For the first time since 2019, the Blue Waves boys basketball team clinched a playoff berth in Suffolk County’s League I with a few games remaining and a chance to improve seeding position. Riverhead ripped through Central Islip, 71-35, Monday afternoon at Central Islip high school in a push to solidify second place in the league.

From the opening tip, Riverhead was on a mission. Peter Lagnena was the key scorer early on and didn’t miss. The junior sharpshooter posted 15 points in the first quarter as the Blue Waves grabbed an early 20-point lead.

“I couldn’t believe how much space they were giving me,” Lagnena said. “It’s the most space I had to shoot all season so I didn’t think about it and just shot it every time.”

The Blue Waves kept scoring and extended the lead to as much as 40 points before head coach Pat Fabian pulled the starting lineup at the beginning of the fourth quarter. When Lagnena cooled off a bit in the second half, DeShawn Watkins took over the scoring load, equaling Lagnena’s point total with 17.

“We’ve just been locked in as a team,” Watkins said. “Getting into the playoffs this early took a lot off our shoulders so we’ve been focusing on playing good team ball.”

Riverhead got contributions up and down the lineup including a star-studded performance from their sophomore point guard Anaiis Mitchell, who collected 13 assists and scored 16 – including a rim-rattling dunk off a fast break.

“We haven’t made the playoffs in a long time here at Riverhead,” Mitchell said. “It’s a huge achievement for us. We made a huge leap as a team this year and we’re gelling well.”

Defense has been the mantra from the beginning of the season and that’s led to much of the success this year. Being able to run multiple sets, staying aggressive in the passing lanes and crashing the defensive boards have been some of the main points of emphasis this year.

It helps having a 6-foot-6 Liam Lennon on the court as well. The senior captain scored 10 points against Central Islip but more importantly blocked six shots and got his hands on two steals.

“If Liam is affecting the middle of the paint we are going to be in every game we play,” Fabian said. “He’s such a big part of the puzzle and maybe he isn’t scoring as much as the others but he’s affecting the game in so many other ways. Without him I don’t think we would win as many games this year.”

Riverhead (7-2 League I, 10-7 overall) clinched the playoffs against Brentwood last week. It’s a big step forward for a team that only managed to win three games last year. 

“It’s crazy what happens when the kids all buy into what you’re preaching,” Fabian said. “We are a team first. Nobody is bigger than anyone else on the team. I think that’s part of the reason we’ve had success. We all want the best for each other.”

The goal now is to secure the second seed in the division. They’re battling Longwood for that spot – a team they split the season series with. Longwood also clinched a playoff berth with a 6-4 league record. 

Riverhead has Walt Whitman (4-5) and Patchogue-Medford (2-7) left on the schedule. Winning both of those three games will secure second place in league play, but Longwood’s 13-5 overall record could sway the committee to seed them higher despite the league records.

“Our goal right now is a home playoff game,” Fabian said. “We love playing at home and have only lost one time there. It’s just something about the crowd and the intensity they bring. It’s a hard place to play. The team knows how important each game we play is the rest of the way. We’re motivated. Making the playoffs isn’t enough anymore. We want a playoff win.”

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On June 10th, long-time Riverhead wrestling coach Walter Stewart passed away peacefully in his Aquebogue home. He was 98 years old. Stewart was Riverhead’s coach from 1950 to 1985 and was an avid supporter of the program until his passing.

“He was Old Hickory,” current Riverhead coach Jake Benedetto said. “He was as tough as they come but he had a heart of gold.”

The auxiliary gym at Riverhead High School was named in his honor Wednesday. Stewart coached 82 All-County wrestlers and 19 Suffolk County champions during his tenure. Riverhead won 242 dual meets, four dual meet titles, six league tournament titles and the 1963 Suffolk County tournament. In 2002, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Stewart’s family and many alumni were present Wednesday night as Riverhead fell to Hampton Bays, 45-30 in a non-league match at Riverhead High School.

Though Riverhead’s season didn’t turn out as planned as a team, two wrestlers have as good a shot as anyone to place in the league tournament and even potentially in the county tournament. 

Zachary Gevinksi, a freshman who wrestles at 101 pounds, put together an impressive season even with his limited varsity experience. Gevinski wrestled to a record of 16-8 on the season and has been only getting stronger as the season progresses. Against Hampton Bays, Gevinski pinned his opponent in 22 seconds, starting off the meet with a bang.

“Gevinski’s year is going to be defined by the league tournament,” Benedetto said. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose anything during the season. This is when it matters. This is when you have to put your best performances together. He only had one league loss so I’d love to see him avenge that one. Even though he’s young, he’s been wrestling for a very long time. This is nothing new to him. Just a different gym.”

Colby Baran, a sophomore in the 160-pound weight class, unfortunately was unable to wrestle against Hampton Bays because of the flu but has also elevated his game over the course of the season. Benedetto expects Baran to be very competitive in the Suffolk County tournament should he place in leagues. He finished 18-8.

Jared Knight, one of the team’s only seniors, figures also to be right in the thick of things. Knight pinned his opponent in the third round on Wednesday after jumping out to a commanding 10-0 lead after the first round.

“We get a fresh start in the league tournament,” Knight said, who wrestles at 131 pounds. “For me personally it was always about having confidence and believing in your ability. The team season is over but there’s still time for us to perfect our craft in the individual tournaments.”

In order to make the Suffolk County tournament, the wrestler needs to finish in the top 4 of the league tournament. Each school can send up to two wrestlers per weight class so there could be as many as 12 to face off against. There are no wrestlebacks in the league tournament, meaning if you lose in the first two rounds, you’re out. So if you happen to get a tough draw in the first round, there’s no fighting back in the loser’s bracket like other tournaments. The only way to advance to the County tournament is to make the semi-finals. There is no random draw, either. The matchups will be determined by a seeding decision. The better record the wrestler produced, the higher the seed.

The League I tournament will take place Feb. 3 at Patchogue-Medford High School. 

There’s always surprises in every tournament and Coach Stewart will undoubtedly be looking down in spirit, cheering on the team that he always loved.

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