Patchouge-Medford High School has renamed its basketball court in honor of U.S. Navy hero, Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony held on Thursday night to honor Murphy. His family was present for the event and received Pat-Med basketball jersey’s with Murphy on the back.
The baseball field, basketball court and overall high school campus are all named in honor of Murphy.
Winter sports have officially started across New York this week.
Good luck to all student-athletes during the winter season. We’re bound to have a ton of incredible action over the next few months.
If you’re into basketball, wrestling, swimming, indoor track, cheerleading, gymnastics or fencing, there will be plenty of games to attend, stories to read and student-athletes to make magical moments.
Stay tuned to Section XI’s platforms for update all winter long!
We’re kicking off the winter season’s “Suffolk to the Pros” notebook by featuring Walt Whitman alum Tom Gugliotta, who played in the NBA from 1992 through 2005.
Gugliotta was a first round pick out of North Carolina State. He was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Bullets in 1992.
He traveled around a bit during his career, playing for Washington, Golden State, Minnesota, Phoenix, Utah, Boston and Atlanta and had his best season in 1997 with the Timberwolves when he was named an NBA All-Star.
Russell Athletic announced today that Huntington High School is the 2016 “Fight Like Dylan Award” recipient.
In its sixth year, the award honors high school sports teams that have used inspiring perseverance to overcome odds and achieve success through teamwork.
A panel of judges, led by Pro Football Hall of Famer, Tony Dungy, selected the recipient after reviewing submissions from across the nation. Through this initiative, Russell Athletic will present Huntington High School with a $50,000 grant for sports apparel and equipment in a celebratory event hosted at the high school. The Huntington football team took inspiration from an honorary teammate battling a terminal disease to turn their season around and become a stronger, more inspired team that made the state playoffs.
Huntington football’s inspiration and honorary teammate was Eli Mollineaux. The Blue Devils struggled early in the season and were a longshot to make the playoffs, but Eli, who suffered from Pearson Syndrome – a mitochondrial disease – was defying his own odds at age fourteen after doctors told his parents that he would not live past kindergarten.
Eli’s infectious personality, charisma and bravery were the motivation for the Huntington football team, adopting the mantra “#bELIeve” this season in his honor. The turning point for the Blue Devils’ season came in September during a game recognizing Eli. After losing their first three games, Huntington was scheduled to face their rival, Smithtown West.
As a tribute to Eli and his courageousness, players invited the young man onto the field to score his first touchdown with 1,500 fans chanting #bELIeve. Players from both teams ran alongside him and cheered him across the goal line. The opposing team even wore Eli’s #40 jersey with his name on back, while fans held #bELIeve signs. Motivated by Eli, the team went on to win the game 42-20 and then proceeded to win five of their next six games securing their spot in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, in late October, Eli passed away, but the team and community still draw from the memory of Eli’s bravery and courage displayed during his short life.
“We are proud to be the brand that gives voice to such amazing stories of communities that have struggled, but still found success through teamwork. After careful review of all the submissions, we are proud to have Huntington High School as our 2016 Fight Like Dylan Award recipient,” said Matt Murphy, Vice President of Marketing, Russell Athletic. “The support for Eli and his determination to beat the odds is what made the story so profound, proving that the power of team can make a difference in not only one life, but an entire community.”
“Our team adopted Eli into our family the first day he took the field,” said Head Football Coach Steve Muller. “And we celebrated as teammates when he scored his touchdown, just as we now celebrate his life.”
The Huntington Blue Devils and Eli Mollineaux are a direct representation of the team message Russell Athletic espouses through the “Team On” campaign that kicked off during the 2016 football season. Russell Athletic believes that teams can find an uncommon strength when faced with adversity and they celebrate those teams every year through this award. Not unlike the previous five recipients, the story of Huntington Football and Eli exemplifies a team finding strength and inspiration in their community. Each recipient has proudly represented the memory of Dylan Rebeor, the award’s namesake and a high school football player whose last wish selflessly was for his teammates to receive new uniforms before he passed away in 2011.
“Each year I continue to be amazed by the incredible stories of our high school athletes,” said Tony Dungy. “The Huntington High School football team has proven that you can inspire an entire community though the acts of goodwill, character and teamwork.”
Dungy, Heather Rebeor (Dylan’s Mother), and a representative from each of the past “Fight Like Dylan Award” recipients served on this year’s selection committee. To learn more about Dylan’s story, visit www.FightLikeDylan.org.
“The story of the Huntington football team is proof of how a group of spirited individuals can make a lasting impression,” said Heather Rebeor. “It has truly been a rewarding experience to have Dylan’s legacy continue through the Russell Athletic “Fight Like Dylan” Award.”
Section XI would like to wish all of the student-athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, parents, and supporters a very Happy Thanksgiving this year! We are so thankful to be able to serve you!
Check out some photos from the Suffolk County boys golf championships …
Being the athletic director of a one the largest school districts in the state is truly an honor. Working with over 125 staff members from physical education, health, nurses and athletics there is never a day that goes by where nothing is going on.
I would have never thought that working Monday through Saturday and putting in over 60-hour work weeks would be something I looked forward to every single morning.
The decision to become an athletic director was one that developed over time for me. When I first graduated from Hofstra University with my degree in physical education all I could think about was becoming a physical education teacher and coaching a football program to a Long Island Championship.
It still amazes me how my goals changed year-to-year. I was lucky to work my entire teaching career in the Baldwin School District as an elementary physical education teacher, coach varsity track and field and junior varsity football. I was lucky to work with a lot of great student-athletes and staff while in Baldwin. The most gratifying achievement was watching alumni come back season after season from college and their new careers and seeing how the program was progressing and keeping in contact with me.
After 11 years of being a teacher and coach I realized that I wanted to make an impact on a much larger scale and the only way to do that was through administration. Currently in my third year at Middle Country and my fifth year as an athletic administrator, it is a privilege to work and try to give as many students and athletes the best possible experience on a daily basis. Some of my favorite moments in Middle Country have been hosting events such as National Signing Day and end-of-season ceremonies. Helping student-athletes achieve their goals on and off the field is a daily driving force.
Being an athletic director and working with so many different people, I have learned that in order to accomplish goals it has to be a true team effort. Thankfully I have two assistants and two coordinators that are absolutely sensational at their jobs. They ensure that the day to day tasks run smoothly and efficiently. In addition, my colleagues in Section XI with all of their experience are never more than a phone call away and eager to assist in any questions I may have.
As I look forward to the years to come I hope that I can have a positive influence on student athletes, parents, coaches and teachers in the Middle Country School District and in Section XI.
Joseph Mercado is Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics of the Middle Country School District.
A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Foundation revealed that high school athletes who specialize in a single sport sustain lower-extremity injuries at significantly higher rates than athletes who do not specialize in one sport.
This school year is flying and winter sports begin on Monday, November 14.
Good luck to all student-athletes, coaches and teams in the months ahead.
Here is a reference for winter sports info:
Sport specific pages
This week’s “Section XI Photo of the Week” comes to us from Bellport Football.
Check out the featured image box above!
