By Matt Diano

On a magical Sunday afternoon that was as much about 30 selfless student-athletes giving freely of their time to raise money for two incredible organizations (the Adam Frey Foundation and Pinning Down Autism) as it was a battle of interstate rivals, the second annual NY/NJ Charity Challenge ended the only way it could and should, with the outcome being decided in the final bout of the event. It was the hosts from the Empire State shocking the proverbial wrestling world by upending their neighbors by a score of 27-23.  Today’s victory marked the second straight win for the Empire State after winning the inaugural event 31-25 last season.

Regarded as significant underdogs heading into the dual, many so-called aficionados were predicting that New York would be fortunate if they managed to win five of the 15 contested bouts.  One bold individual even suggested that if the Garden Staters brought their “A” game to Clarkstown South High School that a shutout would not be out of the question.   Whether this disrespect served as added motivation or not remains unclear.  What is known is that contrary to the forecasts of others, the wrestlers from New York came out with a mission in mind, to prove that they play second fiddle to no foe when it comes to a contest pitting the best of the best against one another.   Any previous discussion of a potential blanking was quickly put to bed as the Jason Bross-led NYers jumped out to an early 15-3 lead behind victories at 99, 106, 120, 126, and 132 pounds.

Getting the dual started off on the right note for Team New York was Wantagh freshman Jose Rodriguez, the 2012 NYS Division I runner-up.  Pitted against 4x New Jersey Kids State Champion, Kyle Bierdumpfel (NJ does not contest a 99-pound division on the varsity level), it was Rodriguez coming on strong in the third, escaping to tie the bout at six before hitting a cement mixer for 2+3 to take the 11-6 lead.  To his credit, the stud 8^th-grader Bierdumpfel showed immense perseverance, fighting off his back and eventually getting the escape.  However, there would be no coming back as NY grabbed the 3-0 team lead via an 11-7 decision.

106 pounds was another case of New York trailing for a good part of the bout before storming back in the third period to seize victory.  Falling behind 4-0 following a first period takedown and second period reversal, things were not looking very good for DI State Champion Nick Piccininni of Ward Melville in Section XI.  But alas, known for his heart and non-stop attacking style, the two-time Suffolk County Champion clawed his way into the bout against NJ State runner-up Carl Buttitta, utilizing an escape midway through the middle stanza, followed by a takedown in the last half minute to cut the lead to 4-3 after two periods.  The bout was soon tied as Buttitta was called for his third caution from the top position before a single second had ticked off the clock in the third period.  With the bout all square at 4-4, rather than risk a late escape to lose, the Iselin-Kennedy product instead elected to cut Piccininni to give the NYer his first lead of the bout.  Rather than sit on the lead, Piccininni continued with the aggressive style that had gotten him to this point, remaining on the attack and gradually wearing down his opponent, adding an insurance takedown with 25 seconds left in the match to make the score 7-4.  Piccininni rode out the closing seconds to emerge with the “W”.

Following a 5-0 Pat Skinner loss to two-time New Jersey State Champion Brenden Calas (an escape late in the second, accompanied by a pair of two-point nearfalls accounting for the final score), the Empire State returned to its winning ways when Sean McCabe bested two-time NJ State finalist/2012 Champion, Mike Magaldo, 4-2 with a reversal late in the third period.  McCabe, a senior from Connetquot High School, tallied the only takedown of the bout in the first period, but found himself in a nail biter after his rideout in the second period was negated by a second stalling warning from bottom in the final period. (Magaldo’s other point came from an escape in the first following the aforementioned takedown).  However, as composed as they come, McCabe never panicked, slowly but surely maneuvering himself into an advantageous position, eventually being awarded the reversal in the final half minute to pull off the toss-up bout at 120 pounds.

The winning streak hit three in a row one weight class later when again, it was a more seasoned New York representative finding a way to win a close bout.  This time, it was Eastport South Manor senior Maverick Passaro, a 2012 DI State Champion in his only appearance in Albany, breaking a 1-1 tie when he successfully got in deep and converted a double-leg takedown with :25 remaining in the match to take the 3-1 lead.  New Jersey State runner-up Gary Dinmore, sensing the urgency of the situation, reacted well, quickly creating a scramble from bottom in an attempt to get the equalizing reversal.  Dinmore, who was filling in for 3x State Champion Anthony Ashnault, who had a prior commitment to the Junior National Team, came close to getting the two, but in the end, found himself on the wrong end of the 3-1 decision.

New York deepened the hole Jersey was stuck in when they received a Herculean effort from 2012 DI bronze medalist, Nick Kelley, of two-time NYS Team Champions, Shenendehowa High School.   Despite finishing third in NYS this season, anyone who has seen Kelley during his scholastic career knew that coming into the season, he was 1A at the 132-pound weight class, every bit as dangerous as eventual State Champion Jamel Hudson. (Kelley lost a one point decision to Hudson in the state semifinals a few weeks ago). Scoring the only two takedowns of the bout in the first and third periods (including the clincher in the final three seconds) , Kelley emerged with the 5-1 decision over 2012 NJ State champion Scott Delvecchio of perennial powerhouse South Plainfield.

As a testament to the talent and heart possessed on the other side of the G.W. Bridge, New Jersey shook off the early adversity and rallied, winning three of the next four weight classes.  Serving as a catalyst at 138 pounds was BJ Clagon, who dominated the action from the feet. Clagon secured two takedowns in the first period and then added an additional TD in the last 20 seconds of the middle stanza to hold a 6-4 lead entering the final two minutes over Canastota’s DII State runner-up, Anthony Finocchiaro.  Clagon, who looked about as lights out as one can in the state tournament a few weeks ago, doubled up his opponent by coming behind for a reversal with a little more than 1:00 remaining in the bout to make the score 8-4.  Finocchiaro, who will continue his wrestling career next fall at Brown University, worked valiantly to escape from bottom, but simply was unable to free himself as the final seconds ticked away.

Building off the momentum created by Clagon, Alex “Lenny” Richardson did his part in the comeback effort, just missing bonus points in an 11-5 decision over Mike Caputo from the host school at 145 pounds.  Many thought this would be a low scoring affair, as the two are teammates at the Apex Wrestling Club and are familiar with each other’s styles.  Richardson had a much different idea as he piled on the takedowns one after the other, bringing the total to five by the time the six minute duration had elapsed.  One positive for Caputo, who is rumored to have given a verbal commitment to Hofstra University, is that in the closing seconds of the match, with Richardson close to finishing a takedown on the far edge of the mat, Caputo successfully fought off the attack, denying his Jersey opponent of some much needed and desired bonus points.

With the margin having been cut to a much more respectable 15-9 team score and the Jersey boys threatening to go on the kind of run that often leads to victory, if there was ever a time that New York needed a big gun to step to the plate and reassert control, it was now.  And, as luck would have it, the Empire State just happened to have a bazooka in their arsenal waiting to take care of business.  Ranked in the top-10 nationally at 152 pounds prior to his decision to bump up for the postseason, Long Beach senior Dylan Palacio, who remains among the most coveted recruits on the free agent market, knew what was expected of him and did not fail to deliver.  The aggressor every second of the bout, Palacio actually found himself trailing 2-1 at the end of the second period, having surrendered a takedown via power-double in the first period, and mustering only an escape in the middle frame.  But, like any blue chipper, Palacio saved his best for last as the narrow deficit was quickly transformed into a 4-2 lead when he utilized a bar to tilt fellow State Champion, Raamiah Bethea, early in the third period to take his first lead of the match.  The bout remained at 4-2 until Bethea made the mistake of putting himself in bad position while attempting to get free from bottom.  Seeing his opportunity, Palacio locked up a cradle and got the fall with :48 remaining to bring the crowd to its feet and add a little cushion to the New York lead, 21-9.  The loss was the first of the season for Bethea as both student-athletes came into the match unblemished in 2012.  The win for Palacio proved invaluable to the team effort as again, New Jersey refused to “go gentle into that good night” (to quote Dylan Thomas), claiming victory at 160, 182, 195, and 220 to bring the score within a single point, 24-23.

At 160, it was super sophomore Johnny Sebastian of Bergen Catholic exploding for two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-2 after the first two minutes against Monsignor Farrell senior Rrok Ndokaj (who finished fourth at the DI tournament @170, but willingly dropped to allow DII State Champion, Zach Zupan to participate).  An Ndokaj escape in the second was the only scoring there would be in the middle frame, sending the bout to the final two minutes with the NJ youngster still holding the lead, 4-3.  In the third, Ndokaj did a solid job riding, preventing his opponent from getting his escape.  However, with the clock as big an enemy as Sebastian, Ndokaj did the only thing he could do, going for broke with a tilt attempt in the last 15 seconds of the match.  Sebastian, obviously expecting the last ditch attempt, easily countered and earned a reversal to pull off the 6-3 decision.

The previously cited Zupan came up clutch for the Empire State at 170, winning a war of State Champions over Ryan Harrington, a two-timer, who came into the All-Star Challenge unbeaten in the last two years.  While Harrington was the more aggressive of the two in the first period, getting in deep on multiple occasions, it was Zupan scoring the only point of the first two minutes when Harrington was called for grabbing the headgear in the last five seconds of the period while trying to pull the NYS DII champion back onto the mat for a takedown attempt.  A quick Harrington escape to begin the second evened the score at 1-1.  The bout stayed all squared up until Zupan was able to finish a single-leg TD with 14 seconds remaining in the second period.  He went on to ride out the last few seconds to keep the 3-1 lead entering the third period.  There would be some fireworks in the closing minute of action as Harrington worked furiously to fight his way back from a 4-1 deficit following a Zupan escape earlier in the period.  Securing two takedowns within 20 seconds of each other, Harrington eventually tied the match at 5-5.  However, his gamble of trying to play for the win, cutting Zupan in the last 30 seconds of the match, ended up being the difference as he was unable to get the winning takedown, dropping the narrow 6-5 decision.

182 and 195 witnessed back-to-back bonus wins for Jersey as Jackson Memorial’s Dallas Winston and North Bergen’s Eric McMullen toyed with their opponents, dominating from every position on the mat en route to 10-2 and 14-2 victories respectively.  The New Jersey State Champion at 182 pounds led his bout 5-0 after the first period, using a quick takedown and a three-point nearfall to quickly gain control over fellow senior, Jacob Berkowitz (the 2012 DI runner-up) of Scarsdale.  Winston would not take his foot off of the gas pedal, escaping in the second period and then adding a pair of third period takedowns (the last one coming with just under :20 remaining in the match) to pull his state within eight points, 24-16.

McMullen was a master of the big move in his bout against NYS DI runner-up, Reggie Williams of Johnson City.  Leading 2-1 following a quick takedown (and escape by Williams), McMullen blew the match open in the blink of an eye, hitting an inside trip to the back for the takedown and two additional nearfall points to conclude the opening period with a healthy 6-1 lead.   Williams came out determined in the second, earning the quick escape and moving forward.  However, any thoughts he may have had of getting himself back into the match soon faded away as McMullen lit up the scoreboard with a five-point lateral drop to increase the lead to 11-2 after the second.  In the third, Williams attempted to set up for a cradle, but McMullen, mindful of his insurmountable lead, remained conservative from bottom, not allowing himself to get caught in any game changing moves.  Still trailing 11-2 and unable to turn McMullen, Williams made the decision to cut his Jersey opponent.  With the match all but already over, McMullen put an emphatic cap on his win by adding one final takedown in the last 25 seconds of the bout to account for the final tally.

The quest for the come-from-behind team win remained intact at 220 pounds as Lex Knapp scored the only point of the match via a second period escape.  Despite what the scoreboard might indicate, this battle of the big boys was not without its share of activity as on two occasions, Brooklyn Tech senior Patryk Kopczynski, who finished fourth in the DI State tournament this season, appeared to have secured takedowns to take a lead in the bout. With :05 remaining in the first period, the Hunter College signee looked to have established control on the edge of the mat to take the 2-0 lead.  In fact, initially, this was the call that the officials made before eventually waving it off after a quick meeting of the minds.  After surrendering the escape to Knapp in the second period, Kopczysnki hit a nice low single after a stalemate to seemingly move in front.  Again, there were no points for the Team NY representative as the officials ruled that he was guilty of a false start.  These two “no calls”  (the first more controversial than the latter) would prove to be the difference as Knapp did a fine job working from the top position, controlling the PSAL wrestler for the full two minutes to win by the slimmest of margins.  The win set the stage for a winner take all final bout of the afternoon.

Scoreless after the first two minutes (certainly not uncommon for the 285 pound weight class), Cole Lampman and his Garden State opponent, 2012 runner-up, Jermaine Eleumunor, exchanged escapes early in the second and third periods to knot the score at 1-1.  The score remained unchanged through the rest of regulation and after the 1:00 sudden victory period.  Having scored first, Eleumenor had his choice first in the alternating :30 rideout periods.  Electing to start on top, the NJ wrestler was not able to do much, quickly surrendering the escape to trail 2-1 with his turn on bottom still awaiting him.  For Lampman, who could have easily made 220 this season, but preferred to stay at heavyweight as preparation for his plans to wrestle at 285 collegiately for Princeton University, the stage was set to play hero.  All that separated him from glory was 30 seconds of hard wrestling from top.  To say that he made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement.  So in control was Lampman that despite being undersized, he never gave his opponent any hope of an escape, keeping him on his stomach for the full half minute…MATCH OVER; NEW YORK VICTORY !!!

Bross, who in addition to serving as the Team NY coach, is the founder of the Pinning Down Autism organization and also one of the organizers of the dual, was excited by the success of the event.

“There were nothing but winners today,” Bross said.  “Every match was a thriller.  It all came down to the last match.  The fans saw the best wrestling you ever can.  We packed the house and our charities had an amazing fundraiser.”

In addition, the victorious coach had the highest level of praise for the members of his team.

“They were amazing,” he said.  “All of them came out with a chip on their shoulder and set a hard pace, pushing the action for the full six minutes.  That was the difference.  It was great to see the kids bond and pull for their teammates, who were their competition during the season.”

 

New York-27; New Jersey-23 (FINAL)

99- Jose Rodriguez  (NY) dec. Kyle Bierdumpfel (NJ), 11-7

106- Nick Piccininni (NY) dec. Carl Buttitta (NJ), 7-4

113- Brenden Calas (NJ) dec. Patrick Skinner (NY), 5-0

120- Sean McCabe (NY) dec. Mike Magaldo (NJ), 4-2

126- Maverick Passaro (NY) dec. Gary Dinmore (NJ), 3-1

132- Nick Kelley (NY) dec. Scott Delvecchio (NJ), 5-1

138- BJ Clagon (NJ) dec. Anthony Finocchiaro (NY), 8-4

145- Lenny Richardson (NJ) dec. Mike Caputo (NY), 11-5

152- Dylan Palacio (NY) pinned Raamiah Bethea (NJ) 5:12

160- Johnny Sebastian (NJ) dec. Rrok Ndokaj (NY), 6-3

170- Zach Zupan (NY) dec. Ryan Harrington (NJ), 6-5

182- Dallas Winston (NJ) MD Jacob Berkowitz (NY), 10-2

195- Eric McMullen (NJ) MD Reggie Williams (NY), 14-2

220- Lex Knapp (NJ) dec. Patryk Kopczynski (NY), 1-0

285- Cole Lampman (NY) dec. Jermaine Eleumenor (NJ), 2-1 (ot)

We’re less than two days away from the first whistle at the NYPHSAA Championships. Here’s a weight-by-weight look at what could happen this weekend in Division I.

99

Kyle Kelly, undefeated this season at 33-0, is the favorite to repeat at New York’s lightest weight class.  Among his victories this year was a technical fall over second-seeded Jonathan Haas of Spencerport (35-1).  To meet Kelly again, Haas will potentially have to get past 42-1 junior Alex Tanzman as well as an impressive freshman from Section 8, Jose Rodriguez.  The Wantagh wrestler sports an unblemished 41-0 record and has been dominant throughout the season, including winning an Eastern States title.

Prediction: Kelly gets back-to-back titles with a hard fought win over the outstanding ninth grader Rodriguez.

 

106

Unlike at 99 pounds, neither of last year’s finalists return to 106, but the bronze medalist, Nick Piccininni is back.   The Ward Melville wrestler is unbeaten this year and has been held to a decision on only three occasions, but there is no shortage of experienced medalists ready to challenge this weekend.  In fact, last year’s fourth, fifth and sixth place finishers at 96, Lockport’s Anthony Orefice, St. Anthony’s Freddy Dunau and Fairport’s Bryan Ruggeri all sit in the top half of the bracket with Piccinnini. Mike Parise of Brewster, who dropped from 113 at the beginning of 2012 and has put up some impressive results, including third at Eastern States, joins them.  (Ruggeri and Piccinnini meet in the first round).

On the other side, MacArthur’s Justin Cooksey has compiled a 40-3 mark and a runner up finish at Eastern States.  He defeated Krishna Sewkumar three times, including in the Section final.  Seeded second and third, they could meet again in the semifinals.

Prediction: Piccininni moves two spots higher on the podium with a victory over Cooksey.

 

113

Both Mark Raghunandan of Long Beach and Dylan Realbuto of Somers took second place in Albany a year ago, at 103 and 96, respectively.  They met in the finals at the Eastern States Classic in January in a match won 7-6 by the Long Beach wrestler. Another meeting on the evening of February 25 for the state title wouldn’t be a surprise, although Realbuto’s loss during the Section 1 tournament put him a difficult position where he could potentially meet Corey Jamison of Huntington in the second round.

Jamison (38-1) has had a strong season, with solid victories over contenders such as William Koll of Lansing (top seed in Division II) and Brandon Lapi of Amsterdam, the number three seed and a possible semifinal opponent.

Among those potentially in Raghunandan’s path is fourth seeded Vincent DePrez of Hilton (fourth at 103 in 2011), who is 46-0.   He’ll match up with Pat Skinner of Kellenberg (sixth at 103 in 2011) in the opening round.

Prediction: Realbuto fights back to reach the finals, but Raghunandan gets his title as a senior.

 

120

Matt Leshinger earned the top spot in the bracket after an impressive run through the Suffolk County tournament, during which he beat Sean McCabe of Connetquot (third at 119 last year), Mark West of Hauppauge (2010 State champion) and TJ Fabian of Shoreham-Wading River in succession.  McCabe battled back to take third in Section XI and with a 37-2 record, is in the number two spot.  If he is victorious in his first match, the “reward” could be facing a familiar foe in Fabian (43-4).  Also a threat out of the bottom half is Frontier’s Rocco Russo (42-1).

No stranger to tough bouts, Leshinger will be tested right off the bat with Roslyn’s John Lanzillotti, the Section 8 winner, who is 37-1.  Also waiting is Pittsford’s Brady Baron (37-1) whose only setback was to two-time state finalist in Division II, Tristan Rifanburg.

Prediction: Section XI featured incredible competition at 120 this year with former state champion West not even qualifying for the tournament.  McCabe had valuable experience in Albany last season and avenges his county loss with a state finals victory over Leshinger.

 

126

Fox Lane’s Sam Speno was a runner up in 2011 at 112 pounds but will be the favorite to finish one spot higher this time around.  He has followed up his finals appearance with a 42-1 season in which he has racked up a number of quality victories this season, including over Division II standouts Nick Tighe and Drew Longo as well as the third and fourth seeds in the class, Dylan Caruana of Kenmore West and Al Dierna of Webster Schroeder, respectively.  Speno’s only loss came at the hands of nationally ranked Dom Malone of Wyoming Seminary at Eastern States.

Grabbing second at that event was Maverick Passaro of Eastport-South Manor, who is the two seed after a 46-3 campaign.  Passaro topped Caruana (sixth at 125 in 2011) at the Eastern States and a rematch could occur this weekend in the semis.

Prediction: Speno continues his success against Empire State wrestlers, beating Passaro on the biggest stage.

 

132

Some would argue that the top three performers at 132 in New York in 2011-12 are in the bottom bracket together.  Nick Kelley of Shenendehowa was fourth a year ago at 130 and has looked very good all year while earning 41 wins in as many matches.  He cruised to the title at Eastern States, defeating Nick Mauriello of Hauppauge, 10-4.  The two could see a rematch in the second round. Mauriello came back from life threatening illness last year to have an inspirational 39-2 campaign and capture a Suffolk County championship.

St. Anthony’s Jamel Hudson, who raised some eyebrows with several wins over nationally ranked opponents at the Super 32 tournament in North Carolina last fall, has continued rolling with a 31-1 mark this year. The only loss came against out of state opponent Shyheim Brown of Central Dauphin in Pennsylvania. He has pinned 11 of his last 12 foes and would meet the Kelley/Mauriello victor in the semifinals should all advance.

Dan Ventura of Fox Lane notched the top spot after a 42-4 campaign in which took fourth at Eastern States. (He lost to Mauriello during that event).  Ventura has big match experience after his runner up finish at 119 in 2011.  Set to challenge him in the top half of the bracket is Jimmy Porteus of Brockport, who is 21-1 with his only setback against Kelley.

Prediction: Whoever survives the gauntlet on the bottom of the bracket takes the title.   It’s a tough one to pick, but we’ll say Hudson sends Ventura to his second consecutive silver medal.

 

138

James Dekrone of John Glenn finished second last year in Albany, losing the championship match at 130 pounds by one point.  He followed that up with a 41-4 season, but his path to back to the feature match on Saturday night won’t be easy.  If he wins in round one, he’ll face the winner of Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva, a returning placer who has won 11 in a row, and Fox Lane’s Tom Grippi, who has captured 43 victories.  Also in the same section of the bracket is top seed Danny McDevitt of Wantagh (40-5) who defeated Dekrone early in the campaign.

Dekrone is the fourth seed because he took third at the Section XI tournament behind Longwood’s Malik Rasheed and Brentwood’s Alexis Blanco.  They competed three times during the season, with Rasheed taking the last two bouts, including the one for the Suffolk crown.  Warwick Valley’s Shane Connolly is among those trying to stop a fourth meeting between Rasheed and Blanco from happening this weekend.

Predictions: Dekrone bounces back and earns the hardware with a victory over Rasheed.

 

145

James Kloc will try to make it two in a row at 145 after his 4-3 triumph over Rocky Point’s Matt Ross last February earned him his first state title.   Undefeated Evan Wallace of Columbia (47-0) resides in the top of the bracket as does fourth seed John Northrup of Rush-Henrietta, who has the tough Louis Hernandez of Mepham (25-2) in the first round.

Longwood’s Corey Rasheed was fifth at 112 last season.  He jumped up to 145 and has adjusted to the increase in weight well with a 32-2 mark, including 17 consecutive victories to end the regular season.  Rasheed could meet up with Mike Caputo of North Rockland for the third time after splitting matches during the campaign, but Caputo would first have to face the winner of a bout between Eastern State medalists Dale White of John Jay East Fishkill and Bret Sauschuck of Port Jervis.

Prediction:  Two in a row for Kloc, but Rasheed makes it difficult.

 

152

Brian Realbuto of Somers will look to notch his third state title at a third weight.  He has rolled over the competition throughout this season with the exception of his Eastern States finals bout against Dylan Palacio of Long Beach.   A rematch would have been a can’t miss bout to watch, but with Palacio at 160 for the postseason, Realbuto’s main competition in the top half of the bracket could come from Steve Maier of Spencerport, who has beaten multiple qualifiers in his 39-2 campaign.  Maier’s two losses were to two-time state champion Chris Nevinger up at 160 and in sudden victory to Tristan Hamner.

Returning fourth place medalist Nick Hall of Longwood (32-2) sits in the number two slot, with Suffolk rival John Keck of Shoreham-Wading River (44-2) at number three.  The two have split bouts this season and could meet for the tiebreaker in the semifinals.

Prediction: Realbuto gets ready for his collegiate career at Cornell by beating future EIWA opponent Keck (Navy).

 

160

Dylan Palacio has shown all season long that he is one of the state’s best wrestlers.  He is on a mission to win his first title after previous finishes of third and fourth. The Long Beach senior has had no trouble with the opposition this campaign, going 37-0.  Among those trying to prevent him from making the showcase match on Saturday night could be last year’s 140-pound titlist Connor Sutton of LaSalle or Wayne’s Eastern States champion Frank Affronti.

On the other side, Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West is 45-1 as a junior and has beaten a pair of tough Long Island wresters who are in the same part of the bracket — Joe Cataldo and Zak Mullen (twice).   Mullen starts with Jorge Jiminez, who put together a successful 35-1 campaign.

Prediction: Palacio gets the title missing from his resume, handing Grimaldi his second setback.

 

170

Dan Spurgeon of Plainedge is a perfect 46-0 this year, including an early win over the wrestler all the way on the other side of the bracket – Rrok Ndokaj of Monsignor Farrell.  The Catholic league grappler is 39-5 and if he wins his first round bout, he may face Dylen Seybolt.  Seybolt is 31-3 on the year, with losses to one of the nation’s best, Eric Morris of Wyoming Seminary, as well as Gio Santiago and Joe Piccolo. (He came back to beat Piccolo in mid February).  Shayne Brady of Carthage also resides in the bottom half of the bracket as the three-seed after a 35-1 campaign.

Senior Stephen Lumley of South Glens Falls, the number four seed, will be among those to challenge Spurgeon on the top side.

Prediction: Spurgeon runs the table, beating upset-minded Seybolt.

 

182

McZiggy Richards of Wingate is 34-1 and the favorite in the class.  Jacob Berkowitz of Scarsdale has had a very strong season as well, going 48-2 with only one of his losses coming to an in-state wrestler, a 2-1 decision to Tim Schaefer of Warsaw.  Richards and Berkowitz will be the favorites to meet in the semifinals.

On the other side, Matt Lashway comes back after a runner up finish at 171 in 2011 with hopes of getting to the top of the podium.  The Queensbury wrestler’s only loss on the mat this year came in a 3-2 decision to Richards.  Joining Lashway is Plainedge’s Andrew Jones, who lost three of his first five matches and then reeled off 38 in a row to conclude the season.  A pair of familiar foes, Gio Santiago and Nick Bellanza could also make a run.

Prediction: Richards brings a title to the PSAL with his second tight victory over Lashway this year.

 

195

Tony Fusco has been the top ranked grappler at 195 throughout the season.  The Shenendehowa senior was fourth a year ago at 189 and hasn’t skipped a beat this year, with an unblemished 33-0 record.  Kingston’s Deon Edmond sits on Fusco’s side of the bracket, after a 40-1 year, where his only loss was a default against one of the top Division II wrestlers at the weight, Austyn Hayes.

Johnson City sophomore Reggie Williams, a sixth place medalist as a freshman, cruised through the season at 37-2 with both of his setbacks coming against Fusco, once in December and again at the Eastern States.  Another returning medalist in the field is Brockport’s Jesse Kozub, who moved between 195 and 220 throughout the season, posting a 41-2 mark.  He avenged his only loss at 195 in the Sectional final against Fairport’s Colton Kells.  The two Section V grapplers could met in the second round, although Kells matches up in his first bout against Eastern States placer Mike Spinelli of Mahopac, who went 42-3 with two losses to Williams.

Prediction: This has been Fusco’s year and it will continue to be.  The Shenendehowa senior beats Williams for the third time.

 

220

There aren’t any returning placers from 2011 at this class but there are a number of wrestlers who medaled at the Eastern States in January.  On the top side, LaSalle’s Jon Babson (fourth at Eastern States) could meet Patrick Kopcynski (fifth at Eastern States) of Brooklyn Tech in the second round.   Also in that portion of the bracket is top seeded Josh Lackey of Fairport who has compiled a 36-1 record this year, losing only to Shenendehowa’s Fusco.  Lackey has had a number of solid wins, including a pin of the second seed in Division II, Nick Talcott, and two victories over Max Antone of Niagara Wheatfield, who is positioned on the opposite side of the bracket as the two seed.

Antone (35-3) has a number of challengers in the bottom half.  In his second bout, he could face the winner of a battle between Eastern States placers Tyler Lilly of New Rochelle and Alex Pontiff of Queensbury.  The number three seed Dom DeVita of Somers begins with Nick Lupi of Huntington (28-4), who could be a sleeper at the weight.  Derrek Dalton (40-1), a dangerous returning qualifier, lost his only bout of the season up at 285 pounds.

Prediction: Josh Lackey takes a championship back to Fairport after topping DeVita.

 

285

Cole Lampman is the sole returning heavyweight placer from 2011, when he was fifth.  He comes in as the third seed after losing in the Section II final against Cory Quintana of Mohonasen in overtime on a last second reversal.  The two could compete again in the semifinals, as Quintana earned the two seed.

On the other side, Ethan Stanley of Saugerties is in the top position after a 36-2 season in which he took third at Eastern States and had multiple wins over another competitor he could see, Seth Stauble of Kingston.  Stauble faces a tough first round bout with Evan Kappatos of Syosset who was 41-1, suffering his only setback of the season in the Sectional final against Dante Salkey (36-2). Union-Endicott’s Tyler Bayer got the four seed after going 43-5 with a pair of losses to Stanley.

Prediction: Lampman avenges his last defeat in the semis and takes the title in his final high school bout against Kappatos.

 

–Betsy Veysman

It’s almost here!  The NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships start on Friday morning.  Here is a weight-by-weight look at Division II.

99

The lightest weight class is often a showcase for future superstars.  Leading the charge this year is sophomore Joe Nelson of Oxford, who suffered his only loss of the season while up at weight against Cody Carbury (the number three seed at 106). Nelson won all but one of his matches at 99 by bonus points this year and that was a 6-2 decision in the Section finals against Dylan Wood of Walton, one of three victories over Wood.

Wood opens action in the first round with Andrew Flanagan of Holley, a 42-5 junior who returns to Albany for the second time.  The winner of that match could face Lyndonville’s Tony Recco (43-3) who decisioned Flanagan 3-1 on the last weekend of the season.

Also in the bottom half is the third seed, Alex Herringshaw, who has piled up 40 wins against just four losses this season.  He could face the winner of Joe Dillon of Nanuet (27-8) and Alexis Bleau (41-3), who was the first-ever qualifier from Schoharie.  One of five eighth graders at 99, Bleau is the only female in the field.

Among the contenders looking to defeat Nelson in the top half are the number four seed, Luis Weirebach of Hoosick Falls, who has had a solid 28-2 campaign, as well as Edgemont’s Tyler Aslanian who has gone 28-6 in his sophomore season.

Prediction: Joe Nelson looks to be the top performer in the field and shows it, beating Herringshaw.

 

106

106 this year may wind up looking a lot like 96 last season.  The 96 pound finals match in 2011 pitted Lucas Malmberg of Marathon against Ryan Snow of General Brown in a bout Malmberg captured 12-2.  This year’s 106 bracket features Malmberg as the top seed and Snow as the number two. Snow’s only setbacks of the campaign came up at 113 pounds.

Cody Carbury of Chittenango was sixth a year ago at 96 and after a 31-4 campaign, with two of his losses to Malmberg and Snow, enters 106 as the three seed.  Corey Hollister of Perry is in the fourth position after a 40-4 year.   Although there are some tough wrestlers in the field, it looks like a rematch of the 2011 finals on Saturday night.

Prediction: Same participants, same results, as Malmberg wins two in a row.

 

113

There is no question that this will be a competitive weight with 7 of the 16 entrants returning placers from 2011. The lone champion, William Koll of Lansing, is the top seed.  He will face a difficult path, with Dillon Stowell of Gouverneur (third at 103), 40-4 Kyler Harrington of Hudson Falls and Sean Peacock of Midlakes (third at 96) in the same portion of the bracket.  Peacock, 45-2 this season, fell to the fourth seed after losing his Section championship to Warsaw’s Austin Keough, 3-2. 

Keough, who took fourth at 112 a year ago, has had a stellar campaign with just one loss (plus two forfeits) and earned the three seed.  He will have an immediate challenge in the first round from Illion’s Laken Cook, a fifth place medalist at 103 last season.  Cook is 35-5 with a fifth place finish at Eastern States in January.

Also on the bottom half with Keough and Cook is returning fourth place medalist Cody McGregor of Tonawanda and last year’s runner up to Koll at 103, John Aslanian of Edgemont (36-1).  With top-notch talent throughout the class, this should be an exciting weight to watch.

Prediction: Both Koll and Keough navigate a deep field to make the finals, where Koll earns his second consecutive title.

 

120

Sam Recco was sixth at 112 last year but has his sights set much higher for this weekend.  The Lyndonville senior is 41-1 with his only setback coming against Wyoming Seminary’s Evan Botwin in the finale at Eastern States.  At that event, Recco piled up some quality triumphs, including a 1-0 win over this bracket’s second seed Jeff O’Lena of East Rochester and an 8-5 decision over the top seed in the Division I bracket, Matt Leshinger of Sayville.

O’Lena’s 48-4 mark includes an eighth place finish at the Eastern States.  He dropped a 3-0 decision to Recco in the Section 5 final.  Looking to stop a third meeting between Recco and O’Lena on Saturday night are a number of tough senior challengers including, but not limited to, Adirondack’s Pat Webster, Sidney’s Scott Stafford and Corinth’s Zach Marcel.

Prediction: The familiar foes meet again with the same result: Recco over O’Lena.

 

126

126 pounds boasts several wrestlers who have previously been in the finals.  Top seeded Nick Tighe of Phoenix was in the Saturday night spotlight last year when he captured the 119-pound crown.  The second and third seeds, Norwich’s Tristan Rifanburg and Ardsley’s Drew Longo squared off in the 96 pound championship bout in 2010, with Rifanburg earning the hardware.

In the Section IV title match, Rifanburg handed Corey Dake his first loss of the year.  The Lansing senior has made the podium in all three of his appearances in Albany.

Outside of the favorites, upset threats abound, including Noah Valastro of Hudson Falls on the top half (47-2) and Palmyra Macedon’s Dylan Rifenburg (43-2).

Prediction: Tristan Rifanburg gets to his third finals in three tries and in a battle of former champions, edges Tighe.

 

132

After a third place medal in 2011 at 135, Wesley Blanding showed no letdown.  The Chittenango wrestler is 36-0 despite seeing action at several weights.  He had a few impressive victories at 138 and 145, including a pair of triumphs over Canastota’s Anthony Finocchiaro.  Since moving down to 132, he has had some tight wins over the field, including overtime wins over Jessy Williams and Lansing’s Connor Lapresi, which went to the ultimate tiebreaker.

That was Lapresi’s only loss in a campaign in which he won a deep Section IV.  Blanding and Lapresi could be on a collision course in the semis.

In the other half, another pair of familiar foes could meet again.  Kevin Strong of Frewsburg earned a 1-0 win over Eden’s Tom Page during the season, however at the Section final, Page reversed the result in sudden victory.  Page, a three-time placer, and Strong, a two-time medalist, both were third a year ago.

Former state champion Jacob Goddeau of Peru and 45-match winner Curt Rowley of Duanesburg are among the other contenders looking to make a title run.

Prediction:  In his last Albany appearance, future American University Eagle Tom Page gets over the hump to capture a state title over Lapresi.

 

138

Murphy, the winningest wrestler in Empire State history, is the odds on favorite to win his fourth New York title at his fourth different weight.  The Indiana-bound grappler has been impressive all year, with 55 wins, 52 of which were by bonus points.

Looking to earn his first crown is Canastota’s Anthony Finocchairo who has put up a strong resume of his own this year after grabbing third at 130 a year ago.  The senior has compiled a 35-4 mark with victories over Division I qualifiers such as Tom Grippi, David Almaviva and Aaron Benedict.  None of his four losses were to wrestlers in this bracket.  Finochairo edged Beaver River returning placer Isaiah Riccio (37-2) in the Section tournament 1-0 a few weeks ago and could face Riccio again with a finals berth on the line.  Junior Jude Gardner of Fredonia is also a threat.

On the other side, Murphy could see last season’s sixth place medalist, Dan Regan of Lewiston-Porter, who he soundly defeated earlier in the campaign.

Prediction: In the end, we expect the top two seeds to square off on Saturday night with Quinton Murphy joining the exclusive club of four-time state champions.

 

145

There is a lot of familiarity at 145 pounds. Three entrants come from Section III, including the top two seeds, General Brown’s Nathan Silverthorn and Phoenix’s Tyler Button.  The pair met in the 145 pound third place match a year ago with Button coming out on top, 9-3.  This year, Silverthorn turned the tables, beating Button to maintain his 46-0 record.

Also qualifying from the same section is 41-2 Mitch Janes, whose only losses are to Silverthorn and Button and who could face the top seed early on.

Both Drew Hull (35-2, Royalton Hartland) and Jacob Demmon (24-2, Clifton-Fine) earned sixth last year, at 135 and 140, respectively and are back to make the stand again.  Olean’s Jake Baer split matches with Hull this season and will be a threat in the bottom half.

Prediction: Tyler Button and Nathan Silverthorn take the mat against each other yet again. Button won their last meeting in Albany and takes this one.

 

152

Three wrestlers who finished in the top three a year ago sit at this weight.  The top seed, Lehigh-bound Ben Haas, was the 145-pound champion while 140-pound runner up Derek Pfluger is the second seed.  (Pfluger was a state champion in 2010 and a third place medalist in 2009). Tristan Hamner of Medina was third at 152 and sits as the number three seed.

Haas suffered his only loss of a 38-1 season to Hamner in early January but got revenge a month later when he beat the Medina wrestler 14-11.  That result was Hamner’s only blemish all year.

Meanwhile, Pfluger has yet to suffer a setback, ringing up 40 victories, all by bonus.  While there are several other worthy challengers in the field, including 47-match winner Brooks Boyle, these three past medalists look to battle for the title.

Prediction: Pfluger notches the second championship of his career, defeating Haas on Saturday night.

 

160

Chris Nevinger has won eight straight matches at the State tournament and looks for his third consecutive title.  The Buffalo-bound grappler has rolled through the season, winning all 47 matches, with the closest bout being a seven-point victory.  Looking to stop Nevinger’s streak on the top half of the bracket is General Brown’s Tyler SIlverthorn, who has impressed in his sophomore season with a 44-2 mark. Both losses came at the hands of Sandy Creek senior Jared Soule, the second seed, who has had a successful year of his own with a 35-2 record. 

Joining Soule (fifth at 152 in 2011) in the bottom half of the bracket is Hudson Falls senior Aaron Dudley (43-1), who took second in a deep class at the prestigious Eastern States, falling in the finals in overtime to highly ranked Frank Affronti of Wayne.

Mike Beckwith of Greene could also make an impact.  The returning qualifier has been at several weights this year and hasn’t lost a bout on the mat (forfeited out of Eastern States).

Prediction: Nevinger continues his unbeaten streak in Albany with another trip to the top of the podium after topping Dudley.

 

170

While neither of last year’s finalists are back in this weight class, four medalists from 2011 appear in the 170 pound class as the top four seeds.  Nick Mitchell, third at 160 last season, earned the top spot after a 42-0 campaign with 24 pins.  The Frewsburg senior beat second seed Marcus Dwaileebe of Olean (third at 171 last year) twice by decision and also topped possible opponent Burke Paddock of Warsaw.  (Paddock beat Mitchell in the semifinals last year on his way to a runner up finish).

Dwaileebe could face Canastota junior Zach Zupan, fifth at 171 last season, whose one setback this campaign was against nationally ranked Eric Morris of Wyoming Seminary in the Eastern States finals.  Zupan owns a victory over Paddock in January.  It goes without saying that the semifinals should demonstrate very competitive, high level wrestling.

Prediction: Mitchell runs the table for the 2011-12 season by beating Zupan in a squeaker.

 

182

Both Tony Lock (second at 171) and Keegan Cerwinski (sixth at 160) stood on the medal stand last year in Albany.  Both have followed up with stellar seasons.  Lock is the state’s top ranked wrestler after a 47-0 campaign that includes just one decision.  He dominated the Division I frontrunner, McZiggy Richards, by technical fall in the Eastern States championship bout.

Cerwinski dropped matches to Division I standouts Richards, Jacob Berkowitz and Matt Lashway in a 32-3 effort that included handing Lansing’s Ryan Todd his only loss.  He also edged Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer 1-0 at the Eastern States Classic, although Schaefer bounced back to place third while the Greene senior took sixth.

Schaefer began in December at 160 pounds and moved back and forth between that weight and 182 before settling in at the latter class for the end of the season.  Another showdown between Cerwinski and Schaefer seems fairly likely in the bottom half of the bracket for the right to match up with Lock.

Prediction: Tony Lock returns to the championship bout where he gets his first title over Schaefer.

 

195

Ryan Todd returns after making a run to the finals at 189 last year where he placed second.  He followed up that silver medal performance with a 28-1 season in which he has taken the mat at three different weights for Lansing.  After his one loss, to Keegan Cerwinski at 182, he moved to 195 pounds for the remainder of the campaign.  At that weight, he went he went 18-0 with 15 falls over the course of the season.  A possible early opponent is Bryce Mazurowski, who went 43-1 with 42 bonus wins.  His only loss came against undefeated Tony Lock.

Three other highly ranked wrestlers sit in the bottom half of the bracket.  Austyn Hayes, who took sixth last year at 171, sports a 38-1 mark with his only setback coming in the Eastern States final against the state’s top ranked grappler, Tony Fusco of Shenendehowa.  Hayes recorded a major decision over Whitehall’s Zach Diekel, a possible opponent in the semifinals.

Diekel has racked up 36 wins and just a pair of losses – to Hayes and Fusco.   Jon Nickerson of Maple Grove could pose an early challenge to Hayes after a 34-1 regular season.  Dan Breit has had a solid year and could make a run in the top half.

Prediction: Austyn Hayes ends his campaign with the top prize after defeating Todd.

 

220

Kyle Stanton has been dominant, placing second at Eastern States and compiling a 33-2 record, with the two losses to nationally ranked AJ Vizzcarondo of Wyoming Seminary.   The fourth place finisher at 215 in 2011, Stanton has defeated several top notch Division I grapplers such as Dom DeVita, Patryk Kopczynksi and Nick Lupi.

Fellow Section IV competitor Nick Talcott tested Stanton in his last bout, a 3-2 victory for the Greene senior.  Talcott, from Tioga, is the number two seed.  Junior Zack Bacon of Hornell (28-1) and senior Austin Blackley of Barker will be among the many challengers.

Prediction: Kyle Stanton shows why he’s the state’s best at 220 with another decision over Talcott.

 

285

Kacee Sauer looks to move one step higher on the podium this year after runner up performances at this weight as a sophomore and junior.  The only returning placer at heavyweight, Sauer’s only setbacks this year have been by medical forfeit at the Eastern States.

The other side of the bracket features several wrestlers with excellent records. Beekmantown’s Hayden Head piled up 37 wins against just two losses and has a quality victories over Columbia’s El Shaddai Gilmore-VanHoesen and Kingston’s Seth Stauble.    Brandon Fayle of Lowville also has just two setbacks (along with 35 wins, 23 coming by fall).

Prediction: Sauer came within a point of a crown in 2010 and 2011 and we predict he will not come up short this time as he gets by Fayle.

 

–Betsy Veysman

By Betsy Veysman

Every year, Shenendehowa head coach Rob Weeks challenges his team at the start of the season to be the best team he’s ever had.

That’s a pretty tall order for a program that has been among New York’s best for years.  The Plainsmen have finished atop the team points race at the State Championships multiple times, captured the Dual Meet title in 2011 and have won their Section every year since 2005.

But according to the coach, this year’s squad is doing its part.

At the Glens Falls Civic Center last weekend, six Shenendehowa wrestlers won Section titles and punched their tickets to the State Championships February 24-25 in Albany.  They will be joined by two additional teammates who were granted wildcard spots. That topped the five automatic qualifiers (and seven overall entrants) from a year ago.

“We have a great group of kids who have had success throughout the season,” Weeks said.  “Our expectations are high and they keep performing up to them.  What we need to do now is get some of our individuals to become state champions.”

Leading the way has been a pair of undefeated grapplers ranked number one at their weights in the state, junior 132-pounder Nick Kelley and senior Tony Fusco (195).  Both placed fourth in Albany in 2011 (Kelley at 130 and Fusco at 189).

Kelley has cruised through the season without a loss, recently picking up his 200^th career victory during the Sectional event.

“Nick is a pretty grounded kid who doesn’t talk about himself at all,” Weeks said.  “You have to tell him about milestones like that before he acknowledges them.  200 wins is a big milestone and he has already achieved a lot in the sport.  But in reality he’s focused on one objective, and that’s being a state champ.”

The junior may be the favorite to do so, having defeated some of the top contenders in the Empire State while capturing the Eastern States crown in January.

“Nick has wrestled exceptionally well when he’s needed to,” Weeks said.  “He’s had a few good wins against high caliber wrestlers, and he has placed at states a few times, so he won’t be overwhelmed at the big event.  He’s always been a really hard worker and we’re hoping he’ll come home with the hardware he’s been working for.”

While Kelley has a lot of wrestling in front of him, senior teammate Fusco is looking to end his wrestling career on top of the podium for the first time.  The undefeated 195-pounder signed with Albany to play football next year.

“Tony is a talented kid,” Weeks said. “He’s an elite athlete but also is very likable and engaging. He has a different kind of pressure because if he wants to finish on top in wrestling, it has to be in Albany [this] week.  That’s a big motivator for him.  He wants to do whatever it takes to win a state title.”

Also looking for titles will be the squad’s other four Section champions, eighth grader Kevin Parker (99), Corey Ali (106), Zach Joseph (120) and David Almaviva (138).  It was the first Section crown for each of the four, but it won’t be the first trip to Albany for one them.  Almaviva had a taste of the Albany experience last season when he took sixth at 135 pounds.

“He is peaking at the right time,” Weeks said. “He had some hiccups at Eastern States [where he sustained two of his three season losses] but wrestled great caliber kids there in close matches.  I think he’s a much improved wrestler since then, if not physically, then mentally.  I think he has a legitimate shot of not only placing high but winning the state title.”

The same holds true for senior Cole Lampman, who took fifth at heavyweight last season at the state tournament but was upset this year in the Section final against Cory Quintana in overtime.  It was just his second setback of the season and the first against an Empire State wrestler. He has been ranked at or near the top of the 285 class all year and received a wildcard invitation to the state tournament. (113-pounder Jesse Porter was granted an at-large bid as well).

“We knew Quintana is very athletic and hard working,” Weeks said.  “We knew going in it was going to be a match decided by a couple of points.  Quintana was exceptional.  I could see them meeting again at states.”

Regardless of the outcome in Albany, the heavyweight has a bright future both athletically and academically.  He will attend Princeton next fall.

“Cole is a very, very intelligent kid,” he said. “He really fits the mold of a ‘Princeton guy’, Ivy League all the way through.  He’s a great athlete and also a great kid.”

Weeks, who won his 200^th career match in December and was named the New York State Coach of the Year last season, attributes the success of the Shenendehowa program to a number of factors.  He praises the work of assistant coaches Frank Popolizio and John Meys, junior varsity coach Chris Capezzuti and modified coaches Ryan Fenton and James Ward.  He thanks the booster club, the parents and school district for giving necessary support.  And he believes the combination of sports and scholastics exemplified by participants like Lampman play a tremendous role.

“This is a good academic school,” he said. “Kids here are academically driven and success breeds success in the sport of wrestling.  I’ve been around situations where there were good athletes who weren’t such good kids.  A lot of babysitting was needed.  And I’ve seen places with good kids who weren’t such good athletes.  Here we’re blessed to have good athletes who are also good kids.”

Colleges have taken notice.  There is an extensive list of recent Shenenedehowa alumni competing at the next level including, but not limited to: Hunter Meys (Boston University), Austin Meys and Jim Carucci (Lehigh), Seth Hazleton (Princeton), TJ Popolizio (Brown), John Belanger (Army), Max Miller (Cortland), and Mike Almaviva (Oneonta State).

“Colleges respect history and we’ve proven that kids that come out of here are qualified to wrestle at the next level whether it’s Division I or Division III,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to send kids to prestigious schools.  The unwritten goal of a head coach is to see kids be successful in high school and move on to the college level, whether they wrestle or not.  Wrestling teaches them and reinforces so many things that help them be successful in their lives.”

At this point, the team is narrowing its lens on short-term success.  While Shenendehowa may be the favorite to win the Division I team points race in Albany, the coach believes that success for the remainder of the campaign will come from focus on the individuals.

“We’ve won the team state title a couple of times and it’s a nice reward for the kids and the program,” he said.  “But that’s almost a secondary goal now.  The objective now is to focus on the individual.  If each of our guys achieves what they are capable of, the team title will come.”

In a few days, the 2011-12 Plainsmen may stake a claim to being the best team Weeks has ever coached, but even if they don’t, Weeks has only good things to say about them.

“I know I’m blessed to have a group like this,” Weeks said. “I don’t know if I can replace this group and this team.  It is a constant pleasure to show up and coach them. They make it easy. Hopefully we’ll have success [at States].  Then, I’ll challenge next year’s team to be the best one we’ve ever had again.”

 

99 Pounds (By Section)

1: Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle)

2: Kevin Parker (Shenendehowa)

3: Dempsey King (New Hartford)

4: Kyle Kelley (Chenango Forks)

5: Jon Haas (Spencerport)

6: Tyler Hartinger (Lancaster)

8: Jose Rodriguez (Wantagh)

9: Gerald Daly (Minisink Valley)

10: Ryan Brown (Canton)

11: Alex Tanzman (West Beach)

C: John Twomey (St. Anthony’s)

P: Josh Antoine (Grand Street)

A1: Vinny Vespa (Monroe Woodbury)

A2: Bryan Lantry (Wayne)

A3: Joe Calderone (Walt Whitman)

A4: Steven Lee (West Babylon)

 

106 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Parise (Brewster)

2: Corey Ali (Shenendehowa)

3. Kevin Paul (Baldwinsville)

4: Jimmy Overhiser (Corning)

5: Barton Peters (Brockport)

6. Anthony Orefice (Lockport)

8: Justin Cooksey (MacArthur)

9: John Stramiello (Pine Bush)

10: Nate Marshall (Messina)

11: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)

C: Freddy Dunau (St. Anthony’s)

P: Zin Htoo (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Krishna Sewkumar (Long Beach)

A2: Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport)

A3: Dominic Inzana (Saratoga)

A4: Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley)

 

113 Pounds (By Section)

1: Alex Delacruz (Ossining)

2: Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam)

3: Thomas Hill (Fulton)

4: Jacob Green (Chenango Forks)

5: Vincent DePrez (Hilton)

6: Kellen Devlin (Amherst)

8: Mark Raghunandan (Long Beach)

9: T.J. Kreider (Cornwall)

10: Skyler Cameron (Massena)

11: Corey Jamison (Huntington)

C: Patrick Skinner (Kellenburg)

P: Santo Curatolo (Tottenville)

A1: Dylan Realbuto (Somers)

A2: Robert Person (Bellmore JFK)

A3: Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa)

A4: Ron Duguay (Kenmore West)

 

120 Pounds (By Section)

1: Jake DiMarsico (North Rockland)

2: Zach Joseph (Shenendehowa)

3. Derrick Gray (Indian River)

4: Richard Burke (Ithaca)

5: Brady Baron (Pittsford)

6: Rocco Russo (Frontier)

8: John Lanzillotti (Roslyn)

9: Justin Corradino (Warwick)

10: Cody Bond (Canton)

11: Matt Leshinger (Sayville)

C: Blaise Rufo (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Keanu Thompson (Grand Street)

A1: Sean McCabe (Connetquot)

A2: Steve Michel (Lancaster)

A3: TJ Fabian (Shoreham-Wading River)

A4: Casey Jones (Queensbury)

 

126 Pounds (By Section)

1: Sam Speno (Fox Lane)

2: Matt Greene (Columbia)

3: Antonio DeLuco (Roman Free Academy)

4: Brock Post (Maine-Endwell)

5: Alec Dierna (Webster Schroeder)

6: Dylan Caruana (Kenmore)

8: Mike Lofrese (Garden City)

9: Tom Murphy (Monroe-Woodbury)

10: Isaiah Perry (Massena)

11: Maverick Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

C: Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep)

P: Michael Gannone (Tottenville)

A1: Matt Caputo (North Rockland)

A2: Josh St. John (Queensbury)

A3: Giovanni Sanchez (Central Islip)

A4: Drew Oligney (Lansingburgh)

 

132 Pounds (By Section)

1: Danny Ventura (Fox Lane)

2: Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa)

3: Connor Grome (West Genessee)

4: Curtis Grant (Elmira)

5: Jimmy Porteus (Brockport)

6. Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster)

8: Maurice Irby (Freeport)

9: Luke Roth (Cornwall)

10: Curtis Barney (Canton)

11: Nick Mauriello (Hauppauge)

C: Jamel Hudson (St. Anthony’s)

P: Ahmed Elsayed (Wingate)

A1: Joey Butler (Burnt Hills)

A2: Brendan Morgan (Columbia)

A3: Nick Cegelski (Penfield)

A4: Dylan Cohen (Williamsville East)

 

138 Pounds (By Section)

1: Tom Grippi (Fox Lane)

2: David Almaviva (Shenendehowa)

3: Aaron Benedict (CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt)

4: Trevor Hoffmeir (Newark Valley)

5. Angelo DeAngelis (Spencerport)

6: Mike Feeney (Lockport)

8: Dan McDevitt (Wantagh)

9: Shane Connolly (Warwick)

10: Jamel Steapleton (Malone)

11: Malik Rasheed (Longwood)

C: Timmy McCann (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Camilo Rodriquez (Curtis)

A1: Gus Clark (Schenectady)

A2: Adam Wallace (Fulton)

A3: Alexis Blanco (Brentwood)

A4: James Dekrone (John Glenn)

 

145 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Caputo (North Rockland)

2: Evan Wallace (Columbia)

3: JT Romagnoli (CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt)

4: Richie Lupo (Union-Endicott)

5: John Northrup (Rush-Henrietta)

6: James Kloc (Iroquois)

8: Louis Hernandez (Mepham)

9: Kyle Wierzbicki (Warwick)

10: Ryan Spinner (Malone)

11. Corey Rasheed (Longwood)

C: Matt Matouzzi (Kellenburg)

P: Emin Aliyev (Abraham Lincoln)

A1: Dale White (John Jay East Fishkill)

A2: Bret Sauschuck (Port Jervis)

A3: Anthony Pistone (Sachem East)

A4: Mike Roman (Spencerport)

 

152 Pounds (By Section)

1: Brian Realbuto (Somers)

2: Angelo Kress (Columbia)

3: Tony Torrese (Fulton)

4: Greg Kleinsmith (Johnson City)

5: Steve Maier (Spencerport)

6: Luke Falzone (Williamsville South)

8: Danny Tracy (Mepham)

9: Ryan Bedross (Warwick)

10. Ed Foote (Canton)

11. Nick Hall (Longwood)

C: Matt Szilagyi (St. Anthony’s)

P: Cristian Masaya (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: John Keck (Shoreham-Wading River)

A2: Thomas Carta (South Glens Falls)

A3: Zach Skiba (Kenmore West)

A4: Josh Maier (Brockport)

 

160 Pounds (By Section)

1: Matt Pasqualini (Fox Lane)

2: Connor Sutton (LaSalle)

3: Nick Woodworth (Fulton)

4: Zach Colgan (Johnson City)

5: Frank Affronti (Wayne)

6: Joseph Catalano (Lake Shore)

8: Dylan Palacio (Long Beach)

9: Dan DeCarlo (Port Jervis)

10: Cody Dominque (Canton)

11: Tyler Grimaldi (HHHW)

C: John Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s)

P: Jorje Jimenez (Grand Street)

A1: Joe Cataldo (MacArthur)

A2: Mike Garrison (Amsterdam)

A3: Zak Mullen (Shoreham-Wading River)

A4: Jake Weber (Clarence)

 

170 Pounds (By Section)

1: Steven Sabella (Yorktown)

2: Stephen Lumley (South Glens Falls)

3: Shayne Brady (Carthage)

4: Dillon Franco (Corning)

5: Jared Mesiti (Brockport)

6: Anthony Liberatore (Williamsville South)

8: Dan Spurgeon (Plainedge)

9: Colin Casey (Washingtonville)

10: Cody Smith (Malone)

11: Dylen Seybolt (Longwood)

C: Rrok Ndokaj (MF)

P: Anatoliy Anchakov (Grand Street)

A1: Mike Hewitt (Queensbury)

A2: Jacob Gullo (Jamestown)

A3: Joe DiFrancesco (Niagara Falls)

A4: Jessi Kimmerli (Spencerport)

 

182 Pounds (By Section)

1: Jacob Berkowitz (Scarsdale)

2: Matt Lashway (Queensbury)

3: Garrick Cook (Indian River)

4: James Benjamin (Vestal)

5: Josh Reed (Webster Schroeder)

6: Will Bickelmann (Williamsville East)

8: Andrew Jones (Plainedge)

9: Bilal Hasan (Valley Central)

10: Jacob Moose (Canton)

11: Gio Santiago (Sachem North)

C: Matt Roberts (Monsignor Farrell)

P: McZiggy Richards (Wingate)

A1: Josef Carter (Brockport)

A2: Nick Bellanza (John Glenn)

A3: Anthony Sannella (Minisink Valley)

A4: John Luxmore (Bellmore JFK)

 

195 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Spinelli (Mahopac)

2: Tony Fusco (Shenendehowa)

3: Patrick Nasoni (Baldwinsville)

4: Reggie Williams (Johnson City)

5: Jesse Kozub (Brockport)

6: Jake Kelly (Niagara Wheatfield)

8. Rob Zorn (Sewanhaka East)

9: Deon Edmond (Kingston)

10: Jerry Malone (Massena)

11: Zack Conner (Islip)

C: Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Andreas Kokkoros (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Pavel Gorelov (Warwick Valley)

A2: Ryan Kelly (Miller Place)

A3: Colton Kells (Fairport)

A4: Daquan Rodriguez (Orchard Park)

 

220 Pounds (By Section)

1: Dom DeVita (Somers)

2: Jon Babson (LaSalle)

3: Derrek Dalton (Indian River)

4: Anthony Osman (Vestal)

5: Josh Lackey (Fairport)

6: Max Antone (Niagara Wheatfield)

8: Andrew Cole (Uniondale)

9: Connor Leavell (Warwick)

10: Adam Weidner (Canton)

11: David Rubino (Commack)

C: Andrew Auriemma (St. Anthony’s)

P: Patryk Kopczynski (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Nick Lupi (Huntington)

A2: Tyler Lilly (New Rochelle)

A3: Alex Pontiff (Queensbury)

A4: Nicolas Burgos (Kenmore West)

 

285 Pounds (By Section)

1: David Varian (Yorktown)

2: Cory Quintana (Mohonasen)

3: Pat Carroll-Marsh (Liverpool)

4:Tyler Bayer (Union-Endicott)

5: Jake Debuyser (Greece Olympia)

6: Brandon Lathrop (Kenmore West)

8: Dante Salkey (Uniondale)

9: Ethan Stanley (Saugerties)

10: Nolan Terrance (Massena)

11: Michael Hughes (Smithtown West)

C: Kyle DiPirro (St. Mary’s)

P: Leon Gonzalez (Franklin Roosevelt)

A1: Cole Lampman (Shenendehowa)

A2: Seth Stauble (Kingston)

A3: Evan Kappatos (Syosset)

A4: El Shaddai Gilmore-VanHoesen (Columbia)

***(Only wildcards A1-A4 listed)

 

99 Pounds (By Section)

1: Tyler Aslanian (Edgemont)

2: Luis Weierbach (Hoosick Falls)

3: Alex Herringshaw (Holland Patent)

4. Joe Nelson (Oxford)

5: Tony Recco (Lyndonville)

6: Dylan Lundmark (Southwestern)

7: Ethan Feazelle (Peru)

8: Nick Casella (Locust Valley)

9: Dean Stanton (Tuxedo)

10: Tanner LaPiene (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11: Lucas Webb (Mattituck)

P: Dolan McColgan (Petrides)

A1: Andrew Flanagan (Holley)

A2: Dylan Wood (Walton)

A3: Joe Dillon (Nanuet)

A4: Alexis Bleau (Schoharie)

 

106 Pounds (By Section)

1: Vinny Stokos (Nanuet)

2: Carter Merecki (Salem)

3: Ryan Snow (General Brown)

4.Lucas Malmberg (Marathon)

5: Corey Hollister (Perry)

6: Drew Marra (Olean)

7: Kyler Agoney (Peru)

8: Hunter Dusold (Locust Valley)

9: Austin Ingraham (Highland)

10: Aaron Bush (Gouverneur)

11: Michael Menzer (Center Moriches)

P: Cheick Ndiaye (Brooklyn International)

A1: Cody Carberry (Chittenango)

A2: Sean Ballard (Whitney Point)

A3: Jerome Gladney (R-C-S)

A4: Matt Boyle (Batavia)

 

113 Pounds (By Section)

1: Trey Aslanaian (Edgemont)

2: Kyler Harrington (Hudson Falls)

3: Laken Cook (Ilion)

4. William Koll (Lansing)

5: Austin Keough (Warsaw)

6: Ryan Kromer (Lew-Port)

7: Max Marte (Peru)

8: Jack Leguelaff (Oyster Bay)

9: Declan Dwyer-McNulty (Red Hook)

10: Dylan Stowell (Gouverneur)

11: Hunter Hulse (Stony Brook)

P: Edwin Uruchima (Robert F. Wagner)

A1: Sean Peacock (Midlakes)

A2: Cody McGregor (Tonawanda)

A3: Pat McCarthy (Fredonia)

A4: Nate Hayes (Windsor)

 

120 Pounds

1: Anthony Calvano (Nanuet)

2: Zach Marcel (Corinth)

3: Pat Webster (Adirondack)

4. Scott Stafford (Sidney)

5: Sam Recco (Lyndonville)

6: Dakota Gardner (Fredonia)

7: Codie Gillette (Saranac)

8: Cassidy Exum (Oyster Bay)

9: Eric Januszkiewicz (New Paltz)

10. Zach Ayen (Gouverneur)

11. Justin Underwood (Bayport-Blue Point)

P: Metin Vrlaku (Petrides)

A1: Jeff O’Lena (East Rochester)

A2: Andrew Lazickas (East Aurora)

A3: Al Aubin (Whitehall)

A4: Austin Ryan (Unatego)

 

126 Pounds

1: Drew Longo (Ardsley)

2: Noah Valastro (Hudson Falls)

3: Nick Tighe (Phoenix)

4. Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich)

5: Dylan Rifenburg (Pal-Mac)

6: Renaldo Rodriguez (Cheektowaga)

7: Jordan Bushey (Peru)

8: Ryan Arnel (Oyster Bay)

9: John Hodes (Rondout Valley)

10. Skyler Way (Gouverneur)

11. Sean Kelly (Babylon)

P: Abubokarr Sow (Brooklyn)

A1: Corey Dake (Lansing)

A2: Emory Rowe (Ripley)

A3: Dustin Greene (Chenango Valley)

A4: Jake Nicholson (Waterloo)

 

132 Pounds

1: David Occhipinti (Croton)

2: Curt Rowley (Duanesburg)

3: Wesley Blanding (Chittenango)

4. Connor Lapresi (Lansing)

5: Clyde Carey (Addison)

6: Tom Page (Eden)

7: Jacob Goddeau (Peru)

8: Robert Heney (Locust Valley)

9: Collin Dimler (Rondout Valley)

10: Joey Love (Gouverneur)

11. Ryan Hake (Bayport-Blue Point)

P: Paul Schoenberg (Baruch)

A1: Kevin Strong (Frewsburg)

A2: Matt Herringshaw (Holland Patient)

A3: Frank Garcia (Norwich)

A4: Jessy Williams (Windsor)

 

138 Pounds

1: Dean Rogener (Westlake)

2: John Diekel (Whitehall)

3. Anthony Finocchiaro (Canastota)

4. Adam Greene (Chenango Valley)

5: Quinton Murphy (Holley)

6: Jude Gardner (Fredonia)

7: Nick Forget (Peru)

8: Matt Long (Mineola)

9: Ian Morse (Rondout Valley)

10: Nate Murdock (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11. Dylan Roberts (Port Jefferson)

P: Anthony Padulo (Baruch)

A1: Isaiah Riccio (Beaver River)

A2: Dan Reagan (Lewiston Porter)

A3: Matt McCauley (Royalton Hartland)

A4: Matt Dillon (Nanuet)

 

145 Pounds

1: Brett Pastore (Irvington)

2: Geno Brancati (Hudson Falls)

3. Nathan Silverthorn (General Brown)

4: Kyle Halliday (Chenango Valley)

5: Austin Hedges (Letchworth)

6: Jake Baer (Olean)

7: Hunter Carpenter (NAC)

8: Jordan Formicola (Locust Valley)

9: Ricky Treu (Red Hook)

10: Jake Demmon (Clifton-Fine)

11. Dom Evangelista (Port Jefferson)

P: Adis Radoncic (Riverdale Kingsbridge)

A1: Tyler Button (Phoenix)

A2: Drew Hull (Royalton Hartland)

A3: Mitch Janes (Port Byron)

A4: Connor Lawrence (Duanesburg)

 

152 Pounds

1: Scott Porter (Pawling)

2: Nick Gallo (Schalmont)

3: Derek Pfluger (Sandy Creek)

4: Dan Dickman (Greene)

5: Brooks Boyle (Lyndonville)

6: Ben Haas (Salamanca)

7: Jackson Suderland (NAC)

8: Blake Meyer (Oyster Bay)

9: Paul Sommer (Rondout Valley)

10: Curtis Fuller (Gouverneur)

11. Paul Cavanagh (Port Jefferson)

P: Max Zhang (Baruch)

A1: Tristan Hamner (Medina)

A2: Tyler Spann (Adirondack)

A3: Tyler Newton (Bolivar Richburg)

A4: Conner Fox (Midlakes)

 

160 Pounds

1: Mike Boyle (Dobbs Ferry)

2: Aaron Dudley (Hudson Falls)

3. Jared Soule (Sandy Creek)

4: Mike Beckwith (Greene)

5: Chris Nevinger (Letchworth)

6: Zach Buckley (Fredonia)

7: Justin Kellett (NAC)

8: Joe Massaro (Mineola)

9: Austin Weigel (Onteora)

10: Brenden Ward (Gouverneur)

11. Travis Baskerville (Center Moriches)

P: Tyson Simon (Petrides)

A1: Hayden Wagner (South Seneca)

A2: Tyler Silverthorn (General Brown)

A3: Matt Fisher (Oneida)

A4: Brandyn Ainsworth (Johnstown)

 

170 Pounds

1: John Messinger (Putnam Valley)

2: Brad Burns (Hoosick Falls)

3. Zach Zupan (Canastota)

4: Ryan Wolcott (Waverly)

5: Burke Paddock (Warsaw)

6: Nick Mitchell (Frewsburg)

7: Troy Seymour (Peru)

8: Rob Morgan (Oyster Bay)

9: Mike Rauch (Red Hook)

10: Andrew Cole (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11: Tomasz Filipkowski (Mattituck)

P: Isaiah Blake (Baruch)

A1: Marcus Dwaileebe (Olean)

A2: Adam Hughey (Watkins Glen)

A3: Mike Green (Cobleskill)

A4: Matt Casullo (Berne-Knox)

 

182 Pounds

1: Oliver Mold (Pawling)

2: Mike Morris (Salamanca)

3. William Koelmel (Immaculate Heart Central)

4: Keegan Cerwinski (Greene)

5: Tim Schaefer (Warsaw)

6: Tony Lock (Pioneer)

7: Nate Wood (Saranac)

8: Dylan Rankin (Oyster Bay)

9: Andy Martinez (Liberty)

10: Kyle Bigwarfe (Gouverneur)

11. Brian Loskamp (Babylon)

P: Nathanael Rose (Eagle)

A1: Dallas Mesick (Duanesburg)

A2: Cody Houppert (Beaver River)

A3: Mike Beers (Walton)

A4: Jeff Day (Letchworth)

 

195 Pounds

1: Dan Breit (Nanuet)

2: Zach Diekel (Whitehall)

3. Austyn Hayes (Phoenix)

4: Ryan Todd (Lansing)

5: Bryce Mazurowski (Avon)

6: John Nickerson (Maple Grove)

7: Ben Perry (Saranac)

8: Dave Gorry (Mineola)

9: Dustin MacKenzie (Onteora)

10: Hunter Ayen (Gouverneur)

11. Chris Baglivi (Mattituck)

P: Miguel Perez (Eagle)

A1: Tyler Smith (Midlakes)

A2: Jeffery Lake (Alden)

A3: Mark Viviano (Bainbridge-Guilford)

A4: Kegan Levesque (Norwich)

 

220 Pounds

1: Matt Acevedo (Pawling)

2: Joe Sprung (Berne-Knox)

3. Travis Conklyn (Canastota)

4: Kyle Stanton (Greene)

5: Zach Bacon (Hornell)

6: Austin Blackley (Barker)

7: Luke McKee (Peru)

8: Ian Estevez (Oyster Bay)

9: Dominique Vales (Eldred-Fallsburg)

10: Brayden Wood (Gouverneur)

11: Kevin Giron (Hampton Bays)

P: Christopher Durazzo (Petrides)

A1: Nick Talcott (Tioga)

A2: Travis Harvey (Alfred-Almond)

A3: Mike Silvis (Holley)

A4: Dillon Hurlbert (Marathon)

 

285 Pounds

1: Obum Anyichie (Pleasantville)

2: Alex Soutiere (RCS)

3. Brandon Fayle (Lowville)

4: James Merritt (Owego Free Academy)

5: Kacee Sauer (Holley)

6: Matt Montesanti (Medina)

7: Hayden Head (Beekmantown)

8: Ricardo Salinas (Carle Place)

9: Anthony Tufano (New Paltz)

10: Nate Sarkin (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11: Harrison DeSousa (Bayport-Blue Point)

P: Elvin Gervacio (Brooklyn)

A1: Brian Ervin (VVS)

A2: Derek Wise (Cassadaga Valley)

A3: Dan Ognibene (Alexander)

A4: Reid Castner (Penn Yan)

 

Click here to go to our Facebook page, or like us below!

//

[button link=”http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/live-chat/” type=”big” color=”green”] Click Here to Live Chat[/button]

Have a question for “Kid Dynamite”?  Curious about what’s happening on the Cornell wrestling team?

Two-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake of the Big Red will join New York Wrestling News for a live chat on Monday, January 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Dake, currently the #1 ranked 157-pound wrestler in the country, is 22-0 this season with titles at the Body Bar Invitational, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle.  Even up a weight at 165, he got a clutch pin for the Big Red last week in a close win over Binghamton.

To join the online chat, click here and register.  (It’s free!)

You can also add your email for a reminder here!

“The Kid” is ready for your questions!