Jericho boys badminton defeats Half Hollow Hills to win 5th consecutive Long Island championship
The Jericho boys badminton team after winning the Long Island championship on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Commack High School. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
Jericho boys badminton did something this year that it hadn’t done in more than five years. It lost a match, falling to Great Neck South in the regular season and snapping its 70-match winning streak.
That loss did little to affect the team’s momentum as it won a ninth straight county title and put on a dominant performance in the Long Island championship.
Jericho defeated Half Hollow Hills, 9-0, in the Long Island boys badminton championship on Wednesday at Commack, securing the program’s fifth consecutive title.
“I think that loss was a point of motivation for us,” Aiden Chen said. “It reminds you that you can’t take anyone lightly. We had to focus and lock in on every single match, no matter who we play.”
Chen defeated Timothy Kogan, 21-12, 22-20, at second singles. The second set saw Chen trail near its end and as the two traded shots, it was Chen who found the focus to rip off back-to-back points.
“We’re all trying to keep the tradition alive, keep the legacy intact,” Chen said. “Our match win streak may have ended, but this is a streak we definitely needed to hold.”
Suffolk singles champion Brian Yun grabbed an early advantage in the first set at first singles for Half Hollow Hills (18-1). Edward Chang quickly found his rhythm and took the match, 21-16, 21-15.
“This is my first year, so I came into this just wanting to keep the run going,” Chang said. “I wanted to make the seniors proud and make sure they left with a win.”
Owen He and Alex Li competed in the tightest match of the event at first doubles, outlasting Jerry Lin and Daniel Lin, 21-17, 15-21, 21-18. The duo was the last on the court and let out a scream of excitement as their victory secured a clean sweep.
Jericho (17-1) suffered a 5-2 loss to Great Neck South during the regular season but took the second meeting and pulled off a tight 4-3 victory in the county final.
“It definitely hurt the boys, but I told them there were two ways to look at it. You can get down on yourselves, or you can use the loss as motivation,” coach Anthony LaRosa said. “They chose the second option and when we played Great Neck South in the county final, it was a close match, but they had the focus to get it done and displayed that same focus today.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
