The Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” has become a pop culture phenomenon since its inception in 1987. In honor of its return this week, we are counting down the top 10 victories over Eastport. Once known as the “Ducks,” the school changed their mascot to the Sharks when the Eastport and South Manor school districts merged in 2003.
Honorable Mention
#4 | Girls’ Soccer Comes Back | September 19, 1997
A victory looked dubious as the girls went down 2-0 early, but a Brie Edwards goal before halftime began to rebuild their confidence. An offensive avalanche followed in the second half as the Bears unloaded four goals on Eastport in the final forty minutes. Heather MacLeod knotted the game on a penalty kick, but Eastport scored again to take a 3-2 lead. Alyssa Kreines tied the game again with 14 minutes remaining and MacLeod assured the Bears of a victory by netting two more goals to seal the 5-3 win. Rebecca Fischer recorded 11 saves as the anchor of the defense.
#3 | Girls’ Basketball Takes Down the Unbeaten | February 2, 1999
The girls’ basketball team was in cruise control against their East End rivals midway through the second half, but after allowing their robust 23-point lead dwindle to 11, coach Keith Singer needed someone to wrest back the momentum. Brooke Meserole filled the void. In a span of just 27 seconds she drilled a 3-pointer and put back a missed shot to push the lead to an insurmountable 16 points en route to a 53-38 victory. The win allowed the Bears to hand Eastport its first loss of the season and grab first place in League VIII. Rebecca Fischer finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds while Michelle Spurlock recorded a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.
#2 | Boys’ Basketball Wins a Thriller | January 26, 1980
Just 18 days earlier, the boys’ basketball squad had suffered a 38-point loss to their league rivals from Eastport and, as they fell behind 9-17 early in the first quarter, it looked like the Shrikes were in for another long night. But Stony Brook’s Shawn Parman caught fire in the second frame, scoring nine as they grabbed a narrow one-point lead at halftime. After Eastport outscored the Brook 18-12 in the third, they pushed the lead to 11 with just 5:02 remaining when an unlikely run unfolded. Parman, Will Walker, and Diego Vega combined on a 9-0 run that brought the Blue and White to within a point with 1:41 on the clock. Eastport pushed the lead out to three with 1:08 remaining, but a score by Walker and two free throws by Parman gave the Brook their first lead since a 2-0 advantage in the game’s early seconds. Over the next 40 seconds there would be four lead changes as both teams braced for a furious finish.
The Ducks grabbed a 62-61 lead with 30 seconds left, Parman scored to make it 63-62 with 18 seconds left, but Eastport gained the advantage again on two free throws with 17 seconds remaining. Trailing 63-64 with only a handful of ticks on the clock, coach Thom Brownworth drew up the game’s potentially winning play; however, as the strategy unfurled, it was stymied by the Ducks’ defense. Vega stood holding the ball near the top of the key, unable to get it to the targeted player. With time running off the scoreboard, Vega’s only option was to take the shot himself as the self-described “third option,” sinking the game’s winning shot with four seconds remaining. Parman led all scorers with 23 points, Walker finished with 19 and Vega, the game’s hero, added 10.
#1 | Nixon Helps Baseball Walk-Off | April 11, 1987
Trailing 0-3 entering the seventh and final inning, the Shrikes mounted a comeback, scoring three in the frame to send the game to extra innings. After Dan Jewiss worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth, the Brook stepped up to the plate with a chance to win it. Dave Morabito started the inning with a single and Bill Carney and Jewiss followed with back-to-back walks, setting up future Stony Brook Hall of Famer, Jordan Nixon. With the bases loaded Nixon laced a single to score Morabito and give the Shrikes a thrilling walk-off win.
The Top 10 Wins vs. Eastport
#10 | Maggio’s Homecoming Magic | October 7, 2000
On a gorgeous Homecoming Saturday, Jess Maggio ripped a 25-yard shot into the upper right corner in the 72nd minute to provide the only goal in a 1-0 victory. Christine Avitable assisted on the goal and Lindsay Festa earned the shutout with three saves between the posts.
#9 | Baseball Stymies a League Championship | May 15, 1991
With Eastport poised to clinch the League VIII Championship, Adam Frasier sent them to their first loss of the season with a complete game, two-hit gem that dropped the Ducks to 10-1 and improved the Bears’ record to 9-2. Phil Leek went 2-for-3 at the plate and had an RBI single in the first inning of the 3-0 win.
#8 | Santiago Beats the Buzzer | January 27, 1982
Almost two years to the day after a thrilling last second victory over Eastport, the boys duplicated the feat. After a tightly contested first half, the Shrikes trailed by two points at the break. The Brook controlled the third quarter and held a one-point lead going into the final frame. The fourth quarter saw the lead change hands six times, and after two free throws gave Eastport a 49-47 edge with 12 seconds left, it looked as though the victory was theirs. In need of a hero, the Shrikes found salvation in Jim Santiago who, with one second left, scored and drew the foul for a chance to win in dramatic faction. With the pressure squarely on his shoulders, in an opposing gym, he sank the game-winning charity shot to give coach Thom Brownworth his second riveting victory at Eastport in the previous three seasons.
#7 | Boys Soccer Wins Semifinal | November 1, 1995
The 1995 boys’ soccer squad was the most successful to that point in school history. Behind a school record eight shutouts by All-Conference keeper Jeremy Meserole, the Bears finished 9-2-1 (11-6-1 overall) to earn a second consecutive League Championship as well as a Conference Championship (Leagues VII and VIII). In a County Semifinal match-up with Eastport, the Brook, led by All-County forward Robbie Marvin and All-Conference honorees Luke Fischer and Liam Banks, took down their rivals to the east, 4-1.
#6 | Girls’ Basketball Goes Undefeated | February 10, 1998
With an undefeated League Championship season on the line, the Bears looked tight as they shot just 28% from the field in an opening quarter that left both teams knotted at 8-8. But Rebecca Fischer and Michelle Spurlock led the way as the Bears shot a blistering 75% in the second frame, helping them take a 13-point halftime lead on the way to a 61-46 victory. Fischer was simply too much for Eastport as she scored 26 points and snared 15 rebounds in a dominant performance. Point guard Sara Kiernan added 7 points and 2 assists despite having two broken fingers on her right hand.
#5 | Fischer Joins the Club | January 12, 1994
The boys clinched their second consecutive League VIII Championship behind 23 points from Nkumu Mandungu, 19 points from Jonas Fischer, who upped his career total to 1,060, and 18 points from Matt Mattimore who connected on four of the team’s season-high eleven 3-pointers in the lop-sided 91-45 victory.
#4 | Wilson Nets a Record 54 | February 15, 1978
In his final game for the Shrikes, Dave Wilson had a peerless performance, scoring a school-record 54 points that allowed him to become just the second Brooker to surpass the 1,000 point milestone. Wilson started off hot with ten points in a fast-paced 21-21 opening quarter. The Shrike offense kicked it into another gear in the second quarter, outscoring Eastport by 20 behind an incredible 19 points by Wilson. Already up 20, the Brook extended their lead with a 28-18 third period as Wilson scored another 15, giving him an incredible 44 points through three quarters. As coach Thom Brownworth remembers, the boys knew he was close to breaking Drake Womack’s school record of 1,025 points and kept feeding him the ball. He finished the fourth quarter with 10 more points, giving him 54 on the day, a school record that still stands. His performance also left him tied with Womack for the school record in career points at the time. Mark Whitney added 20 points and Brad Hargrave contributed 19 as the Brook rolled 100-72, the third time they topped the century mark that season.
#3 | Marvins are Marvelous | February 24, 1998
Coach Mike Hickey wanted nothing more for his birthday than a playoff victory over Eastport. After a back-and-forth first quarter that left both teams knotted at 15-15, a frenetic second quarter played out and brothers Jon and Dave Marvin dominated both ends. Eastport switched to a zone defense to begin the frame and Dave immediately made them pay by drilling a 3-pointer on the Bears’ first possession, one of four trifectas for the Brook in the period. After an Eastport score, Jon drilled consecutive 3-pointers from the same exact spot, two steps behind the arc, to give the Brook a 24-17 edge. After the Ducks clawed back to within two points, the Marvins imposed their will on the defensive end. Jon registered a thunderous block on a fast break, then consecutive steals and layups by Dave and Jon pushed the lead to 28-22. However, Eastport responded with an 8-0 run to take back the lead with less than one minute left in the half. Jon reciprocated with his third long ball of the quarter, from well behind the arc, with 23 seconds left to give the Bears a 31-30 halftime lead.
The Bears stormed out of the third quarter gates with an 8-0 run on a 3-pointer by Dave Marvin, a deep 3-pointer by Jon Marvin, and a layup by Daren Brown, courtesy of a beautiful backdoor feed by Dave. The Blue and White defense was formidable, preventing Eastport from registering a point until 3:23 remained in the quarter, but the Ducks used a well-timed 4-0 spurt to chip away at their deficit. Jon stemmed the tide with his sixth 3-pointer, which rolled around the rim before dropping in, and a spectacular one-handed putback as he came from the weak side and jumped between two Eastport defenders to drop in the rebound. Marvin’s heroics gave the Bears a comfortable 44-34 lead, but consecutive scores by Eastport left our boys up just six entering the pivotal frame.
Eastport signaled that the final eight minutes would be a battle as they began the quarter with a 5-0 run to cut their deficit to 44-43. But after a back-and-forth quarter, it was the Bears who looked to be in complete control, up 56-50 with just 1:10 on the clock. Eastport did not go quietly, drilling a 3-pointer on their next possession. They then fouled, but with a chance to ice the game, the Brook missed two free throws, giving Eastport another chance to tie the contest. The Brooker defense responded with a big stop and Jon Marvin snared the rebound and was fouled with just 18 ticks left. After hitting one of two free throws, giving him seven-of-eight from the line in the fourth, the Bears did the unthinkable and fouled a 3-point shooter with 12 seconds remaining. The Ducks hit two of three shots to cut the deficit to 57-55 and fouled again with eight seconds left. With the game on the line, the Bears missed two more free throws and, after a vicious scrum for the ball, Eastport was awarded the jump ball. With just three seconds on the clock, they launched a double-clutch shot from half court that bounced terrifyingly off the back of the rim before falling harmlessly away. Jon Marvin scored an incredible 36 points in his final game in Swanson Gymnasium while Dave Marvin added 10. The indomitable brothers combined for all eight of the Bears’ 3-pointers in the game.
#2 | Baseball wins C-D Championship | May 25, 1987
After defeating Hampton Bays for the first baseball County Championship in school history, the Bears faced Eastport, the Class D Champs, two days later on the Ducks’ home field. The Brook jumped out of the gates when the speedy Jordan Nixon led off with a triple and scored two batters later thanks to a home run by Rob Dambra. Eastport responded with a run in the bottom of the first, then tied the game in the fourth. Four scoreless innings followed as the game moved to extra innings.
The ninth did not start out well for the Shrikes as they recorded two quick outs, but Dan Jewiss singled and Dambra followed with a walk, bringing Doug Alioth to the plate. With a Championship hanging in the balance, Alioth singled home Jewiss for the game’s eventual winning run, giving the Brook an incredible sixteen consecutive wins. Dambra made sure the run held up by holding Eastport to a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth.
#1 | Thiessen Tosses No-Hitter | April 17, 1990
Cameron Thiessen pitched his way into Stony Brook lore with a no-hitter in an 8-2 victory at Eastport. The Bears got on the board first as Tim Grimes led off with a walk, stole second base, and scored on a single by Tzu Ying Kuo. The Brook tacked on another run in the top of the 3rd before breaking a tight game open in the top of the 7th with six runs behind a three-run home run from Phil Leek.
All the while Thiessen was masterful. He retired the first six batters he faced, five on swinging strikeouts, before allowing a pair of walks in the 3rd inning that came around to score. From there he worked around trouble in the 4th, inducing a double play after allowing a walk, then striking out an Eastport batter to end the inning after allowing another free pass. He cruised through the 5th, then punctuated his memorable day by striking out the last six batters he faced. Thiessen finished with 15 strikeouts and had one more hit than the entire Eastport squad, going 1-for-4 at the plate. Thiessen’s gem was one of just nine no-hitters in 92 years of Stony Brook baseball. Thiessen recalled his moment, twenty-four years later:
I do remember walking quite a few that day. It was pretty exciting and there was a bit of a buzz on campus for the following day or so; with everyone living so close together everyone knew and congratulated me.
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