Lights flashing, water splashing and sirens blaring, the Mattituck and Cutchogue Fire Departments led the triumphant Tuckers home after their historic win in the state championship yesterday.
The air was electric as a cheering crowd turned out at 1 a.m. to embrace their young heroes after a five-hour ride back.
The Tuckers brought home the first state Class B championship in Mattituck history, knocking off the Livonia Bulldogs, 4-1 at SUNY Broome Community College Saturday afternoon.
Tears and hugs, laughter and shouts of joy marked the night, as parents embraced their boys. For many the journey to the final win began when their children first played T-ball or marched in Little League parades, and the road since has been paved with dedication, commitment, and friendships forged.
“The game was super exciting for the kids, the athletes, and the coach,” said Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent Dr. Anne Smith, who traveled upstate to the game and was waiting at the high school to meet the bus. “But to watch the parents, it’s almost a whole other team. They’re so close. They all had T-shirts with the kids’ names. You can tell these boys have all grown up together, as friends, and it’s really wonderful.”
Smith said the game served as a reflection of the team’s core values. “They were just so calm and focused. They’re patient. They’re tenacious. And it was very cool to watch the support they give one another.”
Former Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent James McKenna also attended the game, cheering on his team.
Deidre Fedun, whose son Daniel, along with, along with Joe Tardif, are among the only Mattituck players in history to win a state championship in both soccer and baseball, said of the experience, “It was tremendous.”
Friends since Little League, she said, the boys have a strong bond. “They’re just so connected. There’s a camaraderie and a sense of sportsmanship that’s so inspiring. They were very driven.”
What the team exhibited on the field today was “the same harmony” that led the boys soccer team to win the state championship last fall, her husband Patrick Fedun said.
The team was ecstatic Saturday after the win; it was the first time the team had done a dog pile all season, he added.
Of the win, Tom Demopoulos said, “It was one experience they will never forget.”
And neither will the boys’ proud parents, many of whom drove up to watch the once-in-a-lifetime win firsthand. Just as they have for years, the families had a phone chain to update one another on the arrival time of the bus. Just as they have for years, at countless practices and games as their little boys became young men and now, state champions, moms and dads shared meals and coffee this weekend, bonding over a sport that has become the fabric of their lives.
Kathleen Devine, principal of Cutchogue East Elementary School, waited eagerly for the bus. “It’s amazing,” she said, adding that the whole community shared in the exuberance and pride of the day.
For mom Kathy Perivolaris, watching her son, senior Marcos Perivolaris on the field was an emotional experience. “It was phenomenal. His dream is coming true.”
“I’m beyond ecstatic,” Shelly Tardif, Joe’s mom, said. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
The jubilant team hugged one another and posed for photographs outside the high school as “We are the Champions” played fittingly in the background.
Tuckers head coach Steve DeCaro said he felt great and was moved by the outpouring of hometown love from the community that turned out to welcome them home and traveled miles to see them play, including Smith. “Living and working in a small town, this is what it’s all about,” he said.
The boys, faces alight with joy and pride, reflected on the historic game. “This was the best experience of my life so far,” said Dan Fedun.
