‘The Beard’ named county’s best interior lineman
Kretkowski wins Martone Award
If you went anywhere near Oceanside High School during the football season this year, you probably saw the student t-shirts, the signs and heard the cheers:
“Fear the Beard.”
The students were pointing to the Oceanside left tackle and defensive end, the 6-6, 290 pound James Kretkowski, who terrorized opponents this year not only with his talents on the football field, but with his full-sized beard as well.
“When he hits people, they’re going for a ride. He plays right through to the whistle,” Sailors coach Rob Blount said. “He’s physical and very comfortable in what he’s doing. He makes it look easy.”
He makes it look easy in the school building as well, both with grades and popularity. Earlier this year, Kretkowski was named homecoming king by his senior classmates.
On Dec. 11, Kretkowski was named the recipient of the Martone Award at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. That award is presented by the Nassau County Football Coaches Association to the county’s most outstanding interior lineman.
This year’s other finalists were James O’Hagan of Seaford, and Max Schneider of Oceanside.
“He embodies what the Martone award is about,” Blount said of Kretkowski, who will play at the University of Delaware next season. “What sets him apart is his hard work ethic and effort. He was pretty much the backbone of what we were trying to do.”
Don’t forget the beard. “That was the trademark thing for him,” Blount said. “He played the whole season with that. Not only did it motivate him, but it motivated the players that played against him. It kept him fired up.”
