Comsewogue School District

The Comsewogue School District recently inducted its 2024 honorees to the District’s Hall of Fame, which included the championship-winning 1996 football team, two beloved coaches and an esteemed doctor.

“This year’s honorees exemplify the pride, dedication and spirit of the Comsewogue community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Quinn. “We are honored to invite them back as inductees into our Hall of Fame and grateful for the impact they’ve had on our District.”

Inductees included the 1996 Varsity Football team; Class of 1989 alumnus Dr. Doug Salvatore, Coach Tom Hespos and Coach Bob Davis.

With an Overall record of 10-1, the 1996 Varsity Football team clinched both Suffolk County and Long Island Class III Championship titles. Under Head Coach Tom Cassese and Assistant Coaches Fred Amodeo, Mike Denimarck and Ed Duddy, the team stands out as an example of Comsewogue pride and success.

During his time at Comsewogue, Dr. Doug Salvatore was competed on the Varsity Basketball, Varsity Cross-Country and Varsity Track and Field teams. He earned S.C.B.B.C.A. Academic All-County status for basketball in 1989, All-League and All-Conference status for cross-country in 1988 and 1989, respectively, and All-Conference status for track and field in 1988. He was Comsewogue High School’s first National Merit Scholarship winner in his senior year and graduated as Co-Valedictorian. Dr. Salvatore earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1993 and his master’s degree from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1997. He also played on the school’s Men’s Basketball team for two years as an undergraduate. In 2001, he completed his residency and was a chief resident of internal medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In 2004, he completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He earned his master’s degree in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2004 and went on to become a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.

Tom Hespos began his tenure with Comsewogue as assistant coach of the Varsity Football team from 1969 to 1974. He coached the Junior Varsity Basketball team from 1971 to 1977, the Junior Varsity Baseball team from 1972 to 1976 and the Varsity Baseball team from 1977 to 1983. In that time, the Varsity Baseball team won the league championship for five years—from 1978 to 1982—and took home the Suffolk County, Long Island and New York State championships during a monumental year for the team in 1982. That year he was also named Baseball League Varsity Coach of the Year, Suffolk County Umpire Association Coach of the Year, Suffolk County High School Baseball Coach of the Year and New York State High School Baseball Coach of the Year.

Coach Bob Davis began his tenure with Comsewogue as coach of the Varsity Girls Basketball team from 1983 to 2003. During that time, the team became League champions in 1987, 1988, 2001, 2002 and 2003; Suffolk County champions in 2001, 2002 and 2003; Long Island Champions in 2002, and New York State Finalists in 2002. He was named League Coach of the Year in 1977, 1978, 2001, 2002 and 2003; Suffolk County Coach of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and Long Island Coach of the Year in 2002. He also coached Varsity Boys Basketball team from 2004 to 2009 and the Varsity Boys Tennis team from 1976 to 2004. In 1979, he was initiated into the Varsity Girls Tennis program at Comsewogue.

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