Two Mineola High School senior football players were honored on Dec. 4 at the Crest Hollow Country Club not just for their accomplishments on the football field but for their work in the classroom and the community as well. John Cloghessy and Nelson Lopes were inducted as Scholar Athletes by the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame. The boys were among more than 50 high school football players from Nassau County who were honored on the same program that inducted former All-Pro lineman Ron Heller (Farmingdale), New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testeverde (Sewanhaka) and former football coach at Farmingdale High School, Don Snyder, into the Nassau County Chapter of the Hall of Fame.

Seems like only last month we were getting ready to begin the fall athletic season. Well, that's long gone and now it's time for the winter season. We will try to give you a glimpse of the Mustangs teams as we get the information from the coaches.

Today, we feature the first two sports profiles we received - boys bowling and girls hoops.

The main effort all season long in bowling will be to get into the county tournament. "We will battle in a very competitive league and try to make a run toward the county tournament," said coach Helms Bohringer.

The Mustangs have four experienced bowling returning, which should help. John Carnabucci is a returning All-County performer. Joe Calvao was All-League last year. Brian Ciuffo is a three-year starter while Matt Ponte is experienced. Coach Bohringer is also counting on a couple of newcomers, Bryan O'Malley and Matt Vuolo, to help solidify his squad. Carle Place and Sewanhaka are seen as the chief competition for the Mustangs. Coach Bohringer characterizes the Frogs as a team with many quality bowlers returning while Sewanhaka is a team comprised of bowlers from all five high schools in the Sewanhaka Central High School District.

The Lady Mustangs basketball team has its work cut out for it as the team dribbles into a conference with county champion Wantagh, Garden City, Manhasset and Valley Stream South. Coach Denise Zunno calls it the toughest conference yet, but maintains the team will be ready. In talking about her players, the coach had this to say:

Samantha Hegmann, Sr., co-captain, returning All-Conference, averaged 12 points, 8 rebounds last year. Strong presence under the basket, intense and competitive.

Christine Medlock, Sr., co-captain, returning All-Division, averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds last year. Not only a strong inside player but offensively can shoot from the outside.

Lauren Napolitano, Sr., strong defender, creates havoc on the court due to her quickness and speed, almost always causing a turnover in our favor.

Roseanne Mercurio, Sr., best defender, guard, great at driving to the basket, great anticipation and intense competitor.

Alexis Sandler, Sr., came back to play after taking a year off, good shot with strong desire to improve, very spirited.

Gigi Alas, Jr., starting point guard, key to our success, court sense incredible, her passes cut through defenses like an arrow, she'll point the ball inside to Medlock and Hegmann.

Laura Restrepo, Jr., guard, missed last year with an injury, shows tremendous heart and hustle, good defensively.

Melissa Magathaes, Jr., point guard, super shot, good ball handling skills.

Jamie Medlock, soph., starter at guard or forward, strong rebounder, strong offensively, super shot blocker, very aggressive and competitive.

Nicole Wissler, soph., playing forward, but can handle the ball well, strong defender, great hustle.

Marissa Jetter, Sr., guard, hoping to see some offense from her, can shoot from three-point range, works aggressively on defense.

"Individually, I expect each player to take her level of skill, intensity and competitive nature to the next step. She needs to continue to grow as an athlete in order for us to be successful. As a team, I expect total unity, selflessness, spirit and support of one another. This will, no doubt, improve our season and hopefully make players," said coach Zunno.

The coach also is looking forward to seeing her players perform to the best of their abilities. "Offensively, Samantha's strong moves inside and Christine's accurate shooting are exciting to see. Gigi's incredible passing, Roseanne's strong drives to the basket and Lauren's defensive intensity are all fun to watch," she said.