Shoreham-Wading River, Glenn postpone games in aftermath of football death
Long Island football teams held a moment of silence before Thursday's games in memory of Shoreham-Wading River High School's Tom Cutinella.
Cutinella, 16, who played guard and linebacker, died at Huntington Hospital on Wednesday night after he was hit during a third-quarter play in a game at John Glenn in Elwood.
More than 200 players from Glenn, Babylon, Port Jefferson, Mount Sinai, Rocky Point, Stony Brook and Ward Melville linked arms in solidarity at a vigil held at Shoreham. Cutinella's No. 54 was everywhere, emblazoned on the scoreboard and in candles at midfield.
Newfield and Centereach, two teams from the Middle Country district, will retire No. 54, according to Don Webster, director of Suffolk County athletics, who attended the vigil. Greenport/Southold also is retiring the number, Webster said.
Shoreham assistant coach Hans Wiederkehr, who won two Long Island championships as Babylon's head coach, left that position to coach his son and his teammates, who had played for Wiederkehr in Shoreham with the PAL Sharks.
Wiederkehr has taken the loss of Cutinella personally. "I didn't sleep at all last night and my son Ethan is inconsolable,'' he said. "I've had this group of Shoreham players since they were 6 years old. They are all sons to me."
Babylon quarterback Henry Brunjes was emotional.
"I can't imagine what the football team is going through and we feel their pain and heartache,'' he said. "It was unanimous for our team to be here for them because we know they would be there for us.''
In Mastic Beach, where William Floyd hosted Longwood, the scene was somber as the announcer read a tribute to Cutinella. Though the rest of the game was business as usual, parents expressed concern for their own children's safety.
"As a parent, you definitely second-guess yourself," said Markell Lingard, whose son Malcolm plays defensive end for Longwood. "I talked to him and I told him to have fun, but to not go too hard. But the game has been going on forever and this is not the norm. It's an isolated incident and they're very well-padded. I don't know what more they can do to protect the kids."
Added Angelo Catania, whose son Evan plays nose tackle for the Floyd junior varsity: "It's terrible . . . but your child can get hurt crossing the street. But my son's a lineman. I'd be very worried if he was a wide receiver or a running back."
At Locust Valley High School, a brief biography of Cutinella was followed by 16 seconds of silence before the Falcons' game against Mineola.
"Most parents I know pray before every game that nobody gets hurt on either team," said John Pedranghelu, father of Locust Valley junior running back John Pedranghelu. "That's what you want as a parent -- may the best team win and, more importantly, nobody get hurt.''
All of Thursday's athletic events at Shoreham-Wading River and Glenn were postponed. Although many football teams played Thursday, several games were rescheduled.
Northport at Ward Melville (2 p.m.), Lindenhurst at Whitman (2:30 p.m.) and Kings Park at Harborfields (3 p.m.) were moved to Friday. The Hauppauge at Mount Sinai game was moved to Monday at 4 p.m.
"People are reaching out and doing good things all over," Webster said.
With Stephen Haynes
and Laura Albanese