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Number 9, Bryce Tolmie, playing lacrosse for Hofstra University against Fairfield University in Spring of 2017 after overcoming an extensive 3-month concussion recovery. Photo courtesy Hofstra Athletics

By Kristina Garcia 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 70 percent of emergency room visits for traumatic brain injuries and concussions during high contact sports involve patients 17 and younger.

Bryce Tolmie, an athletic trainer at Orlin and Cohen who works with the PAL Jr. Islanders experienced a concussion in his junior year of high school that required an emergency CT scan to check for hemorrhaging. 

Tolmie, a former Hofstra University lacrosse player and NY Riptide box lacrosse professional, recalled not being able to remember the events of the day he got hit. His frustration came days later, when he was incapable of solving simple math problems in school. 

Many young athletes don’t report symptoms, fearing they will lose their team position or appear weak. 

“Think about long-term effects. There is a lot of research now on second-impact syndrome which can change the course of your life, even cause death,” said Tolmie. “You may play your sport for a set amount of time, but the rest of your life is much longer.” 

He reiterates how important it is to have trust in supporting staff. 

“Trust in coaches and your athletic trainer is huge not just for the injury, but for the mental health aspect that comes with it,” said Tolmie.

His experience helps him relate to his athletes personally, encouraging them to discuss how they are feeling. Increased concussion awareness helps eliminate the stigma of athletes feeling pressured to play through injury. 

Last month, Brain Injury Awareness Month, Hofstra University held a seminar on Concussion Outreach, Prevention, and Education with the Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS). Expert Kristin LoNigro, MSEd, ATC, noted how concussion protocols have changed significantly since she first started athletic training 35 years ago. 

When asked about gaps in concussion education, she pointed to youth leagues. 

“You have coaches or parents who might’ve played a long time ago when concussions were evaluated differently,” LoNigro said. Concussion protocol is not what it used to be, more research has shown that concussion timelines differ, and not all are the same.

LoNigro advises parents to “…do their research and advocate to leagues for an athletic trainer to be present during practices and games,” and “have all coaches become certified in CPR and concussion awareness prior to them coming on the field.” 

When resources are limited, there are still steps that can be taken to ensure the safety of young athletes. “In New York City, public high school coaches have to complete an online certification through the CDC,” she said. “They have a program called Heads Up Concussions.” 

HEADS UP to Youth Sports Coaches, is an online concussion training program sharing the latest guidance on concussion safety, prevention, how to spot signs and symptoms, and what action to take. Proper training and awareness in youth sports can minimize potential harm, and help athletes and parents turn their attention to enjoying sports for the fun of them

What to watch out for

According to the CDC, a concussion is “…a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. This fast movement can cause the brain to bounce…creating chemical changes…and sometimes stretching and damaging the brain cells.” 

Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, imbalance, dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, and memory loss. More serious warning signs include worsening headache, pupil enlargement, drowsiness, slurred speech, seizures, unusual behavior, and loss of consciousness even if for a brief moment. 

Parents and coaches should watch for athletes appearing dazed, forgetting instructions, being unsure of what is going on in a game, moving clumsily, and losing memory of events before or after the impact.  

Reports from the Brain Injury Association of America have shown that a teen who reports one or more of the symptoms a hit or fall, has a high concussion risk or other type of serious traumatic brain injury.

Kristina Garcia is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

 

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Tom Theodorakis holds a West Point football jersey with Number 31 at his introductory press conference. Theodorakis was named Black Knight’s 31st Athletic Director in February and is a graduate of Ward Melville High School. Photo Courtesy West Point Athletics

By George Caratzas

After a long career as a collegiate athletic executive, Ward Melville graduate Tom Theodorakis was recently named the athletic director of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Theodorakis — who attended Ward Melville from 2000 to 2002 — was a standout on the lacrosse field, eventually going on to play at the collegiate level at Syracuse. As a member of the Orange, Theodorakis made four NCAA tournaments, making three final four appearances and won the national championship in 2004.

“Lacrosse afforded me a lot of opportunities,” Theodorakis said. “To go to a place like Syracuse as a student-athlete just had a really profound impact on my life … I don’t know where I’d be without them. I came in as a proverbial punk kid and left school as an adult.”

Still, Theodorakis credits much of his start to the place where he spent his early years.

“I am very fortunate to grow up in a fantastic part of Long Island that afforded me a lot of great opportunities,” Theodorakis said. “One of those was going to Ward Melville High School. Not only was I surrounded by great teachers, but also first-class athletics.”

Fast forward 20 years, Theodorakis was named West Point’s 31st Athletic Director in February of this year. Previously, he served as a deputy director under Mike Buddie who he credits as an instrumental piece in his transition into the new role.

“It was a sudden change,” Theodorakis said. “I was fortunate that Mike empowered me on a lot of initiatives and responsibilities in our department. He really helped prepare me for this role.”

Working at a service academy poses a unique set of challenges, especially on the athletic level. While some of Theodorakis’ career stops have prioritized athletic excellence, West Point’s top goal remains to prepare cadets for future military experience.

“You have to recruit the right individuals that are thinking long-term,” Theodorakis said. “It takes a special type of individual that is able to say, ‘this is the sacrifice that I want to make.’ Ultimately, these individuals want to serve their country and set them up for success.”

West Point is not the first service academy that Theodorakis has called home. In fact, his first job out of college was an internship in the athletic department of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This role gave him all sorts of different experiences, including some not so glamorous ones.

“Air Force is definitely a smaller athletic department which let me have my hands on a lot of things,” Theodorakis said. “Sometimes this included cleaning out the closet or being the mascot, but those are the things you do in an entry level position. For me, I just loved all of it because I was just so excited to be a part of college athletics.”

His tenure in Colorado Springs was a jumping off point for various roles at the University of Arizona, UCLA and Harvard, before landing in the Hudson Valley.

“I knew that if someone’s going to give me an opportunity — or at least crack the door open — I am going to work my tail off to turn that into a full-time job,” Theodorakis said. “I grew up in New York, went to school in New York. I think getting out of my comfort zone personally and professionally was a really good thing and that came from moving out west.”

All along, Theodorakis’ plan was to return to the East Coast, a move he made in 2022.

“Ultimately, I always had the goal of moving back to New York, but I realized that it may take some time,” Theodorakis said. “These careers are not linear, and for me it took close to 15 years to get to Harvard and get back to the East Coast.”

Despite a lengthy career, Theodorakis stays true to his roots on Long Island’s north shore.

“It’s hard for me not to look back on my time growing up on Long Island and not to thank the amazing moms and dads that understood the value of sports,” Theodorakis said. “Whether it be coaching teams or volunteering, I still rely on a lot of those lessons today. It had such an impact on my life and they believed in the community and what we were doing.”

George Caratzas is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

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Ben Brown and his wife Maggie. Photo courtesy of Ben and Maggie Brown.

By Daniel Dunaief

Baseball has been Setauket product Ben Brown’s ticket to ride, or, perhaps, more appropriately, ticket to fly.

The 25-year old Ward Melville High School graduate, whose debut season in Major League Baseball was cut short last year by a neck injury, joined the Chicago Cubs this year for spring training.

Even days before the Chicago Cubs prepared to make a trip across the world to Japan, Brown wasn’t sure if he and his wife Maggie would make the longest flight of his life.

“He only knew a couple of days before that he was going,” said Ben’s mother Jo-Anne Wilson. “Then, they’re scrambling to get people to stay at home and watch their dogs.”

While Brown’s mother was thrilled that her son could enjoy an international trip on a world baseball stage, she had some parental anxiety.

“The night I knew he’d be landing at 3 am, I was still up,” Wilson said. She was greatly relieved when her son texted her.

“I could breathe again,” she laughed. Even though Ben is her third child, she can’t outgrow her parental concern for the well-being of her children.

“I’m sure he was surprised when I texted back within half a second,” said Wilson, who promptly fell asleep after the brief exchange.

Brown’s father Jody Brown was more concerned about jet leg, as Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 16 hours ahead of the time in Mesa, Arizona, where the Cubs play their spring training games.

Memorable trip to the Embassy

Ben Brown meeting up with another WMHS graduate Anthony Kay, who is also a pitcher. Kay is playing for the Yokohama DeNa BayStars. Photo courtesy of Maggie Brown

Brown’s parents connected with Ben a few times by FaceTime while their son and his conspicuous six foot, six inch frame were traveling around Japan.

The Japanese public was “friendly and so welcoming,” said Wilson. “The kids were very respectful when they were approaching the players for autographs.”

That presented a contrast to some young fans in the United States, who can be aggressive when seeking autographs or pictures with baseball players.

A trip to the American Embassy, where the Cubs attended a party, was a highlight of the journey.

“He said, ‘Mom, you’ve never seen anything like it in your life,’” Wilson said, recalling her son’s delight at the colorful and well-presented offerings. “He never left a table” filled with every type of sushi imaginable.

Brown was impressed with the immaculate condition of the streets.

Brown’s wife Maggie learned about the expectations for garbage the hard way. She had eaten a pastry and was carrying a coffee cup. When she went to throw her garbage in a can in a fish market, she was reprimanded for trying to discard items that didn’t come from the market. People expect to put items in their own trash cans.

The Browns visited Anthony Kay, who is pitching for the Yokohama DeNa Baystars and is another Ward Melville baseball star, while they were in Tokyo.

A well-watched opening game

The first game of the season was a huge draw in Japan, with an estimated 25 million people watching the Cubs and the defending World Series Champion Dodgers take the field at the Tokyo Dome.

Ben Brown interacting with autograph seekers.
Photo courtesy of Maggie Brown

Over 42,000 people flocked to the stadium, paying anywhere between $2,000 and $19,000 a seat, according to Fox News 11 Los Angeles. Three players from the defending World Series champions are Japanese, including hitting superstar Shohei Ohtani, and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. The Japanese players from the Cubs are pitcher Shota Imanaga, who started game one, and outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

Back in Setauket, Brown’s parents got up to watch the start of the game at 6:10 am, sitting down with a cup of coffee.

Imanaga threw four hitless and scoreless innings, allowing four walks and striking out two.

The right handed throwing Brown came on to pitch in the fifth inning.

After striking out Miguel Rojas, Brown walked Andy Pages, bringing up Ohtani. The Dodgers left-handed hitting star laced the team’s first hit of the season, a single to right fight.

By the end of the inning, Brown had given up three runs, two of which were earned, on three hits.

Brown pitched an impressive fifth and sixth inning, recording four additional strike outs, including of Ohtani.

Brown’s brother James Neppell, who is 15 years older than Ben and who helped ignite his passion for the sport, was pleased with his brother’s outing and with his approach to Ohtani during the superstar’s second at bat.

“He struck him out on three pitches” Neppell said proudly. “That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”

Brown’s father was pleased with his son’s 14 swings and misses, “which is more than any pitcher on the Cubs or the Dodgers” that day as well as the five strike outs.

The Dodgers won the first game 4-1, as Brown took the loss.

The Browns shared the excitement of the trip with their son from a distance, while they also mirrored some of his activities on Long Island.

“We had sushi while he was gone,” Jody Brown said.

Next steps

Just before a spring training outing against the Atlanta Braves earlier this week, Ben found out he had been named the club’s fifth starting pitcher.

Brown and his wife Maggie. Photo courtesy of Ben and Maggie Brown

“It’s a real honor,” Brown said during an interview with an MLB broadcast after his 75-pitch outing in which he allowed two earned runs in four and a third innings against the Braves. “To say that you’re a part [of the team] from day one is pretty incredible.”

Brown suggested that the engagement of the fans, which he likened to European soccer style chants, was a “real blast.”

Jody Brown recalls how travel baseball, which now includes a trip across the world, started when his son was young.

“I remember his first [baseball] trip when he was eight years old to Maryland,” said Brown. “The local coach called and said, ‘We need him to come.’ I thought, ‘That’s crazy.’ That was the start.”

At around that same time years ago, Neppell told his friends he thought his brother might make it to the major leagues. His friends, who thought he was crazy at the time, are impressed that the 33rd round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2017 draft has come this far.

The Browns appreciate the thrilling ride they have taken with their son.

“We’re on the same journey,” said Wilson. “We’re enjoying every minute of it, even the stress.”

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Loose ball. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff freshman Addison Tuttle blocks a shot in a home game against Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place senior Ava Zicchinelli banks two for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Julie Orenzo nails a three-pointer for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff senior Mia Cormier fights for the rebound in a home game against Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Jaleeah Archer drives the baseline for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place senior Brooke Callaghan drives the lane for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Emma Batter boxes out Isabella Zaher. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Julie Orenzo lets a three-pointer fly for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Mia Cormier battles Brooke Callaghan for possession. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff senior Maitreya Driscoll-Stremich shoots from the top of the key in a home game against Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff senior Anna Matvya passes inside in a home game against Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff senior Anna Matvya shoots in a home game against Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff freshman Addison Tuttle
Sascha Boldley battles Rose Meliker-Hammoch for possession. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff freshman Addison Tuttle shoots in a home game against Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Both the Royals of Port Jefferson and the Miller Place Panthers were deadlocked at 39-39 through three quarters of play in the nonleague matchup on Dec. 14, and the outcome wouldn’t be decided until the final second of the game. Port Jefferson trailing by two points inbounded the ball, but couldn’t get a shot off when the buzzer sounded, falling to the Panthers 53-51.

It was the Panther’s second win of the season, having defeated Wyandanch earlier in the season. Senior Ava Zicchinelli led the way for the Panther, banking 9 field goals a three-pointer and 3 from the free throw line for a team high of 24 points, along with teammate Julie Orenzo, a sophomore who added 21.

Port Jeff senior Matreya Driscoll-Stremich led the way for the Royals with 20 points, and freshman Addison Tuttle notched 13.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Jack Degen drives the lane for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Commack senior Zain Carvan scores for the Cougars. Photo by Bill Landon
Tyler Wilhelm banks two for the Cougars. Photo by Bill Landon
Commack sophomore Ryan Curcio drives the baseline in a road game against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Commack sophomore Jonny Ehlers shoots in a road game against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Tyler Wilhelm nails a three-pointer for the Cougars. Photo by Bill Landon
Commack sophomore Ryan Curcio drives to the baseline in a road game against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville’s Jack Salgado breaks up-court. Photo by Bill Landon
Freshman guard James Coffey breaks to the basket in a home game against Commack. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Neelesh Raghurama drives to the basket. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Logan Seta shoots for three. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

It was Ward Melville’s Neelesh Raghurama who set the tempo for the Patriots in a home game against Commack, where the senior guard seemed to be able to score at will.

Whether it was driving the lane, shooting from long distance or being error free at the charity stripe, Raghurama led his team with 8 field goals, two triples and three from the free throw line, for 25 points defeating Commack 60-44 on Dec.16. Teammates James Coffey, the freshman point guard, netted 15 points, and Logan Seta and Jack Degen banked 6 points apiece in the League II matchup.

Jonny Ehlers topped the scoring chart for the Cougars with 10 points and Tyler Wilhelm added 9.

The win lifts the Patriots to 3-3 in the early season, while the loss drops Commack to 2-3.

— Photos by Bill Landon 

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Sean Cogan drives to the basket against North Babylon. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Brody Gazzo hits a short jumper. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Owen Boylan gets some air for two points. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Patrick Gimpel hits game-winning shot for Northport. Photo by Steven Zaitz

By Steven Zaitz

The Northport Boys Basketball team earned their first league win on Thursday, Dec. 12, on the road against North Babylon — but it certainly wasn’t easy.

Down by as many as 12 points to the Bulldogs, Northport came storming back with a dominant 17-9 4th quarter. But after a free throw by North Babylon guard Kameron Quinn, the Tigers were down by one point with 20 seconds remaining in the game.

Northport elected not to take a timeout and guard Shamus Burke rushed the ball up court and gave it to big man Sean Cogan in the corner. Double-teamed, Cogan handed it off to senior guard Patrick Gimpel, who drove diagonally through the lane and threw up a right-handed scooping layup that evaded the outstretched block attempt by North Babylon’s Logan Artherly. It gave Northport a 49-48 win and stopped the Tigers three -game losing streak.

Gimpel scored all 11 of his points in the second half — obviously none bigger than his last-second game winner. Senior forward Owen Boylan led the Tigers with 13 and Cogan had 10. Brody Gozzo had 9 and Burke 8.

Northport began its comeback when they scored 7 straight points midway through the third quarter. Boylan hit a short jumper in the lane and Gimpel spun out of a pick and roll and scored on a nice feed from Cogan, as North Babylon committed three turnovers in a two-minute span in that third quarter which allowed Northport to sneak back in.

The final ten minutes were hotly contested before Gimpel scored the final bucket of the game.

Northport moved to 2-3 overall on the year and 1-1 in the newly configured Suffolk County League 3. They play league contests against Copiague and Huntington this week.

  • Photos by Steven Zaitz

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Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Park. Courtesy Don Lockerbie, T20 USA

By John Broven

The 2024 International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup final, held June 29 in Barbados, featured India and South Africa. Both teams had starred locally June 3-12 in Eisenhower Park at a temporary modular facility, grandly named Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. 

The site was chosen after NIMBY opposition ruled out first-choice Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Credit should go to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) for spotting the opportunities for the local economy and tourism. 

The eight games were blessed with almost perfect sunny cricket weather. There was a short rain delay for the key India vs. Pakistan game, which India won and effectively knocked out their intense rival from the tournament. Crowds swarmed to see their Indian and Pakistani heroes from back home. Every one of the 34,000 seats was sold within minutes of the ticket office opening, resulting in a scalpers paradise. The attendance was only slightly less for USA’s honorable defeat by ultimate tournament winners India on the concluding Wednesday. All told, more than 150,000 fans saw the Nassau stadium games.

Overlooked features of the competition included USA, a non-cricketing nation, making it to the Super Eight stage and war-torn Afghanistan progressing to the semifinals stage.

T20 cricket at Eisenhower Park 

So, how was my experience of international cricket on Long Island? Quite simply, it was wonderful. It was a joy to see top-class cricket again after many years living over here. Even with the rapid-fire T20 format, with matches hardly lasting four hours, the serenity, charm and strategy of the game came shining through. Somehow the introduction of loud recorded music was only a minor distraction.

The batting, bowling and fielding were all spellbinding on what was acknowledged to be a “slow” wicket, where the ball didn’t come quickly onto the bat. As is often said in cricket terminology, the state of the wicket was the same for both teams.

With friend Richard Tapp, who traveled all the way from England for the tournament, I had tickets for the games on Friday, June 7 (Ireland vs. Canada) and the Saturday (South Africa vs. The Netherlands). Both matches swung back and forth, with Canada edging the first game and the Netherlands almost pulling off a shock defeat after South Africa had lost their top four batsmen cheaply. 

Meet-and-greet at Westbury LIRR station

The pleasurable experience started as soon as we disembarked June 7 at Westbury station from Stony Brook. A kind gentleman on the platform led us to the shuttle bus area where we were greeted cheerily by LIRR and NICE bus officials. If there were any fears of being stuck in traffic to Eisenhower Park, they were soon dissipated when we realized that the main arteries, Post and Merrick avenues, were dedicated to bus traffic. A lady driver said that the journey would be 8 1/2 minutes — and so it was.

The spirit of the event was captured by bus passengers discussing their presence with others. There was an Indian national who failed to get tickets for the “big game,” but was attending because he wanted to experience live international cricket in the United States. He said he was a fast bowler from New Jersey and played in a cricket league on Long Island with matted pitches (as opposed to grass). A French lady, who lives now in Nassau, said she wanted to experience the occasion even though cricket is as foreign in France as it is in the United States.

After leaving the shuttle bus, we approached the ticket and check-in areas. There were nervous moments as tickets were available only electronically and then on the day of the match. Luckily, the combination of ICC’s ticketing agency and Apple’s iPhone did the job. We had taken the precaution to acquire see-through bags for check-in, but that didn’t save from the trashcan a tasty deli sandwich or a bug spray, which proved to be unnecessary anyway.

Impressive stadium

As we walked the perimeter of the vast modular stadium it was hard to believe that it had been constructed from nothing since January. This included the cricket outfield grown from Kentucky bluegrass in New Jersey and the pitches, which were prepared in Florida based on guidance from the famous Adelaide Oval in Australia. 

We were handed big red placards marked “6” — the equivalent of a baseball homerun — and “4,” which were waved vigorously whenever a boundary was struck, adding to the party-like atmosphere. 

Our seats in the East Grandstand were perfect for watching the games although there was quite a lot of stair climbing, which was quite hard on the elderly. There was no shortage of bar, food and soft drinks facilities with merch stalls, ice cream vans and, importantly, restrooms and first-aid. 

The Friday crowd was on the small side at just over 5,000 people. Although cricket is not a major game in Ireland or Canada, I had expected a larger contingent of Irish and Canadians. Saturday was much fuller, thanks to many enthusiastic South African supporters regaled in green and gold. There were quite a few Netherlands fans, too, dressed in familiar bright orange. The visible security force quietly kept order throughout. Indeed, good humor pervaded at all times among the attendees reflecting the uniqueness of the event.

A touching moment before each game was the competitors’ two huge national flags being unfurled across half the ground by local schoolchildren dressed smartly in white.

There was a strong local connection with T20 USA venue development director, Don Lockerbie, being the son of Bruce Lockerbie, former dean of faculty at The Stony Brook School. 

The future of U.S. cricket

Cricket is seemingly destined to be a minnow sport in the U.S., but there’s no doubt that the Long Island T20 series did the game proud — more so than the matches held in Dallas and a weather-hit Florida. As expected, the coverage by the national media was spotty, but credit to the New York Times, News12 and Newsday for their reporting. I think the New Yorker’s doubting headline “If you build it (a cricket stadium on Long Island) will they come?” was well-answered in the affirmative.

English-born John Broven, of East Setauket, is an award-winning American music history author and a copyeditor with TBR News Media. This article is a follow-up to “International cricket coming to Long Island” (Feb. 29).

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Josh Wege (with baseball hat) a United States Marine, retired Lance Corporal and Brian Gentilotti, United States Airforce. Photo courtesy St. Charles Hospital

By Christopher Schulz

Three members of the USA Patriots softball team — formerly known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team — visited patients at the St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson Friday morning, June 14. The group initially met in the hospital’s recreational center before proceeding to meet the patients.

The softball players, Josh Wege, Jeffrey Hackett and Brian Gentilotti, shared their stories with the approximately 30 staff members and 10 patients. 

Wege said he lost both his legs fighting in Afghanistan as a Marine in 2009. The military vehicle he was riding in hit a bomb that “turned into a landmine” which “traumatically amputated [his] right leg” and mangled his left leg. He now has two prosthetics in place of his lower legs.

Despite his traumatic injury, Wege keeps pushing forward. 

“The biggest motivator I would say is to get my life back,” he said. “There are some things that you feel like are just taken away from you”. He later added that he “felt broken” inside that he did not have the same agility and speed he once had as a star athlete. 

“You don’t want to feel broken so you start chasing the life that you had,” he said. 

Hackett, on the other hand, pushes forward every day for his family. After losing his left leg, “I still wanted to stay in the Army so that pushed me to get back to a normal life,” he said. 

In addition, Hackett expressed his respect toward the patients. “They all have their own story. It’s all about making goals and taking that step further,” he said. 

One such patient, Shawn Coyle, does not need prosthetics but is in need of a wheelchair at all times. He has avascular necrosis affecting both hips. Coyle says he was diagnosed with the condition six months ago but has only been in the hospital for a couple weeks now.

He has already had surgery on one of his hips. The surgery for his other hip will happen in a few months. When asked about how he felt about the softball players coming, he jokingly responded that he wanted to play with them. 

“I like softball,” Coyle simply stated. He also found it “inspiring” to see them and would love to play again his own sports — basketball and baseball — someday. “It’s a process but you’ve got to just keep working at it,” he said. “I feel like they’re like regular people,” referring to the players. 

Both Wege and Hackett expressed their desire to come back to St. Charles Hospital or any other hospital to visit and support people who are in the same position they were once in. 

“You either stay where you’re at or you just keep inching forward every day and try to get your life back. We like to give that message to people and even talk to kids in schools because they’re curious and they have never met a wounded warrior before, [especially] at the state that we’re at,” Wege said. 

“This is stuff we like to do,” Hackett agreed. 

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Miller Place Freshman Breya Kesler takes a cut in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Laney Vomero throws to 1st base in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place pitcher Ava Zicchinelli delivers in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Time. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place Freshman Sadie Bryant makes the play at 3rd base in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place pitcher Ava Zicchinelli throws the runner out at 1st for the Panthers in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place Freshman Breya Kesler smacks a grounder in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Brooke Borkowski drills the ball in the NYS Class A championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Laney Vomero slides into 2nd base for the Panthers in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place junior Ava Zicchinelli slides into 2nd base in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Laney Vomero makes the play in the NYS Class A championship final against Marlboro (Sec IX). Photo by Bill Landon
Clarification needed. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Laney Vomero covers 3rd base in the NYS Class A championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore short stop Laney Vomero turns a double play in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Brooke Borkowski drills the ball for the Panthers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Sadie Bryant bends the aluminum bat for the Panthers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Sadie Bryant dives for 2nd base for the Panthers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore short stop Laney Vomero makes the play in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Between innings in the NYS class A semi-finals. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place junior Brooke Callaghan drives the ball to right in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place junior Emily Lopez makes the catch in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place junior Brooke Callaghan makes the play in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider smacks a grounder in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place 3rd baseman Sadie Bryant throws to 1st for the Panthers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore short stop Laney Vomero makes the play at 2nd base in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Ava Zicchinelli smacks a grounder in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider dives for home plate for the Panthers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider safe at the plate for the Panthers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Between innings in the NYS class A semi-finals. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place junior Sadie Hoffman runs to 1st in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Winning pitcher Ava Zicchinelli delivers in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon
Panthers WIN! Bill Landon photo
Panthers WIN! Bill Landon photo
Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider behind the plate in the NYS semi-final. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

For the Miller Place softball team, the road to the NYS Class A championship title game involved consistent winning play that led them to their second-ever Suffolk County title with a 4-1 victory over Islip, May 25. Facing Seaford a week later in the Long Island championship round, Miller Place defeated the Nassau County title holder 7-4 to capture their first LIC title in program history. 

Pitching ace Ava Zicchinelli, who was an eighth grader when the Panthers won their last county title back in 2021, was lights out from the circle. With the bat of Emily Lopez, they made for a potent combination. Both are juniors.

The NYS softball championship finals were held June 7-8 in North Bellport at the Martha Avenue Recreation Park sports complex. On the Friday, the Panthers defeated Section V finalist Pittsford Sutherland 4-1 to punch their ticket to the final round the following day.

On the Saturday, Section IX finalist Marlboro jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider drove in sophomore Laney Vomero on a standup double to trail 2-1 bottom of the third.

The Marlboro team stretched their legs in scoring two more runs in the fourth inning to which the Panthers had no answer. 

Miller Place without a single senior on its roster finished their 2024 campaign with an impressive 21-5 record and will likely return with its starting lineup intact for next season.

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Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Liam Gregorek battles at “X” in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
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Moon rising over "X". Bill Landon photo
8th grader Noah Gregorek scores for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
8th grader Noah Gregorek looks for a cutter for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcats score. Bill Landon photo
Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Liam Gregorek battles at “X” in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Alex Kershis pushes past a Bayport defender in the Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Ryan Wilson in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Ryan Wilson in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
8th grader Noah Gregorek with a stick check for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Alex Kershis shoots from down low in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Liam Gregorek drives towards the crease in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Alex Kershis sees a cutter in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bi

ll Landon

It was a collision course anticipated from midseason between top-seeded Bayport-Blue Point and the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River (No. 2) for the Suffolk Class C championship final Thursday night at the Martha Avenue sports complex in North Bellport May 23.

Having lost to the Phantoms 10-5 back on May 9, the Wildcats gave away three unanswered goals before midfielder Alex Kershis broke the ice for the Wildcats to trail 3-1 with two minutes left in the opening quarter. Kershis struck again with two minutes left in the half with his hat trick to tie the game thanks to an assist by Andrew Cimino, making the score 5-5.

Bayport scored twice more in the third quarter for which the Wildcats had no answer until the opening minute of the fourth when Liam Gregorek buried his shot followed by his younger brother Noah to make it a new game at 7-7. Kershis dished the ball off to Noah who split the pipes to retake the lead at 8-7 but Bayport scored with 10 minutes left in regulation. Bayport showed their patience with a four-minute-plus possession in the waning minutes when the Phantoms split the pipes at the 1:18 mark for the go-ahead goal at 9-8 that would make the final buzzer, and with it punched their ticket to the Long Island championship round. 

The other Wildcat scorers were Cimino and Liam Kershis. Shoreham-Wading River concluded their 2024 season with a 10-4 Division II record, 11-7 overall.

With the victory, Bayport-Blue Point took on Nassau County Class C title holder, Wantagh, at Longwood High School Wednesday, May 29, but the result was unavailable by press time.

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