{"id":123872,"date":"2025-01-03T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/?p=123872"},"modified":"2025-01-02T15:58:24","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T20:58:24","slug":"top-local-sports-stories-of-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2025\/01\/123872\/top-local-sports-stories-of-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Local sports highlights of 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Here\u2019s a look back at some top sports headlines and highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/Unknown-3-4-1024x683-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123906 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/Unknown-3-4-1024x683-1.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/Unknown-3-4-1024x683-1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/Unknown-3-4-1024x683-1-768x512.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Riverhead lax alum Goodale training with Team USA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up on her family farm in Riverhead shaped who <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/12\/123188\/riverhead-lax-alum-goodale-training-with-team-usa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Katie Goodale<\/a> is as she blossomed into a prized Division I recruit. Being a natural defender vaulted her up the depth chart at Syracuse University and she left the school with a few records, including being the all-time leader in caused turnovers. Having graduated, she\u2019s now onto a new goal: making Team USA\u2019s roster.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1121_PALFootball_GeorgeFaella_WEB-1-1024x541.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123907 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1121_PALFootball_GeorgeFaella_WEB-1-1024x541.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1121_PALFootball_GeorgeFaella_WEB-1-300x159.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1121_PALFootball_GeorgeFaella_WEB-1-768x406.jpg 768w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1121_PALFootball_GeorgeFaella_WEB-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Blue Waves win PAL football titles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the midst of the worst stretch in Riverhead high school football history, help is on the way. Both the <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/11\/123038\/blue-waves-win-pal-football-titles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10u and 11u football teams<\/a> won PAL championships under the leadership of two championship coaches. Rasheen Moore and Mike Heigh both won championships as members of the Blue Waves and now they\u2019re trying to instill that old-school culture into the youth.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"731\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0418_wrestler-Web-1-1024x731.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123908 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0418_wrestler-Web-1-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0418_wrestler-Web-1-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0418_wrestler-Web-1-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0418_wrestler-Web-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Freshman Wildcat Mangano wins national tourney<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After winning his first state title during the school season, <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/04\/119864\/freshman-wildcat-mangano-wins-national-tourney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gavin Mangano<\/a> took it a step further and brought home a national title in April after wrestling at the National High School Coaches Association tournament in Virginia Beach. Eighty wrestlers from all over the country were in his weight class and Mangano stood above them all. It was a perfect cap to his freshman season at SWR.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1031_softball_courtesy-2-1024x689.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123909 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1031_softball_courtesy-2-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1031_softball_courtesy-2-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1031_softball_courtesy-2-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R1031_softball_courtesy-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Riverhead alum Julia Morrow earns Hall of Fame honors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After being one of the best pitchers in school history on the softball circle at Riverhead, Morrow continued her domination at the University of Tampa. She is the only pitcher ever to throw a perfect game at Riverhead \u2014 and produced two more in college. The two-time All-American was inducted into the <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/11\/122722\/riverhead-softball-pitcher-julia-morrows-earns-hall-of-fame-honors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Tampa Hall of Fame<\/a> on Oct. 17.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"346\" height=\"476\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/ajax-request-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123913 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/ajax-request-2.jpeg 346w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/ajax-request-2-218x300.jpeg 218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Blue Wave alums make it to The Show<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two brothers from Riverhead\u2019s graduating class of 2013 worked their way up from the lowest ranks of MLB back offices to now being prominent staff members for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/rangers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Texas Rangers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/rockies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Colorado Rockies<\/a>. Tyler Carroll is tasked with scouting for Texas and Connor Carroll works on the player development side for the Rockies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"728\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0516_Rhsoftball2_web-1-1024x728.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123916 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0516_Rhsoftball2_web-1-1024x728.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0516_Rhsoftball2_web-1-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0516_Rhsoftball2_web-1-768x546.jpg 768w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0516_Rhsoftball2_web-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Softball: Blue Waves cap historic season<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time in school history, <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/03\/119483\/hopes-high-for-blue-waves-softball-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Riverhead\u2019s varsity softball team<\/a> went a perfect 18-0 after defeating Half Hollow Hills West in the last game of the regular season. The game went into extra innings and the Blue Waves came out on top 5-6 after Mya Marelli smashed the game-winning hit. Marelli also won Big Schools Pitcher of the Year before <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2023\/04\/115727\/softball-blue-waves-fall-to-undefeated-longwood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Riverhead lost<\/a> in the Suffolk County semifinal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/DSC_0826-1024x771-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123918 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/DSC_0826-1024x771-3.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/DSC_0826-1024x771-3-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/DSC_0826-1024x771-3-768x578.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Riverhead boys lax squad among&nbsp;school&#8217;s best ever<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After taking its lumps as a young team for a few seasons, the <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/05\/120266\/boys-lacrosse-blue-waves-advance-with-come-from-behind-playoff-win-over-commack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blue Waves lacrosse<\/a> team finally emerged with a strong senior class this year, taking&nbsp;the program to levels it hasn\u2019t seen before. Griffin Sumwalt finished his career as the all-time leader in goals and points scored. The team ended up posting a 11-3 division record \u2014 the best in school history.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"801\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/11-4-1024x801-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123919 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/11-4-1024x801-3.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/11-4-1024x801-3-300x235.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/11-4-1024x801-3-768x601.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>SWR girls soccer win another title<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the second year in a row, Shoreham-Wading River\u2019s girls soccer team won the Class A Long Island championship, sending the team to play in the <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/11\/123065\/wildcats-fall-short-in-state-soccer-semis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York State Final Four in Cortland<\/a>. The Wildcats accomplished this feat without their star player last year, Grace Hillis, which made this year\u2019s run that much more remarkable. Mia Mangano scored the opening goal as the Wildcats prevailed over Wantagh, 2-0.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"594\" src=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0926_RHTrackcoach.crts-web-1-1024x594.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123920 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0926_RHTrackcoach.crts-web-1-1024x594.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0926_RHTrackcoach.crts-web-1-300x174.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0926_RHTrackcoach.crts-web-1-768x445.jpg 768w, https:\/\/timesreview-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/R0926_RHTrackcoach.crts-web-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Riverhead alum takes over fledgling track program<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2024\/09\/122227\/riverhead-alum-takes-over-coaching-fledgling-track-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ryan Budd<\/a> has been a champion at every level. He won a first-ever Long Island championship as a member of Riverhead\u2019s football team. Then,&nbsp; at Central Connecticut State, he helped the team win its first title in history. He went on to coach at Wagner College and that team also won their first-ever championship. Now he\u2019s up for a new challenge: Budd recently took the head track and field coaching job at Western Connecticut State University \u2013 a team that never existed before.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a look back at some top sports headlines and highlights: Riverhead lax alum Goodale training with Team USA Growing up on her family farm in Riverhead shaped who Katie Goodale is as she blossomed into a prized Division I recruit. Being a natural defender vaulted her up the depth chart at Syracuse University and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":331,"featured_media":123905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17558,1743,37],"tags":[328,770,126,124,258,13186,128,512,301,370,17559],"coauthors":[16616],"class_list":["post-123872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2024-year-in-review","category-featured-story","category-sports","tag-baseball","tag-basketball","tag-football","tag-high-school-sports","tag-lacrosse","tag-premium","tag-soccer","tag-softball","tag-track-and-field","tag-wrestling","tag-year-in-review-2024"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Local sports 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