The Fall 2013 Varsity Sports Season is in the books. Many young athletes have distinguished themselves and were chosen by the Oyster Bay High School coaches as Athletes of the Month for November 2013.
Cross Country Coach Kevin Cotter chose Alex Tosi, Jason Cassella, Jack Sherbal, Stevie Sweet, Dylan Mavros, Aiden Doxy and Matt Palczewsi for this honor. The “Top 7” members of the boys’ cross country team are returning to the New York State Championships after a two-year lapse. The boys, led by Alex Tosi, defeated division champions Friends Academy by just one point. Tosi, Cassella, Sherbal and Sweet all ran their best times of the season in their final and most crucial race, at Bethpage State Park. While Tosi again broke the 18-minute barrier, Cassella, Sherbal and Sweet were all well under 19 minutes for the challenging 5k course.
Volleyball Coach Erin Murcott praised Caroline Kelly, a three-year varsity starter and captain of the varsity volleyball team. As libero, Kelly averaged 4.6 digs/set, 1.5 aces per set, and two kills per set this season which, along with her hustle and grit, earned her an All-County award selected by the coaches. She was the defensive backbone of this year’s 11-3 team and came up with big plays when her team needed it. Kelly’s work ethic and commitment to athletics is outstanding and among the best. Her ability to make her teammates better by being a positive role model and team player is what makes Kelly such a valuable asset to any team.
Girls Soccer Coach Phil Goldberg highlighted two girls for the Athlete of the Month honors. One of November’s players of the month for Girls Soccer is Rebecca Layne. Captain and four-year starter, Layne has been one of the reasons Lady Baymen are respected by other teams. Her competitiveness, tenacity and leadership have been a tremendous influence to all of her teammates. Her toughness has branded her the nickname T.A.N. (“tough as nails”) by Coach Phil. This season, Layne was voted by the coaches as an “All-County player” and nominated for the Class B State Team.
Being a great athlete on the field is just one of Layne’s qualities. She is also the scholar athlete of her team possessing, high academic marks. The list of organizations and volunteer groups are many. Layne was NEWS 12’s Scholar Athlete for the week of Nov. 11. She is by far considered a “Blue Chip” person and will be a great addition to any college she attends.
A second choice for the Athlete of the Month among the girls soccer stars is Jillian Tiberia. In the 2012 season, the “Lady Baymen” soccer team made it to the Nassau County B finals. Upon graduating six starters, several adjustments had to be made to fill their positions. One of those spots needing replacement was sweeper. September’s “Player of the Month,” Tiberia stepped up to the plate. She volunteered to give it a try. Needless to say, Tiberia has risen to the task. Her skills, speed and knowledge of the game have established her to as the “backbone of the Lady Baymen’s solid defense.
Changing from an offensive player to a defensive player is not an easy transition. Tiberia has grasped sweeper without any difficulty. Her leadership on and off the field exemplifies the positive and successful character of the entire team.
Field Hockey Coach Morgan Cestari celebrated another great season by honoring senior Lindsay Sweet. Sweet is captain of the 2013 varsity field hockey team. This season Sweet has added five goals and seven assists even though she plays center defense. That puts her in the top 20 for most points of all players in Nassau County. Sweet does an incredible job of keeping the ball on the offensive half of the field. She has the ability to jab the ball away from any attack player and hit the ball all the way up the field. She leads her team in the off-season as well by running summer practices, attending camps, and invitationals. Sweet has led this year’s team to a league championship title and an overall record of 8-6.
Football Coach Joe Knoll chose Nick Orlowski as the Athlete of the Month. Orlowski is a junior running back and defensive back for the Varsity Football Team. He was the leading rusher in five of the eight games this season, scoring three rushing touchdowns. Orlowski had two outstanding performances where he rushed for 100 yards or more. Orlowski had a solid season and finished on a high note.
