2016 2017 media guide

PEARL RIVER WRESTLING MEDIA GUIDE 2016-2017

Matthew Shaw | Michael Glynn | Hugh Durcan | Jack Failing | Kyle Ayres | Brian Roberts Dante Simeti | Volodymyr Sidorenko | Jared Mullahy | Dylan Urban | Liam McIvor Jon Conway | Edgardo Ruballos | Mitchell Ehrie | Sean McGarvey | Emmet Mccann Anthony DeThomas | Stephen Conneely | Dylan Conway | Jack Chesman | Stephen Doorley Anthony Malfitano | Dan Hogan | Christian Curry | Anthony Tso | Brendan Dooley Nicholas Schiavone | Selvin Ramos | Abraham Mendez | Gannon Duffy | John Fastoff Tyler DiLorenzo | Allan Svensson | Jake Destefano | Brendan Rodriquez

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Coach Comments............................................................................................................................................................... 3 Coaches............................................................................................................................................................................ 4-5 Match & Tournament Scores............................................................................................................................................ 6 Varsity Team Roster........................................................................................................................................................... 7 Outstanding Individual Achievements & Wrestler Awards...................................................................................... 8-9 Coach Yorks - Congratulations on your Retirement............................................................................................. 10-11 Coach Yorks - through the years.............................................................................................................................. 12-21 Team Members.....................................................................................................................................................................

Seniors............................................................................................................................................................................22 Juniors............................................................................................................................................................................22 Sophomores............................................................................................................................................................. 23-27 Freshmen + Coaches & Todd Santabarbara.............................................................................................................27 Student Information Not Available at Time of Printing.........................................................................................28 PRWA Fundraisers...........................................................................................................................................................29 In The News................................................................................................................................................................ 30-56 States............................................................................................................................................................................ 57-60 Record Book..........................................................................................................................................................................

100 Win Club & 40+ Career Varsity Wins...............................................................................................................61 40+ Career Varsity Wins (Continued)................................................................................................................ 61-63 200 Point Club.............................................................................................................................................................63 100+ Points Season................................................................................................................................................ 64-65 Section Champs + State Place Winners....................................................................................................................66 State Place Winners (Continued) & Highest Winning %......................................................................................67 Phil Donnelly Added to the Hall of Fame............................................................................................................... 68-71 Pirate Hall of Fame...........................................................................................................................................................72 100 Win Club....................................................................................................................................................................73 We Are Family............................................................................................................................................................ 74-75 Live Action.................................................................................................................................................................. 76-83 Motivational Quotes........................................................................................................................................................84 Wrestling-isms..................................................................................................................................................................85 Poems........................................................................................................................................................................... 86-87

Pearl River Wrestling Association

The Pearl River Wrestling Association (PRWA) is a collaborative, dynamic community initiative designed to promote the sport and enthusiasm of folkstyle wrestling to the students, parents, alumni and wrestling fans of the Pearl River, New York community. The purpose of our wrestling association is to develop a cohesive, supportive team effort which encourages total dedication and passion to competitiveness, sportsmanship, and physical fitness. PRWA transcends the boundaries of our own school to provide our wrestling athletes with the necessary tools for the pursuit of individual and future team goals, and to recognize this extraordinarily dedicated sport from a larger community perspective.

PRWA recognizes the sport of wrestling as a means of instilling in our wrestling athletes all of the mental, physical, technical, and educational tools they will need to pursue and achieve a productive and successful life. Contact Bob Gullo bob.gullo@pearlriverwrestling.com.

PRWA is not affiliated with the Pearl River, NY School District.

Disclaimer All materials in this media guide are used under the Fair Use Interpretation of Copyright laws.

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 2016-2017 COACH’S COMMENTS

After 33 year of coaching wrestling at Pearl River High School, I have decided to officially retire. I will likely stay around the area for the next year and coach as a volunteer for next season. By this time next year, I will be moving to South Carolina. I will still have a hand in running the O’Connell tourney and will come up for that as well as Sections and States.

My first year of coaching was the 1984-85 season. My father, Hayes Yorks was the coach and I was his assistant. We had a great team that year with 3 section champs, two of them state place finishers. We won the League, the County and the Section championships and finished ranked 12th in the state. We had 3 pretty good years after that, placing 3rd, 3rd, and 5th at sections. This team has been honored by being inducted into the PR Sports Hall Of Fame.

After my Dad retired in 1988, Coach D’Ag (Sr.) took over the program from 1988-93. I worked at various levels of the program – modified 3 years and JV 2 years. I had the opportunity to work with one of the best wrestlers PR Wrestling has seen in Phil Donnelly. After Coach D’Ag’s death in 1993, I became head coach.

It was tough in the 90’s to get kids to come out for the team. We had some lean years where we couldn’t fill all of the weight classes and had a tough time winning duals. We had some wonderful individuals come through the program including Peter Dene (current TZ Coach) and Scott Saunders (Byram Hills football and State champion Baseball coach). We did manage to win a league title during that time.

In the late 90’s, coach Bill Donnelly joined us and by the 2000’s the program was on an upswing. We started getting a few more kids out for the team and had more success. We had some outstanding individual performers, including section champs Matt Homenick (5th NYS, wrestled varsity for Hofstra), Keith Cervone, John Coffey (5th NYS), Jeff Allison and Shawn Logue (2nd NYS wrestled for Franklin & Marshall).

The youth movement increased the program in the past 7 years, it started when we had 16 freshman.

John Muldoon (99 lbs) and Rob Gullo (130 lbs) both 9th graders had already established themselves as key varsity contributors. This continued with James Kelly (2x Section Champ) the following year. Muldoon, Kelly and Gullo colletively won almost 400 matches for us! Since then, the program continued to improve.

We have had numerous section champs and state place finishers. Two of these All-State wrestlers (John Muldoon and Jake Kurzhals) are currently wrestling on Division One college teams and two (Nick Simeti and Shawn Carroll) are wrestling on D 3 teams. On our current team, Anthony Malfitano (3rd NYS) is planning on wrestling next year at Roger Williams College. Sean McGarvey will possibly wrestle at SUNY Cortland.

Jack Chesman (3rd NYS) is a sophomore and is ready to win state titles in the next two years. He has the potential to be known as one of, if not the best wrestler ever at Pearl River.

As a team we have had a good deal of success the past 3 years with a Section Championship sandwiched around a second and third place finish. In the Section One Dual Championships, we have finished 2nd,1st,1st.

I am happy that I leave the program in very good shape. Coach Donnelly will lead us to continued success and I hope Coach Allison will continue to be able to help. The sophomore class is loaded with talent and will be a force for the next two years, as long as attitudes and work habits continue to improve. Always remember potential means nothing without hard work and dedication.

Good luck and Go Pirates!

-Grier Yorks, Head Coach

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 HEAD COACH Hayes “Grier” Yorks Jr. - Head Coach Varsity

Contact Information: Office: 845-620-3853 yorksg@pearlriver.org

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Coach Yorks teaches Honors Physics at Pearl River High School, and has lead the Pirate Varsity Wrestling team since 1993. Yorks has coached multiple County, Division and Section Champions, in addition to several State Place Winners. Prior, Yorks coached the JV and Modified programs starting in 1984. Yorks has served as the Director of the annual Pearl River-O’Connell Tournament and was the recipient of the Julius D’Agostino Memorial Service Award in 2010. Yorks wrestled for his alma mater, and was the 1980 champion at the prestigious Shoreline Tournament. Yorks wrestled for his alma mater, and was 1980 champion of the prestigious Shoreline Tournament.

Yorks went on to wrestle at SUNY Cortland and established himself as a starter for two seasons, but was plagued by various injuries his junior and senior year. Yorks also competed in the Empire State Games finishing 4th and 6th respectively.

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 ASSISTANT COACHES William “Billy” Donnelly – Asst. Coach Varsity

Contact Information: Office: 845-620-3909 donnellyw@pearlriver.org

Coach Donnelly teaches physical education at Franklin Ave. Elementary School, in Pearl River. Donnelly has worked with Yorks for over 16 years in various capacities; from Assistant Coach, Head Coach of the Modified Team, as well as running the youth developmental program for grades three through six. Donnelly goes ‘above and beyond’ and can be found at the gym with several of his wrestlers at 5AM most mornings. Donnelly was honored in 2013 for raising over $5,000 for ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ - a program that teaches children about keeping their heart’s healthy while raising money for the American Heart Association.

William “Billy” Allison – Asst. Coach Varsity

Coach Allison teaches physical education in the Bronx at PS 186. He has been teaching there for 5 years. Not only is Coach Allison a graduate from Pearl River High School, he also wrestled on the team while he attended. He has been an assistant coach of the varsity team for 8 years.

Contact Information: Office: 845-304-0196 william.allison85@gmail.com

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 2016-2017 MATCH & TOURNAMENT SCORES Date

Location

Opponent

Event Name

Results

Score

12/2/16

Away

Johnson City

Horseheads Duals

W

48-30

12/2/16

Away

Fulton

Horseheads Duals

L

60-13

12/2/16

Away

S. Seneca

Horseheads Duals

W

69-12

12/2/16

Away

Warsaw

Horseheads Duals

W

42-33

12/3/16

Away

Vestal

Horseheads Duals

L

58-28

12/3/16

Away

Newark Valley

Horseheads Duals

W

72-19

12/3/16

Away

Horseheads B

Horseheads Duals

W

72-18

12/3/16

Away

Camden

Horseheads Duals

L

40-33

12/3/16

Away

Horseheads A

Horseheads Duals

L

39-27

12/8/16

Away

Irvington

Section 1 Duals

W

76-9

12/8/16

Away

Pleasantville

Section 1 Duals

W

42-32

12/10/16

Away

Cornwall

Cornwall Duals

W

41-36

12/10/16

Away

Columbia

Cornwall Duals

L

44-34

12/10/16

Away

Horace Greeley

Cornwall Duals

W

55-21

12/10/16

Away

Rondout Valley

Cornwall Duals

W

60-24

12/14/16

Away

Putnam Valley

Section 1 Dual Final

W

57-24

12/17/16

Away

Corning

Minisink Duals

W

48-33

12/17/16

Away

Port Jervis

Minisink Duals

W

43-26

12/17/16

Away

Minisink

Minisink Duals

L

57-27

12/17/16

Away

Plain Edge

Minisink Duals

L

45-37

12/22/16

Home

North Rockland

Dual

L

41-30

1/5/17

Home

Yonkers

Dual

W

77-6

1/10/17

Home

Tappan Zee

Dual

W

53-30

1/11/17

Away

John Jay Cross River

Dual

L

45-21

1/17/17

Home

Beacon

Dual

W

78-9

1/17/17

Home

E. Ramapo

Dual

W

48-33

1/18/17

Away

Brewster

Dual

W

70-12

League Record: 3-1 • Overall Record: 18-9 6

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

PEARL RIVER PIRATES 2016-2017 PEARL RIVER WRESTLING VARSITY TEAM ROSTER Weight

Wrestler

Grade

99 99 106 113 113 113 120 126 132 132 132 138 138 138 152 138 145 152 145 145 160 170 160 182 182 182 182 195 220 220 285 285

Matthew Shaw Michael Glynn Hugh Durcan Jack Failing Kyle Ayres Brian Roberts Dante Simeti Volodymyr Sidorenko Jared Mullahy Dylan Urban Liam McIvor Jon Conway Edgardo Ruballos Mitchell Ehrie Sean McGarvey Emmet Mccann Anthony DeThomas Stephen Conneely Dylan Conway Jack Chesman Stephen Doorley Anthony Malfitano Dan Hogan Christian Curry Anthony Tso Brendan Dooley Nicholas Schiavone Selvin Ramos Abraham Mendez Gannon Duffy John Fastoff Tyler DiLorenzo Allan Svensson Jake Destefano Brendan Rodriquez

9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 12 10 9 10 12 10 9 12 10 10 10 10 11 10 10 11 10 11 10 12 10

Season Won-Loss 11 0 16 0 3 20 23 25 0 30 0 0 0 0 30 28 0 0 14 40 0 32 12 9 4 0 18 0 0 19 2 18 0 0 0

16 0 25 0 11 13 18 8 0 8 0 3 0 0 8 13 0 1 12 6 0 4 14 8 10 0 20 0 1 15 5 11 0 0 0

Pins 4 0 6 0 3 13 10 14 0 21 0 0 0 0 13 15 0 0 9 23 0 15 7 3 2 0 13 0 0 8 1 5 0 0 0

Total Career Won-Loss 11 0 16 10 5 54 50 49 0 92 0 0 0 0 141 45 0 0 36 113 0 106 17 9 4 0 18 0 0 25 4 43 0 0 0

16 0 25 9 11 30 36 27 0 53 0 3 0 0 47 28 0 1 43 53 0 44 26 8 10 0 20 0 1 41 6 39 0 0 0

Total Career Bouts 27 0 41 19 16 84 86 76 0 145 0 3 0 0 188 73 0 1 79 166 0 150 43 17 14 0 38 0 1 66 10 82 0 0 0

Career Win %

Career Pins

Career Pin %

40.7% 00.0% 39.0% 52.6% 31.3% 64.2% 58.1% 64.5% 00.0% 63.4% 0 0 0 0 75.0% 61.6% 0 0 45.6% 68.1% 0 70.7% 39.5% 52.9% 28.6% 00.0% 47.4% 0 0 38.9% 40.0% 52.4% 0 0 0

4 0 6 3 4 29 20 25 0 55 0 0 0 0 67 29 0 0 22 47 0 58 10 3 2 0 13 0 0 11 1 14 0 0 0

14.8% 00.0% 14.6% 15.8% 25% 34.5% 23.3% 32.9% 00.0% 37.9% 0 0 0 0 35.6% 39.7% 0 0 27.8% 28.3% 0 38.7% 23.3% 17.6% 14.3% 00.0% 34.2% 0 0 16.7% 10.0% 17.1% 0 0 0

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS All States Anthony Malfitano................... Sr. Jack Chesman............................So.

All Section Vlad Sidorenko.........................So. Jack Chesman............................So. Sean McGarvey......................... Sr. Anthony Malfitano................... Sr. Tyler DiLorenzo......................... Jr.

All County Anthony Malfitano................... Sr. Jack Chesman............................So. Dylan Urban..............................So.

All League Matt Shaw.................................. Fr. Hugh Durcan............................So. Brian Roberts............................So. Dante Simeti..............................So. Vlad Sidorenko.........................So. Dylan Urban..............................So. Emmet McCann.......................So. Jack Chesman............................So. Sean McGarvey......................... Sr. Anthony Malfitano................... Sr. Nick Schiavone.......................... Jr. Christian Curry........................So. Tyler DiLorenzo......................... Jr. 8

TOURNEY WINNERS Team League........................................ 2nd Section........................................3rd O’Connell.................................... 1st Section Duals............................. 1st Counties..................................... 2nd

O’Connell Dylan Urban............................... 1st Emmet McCann........................ 1st Jack Chesman............................. 1st Sean McGarvey.......................... 1st Anthony Malfitano.................... 1st Gannon Duffy............................ 1st Hugh Durcan............................ 2nd Dylan Conway.......................... 2nd Tyler DiLorenzo........................ 2nd Brian Roberts.............................3rd Vlad Sidorenko..........................3rd Dante Simeti...............................4th Nick Schiavone..........................4th

Shoreline Dylan Urban.............................. 2nd Tyler DiLorenzo.........................3rd Emmet McCann........................4th Nick Schiavone..........................6th Gannon Duffy............................6th

Counties Anthony Malfitano.................... 1st Jack Chesman............................. 1st Dylan Urban............................... 1st Sean McGarvey......................... 2nd Vlad Sidorenko......................... 2nd Tyler DiLorenzo........................ 2nd Gannon Duffy............................3rd Nick Schiavone..........................4th Emmet McCann........................4th Dante Simeti...............................4th Matt Shaw...................................5th Hugh Durcan.............................6th Dan Hogan.................................6th

Sections Jack Chesman............................1st Sean McGarvey.........................1st Anthony Malfitano...................1st Vlad Sidoenko......................... 2nd Tyler DiLorenzo...................... 2nd Dylan Urban.............................3rd Emmet McCann......................3rd Dylan Conway......................... 4th Gannon Duffy.......................... 4th Christian Curry....................... 6th Dante Simeti............................. 6th Hugh Durcan........................... 6th

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 WRESTLER AWARDS Most Improved Award Vlad Sidorenko....................................................... So. Captain Awards Jack Chesman.......................................................... So. Dylan Conway......................................................... Sr. Sean McGarvey........................................................ Sr. Anthony Malfitano.................................................. Sr. Coaches Award Dylan Conway......................................................... Sr. Rookie of the Year Award Nick Schiavone.........................................................Jr. MVP Anthony Malfitano.................................................. Sr. Leadership Award Anthony Malfitano.................................................. Sr. Senior Awards Dylan Conway......................................................... Sr. Sean McGarvey........................................................ Sr. Anthony Malfitano.................................................. Sr. Unsung Hero Awards Jack Failing.............................................................. So. Kyle Ayres................................................................ So. Jon Conway............................................................. So. Liam McIvor............................................................. Fr. Anthony Tso............................................................ So. Steve Doorley........................................................... Fr. Jared Mullahy.......................................................... So. Selvin Ramos.......................................................... .So. Mickey Glynn.......................................................... So. Anthony DeThomas................................................ Fr. Edgardo Ruballos................................................... So.

Mitch Ehrie............................................................ .So. Steve Conneely........................................................ So. John Fastoff.............................................................. So. Abe Mendez............................................................ So. Tenacity Award Dante Simeti............................................................ So. Dylan Conway......................................................... Sr. Nick Schiavone.........................................................Jr. Warrior Award Kyle Ayres................................................................ So. Match of the Year Warsaw.................................................................42-33 Most Wins (Season) Jack Chesman.................................................. 40 wins Most Pins (Season) Jack Chesman................................................... 23 pins Most Bonus Points (Season) Jack Chesman............................................... 77 points 100+ Points (Season) Dante Simeti............................................... 119 points Vlad Sidorenko.......................................... 149 points Emmet McCann........................................ 154 points Anthony Malfitano.................................... 174 points Sean McGarvey.......................................... 175 points Dylan Urban............................................... 189 points Jack Chesman............................................. 229 points 100 Win Club Anthony Malfitano....................................... 106 wins Jack Chesman................................................ 113 wins Sean McGarvey............................................. 141 wins 9

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

CONGRATULATIONS COACH YORKS ON WINNING COACH OF THE YEAR AND ON YOUR RETIREMENT!

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBUARY 17, 2017

YORKS WILL LEAVE PROUD LEGACY FOR PEARL RIVER WRESTLING

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano Anyone who has ever been around the Pearl River wrestling program knows the look. It’s that stare from coach Grier Yorks that can intimidate the best of them and render words meaningless. In the heat of competition, his intensity is plain to see. But like many effective coaches, Yorks’ hardened exterior often crumbles in favor of a playful and humorous side, and that’s what endears him to his wrestlers.

“I’ve had a lot of good memories with Yorks, like dancing in the wrestling room during workouts on ‘Disco Fridays’ and sitting in uninvited on his physics class until he kicked us out,” Pearl River sophomore Jack Chesman said. “Yorks is the kind of guy anybody can easily be friends with. I’ll miss being able to annoy him and joke around with him most of all.”

Described as “an old-school coach learning new-school ways” by longtime assistant Billy Donnelly, Yorks’ 24-year run as the Pirates’ head coach will come to an end after the New York State Championships next weekend. Like so many who have devoted their lives to the demanding sport of wrestling, there is an unmistakable toughness associated with Yorks. It can be traced back to his father, Hayes Grier Yorks Sr., who sat in the Pearl River corner as a coach many years before his son did.

“He was probably a little tougher on me than some of the other kids, but never overbearing, and he always made it my decision, whatever I wanted to do,” Yorks said of his father. “He even told me not to go into teaching, but I liked what he was doing too much. And it was enjoyable to coach with him for a few years.”

After wrestling for his father and the late Julius D’Agostino at Pearl River, Yorks went onto compete for SUNY Cortland before coming back to his hometown to teach and coach in 1984. He coached at the JV and modified levels before ascending to the varsity in 1993. As a lifelong Pirate, his enthusiasm for the program was contagious.

“I think the biggest thing was, more than teaching wrestling, he taught us about the history and culture at Pearl River,” said Tappan Zee coach Peter Dene, who wrestled for Yorks at Pearl River and graduated in 1998. “He expected everybody to uphold that high standard of wrestling and class. Being a Pirate wrestler was really, really important to him.”

Under Yorks’ leadership, Pearl River had what he called “ups and downs over the years.” In many respects, the last five have been his most successful. The Pirates were Division 2 sectional champions last season and will send three individual champs to Albany to this year.

“You have to get good runs of good kids coming out,” Yorks said. “I’m coaching the same way I coached when I had teams that weren’t successful — I just have better kids. It’s kind of luck of the draw. You have to do a lot of work in the kids’ program.” With 21 sophomores on the current roster and a strong seventh grade class, the program should be in good shape for years to come. And those who came before remain grateful.

“When I graduated, I thanked him for being like a third parent to me. And he still is,” Dene said.

“He’s one of the biggest reasons that I’m a teacher and a coach. I can’t give a bigger compliment than that. He affected my life tremendously.”

Yorks will retire from coaching and teaching at the end of the school year, but he plans to remain around the program next season to ease the transition. After that, he hopes to relocate to South Carolina.

Wherever he ends up, he knows he’ll take the lessons of the sport that shaped him along for the ride.

“Anybody that wrestles for a good period of time, you pick up things that help you for your whole life,” Yorks said. “Dan Gable said it the best. ‘Once you wrestle, everything else in life is easy.’ It’s what gets me up for work every morning. I’ve never had a sick day at Pearl River. It’s not to say I wasn’t sick, but I’ve had to do things for wrestling that make getting up when you’re sick no big deal. I don’t want to miss a day and cheat my kids.”

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

COACH YORKS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SENIORS

Sean McGarvey

How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? It has made me a better athlete. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 10 years, 2nd grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? My parents put me into it at a young age and I’m very happy I started young. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Eminem. What do you like the most about wrestling? The bus rides to matches. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Time management that you have during the season. What is your favorite/ least favorite drill to practice? Takedown drill/Sit out Drill. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Logan Stieber because he’s a very good wrestler. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? The kid I lost to at states. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Winning all my section titles (3) How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy - Dan Gable

How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? It has helped me to bring my metal strength capacity to a whole other level. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 6 years, since 7th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? Uncle Bill made me, didn’t give me a chance to say no. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? No. What do you like the most about wrestling? Being in the best shape and pushing yourself to become better. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling?

Cutting weight, being disciplined physically and mentally. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? AB3000/Duck Unders Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Jake Kurzhals - true inspiration If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? James Kelly in 2015 sections, I shouldn’t have let him win. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Winning O’Connell at 106 lbs.

Anthony Malfitano

Dylan Conway

How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? It has taught me many life lessons.

How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 6 years, since 7th grade.

What made you decide to start wrestling? A middle school gym teacher told me I should try it (Mrs. Donnelly) Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Just warm up normally, listen to music. What do you like the most about wrestling? It’s individual, evertyhing that happen on the mat is on you. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Training and preparing for matches. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Singles and Doubles (Takedowns)/Spill Drill Who is your favorite wrestler and why?

John Cena If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Sean Mosca, my semi-finals match of states, I should have beat him the first time. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Placing 3rd at states and winning my last HS match.

JUNIORS

What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? I like to get big. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. What grade did you start? 7th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? I got cut from basketball. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? AC/DC. What do you like the most about wrestling? It’s fun. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Practice. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Bag Tag/Up-Downs. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Kyle Snyder because he’s so good. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? County finals, I should have won. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Winning sections last year. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It’s more difficult than any other sport.

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Tyler DiLorenzo

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SOPHOMORES How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? It makes me stay healthy. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 3 years, 8th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? My friends What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle?

Country music What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Conditioning. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Wizard/Hiptosses. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? John Cena. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Winning.

Abraham Mendez What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Going to School. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes, it has. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 9 years. What made you decide to start wrestling? To make friends. What do you like the most about wrestling? Winning. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Losing. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice?

Spladles/Spladles. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Jared because I like making him lose. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? When Coach Donnelly kicked out Oran. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It helps me think things over and never give up.

Michael Glynn What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Playing Soccer. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 4 years, 7th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? My cousin. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle?

Drake. What do you like the most about wrestling? Getting Hyped. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Conditioning. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Throws liek headlocks/Spladles. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Jack Chesman, because he’s awesome. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Kyle Ayres when he was younger - so I can beat him. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Winning my first match. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It makes me stronger.

Jared Mullahy

John Fastoff

What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Doing school work. How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? I made new friends. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 6 years, 4th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? Curiosity. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Water by Ugly God. What do you like the most about wrestling? Going to meets. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Conditioning. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Stand-ups/Shots. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Gannon Duffy becuase he reminds me of my superiority. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Gannon Duffy. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment?

Winning JV County Championship. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It’s more difficult than any other sport.

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SOPHOMORES (CONTINUED) What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Play video games. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 8 years, 3rd grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? Thought it was cool. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Heavy Rock. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Listen to music. What do you like the most about wrestling? The shape you get in. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Keeping weight down. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Double leg/Single Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Kyle Dake - he’s a hard worker. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Make weight at sections. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? JV Counties. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It keeps me in shape.

Kyle Ayres

What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Nothing. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. What made you decide to start wrestling? My dad made me. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Future. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Playing phone games. What do you like the most about wrestling? Bag Tag. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling?

Exercising. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Stretching/Wrestling. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? J. Conway, he is undefeated. If you could have a “do over” who would you wrestle and why? Try not to wrestle at all. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? Keeps me in shape.

Jack Failing What is your favorite food? Sushi. What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling?

Hang out with friends. How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? It made me realize that everything in life is not given, it’s earned. What made you decide to start wrestling? My brother had just started and my dad wrestled in high school and college. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Kid Cudi. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent?

Shake my dad’s hand and get slapped on my headgear by Donnelly What do you like the most about wrestling? Winning and feeling like you’re on top of the world. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Cutting weight, practicing every day, losing close matches. What is your favorite/ least favorite drill to practice? High Crotch/Sprints Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) because he is so dominant. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Section Semis, I let a kid take me down 3 times with the same move What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Hugging my dad after placing 3rd at sections as a freshman How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? Put me in the best shape

Dante Simeti

Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. How many years have you been wrestling? 5 years. What made you decide to start wrestling? I was lonely. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Screamo Music. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Wrestling. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Dante, he is a very good role model.

Brian Roberts 24

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SOPHOMORES (CONTINUED) What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Eat. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 3 years, 2nd grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? My friends. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Look at Yorks to get hyped.

What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Any/ Everything Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Grier Yorks because he has beaten so many State Champs. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Counties final because I should have had him! What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? It’s going to happen when Yorks wrestles in the Bald and Fat Classic. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? Balance.

Volodymyr Sidorenko What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Admiring myself. How has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? I beat up Vlad all day. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 3 years/8th grade. What’s playing on your iPod/ iPhone before you wrestle? Classical Jazz. What is your favorite drill to practice? What is your least favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Spladle/Sprints Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Mitchell and Allan, they’re really good. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Cut down to 99 so I can beat Shaw. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Robbing Edgemount Dry.

Jon Conway What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Nothing. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? No. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 2 years, 9th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? Signing up. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Music. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Wrestle. What do you like the most about wrestling?

Wrestling. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Wrestling. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? John Fastoff.

Edgardo Ruballos What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Get huge. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. What grade did you start wrestling? 8th grade. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Smooth Jazz. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? I look for Jack Failing and get really mad. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Donnelly’s practices. What is your favorite/ least favorite drill to practice? Stretching/Conditioning. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? J. Conway because he is undefeated. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Johnny because I let him win.

Mitchell Ehrie 25

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SOPHOMORES (CONTINUED) What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Magic with D. Conway Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. How many years have you been wrestling/ What grade did you start? 8 years, 2nd grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? I’m big. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? 5 Finger Death Punch. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Tell myself I’m big. What do you like the most about wrestling? The aspect of strength. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Cutting weight. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice?

African foot sweep/Rocket Lift. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Jack Failing because he wrestled twice. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Kyle Sams What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Beating Yorks??

Dylan Urban What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Eating. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 3 years, 8th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? Emmet and Jack. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Womanizer by Britney Spears, Rainscape soundtrack. What do you like the most about wrestling? Winnging. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Getting scorpioned. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Takedowns/Sit series. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Matt Shaw. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Not getting scorpioned because it hurt. What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Getting scorpioned. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It improved my pickle ball form.

Stephen Conneely

Jack Chesman

What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Play Guitar. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? I’ve been wrestling for 8 years, started in 3rd grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? My dad. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Anything.

Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Bounce up and down.

What do you like the most about wrestling? Wrestling. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Wrestling. What is your favorite? Take Downs. Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Anthony Malfitano because he’s huge. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Quarters of States, should have won (beat him later). What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Winning 3rd place at states. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It taught me to never give up.

What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Play Soccer or go the gy. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. What grade did you start wrestling? 10th Grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? To learn self defense. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Nothing. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? Work Harder at Practice. What do you like the most about wrestling? Drills.

What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? Up-Downs. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Arm lock/none What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? My first win. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It got me fit.

Selvin Ramos 26

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SOPHOMORES (CONTINUED) Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Wrestling has affected my life in a positive way.

How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 3 years, 8th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? My friends. What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle?

Minecraft sound track (Cat). Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent?

Eat a bowl of ice cream. What do you like the most about wrestling? Wrestling other guys. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling? The mental strain. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Live Wrestling/Up-downs Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Matt Shaw. If you could have a “do over” - who would you wrestle and why? Clifton Wang (State Champ) What is your most memorable high school wrestling moment? Seeing Steve get scorpioned. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? Endurance.

Christian Curry

FRESHMAN What do you do with your spare time when you aren’t wrestling? Get Big. Has wrestling affected your life in a positive way? Yes. How many years have you been wrestling/What grade did you start? 3 years, 4th grade. What made you decide to start wrestling? Mr. Donnelly.

What’s playing on your iPod/iPhone before you wrestle? Remember the name. Anything special you do to prepare for a match, or a specific opponent? No. What do you like the most about wrestling? The coaches. What do you think is the hardest part about wrestling?

Learning and being able to use moves through matches. What is your favorite/least favorite drill to practice? Throws/Sprints Who is your favorite wrestler and why? Grier Yorks. How has wrestling helped you with other sports or in life? It got me in shape.

Matthew Shaw

Coach Donnelly

Todd Santabarbara Director of Physical Education & Athletics

Coach Yorks 27

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINTING

Liam McIvor

Nicholas Schiavone

Anthony Tso

Brendan Dooley

Allan Svensson

Brendan Rodriquez

Anthony DeThomas

Stephen Doorley

Dan Hogan

Gannon Duffy

Hugh Durcan

Jake Destefano

Emmet Mccann

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 PRWA FUNDRAISERS

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

The Lohud Wrestling Blog MARCH 26, 2017

WRESTLING ALL-STARS: ANTHONY MALFITANO ASCENDS FOR PEARL RIVER

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Anthony Malfitano’s senior season almost ended within moments of its beginning.

In the very first match of the year for Pearl River’s 170-pounder, he suffered a knee injury that was initially feared to be serious.

“That was terrible,” Pearl River coach Grier Yorks said. “The trainer there thought he had a torn ACL. He finished the match because there was no way he was coming off. I could see he was hurting, but that’s just how tough he is. It ended up being more of a sprain, but I was afraid I was going to lose him for the year right there.”

Malftiano made it back into the lineup quicker than expected and was able to squeak out wins while nursing his knee back to 100 percent. But the brace he was required to wear made him feel sluggish, which ultimately prompted him to ditch it.

“The brace felt weird when I wrestled and I felt like it slowed me down a little bit,” he said. “When I got rid of the brace, I felt back to normal. Mentally, I was back.”

His season took off from there, and it was his second half performance that earned him the honor of being the 2017 Journal News Rockland wrestler of the year.

Malfitano won his second consecutive county and sectional titles with relative ease and then had a state tournament to remember. After being ousted by Carle Place’s Sean Mosca in the quarterfinals — a lop-sided 14-4 major decision — he rallied to win his next five matches and take third place.

Most impressively, it was Mosca who Malfitano defeated in the third-place bout with a 3-0 decision.

“It showed his mental toughness,” Yorks said. “He was disappointed that he didn’t win a state title — that was kind of his goal — but he came back and did the best he could. And that’s a tough thing. I’ve seen kids when they lose, and they just fold up. That’s not the way he is.”

Unlike most All-State wrestlers, Malfitano did not start at a young age. He decided to give it a try in seventh grade at the suggestion of a gym teacher.

He was raw at first, but Yorks recognized his talent and instincts early on.

“The improvement was just so steady with him,” said Yorks, who is retiring after 24 years as Pearl River’s head coach. “He would get into bad position, but then he would naturally get himself into good position. Usually, it takes years to teach somebody that. But he was doing that back when he was a freshman.” With his long arms and athleticism, Malfitano made gains each year. He finished around .500 as a freshman and reached the section final as a sophomore. As a junior, he won his first title and surprised by placing sixth in the state. By the time he hit his senior season, he was undoubtedly one of the best in the state at his weight.

“I didn’t really think about the podium in Albany,” said Malfitano, who finished his career with 107 wins.

“I just thought about getting there the next time and seeing what happens. Throughout the season, I felt a lot stronger — even just the way I wrestled was just different from the year before. Mentally, you’re more sharp once you train.”

Malfitano credits his coaches, Yorks and longtime assistant Billy Donnelly, as well as accomplished teammates like Jack Chesman and Sean McGarvey for keeping him focused and pushing him to improve. He plans to wrestle in college and is currently in discussions with Division III schools, where Yorks says, “he can be very successful.”

Ultimately, Malfitano’s ascension in a relatively short period of time came down to his toughness and willingness to work towards his goals.

“If you put your mind to something and really work at it, you can be good,” he said. “You have to love it — and I really love it.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog MARCH 26, 2017

COACH JULIUS D’AGOSTINO MEMORIAL SERVICE AWARD

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Grier received the Coach Julius D’Agostino Memorial Service Award. This award was presented

by Tournament Director, Chuck Scarpulla, and Helen D’Agostino, widow of Coach Dag.

It is given annually to the person who has given the greatest contribution to Rockland Wrestling.

It is named in memory of the legendary Pirate Coach Dag, father of PRHS Teacher and Coach, Doug D’Agostino.

Grier has given over 35 years of dedicated service to the sport. He was a stand-out competitor for the Pirate Modified, Varsity and SUNY Cortlandt teams. He has coached in the PRSD as a Modified, Assistant Varsity and currently the Head Coach. Coach Yorks is retiring this yeah.

Coach Yorks has had multiple county, divisional and sectional champions. He has coached many Pirate Wrestlers into the 100 Win Club.Several of his athletes have been New York State Place Winners. He also has served for years as the Director of the Pearl River-O’Connell Tournament.

Grier has donated hundreds of hours over the years to the Pearl River Kids Federation Program.

He has been inducted into the Rockland County Coaches Association’s Century Club. He joins his father, the late Hayes, as a second generation Yorks honoree of the Coach Dag Award!

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 18, 2016

PEARL RIVER WRESTLING AIMS TO FEND OFF PUTNAM VALLEY AGAIN

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano PEARL RIVER – Dozens and dozens of Pearl River seniors rolled their luggage into the high school on Thursday evening as they prepared to embark on their annual trip to Disney in Florida.

Anthony Malfitano, Sean McGarvey and Dylan Conway were the only wrestlers among them, but if they thought they were going to escape coach Grier Yorks and his practices for a few days in the sunshine, they were sadly mistaken.

“I’m going down with them to make them work out with Mickey and the crowd,” Yorks said with a big smile.

Yorks saw the humor in the situation, but he wasn’t kidding. The Pirates have a sectional title to defend in the Division 2 (small school) ranks and they’re expecting fierce competition. There is no room for complacency.

“We’re looking to repeat this year,” Malfitano said before he left for the trip. “We’re going to have to step it up and fill in some spots that we lost from last year. We only have three seniors on the team, so we’re still young and have a lot to learn. But we’ve matured since last year, so hopefully that’ll make a difference.”

Malfitano and McGarvey are returning section champs who should lead the charge, along with junior Tyler DiLorenzo, who won last year’s 285-pound title. Yorks has also been encouraged by his underclassmen, particularly sophomore Jack Chesman.

He was a champion as an eighth-grader and a heavy favorite last year, but he was forced to injury default in the section final after a scary fall in which he landed on his head.

“It was like the bottom of my back just folded over,” Chesman said. “I took the video, paused it and took a picture of it – my shoulders were probably an inch or two from my butt.”

Thankfully, Chesman didn’t sustain any major injury from the fall — he even said he got back on the mat the following day with the hope he would earn a wild card to states — and he spent the offseason traveling to tournaments and training at Olympic Wrestling Club in New Jersey.

His upside is significant, and Yorks isn’t shying away from it.

“His goal is to be a state champion this year,” Yorks said. “Instead of waiting until he’s a senior, he’s going to try to do it this year. He should, on paper, be one of the top four in the state already.”

Pearl River is going to need Chesman and others to step up if it wants to fend off Putnam Valley again.

The Tigers finished just 9.5 points behind the Pirates last season and are returning four defending champs of their own in Mikey Bruno, Kyle Sams, Satoshi Abe and Jared Eliopoulos.

“Based on who they have back and who we have back, it should be a real race,” Yorks said. “I don’t know how good their upper weights are going to be this year in terms of dual meets. I think we might have an edge on them in a dual meet, but I’m worried about the end of the year. They do a phenomenal job of getting prepared for sectionals at the end. I thought we were a big favorite, and we barely beat them last year. This year, I think it’s even going in, which really scares me.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 28, 2016

LOHUD WRESTLING PREVIEW: PRESEASON TEAM RANKINGS

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano Division 1 (large schools) 1. John Jay — With a loaded junior class, the Indians arrived earlier than expected last season to edge Suffern for a sectional title by 3.5 points. Those juniors now form what coach Bill Swertfager called, “The best senior class I’ve ever had.”

2. Suffern — The Mounties and the Indians were neck-and-neck last season, and they remain the clear top two.

Suffern also brings back most of its key wrestlers, minus two-time state qualifier Stephen Lauro, but passing John Jay will be a tall order.

3. Arlington — Picking who should be No. 3 was a bit more difficult, with at least five or six teams that will be in the mix. The Admirals took the bronze last season and are always among the deepest teams in the section, which I don’t expect to change anytime soon.

4. Ketcham — The Indians are a prime candidate for a breakout year. They took seventh overall last season without a single senior on the team. Everyone is back and a finish in the top five – maybe even top three – is within reach.

5. Horace Greeley — Another program on the rise, the Quakers were young and very talented last season, which landed them at No. 8 in the final standings at sectionals. Most of their top performers are back, including a rising sophomore in Aaron Wolk and senior big-guy Stephen Nadler.

6. Fox Lane — It’s been three years since the Foxes finished in the top 10, but look for this proud program to snap that streak this season. State finalist Matt Grippi is a known commodity, but there is a lot more to like about a team which might only feature one senior in its starting lineup.

7. New Rochelle — The Huguenots have two obvious section title contenders in senior Jordan Wallace and sophomore Jake Logan, but their depth will be tested. After finishing fourth overall last season, they could slip back a few spots, but this is still a top 10 team.

8. John Jay-East Fishkill — This could be a strong year for Dutchess County, and the Patriots are another reason why. They’ve made a habit of finishing in the top 10. Randy Earl is their leader as an All-State returner and Tyler Albis is another name to watch.

9. Mahopac — This is the exact same spot where the Indians finished last season. Losing the reigning Journal News Westchester/Putnam wrestler of the year Mike DiNardo is a big hit, but the rest of the lineup should remain very competitive.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 28, 2016 (Continued) 10. North Rockland — It’s nearly impossible for the Red Raiders to live up to the standards that they set when they won back-to-back championships in 2013 and 2014, but they’re creeping back up. They made it to the final four of the Section 1 Duals last season and should have a strong lineup again.

Division 2 (small schools) 1. Pearl River — Since coming down to D2 three years ago, the Pirates have forged an exciting rivalry with Putnam Valley. Last season, only 9.5 points separated the two teams in the final standings. It’ll be close again, but as the defending champ, Pearl River gets the early edge.

2. Putnam Valley — With its Big Four of Satoshi Abe, Mikey Bruno, Jared Eliopoulos and Kyle Sams, the Tigers are bringing back a quartet of All-State caliber wrestlers. No team in the section, regardless of school size, can match that.

3. Pleasantville — The Panthers finished well behind Pearl River and Put Valley last season, but they outpaced the rest of the returning field. There is some young talent to be excited about in Pleasantville, namely freshman Len Balducci.

4. Edgemont — In senior Cliffton Wang, the Panthers probably have the best shot at a state champ in D2. The rest of the roster is improving and coach Pete Jacobson expects to fill every weight class for the first time in years.

5. Pawling — We’ve seen steady improvement from the Tigers in recent years, who have a solid group of returners. A top five finish looks like a solid bet, especially if some of their third place finishers from last season break through into the finals.

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 28, 2016

LOHUD WRESTLING PREVIEW: THE MEAN 15

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano Every preseason, one of our most difficult tasks is coming up with a list of the top returning wrestlers in our area.

We’ve changed the name a few times over the years, but I think this is the most appropriate — because anyone who has been around the sport of wrestling knows that you have to have a mean streak to excel.

With more than a dozen returning state qualifiers, there were plenty of good candidates to make this year’s cut. The last few spots were the toughest to decide on, but with the help of many coaches and local wrestling enthusiasts, we were able to nail it down. To give you an idea of who just missed the cut, we’ve also listed what we’re calling The Next 15.

The final thing to remember is that wrestlers are only eligible if they hail from Westchester, Rockland or Putnam counties. We know there’s plenty of talent in Dutchess and those guys will be included when we do our weight class rankings for Section 1 throughout the season.

Without further ado, here are the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in our area...

Satoshi Abe, Putnam Valley — A twotime section champ, the Lehigh-bound senior is as smart as they come on the mat and the leader of a team with four high-end guys. He should earn All-State honors this season.

Connor Breit, Nanuet — The senior’s career arc has been similar to his older brother Dan’s, who was an Eastern States champ and All-State performer in his final season. Connor took fourth in the state at 195 pounds last year and could be the best big guy in the section.

Mikey Bruno, Putnam Valley — Only a junior, the defending 99-pound champ in Division 2 has qualified for the state tournament three times already. He took fourth in the state last season and will be in the mix again if he remains in the lighter weight classes.

Jack Chesman, Pearl River — The sophomore is the only wrestler on this list who didn’t qualify for states last year, but that was due to a freak accident in which he was dropped on his head during the sectional final. He was a champion as an eighth-grader and possesses tremendous upside.

Grant Cuomo, Brewster — Despite missing most of the regular season due to an avulsion fracture in his hip, the junior returned for the postseason to win a section title and place fifth in the state at 152 pounds. He’s expected to wrestle at 160 this season.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 28, 2016 (Continued) Evan Frank, John Jay — The senior has yet to win a sectional title in two trips to the finals, but there shouldn’t be anyone standing in his way this year. Frank earned a wild card to states last season and took third at 182 pounds.

Matt Grippi, Fox Lane — There’s only one returning state finalist in Section 1 this season, and it’s the junior from Fox Lane. He’s expected to compete at 152 pounds this year and is referred to by many coaches as the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the section.

Jake Logan, New Rochelle — The sophomore class throughout Section 1 is highly-regarded, and Logan is one of the standouts. He was the only freshman to win a section title last season and is expected to be back at 160 pounds this year.

Anthony Malfitano, Pearl River — Few were surprised that Malfitano won his first sectional title last season at 152 pounds, but it was his performance at states that turned heads. Now a senior, he took sixth in the state last season.

Sean McGarvey, Pearl River — The two-time section champ will be a heavy favorite to get his third this season and be a force at states. He’s expected to make a big jump from 106 pounds to 126 or 132.

Conor Melbourne, John Jay — It’s amazing to think that the Princeton-bound senior has yet to win a section title, but he’s been in some very tough weight classes the last few years. That won’t change if he’s at 152, as expected, but he should be an All-State performer again.

Kyle Sams, Putnam Valley — Like teammate Mikey Bruno, Sams is a two-time section champ as he enters his junior season. His athleticism and lankiness makes him a difficult opponent for lighter weights to handle.

Garrett Semenetz, Mahopac — After beating cancer, winning on the mat is child’s play for the senior. He’s expected to remain at 99 pounds, where he won a section title last season and came within one win of placing in the top six at states.

Jordan Wallace, New Rochelle — Despite losing to Cuomo in last year’s 152-pound final, Wallace earned a wild card to states and placed sixth. The senior will make the jump to 170 pounds this season, where he should be quicker than most.

Cliffton Wang, Edgemont — Some coaches will tell you that the Harvard-bound senior represents Section 1’s best shot at a state championship this season. The three-time section champ took third in the state at 170 pounds last season.

The Next 15: Dean Artrip, Sr., Suffern • Len Balducci, Fr., Pleasantville • Louie Cree, Sr., John Jay • Brandon DiDomenico, Sr., Lakeland/Panas • Jared Eliopoulos, Sr., Putnam Valley • Luca Errico, So., Byram Hills • Bim Gecaj, Sr., John Jay • Halil Gecaj, Jr., John Jay • Fredy Guevara, Jr., Yonkers • Jhavon Innocent, Sr., East Ramapo • Mike Muldoon, Sr., Mahopac • Peter Oliveto, Sr., Suffern • Josh Rauch, Sr., Fox Lane • Connor Thomas, Jr., Yorktown • Aaron Wolk, So., Horace Greeley 36

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 29, 2016

MERCOGLIANO: SIZING UP SECTION 1 WRESTLING FOR 2016-17

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Section 1 wrestling had a record-breaking performance at last season’s state tournament despite having no state champs. What can local fans expect in the 2016-17 season?

The quality of wrestling in New York State is undoubtedly improving and Section 1 is doing an admirable job of keeping pace.

The standing of our section has improved dramatically in the last decade, especially in the large school ranks (Division 1). Section 1 finished third among 12 sections last season, behind only Sections 11 and 5. And they did it without one state champion, which means depth made up for the lack of a standout individual.

There were 17 local wrestlers who earned All-State honors in Division 1, which easily eclipsed the previous high of 12 in 2014.

“All I can say is that Section 1 has come a long way,” claimed Clarkstown South coach Brenden Rogers.

As I began putting together this year’s list of the top 15 returning wrestlers in the area — the lohud wrestling Mean 15 — I had dozens of good choices. And with 16 guys who have previously qualified for the state tournament, the final cut was based on who has been to the big dance in Albany.

Of those 16, only one has been to the state finals — Fox Lane junior Matt Grippi. Most of the coaches that I polled referred to him as the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the section, which is a high compliment.

After Grippi, there are several names that usually come up. Nanuet senior Connor Breit, Brewster junior Grant Cuomo, Edgemont senior Cliffton Wang and John Jay seniors Evan Frank and Conor Melbourne are at the top of the list, and each will enter this season with state championship aspirations. The same can be said of our friend from Dutchess County, John Jay-East Fishkill senior Randy Earl. But will any of them actually get it done?

That’s where it could get complicated.

“The large schools have top guys in the nation at almost every weight,” North Rockland coach Jeff Swick said.

“Section 1 will have a very powerful state team, but to get on top of the podium, you are going to have to beat a top guy in the nation at many weights. So it will be tough.”

That’s not an exaggeration.

According to Intermat.com, there are six different weight classes where New York can claim one of the top eight wrestlers in the country. Three of them are ranked No. 1 overall — Eastport-South Manor sophomore Adam Busiello (113 pounds), Syosset senior Vitali Arujau (138) and Hilton senior Yianni Diakomihalis (145).

New York has become one of the better wrestling states in the nation, which has made winning a state title more difficult than ever.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog NOVEMBER 29, 2016 (Continued) “Winning a state championship is the hardest thing to do in all of high school sports,” Fox Lane coach Anthony Rodrigues said. “Especially with wrestling.”

Rodrigues has seen it first-hand with Grippi. He ran into Diakomihalis in last year’s 138-pound state final, who some consider the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the entire country. This season, Grippi will compete at 152, where Penfield junior Frankie Gissendanner is ranked eighth in the nation.

Some believe that Wang represents Section 1’s best shot at a title this year because there is no nationally-ranked wrestler standing in his way. He took third at 170 pounds last season.

“Cliff’s looking great,” Edgemont coach Pete Jacobson said. “He’s a very hard worker and very coachable.”

Wang is part of a vastly improved Division 2 (small schools) field in Section 1.

While the section has been top three in the state in Division 1, it’s been more of a struggle to crack the top five in Division 2. Part of the reason is because there are fewer D2 schools in Section 1, but the additional of Pearl River three years ago has certainly helped.

“D2 should have its strongest team in years, if guys stay healthy,” Jacobson said. “I’m feeling pretty confident about that right now.”

The Mean 15 validates what Jacobson is saying.

For the first time that I can remember, more small school guys made the final 15 (eight compared to seven from D1). Wang and Breit are probably the strongest individual performers, but both Pearl River and Putnam Valley had three wrestlers make the list. For the Pirates, it’s Jack Chesman, Anthony Malfitano and Sean McGarvey.

And for the Tigers, it’s Satoshi Abe, Mikey Bruno and Kyle Sams. (Put Valley also has another returning section champ in Jared Eliopoulos.)

That all should add up to a strong group of state qualifiers from Section 1, both in the large and small school tournaments.

We just won’t know if that translates into any state titles until late February.

“You have to remember we are now in the upper echelon of wrestling in New York State,” John Jay coach Bill Swertfager said.

“We are now judged by a higher standard.

We will find out just how good we are as a section this year.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog DECEMBER 6, 2016

MERCOGLIANO: SIX THINGS TO WATCH AT THE SECTION 1 DUALS

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano There are two tournaments every season that involve every wrestling team in Section 1. On Tuesday, the Section 1 Dual Meet Championships will get underway.

It’s still very early in the new wrestling season, but it’s about to get real — and fast.

There are two major events in Section 1 every year — the Section 1 Championships, which take place at the end of the season to determine which wrestlers will qualify for states; and the Section 1 Dual Meet Championships, which begin on Tuesday.

The end-of-the-year sectional tournament focuses more on individual accomplishments, specifically which is the best wrestler in each weight class. That’s part of what makes the sport so unique — no matter which school you come from, anyone has an opportunity to be a section champ. But at its core, wrestling is still a team sport.

There’s a reason the singlet features the name of your school, not the individual.

The Section 1 Duals are meant to reward the best overall team. As good as your best wrestler might be, it’s going to take a balanced lineup of 15 to excel in this tournament.

“We enjoy kicking the season off with this event,” Section 1 wrestling coordinator Jamie Block said. “It brings good publicity and a lot of excitement. Last year, many matches were decided by final bouts and there were some tremendous matches. I expect the same this year.”

Some have argued that a tournament with this much significance belongs at the end of the season, and I can see the merits in that. But as Block rightfully points out, having an event with this much meaning at this early juncture is a great way to generate interest from fans.

Next season, it’ll get even more interesting when the New York State Public High School Athletic Association implements a state-wide dual meet championship tournament. For now, in honor of the six points every wrestler hopes to get for his team by pinning his opponent, here are my six things to watch in the 2016 Section 1 Dual Meet Championships.

1. Early battles: Wednesday will be one of the busiest days of the season with eight different teams hosting a quad meet in Division 1 (large schools). Of the 32 teams in action, only eight will advance to the quarterfinals on Dec. 13.

Three sites will have strong favorites to get to the quarters — John Jay (at Somers), Suffern (at home) and New Rochelle (at Tappan Zee). The other five look like tossups.

My best guess is those quads will come down to Horace Greeley and Arlington (at Greeley), John Jay-EF and Ketcham (at JJEF), Harrison and Yonkers (at Harrison), and East Ramapo and North Rockland (at Ramapo). All

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog DECEMBER 6, 2016 (Continued) of those matchups could go either way, but the best battle of them all might be at Hen Hud, where Brewster, Fox Lane and Mahopac look pretty evenly-matched.

2. Weight class shuffle: We got an early glimpse at which weight class the top guys are beginning the season at over the weekend, but we’ll get more clarity this week.

It’s impossible to know how the matchups will work out in the tourney because coaches will have the option to bump guys up a weight for a more desirable bout. But of all of the potential mustsee matches on Wednesday, the one that would surely draw the most attention would be if All-State returners Matt Grippi of Fox Lane and Grant Cuomo of Brewster collide at Hen Hud. 3. The Big Twos: The expectation among most coaches (and this reporter) is that each division will come down to two familiar teams. In Division 1, that would be John Jay and Suffern. And in Division 2, it’s Pearl River and Putnam Valley.

John Jay and Pearl River are the defending champs and should be considered the favorites again. But if these do turn out to be the matchups in the finals, expect some fireworks. These teams are eager to take shots at each other.

4. The sleepers: Of course, it’s no guarantee that the finals will involve the teams we expect. You only need to look back to last season when East Ramapo shocked the section by upsetting Suffern in the quarterfinals.

There are some teams that could crash the party. In D1, watch out for Greeley, New Ro, North Rockland, East Ramapo, Mahopac and the Dutchess trio of Arlington, Ketcham and John Jay-East Fishkill. In D2, Pleasantville just turned heads by winning the Mike Nardone Tournament at Ossining and is looking very deep.

It’ll be very interesting to see who makes the quarters and the final four in each division.

5. D2 prediction: When you have a lineup that features five former section champs — which is exactly what Putnam Valley has now that Constantine George has returned after missing a year to concentrate on football — it’s very difficult to pick against you. But that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I like Pearl River to retain the title by a hair, but there should be some great matches in this one. Put Valley could do some real damage in the light-to-middle weight range, making it critical for the Pirates to take care of business in the matches they’re supposed to win. Expect this to come down to the wire.

6. D1 prediction: I have a hard time envisioning Suffern getting tripped up before the finals again, which would give us the dual that everyone has wanted to see for the last two years.

On paper, this meeting would be littered with swing matches. Dean Artrip and Matt Kramer at 126 pounds. Peter Oliveto vs.

Ray Cotto at 145. Anthony Guccione vs. Josh Rubin at 152. Brice Artrip vs. Conor Melbourne at 160. Halil Gecaj vs. Tyrell Jackson at 220. The list goes on and on.

In the end, I think the Indians have just a little bit more firepower, which is why they’re my pick for the repeat.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog DECEMBER 8, 2016

SOPHOMORES LEAD PEARL RIVER BACK TO DUAL MEET FINAL

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano PLEASANTVILLE – This sophomore class from Pearl River is blossoming right before our eyes. The Pirates rolled out a lineup which featured eight 10th-graders and only two seniors for the Section 1 Dual Meet Championships on Thursday, but many of the underclassmen performed like savvy veterans. With All-State senior Anthony Malfitano sitting out due to a sprained MCL, their efforts earned Pearl River a chance to repeat as Division 2 (small schools) tournament champions next week.

“We have a really, really young team,” 120-pound sophomore Dante Simeti said after a 47-32 win over Pleasantville. “We knew it was going to be a battle. It was great that we were able to get some pins when we needed them and win some close matches.”

After dispatching Irvington in the quarterfinals with a 76-9 rout, the Pirates were matched up with an improving Pleasantville squad in the semis. Three straight wins from the Panthers’ lightweights — Michael Balducci (99 pounds), Nayshawn Marks (106) and Len Balducci (113) — put Pearl River behind 16-15 before Simeti took the mat.

He fell into a 5-2 hole, but picked it up late in the match and pinned Carlos DeJesus in the third period.

“I knew I was going to turn it on, and that’s ultimately what I did. I was able to make that adjustment,” Simeti said. “Momentum is a huge thing when it comes to dual meets, so getting six (points) there was big for us.”

Seb Senande followed with a pin at 126 pounds to put Pleasantville back on top, but that’s when the Pirates reminded everyone why they’re the defending champs.

It was another sophomore, 132-pounder Dylan Urban, who started a streak of six straight wins.

“The middle of our lineup is the strength,” Urban said. “If we’re losing points with the lightweights and the heavyweights, the rest of us have to step it up.”

The Panthers bumped up one of their better wrestlers, Victor Perlleshi, from 126 pounds to 132 to take a shot at Urban. He held his own in a back-and-forth contest, but Urban prevailed with a 9-8 decision.

The key swing match was followed by wins from Emmet McCann (138), Dylan Conway (145), Sean McGarvey (152) and Jack Chesman (160), turning a one-point deficit into a decisive 47-22 lead.

“I thought we could get them (in the heavyweights) a little, but when we lost those two up top, that put us behind the eight-ball,” Pleasantville coach Bob Bernarducci said. “I know they have solid kids in the middle, so we tried to move our better kids around to try and get some wins there.”

Pearl River will travel to wrestle Putnam Valley for the championship on Wednesday. It will be the third year in a row that the two teams have met for the title, with the Panthers winning in 2014 before the Pirates took trophy last year.

“We’re the reigning champs, and this is big for us,” Urban said. “We’ve only got three seniors this year and they’re giving everything that they’ve got.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog DECEMBER 13, 2016

SECTION 1 DUALS: PREVIEWING THE D2 FINAL

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

For the third consecutive year, the Section 1 Dual Meet Championship will come down to Pearl River and Putnam Valley in the small school division. The two well-run programs have formed a real rivalry since the Pirates dropped down from the large school ranks in 2014 and Wednesday could represent another memorable chapter.

The Tigers outlasted Pearl River for the title in 2014, but it was the Pirates who came out on top last year. Which team will make it two out of three? We’ll find out on Wednesday at Put Valley High.

Division 2 final — Pearl River at Putnam Valley, 4:30 p.m. Must-see match: 132 pounds, Putnam Valley’s Kyle Sams vs. Pearl River’s Dylan Urban — In a rematch of last year’s 113-pound sectional final, we’ll get to see if Urban has closed the gap. Sams won a 9-3 decision that day for his second straight title, but he had a humbling loss on Saturday, getting pinned by John Jay-East Fishkill’s Randy Earl. Let’s see how he responds.

Key swing match: 285 pounds, Putnam Valley’s Constantine George vs. Pearl River’s Tyler DiLorenzo — Two years ago, George was a section champion as a sophomore. But at this time last year, he wasn’t even on the Tigers’ roster. He decided not to wrestle as a junior to concentrate on football, but now he’s back for his senior year and he could be a wild card for Put Valley. It’s reasonable to expect some rust, but he has a chance to make a statement here against the defending champ in DiLorenzo. The winner will be established as the guy to beat this season.

Strategic move to consider: From 113-138 pounds, you could argue that Put Valley is the best team in the section, regardless of school size. Four of those weight classes will be occupied by former section champs – Sams, Mikey Bruno, Satoshi Abe and Jared Eliopoulos. That’s the area where the Tigers will need to do damage, specifically with pins, in order to unseat the Pirates as champs. Put Valley might even consider bumping Eliopoulos up from 138 pounds to 145 to offset one of Pearl River’s best, senior Sean McGarvey.

Coach speak: “(Pearl River) is an outstanding team and certainly a strong dual meet team because they field a full lineup with kids that are competitive. We will have some holes, giving them a cushion, so we will need to compete and win at almost every weight we send out to have a shot at beating them. Bonus points will be critical and I doubt we can beat them without them.” — Putnam Valley coach Will Carano

Prediction: Pearl River 39, Putnam Valley 38 — Even with the Tigers looking like they’ll give up three forfeits, I still think this one will come down to the wire. The strength of Put Valley’s lineup mirrors that of Pearl River, except I believe the Tigers will win many of those lightto-middle weight matches. It’s nice to have five former champs in your lineup. In the end, though, I think the Pirates will be able to score enough points from 145 pounds up to pull this one out. Getting All-State senior Anthony Malfitano back over the weekend from his sprained knee was huge for Pearl River.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog DECEMBER 14, 2016

PEARL RIVER TOPS PUTNAM VALLEY TO RETAIN D2 MAT CROWN

By Nancy Haggerty PUTNAM VALLEY – It was expected to be closer.

But Pearl River coach Grier Yorks shook off his team’s lopsided 57-26 Section 1 Dual Meet D2 Championship win over Putnam Valley Wednesday as not meaning much in the big picture.

“They were missing a couple of guys,” he said. “That really hurt their chances. They’re a much better team. We know too well they’re going to be around at the end of the year and ready to fight.”

Wednesday, though, the Pirates had more fight, particularly in the later matches. Multiple forfeits ultimately doomed Putnam Valley, which had beaten Pearl River for the title in 2014 before falling to the Pirates at last year’s championship. But a turning point, both emotionally and on the scoreboard, occurred with Pearl River’s late pin at 138 pounds.

Pirate Emmet McCann trailed Alec McDonald 2-0 at the end of one period and 2-1 at the end of two before taking a 3-2 lead in the third period.

After a timeout to address an injury to McDonald with 26.5 seconds remaining – one of several injuries during the day – McCann recorded the pin with just five seconds left on the clock.

“I knew I was going to win. I had confidence,” said the sophomore McCann, who has been on the team since eighth grade. His was one of five Pirates to win by pin, the first being at 99 pounds as Matt Shaw defeated Trent Wacaser. McCann’s pin cut Putnam Valley’s lead to 26-24 and when senior Sean McGarvey pinned Dean Appel in the first period at 145 pounds Pearl River took the lead and never looked back.

“I wanted to go out there and just wrestle 100 percent,” said McGarvey, who chalked up the back-toback championships to Pearl River having a “great coach and great team.” Putnam Valley forfeited five weight classes but did have some highlights. One was Satoshi Abe’s first-period pin at 126 pounds over Kyle Ayres, which gave the senior 100 wins in his Putnam Valley career.

“He’s just the epitome of a leader,” Putnam Valley assistant coach Joe Mahoney said. “He dictates the tone in practice every day. Other wrestlers strive to be like him.”

And Putnam Valley senior Constantine George served notice he intends to try to recapture the Section 1 285-pound title he won two seasons ago, proving Wednesday, as Mahoney said, he’s “fully back.” Last year, George didn’t wrestle, instead concentrating on football, the sport Mahoney termed George’s “passion.” But George seemed pretty passionate in his match against Tyler DiLorenzo, recording a second-period pin when leading 5-0.

In other matches, at 106 pounds, Putnam Valley’s Hunter Lundberg pinned Hugh Durcan after Durcan returned to wrestle after a lengthy timeout after crashing on his head; Pearl River’s Brian Roberts pinned Owen McDonald at 113 pounds; at 120 pounds, Putnam Valley’s Mikey Bruno defeated Dante Simeti 12-1; Putnam Valley’s Kyle Sams defeated Dylan Urban 14-6 at 132 pounds; and at 170 pounds, Pearl River’s Anthony Malfitano defeated Robbie Velichko 6-1.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog DECEMBER 22, 2016

UNDERDOG NO MORE: NORTH ROCKLAND CONTINUES RESURGENCE

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano PEARL RIVER – Based on the first month of the season, it would be silly to continue to label North Rockland as a program that’s in the midst of rebuilding.

The Red Raiders belong back in the conversation as one of the best teams in Section 1, but they may want to keep playing the underdog card. They’re wrestling like a team that’s hungry to prove itself, which has led to this recent resurgence.

“When we’re expected to lose, that’s just more incentive for us,” sophomore Jake Breyer said. “We’re not rebuilding — we’re built now. We’re definitely not done yet, but I feel like we’ve come a long way from what we were expected to do.”

Thursday’s 41-30 win over Pearl River, the Division 2 dual meet champion, was yet another signature moment for North Rockland. This came exactly one week after the Red Raiders upset rival Suffern in the semifinals of the Division 1 Dual Meet tournament.

“We came in thinking it was going to kind of be like Suffern, where it could go either way,” junior Mike Corlette said. “As you could see, it was pretty close in the end, but we pulled through.” The key for North Rockland was limiting the damage against the Pirates’ middleweights, which feature three former section champs in Jack Chesman, Sean McGarvey and Anthony Malfitano, as well as a strong class of upcoming sophomores.

Corlette (120 pounds), Breyer (126), Justin Moronta (138) and John Uce (145) won crucial swing matches, while Mike Criscione (152) and Chris Cruger (170) kept it close enough in losses against Chesman and Malfitano, respectively, to avoid a big deficit.

“I knew for us to win tonight, we had to keep their bonus points off the board,” North Rockland coach Jeff Swick said. “They have some really talented guys, and a couple of them matched up with our better wrestlers.

We were able to only lose by decision. They were in the match, fighting hard and they didn’t make any mistakes to get put to their back.”

By the time they got to 182 pounds, the Red Raiders were trailing by a manageable margin of 24-17 and ready to make their run. Wins from Tim Henion (182), David Barreles (195) and Pat Fenton (220) put them on top, setting up Joe Henion (99) and C.J. McMonegal (106) to seal the win with a couple of pins.

Joe Henion and McMonegal remain unbeaten and represent the strength of North Rockland’s lineup.

“The old saying is, ‘Steel sharpens steel,’ ” Swick said. “C.J. is a high-level wrestler and Joe is in the room battling with him. It’s certainly showing this year because he’s made a huge improvement since last year.” The win sends the Red Raiders into the holiday break on a high note, but they know there is still much to be done if they want to regain the status of the teams that won back-toback Section 1 titles in 2013-14.

“I remember hearing about (former wrestlers) Blaise (Benderoth) and (Anthony) Sulla,” Corlette said.

“They were dominant, but then they left. We really had to step it up. North Rockland is pretty prideful, and we just want to be on top.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog JANUARY 2, 2017

WRESTLING: RESULTS FROM THE O’CONNELL TOURNAMENT

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano Michael O’Connell Tournament Wednesday, Dec. 28 At Pearl River Team key: Ardsley-Dobbs Ferry (ADF); Byram Hills (BH); Croton-Harmon (CH); East Ramapo (ER); Lehigh (Leh); Nanuet (Nan); Nyack (Ny); Pearl River (PR); Sleepy Hollow (SH); Tappan Zee (TZ) Finals 99 – Aidan Canfield (ADF) pin Elijah Whitehead (ER), 1:35. 106 – Akeem Francis (ER) pin Hugh Durcan (PR), 4:27. 113 – Mark Acheson (TZ) maj. dec. Akif Ahmad (Nan), 9-0. 120 – Nick Gjelaj (TZ) pin Cody Massa (Nan), 2:32. 126 – Luca Errico (BH) pin Bryam Huayllasaca (SH). 132 – Dylan Urban (PR) dec. Thomas Barsuch (CH), 8-6. 138 – Emmet McCann (PR) tech. fall Dylan Conway (PR), 20-4. 145 – Jack Chesman (PR) pin Larson Larame (ER), 1:26. 152 – Sean McGarvey (PR) inj. def. Zy Roscoe (ER). 160 – Kevin Borden (SH) pin Tyler Stach (Ny). 170 – Anthony Malfitano (PR) pin Jhavon Innocent (ER), 1:34. 182 – Daniel Price (Ny) pin Nate Moncy (Nan). 195 – Josh Jean-Baptiste (ER) dec. Chris Colombo (CH), 4-2. 220 – Gannon Duffy (PR) dec. Tyler Rodriguez (Leh), 8-3. 285 – Eddie Jimenez (SH) pin Tyler DiLorenzo (PR), 1:28.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog JANUARY 11, 2017

D1 CHAMPION JOHN JAY TAKES DOWN D2 CHAMP PEARL RIVER

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano CROSS RIVER - With much of its team fighting its way back from a stomach bug and only two days to go before one of the biggest tournaments of year, few would have criticized John Jay for taking a cautious approach into Wednesday’s dual meet against visiting Pearl River. But that’s just not how this Indians’ team is wired. They trotted out their full lineup and won by a comfortable 45-21 margin, and even that didn’t satisfy the reigning Division 1 champs.

“We just really expect more from ourselves,” senior Ray Cotto said. “We all put in so much work, and it sounds unreasonable, but we expect nothing but perfection from ourselves. None of us are perfect — almost everyone on this team has at least one loss on his or her record — but the goal for this team is perfection. And you’re not going to achieve perfection unless you’re striving for it.”

Thanks to the new power league alignment, John Jay and Pearl River were able to face-off for the first time in recent memory. The matchup also pitted the Division 1 dual meet champs against the winner in Division 2, making it a de facto championship for Section 1.

“There were no easy matches,” Pearl River coach Grier Yorks said. “It was nice that the small school champs met the big school champs. They were better than us, but we gave a good account of ourselves. There’s no question, they can crown themselves as the best team in the section.”

The Indians opened with wins from Julianna Duva (99 pounds) and Chris Cook (106), but the Pirates won the next three matches to take a brief 12-9 lead. Brian Roberts (113) and Dante Simeti (120) were expected to win, but Vlad Sidorenko pulled off the most notable upset of the day at 126 pounds. The sophomore outlasted Matt Kramer, an All-Section junior, with a 6-5 decision.

“I really didn’t think he was going to beat that kid,” Yorks said. “Kramer is better than him on paper — there’s no doubt about it — but you wrestle on the mat.”

John Jay bounced back with wins from Louie Cree (132) and Cotto (138) and wouldn’t relinquish the lead from there. The most highly-anticipated match came at 152 pounds, where Princeton-bound senior Conor Melbourne squared off against Pearl River’s super sophomore Jack Chesman. Melbourne prevailed with a 7-2 decision, but he was still critical of his performance. After reaching the finals of the Eastern States Classic last season, Melbourne wants to be at his best heading into the prestigious tournament this weekend.

“I got an early takedown, but I didn’t wrestle that great of a first period,” he said. “Jack is a really tough kid, though, and I turned it up a little bit in the second period with a nice takedown and some back points. But I’m looking ahead to Eastern States, and I need to wrestle better than I did today.”

The Indians finished with wins from Evan Frank (195), Halil Gecaj (220) and Bim Gecaj (285) to seal Pearl River’s fate. The Pirates were left holding their breath after 160-pounder Steve Connelly landed awkwardly on his neck and had to be taken away in an ambulance. Thankfully, the injury didn’t sound as bad as it looked.

“He got his back bent over, a hyper-extension,” Yorks said. “The trainer found a really tender spot right on the spine. He’s moving his hands and feet, and most likely he’s fine. It could be where the muscle inserts in that spot. But once you get tenderness in the spine, you don’t take a chance. They made the absolute right call.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog JANUARY 13, 2017

WRESTLING: SECTION 1 SENDS 18 TO THE EASTERN STATES QUARTERFINALS

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano LOCH SHELDRAKE – C.J. McMonegal felt like somewhat of a forgotten wrestler heading into Friday’s Eastern States Classic at Sullivan Community College. The North Rockland sophomore took an unexpected loss at the Shoreline tournament last week before dropping down from 106 pounds to 99 for the premier high school tournament in the region. He entered as the No. 13 seed and made his way into the round of 16, where he was pitted against fourth-seeded Dennis Robin of Arlington. It was his chance to prove that one loss wouldn’t define his season.

“I couldn’t wait,” McMonegal said after winning a 3-0 decision. “That was on my mind all day. Even after my first match, I just wanted to wrestle Denny and show everybody in the section what’s up. That’s what I did.”

McMonegal was one of three local wrestlers to advance to the quarterfinals at 99 pounds, which was more than any other weight class. He’ll be joined by Port Chester freshman Ivan Garcia and Yorktown eighth-grader Chris Perry.

“I’m going back to 106 (after this weekend),” McMonegal said. “I didn’t get enough weigh-ins in (at 99) and I had a tough time dropping down for this. But 99 is loaded in Section 1 with Ivan, Denny, Garrett (Semenetz) and (Matthew) Schreiber.” In total, 18 wrestlers from Section 1 punched their tickets to the quarterfinals on Saturday morning. Two of them will meet head-to-head when top-seeded Grant Cuomo of Brewster wrestles New Rochelle sophomore Jake Logan at 160 pounds.

“It’s what I came here for,” Logan said of seeking quality competition. “We did wrestle over the summer and he beat me pretty good, but I’ve gotten a lot better since then. So has he, but I know what he’s going to do this time. I feel like I have a pretty good shot.”

No local team had as many breakthrough into the quarters as John Jay, which spent the day near the top of the team standings. The Indians will send Conor Melbourne (152 pounds), Evan Frank (182), Halil Gecaj (220) and Bim Gecaj (285) into the next round.

Bim Gecaj got a shot to see one of his top competitors from Section 1, East Ramapo senior Jahkem Collins-Martinez, in the round of 16. He sent a message that’s the section title favorite with a third-period pin.

“I got to feel him out before sectionals at one of the biggest tournaments of the year,” Gecaj said. “There’s a good opportunity for me here. I’m going to have a tough match tomorrow against the guy from Amityville (Deonte Wilson). He’s no joke. He’s athletic and shoots a lot.”

One of the lowest seeds from Section 1 to make it into the quarterfinals was Putnam Valley senior Satoshi Abe, who entered at No. 15 at 126 pounds. He pulled out a 4-3 decision over Danbury’s Kyle Fields in the round of 16 and is embracing the underdog role.

“I wasn’t worried about my seed coming in because I have had close matches and some wins over a few of the top seeds in my bracket,” Abe said. “I knew I would be right up with the top seeds. But yes, I’m definitely feeling excited to continue busting my bracket.”

Pearl River senior Anthony Malfitano also survived a one-point match to reach the quarters at 170 pounds, a 6-5 decision over North Adirondack’s Austin Trombley. Next up, he’ll take his shot at top-seeded Tyler Barnes of Ballston Spa.

“I try not to look at my competition too much – just go out there and wrestle,” Malfitano said. “We’ll see what I can do.”

Other Section 1 wrestlers who will compete in the quarterfinals include John Jay-East Fishkill senior Randy Earl (126), Fox Lane junior Matt Grippi (145), Ketcham senior Isaac Matthews (160), New Rochelle senior Jordan Wallace (170), Edgemont senior Cliffton Wang (182), Nanuet senior Connor Breit (195) and Beacon senior Kyle Davis (195). Earl will be going for career win No. 200 in the quarters, which are scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog JANUARY 28, 2017

WRESTLING: SENIORS LEAD SUFFERN TO 3RD-STRAIGHT ROCKLAND COUNTY TITLE

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano ORANGEBURG – Based on the career resume of his opponent, Brian Nicpon shouldn’t have had a chance to win the 152-pound final at Saturday’s Rockland County Championships. But thankfully for the Suffern senior, the match wouldn’t be won on past accomplishments.

A decided underdog against two-time Section 1 champ Sean McGarvey of Pearl River, Nicpon’s 3-1 decision put an exclamation point on the Mounties’ third consecutive county title. It also sent a clear message to the rest of the section that he’s ready to compete with all-comers in the final weeks of the season.

“In my head, I was like, ‘You just have to go at this kid,’ ” Nicpon said. “He was up in weight. I don’t know how much he weighed, but I knew he was a lot lighter than me. I knew I could use my size and strength to my advantage, and just go after him.”

Nicpon was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and was one of three champs for Suffern, along with fellow seniors Dean Artrip (120 pounds) and Peter Oliveto (138). Artrip’s bout in the finals ended abruptly when he landed on his head and appeared to briefly lose consciousness. With the scored tied at 4-4, a slam was called on his opponent, Tappan Zee junior Nick Gjelaj, which resulted in a disqualification and win for Artrip.

“That was very scary, especially knowing Dean,” Nicpon said. “He can deal with pain, but I’ve never seen him like that. When I was warming up, I was thinking about him and what could have been happening.”

Pearl River edged North Rockland for second place in the team standings and crowned three champs — Dylan Urban (132), Jack Chesman (145) and Anthony Malfitano (170). Urban’s win was especially noteworthy because he was trailing Suffern junior Pat Canty by two points when he caught him with a pin.

“The only thing going through my mind was, ‘I have to take him down,’ ” the sophomore said. “I did not expect (the pin), and just that feeling rushing through you as soon as I heard the slap, it was just amazing.

That win was really big for me.”

North Rockland and East Ramapo matched Suffern and Pearl River with three champs apiece, with North Rockland dominating some of the lighter weights. Jake Breyer won at 126 pounds after Joe Henion (99) and C.J. McMonegal (106) started off the finals with back-to-back wins. It was the second county title for McMonegal, whom Henion credited for his rapid development this season.

“I’ve been working hard in the room with my partner, C.J.,” he said after pinning Suffern’s Laurence Koodin in the finals. “We drill live and go 100 percent. If I’m doing something wrong, he’ll show me my mistake. He teaches me moves and he’s been a really good partner for me.”

East Ramapo had its success in the heavier weight classes, with seniors Jhavon Innocent (182), Josh Jean-Baptiste (220) and Jahkem Collins-Martinez (285) earning titles. Jean-Baptiste and Collins-Martinez survived overtime nail-biters, while Innocent squeaked out a 4-3 decision over Nyack senior Daniel Price.

Innocent beat Price by a more comfortable margin at last weekend’s Kohl Invitational, but a lingering shoulder injury has been difficult to overcome.

“My shoulder started to give out at the end of the match,” he said. “It’s very frustrating. Football messed me up, but I feel like it’s something I can work through. I beat the second and third ranked guys, so all I’ve got to beat is one more guy (John Jay’s Evan Frank).”

Clarkstown North had two champs in Ryan Cox (160) and Chris Marchena (195), while Tappan Zee had one winner in front of the hometown crowd. Junior Mark Acheson picked up a 3-0 decision in the finals against Nanuet’s Akif Ahmad, his third win over him this season, and looks like a viable section title contender at 113 pounds.

“I think I can win it,” he said. “It’s an open weight class, and I feel like I’m the best kid there.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBUARY 10, 2017

WRESTLING: NO SURPRISES ON DAY 1 OF THE D2 TOURNAMENT

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano SCARSDALE - Upsets were few and far between on the first day of the Division 2 (small school) wrestling championships at Edgemont High on Friday. And even in the rare instances when the lower seed prevailed, there wasn’t much to be surprised about. Edgemont senior Andy Williams was a prime example. Seeded sixth at 120 pounds, he won a 4-2 decision in overtime against third-seeded Cody Massa of Nanuet in the quarterfinals.

But Williams knew there wasn’t much separation between him and the rest of the bracket.

“I’m here to have fun,” Williams said. “I don’t really think about the seedings all that much. I’ve wrestled a few of these guys before, so I know what it’s like. I lost to the No. 1 seed (Pleasantville’s Victor Perlleshi) in overtime two weeks ago, so I know I’m right there.”

Williams was one of only two wrestlers seeded outside of the top five to advance to the semifinals, which will begin at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday back at Edgemont. The other was Pawling freshman Alex Santana at 99 pounds, but his win was even more predictable. Despite being seeded sixth, Santana is considered the favorite after beating his teammate, top seed Jerome Scott, during the regular season.

“Seed doesn’t matter much to me because if you have a lot of technique, you can win as an underdog,” said Santana, who won his quarterfinal with a 7-3 decision over Aidan Canfield of Ardsley/Dobbs Ferry. “Being seeded first would have been nice, but now I can get some of the tougher matches out of the way earlier.” The lack of drama on Friday should lead to plenty of it on Saturday.

An argument can be made that the most competitive weight class is 132 pounds, where each of the top four seeds has previously reached the section finals. The top two seeds, Putnam Valley teammates Jared Eliopoulos and Kyle Sams, are defending champs, with Sams having defeated third-seeded Dylan Urban of Pearl River for the title last year. Sams also beat Urban earlier this season, but the Pirates’ sophomore was anxious for a shot at redemption.

“The semis tomorrow against Sams is going to be a battle,” Urban said. “I’ve gotten my butt kicked a couple of times, but I’m going in there to win. That’s my mindset for all of my matches. If you go in there thinking, ‘I’m going to lose,’ the match is over. You shouldn’t have even stepped on the mat.”

Another weight class without a clear favorite is 160 pounds. The top two seeds, Pawling’s Paul Bellucci and Putnam Valley’s Robbie Velichko, have yet to wrestle, which adds to the uncertainty. Velichko has been overlooked at times on a team which features five former section champs, but he’ll have a chance to put his name on the map with a title.

“I’ve been wrestling the majority of my life, and things are finally starting to come together at the right time,” the senior said. “I’ve had great people to support me, and I have a great family. I also have great teammates who are almost like my coaches because they’re so talented.”

Most other weight classes have established frontrunners, including 113 pounds with Putnam Valley junior Mikey Bruno. But Nanuet senior Akif Ahmad, the No. 2 seed, has come on strong this season and is itching for an opportunity to prove himself.

“Anything can happen,” Ahmad said. “You just have to be better than that guy for one day. I’m confident and I think I can do well. I’m a senior so I want to end in a good way.”

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBRUARY 14, 2017

MEET THE CHAMPS: PEARL RIVER’S JACK CHESMAN

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

JACK CHESMAN School: Pearl River Year: Sophomore Weight class: 145 pounds in Division 2 What made you want to try wrestling? Some of my friends wrestled while I was in Elementary School and my dad wrestled.

What is it that you love about the sport? I love the satisfaction of winning a really tough match and how much you have to think and know about how your opponent’s body is going to move.

What are some of the most difficult aspects of it? Some of the most difficult aspects of wrestling is making weight and figuring out how you’re going to beat tough guys.

What was the most challenging moment of the season for you? The most challenging moments in my season were wrestling up to face good wrestlers.

What was going through your mind when you had your hand raised as a section champ? That I need to lay down.

How would you describe yourself on the mat? Determined and methodical.

And off of the mat? Nice and also determined.

When you’re not wrestling, what are you usually up to? When I’m not wrestling, I play the guitar and I pole vault.

What will be your first meal after wrestling season is over? I kinda eat whatever I want already.

Got any good jokes?

Q: What do you call a bird by the sea?

A: A seagull.

Q: What do you call a bird by the bay?

A: A bagel.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBURARY 19, 2017

MEET THE CHAMPS: PEARL RIVER’S ANTHONY MALFITANO

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

ANTHONY MALFITANO School: Pearl River Year: Senior Weight class: 170 pounds in Division 2 What made you want to try wrestling? In seventh grade the gym teachers brought us into the wrestling room and showed us a video all about the sport. So I figured why not give it a try.

What is it that you love about the sport? It’s both an individual and team sport at the same time. What you do off the mat is directly shown through what you do on the mat.

What are some of the most difficult aspects of it? Cutting weight (something I don’t do), staying healthy through the whole season and some of the practices.

What was the most challenging moment of the season for you? Losing in the quarterfinals of Eastern States to the 1-seed.

What was going through your mind when you had your hand raised as a section champ? I wonder what the Section 1 gear’s going to look like?

How would you describe yourself on the mat? Focused.

And off of the mat? Nice.

When you’re not wrestling, what are you usually up to? Chilling at home, maybe playing some Xbox.

What will be your first meal after wrestling season is over? My diet will stay the same. I just eat whatever I see.

Got any good jokes?

A father tomato and a baby tomato are running around the track The baby started falling behind The father ran over to him, stepped on him and said, KETCHUP! - Grier Yorks 51

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBRUARY 22, 2017

MEET THE CHAMPS: PEARL RIVER’S SEAN MCGARVEY

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano

SEAN MCGARVEY School: Pearl River Year: Senior Weight class: 152 pounds in Division 2 What made you want to try wrestling?

When I was younger I played every sport.

Pop Warner in the fall, Little League in the spring and I was too short for basketball so I happened to try wrestling. The rest is history :) What is it that you love about the sport?

I’m a senior now and have a different perspective on the question. When you’re younger, most kids will say, “Winning and getting their hand raised.” I’ve realized that I always loved the great times I’ve had with my teammates during all the trips, camps, duals and tournaments.

What are some of the most difficult aspects of it? Wrestling consumes most of your time, so if you want to be a champion you have to dedicate all your time to wrestling. It’s very demanding.

What was the most challenging moment of the season for you? I dislocated my knee cap and it kept dislocating throughout the season, which made me miss a lot of practice and matches like the Minisink Dual Tournament, the Shoreline Tournament and I had to injury default out of Eastern States.

What was going through your mind when you had your hand raised as a section champ? I was happy that I made it back after a tough season. Also, can’t wait for the section practices and for all the swag we get.

How would you describe yourself on the mat? An animal.

And off of the mat? I’m pretty lazy. I don’t really do much.

When you’re not wrestling, what are you usually up to? I’m usually hanging out with friends and working out.

What will be your first meal after wrestling season is over? I’ve been eating everything I wanted since Easterns, so now I have to drop a few pounds for the golf season.

Got any good jokes? A skeleton walks into a bar and says to the bartender, give me a beer and a mop.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBRUARY 22, 2017

STATES PREVIEW: CUOMO, GRIPPI AND WANG ARE THE BIG THREE

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano The wrestling room at John Jay Middle School has been bustling all week with more than 40 of the best that the Lower Hudson Valley has to offer. In the midst of this organized chaos, there’s been one sparring match that seems to draw more attention than the rest. As they have for the past decade, Fox Lane junior Matt Grippi and Brewster junior Grant Cuomo have been getting after each other with an intensity that’s palpable.

“I was thinking about that the other day, just the fact that Matt and I have been training together for 10 years,” Cuomo said after practice on Monday. “The fact that we’re both around the same weight and the same caliber, it’s made both of us that much better. I’m a big reason why he’s where he is today, and he’s a big reason why I’m where I’m at.” The two became friendly as young pups at Iowa Style Wrestling Club in Somers, developing a strong bond over the course of many practices and tournaments. They share first-place medals from many of those tournaments, and now they’re both heading to Albany with a chance to duplicate the feat on the biggest stage yet.

“Everything is falling into place,” Grippi said. “This is the year. I can feel it.” Grippi and Cuomo, along with Edgemont senior Cliffton Wang, represent the local wrestlers most likely to bring home state titles. You could call them Section 1’s “Big Three.” Grippi will enter this weekend’s NYSPHSAA championships as the No. 1 seed at 152 pounds in Division 1 and Wang is the top seed at 182 pounds in Division 2. Cuomo is No. 2 at 160 pounds in Division 1, behind defending state champ Ryan Ferro of Warwick. But the recent history between Cuomo and Ferro offers some hope that Cuomo could pull off the upset.

They met in the finals of the Shoreline Invitational on Jan. 7, with Cuomo coming out on fire to take a 4-0 lead in the first period. A costly mistake led to a pin from Ferro in the second period, but Cuomo believes that won’t happen again.

“Looking back at that match and looking at the film, it’s pretty clear that I was dominating,” said Cuomo, who went on to win the prestigious Eastern States Classic the following weekend while Ferro sat out due to injury. “I just made one mistake and the match was over. But I’m very confident right now, which is the biggest part of the match — knowing you can win.” Cuomo may be viewed as a slight underdog, but Grippi and Wang are being labeled as favorites.

Grippi, a state finalist last year, already has a 5-2 decision this season over second-seeded David MieleEstrella of North Babylon, but is 1-4 in his career against fourth-seeded Evan Barczak of Monroe-Woodbury.

The good news is that the most recent match was the one that went in Grippi’s favor at the 2015 Carlucci Dual Meet Tournament. This will be Wang’s fourth appearance in the state tournament — he took third at 170 pounds last year — and he picked up a 7-5 overtime decision against second-seeded Doug Simmons of Canastota at Eastern States.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Wang said. “I’m just going to keep going, regardless of the seed. I know a lot of people who have had that No. 1 seed, and their mindset changed. But I’m just trying to keep calm and have fun. I feel great.” Section 1 sent four wrestlers into last year’s state finals, but none were able to capture a title.

As the final part of our states preview, here are the next 10 local wrestlers who I believe can place highly, or even win the whole thing. (Seed, weight and division listed in parentheses.)

Satoshi Abe, Putnam Valley (No. 8 at 126 in D2) — The Lehigh-bound senior has gotten tripped up in his previous two trips to Albany, but he’s considered one of Section 1’s most polished. He’ll likely see top seed Jonathan Gomez of Locust Valley in the quarterfinals, who won Eastern States last month.

Kyle Davis, Beacon (No. 4 at 195 in D1) — This weight class looks wide open considering top seed Sam 53

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

The Lohud Wrestling Blog FEBRUARY 22, 2017 Schuyler of Kings Park did not place last year and wasn’t at Eastern States, where Davis took fifth. Two seed Greg Hodulick of Islip took third at Eastern States, where he beat Davis with a 7-2 decision.

Randy Earl, John Jay-EF (No. 4 at 126 in D1) — The senior seems to be in a good spot after placing fifth at 120 pounds last year. He lost to top seed Justin Vines of Wantagh in the Eastern States semis, a 5-3 overtime decision, and will be itching for a shot at revenge.

Evan Frank, John Jay (No. 4 at 182 in D1) — The Colombia-bound senior got a really tough draw, especially considering he took third at this weight last year. He’s lined up to see two-time champ Louie Deprez of Hilton in the semis.

Ivan Garcia, Port Chester (No. 2 at 99 in D1) — The freshman phenom wrestled the closest match of anyone against top seed Brandon Nunez of John Browne at Eastern States, a 5-3 loss in the quarterfinals. That’s a clear sign that he’s not far off from contending for the title.

Bim Gecaj, John Jay (No. 4 at 285 in D1) — Top seed William Bolia of Fairport is the only wrestler at this weight who has previously placed at states, taking sixth at 220 last year. He beat Gecaj with a 5-0 decision on Jan. 7 and we could see a rematch in the semis.

Halil Gecaj, John Jay (No. 4 at 220 in D1) — The junior is my sleeper pick and finds himself on the favorable side of the bracket. He’s lined up to wrestle top seed Ryan Ellefsen of Goshen in the semis, whom he beat with a 5-0 decision to take third at Eastern States. On the other side, No. 2 Terron Robinson of Walt Whitman is a defending champ and No. 3 Damien Caffrey of John Glenn beat Gecaj with a 6-2 decision in the Eastern States semis.

Anthony Malfitano, Pearl River (No. 7 at 170 in D2) — The senior has the tendency to finish strong and is one of only three returning D2 wrestlers who placed at states last year. He’s lined up to wrestle No. 2 Sean Mosca of Carle Place-Wheatley in the quarters, whom he has yet to wrestle. That could work to Malfitano’s advantage.

Chris Perry, Yorktown (No. 4 at 106 in D1) — The only middle-school champ from Section 1 burst on the scene by placing third at 99 pounds at Eastern States. Top seed Matt Griffin, whom Perry is lined up to wrestle in the semis, was third at states last year at 99 and seventh at 106 at this year’s Eastern States. They’ve yet to wrestle.

Jordan Wallace, New Rochelle (No. 2 at 170 in D1) — The Huguenots’ all-time wins leader has a great chance of getting to the finals. Winning it all will be difficult, though, considering he lost to top seed Tyler Barnes of Ballston Spa with a 12-5 decision in the Eastern States finals. Also look out for Wallace’s teammate Jake Logan at this weight.

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog MARCH 2, 2017

WRESTLING: TOP 10 CONTENDERS FOR THE 2017-18 SEASON

By Vincent Z. Mercogliano Raise your hand if you’re sad that wrestling season is over. I can’t see you, but I’m assuming most of you have your hands up. Sigh.

The wait for next season may feel like an eternity, but that doesn’t mean the conversation needs to stop. Anyone who has followed our #lohudwrestling coverage in recent years knows that I like lists. In that spirit, I’ve decided to do one more top 10 list before we close out the 2016-17 season.

As soon as each season ends, everyone always asks me about the top contenders for the next season. To break it down, I’ve ranked the wrestlers who will return for the 2017-18 season in order of which could contend for state titles. At the very least, I have a strong inkling that these wrestlers — and likely a handful more — will earn AllState honors. Most already have.

To be sure, this isn’t the end of our coverage. I still have a few polls I’ll be asking you all to vote on, as well as our award announcements for both sides of the river. As Pitbull would say, “The party ain’t over.”

Top 10 contenders for 2017-18 1. Grant Cuomo, Brewster — You could make a case for either Cuomo or Fox Lane’s Matt Grippi in this spot.

Both will enter their senior campaigns as returning state finalists and state title front-runners. With two-time state champ Ryan Ferro of Warwick graduating, the path appears clear for Cuomo. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at 170 pounds after wrestling at 160 for his junior season, so it’s worth keeping an eye on Ballston Spa’s Tyler Barnes. He’s the reigning champ at 170 and will be a senior next year, but he could also be heading for 182 pounds.

2. Matt Grippi, Fox Lane — Like Cuomo, the wrestler who beat Grippi in the finals – Plainview’s Peter Pappas – is graduating. I would expect Grippi to either stay at 152 pounds or move up to 160, but the lingering question is where will three-time state champ Frankie Gissendanner of Penfield end up? Grippi lost to him by two points in the Eastern States finals, which proved he’s not that far off. But if he ends up in the same weight class as Gissendanner next year, that would certainly complicate things.

3. Halil Gecaj, John Jay — The 220-pounder did not have the state tournament that he envisioned, which was mainly because of a mistake in his first match that made the rest of the weekend an uphill battle. But don’t forget that Gecaj took third at Eastern States and that his weight class was loaded with seniors. Champion Zach Knightonward of Uniondale, as well as the rest of the wrestlers who placed ahead of Gecaj, will all graduate this spring. If he remains at 220, Gecaj will be the guy to beat.

4. Jack Chesman, Pearl River — After taking third in the state as a sophomore, Chesman ensured that he’ll be a name to watch in the next two years. Both wrestlers who placed ahead of him at 145 pounds – Central Valley Academy’s Tanner Cook and South Seneca’s Adam Wagner – are graduating, as well as 152-pound champ Hunter Richard of Holland Patent. A trip to the finals, and perhaps even a title, should be within Chesman’s grasp.

5. Jake Logan, New Rochelle — Another extremely talented sophomore who has been exposed to high-level 55

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The Lohud Wrestling Blog MARCH 2, 2017 (Continued) competition from a young age, Logan is coming off of a fourth place finish at 170 pounds. We’ll see if he remains at that weight or continues to grow, but he’ll be a force no matter where he is. Two names for him to watch are Barnes, the defending champ at 170, and fellow Section 1 standout Grant Cuomo.

6. Chris Perry, Yorktown — It’s hard to believe he’s not even in high school yet, but Perry is already earning respect around the state. He placed at both Eastern States and states, making him arguably the most successful middle-schooler from Section 1 since Somers grad and current Cornell All-American Brian Realbuto. He’ll have the rare opportunity to achieve five-time All-State status. The question is, how much will the 106-pounder grow this offseason?

7. Ivan Garcia, Port Chester — A heartbreaking ultimate-tiebreaker loss in the state semifinals cost Garcia a trip to the finals, but it was a still a memorable year for the freshman. He’s another one of these wrestlers who competed on a national stage from a young age, which allowed him to step right onto the varsity roster and make waves. His future is incredibly bright.

8. Len Balducci, Pleasantville — In his first trip to Albany, Balducci had one of the signature moments for Section 1 with his third period pin of South Jefferson’s Matt Garland in the quarterfinals. Making it to the semifinals and placing fourth gives him something to build on. And with a family history of wrestling success and three more years of eligibility, Balducci is a name to remember.

9. Dennis Robin, Arlington — Along with Perry, Garcia and Balducci, Robin forms a four-headed monster of Section 1 wrestlers who earned All-State honors as freshman (or younger). Like the others, it will be interesting to see how much Robin grows this offseason. If he remains at a lighter weight class, he has the potential to do some real damage.

10. Kyle Sams, Putnam Valley — There were lots of great choices for the final spot on this list – John JayEast Fishkill’s Tyler Albis, Byram Hills’ Luca Errico, Horace Greeley’s Aaron Wolk and Sams’ teammate Mikey Bruno come to mind – but I’ll give the edge to the soon-to-be senior who should be making his fourth trip to Albany next year.

He’s the only one from that group who placed at states this year, and three of the five who placed ahead of him – including champ Dane Heberlein of Alexander – are graduating.

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 STATES

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 STATES ANTHONY MALFITANO, SENIOR

58

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 STATES JACK CHESMAN, SOPHOMORE

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 STATES SEAN McGARVEY, SENIOR

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 Rank

100 WIN CLUB

First

Last

Year

Wins

1

Phil

Donnelly

1993

155

2

John

Coffey

2008

151

3

John

Muldoon

2014

148

4

Jeff

Allison

2007

145

5

Sean

McGarvey

2017

141

6

Matt

Homenick

2001

135

7

Jake

Kurzhals

2016

132

8

James

Kelly

2015

123

9

Joe

Lieberman

2010

117

10

Rob

Gullo

2014

114

11

Jack

Chesman

2019

113

12

Jim

O'Connell

1985

110

13

Shawn

Logue

2006

109

14

Joe

Damiani

2002

107

14

Keith

Cervone

2004

107

15

Anthony

Malfitano

2017

106

16

Brad

Batista

1987

103

17

Mike

Picozzi

1985

102

17

Anthony

Raimone

2008

102

Rank

First

40+ CAREER VARSITY WINS Last

Year

Wins

1

Phil

Donnelly

1993

155

2

John

Coffey

2008

151

3

John

Muldoon

2014

148

4

Jeff

Allison

2007

145

5

Sean

McGarvey

2017

141

6

Matt

Homenick

2001

135

7

Jake

Kurzhals

2016

132

8

James

Kelly

2015

123

9

Joe

Lieberman

2010

117

10

Rob

Gullo

2014

114

11

Jack

Chesman

2019

113

12

Jim

O'Connell

1985

110

13

Shawn

Logue

2006

109

14

Joe

Damiani

2002

107

14

Keith

Cervone

2004

107

15

Anthony

Malfitano

2017

106

16

Brad

Batista

1987

103

17

Mike

Picozzi

1985

102

17

Anthony

Raimone

2008

102

18

Mike

Sullivan

1989

96

18

Eric

Tibere

1988

96

19

Joe

Cinquemani

1986

93

20

Dylan

Urban

2019

92

61

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 40+ CAREER VARSITY WINS (CONTINUED) Rank

First

Last

Year

Wins

21

Tim

Gorman

1987

90

22

Anthony

DeGeorge

2002

87

22

John

Scanlon

1969

87

23

Drew

D'Agostino

1985

86

23

Doug

Richardson

2004

86

24

Scott

Saunders

1999

85

24

Peter

Dene

1998

85

24

Nunzio

DeGregorio

1985

85

24

Terry

Bach

1999

85

25

Kevin

Keenan

1976

84

26

Steve

Malfitano

1988

81

27

Nick

Simeti

2014

79

27

Bob

Bessette

1974

79

28

Joe

Cipriani

2002

78

29

Lou

Conway

1971

76

29

Billy

Allison

2004

76

29

Steve

Moreno

2013

76

30

Mike

O'Brien

2006

75

31

Bill

Coffey

2001

73

31

Darren

Daproza

1995

73

32

Sean

Carmody

1991

72

33

Tom

Lynn

1976

70

33

Ryan

Logue

2003

70

34

Peter

Wasserman

1992

69

35

Evan

Wasserman

1988

68

36

Edgar

Daproza

1993

66

36

Keith

Pergola

2004

66

37

Kenta

Umezaki

2011

65

38

Chris

Roberts

1987

64

39

Dermot

Hogan

2000

62

39

Paul

Ferraris

1996

62

39

Bobby

Whiting

2008

62

40

Shawn

Failing

1991

61

41

Kean

Farsetta

1976

60

41

Paul

Farsetta

1971

60

41

Ian

Cervone

2002

60

41

John

Thompson

2007

60

42

Dean

Campbell

1996

59

43

Mike

Batista

1985

57

43

Tim

Hartigan

1980

57

44

Jimmy

Emsworth

2010

55

45

Brian

Roberts

2019

54

45

Bryan

Kondracki

2014

54

45

Bob

Forster

1975

54

62

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017

40+ CAREER VARSITY WINS (CONTINUED) Rank

First

Last

Year

Wins

45

Cameron

Bruzzi

2011

54

46

Mike

Urban

1979

52

46

Mike

Cinquemani

1990

52

47

Dante

Simeti

2019

50

47

Dixie

Marich

1978

50

47

Ray

Folmer

1985

50

48

Vlad

Sidorenko

2019

49

49

Gibby

Sweet

1968

48

49

Matt

Weiner

2005

48

49

Pat

Hogan

2012

48

49

Chris

Flynn

2013

48

50

Ron

Valerio

1989

47

51

Chris

Shanley

1987

46

51

Marc

Kroenung

1991

46

51

Kyle

Hartigan

2011

46

52

Emmet

McCann

2019

45

52

Jim

Donovan

1983

45

52

Chris

Chesman

1982

45

53

Tyler

DiLorenzo

2018

43

54

Jason

Ramirez

1989

42

54

Jim

Hohmann

1971

42

54

Geoff

McElroy

1997

42

54

Adam

O'Gorman

2000

42

55

Paul

Gousias

1992

40

55

Tom

Hartigan

1991

40

55

Anthony

Battiato

2010

40

55

Grier

Yorks

1980

40

200 POINT CLUB Rank

First

Last

Year

Points

1

John

Coffey

2008

269

2

John

Muldoon

2013

267

3

James

Kelly

2013

259

4

Shawn

Logue

2006

246

5

Matt

Homenick

2001

238

6

Terry

Bach

1999

236

7

Jack

Chesman

2019

229

8

Jeff

Allison

2005

223

9

Rob

Gullo

2013

220

10

Joe

Damiani

2002

213

11

Jake

Kurzhals

2015

202

12

Ryan

Logue

2003

209

13

Joe

Cinquemani

1986

203

14

Anthony

Raimone

2008

202 63

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 100+ POINTS A SEASON Rank

First

Last

Year

Points

Year

Points

Year

Points

Year

Points

1

John

Coffey

2008

269

2007

224

2006

168

2

John

Muldoon

2013

267

2014

261

2012

193

2011

155

3

James

Kelly

2013

259

2015

175

2014

172

2012

136

4

Shawn

Logue

2006

246

2005

194

2004

129

5

Matt

Homenick

2001

238

2000

231

1999

182

6

Terry

Bach

1999

236

1998

112

1997

111

7

Jack

Chesman

2017

229

2016

163

2015

148

8

Jeff

Allison

2005

223

2006

199

2007

193

2004

158

9

Rob

Gullo

2013

220

2014

208

2012

122

10

Joe

Damiani

2002

213

2001

176

2000

164

11

Jake

Kurzhals

2015

212

2016

202

2014

173

2013

161

12

Ryan

Logue

2003

209

2002

159

13

Joe

Cinquemani

1986

203

1985

102

14

Anthony

Raimone

2008

202

2007

152

2006

135

15

Keith

Cervone

2004

198

2003

182

2002

141

16

Jim

O'Connell

1985

193

1984

154

1983

116

17

Dylan

Urban

2017

189

2014

152

2016

109

2014

106

18

Sean

McGarvey

2013

187

2014

183

2015

182

2017

175

19

Anthony

Malfitano

2016

186

2017

174

2015

175

19

Mike

Sullivan

1987

186

1988

159

1989

121

20

Anthony

DeGeorge

2002

185

2001

160

2000

102

21

Phil

Donnelly

1993

184

1991

157

1992

138

1990

127

22

Joe

Lieberman

2009

183

2007

142

2008

129

23

Doug

Richardson

2002

181

2003

168

24

Joe

Cipriani

2002

179

2001

125

2000

102

25

Brad

Batista

1987

175

1986

143

1985

142

26

Ray

Folmer

1985

173

27

Billy

Coffey

2000

170

2001

161

28

Nunzio

DeGregorio

1984

169

1983

135

29

Billy

Allison

2003

165

2004

141

30

Dermot

Hogan

1999

163

31

Eric

Tibere

1988

162

1986

136

1985

115

32

Mike

Picozzi

1985

161

1984

148

1983

131

33

Drew

D'Agostino

1985

160

1984

159

1983

139

34

Adam

O'Gorman

2000

157

35

Scott

Saunders

1999

156

1998

125

35

Cameron

Bruzzi

2011

156

36

Emmet

McCann

2017

154

36

Marc

Kroenung

1991

154

36

Nick

Simeti

2013

154

2014

153

37

Dean

Campbell

1996

152

1995

136

37

Chris

Flynn

2013

152

37

Bryan

Kondracki

2014

152

64

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 100+ POINTS A SEASON (CONTINUED) Rank

First

Last

Year

Points

38

Sean

Carmody

1991

151

38

David

Avery

2014

151

39

Shawn

Failing

1991

150

40

Vlad

Sidorenko

2017

149

41

Edgar

Daproza

1989

145

42

Tim

Gorman

1987

143

43

Peter

Dene

1998

140

44

Jim

Donovan

1983

139

44

Keith

Pergola

2003

45

Ian

Cervone

46

Darren

47 47

Year

Points

1990

114

1996

132

139

2004

128

2002

136

1994

100

Daproza

1995

135

Steve

Malfitano

1988

134

1987

132

Howie

Kosel

1985

134

47

Tom

Lynn

1976

134

48

Mike

Cinquemani

1990

133

48

Steve

Moreno

2012

133

49

Kenta

Umezaki

2011

130

50

Mike

O'Brien

2006

129

2005

117

50

Bobby

Whiting

2008

129

51

Geoff

McElroy

1997

128

52

Paul

Ferraris

1996

127

53

Brian

Roberts

2016

126

53

Tom

Hartigan

1991

126

54

Ron

Valerio

1989

125

55

Chris

Roberts

1986

122

56

Grier

Yorks

1980

121

56

Kyle

Hartigan

2011

121

57

Dante

Simeti

2017

119

58

Shaun

Carroll

2013

118

59

Matt

Tozer

2000

117

60

Jason

Ramirez

1989

115

60

Chris

Shanley

1986

115

61

Dixie

Marich

1978

111

61

Frank

Farrelly

1994

111

62

Lou

Conway

1971

110

63

Bob

Forster

1975

109

63

Anthony

Battiato

2007

109

64

Jim

Hohmann

1971

107

65

Pete

Wasserman

1989

102

66

Ben

Turk

1997

100

66

Dickie

Lusso

1971

100

Year

Points

1997

119

1986

115

Year

Points

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 SECTION CHAMPS Year

First

Last

Year

First

Last

2017

Sean

McGarvey

1985

Jim

O'Connell

2017

Anthony

Malfitano

1985

Mike

Picozzi

2017

Jack

Chesman

1985

Drew

D'Agostino

2016

Sean

McGavey

1983

Nunzio

DeGregorio

2016

Jake

Kurzhals

1979

Bill

Brundage

2016

Anthony

Malfitano

1975

Kevin

Keenan

2016

Jack

Arnold

1975

Tom

Lynn

2016

Tyler

DiLorenzo

1974

Bob

Bessette

2015

James

Kelly

1974

Jimmer

Murray

2015

Sean

McGarvey

1973

Bill

Allison

2015

Jake

Kurzhals

1971

Jim

Hohmann

2015

Jack

Chesman

1971

Lou

Conway

2014

John

Muldoon

1971

Paul

Farsetta

2013

John

Muldoon

1970

Lou

Conway

2013

James

Kelly

1970

Dickie

Lusso

2007

John

Coffey

1970

Paul

Farsetta

2006

Jeff

Allison

1969

John

Scanlan

2006

Shawn

Logue

1969

John

Hohmann

2005

Jeff

Allison

1968

John

Scanlan

2005

Shawn

Logue

1968

Bill

Sweet

2004

Keith

Cervone

1967

John

Scanlan

2001

Matt

Homenick

1967

Paul

Salierno

1993

Phil

Donnelly

1967

Marshall

Stanton

1992

Phil

Donnelly

1967

Bill

Sweet

1991

Phil

Donnelly

1966

John

Scanlan

1990

Phil

Donnelly

1966

Ray

Ahrens

1988

Mike

Sullivan

1966

Doug

Stuart

1987

Mike

Sullivan

1964

Ray

Ahrens

1987

Brad

Batista

1964

Paul

Salierno

1986

Joe

Cinquemani

Place

First

STATE PLACE WINNERS Last

Weight

Year

1

Bill “Gibby”

Sweet

167

1968

2

Jake

Kurzhals

126

2015

2

John

Scanlon

121

1969

2

James

Hohmann

177

1971

2

Phil

Donnelly

138

1993

2

Shawn

Logue

189

2006

3

Anthony

Malfitano

170

2017

3

Jack

Chesman

145

2017

3

Lou

Conway

138

1970

3

Paul

Farsetta

167

1970

3

Jimmer

Murray

250

1974

66

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 STATE PLACE WINNERS (CONTINUED)

Place

First

Last

Weight

Year

4

John

Scanlan

103

1966

4

Bill

Sweet

167

1967

4

John

Scanlan

121

1968

4

Jim

O'Connell

126

1985

4

Phil

Donnelly

132

1992

4

John

Muldoon

120

2013

5

Jake

Kuzhals

138

2016

5

John

Muldoon

132

2014

5

Bill

Brundage

167

1979

5

Mike

Picozzi

138

1985

5

Joe

Cinquemani

155

1986

5

Phil

Donnelly

126

1991

5

Matt

Homenick

140

2001

5

John

Coffey

145

2008

6

Anthony

Malfitano

152

2016

6

Bob

Bessette

132

1974

6

Brad

Batista

119

1987

6

Mike

Sullivan

96

1987

6

Phil

Donnelly

119

1990

Win %

HIGHEST WINNING %

First

Last

Wins

Losses

Ties

Year

91.58% 91.57% 90.43% 87.57% 86.55% 86.11% 85.37%

John Lou Nunzio John Brad Phil Tom

Scanlan Conway DeGregorio Muldoon Batista Donnelly Lynn

87 76 85 148 103 155 70

8 7 9 21 16 25 12

3 1

1969 1971 1985 2014 1987 1993 1975

85.00% 84.96%

Mike Mike

Picozzi Sullivan

102 96

18 17

1

1985 1989

82.00%

James

Kelly

123

27

2015

81.73% 80.87% 79.04% 78.38% 77.59% 76.67% 76.39% 75.00% 71.25% 70.67%

Drew Joe Jake Jeff Matt Chris Jim Sean Rob Anthony

D'Agostino Cinquemani Kurzhals Allison Homenick Shanley O'Connell McGarvey Gullo Malfitano

85 93 132 145 135 46 110 141 114 106

19 22 35 40 39 14 34 47 46 44

1985 1986 2016 2007 2001 1987 1985 2017 2014 2017 67

Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 PHIL DONNELLY ADDED TO THE ROCKLAND COUNTY HALL OF FAME

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Rockland County Times MARCH 23, 2017 (Continued)

ROCKLAND SPORTS HALL OF FAME TO INDUCT SIX

By Jamie Kempton

The Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame will honor six individuals during its 44th annual induction banquet on Saturday, April 22 at the Pearl River Elks Club in Nanuet. Reception is at 6 p.m. followed by the induction program at 7 p.m.

This year’s roster of inductees includes Al Taylor, Nyack class of 1960; Jerome Whidbee, Nyack class of 1966; Tom Mulroy, Ramapo class of 1974; Phil Donnelly, Pearl River class of 1993; John Castellano, Nyack football coach; and track official Fred Adler, the Joseph Holland Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

“Each year’s class takes on a distinctive character and this year’s group is defined by achievement at the highest echelons of their respective sports,” said Pete Scheibner, Hall of Fame Chairman. “We have athletes who excelled in multiple sports, single-sport stars, and a coach and official who reached state and national prominence. Rockland County continues to produce outstanding athletes year after year, so there is no shortage of qualified candidates for future years.”

Taylor and Whidbee were both three-sport standouts who earned All-County honors in each of their sports. Taylor was one of the top all-round athletes in Rockland in the late 1950s. He was a two-time first-team All-County selection in football on the Nyack Indians’ undefeated 1958 team and RCPSAL co-champion 1959 squad. In basketball, he duplicated those AllCounty honors, led the Rockland PSAL in scoring both years, and broke the season scoring record with 291 points in 1959.

In track, he was the first shot putter in Rockland to break the 50-foot barrier, and ran on the Indians’ County-record-setting 880-yard relay.

Whidbee was the first-team All-Rockland quarterback in 1965, leading Nyack to a share of the RCPSAL title. He also made first-team All-County in basketball and as a shortstop in baseball, and was a varsity starter in both sports for three years.

Whidbee lettered in all three sports at Tennessee State, and later starred for the Rockland Warriors semipro football team and the famed Apollo XII recreation softball team.

Tom Mulroy - Mulroy is one of the most accomplished soccer players Rockland County has ever produced. After leading Ramapo to a County and Section 9 championship as a first-team All-Rockland selection, he earned first-team All-America honors at Ulster County Community College, pacing the Senators to a final four berth in the NJCAA. He then embarked on a 13-year pro career for 13 teams in five indoor or outdoor leagues, including the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League, and now travels the world promoting soccer with his Miami-based sports marketing firm.

Phil Donnelly - Donnelly wrestled his way to four Section 1 titles and four place-winning efforts in the New York State championships. He set a Rockland record (since broken) of 155 career victories and capped his career with a second-place finish at the State meet, encompassing all enrollment classes. A four-sport athlete, Donnelly also won a Sectional title in track & field in the pole vault, and ran on two Section 1 championship cross country teams for Pearl River. He later enjoyed a successful wrestling career at Old Dominion University, an NCAA Division I program.

John Castellano - Castellano is the only Rockland football coach to win two New York State titles, leading Nyack to the Class A crowns in 2000 and 2003. He amassed seven Section 1 championships, 14 league titles, and an overall record of 180-49-1 in 23 seasons, placing him third on the all-time Rockland list for career victories. He was named Rockland County Coach of the Year five times, Section 1 Coach of the Year twice, and had four players named New York State Player of the Year.

He currently coaches at Westlake High School.

Fred Adler - Adler, a 1953 Haverstraw High School graduate, made his mark as a top-rated track official on the high school, college and elite levels for more than 35 years. A master-level official for USA Track & Field, he has worked as a clerk, chief starter and coordinator of officials at numerous open and collegiate national championship meets, the Olympic Trials, Millrose Games, Penn Relays, and many other major events; World Masters, Special Olympics and Paralympics, the Warrior Games at West Point, and a multitude of college and scholastic championship meets.

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 PIRATE HALL OF FAME

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 WE ARE FAMILY

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Pearl River Wrestling 2016-2017 WE ARE FAMILY

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Pearl River Wrestling 2015-2016 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” – Vince Lombardi “Under pressure, you can win with your mind.” – Tiger Woods “The bigger the game the better. I’m an adrenaline junkie. I feed off big crowds and noise.” – Curt Schilling “You can turn a giant into a mouse just by getting him fatigued.

That was my whole game plan.” – Kurt Angle “When I go out there, I like to mark out that area of the mat and own it. I want to dominate. I want to humiliate. I want to show that guy and everyone in the gym that I am the best.“- Peter Yozzo, Lehigh University “Nobody who ever gave their best effort regretted it.” – George Halas

“The attitude, and the mind, is where it all starts.” - John Smith, Olympic Champion “I can take anyone down at anytime; they can’t take me down; no one can ride or turn me; I can control anyone.” – Dan Gable “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Lou Holtz “Winning is a habit, but unfortunately so is losing.” – Vince Lombardi “Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail.” – John C. Maxwell “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” – Albert Einstein 84

w

Pearl River Wrestling 2015-2016 WRESTLING ISMS These isms may come from a coach, teammates, fan or parent. Below is a few of the most common ones you may hear.

“YOUR WAY”- In the neutral (standing position) both wrestlers are seeking to gain a tactical advantage to set up their offensive or takedown. Your Way refers to staying focused on gaining Your Advantage in the set up by forcing your set up on the opponent. For example, a wrestler who prefers to set up his offense by circling his opponent using good hand fighting skills, and body movement, may be at a disadvantage if engaged in a close tie up with a stronger opponent whose is using the tie to setup throws or headlocks.

“PRESSURE!” - Make your opponent feel your determination, physically and psychologically. Always get up one more time or always score one more time.

Press the action in an intelligent manner. Smart wrestlers use constant pressure take advantage of an opponent’s mistakes. This creates excitement and has a tendency to mentally and physically fatigue an opponent.

“RIDE HIM HARD” - This is related to pressure. It might be better to say attack, counterattack, etc. It is simply the attitude of determination to never let up and let your opponent feel your determination to win.

“GET YOUR ONE” - When a wrestler is in a defensive position seeking an escape ( worth one point ) get your one, means get the escape, get to neutral and restart your way to gain advantage.

“TURN HIM” - The ultimate goal in a wrestling match is the fall, or pin. Turn him means expose the defensive wrestlers back to the mat to score more points, and to work towards the fall.

“NO ONE CONTROLS YOU” - The emphasis here is I am either attacking, counterattacking or getting in position to do one or the other. If my opponent is controlling me, he is winning. I must fight with every fiber of my being to be the person in control. I cannot win when my opponent is controlling me.

“DON’T LET UP” - As I indicated before, there are a number of these that are inter-related. In training and competition, always perform at the highest possible level. Take no breaks unless they are part of the training process.

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No Victory Without Sacrifice

By Jake Kurzhals

In the deepest corner of your mind, you go.

You drown out all the others, but one.

You intensely focus on how you are going to dominate your enemy.

You quickly go over set-ups and moves remembering every last detail down to your every breath.

You try to rummage up any and all anger you have in order to become like a predator hunting his prey.

You are up now and completely ready just like your opponent.

Fweeeet! Goes the whistle.

Let the battle begin.

You both go at it. Attack and defend it’s the ultimate game of chess.

The winner will be the one who is more explosive, who wants it more, and practiced the hardest.

After three gruesome periods the damage is done.

You are victorious, but it was a well fought match.

You shake your opponents hand with great mutual respect.

As the referee raises your hand you are full of pride.

Your years of training for only a few glorious minutes on the mat are over and well spent.

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A WRESTLERS MINDSET

By Bob Gullo

Unlike the many other high school sports that our student athletes participate in; from golf, track, tennis, soccer, baseball, or basketball, there are many opportunities recreationally, competitively or even professionally to continue to pursue those sports for a lifetime.

But, for the large majority of High School Seniors, there final Varsity Wrestling Match may be the last time they put on those wrestling shoes and strap on the headgear.

BUT THEY WILL BE A WRESTLER FOREVER. Wrestling transcends the sport itself. One thing I know, when I talk to anyone who wrestled, and it doesn’t matter if the last time they wrestled was 30, 40 or 50 years ago, they talk about wrestling like it was yesterday. Not because they are “living in the past” or as Bruce Springsteen would say “Glory Days” but because Wrestling leaves a lasting impression. It’s that impression that teaches many lessons our athletes will never forget. Lessons and skills that will be used later in life in their chosen careers.

WRESTLING ISN’T JUST A SPORT TO ME, IT’S A WAY OF LIFE, WHICH EXEMPLIFIES: Your Character Your Drive Your Determination Your Motivation Your Desire to improve Your Ability to get up, after you fail Wrestling teaches responsibility Wrestling teaches pride Wrestling teaches self control Wrestling teaches humility WRESTLING TEACHES YOU TO BE THE “MASTER OF YOUR DESTINY” NO TEAMMATE CAN ALTER YOUR OUTCOME. As the wrestling legend Dan Gable said “ONCE YOU’VE WRESTLED, EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE IS EASY.” 87

PIRATE WRESTLING

A Tradition of Excellence EST. 1956

Pearl River High School Rockland County, New York Section One / D2