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BAYPORT-BLUE POINT PHANTOMS 
Last season: 3-3 
Coach: Toni Mulgrave 
KEY PLAYERS 
Natalee Fabrizio, 5-0, G, Sr.; Samantha Haber, 5-5, G, So.; Erin McMahon, 5-9, F, Sr.; Ava Meyn, 5-10, F, Fr.; Maggie Kennedy, 5-10, F, Jr. 
ABOUT THE PHANTOMS: The team is led by tremendous athleticism and speed. They are looking to earn a spot in the playoffs and earn a team win. 
GLENN KNIGHTS 
Last season: 4-3 
Coach: Sean McGinty 
KEY PLAYERS 
Gabby Andreacchi, 5-8, F, Sr.; Lindsey Adomaites, 5-4, G, Jr.; Liv Brignati, 5-4, G, Sr.; Christina Kology, 5-6, G, Sr.; Abby Miller, 5-9, F, Sr. 
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: Andreacchi, who averaged 16 points per game last season, will lead the team this year. The squad has solid shooting skills and plays sound defense. 
HAMPTON BAYS BAYMEN 
Last season: 0-3 
Coach: Darryl K. Johnson 
KEY PLAYERS 
Haley Castaldo, 5-7, G, Sr.; Sophia Corredor, 5-6, G, Jr.; Asha Johnson, 6-0, F, Fr.; Jordyn Meyers, 5-5, G, Jr.; Kaitlyn Mounts, 5-10.5, F, Sr. 
ABOUT THE BAYMEN: Mounts, who averaged 9 points per game last season, leads the team and commands a double team which will be complemented by young and explosive freshman, Johnson. 
MILLER PLACE PANTHERS 
Last season: 4-2 
Coach: Ryan Candurra 
KEY PLAYERS 
Danielle Cirrito, 5-7, G, Sr.; Katie Doherty, 5-6, G, Jr.; Emma LaMountain, 5-8, C, Sr.; Lauren Molinaro, 5-7, F, Sr.; Andie Mott, 5-7, G, Sr. 
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: The team is led by tremendous physical strength and ability to play both solid offense and defense. 
MT. SINAI MUSTANGS 
Last season: 6-2 
Coach: Jeff Koutsantanou 
KEY PLAYERS 
Kylie Budke, 5-5, G, Sr.; Casey Campo, 5-9, G, Sr.; Lauren Jakalitsch, 5-10, C, Sr.; Daniella Sofia, 5-8, G, Jr.; Brielle Williams, 5-5, G, Jr. 
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS: Campo leads the squad averaging 24 points per game last season. The team’s goal is to win a Class A county championship this year. 
SHOREHAM WADING-RIVER WILDCATS 
Last season: 4-1 
Coach: Adam Lievre 
KEY PLAYERS 
Sophie Costello, 5-6, G, Jr.; Carlie Cutinella, 5-6, G, Sr.; GraceAnn Leonard, 5-7, G, Jr.; Colleen Ohrtman, 5-8. G, Jr.; Annie Sheehan, 5-8, G, Jr. 
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: The team finished League VII champs last season with Leonard averaging 19.8 points per game. This season, the squad has five returning starters and a strong bench.

Sports

High School

Girls Basketball

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Suffolk VI girls basketball team-by-team preview

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Gregg Sarra

Everything was different about Dakim Griffin for the fall football season of 2021. The former Half Hollow Hills West star as a freshman and then student-athlete at St. Anthony’s was now donning a Thunderbirds uniform in his senior year at Half Hollow Hills East. 
The path to the other side of the Half Hollow Hills School District made an immediate impact on Suffolk’s Division II. 
Griffin was more mature, physically strapped, and much faster. The senior halfback had changed the complexion of the division the first day he stepped onto the Thunderbirds practice field. 
Griffin was a game changer. 
And on opening day he served notice on the division. He rushed for 154 yards and three first-quarter touchdowns and Hills East went on to a 48-19 win over Centereach. 
Griffin finished the season with 176 carries for 2,045 yards rushing and a Hills East school record 29 touchdowns. 
For his achievements Griffin was named the winner of the Joe Cipp Award presented to Suffolk’s top running back at the Suffolk County Coaches Association banquet Monday night at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge. The finalists were Dylan Harris of Floyd and Leo Lopez of East Islip. 
"His arrival was a difference maker in our division," said Lindenhurst coach Nick Lombardo. "Here was an exceptional halfback that could score on any given play." 
Lindenhurst would allow two Griffin touchdowns, including a 63-yarder to open the second half, but the Bulldogs scored 17 unanswered points for a 17-13 come-from-behind win over Hills East in the second week of the season. 
"He’s scary," Lombardo said. "We made some great open field tackles. But he’s a special player." 
<h3>Rob Burnett Award</h3> 
Deontae Sykes missed his junior year of football. For most players that would be a major setback when looking for college offers. Sykes, a two-way impact player for the Riverhead football program, needed a place to play. Riverhead had disbanded its team at the varsity level in 2020 and Sykes needed a home. 
He made that home at William Floyd. And his arrival was welcomed by head coach Paul Longo. 
"He is a high character kid, a role model for the rest of our team," Longo said. "And he’s a great football player." 
The 6-1, 265-pound Sykes dominated the line of scrimmage and had 71 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, including 14 sacks. He was named the Rob Burnett Award winner as Suffolk’s Defensive Player of the Year. 
"He was just so explosive off the ball and unstoppable," Longo said. "He already has a few college offers on the table." 
<h3>Other award winners</h3> 
Elias Barrett of Half Hollow Hills East took home the Collotta Award for best linebacker. The finalists were Joe Bonilla of Central Islip and Benny Sands of Sayville. 
Commack’s Christian Baldi earned the National Football Foundation Receiver Award. Whitman’s Brandon Ivy and Bayport-Blue Point’s Jameson Smith were finalists. 
Sayville’s Mack Murtha copped the Cassese Award for the top defensive back. The finalists were Rasahn Thompson of Whitman and Shane Patterson of Half Hollow Hills East. 
Sayville’s Charlie Sands earned the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Award for achievement in academics, care for community and football. And Dawson Atlas of Kings Park won the 12th Man Award for overcoming adversity to play football.

High School Football

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Hills East's Dakim Griffin wins Cipp Award; Floyd's Deontae Sykes claims Burnett Award

Hills East's Griffin wins Cipp; Floyd's Sykes claims Burnett

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As she stood up on the mat to end her dazzling floor routine, Alexandra Melchiona cracked a smile and posed unsure of what her place would be on the podium. To those in the stands that watched her move from rotation to rotation, it was clear she was golden. 
"I was unsure. There were a lot of good gymnasts here and a lot of them I’m really good friends with, so I really wasn’t sure" said Melchiona, a junior at Connetquot. 
Melchiona was crowned Suffolk gymnastics individual champion on Friday night at Connetquot High School. She cruised to the win with an all-around score of 37.125. Hannah Hughes of Middle Country placed second with a 35.900. Riley McPartland of Sachem took third (35.750). 
Melchiona won three individual events. She earned a 9.4 on the beam, 9.275 for the floor exercise and 9.15 on the bars. She placed second on the vault with a score of 9.3, finishing behind McPartland’s 9.325. Each time Melchiona prepared to begin her routine, the crowd reached a new decibel. 
"Being home is great, such a better feeling than being at an away meet" Melchiona said. 
She earned the highest all-around score just three days earlier at the Suffolk team championship in West Islip. She carried the momentum of that strong performance to an individual title Friday night. 
"It definitely helped, for sure I knew I needed to improve on bars," she said. 
Melchiona heads a team that will head up to Buffalo to compete in the state championships. That team includes her teammates Arianna Platti and Noel Cutinella. 
Melchiona’s display of brilliance at the event elicited roars from the crowd and tears from her coach, who wasn’t at all surprised by Melchiona’s finish. 
"The absolute number one reason she stood on that podium is that this kid has more heart than anyone else," said coach Renee Guerrieri. "She is the hardest worker and one of the toughest kids … nothing stops her. She loves the sport and what she does. That’s why she’s number one."

Gymnastics

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Connetquot's Alexandra Melchiona wins Suffolk individual gymnastics title

Connetquot's Melchiona wins Suffolk gymnastics title

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Gene Morris

If playing for first place against crosstown rival Mount Sinai wasn’t enough to get the Shoreham-Wading River football team amped to play under the lights, the Wildcats had the extra motivation Friday night. 
The team came out in their ‘Tommy Tough’ jerseys, in honor of Thomas Cutinella, a former SWR football player who passed away seven years to the day after sustaining an injury on the field. 
"We don’t usually wear these until the playoffs but today was an important day so we decided to wear them," h-back and outside linebacker Dylan Kiely said. 
For nearly three quarters things looked to be going as planned for the Wildcats, jumping out to a three-score lead. 
But the Mustangs wouldn’t go away, drawing to within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter before the SWR defense buckled down to help secure a 20-13 victory and the top spot in Suffolk Division IV. 
"That’s a really good, well coached football team," SWR coach Aden Smith said. "They are always prepared and it didn’t surprise us that we had to play them down to the wire. I’m proud of my guys for fighting until the end and being resilient." 
The teams exchanged turnovers on their opening drives before SWR put together an 11-play, 45-yard drive that was capped by an 8-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dylan Zahn to open the scoring. 
Mt. Sinai proceeded to go three-and-out on its next drive and the Wildcats (4-0) once again had another 11-play drive, this one totaling 75 yards and punctuated by a 14-yard touchdown run by Max Barone. 
"Max has the best vision I’ve ever seen from a ball carrier," Kiely said. 
Zahn and Barone led the way on the ground early and after Mt. Sinai (3-1) committed to loading the box to stop the run SWR was able to hit some big shots down the field. 
Zahn found Kiely for a 35-yard pass over the middle on the Wildcats second drive in the second half and finished the drive with a 33-yard touchdown strike to Liam Leonard on fourth-and-17 late in the quarter for a 20-0 lead. 
"We’ve had those plays set up for a while and we haven’t brought them out in our previous games," Kiely said. "We’ve been waiting for the right moment and tonight was it. Dylan [Zahn] was watching the safeties all game and when they came down I was wide open." 
Mt. Sinai came alive on the following possession after James Carretta took a screen pass 58 yards and found the end zone on a 2-yard run two plays later. After forcing a SWR three-and-out, Carretta returned a punt 65-yard to the end zone to cut the deficit to 20-13. 
"We knew we had to keep our energy up," Zahn said. "We started to slow down and that’s when everybody started to rally together." 
Both defenses held strong the rest of the game, giving the Wildcats the early edge in a rivalry that has extended into the Suffolk IV title game each of the last three years. 
"This win was huge," Barone said. "There was a different sort of energy in the air and everyone felt more excited because it’s a huge rivalry for us."

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Inspired by Thomas Cutinella, Shoreham-Wading River beats Mount Sinai

Inspired by Cutinella, SWR beats Mt. Sinai

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A look at the top high school gymnasts competing this fall in Suffolk, listed in alphabetical order. 
(Note: Nassau gymnastics competes in the winter season.) 
Samantha Alcure, Smithtown, Sr. 
She was ranked in the top 10 on the bars and beam before an ankle injury forced her to miss the postseason last spring. 
Emily Ball, West Islip, 7th grade 
She’s incredibly strong on the bars and could compete in the all-around. 
Juliana Banville, East Islip, Fr. 
As a middle-schooler, Banville was among the top 20 in Suffolk County on bars and beam in each of the last two seasons. 
Grace Brandofino, Smithtown, Jr. 
She was a top-10 vaulter at the Long Island championships last spring. 
Amanda Consentino, Smithtown, Sr. 
She qualified for the Suffolk team on the bars at the Long Island championships last spring. 
Noel Cutinella, Connetquot, Sr. 
She was fifth on beam with a 9.0 at the Suffolk individual championships last season. 
Amelia DiBenedetto, West Islip, Fr. 
She is strong on the beam and floor. 
Cara DiPenta, Smithtown, Jr. 
She finished in the top 10 on bars at the Long Island championships last spring. She also was 21st in the all-around at the Suffolk County individual championships. 
Adison Eisenberg, Half Hollow Hills, Soph. 
The Half Hollow Hills East gymnast placed fifth in the all-around and fourth on vault at the Suffolk individual championships last season. She finished 10th on vault at the Long Island championships. 
Isabella Field, Bay Shore/Islip, Fr. 
She placed 10th in the all-around with a 33.950 at the Suffolk individual championships last season. 
Bayla Goldberg, Smithtown, 8th grade 
She was among the best in Suffolk County on bars and vault as a seventh-grader. 
Brianna Lanza, Bay Shore/Islip, Soph. 
The Islip gymnast was seventh on beam with a 8.85 at the Suffolk individual championships last season. 
Olivia Marker, West Islip, Sr. 
She was in the top 15 on the beam at last season’s Suffolk individual championships. 
Carly McEntee, Whitman, Sr. 
She qualified for the Suffolk team on the floor at last season’s Long Island championships. 
Riley McPartland, Sachem, Soph. 
She is the defending Suffolk all-around champion, posting a 37.325 at last season’s Suffolk individual championships. She was second on vault (9.4), first on bars (9.2), second on beam (9.225), and first on floor (9.5). 
Alexandra Melchiona, Connetquot, Jr. 
After a back injury threatened her season, she won uneven bars at the Long Island championships in the spring. At the same event, she was second on beam and third on floor and the all-around. She placed second in the all-around at the Suffolk individual championships with a 36.675 
Avery Melchiona, Connetquot, 8th grade 
She placed sixth on bars and in the all-around at the Suffolk individual championships last season. She also qualified for the Suffolk team at the Long Island championships. 
Tori Mueller, West Islip, Soph. 
She’s progressed on the beam and floor in the offseason and is looking to carry that momentum into the fall. 
Jordyn Nicholls, Whitman, 8th grade 
She qualified for the Suffolk County individual championships in the all-around as a seventh grader.
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Evie Orlando, East Islip, Sr. 
She’s qualified for the Suffolk County individual championships in each of the last four seasons. 
Arianna Platti, Connetquot, Sr. 
Platti is the defending Suffolk County champion on beam and helped the Thunderbirds capture their first county team championship in 31 years last season. 
Madisyn Rodriguez, Middle Country, Fr. 
The Newfield High School student is returning from an injury and is looking to turn strong performances on vault and bars last season into all-around success this fall. 
Johnna Rosenthal-Vincenti, Ward Melville, Jr. 
She was 16th in the all-around with a 23.825 at the Suffolk individual championships last season. 
Abigail Walters, Middle Country, Soph. 
The Centereach High School student placed 12th in the all-around with a 25.300 at the Suffolk individual championships last season. 
Jenna Weixler, Smithtown, Sr. 
She finished eighth on the floor with a 9.0 at the Suffolk individual championships last season.

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Pictured, from left: Evie Orlando of East Islip, Arianna Platti of Connetquot, Abigail Walters of Middle Country.&nbsp;

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Top 25 gymnasts for the fall 2021 season

Top row, from left:&nbsp;Juliana Banville of&nbsp;East Islip, Noel Cutinella of&nbsp;Connetquot,&nbsp;Isabella Field of Bay Shore/Islip. Middle row:&nbsp;Bayla Goldberg of Smithtown,&nbsp;Brianna Lanza of&nbsp;Bay Shore/Islip,&nbsp;Olivia Marker of West Islip. Bottom row:&nbsp;Carly McEntee of Whitman,&nbsp;Riley McPartland of Sachem,&nbsp;Alexandra Melchiona of Connetquot

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Tom Cutinella death: Latest coverage

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