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Hen Hud Football- Season in Review
By Jordan Brickman

When comparing this year’s Sailor football team to last year’s, you can’t help but notice a large difference between the two rosters. Last year’s team was led by then seniors: Chase Bernard, Nick Sarcone, and Robbie Bosco. With all three players gone head coach Paul “Nate” Natale was forced to find a new identity for the Sailors. Nate’s prayers may have been answered when Matt DeSilva suited up and became the starting running back.
Nate and his coaching staff primarily call for runs up the middle, with an occasional pitch, and a pass mixed in. Therefore, a strong running back is vital, for the team’s success. Strong is not exactly a word you think of when you see the 5’7 DeSilva, but he gets by with blazing speed and agility. Although DeSilva can certainly hold his own in the weight room, the team has a few changeup backs in Andrew Nieminski, Sean Stevens, and Tom Coogan. That unit, along with a strong offensive line, has led Hen Hud to a 4-4 record with one more game to play.
DeSilva accounts for most of the Sailor’s points this season. Thus far the Sailors have scored a total of 104 points in eight games. DeSilva, single-handedly has scored over 70 points, running and kicking for points. While DeSilva is the focal point of Hen Hud’s offense, the Sailors also utilize other offensive options. Sophomore quarterback, Dan Boyle, whose favorite target (besides DeSilva, of course) is senior Sam Hall. Hall, who doubles as a corner back, also has two interceptions this season. Seniors Andrew Nieminski, Matt Colombini, and Will Gauthier, and junior Mike Billings, lead the defense, along with Hall. The team has been able to hold opposing teams to an average of 17 points a game, a solid mark.
The Sailors 4-4 season (thus far) has been marked a success by many followers, considering the holes left by last year’s senior class. The team’s 21-14 victory at Hen Hud’s homecoming highlights the season, while the team’s shellacking of Lourde’s (21-7) may have been the most impressive home victory. As someone who has followed the Hen Hud team on every road game (except for the 30-8 victory at Port Chester), I can definitely testify that Nate’s offense can be very frustrating to watch. As one fan described the offense: “we run the ball until we break off a long run.” While, that may very well be the philosophy; the offense has produced most games, and a 4-4 record is nothing to snarl at.












Hen Hud Girls Tennis: The Best Team You’ve Never Heard Of
By Jordan Brickman

When thinking about which Hen Hud girl’s teams are the most talented, two teams immediately come to mind. Obviously, the dynastic volleyball team comes to mind, as they have won five straight sectional championships, and are currently in the midst of defending their state championships. In addition, the girls’ softball team comes to mind, which lost in the state semi-finals last season after going 27-2. Both teams have a great reputation at Hen Hud. There is a third girl’s team looking to be mentioned in the same breath as Hen Hud volleyball and softball. The Hen Hud Girls' Tennis Team had an outstanding 2007 season, going 13-0, and winning the League 5A Championship.
The highlight of the season was beating three teams who were in higher ranked leagues. The most impressive facet about the tennis team, terrifically coached by Brad Fredman (also coaches the boys tennis team, who went 10-6 last season and are primed for a breakout season), is their youth. For those that do not understand a tennis roster is made up as follows: First Singles, Second Singles, Third Singles, First Doubles, Second Doubles, Third Doubles, and Fourth Doubles. The players are ranked by skill, therefore the best player on the team plays first singles and plays against other first singles players, and so on. In order to find a senior on the team you have to go all the way to third doubles, and excluding junior Dana Denenberg you have to go just as far to find another junior on the team. That is what makes the team’s success so exciting.
The aforementioned Dana Denenberg shared first singles duties with freshman Rachael Buckner. Denenberg went undefeated playing singles this year, and Buckner went 12-1 (the one loss came to Ossining’s Jamie Loeb who is ranked top 10 in the nation for players 12 and under). Behind Denenberg and Buckner is freshman, Tara Kutzbach, in her first year playing third singles had a 12-1 record. Behind Tara at first doubles were freshman Danielle Hardman and sophomore Christine Hintze, who had a 12-0 record. Behind them was freshman Leah Galant and sophomore CarolynGiordano who went 11-0. Overall, the combined records of first, second, and third singles, and first and second doubles was an incredible 60-2. In order for a team to win a match in tennis they need to win at least 4 of their 7 individual matches, and a 60-2 record from the first five teams clearly shows Hen Hud’s domination.
After the regular season ended, Coach Fredman decided to combine Denenberg and Buckner to form one heck of a doubles team. The pair went on to win the League 5 and Division 3 doubles titles, respectively. They also reached the 2nd round of the Sectional tournament before bowing out in a hotly contested 3 set match against ateam that took fourth place in the tournament. Certainly, Hen Hud girls tennis has an outstanding future in front of them.