Tom Cutinella's wake continues Monday at Wading River church
Visitation continues Monday at a Wading River church for a high school football player who died after collapsing during a game.
Mourners flocked to St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church over the weekend to honor Tom Cutinella, 16, a junior on the Shoreham-Wading River High School team.
Cutinella, the eldest of four siblings, was pronounced dead Wednesday night at Huntington Hospital, several hours after he collided with an opposing player.
The offensive guard and linebacker was blocking on a running play when he was hit during an afternoon game in Elwood.
He fell to the ground after the play, briefly got up and then collapsed. Cutinella sustained a head injury, police said.
Visitation Monday is at the church at 1488 North Country Rd. from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated there at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Suffolk County police said they anticipate a "large number of people attending the funeral" on Tuesday so North Country Road will be closed to motorists from Wading River-Manorville Road to North Wading River Road, from 9 a.m. to noon.
There also will be "intermittent roadway closures" throughout the morning along the Route 25A corridor in Wading River, police said.
More than 500 students, teachers, family and community members attended the wake Sunday to honor No. 54. Three days earlier, mourners held a moving candlelight memorial service on the school's football field.
Mount Sinai football coach Vinnie Ammirato said Sunday he brought 13 of his players to the wake because "it's a football family. We're here to support the family, the players and the Shoreham community."
Dozens of football players from other Long Island high schools attended in their team jerseys.
A scholarship in Cutinella's memory has been established through The Shoreham-Wading River Wildcat Athletic Club. Donations can be made at swrwac.org
With Gary Dymski
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