Perennial State Powers to Lock Horns for Friday Night Dual
Minisink Valley, currently ranked #4 in NYS, and Monroe Woodbury, #6 in NYS, will wrestle in a much anticipated dual meet on Friday at 7:00 PM at Minisink Valley High School in Slate Hill. The two storied programs are fixtures in the state rankings every year. The Crusaders have finished 2nd in the polls for the past two seasons and they were ranked #1 in NYS in 2014. The Warriors finished 7th last year, #1 in 2015, and #6 in 2014.
There is quite a bit at stake at this dual, but for these two programs, it’s all about pride! MV coach Gallagher and MW coach Gartiser have agreed to make this an annual event and the winner will get to hold onto “The Belt” until the next year’s event. The belt will resemble a UFC title belt. The idea behind the event is to grow interest in the sport. These two programs are the embodiment of what a true rivalry should be. Dual meets between MV and MW are always intense but respectful – and the atmoshere in the gym is always electric!
The two teams met earlier this year in the finals of the Section 9 Duals where Monroe Woodbury prevailed 45-28. Both line-ups look quite a bit different now so it will be very interesting to see how the match-ups shake out. Minisink Valley will now have Connor Greiner and Sean Savacool in the lineup – both wrestlers were out with injuries until recently. Greiner is a 2X Section 9 champion. Monroe Woodbury was without the service of Kendall Elfstrum until recently. Elfstrum is a 2X Section 9 champion who finished 4th in NYS at 182 last season.
We could potentially see several other match-ups that will not only have play a huge role in deciding who gets “The Belt,” but their outcome could also have seeding implications for the upcoming Section 9 tournament. There will likely be some moving around and jockying for favorable match-ups, but take a look at some of the key bouts we can potentially see on Friday…
99 – Picariello (MV) vs Scancarello (MW)
113 – Lynch (MV) vs Vespa (MW)
120 – Savacool (MV) vs McGinty (MW)
132 – Vinny Vetrano (MV) vs Sountis (MW)
138 – Dom Vetrano (MV) vs Libutti (MW)
170 – Moore (MV) vs Santander (MW)
182 – Yanis (MV) vs Elfstrum (MW)
195 – Covais (MV) vs Perez (MW)