102 Quarterfinals: #1 Anthony LaGala-Ryan (Longwood) vs. #4 William Soto (Newburgh)----A battle of youngsters between the #1 and #4 ranked wrestlers in the final installment of our large school individual rankings, when they met this past December at the Mid-Hudson, they treated the crowd to a show, as the Long Islander [LaGala-Ryan] prevailed in a 12-8 decision...With Soto sitting in the #2 position of the bracket and LaGala-Ryan at #7, on paper, this could be a definitely upset special!!!
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102 Quarterfinals: #2 Cooper Merli (Newburgh) vs. #5 Cullen Edwards (Frontier)----Sitting on the top line of the bracket, throughout the majority of the season, many pundits have regarded Merli as the favorite to hoist hardware on Saturday night...However, before the 2023 S9 titlist can even fathom the idea of being the last man standing, he must first survive what ought to be a valiant challenge from the stud from Section 6, Edwards...Both 2022 NYSPHSAA Qualifiers, when they met previously at the Eastern States Classic, Merli was a 9-3 victory; but we are expecting a tighter affair in the rematch!...Merli is the top seed, whereas Edwards is a VERY DANGEROUS #9 (and will need to knock-off 10th-ranked, Vincent Graulau, of Mohonasen, just to make it the the 1/8s)...
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110 Quarterfinals: #1 Luke Satriano (Valley Central) vs. #5 Ralph Keeney (Ballston Spa)----You won't have to wait long for a clash of returning state medalists as last year's 4th and 5th place finishers are destined to butt heads in the quarters....Satriano, who many regard as a title favorite out of the #4 spot in the bracket, has defeated 5th-seeded Keeney the last three times they have met (including 9-4 in the consolation semis last February). However, the gap seems to be narrowing as their last showdown at the ESC was only a 5-3 margin!...We predicted Satriano to be our 2022 NYS DI Champion last season and definitely envision him on the top of the podium in 2023; but in order to make that happen, he'll need to run a gauntlet that commences with his fellow All-Stater on Friday!
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110 Quarterfinals: #4 Evin Gursoy (Midwood) vs. #5 Kiernan Magee (Penfield)---Two standouts that have combined to go 70-2 this season, in both corners, you are going to have a returning and/or past NYS medalists....Gursoy, who seized bronze as a freshman on behalf of the PSAL, was the Eastern States runner-up in January, sports a 40-2 record and will be entering on the #3 line of the field....Magee, who steps onto the mats with an immaculate 30-0 record, was a state qualifier in 2022 after placing 6th at the Journeymen NYS Championships during the Covid-stricken 2021 campaign!
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118 Round of 32: #3 Sean Campbell (Copiague) vs. #4 Shane Meenaghan (Chaminade)---In what might be the best opening-round bout of 2023, not only will you have a pair of returning and/or former NYSPHSAA medalists hooking up, you'll also have two TOP-5 ranked individuals battling just for the right to advance to the round of 16...,Campbell, a two-time State placer/2021 Fargo GR All-American, is slotted in the #12 spot of the bracket after finishing as the 2023 Section 11 runner-up....Meenaghan, who placed 7th in Albany as a freshman in 2020, has yet to taste defeat in his final year donning the Flyer crimson & gold...Both "Savages" under the guidance of Justin Accordino, they know each other well, and the person who gets the dub could very much had a Cinderella run towards the brass ring...They did not meet this year, but in 2021-2022, Meenghan (#21 in the bracket), did emerge with a dub!
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118 Quarterfinals: #2 Anthony Clem (Wantagh) vs. #6 Joseph Ramirez (Mahopac)---The known commodity versus the senior who has caught fire, from a sentimental standpoint, it is hard to root against either young gentlemen....Clem, who needs just one more "w" to reach the 50-win milestone this season was 4th in Albany as a sophomore in 2022, but is coming for nothing but gold in his return voyage to South Pearl Street...Ramirez has gone from 4th in S1 last year to a top-6 ranking in our polls thanks in large part to an outstanding 43-3 resume...Seeded 2nd an 10th respectively, just for this match to come to fruition, the latter [Ramirez] must first upend 2022 NYS 8th/NYWN HM, Tyler Whiteley (Burnt Hills), in the round of 16!
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126 Quarterfinals: #2 Jaden Crumpler (Niagara Falls) vs. #11 Cam Howard (Bellport)---Looking at their end of season rank, this might not strike you as a bout that belongs on the list...However, the more we watch Bellport 7th grader [Howard], the more we get Frankie Gissendanner type vibes of a person who is mature well beyond his years in a weight class not accustomed to seeing dominant junior high personnel....Given his decorated youth resume, it is no secret that Howard is one of the future stars in the Empire State. The question though that has to and will be answered is whether "the present is the future" as he is definitely going to need to wrestle the match of his life is he hopes to upset top-ranked/returning State silver medalist, Crumpler....The two blue chippers have gone a collective 79-2 this season; so you definitely anticipate a barn-burner!
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126 Quarterfinals: #1 Joey Manfredi (Herricks) vs. #4 Ray Adams (Calhoun)---The caliber of match that you'd normally expect to see no earlier than the semifinals, you are going to be treated to an absolute war when the three-time state finalist/2x defending champ, Manfredi, attempts to move closer to a three-peat when he squares off with returning NYS 4th, Adams, in an All-Nassau collision....The "smart money" pick to win it all heading into the postseason, a loss in the S8 semifinals to Wantagh's Joseph Clem proved that Manfredi is indeed human. But don't be surprised at all to see him turn that rare imperfection into motivation!----UPDATE: As of Wednesday afternoon, Manfredi has been officially scratched due to unfortunate illness
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132 Quarterfinals: #4 Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills) vs. #8 (@126) Justin Shay (Iona Prep)---Tagged as an "upset watch" match, Shay has known nothing other than triumph in his first season competing for the Gaels (started his career in his native Connecticut), as he has amassed a 51-0 record in his CHSAA debut...Keeping that resume clean is going to be an uphill climb though for the Iona Prep junior, as he is slated to run head-first into 2022 NYS 4th, Carlin, who was 5th at the Eastern State Classic and is probably the more battle-tested of the two combatants as they embark on the capital!
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132 Quarterfinals: #3 Michael Giugliano (Miller Place) vs. #6 Ryan Eckerle (Commack)---A rematch of the 2023 Suffolk County finals (won 6-4 by Giugliano), this 2 vs. 7 seed contest is going down to the wire....Giugliano, a 2021 Journeymen State 6th, was a 44-match winner this season; Eckerle, who already has demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion when he knocked off returning State 3rd/#2 ranked Jason Kwaak, in the S11 semifinals, is a absolute sleeper to go on a run and be a surprise finalist...History has proven time and time again that there is always that one Suffolk County kid that finds his way into an unpredicted Saturday night main event; and Eckerle could be that person in 2023!
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138 Quarterfinals: #3 Thomas Bonasera (Wantagh) vs. #7 Gabriel Goss (Burnt Hills)---Seeded 3rd and 6th respectively, this is a rematch of a round #2 bout from last year's state tourney (won 4-1 by the Warrior senior, Bonasera)....But alas, despite suffering the early loss, it was Goss that ended up on the podium, as he made the home crowd proud by working his way to an 8th place showing!! (Bonasera)...After losing in the blood round, 2023 is going to be about redemption for Bonasera; and a "w" in this match will guarantee himself top-8 status in his final try!!!...The owners of a 47-4 and 30-2 resumes, whomever gets their arm raised will be a threat on Saturday morning as well!!
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138 Quarterfinals: #6 Te'Shaun Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield) vs. #8 Cal Russo (Spencerport)---Two wrestlers who are each in search of their first all-state distinction, Mathews and Russo both advanced to the blood round in 2022, losing heartbreaking decision to fall just short of the podium....Neither one is going to want to have to endure that pain again; so with the guaranteed top-8 at stake, anticipate them giving everything and then some!!!!....The two wrestlers previously met in mid-January, with Mathews beating the buzzer to stick Russo at the 5:59 mark in the Lockport Tournament finale!!
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145 Quarterfinals: #1 Cam Catrabone (Williamsville North-East) vs. #3 Matthew Masch (Roy C. Ketcham)----Pretty much the only achievement that the future Michigan Wolverine/nationally ranked stud out of S6 [Catrabone] has yet to check off his personal bucket list has been the NYS crown....A three-time placer (high of 3rd in 2021 at the J-Men), the Spartan junior has not lost a match this season to a NY opponent (his losses were to out-of-state foes as part of runner-up finishes at the Powerade and bronze at the Beast of the East)...However, the seeding process seems intent on making him earn that NYSPHSAA yellow medal, as he will square off with 2022 State Qualifier, Masch, in a bout that if we had our way, would not have occurred until the morning of day #2...Both wrestlers have identical 43-2 records!!....Keep in mind, that just to get to third-ranked Masch, our top-seed, Catrabone, will initially have to defeat #8 ranked/2022 State Qualifier, William McMullen, in the round of 16!
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145 Quarterfinals: #5 (@138) Renso Montalvo (Amsterdam) vs. #5 Amir Avazov (James Madison)----A clash of #5s, the returning State 5th out of S2, Montalvo, actually bumped up to 145 pounds in an attempt to snatch gold in his final attempt on home soil...Considerably finer than his 37-6 record (every single loss was to a fellow stud/title contender), the Ram senior [Montalvo] was the runner-up at Windor in December, and followed it up by taking 6th at the Eastern States Classic. Hence, to describe him in one phrase, it would be "battle-tested".....Avazov, a 7th place performer at the Eastern States Classic, is seeded 11th, but our gut tells us that he pulls the upset over 2023 Suffolk silver medalist, Christopher Massett, to set up the marquee match-up among top-5 superstars!
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152 Round of 16: #2 Frank Volpe (Hauppauge) vs. #5 Paul Lichter (MacArthur)---There will be no easing into the weekend for the two-time NYS medalist out of Section II, Volpe....From the get-go, the third-seeded wrestler in the bracket is going to be forced to prove his worthiness, as he is likely to be pitted against NYWN's #5 man in the field, Lichter, in a clash of Long Island champs...Suffering his only loss of the 2022 NYSPHSAA Tournament in the semifinals to the eventual titlist, Jayden Scott, Volpe has unfinished business under the roof of MVP Arena. He enters having won 36 of 39 outings, with his only loss to a NY opponent happening in the 2023 Eastern States Classic finale (at the hands of Casper Stewart)...Lichter, who split his four matches at the state tournament last season, is unblemished in his 23 appearances (23-0) in '22-'23, and would nothing more than to play the role of spoiler by notching a premier day #1 upset. Even if he ends up losing to Volpe, he is going to be one to watch on the back-end of the bracket out of the #13 spot!
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152 Quarterfinals: #1 Casper Stewart (Attica Batavia) vs. #4 Eric "Diesel" Grant (Iona Prep)---100-0 combined this season, the "0 is going to have to go" for one of these phenomenal talents...Stewart, who is seeded 2nd despite being undefeated and winning the 2023 ESC, will be determined to improve upon previous showings of 3rd (2020) and 4th (2022) at this tournament....Grant (53-0) claimed his first CHSAA State title in lopsided fashion and will need to be every bit as good in Albany if he hopes to slay a dragon such as Stewart...Gaining valuable experience in 2022 when he was sent to the NYSPHSAA tourney as an injury replacement, he went 1-2 in his debut last year, but has clearly jumped levels in the past calendar year...
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160 Quarterfinals: #2 Connor Gregory (Ballston Spa) vs. #6 Sean Degl (Iona Prep)---Ranked 2nd and 6th in our DI polls, this pair of 2023 ESC placers (Gregory 3rd; Degl 6th) both possess the skillset to be celebrating on Saturday night...This is not a typical 1 vs. 8 match as Degl very feasibly could pull the upset and disrupt the apple cart if he brings his "A" game with him...Losing in the blood round as a junior in 2022, we feel that his seed is not indicative of how lethal he can be when at his best....Gregory, who is toeing that top-line of the bracket after earning 7th place honors a season ago, has losses only to PJ Duke (#1 in the nation before an injury shelved him for the remainder of the season) and Gage LaPlante (Was NYWN #1 ranked in the final edition of the polls; out due to a program-wide suspension)....While mathematical properties rarely can be applied to wrestling; as an example of how evenly-matched Gregory and Degl might be; consider that LaPlante beat Degl 5-0 in that aforementioned blood round match; whereas he won 5-1 vs. Gregory at the ESC!
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160 Quarterfinals: #5 Joseph Mattei (Herricks) vs. #7 Coy Raines (Churchville-Chili)---His only two losses this season coming via forfeit at the Eastern States Classic (still finished 5th), returning NYS 8th, Mattei, brings that senior experience and poise with him as he attempts to close out his career with gold!!...Raines, who after placements of 4th-3rd-4th in 2020-2022 at the S5 Championships, finally secured his sectional crown, has been beaten just once this year (37-1) and is fired up to make his wait worth it in his introduction to the big dance!!!
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172 Round of 16: #3 Sam Szerlip (Nyack) vs. #14 Luke Smeader (Hamburg-Eden)---Ranked as high as 3rd (in the final polls) in a season that witnessed him place 6th at the Eastern States Classic, Szerlip was pinned in the S1 finals (by fifth-ranked Leo Venables); thus there will be a chip on his shoulder to prove that the loss was the exception and not the rule...Smeader, who is seeded 5th, but ranked 14th is also in the midst of a banner season, as his 36th victory of 2022-2023 vaulted him to his first career S6 title...Given the fact that NYWN and the seeding committee are not on the same page; if Szerlip were to beat him, it would be regarded as a significant upset on paper!
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172 Quarterfinals: #2 Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley) vs. #4 Robert Cunningham (Miller Place)---A rematch of a 2023 ESC quarterfinal that Filip won by pin en route to going on to runner-up honors; we are hoping to see a much more competitive affair when they go toe-to-toe later this week....Filip, whose only loss this season to a fellow Evil Empire member occurred in the Eastern States finals (to Braidon Woodward), has his heart and mind focused exclusively on a state crown title after previous efforts of 8th and 4th in each of the past two years...For Cunningham, who lost in the blood round of both the 2022 NYS DI Championships and the 2023 Eastern States Classic, Friday will welcome an opportunity to prove that he is capable to rising above the pressure and winning a "must-have" contest!!!
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189 Quarterfinals: #3 Kwasi Bonsu (Baldwin) vs. #4 Braydon Pennell (Pine Bush)---Suffering his only "wrestled" loss of the season in the Nassau County finals (forfeited his first match of the ESC), Bonsu is yet another competitor that is on a mission of redemption in 2023...The #2 seed at this weight class in 2022, he would just miss the podium when he dropped his blood round bout by a hard fought margin of 8-7....The same opponent (John McGowan) that ended Bonsu's appearance was also responsible for knocking Pennell into the loser's bracket (again a 1pt decision; 5-4)....Both seniors who are staring their last chance at top-8 in the face, our rankings suggest that both belong in the semifinals, but one will be able to punch his ticket....Bonsu and Pennell previously met at the Eastern States Classic, with the Baldwin rep posting a 7-5 decision triumph!!!
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189 Quarterfinals: #1 Eric Carlson (Manhasset) vs. #5 Jack MacDonald (Orchard Park)---One of only two undefeated wrestlers in the bracket (3x State Champ/top-seed, Zach Ryder, being the other), despite being our #1 guy in the final roll out of the state rankings (note: does not include Ryder), the returning NYS bronze medalist, Carlson, finds himself on the #3 line of the bracket. Whether or not that is a source of motivation to the future Cornell student-athlete will be seen as he is favored, but will receive a solid test in the person of 2022 State Qualifier, MacDonald...MacDonald was a 6th place performer at the 2023 ESC, so he is no stranger to big match experience and is well-aware of the fact that he is going to need to be the best version of himself if he hopes to make magic happen! He went 2-2 in his NYSPHSAA debut a year ago!
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215 Round of 16: #5 Jackson Burns (Spencerport) vs. #6 Benjamin Velasquez (MacArthur)---A pair of seniors who are inspired to punctuate their scholastic careers by getting on the podium in the state capital, whether it was the rankings (5 vs. 6) or the brackets (8 vs. 9), the gents from Sections V and VIII have been on each other's heels down the homestretch!!...Burns just missed the podium last season, losing in the blood round at this weight class; Velasquez on the other hand will be hunting for his first career NYSPHSAA dub after going 0-2 down at 189 in 2022...Both boast impressive seasonal resumes (Burns: 28-2; Velasquez: 43-3) that saw them advance to their respective sectional finals, with the MacArthur General [Velasquez] winning a county crown, while Burns dropped a decision in S5 to 4th-ranked/4th seed Nate Kasper (handed Burns both of his 2022-2023 losses)...The winner of the match will earn the "privilege" of facing off with 2x NYS finalist/defending DI titlist, Ethan Gallo, in the quarterfinals!!
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215 Quarterfinals: #2 Darrien Insogna (Ballston Spa) vs. #9 Rocky Files (Central Square)---All three of his losses (44-3) coming against 2022 state champs (2x to Gallo) and/or runners-up (Trent Sibble), the 2022 NYS State 7th out of S2, Insogna, has been lights out for the majority of his senior year and is the pick of many to be the one to oppose Gallo in the Saturday night showdown...That having been said, he cannot rest on or take for granted an opponent of Files' reputation. Himself a state qualifier in 2022 (0-2), the S3 champion sustained his only loss prior to the start of the new year and has since avenged that blemish multiple times...In past renditions of the rankings (#3 in late-December), Files has been considerably higher than his current status; so he is without question a person that has the repertoire to shock the wrestling world by upending a prohibitive top-contender!
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285 Round of 16: #3 Will Hotaling (Colonie) vs. #10 Gabriel Garibaldi (Iona Prep)---The last occasion in which Hotaling entered the MVP arena, it was a bittersweet moment, as he went winless in two bouts at the 2022 NYS tournament...That frown is likely to be turned upside down in his return to the venue, as the #3 ranked/#3 seeded hometown boy has amassed a dynamic vitae the includes several wins over other top-15 foes. His only two losses (33-2) were to the current #1 seeded wrestlers in the DI and DII divisions---Stephan Monchery & Tristen Hitchcock!....But, in order to reverse his fortune from a season ago, he must first ace a huge test in the person of 10th-ranked/14th-seeded Garibaldi, out of the Catholic League. The younger brother of 2021 Journeymen State Champion/2021 NHSCA Senior National Champion/current Princeton University wrestler, Sebastian, Gabriel's two in-state defeats (37-3 overall record) were both one-point affairs to the current 4th (Cameron Groncki; 1-0 decision) and 9th-ranked (Jackson Nixon; 6-5 decision) at the 2023 ESC. In other words, he has a knack for hanging around; and if he is there at the end, he could steal the dub and create chaos!
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285 Quarterfinals: #2 Sebastian Regis (East islip) vs. #11 Chris Belmonte (New Hartford)---Revered as the future of the heavyweight division in New York State, what is intriguing about this bout is that it affords us the opportunity to see just how far along the developmental curve the heralded freshman out of S3, Belmonte, is at this stage of his scholastic career...A 2022 NHSCA Junior High National Champion, as well as a 2022 USAW Double 14U National Duals All-Tournament selection (15-0 combined record), the Spartan 9th grader has thus far lived up to the hype, as he enters with a perfect 28-0 record....But it need not be said that returning NYS runner-up/#2 ranked Regis is a whole different breed of beast!!!....His only "L" coming to Monchery in the Eastern States Classic finals, the Suffolk County gem has found himself going from the hunter (made the state finals as a #13 seed) to the hunted in his second trip to South Pearl....To saddle Belmonte with the expectation of pulling the upset might be unfair; but if nothing else, we are hoping for a competitive bout that will allow the youngster to gain confidence and confirm that his golden moment is just over the horizon!
102 Quarterfinals: #1 Tommy Aiello (John Glenn) vs. #3 Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis)---The kind of match that we felt belonged on day #2 (perhaps even the state finals), those in attendance are going to get to see it go down earlier, as two of our top-3 wrestlers in the weight class will be battling just for the right to advance to the semifinals...A combined 70-0 in matches that were wrestled to the final buzzer (Wylie was leading when she was forced to injury default in her one defeat), a lot of eyes will be on the nationally-ranked female wrestler out of S9 [Wylie] as she attempts to follow the same exact path as trailblazer, Carlene Sluberski, who was the first girl to place at the NYSPHSAA tournament in 2009, when she earned silver medal honors. Like the former Fredonia standout, Wylie too will be beginning her journey out of the #5 spot in the bracket....Aiello, who comes in at a perfect 32-0, has hardly been challenged in 2022-2023, with 29 of those 32 victories being accompanied by some form of bonus points....Both competitors were 2022 NYS Qualifiers, with Aiello going 1-2, while Wylie was held winless!!!
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102 Quarterfinals: #4 Cael Stewart (Canisteo-Greenwood) vs. #8 Logan Bellis (Tioga)---A tale of two wrestlers who really came into their own this season, neither was a state qualifier in 2022, and now here they are as the 2nd [Bellis] and 7th [Stewart] seeds in the field....Because our polls have Stewart as the higher-ranked individual, it would not surprise us to see him advance to the semis; but on paper, this would be considered an upset, as many are calling for the Tiger freshman [Bellis] to add to the list of expected Tioga finalists....Stewart has the slightly better record (44-6 vs. 35-9), but Bellis appears to have the stronger strength of schedule. Hence, we are looking forward to a barn-burner where whomever win might be the favorite [regardless] of seed to punch their ticket to the finals the following morning!
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110 Quarterfinals: #1 Darren Florance (BGAH) vs. #6 Brock Frederick (South Jefferson-Sandy Creek)--A bout that in all honestly will heavily favor the 3x NYS medalist/2x finalist/defending champ out of S4 [Florance], what makes it worth watching is that Frederick is the caliber of opponent that with a different draw, we could have foreseen being in the semifinals...A blood rounder in 2022 at the NYS Tournament, Frederick has been beaten just once this season (29-1)....Florance on the other hand, has yet to lose a match to a NY rival (only blemish on a 32-1 resume was to an opponent from Florida) and until proven otherwise, is the top dog at this weight class...But we are hoping for a bout that is much more competitive than a typical 1 vs. 9 might otherwise transpire....Before worrying about the King, let it known that Frederick will first have to get past returning State 7th/12th-ranked Dominick Callara in the round of 16!
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110 Round of 16 : #7 Gary McDowell Jr. (Bolivar-Richburg) vs. #9 Aiden Shufelt (Groton)--A match that we have classified as an "upset watch", in the final installment of our small school polls, we have the freshman out of section 5 [McDowell] slightly higher than the returning DII State 5th [Shufelt]...Therefore, the fact that he is seeded 11th is not deterring us from showing faith in him....Entering with a 43-2 record, McDowell has not wrestled as loaded a schedule as has Shufelt (30-5), but he has beaten pretty much anyone put in front of him!....Shufelt does not have a single bad loss on his resume in 2022-2023, as two of his defeats were close affairs (4-2) against Florance; and another pair of losses were administered by returning State 4th, Caleb Cole (#5 ranked/#2 seeded)...
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118 Quarterfinals: #1 Chase Nevills (Copenhagen) vs. #9 Ryan Devins (Saranac)---A clash of returning state medalists, Nevills actually defeated Devins, 5-2, on day #1 of the 2022 tourney en route to eventually earning seizing bronze (Devins fought back to take 6th)....Stopping short of predicting the upset in this contest, what has our fancies tickled is the version of himself that Devins showed at the Eastern States Classic, where he knocked off several higher seeded oppositions to finish as the event runner-up. If that guy shows up in Albany, then the #1 seed could very well be in jeopardy. Unfortunately, there has been some inconsistency, as Devins does have 7 losses (27-7) this year....On the flip side, Nevills has been "right as rain", amassing a 36-1 record, where his only loss was to a nationally heralded opponent from Florida. Stockpiling victories over a plethora of NYS medalists, he has more than justified his top billing....But in true, "Little Giants" fashion, it only takes one time; and Devins has demonstrated that he does possess that ability to elevate to the next level...Just to earn the privilege of squaring off with Nevills, don't forget that Devins first has to survive a date with 2022 State 4th, Jacob McVige, in 8 vs. 9 round of 16 match!
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118 Quarterfinals: #4 Jayden Duncanson (Tioga) vs. #6 Gene Edwards (Central Valley Academy)---A clash of returning state medalists, Duncanson was 3rd a year ago, while Edwards was 5th...There has been no freshman jinx for either in '22-'23 to boot as Duncanson steps on the mats as the owner of a 36-4 record, while Edwards counters at 46-6....Both have registered multiple wins over fellow top-10 foes, so we'd regard each as battle-tested....In the one previous head-to-head, Duncanson did win by fall (2:48) when they met in the finals of the Leo Sammon in early-January!
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126 Quarterfinals: #1 Gianni Silvestri (Tioga) vs. #4 Anthony Mirando (John Glenn)---Yet another match that if given our preferences would not have occurred until day #2, two of NYWN's top-4 wrestlers at 126 pounds appear to be on a collision course to meet in the quarterfinals....Each having a single "red mark" on their resumes this year, they have combined to win 73 bouts this season...Silvestri, the two-time state champion for Tioga, suffered his only loss to an out-of-state in the finals of the Southern Tier, but has otherwise been unstoppable in his crusade to make it three crowns in four years....Mirando, who is seeking his first All-State distinction after dropping his blood round match in 2022, has yet to lose at this weight class (was up at 138 when he sustained a Mid-December defeat) and is keenly aware that as a senior, this is his first try at the prize!
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126 Quarterfinals: #2 Trevor Cortright (Chenango Valley) vs. #5 (@118) Liam English (Cobleskill-Richmondville)---Without question two individuals who are in the conversion to be state finalists, each student-athlete has already placed at the NYS tournament on two separate occasions, with the third-seeded Cortright taking 5th in each of the past seasons, while the #6 seed, English, was a bronze medalist at the J-Men Stated in 2021 and complemented it by earning 7th in 2022...All three of Cortright's losses (39-3) came courtesy of Silvestri (including 4-2 in sudden victory at the S4 Championships); English, a 7th place performer at the Eastern States Classic, has gone 31-6 in his freshman campaign, and probably would have been seeded higher if not for a pair of tight losses in the postseason to Trevor Bishop (Ranked 9th by NYWN; seeded 5th)....When Cortright/English met in early-January at the Oneonta Rotary Tournament, it was Cortright emerging as a 1-0 victor!
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132 Quarterfinals: #4 Culley Bellino (Canastota) vs. #6 Tyler Roe (Tioga) ---An extremely evenly-matched bout pitting a returning DII State 5th [Roe] against a Blood Rounder in the person of Bellino...Per the seeds, Roe enters as the favorite in this classic 3 vs. 6 match-up...However, our polls are pointing in the other direction, as we have the S3 star a few rungs higher on the proverbial ladder....Suffering his first and only loss of the year in the Section 3 finals (to 8th ranked/5th seed, Patrick Grimsey), Bellino hits the mats this weekend having gotten his hand raised in 40 of 41 appearances and is primed to earn top-8 status in his final attempt...Roe, who suffered five of his six losses (38-6) before the ball dropped in Times Square, has found his groove during the second half of his junior campaign and will be riding the momentum of his recent successes...
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132 Quarterfinals: #2 Aidan Gillings (Newfane) vs. #3 Ayden Buttery (Newfane)---An All-Panther battle that we would have been just as happy seeing in the semis or the state finals, Gillings and Buttery were both top-3 performers in our estimation and have the respective track record to back up our confidence in each of them....Both returning and/or past NYS placers, the three-time medalist (4-5-4), Gillings (44-4) has prevailed in all four of their meetings this season; but the majority series has been close (1-0, 3-1 sv, 5-4)...If the old adage is true about how hard it is to beat the same opponent three times in the same season is, then we'd think it might be impossible to achieve the feat fives times in a row....Hence, BUTTERY is DUE!!!...Buttery (39-5), who was 7th at the 2021 Journeymen State Championships, has not lost to any other DII opponent this year aside from his teammate; so if he can finally find a way to come out on top of the rivalry, it could spell great things for him on Saturday!
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138 Quarterfinals: ---#1 Caden Bellis (Tioga) vs. #3 Xander Kirsch (Pioneer)---Continuing the list of bouts that we personally pegged as being Day #2 caliber, the three-time state medalist/2022 runner-up [Bellis] is an almost unanimous selection among the peanut gallery to hoist the hardware that escaped him a year ago...However, the seeding criteria did him no favors as Kirsch is in the midst of a career-year as a senior and is a dangerous draw for a top-seed at such an early stage....Not only is Bellis (29-1) yet to lose to a NY opponent this season, he has been a bonus-point collecting machine, as only Nicholas Noto (#2 ranked/#2 seed) has held him to a regular decision....Kirsch (37-4) recently avenged one of his few imperfections in the S6 finals when he pitched a 4-0 shutout against 2020 State 5th, Martin Ohlsson!
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138 Round of 16: #10 (@132) Martin Ohlsson (Chautauqua Lake-Westfield-Panama) vs. #11 (@132) Cooper Reed (Central Valley Academy---Imagine a bracket so deep that you have two returning and/or past state medalist meeting in the round of 16....That is precisely the situation present at 138 as the aforementioned 2020 5th, Ohlsson, will need to defeat 2022 6th place performer, Reed, for the quarterfinal berth at stake....Seeded 6th (Reed) and 11th (Ohlsson), both wrestlers were 40-match winners in 2022-2023 with Reed's 47-7 being slightly more outstanding that the 40-6 vitae racked up by his S6 nemesis....Whomever emerges will then likely square off with #3 seed (7th ranked) Ben Merrill, in a challenging, but winnable quarterfinal!
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145 Quarterfinals: #3 Caleb Sweet (South Seneca) vs. #4 Kieran Cullen (Greenville) ---With 76 victories and only four losses between them this year, our #3 and #4 ranked wrestlers are both returning or past State medalists, as Sweet was a 2022 runner-up, while Cullen finished 8th in 2020....Sweet (39-1) comes in with a lot of buzz in his corner following an 8-5 decision in the S5 finals over our #2 ranked/2022 State 6th, Colton Havens (seeded 2nd)....Cullen (37-3) sustained his only loss to a DII opponent in the Section 2 finale, as he dropped a respectable 6-2 decision to NYWN's top-ranked/2022 State 3rd, Owen Hicks (seeded 3rd)!
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145 Quarterfinals: #2 Colton Havens (Canisteo-Greenwood) vs. #5 Tavian Camper (Copenhagen)---Ranked 2nd and 5th in the last edition of the DII polls, you can add this bout to the "one round too soon" club as we believe both of these young gents are capable of securing a berth into the state finals....A rematch of a consolation bout at the 2022 NYSPHSAA tourney (won 5-2 by Havens), each would go on to place in Albany last season, as Havens was a previously cited 6th, and Camper rounded out the podium with an 8th place accolade....Havens' 50 wins (50-7) is the most among any member of the field, and was highlighted by a 4th place showing at the 2023 Eastern States Classic. If not for the head-to-head loss to Sweet in the sectional finals, it seemed he was on his way to being on the top line of the bracket, which says a lot about his talent level....Camper (37-3) has been solid throughout 2022-2023, as evident by his 4th place showing at the Windor, and a bronze medal demonstration at the Southern Tier....An 8-0 major decision loss in the semis of Southern Tier is his lone "L" against fellow DII opponents this season!
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152 Round of 16: #1 Sean Tansey (Collegiate) vs. #8 Michael Malfitano (Pearl River) ---Seeded 17th in the bracket, we value the 2023 Section I champion significantly higher as we had him in the #8 spot of our final polls....A winner in 30 of his 36 outings this season, Malfitano may not be favored against the top-seed from the Prep sector, but he certainly is a much better opponent than any #1 wants to see right out of the gate...Tansey, 7th at the DII State tourney in 2022, boasts a 44-5 record, highlighted last month when he posted a top-4 showing at the Eastern States Classic...No AIS rep has ever won a NYSPHSAA crown; Tansey will try to change that factoid; and that mission commences with an immediate test on Friday morning!
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152 Quarterfinals: #4 Devone Bogie (Eagle Academy) vs. #6 Beau Zeh (Canisteo-Greenwood)---A rematch of a bout that occurred last month at the ESC and was won by fall via a stick (on his way to a 6th place finish), both of these competitors found themselves on the cusp of All-State status last season, but fell slightly short of the goal, as they bowed out at identical junctures (consolation round #3)...With Bogie in his senior season and Zeh now a junior, both recognize that their opportunities to solidify a legacy are winding down; so a win to close out a guaranteed top-8 is worth its price in gold to each!....Zeh's 52 wins (52-5) tops the field, while the PSAL rep [Bogie] is not too shabby either with a 29-7 resume....Two of Bogie's losses were hard fought decisions at the hands of the top-seeded Tansey, and another "L" was dealt by 2nd seeded/2nd ranked/2022 NYS 4th, Vandavian Way (Gouverneur); so you see that he is not going to be intimidated by anyone's credentials!!!
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160 Quarterfinals : #1 Ousmane Duncanson (Tioga) vs. #2 Luke Schirmacher (Mechanicville-Stillwater)---A bout that we projected could be a state final will instead come to fruition on Friday as defending state champion, Duncanson, and 2023 Section 2 titlist, Schirmacher, will both put immaculate records of 33-0 and 35-0 respectively on the line to determine who will advance to the championship round of 4....The only member of the Tioga dynasty that heads into the weekend with a perfect season record, the Tiger 11th grader has torn through the competition, routinely racking up bonus points in his matches....Schirmacher has been quite imposing himself, as he has more than 30 bonus-point triumphs to his name as well...As the reigning "King of the Jungle", the smart money points at Duncanson; but no matter the outcome, we envision both in prominent spots on the podium!
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160 Round of 16: #5 Luke Dendis (South Seneca) vs. #9 Ray Hennessey (Adirondack)---Costing himself a higher seed when he dropped his S3 title bout to the man just below him in the polls (#10 Trent True; seeded 8th), Hennessey has been a mainstay in the top-15 during 2022-2023, so we regard him as a very potent 15 seed that could do some damage....Dendis, who dropped down to 160 after placing 5th in Albany at 172 in 2022, was a strong 4th at the Southern Tier, and seems to be peaking at the ideal time, as he proved when he pinned this weekend's 5th seed, Chris Shearing (Letchworth (ranked 11th) in the sectional semifinals...With Hennessey being more coveted than advertised and Dendis seeded a little higher than warranted (benefitted from a forfeit in the S5 finals over #4 ranked, Tavyn MacDonell, who had defeated him, 8-5, earlier in the season), this 2 vs. 15 match-up may not be as lopsided as one might forecast!
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172 Quarterfinals : #4 Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor) vs. #5 Landen Smith (Saranac) ---A true 4 vs. 5 battle in both the rankings and the seeding, they met last month at the Eastern States Classic with the Nassau boy [Meak] notching the fall on his way to a 5th place display...For Smith (8th at the 2023 ESC), who is seeking his first All-State honors in his fourth trip to a state tournament, revenge will absolutely be the word of the day, as he knows that avenging the loss to Meak will propel him onto the podium....A tale of individuals who arrived at this destination in two entirely different ways, Meak is all the way up from 138 pounds where he went 1-2 in Albany a year ago; Smith on other hand has remained in the 172-pound weight class and split his four bouts under the roof of MVP Arena as a junior...In surveying their resumes, neither has a single loss that stands out as being an underachievement, as they head into the weekend carrying records of 38-3 (Smith) and 36-3 (Meak)...No matter who wins, we consider both as legitimate title threats!
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172 Quarterfinals : #2 Tavio Hoose (Southwestern) vs. #9 Trevor Harrington (Sidney) ---With undefeated/2x State medalist/2023 ESC Champion, Braidon Woodward, unable to compete, Hoose became our "next man up" to headline this bracket....Ranked 2nd by NYWN, but seeded 6th, this quarterfinal match-up with fellow 2022 NYSPHSAA Qualifier, Harrington, will go a long way in validating our opinion of the fab freshman out of S6....When the two wrestlers met on day #1 last year at this event, it was Hoose winning a nail-biter, 4-3...We'd anticipate just as close a clash in the rematch as Hoose (40-1) is unbeaten against NYers this season, and Harrington (35-6) brings a wealth of big match experience with him after winning a crown at the Coane and finishing 4th at both the Windor and Southern Tier!
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189 Quarterfinals: #3 Troy Austin (Whitehall) vs. #8 Hunter Page (Greene-Oxford) ---A clash of returning NYS placers, the top-seed out of S2, Austin, finished 6th, whereas #9 Page was 8th a year ago....Outstanding in every definition of the word in his swan song campaign, the only loss (39-1) suffered by Austin this season came in the finals of the Eastern States Classic to 2022 DI 3rd, Elijah Diakomihalis. He owns a '22-'23 triumph over state runner-up, Ethan Randall, and recently won the sectional gold by beating 5th ranked/2022 State 7th, Brent Perry, 5-2...Make no mistakes about it, the Railroader 12th grader is the real deal and will be favorite to win the brass ring on Saturday evening; but Page will offer him a challenge on Friday...In order for this mano-a-mano war of medalists to ensue, Page must first get payback on the sectional loss he sustained (6-3 decision) to Matthias Welles!!
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189 Quarterfinals: #2 Jared Bilinski (Dolgeville) vs. #5 Brent Perry (Granville-Ft. Ann) --- Another 189-pound championship round of 8 contest pitting state placer vs. state placer, if you want to know how gifted Bilinski is, consider that he earned a 5-1 decision over Austin in last year's 5th place bout, and got the best of the previously cited 2022 state silver medalist, Randall, at the 2023 S3 Championships (before losing in the finals to NYWN's top-ranked Andrew Bailey in the sectional finale)...70-5 between themselves, other than a pair of losses to Austin, Perry (38-2) has been spectacular; and the 32-3 Bilinski only has the two defeats executed by Bailey, as well as a loss to the top-seed at 172 pounds, Jordan Koenig!
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215 Quarterfinals: #4 Garrett Bidwell (Windsor) vs. #8 Matthew Oosterom (Port Jervis) ---With so many prominent members of the top-10 flocking up to 285 to avoid having to go through 2x defending state champion, Sam Sorenson, there appears to be a shortage of premier day #1 bouts of which to feature....But alas, as soon as we saw this anticipated match-up, it absolutely got us charged up as both Bidwell (6th) and Oosterom (7th) are returning NYS medalists who have handled their business consistently from the start of the season to present moments...Having already clashed once this season, Bidwell was a 9-1 major decision winner at the Doane, but a lot can change in the span of two months...Among Bidwell's five losses this year (33-5), two were dealt by Sorenson, and another came at the hands of DI #2 ranked, Darrien Insogna. He would drop a surprising 5-3 decision to 10th-ranked Ty Beeman at the start of February, but rebounded to claim the S4 crown by defeating fellow 2022 State Qualifier/11th-ranked Donavan Mitchell, 9-4 in the semis, and then completing the job with a 4:30 pin of Jayden Zakala (Oneonta!...In addition to the H2H loss to Bidwell, Oosterom also was bested by returning state 3rd, Evan Day (12-2 at the ESC) and DI #3 seed, Jaiden Green to account for three of his four losses (39-4)...
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215 Quarterfinals: #9 Trevor Barry (Iroquois) vs. #11 (@189) Caden Allen (Bolivar Richburg) ---An old-fashioned Western NY battle for bragging rights between the sectional gold medalists from the Buffalo and Rochester areas, Barry has accumulated a 22-1 record this season, but is far from done in his attempt to improve upon the 5th place showing he secured last February in Albany. His only loss a 6-3 decision to DI #8 ranked, Matthew Caldwell, in early-January, he will be riding a 20+-match winning streak into the weekend...Allen, who bumped up to 215 for the postseason when teammate/2022 state silver medalist, Trent Sibble, elected to go 285, is unblemished at the higher weight and looked incredible in pinning his way to the S5 crown...With the West Point bound Sorenson awaiting the winner in the semis; any confidence/swagger that can be established by closing out day #1 on a good note will only work to their advantage!
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285 Quarterfinals: #1 Tristen Hitchcock (Warrensburg-Bolton) vs. #4 Christian Solano (Eagle Academy) ---About as dangerous an opponent as possible for any top-seed, the big move potential of Solano is sure to keep even the best of the best (such as a defending state champion) on their toes...A NYS DII 8th place (as the #2 seed) performer as a sophomore, the Eagle Academy wrestler actually led eventual 2022 NYSPHSAA runner-up, Nick Rogers, 5-1, at the end of the 1st period, before getting reversed and pinned in the 2nd...When you consider that Hitchcock later defeated Rogers, 3-1 in sudden victory, you see why we find this match-up quite appealing....Solano took some lumps at the Eastern States Classic, but still carries a solid 22-2 record this year....Hitchcock, who is on his way to the U.S. Military Academy (him and Sorenson will be quite the in-state duo) has been perfect as a senior (43-0) and is fully intent on keeping it that way by any means necessary!!!...Among the names on his collection of victories are the likes of Day, Groncki, and Hotaling; so no one can accuse him of taking an easy path to perfection...Hitchcock is the clear favorite; but you can never count out a man [Solano] that has a quick stick arsenal!
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285 Quarterfinals: #3 Noah Wazinski (North Rose Wolcott) vs. #5 (@215) Colin White (Adirondack) ---A 7th place finisher a year ago in Albany, Wazinski is fresh off of dropping a narrow 1-0 loss in the S5 finals to Sibble. if there is such a thing as a good loss, this meets the description....39-2 with his only other defeat being on the back half of a split with DI #5 seed, Thomas Carlsen, a win here would give "Waz" another shot at Sibble, which we know he wants!!!....White, who spent the majority of the year at 215, has been a buzzsaw up at 285, winning 14 straight matches since bumping in mid-January. He did not see the 3rd period in any of his outings, as he pinned his way to the S3 crown after previous finishes of 3rd (2020) and 4th (2022)...Regardless of weight class, the 43-3 record he has generated commands your respect and causes you reason to take his candidacy seriously!
*Reminder: #s next to wrestler name is NYWN Final Ranking; NOT seed
