Jackie Waldron at Home on the Court

Jackie Waldron’s basketball odyssey is down to its final month. How much longer she can extend the run is in her hands.

The 5-foot, 8-inch senior has been on the local hoops scene going on five years. As an eighth grader at , Waldron played on Huntington’s freshman team.

As a freshman, she took her talents to St. Anthony’s, looking to raise her basketball profile. She captained the freshman team there, then starred on the junior varsity as a sophomore.

But on the eve of her junior season, she decided to transfer back to Huntington. The Friars were in transition with a new coaching staff and Waldron cited tuition as a factor too.

“It was the best choice I ever made,” Waldron said.

She helped the team reach the playoffs a year ago. Even bigger things were expected this winter. From the far side of the gym, this season has not unfolded the way Waldron envisioned.

The Blue Devils have lost two straight since a 47-31 win over West Babylon on Jan. 18. The stretch run begins now. The Blue Devils (5-7 overall, 2-4 league) need to win four of their final six games in League IV, beginning Saturday at 12:45 p.m. at home against Comsewogue.

“We want to get to the playoffs and make some noise,’’ first-year coach Mike Kaplan said. “Hopefully we’ll have our injured players back. The kids don’t let it get in the way.”

The ball is squarely with Waldron, who alternates between swingman and power forward but plays like a guard. She’s a mismatch waiting to happen, too fast for other front line players while able to shoot over guards.

“She can get the rebound and take it herself,” Kaplan said. “She can run the fast break.”

Waldron is averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists.

“I serve as a general; I run things,” said Waldron, the team co-captain who is being recruited by several Division III schools, including Catholic University, Brockport and Ithaca.

The clock is ticking. After all the promise and potential, Waldron wants to extend her career beyond the regular-season finale on Feb. 15 against Bellport.

“We have some big games coming up," the Halesite native said. "I have a gut feeling. We need to beat the teams we lost to. I’m positive we can do that and make the playoffs."

Feat of the Week

went to California and won one of the biggest tournaments in the nation on Jan. 15. The 86-team Five Counties Invitational at Fountain Valley High school outside Los Angeles saw the Friars dominate the early rounds and send four wrestlers to the semifinals. finished with 173.5 points despite not having a single finalist. Jimmy Morris, Jamel Hudson and Jon Desir each finished third.

“Very unusual,” Friars coach Tony Walters said. “Just goes to show how well the kids wrestled in the early rounds. We had four semifinalists and all lost.”

Walters said the Friars have never won without a finalist during his tenure. But that didn’t stop his wrestlers from enjoying breakthrough performances.

“Jimmy Morris was incredible,” Walters said. “He truly rose to another level this weekend with his only lost coming to Alex Cisneros form Selma, Calif. He is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation.”

Game of the Week

Unbeaten Ward Melville is the scourge of girls fencing. Huntington (6-3) gets one more crack at the 9-0 Patriots at 10 a.m. Saturday at . Ward Melville won the first meeting, 22-5, on Dec. 10. This will be a good measuring stick for (epee), (foil) and the gang. The Blue Devils have three more matches left before the playoffs.