While there weren't any individual titles coming back to Section IX this weekend from the Buckeye State, our top-ranked Large School program, Minisink Valley, more than made a solid accounting itself!!!
Competing in what is regarded by most scholastic wrestling fans as the toughest regular season tournament in the nation (Walsh Ironman), the Warriors put two of their four entries onto the podium en route to a very respectable 18th place finish in the standings (out of 100 partial or full teams)!
Emerging with medals this past Saturday were 2020 NYS DI State Champion, PJ Duke (2nd @138) and two-time defending state titlist, Zack Ryder (3rd @157)...
Duke, who is still very much riding the wave that accompanied winning the 2021 Super 32 belt in October (@126), entered this weekend as the top-seed in his bracket (#4 ranked in the country) and very easily could have joined Jordan Titus (formerly of Center Moriches) as the only two Empire Staters to win the prestigious tournament had an ill-timed injury in the finals brought a premature conclusion to his journey...
Trailing 2-1 in the 2nd period of his bout against 2x PIAA medalist/defending Pennsylvania State champ, #8 Tyler Kasak (Bethlehem Catholic), Duke, the consensus #1 overall prospect in the class of 2025, tweaked his knee while defending a TD attempt and was unable to continue....
Prior to the unfortunate conclusion to his two-day affair, the KD Trained disciple had been looking quite good, as he picked up victories over the likes of 2021 PIAA State 5th, Colton Stoneking (7-3 decision), 2021 Oklahoma bronze medalist, Jace Roller (14-3), and three-time Florida finalist/defending champ, Brennan Van Hoecke (7-5 sv in the semifinals)!
Ryder, the 10th-ranked man in the land, demonstrated tremendous fortitude in his climb back for the 3rd...
Seeded 2nd in the and not one who is accustomed to losing very often, the NYWN #1 2024 Big Boarder had to face some adversity after he dropped a 2-1 quarterfinal decision to #14 Nick Vafiadis, a three-time Virginia State titlist with multiple AA honors in Fargo and/or Virginia Beach!
Rather than hang his head, the 2021 USAW 16U Freestyle National champ shook off the bitter defeat and immediately got back on track, closing out his Ironman debut by stringing together four consecutive wins!
Commencing with a fall in 1:56 over 2021 PIAA State 8th, Landon Muth, in the blood round, Ryder then proceeded to pitch a 2-0 shutout in his next bout versus 3x Delaware champ, Alex Poore.
Trailing 4-2 in the 3rd period of his consolation semifinal match against 2021 Ohio State gold medalist, Connor Euton, the youngest of Darren & Laura's "cover model" children reached deep again, as he converted a takedown and then added a 2pt near-fall in the last half minute to steal the dub, 6-4!
Ryder struck late again in his 3rd-place match, hitting the winning TD in the final 20 ticks to snap a 1-1 deadlock versus 3x Colorado placer/2021 state runner-up, Murphy Menke!
2020 State 5th, Eric Tigue, also put forth an excellent showing for the Warriors, winning three of his five bouts to advance to the blood round at 150 pounds!
Mikey Altomer (2x State medalist/2021 runner-up; 2021 USAW Junior GR National silver medalist) went 1-2 at 175 pounds, but is applauded for giving it a go after limited mat time following an extended senior season on the gridiron!
A quintet of Iona Prep Gaels gained valuable experience that will benefit them come postseason....Logging the only victory for the school was Sean Degl (1-2 @144)....Paolo Ciatto (113), Kevin McCarvill (126), Terrence Walden (132), and Gabriel Garibaldi (285) all battled!
Note: Out of state, but not mind, former NYers, Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) and Carter Schubert (Wyoming Seminary) placed 4th and 8th at 113 and 165 pounds respectively!
As anticipated, the Wrangle In the Plains was every bit a gauntlet from start to finish!!
At the lighter weights, it was Shane Dobbins (Plainedge), Tyler Whiteley (Burnt Hills), Nico Rivera (Mohonasen), and Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills) corralling the competition at the first four weight classes!
Dobbins, who entered as the presumable favorite given his top-5 ranking, did not fail to prove he was worthy of such esteem, as he racked two pins, a 17-1 technical fall, and a win by forfeit to leaven no doubt as to whom the best of the best was at 102 pounds...Pinning eventual runner-up, Greg Green (Shenendehowa) in 3:28 of their round #3 battle (5-person round-robin), the Nassau boy wrapped up the hardware when he finished off a 17-1 tech against fellow ranked (#10 DII) Ashten Haley (Cobleskill/Richmondville) in his final appearance...Green defeated Haley, 7-5, during round #1...#7 (DI) Nick Fortugno (Byram Hills) suffered a loss by fall to Haley and then had to default out of the tournament after sustaining an injury in his next bout!
The 2020 S2 4th [Whiteley] compiled a 4-0 record, highlighted by 2-0 and 8-4 decisions in rounds 3 and 5 over Kyle Carter (Plainedge) and Joe Gabriele (John Jay CR) to win it all at 110...
Rivera was a champion for the second weekend in a row, as he complemented his gold from Mohonasen Invitational by winning the 118-pound title at the Wrangle...Scoring bonus points in each of his two pool bouts, he would receive a forfeit in the finals over teammate/ #9 (DI @110), Clayton O'Connor!
Carlin's road to Victory Lane was one of the most impressive anywhere in New York State this weekend, as he needed to beat both a current top-10 (3-1 over #8 DI Mike Santore; Shaker) and a former top-10 (11-4 against Dhilan Patel; Edgemont) simply to win his pool...Oddly enough, his "easiest" match of the event came in the finals when he pinned 2020 Section I bronze medalist, Chris Maroulis (Putnam Valley) at the 1:54 mark...Maroulis reached the finals behind an 8-6 decision in pool B over 2x S2 medalist, Carlos Montalvo (Amsterdam)
Whereas 102-126 were claimed by majority up-and-comers, the next five weights were dominated by known studs in the persons of Andrew Marchese (132; Washingtonville), Jordan Brown (138; Monroe-Woodbury), Owen Hicks (145; FFJ), Jake Hoffman (152; Fox Lane), and Noah Bernstein (160; Edgemont)...All ranked and all hammers!!!
The returning state runner-up/#1 ranked student-athlete from Section IX [Marchese] won his pool with a 15-0 technical fall over 2020 S2 silver medalist, Vincent Grembocki (Shenendehowa)...He would then go one step further, taking the brass ring via a 5-0 decision over three-time Section I placer/2020 runner-up, Justin Fortugno (Byram Hills) in a showdown of DI top-10s....Fortugno may have fallen short of gold, but still had a heck of a day, as he bested a pair of Section II runners-up--- Gabriel Goss (Burnt Hills) and Ayden Robles (Shenendehowa---to win his pool!
2020 NYS DI 6th, Brown (ranked 6th in DI), issued a statement in round 2 of pool play when he posted a 19-2 technical fall against 2x Vermont State Champion, Landon Davis (Mt. Anthony)...He endured a much more competitive finals bout, but still got the job done, beating 2020 S2 runner-up, Colin Carlin (Burnt Hills), by 8-3 decision!....Carlin advanced to the finals by tearing through (two TFs and a fall) a trio of sectional medalists---Kyle Griskowitz (Saratoga Springs; 5th in S2 in 2020), Jonathan Rothschild (Edgemont; 2x S1 placer), and Luke Yorke (Cobleskill/Richmond; 2x S2 placer)...
Hicks (#3 DII) improved to 2-0 in a matter of weeks against 4th-ranked (DI), Renso Montalvo (Amsterdam), with a 9-3 decision in pool B...In the finale, he was even more in control, winning a 16-5 major decision versus the ninth-rated (DI) 138-pounder out of Burnt Hills, Tyler Rossini (2020 S2 Champ)!...
Hoffman (#5 DI @160), dropped down and won his pool behind two 1st period falls and a forfeit and then cemented his title effort by pinning 2020 S2 6th, Josh Warland (Burnt Hills) in 53 seconds...Warland earned a 5-2 decision in his pool over #3 (DII) Sander Miller (Edgemont), to secure the berth in the title contest!
#4 (DII) Bernstein (Edgemont) had falls in each of his two appearances, including a 43-second termination in the finals against 2020 Section II 6th, Donald Jones (CBA-Albany)...
Lowering the curtain on an amazing day of wrestling were Will Hotaling (Colonie) and Marc Berisha (Fox Lane), who picked up huge wins to seize the top prize at 215 and 285 pounds.
Fresh off of his win at the Mohonasen Invitational, Hotaling remained en fuego, as he pinned both of his foes during the pool and then banked a signature victory in the finals when he recorded a 7-2 decision over #4 (DII) Jacob Cassidy (Putnam Valley)!
In the weekend preview, we challenged all Empire State heavyweights in attendance to "be the one to keep the gold in-state"....Berisha (#8 DI) was the one to answer the call to duty, as he had his way to the tune of an 8-2 decision over 2x VT State titlist/2021 New England champ, Hayden Gaudette (Mt. Anthony)....Before he could even get to the finals, the Section I rep first had to toppled 2020 event runner-up/DII #5 Masen Cooper (Cobleskill/Richmond); Berisha pinned the 2020 Section 2 bronze medalist in 23 seconds!!! He also had a fall in 4:51 over Jaydon Aquirre-Hamlin (Colonie) who won the Mohonasen a week ago!
Aaron Johnson (Mt. Anthony) and Farzad Ahmad (Shaker) rounded out our champions with titles at 172 and 189!
BRACKETS
"AROUND THE STATE"
Section I: Bill Wright/Fred Perry Duals at Arlington
Led by returning NYS medalists, Dillon Arrick (6th in 2021) and Tim Bova (2x placer; 3rd in 2021), the Admirals successfully defended their home turf by posting a perfect 5-0 record with victories coming over Beacon (52-24), Mamaroneck (54-21), Our Lady of Lourdes (58-18), Pine Bush (54-22), and Roy C. Ketcham (45-30)...
Joining Arrick (ranked 5th @ DI 110) and Bova (ranked 4th @DI 160) among the unblemished (5-0) were Aislin Kellner, Christopher Bischoff, John Frustace, and Joseph Peretta
John McGowan (2x S1 placer), the only other state-ranked competitor in the field, enjoyed his own perfect day on behalf of Mamaroneck, as he highlighted a 5-0 performance by posting a 6-1 decision against Pine Bush's Braydon Pennell (5th in Section 9 in 2020) in a clash of sectional studs!
Section I: Michael Tarulli Memorial at Irvington
The Royals of Port Jefferson lived up to their nickname as they triumphed in their road trip to Section I, going 5-0 at the Tarulli Memorial!
Five different PJ student-athletes, including NYWN's state-ranked, Frank D'Elia (#8 DII @110) completed the weekend unscathed...Others without a loss were: Anthony Evangelista, Anthony Pipia, Cade Delgado, and Liam Rogers...
Among this group, it was Pipia that really caught our eye as two of his victories came versus returning sectional medalists---pinned Ingmar Ast (2020 S1 5th; Irvington) in 0:47; 5-0 decision against 2020 S1 6th, Tristan Robinson-July (Ossining)!
Port Jeff's collective accolades came in the form of wins over: Harrison (59-15), Irvington (69-6), Ossining (39-28), Sleepy Hollow (59-12), and 51-19 in a battle of Suffolk bragging rights over Westhampton Beach!
Yonkers' Kiam Coleman was named as the recipient of the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the event after he went unbeaten (5-0) on behalf of the Bulldogs!
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Section II: MatMania XIX
Anchored by two individual champions, a runner-up, and three additional placers, it was the representatives from Section IX, Wallkill, taking home the team crown at MatMania, with a cumulative score of 127.5 (12.5 more than runner-up, Salem-Cambridge)!!
Winning gold on behalf of the Panthers at back-to-back weights were Rocco Futia (118) and Viktor Banda (126)...
Futia, who placed 4th in S9 in 2020, secured a pair of 1st period pins in his opening two bouts before earning a 17-2 TF in the finals against Peru's Logan Trim!...Trim entered the bout with momentum, having knocked off 2020 VT State runner-up, Noah Quigley (Colchester), via 97 second pin in the semis!
Banda recorded his own trio of sticks in the lead-up to the finals (including pinning 2020 Vermont 4th, Luke Doloughty; Colchester in 5:27 in the semis)...But in the title bout, he would have to go the distance, emerging with a 15-2 major decision against 2020 S2 medalist (5th), Quinn Johnson (Granville)!
Anthony Annacone also reached the finals for Wallkill, but dropped his 172-pound title bout by fall in 2:47 to Catskill's junior, Daniel Forbes...
One match later, it was another Forbes, Stephen (6th at 2020 S2 Championships) matching his namesake when he received a win by forfeit (Quinn Donaldson ;Salem-Cambridge) in the 189-pound title contest!
All five of the gentlemen with numbers next to their names in the NYWN polls succeeded in claiming brass rings within their respective brackets.
At 110, it was 2020 Section 2 runner-up/current DII #4, Avi Berg (Glens Falls) pinning 2020 Vermont State 5th, Colin Duffy (Colchester) in 4:57!
Kieran Cullen (#3 @DII 138), a 2020 NYS 8th out of Greenville, doubled up 2x Section 7 medalist, Sawyer Bell (Beekmantown), 6-3, to hoist hardware!
Luke Schirmacher (Mechanicville-Stillwater) was a champion for the second weekend in a row, as he followed up his title at the Mohonasen by going 4-0 to seize the prize! Ranked 7th (DII) at 160 pounds, the Warrior 11th grader dropped down to 152 to post a 2-0 decision in the finale over Marco Dodig (Catskill)!
Kendryek Flynn (#9 DII @160) was the sole titlist for Cohoes-Watervliet, but he achieved the feat in style, reaching the finals behind an injury default over 2020 S7 silver medalist, Aaron Edwards (Peru) and then sticking S2 3rd, Skyler Sturdevant (Glens Falls) in 3:16
Closing the show for our heralded student-athletes was the 2x NHSCA All-American/defending S7 champ hailing from Beekmantown, Connor Bushey (#3 DII @285)...The sophomore sensation never made it out of the 1st period this weekend, as all four of his wins were pins in times of :31, 1:42, 1:59, and then as an exclamation, :49 in the championship match versus Evan Meisner (Niskayuna)!
Rounding out our champs at the tournament were:
102: Riley Bernash (Corinth)
132: Kadin Johnson (Peru)
145: Ayden Grieve (Glens Falls)
215: Lucas Martindale (Salem-Cambridge)
BRACKETS
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Section IV: Sgt. Justin Rogers Memorial
Pitted in a field comprised of four of the top-25 teams (#1 Tioga, #4 Gouverneur, #15 Windsor): in the Small School polls (and a fifth program that was previously ranked among DI schools; Vestal), it was the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River utilizing seven finalists (4 titlists) en route to the "precious" in the journey upstate to Section 4...
Winning individual titles for the #18-ranked cohort [SWR] was Gavin Mangano (102), Tommy Palumbo (126), Tristan Petretti (132), and Craig Jablonski (145)!...Chris Colon (110/118), Jack LaValle (189), and Zack Wilson (215) were all silver medalists!
Mangano (5th @102 in the DII polls), the youth phenom who was an All-American this past November at the Super 32 (Middle School division), was a pinning machine in his round-robin, as he stuck all four of his foes in two periods or less....His 3:45 fall over James Minckler (Gouverneur) in round 3 proved to be the difference-maker in determining the champ!
After winning pool B behind a pair of matslaps, Palumbo tacked on a 14-5 major decision against Tioga's Emily Sindoni in the semifinals and then wrapped up the yellow medal via a 6-2 decision against 2020 S10 champ, Zoe Griffith (Gouverneur)...As a sign of girl power, both Sindoni and Griffith had previously defeated 2x S4 medalist, Brody Galyen (Vestal) in pool-play
Petretti (2020 S11 bronze medalist), made a strong argument to be factored into the state charts the next time they are updated as his crown-yielding performance was culminated by a 6-3 decision in the crossover finals against current #3 in the state/2020 NYS 8th, Mason Welch (Tioga)...In his previous bout, the Wildcat senior [Petretti] pinned 2020 S10 silver medalist, Hunter Mashaw (Gouverneur) in a mere 31 ticks!
Jablonski, who finished 5th in NYS in 2020, certainly looked the part of a person who will back on the podium this February as he cut through the 145-pound bracket, registering four falls in his pool and then securing a 16-5 major decision (against Dante Rooke of Windsor) in the crossover finale!
Preventing SWR from sweeping their finals matches were a trio of state-ranked oppositions---Chase Nevills (Copenhagen), Gabriel Monroe (Windsor), and Garrett Bidwell (Windsor)...
Nevills, a 2020 runner-up in Section III/present-day #7 (DII) @118, boasted a 5-0 record in a combination/catch weight class; his signature triumph (over #10 Colon) occurred in round 3 when he earned a 6-1 decision!
Monroe, who is already a two-time State medalist, as well as the current top-ranked 189-pounder in DII, went unchallenged this weekend, as he went 5-for-5 in pinning those who dared step on the mat against him...He capped off his day with the fall in 51 ticks over LaValle!
Shaking off his loss from a week ago in the finals of the Bill Andersen Memorial, the third-ranked 215-pounder [Bidwell] answered back in impressive fashion, winning all three of his round-robin appearances by fall...His stick of Wilson (at the 3:04 mark) happened during round 2!
Three of the five remaining weights were also claimed by the creme de la creme of the Empire State as Vandavian Way (Gouverneur), Carter Baer (Gouverneur), and Adam Ortega (Copenhagen) won the titles from 152-172!
Way (#3 in DII @160) dropped to 152 where he majored fellow polled (#9) Ryan Kennedy (2x S4 4th for Windsor) 12-3 to win pool B, and then pitched a 1-0 shutout in the crossover title match against #1 Donovan Smith (Tioga; 2021 NYS 7th)!...Smith teched Kennedy (16-0) in their crossover semifinal!
Baer, who needs no introduction as a two-time defending state gold medalist, put the 160-pound weight class on warning as he dropped down from 172 (was #1) and cruised, racking up four pins and a 17-0 technical fall in his outings...Prominent among his five arm-raising displays was a 27-second pin against Noah Kintner (2020 S4 6th; Vestal) and a :28 fall over 2020 S4 bronze medalist, Anthony McMillen, of Lansing...His final victim was Windsor sophomore, Mason McCombs!
Ortega, 5th at the 2020 S3 Championships/8th (@172) in the updated polls, was not stretched beyond 3:57 in any of his four matches, as he pinned his way to the top of the podium...His 2:29 fall over Trent Browne (Tioga) in his first appearance of the day, was the deciding factor!
Also winning titles were: Trayton Tupper (138; Gouverneur) & Caleb Georgia (285; Lansing)
BRACKETS
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Section V: 48th Annual Batavia Christmas Tournament
It was a fine fine day for our ranked wrestlers competing at this nearly half century old event...
Of the four gems that entered with # adorning their names, three refused to be stopped as #1 (DI 145 Cameron Catrabone (Williamsville North-East), #2 (DI 145) Casper Stewart (Attica-Batavia), and #7 (DI 160) Michael Schaefer (Lancaster) combined to post 14-0 record, with 12 of these wins the byproducts of pins!
Catrabone, the #2 overall in-state prospect from the class of 2024/University of Michigan verbal commit, left little doubt as to why pundits are predicting THREE State crowns in his future, as he went 4-0 w/3 falls and a TF on his resume...Making the cut down to 138, the 2x NYS medalist (3rd in 2021)/2021 NHSCA Freshman champ/2021 Super bronze medalist, polished off a perfect outing when he stuck 2021 Section 6 silver medalist, Carter Tadusz, (Lancaster) in 2:29....Tadusz punched his ticket to the finals behind a fall of his own (2:45) over Catholic State bridesmaid, Luke Brydges (Canisius)!
Stewart, a former NYS bronze medalist who had a breakout summer in Fargo, taking 3rd in 16U Greco-Roman, pinned his way through the entire bracket, with the last of his five falls being at the expense of 2021 Section 6 3rd, Ethan Monin (Lancaster)!
Schaefer, who is seeking a return to the top of S6 (champ in 2020) after settling for runner-up honors last year, made believers out of us this weekend, as he posted four straight 1st period falls to advance to the finals...And then once on center stage, he put forth a controlling effort in a 6-2 decision victory against Kaden Marucci of Attica Batavia.
Fab frosh, Mason Depew (Canandaigua Academy) put an end to any thoughts of a sweep of titles for our polled superstars when he pinned #4 ((DII) Colin White (Adirondack) in the last 10 seconds of their crossover semifinal match at 189 pounds...One round later, Depew emerged with a 4-2 decision against Noah Magin (Livonia-Wayland) to finalize his coming of age as "one to watch"!
Making it a family affair down low were the Barrientos clan---Jaron (102) and Caden (118), who as the only entries for Lewiston-Porter did not have any room for error and did not need any safety net, as they united to put up a 9-1 tally to bring him double gold...
The former [Jaron] would actually lose in pool play (6-4 decision), but fought back to enact his revenge in the finals, as he transformed a narrow loss into a comfortable 17-11 decision over Victor's Angelo Attardi!
Caden Did not have to concern himself with overcoming adversity, as he was a human steam-roller for much of the tournament, securing four straight 1st period pins to reach the title contest...As an encore, he earned an 8-3 decision over the upset-minded Zachary Dellinger of Williamsville North-East...Dellinger locked up his spot in the finale by pinning 2020 Section V 4th, Tony Marcano (Victor) in :47 in the last round of pool competition!
Dom Attardi (110; Victor), Myles Gronowsk (126; Lancaster), Braydon Vandenberg (215; Canisius), Ty Rader (285; Victor) all remained perfect thus far in 2021-2022 by winning tournaments for a second weekend in a row!
Attardi, a titlist at the Byron Bergen a week ago, added the Batavia to his list of bullet points when he knocked off the host school's Luke Gutman by TF, 16-0!
Gronowski (3x S6 medalist/2x runner-up) followed up a perfect record at the Pal-Mac Duals by registering three technical fall wins (46-0), as well as a 94-second pin on his way to the pinnacle!!! He cemented his title effort via a 16-0 TF over Matt Connor (Livonia-Wayland Cohocton)!
Vandenberg, a two-time CHSAA State silver medalist, who was impressive at the Starpoint Duals during week #1, was equally dominant at Batavia, as his fall with :01 remaining in the 1st period over Wyatt Kauffman (Attica-Batavia) in the finals was the only occasion in which he was extended beyond 1:00!!!
A week removed from the crown at the Byron Bergen, Rader used three falls and a 6-3 decision in the crossover semis to earn the berth into the title bout...In the finals, he received a forfeit from Thomas Carlsen (Lancaster)!
Also winning their respective weight classes were: Wyatt Bryman (132; Attica-Batavia), Raymond Hennessey (152; Adirondack), & Kalob Ezzell (Canandaigua Academy)
Driven by their aforementioned two champs and three runners-up (not to mention four others in the top-4), Lancaster walked away with team glory as they etched out a 2.5 point triumph (222.5 to 220.0) over Attica-Batavia!
BRACKET
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Section VIII: Hewlett King of the Mat
If you ask any five-star General, they will tell you that wars are won as much with manpower and they are with firepower....Thankfully for the Bulldogs of Hewlett, they seem to have a mix of both!!!
Advancing four wrestlers to the finals (3 eventual champs) and putting another eight on the podium (3rd-6th), the host school (ranked 8th in the DI charts) stood their ground and proudly defended their "doghouse" by finishing atop the leader board against a 14-team field that also featured #9 (DI) Long Beach and #21 (DII) Cold Spring Harbor
Delivering title-winning demonstrations on behalf of the emerging Nassau County contender was Ariel Waldman (126), Josh Gendlin (160), and Jacob Mairoano (285)...Johnathan Zenny was a runner-up at 152!
Waldman, a Section 8 silver medalist in 2020, posted a 3-0 record, punctuated by a 4-3 decision in the finals over Luke Clackett (Hauppauge)
Gendlin, who entered as the fourth-ranked 152-pounder in the county (per LIWA), bumped up to 160 pounds where he upended state-ranked (#10 DI) Joseph Mattei of Herricks, 6-4 in sudden victory of their finals contest!
Maiorano, the only Bulldog currently enjoying top-10 status (#4 @ DI 215) in the NYWN polls, was up at 285 last weekend, but still managed to get the job done, pinning all three of his foes in the 1st period...In the title bout, he stuck MacArthur's Matt Clarkson in 1:29!
Zenny, the lone Hewlett rep to falter in his bid to be a champion on home turf, still made a great accounting of himself, as it required a returning NYS medalist/current top-5 rated, Frankie Volpe (Hauppauge) to defy him...Volpe, whose sophomore year not only included a NYS 4th, but also NHSCA All-American (7th) distinction, recorded a 7-1 decision in the finals...
Volpe was not the only "established commodity" to strike gold this past Saturday as four additional top-10 student-athletes joined him in living up to their reputation!
110 and 118 presented us with quasi main event caliber bouts as it was #3 (DI) Mikey Manta (Hauppauge) and #1 (DI) Joey Manfredi (Herricks) prevailing in consecutive title bout!
Pinning his initial three opponents, the 2x NYS medalist/returning state 2nd [Manta] heard the slap of the mat at the 1:12 mark as he overwhelmed #3 (DI @102) Mason Franklin of Long Beach!
Manfredi, a 2x State finalist/reigning Empire State titlist, controlled the scrambles in his 8-2 decision over #5 rated/2020 NYS DI 7th, Shane Meenaghan (Chaminade)...Meenaghan had been on fire up to this point (undefeated); so for Manfredi to come away with such a decisive win spoke volumes about the zone he is in at the start of his sophomore campaign!
UPenn bound Jackson Polo (#1 @DII 145; 3x NYS medalist) of Cold Spring Harbor scored early, often, and consistently as he went 4-for-4 in bonus point efforts, which included his third pin of the day in the finals against 2020 S8 4th, Terry Ellis (Freeport)!...MacArthur's Paul Lichter was the only opponent able to go the distance versus the future Quaker, as he "hung on" to lose by 13-5 major decision in the semifinals!
With Maiorano up at 285, the trail was clear for #2 ranked/2021 NYS 5th, Steven Burrell (New Rochelle) to feast at 215....The Section I standout notched falls in all three of his matches, with the last of the hat trick occurring 1:41 into the 1st period over James Clarkson (MacArthur)!
Completing the list of those who ascended to the throne were: Dunia Sibomana (102; Long Beach), Wyatt Parker (132; Long Beach), Kyle Moore (138; Levittown-Division), Kevin Akley (172; Farmingdale), and Quasi Bonsu (189; Baldwin)!
