Schools

Northport Coaches vs. Cancer, Part Deux

Basketball game fundraiser continues with a girls double header and a boys home game against Whitman Tuesday.

Get ready for part two of Coaches vs. Cancer. What began as a heart-pounding last minute rebound victory for will continue at the end of the month when Northport pits skill and strategy in a rematch against rivals Walt Whitman high school.

Coach Rich Castellano led the Lady Tigers to an eleventh hour triumph 49-45 on Jan. 6, a victory they hope to repeat at the second Coaches vs. Cancer game on Jan. 31 along with their successes in raising over $1,200 for the American Cancer Society.

The first event was a knockout not only for cancer, but for everyone who attended and got to enjoy the game and performances by the Tigerettes. Third and fourth grade girls from the Eaton's Neck Youth Club Basketball League played a short game with the Lady Tigers during half time then got "Shoot for a Cure" t-shirts and photos with the team.

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On Tuesday night, the girls junior varsity basketball team will join the varsity team in a doubleheader continuation of Coaches vs. Cancer against Whitman in an away game. The JV team will begin play at 4 p.m., the varsity team will begin play at 6:15 p.m. On the same night, the boys basketball team will also be playing a Coaches vs. Cancer game against Whitman on home turf at Northport High School at 6 p.m.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and coaches across the nation who are mobilizing their teams to play with a purpose and take positive action in the fight against cancer. The purpose of Coaches vs. Cancer is to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living among students, faculty, school staff, fans and the community at large, through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising and advocacy activities.

The American Cancer Society's Suffolk County Coaches Council headed by Rich Castellano and Jeff Hansen provides the direction and driving force behind the program. During the 2010-2011 basketball season, Section XI boys and girls basketball programs had 85 percent of teams participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer program and raised over $42,970. For more information about the Coaches vs. Cancer program or the American Cancer Society, please contact 1-800-227-2345 or www.cancer.org.

Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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