Thanks for the top senior athletic award candidates

The results are in. But not yet out. Because the Port Chester and Blind Brook senior athletic awards events took place after Westmore News's press time this past Wednesday (5/29) at Port Chester High School for the Rams and Lady Rams and at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Conn., Thursday (5/30) for the Trojans and Lady Trojans.

That means readers will have to wait until next week's issue to find out who the select few official top-tier athletic award winners are from both schools.

Star-filled sports galaxy

What that also means is we can pay tribute here to the entire galaxy of the best of the local senior athletic best, the known and virtually unknown student-athletes, the glitterati as well as the nitty gritty behind-the-scenes players who are also key components in helping unlock the heart and soul of resilient team play.

Because behind every aha, wow, attaboy and attagirl sports moment throughout the season, without dimming the star wattage, there is a baller doing all the little things that help make the play work with teamwork, credited or not.

Here is a thanks for the memories tribute to a special group of talented seniors representing the classy athletes of the 2024 graduating class.

Wide ranging talent

They range from Trojans baseball player Zac Rosenblatt, a vital cog on the team that revolved around All-Section pitcher/shortstop Andrew Rogovic, winner of an athletic scholarship to Northeastern, and All-League sidekick pitcher, slugger, second baseman and centerfielder Zach Schneider (Emory) to Rams cheerleader/captain Adam Osorio, the first Port Chester male cheerleader ever and the first to win a college cheerleading scholarship, choosing the University of South Florida over such nationally-ranked cheerleading teams as Hofstra and the University of Delaware.

And while almost every Ram hoops afficionado knows Guillermo (Memo) Zabala (Arizona State Community College) set the school scoring record for points scored in a single game (60), how many know seldom-used hoops reserve Orhan Eski was the school's highest scorer on the SATs as well as a solid cross-country runner?

Wrestling with wrestling choices

Or how many know that the Lady Rams’ peerless softball centerfielder Taby Sanchez (Delhi University) batted .473 and was also a wrestler on the Rams team that was one of Port Chester High School's few squads to post a winning record—and good luck to anyone who has to pick the best of the Ram grapplers. That group includes All-League wrestler Jaden Barbour who was the team's MOW (Most Outstanding Wrestler), Mugger Award Winner (most wins by fall: 16) as well as Rams wrestling and football co-captain. He was also the grid team's best offensive and defensive lineman.

    Senior captain and Muhlenberg lacrosse commit Seth Low is among the Blind Brook lacrosse aces who could be chosen for a senior athletic award.
 By File Photo   

Other top wrestling candidates include All-League lightweight Erik Coyt (Eugene Miller Leadership Award Winner), Alejandro Velasquez (team captain voted most improved heavyweight and an outstanding football lineman and lacrosse player), Christopher Ochoa (voted the team's most accountable, responsible and motivated) and Christopher Gonzalez (the coach's award winner for his dedication and selflessness).

Choices, choices, choices

How do you choose between Trojan lacrosse aces including such college LAX scholarship winners as key defensive player Seth Low (Muhlenberg), scoring hotshots such as Michael Berman Annunziata (Clark University) and Hudson McRedmond as well as inspirational goalie Ethan Leland. Or Ram soccer standouts like All-Section and All-League scorer (and Track & Field sprinter) Ramaul Morgan Jr. (American International University), Nick Tellez (All Section Honorable Mention and All-League baller with a scholarship to Western Connecticut), All-League players Julian Lopez, Jonathan Bautista and Christian Antunez and STEER for Student Athletes high honor roll scholar-athlete Bayron Aguirre.

Will the selections overlook luminaries from lesser sports like the Rams and Lady Rams bowling duo of Trevor Sullivan and Sophia Maldonado who had to schlep down to Bowlerland near Co-Op City in the Bronx to play their matches. Or Trojans T&F speedsters such as William Jaffee (SUNY Geneseo) or the Lady Trojans Kayleigh Curran who medaled as members of the first "His and Her" mixed mile relay ever run at the prestigious Loucks Games in White Plains. And where will Rams and Lady Rams swim team co-captains Matt Palma and Jaina Gonzalez wind up in the voting after a fall/winter season of leading their teams to pre-class 5:45 a.m. swimming practices at the Carver Center, rain, snow, wind or shine. And how about the unsung heroes of Rams tennis, Luis Cepeda at second singles and Christian Jordan in doubles?

Inspiring back stories

If you’re looking for more inspirational student-athlete selections, it is hard to choose from Alexandra (Alee) Cruz, who has a 98.2 GPA, works 40 hours in a supermarket bakery to help support her family, plays in the school band and is one of the outstanding middle distance runners on the T&F team, and John Del Cid (a Ram football co-captain, outstanding offensive and defensive back, the "Heart of a Giant" football nominee for overcoming adversity, and a top-flight hurdler, sprinter and lead off relay runner as well as co-captain of the T&F team.

And then there's Lady Rams basketball and volleyball player Nataly Garcia who pitched for the Lady Rams softball team last year, Lady Rams All-League basketball point guard and soccer player Samantha (Sam) Munoz and seemingly inseparable Rams baseball power hitters John (Tommy) Tomassetti and Joshua Virella, both winners of college scholarships, Tomassetti for academics to the University of South Carolina and Virella to Rawlins College of South Jersey for his baseball ability.

And there's so many more potential award-winning candidates, the sheer number of local top tier athletes worthy of consideration constituting a virtual galaxy of scholastic sports stars.

It is like the local sports version of Hollywood's Academy Awards, Broadway's Tonys, TV’s Emmys and the recording industry's Grammys.

So, who are the best of the best local student-athlete selections? That is anybody's guess. Unless you were at Tamarack or in the Port Chester High School gym when the award winners were announced after press time.

And that's what makes the athletic award events so intriguing for local sports aficionados. Because the results are in, but not yet officially out. Like we said upfront. But when they are, you can read about them here first.