North Fork Athletes of the Year 2023
When you’re an athlete at a school with a small student body, there is a good chance that you will be participating in multiple sports throughout the school year. The honorees of The Suffolk Times’ annual high school athletes of the year awards fit that designation to a T. They not only competed in several sports between September and June, but also excelled in them. Sage Foster (Mattituck), Brienna McFarland (Southold) and Cameron Stanton (Greenport) were named the newspapers’ top girls athletes at their respective schools, as were Trevor Zappulla (Mattituck), Jaden Olsen (Southold) and Justus Horton (Greenport) for the boys. All will graduate this month, except Stanton, who is a junior.
Sage Foster, Mattituck
Regardless of the sport she played, Foster always was a triple threat on three playoff teams.
In the fall, she co-captained the Tuckers’ volleyball team that reached the county Class C semifinals before falling to Port Jefferson in five sets in an emotional final that saw the end of Frank Massa’s 36-year coaching career. Whether she was scoring aces or spiking the ball for a kill, Foster forged a reputation as an elite volleyball player. As a two-time All-Suffolk County selection, three-time league MVP and second team All-State choice, Foster averaged 18 kills a game for a squad that usually needed only three sets to win. She also holds the school records for most kills in a season and career.
A few weeks later, Foster was running up and down the basketball court, helping the team to a spot in the Class B playoffs, leading the team in rebounding and scoring 5.9 points a game.
An athlete for all seasons, Foster was hardly finished with her memorable school year as an integral part of the Tuckers’ side that won the Suffolk title and qualified for the Long Island championship. She finished the season with 34 goals (only one behind team-leader Ella Suglia) and assisted on eight others en route to All-Division honors.
“Sage is a once in a lifetime athlete,” lacrosse head coach Logan McGinn said. “It can be any sport and she will excel with ease. It’s not often you can find a three-sport athlete as decorated and as humble as her. Sage has left her mark on Mattituck athletics and set a new standard for our athletes to look up to! Definitely going to miss her on the lacrosse field.”
Trevor Zappulla, Mattituck
Trevor Zappulla was a five-sport athlete over three seasons.
Not only did he win a pair of county championships this spring, Zappulla pulled off the rare achievement of securing them within a few days in two sports.
On May 22 Zappulla took home the winners’ medal in the Suffolk boys Class C 800-meter run, edging out Benjamin Wyszomierski by a mere 1.13 seconds with a time of 1:59.02. On May 25 Zappulla and the Mattituck/Greenport/Southold lacrosse team captured the county crown with a 12-5 victory over Babylon. He contributed two assists.
In the fall, Zappulla won the Suffolk County cross country meet, finishing almost a minute in front of the next runner, and took 11th place in the state championships at 17:28:50. In the winter, he won the 1000-meter event at the Section XI Small Schools Boys Winter Track Championships in February. He also was the point guard for the Tuckers’ basketball team, averaging 13.3 points per game.
Zappulla, who is ranked third academically in his class, will attend Hofstra University this fall.
Brienna McFarland, Southold
Whether patrolling the midfield on a soccer field, sinking a key bucket on the basketball court or getting a key hit in a softball game, Brienna McFarland always rose to the occasion.
“Brienna is a gifted three-sport athlete, tremendous teammate and a wonderful person,” said Mattituck/Southold/Greenport girls soccer coach Chris Golden said.
Ask any North Fork girls basketball fan what McFarland accomplished when push came to shove late in the Greenport/Southold season. She scored 12 of her game-high 19 points to boost the Porters to a 47-41 win over Mattituck in the county Class B finals. In a heroic effort in the final, McFarland recorded 18 points in a 41-33 defeat to Center Moriches.
“She always comes through at the end,” teammate Lily Corwin said. “She’s always there when we need her. That’s the best thing about having her on our team. You can always count on her.”
McFarland was the Porters’ leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points a game last season.
She was an impact player in every sport she played.
“Brienna is one of the most intelligent players I have coached,” Golden said. “Her skill set, vision and her ability to make the best decision with and without the ball made her a quality midfielder.”
In the spring, McFarland played multiple positions for the softball team, showing her versatility. She will attend UNC Wilmington this fall.
Jaden Olsen, Southold
A fierce competitor in whatever he participates in, Jaden Olsen demonstrated it in his final basketball game as a Settler in February.
“I just told myself that it’s my last game ever. I really wanted to make sure it was a special night,” he said.
He did, scoring a team-high 23 points in a 72-63 loss to Pierson.
“Jaden was an all-in player and student,” basketball head coach Lucas Grigonis said. “He gave it his all, whether it was in the classroom or on the court. Complete passion and drive to just be the best that he could. He really loved the game of basketball. You could see that in his gameplay. He just lived for the sport. It was a joy to coach him for three years.”
Olsen led Southold, averaging 14.6 points a game.
In the spring, Olsen teamed with Quincy Brigham at first double, helping the First Settlers qualify for the county tennis tournament.
Off both courts, Olsen’s resume has been just as impressive. He was the North Fork Ospreys’ social media manager in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, a SOHO TV news anchor at the high school and a private trainer and assistant coach for youth basketball.
Olsen, who will attend Fairfield University in the fall, also found plenty of time for his studies. He is a member of the National Honor Society and is the vice president of the Southold chapter.
Cameron Stanton, Greenport
When she moved from North Hampton, N.H. to Orient with her family some 2 1/2 years ago, Stanton was the new kid on the block as she did not know many students at the high school.
Stanton since made a name for herself and got to know a lot more people, thanks to her exploits in soccer and track and field.
She scored 11 goals and added two assists for the Mattituck/Southold/Greenport soccer team last fall as an All-League selection before turning her sights on track and field. In the winter, Stanton earned All-County honors. In the spring, she topped that by excelling in the long jump, finishing first among Suffolk small school athletes with a leap of 17 feet, 9.5 inches.
Stanton continued her impressive showing at the state meet in Middletown, N.Y. on June 7, taking fourth place and earning all-state honors and a spot on the winners’ podium in the Division 2 (small schools) with a jump of 17-5.25.
“A truly special accomplishment,” Greenport athletic director Brian Toussaint said of Stanton’s state honors.
Stanton also stood out in the classroom this past year, receiving New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar Athlete recognition all three seasons.
“I’m excited to see her compete again as a senior,” Toussaint said.
Justus Horton, Greenport
If you’re looking for the definition of leadership, you could very well find the picture of Justus Horton next to that word.
Horton captained three teams, while earning All-League honors in every season.
He anchored the Porters’ defense as they reached the state Class D soccer semifinals. He also helped guide the basketball team into the Class D playoffs, pacing the team with an average of 11.9 points per game. And as a center fielder, he led the baseball team in batting average.
“Earning All-League honors for each of his three sports this year is evidence of how important he was to each of those teams,” Toussaint said.
Like Stanton, Horton received NYSPHAA Scholar Athlete recognition in all three seasons this past year.
Horton will attend the University of Miami in the fall.
