For the past 23 years, head wrestling coaches Jeff Cuilty of NFA and Don Blaine of Cornwall have watched their respective teams go to battle dozens of times. On Thursday, however, they faced each other for the first time as NYS Wrestling Hall of Fame members. In fact, is was one of the few times ever that Hall of Fame coaches have squared off in a dual meet in New York State. Coach Cuilty and Coach Blaine, along with long-time Section 9 referee Wayne Carroll, were inducted into the HOF during the NYS Championship Tournament held in Albany last February.
Thursday’s dual meet was won by NFA by a score of 40-27; NFA won 9 of the 15 bouts including two pins and two forfeits. In a bout between ranked wrestlers at 126 pounds, NFA senior John Derham defeated Cornwall sophomore Brett Johnson by an 8-3 margin. The anticipated showdown between Cornwall’s Sean Sweeney and NFA’s Johnny Bastone never happened as Sweeney did not dress for the dual meet. NFA 40 Cornwall 27