LATHAM – Schuyler Huntington had a pretty good weekend.
    The Shaker High senior, who was named The Record’s all-area defensive player of the year for his performance with the Blue Bison this past football season, officially made a verbal commitment to the University of Maine, cementing his gridiron future for the next four years.
    And he couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

    “It’s definitely very exciting,” 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive tackle said.
    Huntington made the switch from defensive end, a position he played in his first two years on varsity, to defensive tackle this past season and the change earned him a handful of accolades in what was the Bison’s most successful year to date.
    Despite more experience at the end of the defensive line, Huntington will continue at tackle for the Black Bears, an opportunity he sees to expand upon his brand-new role.
    “I’m actually really happy about it,” he said. “They know that they have to kind of mold me a little more into what they want, but I think that’s a good thing.”
    After being recruited by a few Division I and Division III schools this past fall, Huntington was able to finally make his official choice after visiting Maine for the second time this past weekend.
    There was a sense of familiarity there for him, a camaraderie between the players and the coaches that was almost palpable and immediately comforting.
    “You could see how close the guys on the team are,” he said. They’re close with the coaches and it reminded me a lot like Shaker. It all seemed right to me.”
    Of course, the chance to play in the Colonial Athletic Association, one of the divisions in the nation, on a team that frequently plays major programs like Boston College and Nebraska in a out-of-league, didn’t hurt either.
    Plus, Huntington will have a bit of a homecoming next fall, despite playing for a team that clocks in at over eight hours from Albany.
    The Bears will take on UAlbany, where fellow Bison Ryan Griffin recently committed, next fall and Huntington is anxious for the opportunity to once again show off in his hometown stomping grounds.
    “I’ve always wanted to go away from college, so I think that’s one of the reasons Maine appealed to me so much,” Huntington, who plans to study business administration next year, said. “But they do play UAlbany, so that’ll kind of be like a homecoming for me.”