HIGH SCHOOLS / WRESTLING PREVIEW –Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 22 Dec 1997
League I: Despite Longwood’s revolving door for coaches, the Lions still have enough quality wrestlers to win the title. Scott Conlon, the school’s fourth coach in four years, will lead a team that was voted the top dual-meet and top tournament team in the county. The Lions will be severely tested in a league that gets increasingly tougher with each season. Longwood senior Keith Poloskey (125, 29-2) and Connetquot junior Joe Patrovich (152, 30-3) are the only returning county champions in the largest league by enrollment. Expect Brentwood, Sachem and Patchogue-Medford to be in the mix for the title. All three programs are considered top-10 teams.
Longwood Holiday Tournament
December 13, 1997
Championship Finals
96 – Klinger (Newfield) pinned M. Asciolla (Longwood), 3:17.
103 – Owens (Lwd) pinned Meztak (Walt Whitman), 2:59.
112 – Finnerty (Lwd) pinned Bernholz (Mount Sinai), 5:13.
119 – Ketchum (Lwd) def. Darienzo (Smithtown) by TF, 3:18.
125 – Pinola (MtS) dec. Hillman (Sm), 7-3.
130 – Fabian (Lwd) pinned Torres (WW), 5:05.
135 – Poloskey. (Lwd) dec. Pardini (Sm), 10-0.
140 – Robey (New) pinned Burke (Lwd), 5:12.
145 – Chereskin (Sm) pinned Morbillo (MtS), 5:45.
152 – D. Sable (Lwd) pinned Bachman (Sm), 1:47.
160 – G. Sable (Lwd) pinned Calabro (Sm), 1:23.
171 – Czachor (Lwd) pinned Tucci (MtS), 1:02.
189 – McAleese (Lwd) pinned Schneider (MtS), 1:37.
215 – Burns (Comsewogue) dec. Moore (Lwd), 6-0.
275 – Anerrit (New) dec. Treverton (Sm), 9-0.
Most Outstanding Wrestler: Joey Ketcham (Longwood, 119)
Champion of Champions: Jamie Fabian (Longwood, 130)
Tony Carlucci Memorial Tournament
at Port Chester HS
December 20, 1997
Team Scores
1. Longwood (Lwd) 294
2. Harrison (H) 144.5 – Sec 1
3. Hackley (Hk) 125 – Pvt
4. Port Chester (PC) 123 – Sec 1
5. Mount Vernon (MV) 86 – Sec 1
6. Dobbs Ferry/Hastings (DF) 66 – Sec 1
Championship Finals
96 – Asciola (Lwd) pinned Arcara (H), 1:18
103 – Owens (Lwd) pinned Zampella (H), 2:26
112 – Finnerty (Lwd) pinned Josephson (PC) :40
119 – Ketcham (Lwd) pinned Pineau (H), 2:46
125 – Halinger (Lwd) pinned Caraglino (Hk), 2:41
130 – Fabian (Lwd) pinned Siegel (Hk), 1:38
135 – Poloskey (Lwd) tech.fall H.Friedman (Hk), 19-4
140 – Burke (Lwd) pinned A.Friedman (Hk), 1:31
145 – Vela (H) pinned Tully (Lwd), 1:06
152 – D.Sable (Lwd) pinned Forrest (H) :56
160 – G.Sable (Lwd) pinned Cardenas (PC), 3:20
171 – McLaughlin (MV) pinned Arauso (PC) :49
189 – Renz (Hk) pinned Casteneda (PC) :30
215 – Rabover (H) pinned Moore (Lwd), 3:49
275 – Conto (Lwd) pinned Williams (MV) :49
Most Outstanding Wrestler: Pablo Vela (Harrison, 145)
Mid Hudson Tournament
at Kingston HS
December 29-30, 1997
Team Scores
1. Northern Adirondack 251.5 – Sec 7
2. Longwood 212.5
3. Monroe Woodbury 165 – Sec 9
4. Niskayuna 163 – Sec 2
5. Valley Central 150.5 – Sec 9
6. Averill Park 137.5 – Sec 2
7. Middletown 128.5 – Sec 9
8. Shenendehowa 117.5 – Sec 2
9. Cornwall 114.5 – Sec 9
10. North Babylon 112.5
11. Baldwin 106
12. Colonie 101 – Sec 2
13. Ossining 94.5 – Sec 1
14. Newburgh Free Academy 85 – Sec 9
15. Rondout Valley 74 – Sec 9
New Hartford 74 – Sec 3
17. Arlington 58.5 – Sec 1
18. Onteora 48 – Sec 9
19. East Fishkill-John Jay 44.5 – Sec 1
20. Kingston 43.5 – Sec 9
21. Washingtonville 37 – Sec 9
22. Ellenville 33.5 – Sec 9
23. Roy C. Ketcham 33 – Sec 1
24. Mahopac 28.5 – Sec 1
25. James I Oneill 19 – Sec 9
26. Ardsley 14.5 – Sec 1
Championship Finals
96 – John Gartiser (MW) dec. Nate Rowe (N), 15-5
103 – Shaun Miller (N) dec. Keith Pickett (ELL), 8-7
112 – Rocco Mansueto (Midd) dec. Mike Ingenueto (NB), 6-2
119 – Phil Mansueto (Midd) dec. Matt Stenglein (Col), 7-1
125 – Pat Griffin (VC) dec. Josh Torres (Shen), 15-5
130 – Joe Malloy (RV) dec. John Curry (NA), 3-2
135 – Keith Poloskey (Long) dec. Greg Parker (Shen), 13-8
140 – Chad Piorier (NSA) pinned John Burke (Long), 1:42
145 – Pat Sansbury (VC) dec. Don Favro (AP), 3-2
152 – Dennis Clark (MW) dec. John Bencivenga (NB), 5-1
160 – George Sabel (Long) dec. David Myatt (NA), 9-1
171 – Dan Perry (NH) dec. Andy Mcleod (MW), 18-6
189 – Rich Downer (VC) dec. Mike Roman (Bald), 8-0
215 – Joe Sahl (VC) dec. Tom Denholm (Oss), 16-6
275 – Bob Hafler (Nisky) pinned Gary Albaugh (Corn), 1:57
Consolation Finals
96 – Marsch (NA) dec. Peck (VC), 5-1
103 – Trombley (NA) dec. Edwards (Corn), 3-0
112 – Finnerty (Long) pinned Benson (VC), 2:03
119 – Ketcham (Long) dec. Dellauniversita (NB), 3-0
125 – Roberro (RCK) dec. McDonald (NA), 3-1 OT
130 – Effner (Oneill) dec. Tompkins (Arl), 2-1
135 – Rosenberger (NFA) dec. Bushey (NA), 16-6
140 – North (Nisky) dec. Dunno (MW), 13-4
145 – Horner (Nisky) dec. D’amboise (Shen), 4-2
152 – Tornambe (Oss) dec. Phillips (Midd), 10-2
160 – Collabella (MW) pinned Siegman (Shen), 2:58
171 – Pra (RV) dec. Kaneg (AP), 10-8
189 – McAleese (Long) dec. Labarge (NA), 10-4
215 – Larow (Nisky) dec. Moore (Long), 6-3
275 – Dewillers (Col) dec. Mcnally (Bald), 10-5
Longwood 53, Patchogue-Medford 10
103 – Owens (L) d. Slaughter, 7-0. 112 – Finnerty (L) p. Bonfiglio, 5:12. 119 – Ketchum (L) d. McNeill, 13-3. 125 – Abbott (PM) d. Halinar, 14-6. 130 – Fabian (L) d. Mentz, 3-2. 135 – Polosky (L) def. Franco by TF, 5:58. 140 – Weilder (PM) p. Tulley, 1:07. 145 – Burke (L) d. Chavez, 10-4. 152 – Sable (L) p. Isselbacher, 3:22. 171 – Czachor (L) d. Broderick, 13-4. 189 – McAleese (L) p. DellaRocco, 5:38. Forfeits by: PM (160, 215).
Longwood 50, Newfield 30
96 – Klinger (N) p. Asciolla, 3:52. 103 – Owenz (L) p. Peterson, 2:48. 112 – Santoro (N) p. Brown, :38. 119 – Ketcham (L) p. Graney, 3:36. 125 – Halinar (L) d. Bretzfield, 20-8. 130 – Fabian (L) d. Montenarello, 6-0. 135 – Poloskey (L) def. Hall by TF, 4:00. 140 – Burke (L) p. D. Robey, 1:31. 145 – R. Robey (N) p. Tully, 3:25. 152 – Amman (N) d. D. Sable, 9-6. 160 – G. Sable (L) p. Deniro, :11. 171 – Lods (N) d. Fanning, 11-9. 189 – McAleese (L) p. Insalaca, :13. 215 – Moore (L) p. Cappozzoli, :37. 275 – Merritt (N) p. Couto, 1:17. Jan. 11
Longwood Is Dominant:
By Matthew Ciesluk. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 15 Jan 1998
Two undefeated teams. A boisterous crowd. Suffolk County’s No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams. And one of Long Island’s best wrestling rivalries.
Longwood and Sachem went head-to-head last night to add another chapter to their illustrious rivalry.
Last year, Sachem used some late heroics to knock off Longwood. But the Lions made sure history didn’t repeat itself this time. Host Longwood showed why it is still the team to beat in ever-demanding League I.
The Lions, the reigning Suffolk champion, won in dominating fashion, 44-21, by claiming nine of 13 bouts.
“I felt like we could dominate the match, but not the way we did,” said Jason Finnerty, who pinned Sachem’s Steve Van Pelt in 2:53 at 112 pounds and extended the Lions’ lead to 11-0. “A lot of guys came through for us tonight.”
Sachem coach Jack Mahoney praised Longwood’s performance.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Mahoney said. “We were looking for the right matchups, but they seemed to go their way.
“They’re a very good team; that’s why they’re ranked No. 1 in the state.”
Longwood (2-0) started out fast, winning six out of the first seven bouts. At 103, Shawn Sylvester blanked Sachem’s Pat Owens, 12-0. After Finnerty’s pin in the second match, Joe Ketcham cruised past Mike Letang, 14-1, at 119 pounds to give Longwood a 16-0 lead.
The Flaming Arrows (1-1) broke Longwood’s momentum at 125 as Steve Varrichio won by technical fall over Tom Halinar at 3:30.
But then Longwood reeled off three straight victories by Jamie Fabian (130), Keith Poloskey (135) and John Burke (140) to take a 29-6 lead.
“We just wanted to come out and wrestle harder,” said Poloskey, who won the County 125-pound title last year. “We didn’t want to have happen what happened last year.”
After Sachem’s Jason Kling decisioned Doug Bennett, 6-1, at 145, Longwood’s Dan Sable won by injury default over Rich Petracca at 152 pounds and George Sable won by technical fall over Derek Hammel at 160 to give the Lions an insurmountable 41-9 advantage.
First-year coach Scott Conlon was pleased with the outcome.
“I was so nervous before the match,” he said. “Coach Mahoney is such a good coach and is crafty when it comes to juggling the lineup. We just have one lineup. And he had plenty to choose from.
“I don’t like tooting my own {horn}. We got dogged last year {losing 24-18}, but we were ready tonight.”
The Flaming Arrows claimed two of the last three matches with pins by Bobby Brady (171) and Jay Mauro (215).
“I don’t know how they keep doing it,” said Mahoney of Longwood’s continued dominance. “I just don’t know.”
Longwood 44, Sachem 21 103 – Sylvester (L) d. Owens, 12-0. 112 – Finnerty (L) p. Van Pelt, 2:53. 119 – Ketcham (L) d. Letang, 14-1. 125 – Varrichio (S) p. Halinar, 3:30. 130 – Fabian (L) d. Zappulla, 5-3. 135 – Poloskey (L) d. Golini, 20-9. 140 – Burke (L) p. Horvath, 3:54. 145 – Kling (S) d. Bennett, 6-1. 152 – D. Sable (L) def. Petracca by inj. default. 160 – G. Sable (L) def. Hammel, by TF, 5:02. 171 – Brady (S) p. Czachar, 5:31. 189 – McAleese (L) d. Karras, 11-6. 215 – Mauro (S) p. Moore, 3:15.
Longwood 67, Connetquot 6
January 16, 1998
119 – Ketcham (Lwd) def. Riviello by TF, 4:00
125 – Halinar (Lwd) def. Zapulla by TF, 5:26
130 – Fabian (Lwd) pinned Coster, 3:06
135 – Poloskey (Lwd) def. Henshall by TF, 4:22
140 – Burke (Lwd) won by injury default on a penalty for Accardi
145 – Kuefner (Con) pinned Bennett, 2:44
152 – D.Sable (Lwd) dec. Linderman, 11-0
160 – G.Sable (Lwd) dec. Patrovich, 11-8
171 – Czachor (Lwd) pinned Hagin, :39
189 – McAleese (Lwd) pinned Grosso, 1:06
215 – Walrond (Lwd) pinned Drayton, 3:27
Forfeits by: C (103, 112)
Longwood 37, Smithtown 30
January 23, 1998
103 – Owens (Lwd) pinned Reilly, 3:48
119 – Ketcham (Lwd) dec. Fiore, 9-1
125 – Halinar (Lwd) dec. Scholz, 9-7
130 – Fabian (Lwd) dec. Angell, 14-8
135 – Polosky (Lwd) dec. Pardini, 19-9
140 – Gordon (Sm) pinned Lake, 3:15
145 – Chereskin (Sm) pinned Bennett, 3:28
152 – D.Sable (Lwd) dec. Turbush, 7-3
160 – G.Sable (Lwd) pinned Bachman, 3:38
171 – Czachor (Lwd) dec. Colabro, 10-8
189 – McAlesse (Lwd) pinned Olsen, 1:19
215 – Puccio (Sm) by disq
275 – Treverton (Sm) pinned Couto, 1:57
Forfeits by: L (112)
‘Pequa Rules The Mat:
Greg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 25 Jan 1998
Defensive fall.
It will be remembered as the main difference in yesterday’s Longwood-Massapequa dual wrestling meet before a standing-room only crowd of 1,100 at Massapequa. By virtue of a shocking pin in the 112-pound weight class, the Chiefs defeated Longwood, 31-22, in a battle of two of Long Island’s best teams.
A certain decision for Longwood’s Jason Finnerty turned into stunning defeat when he pinned himself while in control of Massapequa’s Joe Allen with six seconds left in their 112-pound bout.
Longwood never recovered from the nine-point swing. The Lions were able to tie the team score at 22 after George Sable’s 5:25 pin over Walter Chomicki, but Massapequa reeled off three successive wins to end the meet.
“I had no clue my shoulders were near the mat and there was no indication from the sideline that it was close,” Finnerty said. “I was just riding him out for the win. It was a terrible mistake.”
Finnerty was putting the finishing touches on a spectacular bout with Allen and led 4-0 with 12 seconds left in the final period. He seemed content with the decision. But to the shock of Longwood and the elation of Massapequa, Finnerty relaxed too much and rested his shoulder blades on the mat while in control of Allen as the final seconds ticked away.
“That changed the whole complexion of the match,” Longwood coach Scott Conlon said. “We saw some great matches.”
Massapequa showed it was the better team by winning eight of 13 weight classes. No one was more impressive than Massapequa’s Wes Blauberg (145), who pinned Doug Bennett in 24 seconds.
“In a tough dual like this, if you get caught, you get pinned,” Massapequa coach Gary Mims said. “It teaches kids that they have to keep their focus at all times and concentrate to block out all the distractions.”
Pat Callahan (171) used a third-period takedown in the final 10 seconds to decision Greg Czachor to give Massapequa a 25-22 lead. Tom Katsigiorgis (189) decisioned Steve McAleese, 11-4, and Vinnie D’Agostino (215) sealed the Chiefs’ victory with a 7-0 win over Elroy Walrond.
“This is what everyone wanted to see,” Mims said. “The best teams in the state against each other on the mat. What a great day for the sport.”
And for Massapequa, which downed highly regarded Johnson City of Binghamton, 37-20, in the second half of the double-dual extravaganza featuring four of the top eight teams in the state, it was the perfect way to celebrate the school’s winning tradition.
More than 100 former Massapequa wrestlers returned for alumni day and took in the exciting event. At one point during the opening matches, which wrestled side by side, Johnson City led Freeport 21-20, while Massapequa and Longwood were tied at 22.
“It was everything that it was billed,” Freeport coach Joe Chetti said. “The people got their money’s worth.” And Massapequa came away with bragging rights as the best team in the state.
Massapequa 31, Longwood 22
103 – Limongelli (M) d. Owens, 9-1. 112 – Allen (M) p. Finnerty, 5:54. 119 – A. Czachor (L) p. Lombardo, 3:10. 125 – Ketcham (L) d. Palmisano, 9-3. 130 – LaMagna (M) d. Fabian, 8-1. 135 – Amalfitano (M) d. Lake, 11-4. 140 – Poloskey (L) d. Hamilton, 26-17. 145 – Blauberg (M) p. Bennett, :24. 152 – D. Sable (L) d. Armella, 11-5. 160 – G. Sable (L) p. Chomicki, 5:25. 171 – Callahan (M) d. G. Czachor, 8-4. 189 – Katsigiorgis (M) d. McAleese, 11-4. 215 – D’Agostino (M) d. Walrond, 7-0
Longwood 45, William Floyd 30
January 29, 1998
103 – Owens (Lwd) dec. Carasiti, 11-1
112 – Finnerty (Lwd) TF Walsh, 4:28
119 – Ketchum (Lwd) pinned Kujan, :49
125 – Maurer (WF) TF Halinar, 5:48
130 – Polosky (Lwd) dec. DeOliviera, 20-6
135 – Flores (WF) pinned Fabian, 5:54
140 – Lake (Lwd) pinned Didio, 3L26
145 – Rivera (WF) dec. Bennett, 9-8
152 – DEC. Sable (Lwd) pinned Esposito, 1:31
160 – G. Sable (Lwd) pinned Caiaccia, 3:00
171 – Barone (WF) pinned Czachor, 1:41
189 – MacLeese (Lwd) pinned Randazzo, 1:47
215 – Cicero (WF) dec. Moore, 6-2
275 – Kazanecki (WF) pinned Couto, 1:17
Longwood 51, Mt. Sinai 15
January 30, 1998
103 – Owens (Lwd) dec. Bernholz, 6-4
119 – Ketcham (Lwd) pinned Sioffi, 2:44
125 – Halinar (Lwd) dec. Pinolla, 10-4
130 – Clark (MtS) dec. Fabian, 10-4
135 – Poloskey (Lwd) def. Ftoretveit, 2:20
140 – Gaudio (MtS) pinned Lake, 2:20
145 – Morbillo (MtS) pinned Bennett, :55
152 – D. Sable (Lwd) pinned Aiello, 5:58
171 – G. Sable (Lwd) dec. Tucci, 22-10
189 – McAleese (Lwd) pinned Schneider, :47
215 – Moore (Lwd) dec. Thomas, 6-0
Forfeits: MS (112, 160)
Longwood 33, Brentwood 25
February 6, 1998
103 – Torro (Bwd) dec. Owens, 4-0
112 – Finnerty (Lwd) pinned Jiminez, 1:42
119 – Ketcham (Lwd) pinned Cameau, 1:45
125 – Halinar (Lwd) dec. Thai, 6-1
130 – Vlasquez (Bwd) dec. Fabian, 9-3
135 – Poloskey (Lwd) pinned Santiago, 3:49
140 – Burke (Lwd) dec. Fernandez, 4-1
145 – Gonzalez (Bwd) pinned Bennett, 1:43
152 – Sable (Lwd) dec. Price, 7-3
171 – Guzman (Bwd) dec. Fanning, 8-0
189 – Cuffie (Bwd) dec. Macaleese, 10-6
215 – Irizarry (Bwd) dec. Moore, 7-1
Forfeits by – B (160)
Suffolk League 1 Tournament at Longwood
February 14, 1998
Team scores
1. Longwood 209.5
2. Sachem 196
3. Brentwood 171.5
4. William Floyd 139
5. Smithtown 95.5
6. Ward Melville 88
7. Patchogue-Medford 83
8. Connetquot 46
Brackets
Championship Finals
96 – Starlin Jiminez (BR) pinned Eric Weber (S), 2:24.
103 – Hector Toro (BR) dec. Pat Owens (L), 4-3.
112 – Jason Finnerty (L) dec. John Cicio (F), 6-3.
119 – Joey Ketcham (L) inj dflt. Mike Letang (S).
125 – Ryan Maurer (F) dec. Brad Abbott (PM), 5-2.
130 – Keith Poloskey (L) dec. Greg DeSario (WM), 11-5.
135 – Matt Golini (S) dec. Keith Pardini (SM), 3-1.
140 – Artie Weidler (PM) dec. John Burke (L), 13-4.
145 – Rich Petracca (S) dec. Ed Turbush (SM), 6-2.
152 – Derek Brady (S) dec. Dan Sable (L), 20-13.
160 – Joe Patrovich (C) dec. George Sable (L), 6-4 OT.
171 – Rob Cuffie (BR) dec. Joel Barone (F), 5-2.
189 – Steve McAleese (L) pinned Joe Randazzo (WF), 2:57.
215 – Dave Irizarry (BR) dec. Joe Cicero (F), 3-1 OT.
275 – Jesse Brush (S) dec. Frank Kazanecki (WF), 1-0
Most Outstanding Wrestler: Joe Patrovich (Connetquot).
Most Pins Least Time: Dave Irizarry (Brentwood)
Consolation Finals
96 – Frank Sokolowski (S) pinned Mike Asciolla (L), 4:59.
103 – Josh Slaughter (PM) dec. Rich Reilly (SM), 8-0.
112 – Jay Simon (WM) dec. Jerard Melito (PM), 7-2.
119 – Adam Czachor (L) inj dflt. Steve Fiore (SM).
125 – Gerry Belvedere (WM) dec. Tom Halinar (L), 5-4.
130 – Nick Zappulla (S) dec. Adam DeOliveria (WF), 10-3.
135 – Enrigue Velasquez (BR) dec. Carlos Santiago (BR), 1-0.
140 – Moses Gonzalez (BR) dec. Jason Gordon (SM), 7-5.
145 – Lane Chereskin (SM) dec. John Kuefner (C), 5-0.
152 – Wes Price (BR) dec. Ryan Kosiorowski (WM), 7-5 OT.
160 – Joe Broderick (PM) dec. Matt Moyles (WM), 11-0.
171 – Greg Czachor (L) inj dflt. Shane Ferraro (WM).
189 – Chris Karas (S) dec. Tom Baldwin (BR), 4-2.
215 – Jay Mauro (S) pinned John Paul Deverna (WM), :46.
275 – Randy Treverton (SM)dec. Dave Santiago (BR), 4-3.
Negative Positive for Sable:
Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Feb 1998
A little humility never hurt anyone – as long as it doesn’t come in the Suffolk County wrestling tournament. George Sable of Longwood can tell you that. He also can tell you that his overtime loss to Connetquot’s Joe Patrovich in the 160-pound final of the League I tournament last week was a blessing in disguise.
“I wrestled his match and lost,” Sable said. “But that loss opened my eyes. It was the key to help me realize that I needed to get back to what makes me the better wrestler out there.”
Sable appears to be on target again.
Sable (29-2) pinned his first-round opponent and turned in a fabulous 10-6 victory over top-seeded Ryan Newman of Bellport on Friday night in the Dr. Robert Fallot county wrestling championships at SUNY-Stony Brook and advanced into Saturday’s semifinal round.
Newman, a defending county champion, had trouble scoring against the quicker Longwood wrestler. Newman, who pinned 32 of 36 opponents last year and placed fourth at the state tournament, was 28-1 this season. Sable took the talented Newman to school by scoring 10 points on five takedowns.
“I need a lot of movement to hit my moves,” Sable said. “I was back into my own game.”
Newman was one of four top seeds to lose before the semifinal round.
By Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 22 Feb 1998It is a family affair at the Dr. Robert Fallot Suffolk County wrestling championships at SUNY-Stony Brook. The final round wrestled late Saturday night can be remembered as father-son night. Five sets of fathers and their sons were involved in last night‘s title bouts.
“It’s all in the family this year,” Deer Park coach Jack Truncale said. “It seemed like any wrestler whose father was a coach was successful here.”
Islip’s Lucas Magnani, son of Hills East coach Tom Magnani, reached the 96-pound final. Todd Davey of Riverhead, whose father, Rocky, coaches the Blue Waves, made it to the 119-pound final. Hauppauge’s Michael Messina, coached by his father, Chris, was in the 125-pound final. Shoreham-Wading River’s Jesse Jantzen (135) advanced to his fourth straight title bout. His father, Don, is the Wildcats’ assistant coach. And defending champion Joe Patrovich Jr. of Connetquot qualified for the 160-pound final. His dad, Joe. Sr., is the head coach at Islip.
This was all about fathers and their sons. Even in the wrestleback round, Patrovich’s younger son Mike, a freshman, finished in third place at 96 pounds for Islip. And Babylon athletic director Bill DeSario saw his son, Gregg, take fifth place at 130 pounds for Ward Melville.
“I can understand the frustration and the intensity in the stands during the match,” Joe Patrovich Sr. said. “It’s tough as a parent to sit there and watch and not get involved emotionally. That’s your kid, your blood. At least as a coach you can vent and move around with him from the coaches box.”
Rocky Davey was seen grimacing and moving about the sideline frantically as Todd Davey battled in his tight, 5-3, semifinal win over Longwood’s Joey Ketcham. Davey looked like a mime, angling his body and contorting and twisting with every one of Todd’s moves.
“When you’re so close it can be difficult,” Rocky Davey said. “And it really might be easier if he wrestled for someone else. Nah, I need to be in the corner. I’m emotionally attached like no one could believe.”
For Sayville junior T.J. Brocking, a finalist at 189, his father, Sean, is one of the top referees in the county.
“I worked the Catholic League so I could watch T.J. this year,” Sean Brocking said. “Next year I’m coming back {to referee}.”
Longwood assistant coach Jim Matias gave an interesting view of the family ties that weave through the county. His oldest son, Tim, won a county title for Newfield in 1986 and his son Keith won the state championship for Centereach in 1992. Now he looks at his youngest, 9-year-old Jesse, and the anticipation grips him.
Although the thought of seeing his youngest son wrestling makes him edgy, “I can’t wait until Jesse gets here,” he said. “I can’t wait.”
Maybe someday we’ll see 10-year-old Ryan Patrovich and Jesse Matias in a county final. It could happen.
Said Rocky Davey, “I always find myself comparing my son to the rest of the kids and expecting more out of him. And maybe when I tell the whole team something in the wrestling room they don’t listen. But I just hope, I hope, that my own son is listening.”
He listened.
Outrageous Comeback. If the most outstanding wrestler award could go to a wrestler who didn’t reach the finals, it would have certainly gone to Newfield’s Dave Robey. The senior came out of the outbracket round and reached the semifinals, where he lost to Brentwood’s Moses Gonzalez. Robey then fought his way back through the wrestleback round for a third-place finish.
“I knew I had it inside me to come back and never give up,” said Robey, who posted a 5-1 record. “I didn’t have a seed in the tournament and I knew it was going to be a tough road. And that makes it an even greater accomplishment.”
Robey defeated Riverhead’s Tim Goodale, 10-8, in overtime for third place. He’d lost to Goodale in the League III tournament.
“It was a great way to end my career,” Robey said.
DR. ROBERT FALLOT SUFFOLK COUNTY WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS Semifinal Results – At SUNY-Stony Brook
96 – Magnani (Islip) d. Gorman (Commack), 8-1; Sebastopoli (Lindenhurst) d. Sair (Huntington), 8-0. 103 – Toro (Brentwood) d. Schulman (Commack), 10-2; Owens (Longwood) d. Slaughter (Patchogue-Medford), 2-0. 112 – Case (Hampton Bays) d. Finnerty (Longwood), 11-5; Ingenito (North Babylon) d. Kuby (Huntington), 4-1. 119 – Dellauniversita (North Babylon) d. Letang (Sachem), 2-1; Davey (Riverhead) d. Ketcham (Longwood), 5-3. 125 – Messina (Hauppauge) d. Maurer (Floyd), 11-3; Torriero (Rocky Point) d. Felicetta (Bellport), 9-4. 130 – Poloskey (Longwood) p. Paganas (Huntington), 3:21; Bedell (Hampton Bays) d. Ornstein (Shoreham-Wading River), 12-4. 135 – Jantzen (Shoreham-Wading River) p. Cox (Sayville), 1:18; DePasquale (Huntington) p. Filippone (Glenn), 3:08. 140 – Weidler (Patchogue-Medford) p. Goodale (Riverhead), 1:27; Gonzalez (Brentwood) d. Robey (Newfield), 14-5. 145 – Petracca (Sachem) d. Smith (Hauppauge), 4-3 OT; Morbillo (Mt. Sinai) d. Calamita (Hampton Bays), 7-6. 152 – Ammann (Newfield) d. Brady (Sachem), 9-7; Cadmus (Hauppauge) d. LaPenna (Islip), 4-2 OT. 160 – G. Sable (Longwood) d. Broderick (Patchogue-Medford), 14-7; J. Patrovich (Connetquot) p. Roche (Riverhead), 4:25. 171 – Barone (Floyd) d. Tucci (Mt. Sinai), 5-3; Sokolowski (West Islip) d. Turbush (Westhampton), 3-1. 189 – Rechul (Huntington) d. Villafane (Bellport), 1:44; Brocking (Sayville) def. McAleese (Longwood) by inj. def. 215 – Cicero (Floyd) d. Anderson (Mattituck), 8-0; Irizarry (Brentwood) p. Williams (Glenn), :38. 275 – Knote (Sayville) p. Kahn (Hills West), 2:48; Clancy (Kings Park) p. Sullivan (Mercy), 1:16.
Team Scores – Longwood 121, Huntington 116, Brentwood 87, Hauppauge 83, Sayville 67, Sachem 66, Hampton Bays 66, Floyd 63, Riverhead 50, Patchogue-Medford 50.
Huntington Captures Suffolk Title:
By Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 23 Feb 1998
The Huntington coach is the master of all disciplines when it comes to wrestling. The mental focus and physical toughness of his wrestlers is ingrained through Giani’s extensive training and beliefs.
Call him the Samurai of New York wrestling.
His philosophy to wrestle no one inside of Suffolk County, with the exception of his league schedule, works for the Blue Devils. It makes them an unknown entity entering the county tournament. Suffolk coaches call it the Huntington Mystique.
Huntington, the League III champion, marched to the school’s sixth county championship late Saturday night before 3,233 fans in the Sports Complex at SUNY-Stony Brook. The Blue Devils sealed their first team title since 1985 when Dawid Rechul decisioned T.J. Brocking of Sayville, 16-7, to capture his second straight 189-pound crown.
Rechul’s win lifted Huntington past League I powerhouse Longwood by two points for the title, 148-146. It was the closest team race since 1953 when Bay Shore edged Amityville, 36-35.
“I can’t believe it, but I am proud,” said Giani, a 1960 Olympian who was inducted to the New York State Wrestling Hall of Fame last year. “We lost four kids to major injuries this year and had to fill those spots. We wrestled really well in the League {III} tournament and continued to do a great job here.”
Rechul (33-0) recorded three quick pins and the major decision over Brocking for his second title and became Giani’s 43rd Section XI champion, the most of any coach in Suffolk.
“It’s not about me, but about the entire program,” said Rechul, a native of Krakow, Poland, who moved to Huntington in 1989. “Our coach is the best. He gets so much respect and everyone listens. That’s why Huntington is the best.”
Giani’s philosophy of finding competition away from Suffolk and keeping his team a mystery outside of its league is one of the keys to the Blue Devils’ success. Huntington wrestled eight dual meets this season, winning all of them. But it was in the tournaments where the Blue Devils prepared and honed their skills. Those tournaments were wrestled at Port Jervis, N.J., and at upstate Windsor, Suffern and Valley Central.
“I never understood why coach would schedule all our tournaments away,” Rechul said. “Now I know. If you wrestle someone you can meet in a county tournament early in the season, he’ll feel your strengths and learn your weaknesses.”
Not even the excitement of television could skew Giani’s focus. On the back of the information sheet for the Cablevision telecast, a line is open for coaches to give their wrestlers strengths.
On each of the Huntington wrestlers’ sheets, it read: “None of your business.”
And the Huntington Mystique continues.
Jantzen 4-Time Winner. Shoreham-Wading River’s Jesse Jantzen (31-0) became the fourth wrestler in Suffolk history to claim four county titles. Jantzen pinned four straight opponents in the first period. He matted Huntington‘s Gregg DePasquale in 1:15 for the 135-pound title.
Hauppauge’s Michael Messina and Rocky Point’s Mike Torriero ignited the crowd with an electrifying bout at 125. Messina prevailed, 21-8, in the action-packed bout to earn most outstanding wrestler. “A father and son’s dream come true,” Hauppauge coach Chris Messina said.
Newfield’s Matt Ammann completed a terrific run with a dominant 11-2 win over Hauppauge’s Nick Cadmus at 152 pounds. Ammann pinned Ed Goldrick of Deer Park in 3:34, upended fourth-seeded Rich Newman of Bellport, 13-7, and downed top-seeded Derek Brady of Sachem, 9-7, to reach the final. Cadmus was a sixth seed.
North Babylon crowned its first county champion in 10 years. The Bulldogs had titlists at 112 {Mike Ingenito} and 119 {Anthony Dellauniversita}, giving them two champs for the first time in school history.
Dr. L Robert “Doc” Fallot Memorial Suffolk County Wrestling Championship
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
February 20-21, 1998Team Score
| Huntington | 148.0 | Connetquot | 26.0 | |
| Longwood | 146.0 | Mercy | 24.0 | |
| Brentwood | 116.5 | West Islip | 24.0 | |
| Hauppauge | 112.5 | Smithtown | 23.0 | |
| Sachem | 101.5 | Ward Melville | 22.5 | |
| William Floyd | 81.0 | Comsewogue | 22.0 | |
| Bellport | 78.5 | West Babylon | 21.0 | |
| Sayville | 75.0 | East Hampton | 19.5 | |
| Patchogue-Medford | 72.5 | Centereach | 18.0 | |
| Hampton Bays | 72.5 | Harborfields | 14.0 | |
| Islip | 67.5 | Half Hollow Hills West | 13.0 | |
| Riverhead | 64.5 | Walt Whitman | 13.0 | |
| Shoreham-Wading River | 63.0 | Bayport-Blue Point | 9.5 | |
| Newfield | 58.0 | Port Jefferson | 7.0 | |
| John Glenn | 58.0 | Bay Shore | 6.0 | |
| North Babylon | 52.5 | Stony Brook | 5.5 | |
| Mt. Sinai | 46.0 | Central Islip | 4.0 | |
| Copiague | 39.0 | Deer Park | 3.0 | |
| Rocky Point | 37.0 | Miller Place | 3.0 | |
| Lindenhurst | 34.0 | Amityville | 2.0 | |
| Westhampton Beach | 32.0 | Babylon | 0.0 | |
| Northpoirt | 32.0 | East Islip | 0.0 | |
| Kings Park | 30.5 | Half Hollow Hills East | 0.0 | |
| Commack | 29.0 | Southampton | 0.0 | |
| Mattituck/Greenport | 26.5 | Wyandanch | 0.0 |
Championship Finals
96 – Steve Sebastopoli (Lindenhurst, So.) dec. Lucas Magnani (Islip), 7-4
103 – Hector Toro (Brentwood, Jr.) pinned Pat Owens (Longwood), 0:40
112 – Mike Ingenito (North Babylon, Jr.) dec. John Case (Hampton Bays), 6-3
119 – Anthony Dellauniversita (North Babylon, Sr.) dec. Todd Davey (Riverhead), 5-3
125 – Mike Messina (Hauppauge, Jr.) sup dec. Mike Torriero (Rocky Point), 21-8
130 – Jay Bedell (Hampton Bays, Sr.) dec. Keith Poloskey (Longwood), 11-9
135 – Jesse Jantzen (Shoreham-Wading River, So.) pinned Greg DePasquale (Huntington, Sr.), 1:15
140 – Artie Weidler (Patchogue-Medford, Sr.) dec. Moses Gonzalez (Brentwood), 8-4
145 – Rich Petracca (Sachem, Sr.) dec. Anthony Morbillo (Mt. Sinai), 6-3
152 – Matt Ammann (Newfield, Sr.) maj dec. Nick Cadmus (Hauppauge), 11-2
160 – George Sable (Longwood, Sr.) dec. Joe Patrovich (Connetquot, Jr.), 3-2
171 – Pete Sokolowski (West Islip, Sr.) dec. Joel Barone (William Floyd), 4-3
189 – Dave Rechul (Huntington, Sr.) maj dec. T.J. Brocking (Sayville), 16-7
220 – Dave Irizarry (Brentwood, Sr.) dec. Joe Cicero (William Floyd), 3-2
275 – Mike Clancy (Kings Park, Sr.) pinned Ed Knote (Sayville), 1:41
Lonnie Kittle Most Outstanding Wrestler: Mike Messina (Hauppauge, 125)
Champion of Champions: Mike Ingenito (North Babylon, 112)
Most Pins Least Time: Jesse Jantzen (Shoreham-Wading River, 135), 4 in 4:16
Consolation Finals 3rd/4th
96 – Mike Patrovich (Islip) maj dec. Stephon Sair (Huntington, 8th), 11-1
103 – Kyle Bernholz (Mt. Sinai) dec. Josh Slaughter (Patchogue-Medford), 4-2
112 – Jason Finnerty (Longwood) dec. Evan Kuby (Huntington, Sr.), 2-1
119 – Joey Ketcham (Longwood) dec. Eric Burger (Northport, Sr.), 5-4
125 – Ryan Maurer (William Floyd) pinned Chris Felicetta (Bellport), 4:56
130 – John Paganas (Huntington, Sr.) dec. Dan Ornstein (Shoreham-Wading River), 5-2
135 – Mike Cox (Sayville) dec. Mike Fillippone (John Glenn, Sr.), 8-3
140 – Dave Robey (Newfield) dec. Tim Goodale (Riverhead), 10-8 OT
145 – Mark Smith (Hauppauge) dec. Colin Jerrick (Copiague), 3-2
152 – Derek Brady (Sachem) dec. Rich LaPenna (Islip), 11-9
160 – Ricky Roche (Riverhead) dec. Joe Broderick (Patchogue-Medford), 2-1
171 – Rob Cuffie (Brentwood) dec. John Parente (Hauppauge), 10-3
189 – Efrain Villafane (Bellport) maj dec. Chris Karas (Sachem), 12-4
220 – Corey Anderson (Mattituck) dec. Glenn Burns (Comsewogue), 3-2
275 – Jesse Brush (Sachem) dec. Vincent Sullivan (Mercy), 9-4
Consolation Finals 5th/6th
96 – Nick Lazaridis (West Babylon) dec. Greg Gorman (Commack), 5-4
103 – Sammy Augello (John Glenn, So.) dec. Scott Shulman (Commack), 6-0
112 – John Cicio (William Floyd) maj dec. Jeremy Cuevas (East Hampton), 11-2
119 – Paul Chapman (Shoreham-Wading River) dec. Mike LeTang (Sachem), 4-2
125 – Brad Abbott (Patchogue-Medford) dec. Adam Nigro (Huntington, Sr.), 3-1 OT
130 – Greg DeSario (Ward Melville) dec. Keith Gholson (Lindenhurst), 7-4
135 – Eric Velasquez (Brentwood) dec. Charles Kozora (Mattituck), 14-9
140 – Justin Latessa (Hauppauge) dec. Ed Miller (Port Jefferson), 9-5
145 – Steve Calamita (Hampton Bays) dec. Ed Turbush (Smithtown, Sr.), 1-0
152 – Rich Newman (Bellport) pinned Dan Sable (Longwood), 3:37
160 – Ryan Newman (Bellport) pinned Dan Sweatman (Northport, Jr.), 2:13
171 – Kevin Turbush (Westhampton Beach) pinned Mike Tucci (Mt. Sinai), 4:45
189 – Brian Szokoli (John Glenn, Sr.) def. Steve McAleese (Longwood), By Dflt
220 – Ed Williams (John Glenn, Jr.) dec. Scott Klingen (Huntington, Sr.), 7-4
275 – Alex Kahn (Half Hollow Hills West) dec. Ray Avitable (Centereach), 6-3