_________________ WANTAGH ________________
CoMMuNITY uPDATE Infections as of May 3
2,432
Infections as of April 26 2,373
$1.00
HERALD
Wantagh Memorial Day parade set
MacArthur fights for the crown
National Honor Society inducts 67
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Vol. 69 No. 19
MAY 6 - 12, 2021
County champions! Wantagh takes volleyball crown By BRIAN KACHARABA sports@liherald.com
Donovan Berthoud/Herald
A gridiron title
The Wantagh girls’ volleyball team proved once again that it is the best in Nassau County. Shannon Sullivan and Sadie Reich combined for 17 kills and Sarah Rende had 25 assists as the top-seeded Warriors claimed their second Nassau Class A title in three seasons with a convincing 25-18, 25-9, 25-16 win over visiting South Side on April 28. Olivia Pugliese added six kills and Nicolette Piscopo shined
defensively with 12 digs for 12-1 Wantagh, which didn’t drop a set in any of its four playoff matchups. The Warriors won’t be able to compete for the Long Island title they claimed in 2018 because of the pandemic, but that didn’t put a damper on the girls’ spirits. “I feel on top of the world,” Sullivan said. “I wish we could go further, but I’m happy we pulled through with the win.” Sophia Jackson had four kills, Continued on page 3
Wantagh celebrated after defeating North Shore, 26-13, in last Saturday’s Nassau County Conference IV football championship game. Story, additional photo, Page 6.
Supporting a fallen classmate
Girl Scouts donate gifts to children with cancer By BRIAN STIEGlITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
James Lodato left an impact on his classmates with the jokes he told, his love of baseball and the unfettered joy with which he lived the last year of his life. When he started second grade at Forest Lake Elementary School in the fall of 2017, James was diagnosed with a rare softtissue cancer called alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. He died the following May. “I think he was so joyful to be in his situation and still be so
happy,” said Isabella Simon, 11, one of his classmates. “I don’t think he deserved any of this, but he was very strong and he was definitely a warrior.” Last month, the Wantagh community dedicated a new baseball field to James at the elementary school, naming it the James Lodato Field of Dreams. The opening coincided with another community project. Isabella and the rest of Girl Scout Troop 3105 dedicated their Bronze Award project to him, naming it James’s Angels. Throughout the school year, they
collected toys and gifts that they donated to the John Theissen Children’s Foundation last month. They also created a children’s book that tells James’s life story and includes facts about pediatric cancer, tips on how to support children with life-threatening illnesses and a list of nonprofits that support children with cancer. The scouts recently donated two copies of the book to the Wantagh Public Library, one to the Theissen Foundation and one to James’s parents, ChrisContinued on page 3
Brian Ballweg/Herald
WANTAGH’S NINE SENIoRS capped their high school volleyball careers with a county title April 28 when the Warriors defeated visiting South Side in the Nassau Class A final.