Half Hollow Hills - Hills Horizon Yearbook (Dix Hills, NY)

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Lacrosse jim McGorry starts the ball upficld for the attack. ' Bill O'Brian always studies the other team Midfieldman Rich Easton fights to regain the ball for Hills.

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Matt Dunigan always gets his man! Football This year was the best of times and it was the worst of times for Coach Bob Polo and his Thunderbird football team. He and his staff were quite confident that they would overcome last year's record. In an inter-county, non-league game marked by many penalties, Hills grounded out an 8-6 win over Garden City, spurred on by the running of sophomore sensation jim Metzger. With spirits flying, Hills faced Suffolk County champion North Babylon in their second contest. Behind the running of big jim Miller the T-Birds trailed the Bulldogs by only one point at the half, 7-6. However, the Bulldogs proved to be too much for Hills and they lost, 20-6. The Thunderbirds next encountered a tough West Islip team and in a valiant attempt, Hills rallied in the fourth quarter behind Metzger and quarterback Chris Kearny for fourteen points. But it proved to be too little too late, and Hills dropped its second game. Defensive tackle Kevin Bartley and All-League lineman joel Hammond were outstanding in the trenches. Unfortunately, Homecoming also turned out to be a disappointment as the T-Birds were trounced by Smithtown East, 22-2. Hills turned its losing ways around as they triumphed over Sachem 16-14, With a minute left on the clock, safety Matt Dunigan grabbed an interception. Kearny then passed to Dunigan, and Metzger went over for the score. With the game tied, Kearny passed to Dunigan for a two point conversion and Hills' second victory. The Thunderbirds put it together in their next contest with Brentwood as they routed the Indians for the second straight year. The T-Birds, behind the com- bined running of Metzger and Miller and the solid blocking of joe Moratta and Walt Brusak, stomped over Brentwood convincingly. Looking for their third win, Hills struck like lightning and took a 12-O lead against Lindenhurst early in the game. Lindy sneaked up on the T-Birds in the fourth quarter, however, and won the game in the last 20 seconds, 15-12. The Thunderbirds next game was a drubbing to the Whitman Wildcats, a strong team that eventually went on to win the County Championship. Hills never could get untracked as they succumbed to the Wildcats 32-0. Morty Bouchard and Scott McLam had ten unassisted tackles each and Walt Brusak recovered three fumbles. In the season finale, the T-Birds faced Brentwood-Sonderling in a League II cross-over game. Chris Kearny had an outstanding game as he threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. A pass to McLam who took it in to the one-yard line set up a line plunge by Bouchard who went over for the score, V While the offense was rolling the defense couldn't contain Brentwood as Hills dropped its 1 final game, 42-24, making the Thunderbirds 3 and 6 for the season and fourth place in League I. joel Hammond, Matt Dunigan and jim Miller were named as All-League selections from our team. NTT' is With the help of jim Miller, Morty Bouchard fights for the extra yardage,

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