A Season of Firsts for Fall Varsity Teams

Written by Rosemary Leonetti/Syntax

There were many impressive firsts to celebrate at the Long Beach High School Fall Varsity Awards Night. This was the school’s most successful varsity season in decades, with all nine teams participating in postseason play for the first time in 30 years.

Among the most impressive firsts, the girls varsity volleyball team won its first-ever county championship, beating Southside by a score of 3-2. With a 13-1 regular season, the team also won its first conference title in 19 years, and Kerri Rehnback was named the Class A Coach of the Year.

The girls swim team had its best season in more than 10 years, finishing 13th overall at the state meet. Maggie Aroesty won the state championship in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.10, which also qualified her for All-American consideration. Maggie is the first female swimmer in school history to win an individual state championship title. State qualifiers Kellie Cannon, Caroline Farrell, Morgan Harrington and Emma Harris all had impressive finishes at states as well. In the process, the team broke six out of 12 school records this season.

This was the fourth consecutive year the football team made it to the playoffs and the first time in the team’s history that they hosted a playoff game at home.

The boys soccer team made the playoffs for the second consecutive year, and the girls soccer team made their first playoff game in 20 years. With 20 goals this season, senior Shannon Horgan earned All-State honors.

The boys volleyball team finished second in their conference, losing the county final to Kennedy. Going into the season with a No. 6 seed, they beat the No. 2 seed three times in the regular season. In tournament play, they beat two teams that made it to the state playoffs.

Throughout the season, all teams worked hard, played consistently, played with respect for their teammates and for their opponents, and fought to the end. In addition to the team successes that this winning formula produced, a total of 48 fall athletes earned individual awards, including one State Champion, one All-State, seven All-Long Island, four County Champions, 10 All-County, two All-County Honorable Mention, 15 All-Conference, three All-Class, four All-Division players and one Senior Scholar-Athlete. In addition, two players made Newsday’s First All-Long Island teams, and five players made Newsday’s Second All-Long Island teams.