Once again, the editorial board who made these selections was proud to present the awards and spend time with so many who make Riverhead a wonderful community to live and work.

Photos by Ana Borruto

Community Leader of the Year

Starting with the 2024 Community Leader of the Year, Mark MK McLaughlin, who has been referred to as “an exemplary employee” by his boss Jodi Giglio and an “amazing guy” by Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard and who even won Riverhead Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year last year, Mr. McLaughlin said he has put his all into everything he does since he recovered from a medical event in 2020.

Educator of the Year

For being a morale-booster and advocate for his Riverhead Charter School students in the face of adversity, his hands-on approach, innovation and achievements made without a blueprint, Patrick McKinney was named Riverhead News-Review 2024 Educator of the Year. He said he plays just a small role in Riverhead Charter School’s success, highlighting the work by the teachers, staff, students, parents and administrators.

Sportspeople of the Year

Being a PAL coach is selfless. It takes time out of your life. Results are earned only through hard work and dedication. Building a football program from the ground up isn’t for everybody but Riverhead has the right people in place leading the way. For their efforts in and dedication toward the PAL football program, Rasheen Moore and Mike Heigh have earned the nod as 2024’s Riverhead News-Review Sportspeople of the Year. In their speeches they assured us that what they’ve accomplished is only the beginning.

Public Servants of the Year

Town Councilman Ken Rothwell was thrilled to hear that Riverhead Highway Department Superintendent Mike Zaleski and his staff were being honored with the Public Servants of the Year award for 2024.

“He loves where he works and lives, and he wholeheartedly deserves this recognition but I know that Mike would not accept this alone.”

In his remarks, Mr. Zaleski shared what his 31 years working in the department have meant to him.

2024 Businessperson of the Year Gabriella Volpe of Caruso’s was unable to attend the ceremony. Executive editor Brendan O’Connor accepted on her behalf.

People of the Year

The resumption of Riverhead’s annual Polish Fair was in large part thanks to the hard work of two community leaders: Polish Town Civic Association president Kevin Davis and Tom Najdzion, president of the Riverhead Polish Independent Club, which runs Polish Hall. For working together to revive the long running festival, the duo was honored as the News-Review’s 2024 People of the Year.

Click here for the Suffolk Times 2024 People of the Year speeches.

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Former Riverhead football standouts Mike Heigh (2003) and Rasheen Moore (2008), who both won championships as members of the Blue Waves, have turned to coaching to try to rebuild a football program that hasn’t had a winner since the school cut sports after a failed budget vote during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

On Nov. 10, the 11-and-under Blue Waves, coached by Moore, and the 10-and-under Blue Waves, coached by Heigh, took the field in their league championship — scheduled to play one after another at the Pulaski Street Sports Complex. The 10u team defeated West Islip, 28-0, and the 11u team finished the season with a 22-6 victory over West Babylon. The games drew a massive crowd; parents, alumni, teachers and coaches all wanted to see these kids compete at a high level.

“Riverhead football has always been a staple of our community,” Heigh said following the championship. “It’s hard when we’re losing at the top. It amplifies everything. That’s why we’re doing the work here and trying to teach our traditions that I grew up with. I really believe that in time, the community will be there to back our kids soon enough.”

Heigh and Moore impact the kids from as early as 7 years old, and the results of all the effort they’ve put in are finally coming to fruition. 

“This is big for the program,” Moore said after watching both teams win their championships. “When you can get two age groups back to back to produce seasons like this it bodes well for our future. It’s a first step in the right direction to winning the community back.”

Both Heigh and Moore played under legendary coach Leif Shay, who coached Riverhead’s varsity football team to four Suffolk County championships in his 24 years of leadership. And Shay had nothing but great things to say about his two former players.

“Both Heigh and Moore demonstrated great leadership ability when they wore the blue and white,” Shay said. “They are men built for others and they truly understand what it means to be great fathers, sons and leaders in their community. I am proud of the men they have become and I look forward to seeing the men they help create.”

When you think about PAL coaches, usually one of them has a kid on their team, and that’s what drives their motivation to help. But neither Heigh nor Moore has a kid on the team; they’re driven by the desire to rebuild a program that gave so much to them.

“I took it personal when I saw kids leaving the district to play football in other towns,” Heigh said. “We need to keep our talent here, and it starts with having the parents buy in. They’re buying in at the PAL level. Once it trickles down to varsity, things will turn around here.”

Jack Shields, whose son Ryan has played for both Heigh and Moore, couldn’t believe how dedicated they were when he first entered him to play football at age 7. It was a bumpy road at first, but it was a road that eventually led to a championship. Right after COVID, the 7-year-old team didn’t have a coach, and Heigh was slated to coach his own son in his last year of PAL football. He ended up sacrificing that year with his son to coach Ryan Shields and the other kids. It just shows the type of person he is.

“I’ve helped coach over the years, so I would say I have a lot of the behind-the-scenes knowledge of what’s going on here,” Shields said. “Mike’s son hasn’t been in the program for years now, but he continues to put all his effort into building this. He’s almost become like a figurehead of the entire program. He’s committed to the development of the program and the development of the kids as football players and young men. Even as young as 7, Mike always showed them a toughness that really resonated with the kids.”

Transitioning from Heigh to Moore as the kids progress, gives them a different touch. Heigh is more of a play-with-your-heart type of coach, whereas Moore is less outspoken and more skills-driven. It’s a perfect 1-2 punch. And, at the end of the day both bleed blue-and-white.

“These coaches volunteer three nights a week and every Sunday for the better part of four months [to] give these kids the best experience possible,” Shields said. “They never miss a practice. They don’t have a child in the program and our boys were always the last team out there. … That just shows their dedication and their commitment. They weren’t just out there because they volunteered, they’re out there because they’re committed to better the children and go the extra mile.” 

Shields sees firsthand how Heigh and Moore have shaped every child that has suited up in a Blue Wave uniform. They have tremendous pride in wearing that uniform to school. It’s a pride that has been lacking for quite some time in Riverhead sports.

“I played football in high school and college,” Shields said. “The inspiration that both of them have provided — the strength, the courage, the motivation — it made me want to go out and play. When I started to see Ryan buy in, develop and grow, it made me buy in, develop and grow. I want our kids to have tough coaches. I want them to be challenged. I bought into the philosophy. I bought into their approach. And even though I didn’t grow up here, I’m proud to be a Blue Wave.”

For their efforts in and dedication toward the PAL leagues, Heigh and Moore have earned the nod as 2024’s Riverhead News-Review Sportspeople of the Year.

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More spectators filled the stands and lined the fences than at any varsity football game this season to see two PAL football championship games. The 10-and-under Riverhead Blue Waves were taking on West Islip and the 11-and-under team followed right after against West Babylon at the Pulaski Street Sports Complex.

Riverhead has been struggling on the varsity level for years following the COVID budget cuts and two former championship-team members have vowed to turn it around, starting at the youth levels. Former standout tight end/defensive end on the 2003 championship team, Mike Heigh, coaches the 10-year olds and former electric receiver on the undefeated 2008 title team, Rasheen Moore, coaches the 11-year olds.

Both squads won their respective championship games in what looks like a big step toward restoring Riverhead football. Neither game was close: the 10-year old team defeated West Islip, 28-0 and the 11-year old team beat West Babylon, 22-6.

“It’s our mission here at the PAL level to win back our community and regain parent’s trust in our program,” Heigh said. “I take it very personal after growing up here with all the success we had and seeing parents take their kid out of the district for better opportunities. We have the athletes, we just need the parents to buy in and that’s exactly what’s happening now.”

From the first play of the game, the 10u Blue Waves set the tone. Quarterback Miller Sumwalt faked a handoff and kept it himself, taking the ball all the way to the endzone on a 65-yard scamper. 

Riverhead never let up. After Jah’Kari Booker came up with a sack to force a West Islip turnover, Willie Martin chugged his way into the endzone on a 55-yard run from scrimmage. The Blue Waves defense, which was fierce all game, forced a fumble in the next possession which was then picked up by Raskeem Gamble and taken to the house for a 95-yard touchdown. Brendan Murphy scored the final Blue Wave touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“It’s hard when our varsity team is losing because it doesn’t give the younger kids something to look up to,” Heigh said. “We’re trying to bring that winning mentality back to Riverhead. We’re dedicated as coaches and we know that the kids that we have here just need the right mentors to get this thing back on track.”

Heigh even keeps some of the major parts of varsity football in the youth leagues such as the hammer award. Leif Shay, arguably the most successful football coach in Riverhead school history, created the award to recognize the player who delivered the biggest hit of the game. That player’s name would then be painted on the hammer and the award continued throughout the season. Though the hammer is much smaller in PAL, it’s always carried out pregame by the captains.

“We want to make it as close to varsity as possible in the sense of the culture we grew up in,” Heigh said. “We keep them together year round. We’re building that winning mentality and we coach these kids up hard so that way when they do get to varsity, they’re all on the same page. It’s always been one big family for us growing up here on the football field. I think we’ve lost some of that in recent years.”

Though the 11u team allowed West Babylon to hang around for the first half, the Blue Waves were eventually able to pull away behind the elite running of halfback Jayveon Hopkins.

Much like the 10u team, Hopkins scored on the first play of the game, outpacing the defenders by multiple strides. West Babylon had their hands full trying to tackle the shifty Hopkins all game.

After Riverhead forced a fumble to start the second half, it was Hopkins that found a crease and extended Riverhead’s lead to 16-6. With West Babylon trying to manufacture some points to get back in the game, the Blue Waves forced yet another fumble to take over possession.

“These kids worked their butts off all year long and the results are showing,” Moore said. “Look around and see how much of the community came out to support us. They believe in what we’re doing here.”

Riverhead was stuck in a 3rd and 15 on the following offensive possession, and needed one big play to pretty much seal the game. Quarterback Ryan Shields slung it across the middle to Lucas Levesque who earned the first down with the catch. Then it was Hopkins turn again as he found the endzone after shifting gears in the middle of the field, breaking a few tackles and tip toeing his way along the sideline. 

After the game, each player was given a championship ring. And as Moore handed them out, he took his time to thank every player for their contribution this season.

“It’s not easy getting yelled at by a coach all season long,” Moore said. “I just wanted to let them know that I appreciate each and every one of them. They all played a part this year and they worked hard to earn this championship. Success doesn’t happen overnight.”

Though they’re years away from getting to the varsity level, winning two championships in back-to-back age groups bodes well for the future. The hope is that they all stay together.

“What we needed at the PAL level was to get the parents to buy in,” Heigh said. “We have the right coaches in place to set the kids up for a successful athletic future. We’re slowly going to bring this program back – one age group at a time.”

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Moore was the No. 1 option in the passing game during the championship run with his natural speed and ability to create space through precise route running. He caught 34 passes for 684 yards to go along with his 10 touchdowns en route to hoisting the trophy. With his passion for the game still overflowing, Moore wants to impact the area’s youth, giving them the football tools necessary to succeed once they hit the middle school level and beyond. In addition to coaching, Moore is now offering individualized training sessions to any kid who wants it.

“A lot of parents are starting to feel that Riverhead isn’t the place to be anymore as far as sports goes,” Moore said. “They’re moving to other areas where they see not just the community coming together but just being one family from the top down. Riverhead has lost that part of it — a part that I grew up with. When I was growing up the whole community was behind everything we did.”

The dwindling numbers on the varsity football team can be directly correlated with participation in the town’s youth programs. The more kids who get involved at an early age, the more they’re willing to see out their careers through the high school level. 

“If you’re a parent and you’re watching your kid not learn, not grow, not get any better in a program, would you keep them there?” Moore said. “That’s the question we as coaches have to ask ourselves as far as what we’re doing here at the youth levels.”

Moore was thrust into youth coaching seven years ago because nobody else wanted to do it. Over time, seeing the results of his efforts has only encouraged him to push harder to try to impact more young players in the area. He’s been coaching the 10- and 11-year-old football teams exclusively, putting a final imprint on them before they head to the higher levels.

“The first year I got involved, I was shocked to see how bad it was,” Moore said. “The coaching staff I had with me at the time decided to just call it quits. They didn’t want to do it anymore. It was too much of a headache for them. I just have too much passion for the game to give up on these kids.”

Growing up in a winning environment, Moore wants to regain the parents’ trust in the program. He knows that it all starts in the peewee leagues and he’s dedicated to teaching the knowledge he’s gained over his many years of playing football. He went on after high school to play flag football at the highest levels because his passion for the game just never went away. 

“I’m constantly trying to improve and I learn more every day,” Moore said. “The techniques I teach translate to other sports as well. It’s not just football, even though we may be doing football-style drills. Even after that first year, and losing all those games, I still felt great because I knew they all got better in some way and that’s what it’s all about.”

Even with a full-time job at Amazon, Moore still finds time to coach and train because that’s where his passion truly lies. His training sessions include a range of footwork and balance drills that mimic game-time moves impacting a player’s ability to react and make the correct play. 

“Once I was able to see how they use my knowledge and training during games, it’s such a gratifying feeling,” Moore said. “Seeing a kid do something I taught in our training sessions just off of pure reaction, there’s nothing better. Our youth program is going to get back to where it was. We have the right people in place and we’re all determined to bring Riverhead sports back. And I can truly say that the middle-schoolers coming up, they’ve been coached very well. That could be the next group that makes a huge impact on our community. I just hope we can keep them all together.”

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