1.
The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015 ~ Page 31
SportsThursday, May 7, 2015 Page 31
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Connectfour
22-second scoring outburst
starts at the ‘X’ with Arceri,
finishes with game in hand
More than 2,000 vibrant
fans packed the stands and
were ready to rock the house
Wednesday, April 29 for what
always is one of the biggest—
and loudest—games of the
year: the annual showdown
between the boys’ lacrosse
teams from Smithtown high
schools East and West.
By halftime, however, you
could hear a pin drop.
Sparked by the usual face-
off mastery of junior midfielder
Gerard Arceri, Smithtown
East scored four times during
a 22-second span late in
the second quarter to take a
commanding six-goal lead and
never looked back en route
to an impressive 14-7 road
victory.
“We built momentum on the
first goal [of the run], and I
knew if I won the next face-off,
we could score again and pull
away,” Arceri said. “If we could
do it again after that, we’d have
an even bigger lead, and by
the time they stopped us we
were up by six [8-2], and that
solidified the win.”
Sophomore midfielder
Connor DeSimone started the
four-goal run with the goal
that gave East a 5-2 lead with
3:42 left in the first half. Just
nine seconds later, after Arceri
won the ensuing face-off and
sparked a textbook fast break,
sophomore attackman Sean
Barry buried an over-the-
shoulder score to make it 6-2.
Arceri followed with another
fast-break-starting face-off
win that was finished by a
quick-stick score by junior
attackman Dan Rooney of a
feed from senior attackman
Brian Willetts only seven
seconds later.
It was only fitting Arceri
capped the four-goal flurry
after winning his fourth
straight face-off, this time
sprinting downfield with the
ball by himself and firing an
overhand shot into the lower
part of the cage to make it 8-2
with 3:20 left in the half.
Willetts added another score
with2:09remainingtoputEast
up 9-2 at halftime,
but Smithtown
West coach Bob
Moltisanti knew
the damage had
a l r e a d y b e e n
done. “This game
came down to the last four
minutesofthesecondquarter,”
Moltsanti said. “Give East
credit— they’re explosive on
offense and at the ‘X.’ A 3-2
game quickly became a deficit
too big for us to climb back
from.”
BOYS’ LACROSSE: SUFFOLK LEAGUE II
1 2 3 4 FINAL
SMITHTOWN EAST 2 6 3 2 14
SMITHTOWN WEST 0 2 1 4 7 “Our offense likes to share
the ball,” said Willetts, who
finished with three goals and
two assists. “When we can
move the ball around like
that, it’s always a lot of fun,
especially when you’re playing
Smithtown West in front of a
great crowd. To put on a show
like that was exciting for us.”
In a highly anticipated battle
featuring two of the top face-
off men in the nation—Arceri
and Smithtown West junior
midfielder Dan Varello—Arceri
came out slightly ahead, 12-
7, including the decisive four
wins in a row.
“I knew this was going
to be one of my toughest
opponents, with the other
being Northport’s Austin
Henningsen [who Arceri beat,
20-10, in East’s 16-10 road
loss, Saturday, April 18],”
Arceri said. “I knew if I was
going to have any success, I
had to be on my ‘A’ game. I
credit it to my quickness. I
(Continued on page 24)
WIN, LOSE OR DRAW: Smithtown East junior midfielder Gerard Arceri (above, #41) scoops up a ground ball
on a face-off in front of Smithtown West junior midfielder Dan Varello (above, #22) during East’s 14-7 road
victory, Wednesday, April 29. Arceri and Varello battled tooth and nail in a match-up of two of the nation’s
top face-off specialists, with Arceri coming out ahead 12-7. -Richard Valeo photo

2.
Page 30 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015
Sports
Baker’sdozen
Eagle diamondmen go to
13-0 in League V behind
Fanti’s 14K, 2-hit shutout
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
The Hauppauge baseball team’s bats gave senior
pitcher Nick Fanti two runs in the first inning. It may
as well have been 20.
The Hauppauge
senior left-handed ace
was dealing Monday,
May 4, spinning a
two-hit complete-
game shutout with
14 strikeouts—including six straight to start the
game—during the Eagles 6-0 home victory over Kings
Park, Monday, May 4 that made them a perfect 13-0
in League V play.
“I was just going at them with the fastball,” said
Fanti, who improved to 6-0 on the season and
dropped his season ERA to 0.95 (see chart at right).
“I make it a point to throw a first-pitch strike to try
to get the fielders involved. They missed it though,
so I didn’t even get a chance to work in the curveball
until the fifth or sixth batter.”
“That’s just Nick being Nick,” Hauppauge coach
Josh Gutes said. “He goes right at the hitter, throwing
strike after strike to pound the zone and make them
DATE OPPONENT RESULT DEC IP H R ER HR BB SO
5/4 Kings Park W (6-0) W 7 2 0 0 0 3 14
4/27 @ Eastport-South Manor W (8-0) W 6 3 0 0 0 1 7
4/20 vs. Bellport W (13-3) W 5 2 3 3 0 5 9
4/13 Huntington (@ Ducks Stadium) W (6-0) W 7 0 0 0 0 1 16
4/6 @ John Glenn (NL) W (7-0) W 7 0 0 0 0 1 11
3/30 vs. Deer Park W (9-2) W 5 2 2 2 0 4 11
TOTALS: 6-0 record, 0.95 ERA, 0.65 WHIP 37 9 5 5 0 15 68
WEEKLY FANTI-SY UPDATEWEEKLY FANTI-SY UPDATE
Hauppauge senior left-handed pitcher Nick Fanti is in the midst of a record-breaking
season. His next start is slated for Monday, May 11 at West Babylon at 4 p.m.
(Continued on page 25)
BASEBALL: SUFFOLK LEAGUE V
R H E
KINGS PARK 000 000 0 0 2 3
HAUPPAUGE 201 003 X 6 10 1
SWEET STROKE: Hauppauge
junior shortstop Billy Huber
(far-left, #24) blasts a triple
and Kings Park sophomore
centerfielder Jake Feibusch
(left, #5) goes back to make
a catch in the Eagles’6-0 win
overtheKingsmen,Monday,
May 4.
-Richard Valeo photos

3.
Page 28 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Six individuals, one family and an athletic team will be
inducted into the Smithtown Athletic Hall of Fame at the Hyatt
Regency in Hauppauge, Saturday, May 9 at 8:30 a.m. The class
of 2015 includes Lou Gambeski, Jen Maget, Scott Perri, Kristofer
Xippolitos, Drew Duff, Dave Cummings, the Eagan Family and
the 2003 Suffolk champion Smithtown boys’ lacrosse team.
Sports
Headoftheclass
Gambeski part of 6-member
HallofFameinductionclass
also including Eagan family
LOU “GAMBO” GAMBESKI
How many individuals can
say he or she has been involved
in Smithtown Athletics for six
decades? Only Lou GambeskI.
Gambeski lettered in cross
country, tennis and basketball
before graduating Smithtown
high school in 1968. He
returned to Smithtown in
1973, beginning a 33-year
career as a health teacher, but
also coaching as a varsity coach
that spanned 41 years.
In that span, he guided six
boys and girls’ tennis teams
to league championships,
winning League I Coach of the
Year in 2013.
However, Gambeski is best
known for being the face of
Smithtown boys’ basketball.
He spent 34 years as head
coach of Smithtown East and
Smithtown Central, winning
326 games en route to five
visits to the Suffolk Final Four
and a League I championship
in 1999. He also won League
II Coach of the Year in 1983
and League I Coach of the
Year in 1999, the last year his
team made it to the county
semifinals, where it lost to
eventual Suffolk champion
North Babylon.
Gambeski resides in St.
James, where he is finishing
up his final season coaching
boys’ tennis before retiring
from coaching and moving to
North Carolina.
JEN MAGET
Few athletes in the history
of Smithtown athletics are
more decorated than 2001
Smithtown High School
graduate and Nesconset native
Jen Maget. A star of both
the girls’ soccer and lacrosse
teams, Maget was the first
All-American in school history
playing lacrosse and also was
All-County and All-Conference
in soccer, starting all four years
of high school in both sports.
Maget also played four years of
lacrosse at Hofstra University,
starting all four of them.
After graduating from
Hofstra, Maget served on the
coaching staff of Smithtown
West’s varsity girls’ soccer team
and the junior varsity girls’
soccer team from 2007-2009.
She also coaches the Legacy
Girls’ Lacrosse team as of 2015,
and is a personal trainer and
speed enhancement specialist.
SCOTT PERRI
There have been many three-
sport athletes in the history
of Smithtown West, but Scott
Perri was its first four-sport
player. Perri played lacrosse
for four years, soccer for three,
basketball for two and football
his senior season, during
which he broke the school
record for longest field goal with
a 43-yarder.
In lacrosse, the 2007
graduate was All-County and
All-Conferenceandsetaschool
record with 86 goals in his
senior season en route to the
Team MVP award. In soccer,
Perri was All-County and
All-Conference, and ranked
second in Suffolk County with
21 goals his senior season,
also a school record. On the
hardwood, he was All-League
and Defensive MVP.
Perri followed up his
successful high school career
with an even more successful
collegiate career. He won the
John Semanik Award in 2011,
given to Drexel University’s
top scholar-athlete, and was
a United States Intercollegiate
Lacrosse Association All-
American. He ranked second
in the nation in scoring with
4.8 points per game and
ranked in the top 10 in all three
major offensive categories:
total points, goals and assists.
He also had a stint in Major
League Lacrosse, playing at
one point for the New York
Lizards and re-teaming with
best friend, former Smithtown
West teammate and Class
of 2014 Hall of Famer Rob
Pannell.
A Smithtown resident, Perri
currentlyworksasanassociate
in the Equities Department at
the Credit Suisse Group.
KRISTOFER XIPPOLITOS
Late in the tenure of the
original Smithtown East, 1991
graduate Kristofer Xippolitos
made history as the first player
Topcatsoftenniscourts
CougarssweepN’portinpushtowardsplayoffs
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
It came as no surprise to both teams that
Commack defeated Northport in a Suffolk
League I boys’ tennis match Thursday, April
30.
And it also came as no surprise that the
match—which was decided by a 7-0 score—
was still a hard-fought affair in which the
outcome did not truly reflect the competitive
nature of play.
“Our effort is always there,” Northport
coach Peter Quinn said. “I liked the way we
moved and hit the ball, so I think we played
well today. The score was not indicative of
how we played.”
Commack coach Shane Helfner was not
only impressed with the Tigers’ effort but
marveled at how gentlemanly they carried
themselves despite one of the most intense
school rivalries in the county lingering in the
background.
“Northport is always a team that brings
100 percent,” Mr. Helfner said. “Coach Quinn
prepares them well, and there were some
tight points we had to win. I also like that
Northport is one of the nicest teams in terms
of sportsmanship. It’s always good to play a
team that acts the right way.”
Both League I teams have already clinched
playoff spots, which begin May 13. Although
match-ups had not been announced at press
time, Helfner likes the position his Cougars
(10-3, 7-3 in League I) are in.
“We’re in a good spot,” Helfner said. “We
lost 4-3 to Hills East with a lot of three-set
matches that could have gone either way, and
5-2 to Hills West with a lot of three-setters we
couldn’t get at the end of the day. My guys
know they can win any match against any of
those guys, so hopefully we can make a run
in the playoffs.”
At first singles, Northport (4-8, 2-8 in
League I) was missing its eighth-grade
phenom Cannon Kingsley. Instead, the
Tigers moved Jack Maline up from second
singles to first against Commack’s Peter Yu.
Although Yu controlled most of their match,
the scrappy Maline still managed to push him
before Yu pulled away with a 10-5 victory.
“I hit my usual shots and used my usual
strategy—I went offensive until I got down,
then I took less risky shots,” Yu said. “I like to
take the risky shots to finish games but when
I’m down I like to play more conservatively to
let them make mistakes.”
Kingsley missed the meet because he was
on a school field trip to Washington D.C. And
although Yu said he wanted the challenge
of facing Kingsley, he also thought Maline
played well.
“I knew this was going to be a challenge
because I played him outside of school,”
Maline said. “I just tried hitting as hard as I
could, and took advantage whenever I saw an
opening. I knew if I hit hard and consistently
enough, I could play up to his level to some
extent.”
At second singles, Commack’s Sol Yoon
won defeated Northport’s Daewoo Jeong,
10-5, while Commack’s Gabe Green defeated
Northport’s Ian Buitenkant at third singles,
10-4. Commack’s Steven Slepian completed
a clean sweep at singles, besting Northport’s
Daijin Jeong, 10-0.
“My game is all about consistency,” Slepian
said of his win. “I don’t try to go too hard, just
keep it in play and let them miss.”
Slepian was also happy to help his Cougars
score a perfect 7-0 victory as they continue
their push for a county title. “It feels good not
just to win but to contribute to the team,”
he said. “We’re really looking to push for the
Suffolk County championship, so I hope to
continue contributing and help the team do
well.”
Commack also had a clean sweep at
doubles. The Cougars’ first doubles pairing of
Andy Zhou and Nick Fox bested Northport’s
JC Unser and Evan Labott, 10-2, while
Connor Burke and Brandon Kramer lifted
the Cougars to victory at second doubles
over Northport’s Zack Melchione and
Zack Friedman, 10-2. The Cougars’ most
dominant performance at doubles came from
Jason Gerbs and Connor Wright, who won
10-1 over Northport’s Matt Semenaro and
Dan Aranson.
In its next matches, Commack edged out
Ward Melville at home 4-3, Friday, May 1
before losing at Half Hollow Hills West, 6-1,
Tuesday, May 5.
However the Cougars fare in the playoffs,
Helfner knows the spring 2015 can be
considered nothing other than a success.
“We have a lot of seniors, and it’s been nice
to see them develop over the years,” he said.
“It’s a little bittersweet to lose them after this
year, but I’m proud of them and honored to
watch them grow into young men. They’ve
given a lot to the program and I can’t thank
them enough.”
Sean Eagan Kelly Eagan Kyle Eagan

4.
The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015 ~ Page 29
in the history of its boys’ basketball
team to achieve All-Conference, All-
County and All-Tournament honors
after leading East to the Suffolk
semifinals at Stony Brook, where
his Indians lost to eventual Suffolk
champion Bay Shore.
Theslithery,streakyfastXippolitosset
a pair of school records in basketball for
free throws and free-throw percentage
en route to becoming a Long Island
All-Star. In track, he was All-League
in the long and triple jumps and was
All-League in soccer. He also won the
Section XI Gold Key award during his
tenure at Smithtown before heading to
Cortland State.
Xippolitos is currently the Director
of Fixed Income Strategy at Citi Private
Bank.
DREW DUFF
While most dedicate their lives to
serving their own personal purposes,
1979 Smithtown West graduate Drew
Duff served his country.
The United States Naval Academy
graduate spent 36 years serving his
government in the Navy, Department of
Homeland Security and as a Diplomat,
listing “Dedication to Faith, Family and
Country” as his top achievement.
For Smithtown, Duff excelled in
soccer. A three-year starter, Duff was
All-League for all three of them, held
two school records and was on Long
Island’s Empire State Games boys’
soccer team in 1978. He also coached
and mentored hundreds of children
in his 18 years of coaching soccer,
basketball and lacrosse.
DAVE CUMMINGS
Already in the Smithtown Hall of
Fame as part of the Cummings Family,
1984 Smithtown East graduate Dave
Cummings can now call himself a two-
time Hall of Famer for his contributions
as an athlete, teacher and coach.
Lou Gambeski Dave Cummings Kris XippolitosJen MagetDrew DuffScott Perri
(Continued on page 27)

5.
The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015 ~ Page 27
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
OF BLACK BELTS: Empire
State Karate, located at 86
Terry Road in Smithtown,
will celebrate 50 years
of providing Martial Arts
to the community this
Saturday, May 9 with its
50th Anniversary Black Belt
Graduation. The ceremony
for this year’s 43 Black Belt
candidateswillbeheldatthe
UpSKY Hotel in Hauppauge
and led by senior staff (from
left) Troy Bouton, Gordon
Glucksman, lead instructor
Ralph Bertelle, owner
Hanshi Joyce Santamaria,
John Hewlett Jr., Dave
Korcz and Sean Quinones.
Suffolk County Comptroller
John M. Kennedy will be in
attendancetopresentowner
Hanshi Joyce Santamaria
with a Proclamation of
Service. Call 631-265-1555
for additional information.
(Continued from page 29)
Sports
Originallaxchamps
enterS’townH.O.F.
Cummings dominated the wrestling mat, earning
All-League honors four times and All-County honors
twice, winning the county championship in 1984
before placing fourth in the state tournament. He
also excelled wrestling at North Carolina State,
winning a team ACC championship and was ranked
eighth nationally before an injury derailed his quest
for a national championship.
But Cummings’ greatest impact came in coaching
and teaching in the Smithtown School District since
1994. On the soccer pitch, Cummings’ teams won
two league championships, a county title, Long
Island title and finished fourth in the state, while
also taking home Suffolk Coach of the Year honors.
Cummings built a powerhouse on the wrestling
mat, winning seven league championships and a
county championship and earning Coach of the Year
honors three times.
THE EAGAN FAMILY
The Eagans, consisting of Kelly, Sean and
Kyle, are among the most decorated athletes in
Smithtown Athletic history, while their mother,
Kathy, is among the longest-tenured head coaches,
serving as head coach of the varsity gymnastics
team for 27 years.
Sean, the eldest, graduated Smithtown High
School in 2004 and excelled in wrestling and
gymnastics. On the wrestling mat, Sean was twice
All-County and a Suffolk finalist. In gymnastics, he
was All-American in the parallel bars and vault. He
earned Booster Club MVP in both sports.
Kelly, a 2006 Smithtown High School graduate, is
one of the greatest girls’ soccer players in Smithtown
School District history. In her four years on the
varsity team, Kelly was Suffolk County Player of
the Year, All-Long Island, All-New York State and
Booster Club MVP while also helping her team win
a county championship. Kelly’s entrance into the
Hall of Fame makes her a two-time Hall of Famer,
as she was inducted as an individual in 2012.
Kyle, the youngest, was a star football player, as
well as following in the footsteps of his older brother
Sean on the wrestling mat. On the gridiron, Kyle
was Section XI MVP while being a four-time All-
League wrestler as well as Booster Club MVP and
Jack Spates Award winner.
2003 SMITHTOWN BOYS’ LACROSSE TEAM
Until last year, the 2003 Smithtown team had the
district’s only county champion in boys’ lacrosse.
Entering the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, the Bulls
edged out No. 5 seed and rival Sachem, 8-7, on
a late quick-stick from Chris Born to Tom Burk.
Smithtown then edged top-seeded and three-time
defending county champion Northport, 6-5, thanks
to a late goal from senior Matt Donovan, setting up
a showdown with No. two seed West Islip—the same
team East defeated for the 2014 Suffolk crown. In the
2003 title game, Donovan logged another clutch goal
with 10.8 seconds left in regulation while goaltender
Bryan Maggio helped stem the tide in a 5-4 victory.
The 2003 team was led by longtime coach
and Smithtown alum Kevin Huff, while current
Smithtown East head coach Jason Lambert served
as an assistant coach on the staff.
FIRST-TIMERS:
In a photograph
that first ran on
the front page
of the June 5,
2003 edition
of The NEWS,
S m i t h t o w n
laxmen (from
left) Michael
Petrucci, Tom
Burk, Bryan
M a g g i o a n d
K e i t h L i z z i
celebrate the
school district’s
f i r s t - e v e r
boys’ lacrosse
championship
at Stony Brook
U n i v e r s i t y ’ s
t h e n - b r a n d -
new LaValle
Stadium.
-Richard Valeo
file photo

6.
Page 26 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015
Sports
SOFTBALL: SUFFOLK LEAGUE I
R H E
COMMACK 300 000 3 6 8 0
Northport 001 000 0 1 9 1
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
It’s one down, two to go for the
Commack softball team.
Alyssa Persich allowed one run on
nine hits with 14 strikeouts and the
Lady Cougars scored three times in
the first inning en route to a 6-1 win
at Northport, Tuesday, May 5 that
kept them in position for the outright
Suffolk League I championship.
Commack (15-3) has leads of one
game over Connetquot (14-4) and two
games over Patchogue-Medford and
Sachem East (both 13-5) with two
games remaining. The Cougars can
wrap up the league title by winning
both of their final two games or clinch
at least a share of the crown with one
more win. They host William Floyd,
Friday, May 8 at 4 p.m. and travel to
Longwood, Monday, May 11 at 4:15
p.m.
“I was hitting my spots and had
a strong defense behind me,” said
Persich, who
s c a t t e r e d
n i n e h i t s ,
walked none
and fanned
five of the first
six batters
she faced. “I was using mostly curve
and screwballs, and I felt everything
was strong today because we came
out strong with our bats. It gave
me confidence I carried through the
game.”
In actuality, though, the Cougars
cameoutstrongwiththeireyes.Despite
not registering a single hit against
Northport pitcher Alexa Gonzalez until
the fourth inning, they drew five first-
inning walks to help generate three
runs. Drawing bases on balls were
Persich, shortstop Christina Rayfield,
designated player Michelle Principe,
first baseman Gabby Gambino and
third baseman Jillian McFadzen.
Catcher Nicole Michaels reached base
on a throwing error by Gonzalez and
second-baseman Gianna Venuti hit
into a fielder’s choice as Commack
took a 3-0 lead without logging a
single hit.
“They were seeing the ball well
in that inning,” Commack coach
Harold Cooley said. “It worked to
our advantage then, but I think we
got a little complacent as the game
progressed.”
Gonzalez,whoalsowentthedistance,
took the blame for her lack of control
in the first inning. “It was all mental,”
she said. “I mentally wasn’t in the game
and wasn’t exploding off the mound.”
Rather than fold, though, Gonzalez
willed herself back into the game,
blanking Commack for the next five
innings to keep it close. With the game
already in hand, Commack scored
thrice in the seventh.
“I bore down and didn’t think,”
Gonzalez said of her in-game
adjustments. “My mechanics were off,
so I regrouped, calmed down and had
fun.”
Gonzalez also showcased the ability
to put her opponents away, striking out
Cougarscloseinonleaguecrown
Persich fans 14 as Commack keeps hold of first place with two games left
10 batters. “I was spinning the ball,”
Gonzalez said, “threw a lot of balls
up and inside to get outs. It worked
so well, I didn’t throw my change-up,
which is my put-out pitch, once.”
Northport’s only run came in the
third inning off a two-out double
to deep centerfield by shortstop
Jess Conforti, which scored second
baseman Danielle Petrunti. The
Tigers’ best chance to rally came in the
bottom of the fourth when a single by
leftfielder Abi Buell and a ground-rule
double by catcher Emily Davenport
put runners at second and third
with no out. But Persich retired the
next three batters in order (strikeout
swinging, groundout and strikeout
looking, respectively) to get out of the
jam unscathed.
“I stayed calm and didn’t let anything
get to me,” Persich said. “I wanted to
get those outs so I could get our bats
back up.”
Persich’s toughest challenge in the
game was pitching to her Northport
counterpart, Gonzalez, who went
3-for-3 with two singles and a double.
“I tried to clear my mind and hack
away,” Gonzalez said. “Whenever I
see a good pitch, I go for it. I saw she
was throwing outside so I waited for a
curveball and served it to right.”
The Tigers’ loss capped a senior
day in which the team recognized and
said goodbye to three key players.
Next year, Northport (6-11) will be
without the services of centerfielder
Jackie Mauro (Scranton University),
rightfielder Jessica Keller (Cazenovia
College) and Gonzalez (Susquehanna
University).
“To come back one last time and
pitch here means a lot to me,” Gonzalez
said. “I had a lot of fun on this team. I
had a lot of good memories and got to
know some really good people.”
Northport wraps up its season at
Sachem North (10-7), Thursday, May
7 and at home against Sachem East,
Monday, May 11.
CLOSE CALL: Commack pinch runner Annamarie
Santangelo (below, #2) slides into third base,
centerfielder Alexa Corben (above, #21) takes a
pitch and pitcher Alyssa Perisch (right, #7) deliv-
ers a pitch in the Cougars’ 6-1 win over Northport,
Tuesday, May 5. -Richard Valeo photos

7.
The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015 ~ Page 25
Sports Trench Coat’s Take
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
“You got a gift. When you
wereababy,thegodsreached
down and turned your right
arm into a thunderbolt.”
Those were the immortal
words of Crash Davis (Kevin
Costner) describing the
natural talent of pitcher
Ebby “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim
Robbins) in the baseball
classic motion picture “Bull
Durham.”
The same could be said
of Hauppauge senior Nick
Fanti, whose team has
Harnessed arm
Hauppauge pitcher hits new heights
on the mound as he reels in his mind
swing and miss or put it in play.”
The first two innings was just the beginning of his
dominance, as Fanti fanned eight more batters en
route to a 14-strikeout day, his most since fanning 16
in the second of his back-to-back no-hitters April 13.
“I had my best fastball and off-speed I’ve had all
year,” Fanti said. “Knowing I can put the fastball
by them and get a swing-and-miss with a curve or
change gives me confidence, and that confidence
gets even greater when I know the fielders behind
me are making plays, especially [junior shortstop]
Billy Huber.”
Huber brought it defensively throughout the entire
game but showcased his glove in the sixth inning
with a pair of sparklers. With Kings Park sophomore
centerfielder Jake Feibusch leading off the inning,
Feibusch poked a ball into the hole between second
and third base. Huber ran into the hole, snagged
backhanded the grounder and turned and fired a
bullet to first base to rob Feibusch of a base hit Derek
Jeter-style. In the next at-bat, Kings Park senior
second baseman Anthony Fiorentine hit a scorcher
to short, but Huber went down to one knee, handled
a tough hop and threw a bullet to first to get the out.
Huber also brought it at the plate, going 3-for-4
with two runs scored and sparking a two-run first-
inning rally with a leadoff triple to right-center.
“Coach always says to buckle down with two strikes
[1-2 count] and hit anything close to the zone,” Huber
said. “Sometimes you just have to put your hands
out and hit it hard.”
Like Huber, Fanti also brought his bat bashing
a double to right-center in the next at-bat to score
Huber for the first of his two hits. Fanti came around
to score when Kings Park junior pitcher Jake Shickler
couldn’t handle a bunt off the bat of Hauppauge
junior center fielder Bryan Seltenreich, giving the
Eagles a 2-0 first-inning lead.
“He started me out with a good pitch on the outside
corner, but the next one was left over the middle of
the plate,” Fanti said of the double. “I hit it over the
middle and into the outfield. I was just looking to
pull it over the right side to bring in Billy because
he’s always on base. I think I might lead the team in
RBIs because of him.”
Hauppauge added another run in the bottom of the
third off a single by Huber, another double by Fanti
and a sacrifice fly to center field by senior catcher PJ
Contreras that scored Huber.
Ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Hauppauge
added three more insurance runs with a rally of
consecutive singles by junior third baseman Tyler
Sanderson, Seltenreich, and sophomore pinch
hitter Matt Overton, who laid a perfect bunt down
the third-base line that the Kings Park defense had
to eat rather than risk an error. Junior pinch-hitter
Kyle Wood ground into a 5-3 fielder’s choice, but
Sanderson scored on the play to up the Eagles’ lead
to 4-0. Shickler picked Overton off second base, but
junior pinch hitter Devin Jenny blasted a triple to
deep center field to score Seltenreich before an infield
single by senior leftfielder Nick Scozzari brought him
in to increase the Eagles lead to 6-0.
While Hauppauge (14-1 overall, 13-0 league)
pounded the ball to the tune of six runs on 10 hits,
Kings Park (5-10, 5-8) only mustered two—a double
by senior designated hitter Mike Romano and a bloop
single to shallow center by senior second baseman
Rich Woesnner.
“We basically did what we’ve been doing all year—
we came out flat and made too many mistakes,” Kings
Park coach Mike Luzim said. “We let the game dictate
itself instead of going out and doing something.”
The win reduced Hauppauge’s magic number to
clinching the league title to two. The result of the
Eagles’ next game at Kings Park, Wednesday, May
6 was not available at press time. The Kingsmen
will wrap up the three game series at Hauppauge,
Thursday, May 7 at 4 p.m.
Kings Park, which was eliminated from playoff
contention with the loss, finishes the season in a
three-game series with Huntington. The Kingsmen
will be home, Monday, May 11 and Wednesday, May
13, while at Huntington, Tuesday, May 12. The first
pitch for all games is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Hauppauge wraps up its season with a three-game
series against West Babylon. The Eagles will play on
the road, Monday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 13,
while at home, Tuesday, May 12. The first pitch for
all three games is scheduled for 4 p.m
ridden his flame-throwing left arm to the brink of
an undefeated league championship season.
Fittingly, Fanti’s fantastic season has hit Long
Island like a thunderbolt. After playing his first three
years of varsity baseball in relative anonymity—a
period during which Fanti, like “Nuke,” could be
erratic on the hill—Fanti has settled down, zoned in
and “crashed” the scene hard this spring, delivering
back-to-back no-hitters and four complete-game
shutouts while drawing the attention of major-
league scouts and NCAA programs.
Mixed with a timely chosen change-up and a
wicked curveball, Fanti has the kind of stuff that
makes him capable of throwing a no-hitter every
time he takes the mound. His control on the hill
really comes down to his control of his mind.
“Mental toughness goes a long way,” Fanti said.
“In the past, I was an absolute head case when
things didn’t go my way. I became a baby when
that happened, so I worked hard to negate and
minimize it.”
If anyone is becoming a ‘baby,’ it’s
opposing hitters when they face Fanti.
Thus far, Fanti has struck out 68 batters
in 37 innings, leading to an intimidation-
factor that does in some teams before he
even throws a pitch.
Fanti also has minimized much more
than just losses, WHIP and ERA this
season. With a velocity that normally
hovers in the upper 80-mph range but
consistently topped 90 miles per hour
against Kings Park, Monday, May 4 (see
story, page 30), the humble Fanti has kept his mind
in a much lower, steadier gear as he has reached
new levels of athletic success.
“It’s awesome, but it was never easy for me,”
admitted Fanti. “Sitting there watching the game,
you might say I’m just making it look easy. But I put
in a ton of hard work and have gotten really strong
over the last year. It’s helped me with my hitting
and my pitching because my velocity is up and I’m
hitting the ball farther.”
Fanti has also established a camaraderie and
internal competition with his battery mate, senior
catcher PJ Contreras, that is somewhat similar to
that of Crash and Nuke.
“Even when I’m not throwing a no-hitter, people
lookattheteamandsayHauppaugeisnotjustabout
me. You have guys like [senior catcher] PJ Contreras
hitting,” Fanti said, “and a great defense behind me
that keeps the score low every day. Having a team
like that helps boost my own performance.”
Fanti, who also has helped himself at the plate
with a .545 batting average, has the backing that
gives him even more confidence every time he trots
out to the hill.
“Every time I go out, I think I’m going to shut the
other team down,” Fanti said. “I throw strikes to
get outs and believe no one can hit me. It’s more a
competitive thing than actual ability, and one thing
I’ve developed over the last couple of years.”
A team-first mentality, however, often cannot be
taught. But it clearly is inherent in Fanti’s genetic
makeup. In every interview he cites his coach, Josh
Gutes, several of his teammates, and always his
catcher, Contreras as inspirations.
Perhapsitisthatcohesiveness—thatappreciation
for his teammates and mentors—that has the
Eagles at 13-0 in League V, on the cusp of a league
title and possibly the top overall seed in the playoffs.
“It feels like we can do no wrong,” Fanti continued.
“If I’m slumping, PJ is hitting, if he’s slumping, there
are four other guys hitting. That’s why we’ve won
so many games— there’s always someone stepping
up to hit, field or pitch.”
As of now, Fanti is committed to attending
Division I Marist of Metro Atlantic Athletic
Conference (MAAC). But his reputation has fast
spread far beyond Hauppauge to all corners of Long
Island. Each time Fanti pitches, numerous Major
League scouts come to watch, and Fanti continues
to wow.
“It makes me want to play better,” Fanti said of
the extra attention lurking behind backstops and
in the stands. “I’ve pitched in front of scouts for
college, but these are Major League scouts. They
give word to the main guys [of their organization]
on whether they should consider me for
the draft or not.
“Playing in the majors is the dream. All
I’ve ever wanted to do is play baseball as a
professional. However, you can’t let it get
in the way of the task at hand, because
you’ve got to win the game first.”
Northport’s John DeMartini has
coached more than 1,000 games in his
30 years as coach of the Tigers baseball
team. None of his pitchers have ever
thrown a no-hitter, let alone two in a row
like Fanti.
“It’s pretty unique,” DeMartini said. “You don’t
see too many no-hitters, so to have back-to-back
no-hitters, you have to have something special.
You have to have command of your pitches, keep
the batters off-balance, and have a little bit of luck
behind you along with a good defense.”
While DeMartini may not have seen a no-no
from one of his aces, he is accustomed to the
hype a possible Major League draft pick like
Fanti is receiving. At least two players during his
tenure—1992 graduate David Sumner and 2008
graduate Ian Dickson—were followed by Major
League scouts during their senior seasons. Dickson
currently is pitching in the Washington Nationals’
organization, while Sumner chose to forego a
professional baseball career to pursue a greater
passion of football at the University of Pittsburgh
despite being drafted in the fifth round by the New
York Mets.
“It was a lot of fun, especially the year with
Sumner,” De Martini said. “We were invited to
Shea Stadium the year he was drafted to meet a
number of scouts from different teams like the Mets
and Toronto. We also had meetings at his house,
so I had to represent him in a way. It was a very
interesting situation and experience. I remember
when we went to Shea another time, we met one
of the Mets’ executives who told him if he signed
with them, he could see him playing the outfield in
Shea in five years.”
With his senior year in full swing, the best thing
Fanti can do is enjoy the ride. DeMartini feels the
same way.
“Just be yourself,” De Martini advises. “Enjoy the
moment, because you obviously have the talent.”
Fantasticagain
(Continued from page 30)

8.
Page 24 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 7, 2015
Sports
tried beating him off the whistle, got 50-50 balls, and
pushed as many fast breaks as I could to keep the
momentum going.”
East also opened the first period with three straight
goals, starting with a quick-stick goal from Willetts to
Barry with 6:12 left in the frame. Junior midfielder
Trent Starr followed, ripping a high-velocity shot
through the left side with 5:20 remaining, and
DeSimone scored with 2:50 left to make it 3-0.
It wasn’t all good news for East, however, as Starr
went down with a torn posterior cruciate ligament
(PCL) minutes after his goal. And then, just nine
seconds into the second period, West finally got on the
board. Varello won the period’s opening face-off and
hit attackman Dan Caroussos, who found attackman
Kyle Zawadzki in front of the crease. Zawadzki wasted
no time after receiving the pass and put the ball into
the cage before falling to the ground, cutting East’s
lead to 3-1. Midfielder Dan Riley’s sidearm-shot into
the lower-left corner of the cage with 7:35 left in the
second quarter made it 3-2.
West, despite its seven-goal deficit entering
halftime, continued to fight in the second half, adding
a third-quarter goal from Caroussos (2:16) and four
more in the fourth quarter, including a pair from
midfielder Jarrod Wilkom, one from Riley (9:59) and
another from attackman Jimmy Caddigan (8:55). But
it wasn’t nearly enough to offset East’s five second-
half goals.
“Any time you can win at game like that at your
rival’s place is always a good thing,” Smithtown East
coach Jason Lambert said. “Smithtown West is a good
team that’s always up to the challenge. They’re an
opponent we respect, and they respect us, so when
we play them it’s always a good thing.”
Although disappointed in the result, Smithtown
West coach Bob Moltisanti was not disappointed with
his team’s effort. “We played them 5-5 in the second
half, so there’s no quit in our team,” Moltisanti said.
“This is a loss we can learn from and be better for it.”
For Barry (three goals, one assist), the key to East’s
win came not during the game but in his team’s
preparation. “We had two good days of practice
leading up to the game, and were really focused,”
Barry said. “We moved the ball, moved well off the
ball and took advantage of any opportunity we could.”
Smithtown East senior midfielder John Daniggelis
(one assist) was happy with a win in his fourth and
final lacrosse matchup with his intradistrict rivals.
“Some of the best memories of my life were made
in these games,” Daniggelis said of the East-West
matchups. “These are the kind of things we’ll all talk
about when we get back together at our reunion years
later. I got to play with and against guys I love for
the last four years. Our rivalry is friendly because we
compete hard on the field but are best friends off it.”
Willetts, East’s other four-year varsity player,
echoed Daniggelis’ sentiment about the rivalry.
“This means everything to us,” he said. “When I
first came up to varsity, the first thing I could think
of was the East-West game. It always puts a smile on
my face. It’s such a nice thing to be part of, because
we’re two great programs in the same town.”
Following the loss, West (9-3, 8-2 League II)
rebounded in a big way against Riverhead, scoring
a 14-0 win at home against Riverhead for its second
shutout of the season, Friday, May 1. Smithtown East
continued its dominant play with a 17-5 win against
visiting West Islip on Friday, May 1 in a rematch
of last year’s county final. Senior goaltender Sean
Turner made a career-high 22 saves in the victory.
“I’m really proud of them to avoid an emotional
letdown less than 48 hours after a tough opponent,”
Lambert said. “[West Islip] did a good job of slowing
the game down in the beginning, but Turner played
his best game and bailed us out left-and-right. Once
we got to the third, Arceri heated up, we were able to
share the ball and we did some nice things.”
Smithtown East and West both wrap up their
regular-season schedules with a pair of road games.
Smithtown West will play at Copiague, Wednesday,
May 6 and at West Islip, Tuesday, May 12, with both
games scheduled for 5 p.m.; Smithtown East will
play at Riverhead, Wednesday, May 6 and at North
Babylon, Friday, May 8. Both games are at 4:30 p.m.
In the Eastport-South Manor — Kings Park
softball game, sophomore pitcher Amanda
DeLaura came in to relieve junior pitcher Gianna
Cancemi, allowing one hit and one unearned
run over 1 2/3 innings. The relief pitcher was
incorrectly reported in the April 23 edition of
The NEWS.
* * *
In the St. James 5-Mile Run follow-up story
in the April 23 edition of The NEWS, Tracey
Epstein was omitted from the race results.
Epstein finished first in the female masters
division and third overall among women with a
time of 38 minutes, 19 seconds.
Corrections
(Continued from page 31)
Eastlaxmendouble-upWestinBattleofBulls
HEAD OF STEAM: Smithtown West
midfielder Garrett Brunsvold (left, #37)
leads a fast break for Smithtown West,
and Smithtown East junior attackman
Dan Rooney evades a Smithtown East
defender in the Red Bulls’ 12-7 victory.
-Richard Valeo photos