Salute to champions

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It was a banner season for many high school sports teams within the Herald's coverage area in 2015-16. Listed are some of the top team accomplishments, in chronological order.

           

1. Seaford girls volleyball

After falling short against Lynbrook in the 2014 Nassau Class B girls’ volleyball final, Seaford turned the table on the Lady Owls on Nov. 11 at SUNY Old Westbury to capture its fourth county championship in the last five seasons. Behind their lone starter from the 2013 title-winning team, setter Erin Russell, the Lady Vikings pulled off an unexpected sweep of the defending champs: 25-18, 26-24, 25-20. Russell had 20 assists, 11 digs and five kills, junior Sophie Dandola added 11 kills, and senior Emily Angelastro led a solid defensive effort.

 

2. Wantagh girls volleyball

For the first time since capturing three consecutive Nassau Class A girls’ volleyball championships from 2009-11, Wantagh got back on top. The Lady Warriors, a year after coming up short against South Side in the county finals, with a relentless attack directed by senior setter Katie Hagan, swept Long Beach for the title on Nov. 11 at SUNY Old Westbury. Hagan handed out 28 assists, senior Haley Labo and junior Jillian Graham had 12 kills apiece, and senior Nicole Hilton added 10 kills in Wantagh’s 25-20, 25-17, 25-17 victory.

 

3. Kennedy boys volleyball

After capturing their sixth Nassau County boys’ volleyball championship in the last eight years on Nov. 12, the Kennedy Cougars dropped three tight sets to Hauppauge in the Long Island Class B title match. Junior Owen Bradley, an All-County honoree, racked up eight kills against Hauppauge, while junior setter Josh Levine had 32 assists. Effort and teamwork were the driving forces behind Kennedy’s success, which included an 18-4 record and a straight set victory over Jericho in the Nassau Class B final. Senior Michael Ianniello earned the playoff tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.

 

4. MacArthur football

A week after MacArthur dethroned two-time defending Nassau Conference II and Long Island Class II football champion Carey by scoring 22 unanswered points, the Generals captured their first county title since 2002 in similar come-from-behind fashion against neighboring Wantagh on Nov. 20. Senior tailback Vin Martino rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns, and senior Vin Thron’s interception return for a touchdown with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter put MacArthur ahead for good in its 28-14 victory before a crowd of more than 3,500 at Hofstra.

 

5. Long Beach wrestling

The New York State top-ranked Long Beach wrestling program enjoyed a history-making performance at the Nassau Division I championships held Feb. 13-14 at Hofstra, setting records for points (322.5) and All-County (14) finishers on the way to capturing its first county tournament title in six years. The Marines crowned four county champs, the most in any season under 20-year head coach Ray Adams, including undefeated sophomore Jacori Teemer (126 pounds) who went on to capture a third straight state title. Teemer, Shawn Bourne (120), Tyrese Byron (152) and Tyreek Bromley (182) also advanced to the state tournament.

 

6. Bellmore-Merrick hockey

With Bellmore-Merrick’s hopes of winning its first-ever Nassau County hockey championship sitting on the end of his stick in overtime against Long Beach on Feb. 26, Mepham High School junior Jon Olson scored perhaps the biggest goal of his career — and that’s saying something, minutes earlier he had scored the game-tying goal with just 1:22 remaining in regulation. Olson converted a penalty shot with 18.5 seconds left in overtime of Game 2 in the Michelino Division championship to give Bellmore-Merrick a thrilling 5-4 win at Long Beach Arena. The Bulldogs won Game 1, 4-3, two days earlier at Newbridge Arena.

 

7. Baldwin girls basketball

By the time Baldwin hit its first jumper of the game, with 2:36 remaining in the first quarter, the Lady Bruins were already well on their way to clinching a third straight Nassau County Class AA girls’ basketball championship, which they did by knocking off Massapequa, 57-37, on Feb. 27 at Adelphi University. Sophomore Aziah Hudson nearly outscored the Lady Chiefs on her own, piling up a game-high 34 points on an array of drives to the hoops, three-pointers (three) and free throws (five.) Sophomore Jenna Anneccharico added 11 points.

8. Baldwin boys basketball

Following a scoreless drought of more than eight minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters transformed Baldwin’s 9-point lead over Half Hollow Hills West into a deficit of 5, the Bruins’ dynamic duo of Shane Gatling and Jared Rhoden took over down the stretch of the Long Island Class AA boys’ basketball championship game on March 6. Gatling netted 9 of his 26 points and Rhoden scored six of his 11 in the final 2:41 as Baldwin closed the game on a 15-point run to secure a 65-55 victory at LIU Post.

 

9. Elmont boys basketball

In a historic season defined by tenacious defense and preparation, Elmont captured its first-ever state boys’ basketball championship with a 57-43 win over Troy in the Class A title game at Glens Falls Civic Center on March 13. The Spartans forced 23 turnovers and had three double-digit scorers, including Jalen Burgess, the tournament MVP, with 19 points. It was their 13th consecutive win and program-record 23rd overall. Travis Robinson-Morgan had 15 points and KC Ndefo added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Elmont, which rallied to beat Harborfields for the L.I. crown a week earlier.

 

10. V.S. North boys/girls track

While Valley Stream North’s boys’ track and field team continued its dominance, winning its ninth spring county championship in 11 years, the Lady Spartans doubled the fun by finally overtaking North Shore to win their first Nassau Class A title in six seasons on May 24. Senior Angeli Andre took home county titles in the 200-meter dash, high jump and long jump. On the boys’ side, senior Jarred Times won the county title in the long jump and triple jump, senior Jake Catalano won the 1600, and junior Tyler John took the high jump.

 

11. Clarke softball

With the right arm of Sarah Cornell leading the way, Clarke won its second straight Long Island Class A softball championship, beating Mount Sinai, 7-1, at Hofstra on June 3. Cornell allowed just two hits, both in the fifth inning, walked only one and struck out 14 as the Lady Rams built a comfortable lead after three innings on the way to winning a rematch from a year ago. Victoria Sferazza drove in a run in each of the first two innings, while Kirstin Cox and Emily Widmaier both scored twice to lead an offense averaging seven runs per game in the postseason.

 

12. MacArthur softball

            A year after its season ended in walk-off fashion with a heartbreaking loss to Oceanside in the Nassau Class AA softball championship series, MacArthur couldn’t have picked a better time for its first walk-off win of 2016. The Lady Generals squandered a five-run lead but staged their own rally June 3 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Commack, 8-7, to capture the Long Island Class AA title at Hofstra. Freshman Lisa Fabig drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk to tie it, then sophomore Deanna Barrera battled to a full count and walked to force home the winning run.

 

13. East Meadow baseball

East Meadow erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first and survived a three-run seventh by Massapequa to capture the Nassau County Class AA baseball championship with a 5-3 win at Farmingdale State on June 1. Senior Ryan Wallstedt struck out pinch hitter Albert Fanara with a runner on third base to give the third-seeded Jets their first title since 2005. Senior Matt Mascia, who pitched into the seventh before being removed after a leadoff walk, didn’t allow a runner past second base and scattered six hits.

 

14. Hewlett girls track

With contributions coming from numerous competitors, Hewlett’s girls’ track and field team secured county supremacy by narrowly defeating Garden City at the Nassau Class AA championships on May 26. The Lady Bulldogs picked up 85 points, while the Trojans had 78. It was the first county title for Hewlett since 2004. Patsy Iannico recovered from an early fall to capture the 400 intermediate hurdles, while Cynthia DeBranche took the 100 hurdles. Freshman Ronnie Hillel won the pole vault title and was runner-up in the triple jump.

 

15. East Rockaway softball

Playing for the second time in three days after being idle for more than three weeks, East Rockaway clicked on all cylinders in the Long Island Class C softball championship/Southeast Regional semifinal and cruised to an easy 21-4 victory over Pierson/Bridgehampton at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue on June 2. It was their first L.I. title since 2007. Senior Sydney O’Connor and sophomore Sarah Donnelly both had two-run hits in the fourth, while freshman pitcher Emily Chelius scattered five hits, walked one and struck out five and helped her own cause with two hits and four RBIs in the fifth.

 

16. East Rockaway softball

Being the only Class C school in the county meant East Rockaway had a free ride to the Long Island baseball championship game, but it also meant that the orange-and-black would have to endure a three-week gap between games. Despite the long break, the Rocks came out with no signs of rust and, behind a dominant pitching effort and some timely hitting, they shutout Southold, 3-0, to take the L.I. crown at PAL Stadium in Holtsville on June 2. Senior pitcher Ryan Kelly yielded just one hit as East Rockaway earned Long Island supremacy for the first time since 2007.

 

16. Wantagh baseball

An arm injury suffered five innings into the Nassau Class A baseball playoffs ended Wantagh senior ace Will O’Brien’s contributions on the mound, but he never stopped swinging. O’Brien’s bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the seventh-seeded Warriors a 3-2 walk-off victory over Kennedy in the deciding game of the best-of-three county championship series at Farmingdale State College on June 1. Wantagh went on to beat Mount Sinai, 3-1, for the L.I. title and then completed a magical season June 11 by capturing the state crown with a come-from-behind 6-5 win over Williamsville East. Jimmy Joyce’s homer and Bobby Hegarty’s arm won it.