Sports Roundup: Jan. 18, 2024

Boys Basketball 

Jan. 12: Sachem East 62, Riverhead 47

It’s been a tough season for Riverhead after having high hopes to start the year. The squad hasn’t been able to produce wins despite being competitive in every game they’ve played. The game against Sachem East (4-5 League I, 8-5 overall) was no different. After finishing the first quarter ahead, 14-10, the Blue Waves scuttled away the lead in the second quarter, allowing Sachem East to score 21 points while only scoring nine. Alex Apicella led Sachem East in points scored with 19 and Danny Kozlowski added another 11. Riverhead’s AJ Austin had his best game of the season, scoring almost half of the Blue Waves’ points with 20. After being successful from beyond the arc during most of the season, Riverhead was only able to connect on one three-point basket against Sachem East. The Blue Waves have three games coming up: Jan. 18, Patchogue-Medford at Riverhead at 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 24, Riverhead at William Floyd at 4 p.m.; and Jan. 26, Brentwood at Riverhead at 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball

Jan. 12: Sachem East 53, Riverhead 32

After a very strong start during the season, Riverhead (2-5 League I, 4-5 overall) has taken a small step back, coming up against some of the strongest squads in League I. Sachem East got ahead in this one and kept the Blue Waves off the board the rest of the way. Riverhead managed to score only eight points in every quarter. Defense has been the key to the Blue Waves’ success in the early going and they’ll continue to need to rely on that the rest of the way. The two league wins thus far is an incredible accomplishment for a team that didn’t win any last year. In the game against Sachem East, Logan Pilon led all scorers with 21 points. The junior has been excellent on both sides of the court but will need some help in the scoring column. The Blue Waves have three games coming up: Jan. 18, Riverhead at Pathogue-Medford at 4 p.m.; Jan. 24, William Floyd at Riverhead at 4 p.m.; and Riverhead at Brentwood at 4 p.m.

Jan. 8: Shoreham-Wading River 58, Center Moriches 35

The Wildcats have been slowly coming along this season as the team continues to work through some inconsistencies. With athletes up and down the floor, the best is yet to come. It’s just going to take time. Juliana Mahan, the one returning starter from last year’s Suffolk County championship squad, is becoming a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses. Against Center Moriches, Mahan scored 16 points to lead the team to victory. The Wildcats led the whole way and never looked back. Vanessa Stewart scored 22 points for Center Moriches. Shoreham-Wading River (2-1 League 6, 6-5 overall) have plenty of time to prepare and improve for another run in the Class A playoffs. Upcoming Wildcats games: Jan. 18, John Glenn at Shoreham-Wading River at 5:15 p.m.; Jan. 20, Hampton Bays at Shoreham-Wading River at noon; and Jan. 23, Shoreham-Wading River at Southampton at 6:45 p.m.

Boys Track

Jan. 6: Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River Section XI Crossover Championships

Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River competed in the Section XI Crossover Championships, which included all schools in Suffolk County, large and small. Here are some notable results.

Michael Huebner (SWR) ran the 300m dash in 37.87 seconds, which was good for 4th place. Jake Smith (SWR) finished the 600m dash with a time of 1:30.37, which earned 9th place. Jarrell Winston (SWR) placed 9th in the 1000m run with a time of 2:48.15. Noah Wyszomierski (SWR) finished in 6th place in the 1600m run with a time of 4:47.19. James Hise (RIV) finished the 55m hurdles in 15th place with a time of 8.67. Riverhead took 5th place in the 4×800 relay with a time of 9:02.48. Logan Jung (SWR) earned 2nd place with a 6-01 jump in the high jump, and Kobe Boyle (RIV) tied for 7th with a jump of 5-06. Karter Doyle (RIV) finished 8th in the shot put event with a throw of 41-06.