Marines prep for quality finish

It hasn’t been the best of seasons in terms of wins and losses, but Long Beach boys swim coach Woody Davis is optimistic the young Marines can make some noise down the stretch.

“We’ve got a very young team and it’s the first time in five years we’ve relied on a lot of seventh- and eighth-graders to consistently score points,” Davis said. “We’ve improved, but how much we improve in the next few weeks will determine how high we finish.”

Long Beach, which placed second in Nassau County last season, is 4-4 with one regular-season meet remaining and ranks fifth behind Great Neck South, Bellmore-Merrick, Jericho and Plainview. “We were seeded fourth last year and had a big county meet,” Davis said. “We’re aiming for the top three.”

With the division meet on tap for next Thursday (diving) and Saturday, and the county meet a few weeks away, the Marines are gearing up for a visit from Hewlett this Friday at 5 p.m. A defeat would saddle Long Beach with a losing record for just the second time in Davis’ 47-year coaching tenure. “Our only non-winning year was 1966,” he recalled. “The kids are focused on Hewlett. Everyone wants to win and take some momentum into divisions.”

The Marines have dropped three straight since their last victory—97-86 over Garden City on Dec. 22.

Senior Drew Cohen, a captain and one of the team’s leaders, had a huge meet against Garden City. He won the 50 (23.57 seconds) and 100 (51.77) freestyle events and anchored the winning 200 Freestyle Relay. Cohen ranks third in the county in the 100 and fifth in the 50. “He’s a tremendous freestyler with an All-County resume,” Davis said. “He’s consistent, and a key as far as individual events and relays.”

Sophomore Nicholas Stoski, a returning state qualifier, excels in the breaststroke with an All-County time (1:01) that puts him in contention for the title chase Feb. 12 at the Aquatic Center when the three-day county meet concludes. “Every week his times have dropped,” Davis said of Stoski, who plays a big part in the 200 Medley Relay and also swims the 200 Individual Medley. “The 100 breast is going to be a good race. If he does his time from last season, he can win it.”

Senior Ryan Murray, another captain along with Brian Whalen, has been consistent in the 50 free and continues to shave time off his 100 backstroke, breaking 1:02 in a loss to Bellmore-Merrick on Jan. 7. After missing a loss to Jericho on Jan. 18, he’s expected back in the lineup against Hewlett.

“It has been a rough season for sickness,” Davis said. “We’ve been without more kids than usual.”

Seniors Shane Alton (butterfly) and Matthew Shouldis (freestyle), junior Carlos Mejia (freestyle, backstroke), sophomore Harrison Weitz (diving), eighth-graders Max Willard (freestyle distance) and David Mejia (breaststroke, 200 IM), and seventh-grader Michael McCarthy (butterfly) have also made a splash.

Comments about this story? TBellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.