As Waves extend league record to 8-0, comparisons to last Long Island Championship team arise

After Tuesday’s 51-23 victory over Newfield at Riverhead High School, the Blue Waves have now won eight straight games and boast a crystal clear 8-0 division record atop League III.

Their domination prompted a reporter to ask Riverhead head coach Dave Spinella how this team compares to the 2012 team that won the Long Island Championship and competed for the state title.

He wouldn’t say which team was better.

“There’s similarities but it’s just a different group that can do different things,” Spinella said. “We had different strengths for each team that accomplished big things for Riverhead whether it was 2012 or 2008. I wish we could combine them all, make one squad and take on the world.”

“So it’s not who’s better or worse,” Spinella continued. “They’re just all different.”

One things for sure, this Riverhead team understands what it takes to win.

“We always get better,” Spinella said. “We naturally grow throughout the year. We’re always changing, always trying to put new things in. We’re studying film and adjusting every day.”

The game coming up against Huntington, who currently sits in second place with a 6-1 record, is a must-win for the Blue Waves. Last time the teams played, Riverhead eked out a 65-63 victory. Spinella doesn’t expect it to be that close the second time around even though that game will be played in Huntington.

“We’re going to win,” Spinella said. “We’ve been preparing since Sunday. We have to win and we will win. We need to win all the games.”

After securing a playoff berth the last game against West Islip, it’s all about seeding and every game is important. A flawless league record could land Riverhead among the top seeds in Class A.

The season resumes on Thursday when they take on Huntington. The game will start at 5:45 p.m.

The question as to which team is better will just have to be decided by the results. Riverhead has never had a state champion.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by George Faella