletic office.

The early period for signing a National Letter of Intent began Nov. 13.

The 11 girls signing for lacrosse represent the biggest college showing for the program. The girls lacrosse team last season finished fourth in Division I and reached the semifinals of the Class A playoffs, losing by one goal to top-seeded Middle Country.

With the deep class of seniors returning this year, the Blue Waves should be primed to make a run at the program’s first county title.

The students who signed are:

Emma Conroy, lacrosse, Binghamton University;

Katherine Goodale, lacrosse, Syracuse University;

Lauren Kenny, lacrosse, Stony Brook University;

Ce’Ahnie Khan, lacrosse, Southern Connecticut State University;

Megan Kielbasa, lacrosse, Johns Hopkins University;

Megan McIntosh, soccer, Molloy College;

Emma Panciocco, lacrosse, University of Florida;

Delu Rizzo, lacrosse, University of Massachusetts;

Sophia Salgado, lacrosse, Binghamton University;

Christine Thomas, lacrosse, University of Maryland;

Kristy Troyan, lacrosse, Pace University;

Leah Zenk, lacrosse, Marquette University; and

Caleb Zuhoski, lacrosse, St. John’s University.

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The controversial call still sticks. The memory of it may not go away any time soon.

A questionable foul was whistled against Shoreham-Wading River, leading to the game-winning free throw for Sayville with 4.4 seconds left in a Suffolk County Class A outbracket girls basketball game last season. That sort of memory is not easily deleted.

“Thanks for bringing up bad memories,” said SWR coach Adam Lievre.

On a more positive note, SWR (9-12 last season), after dropping five of its first six league games, turned its season around to extend its remarkable string of playoff appearances to 13 successive years, according to Lievre’s predecessor, Dennis Haughney.

“When we went on Christmas vacation, we were teetering on going in the wrong direction,” said Lievre (71-46 entering his seventh season). “As the season went on we got better and better and better.”

More good news for the Wildcats: They still have Abby Korzekwinski. The All-Conference senior forward was good for 12 points and eight rebounds per game.

“Obviously, she’s committed herself to getting better every year,” Lievre said. He added: “She’s been able to add a little bit of everything to her game … She can give us options. She’s really been able to fill a lot of roles. Her role has grown. She went from being a secondary player to a leader of the team, and we expect a lot out of her every day.”

SWR can also expect good things from senior forward Hayden Lachenmeyer (five points, eight rebounds) and freshman guard GraceAnn Leonard, the League V Rookie of the Year last season. Lachenmeyer’s main responsibilities are defense and rebounding. As for Leonard, she does “just a little bit of everything,” Lievre said. “If you look at her stats, they probably don’t tell you much. But if you watch her day in, day out, her speed and athleticism. She plays the top of a 1-3-1 zone by herself.”

SWR is rich in depth at the guard position with Annie Sheehan, Sophie Costello, Carlie Cutinella, Alexa Constant, Megan Greene, Kelly Cassidy, Isabelle Sheridan and Rachel Sereno. Mia Rosati and Ashley DeLumen help out in the front court.

“I think we have a very good team,” Lievre said. “I think we’re balanced. Although I don’t know the rotation yet, I feel comfortable with our roster. I think we’re going to have a very strong lineup and a very strong bench.”

For all of its success in reaching the playoffs, SWR has never won a county title.

“It’s nice to make the playoffs,” Lievre said, “but I would like to do a little more than that.”

If anyone knows a thing or two about chemistry, it’s Lawrence Mandresh. Mandresh is an advanced placement chemistry teacher at Riverhead High School. In his new capacity as Riverhead’s third coach in as many years after Jackie Zilnicki and Kenny Coard, he’s looking to facilitate chemistry on the court.

Mandresh is no newcomer to Riverhead hoops. He had been the Riverhead Middle School coach for six seasons and coached all but one or two of his current players when they were in middle school. He knows that varsity is a different game.

“Winning is great at middle school,” he said. “Not winning isn’t accepted at high school. Everyone likes to win.”

Riverhead (4-16) didn’t win as much as it would have liked last season. Mandresh, who describes himself as a physically active coach on the sideline (“I’m a little on the crazy side”), preaches unselfish, aggressive team play.

“Although a .500 season would be fantastic between league and non-league games, we’re still hoping to make a push for a playoff spot,” he said. “Anything is possible when no one else knows what you have.”

The Blue Waves have five returning varsity players in Ce’Ahnie Khan, Megan McIntosh, Kendal Kwasna, Jordan Palmer and Kaleigh Seal. Also on the squad are Kelyn Banegas Lopez, Sienna D’Albano, Mackenzie Dorr, Zyaire Hartfield, Lauren Kruger, Victoria Leonardi, Michaela Ligon and Ava Malanga.

“I know these girls,” Mandresh said. “There isn’t one girl on this team who isn’t a fantastic person. They listen … They’re hard workers in school. They are what you want your high school students to be like.”

Photo caption: Abby Korzekwinski, an All-Conference senior forward, brought Shoreham-Wading River 12 points and eight rebounds per game last season. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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