As 22-mile-per-hour winds swirled around Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, and the wind-chill factor made it feel like 12 degrees, the Riverhead Blue Waves huddled inside their locker room preparing for the Division II county championship against West Islip.
A calm silence fell over the group. READ
In early October, as the Shoreham-Wading River football team boarded the bus at Connetquot High School following a four-point loss to John Glenn, thoughts of the Rutgers Trophy couldn’t have been further from the minds of players. The Wildcats were 3-2, fighting through injuries and searching for a groove. READ
Shoreham-Wading River coach Matt Millheiser accepts the Rutgers Trophy on the team’s behalf at Monday night’s all-county dinner. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)
One-by-one, the players of the Shoreham-Wading River football team entered the catering hall at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge Monday night. Wearing their jerseys over their dress shirts, they walked in a line toward the dais, pausing to share a hug with Tom Cutinella’s mother, Kelli.
Moments earlier, the Wildcats were announced as the winner of the Rutgers Trophy as the top team in Suffolk County during the annual all-county dinner. It was a first in program history in a season filled with firsts. (more…)