Busiello’s Quest to Become a 5X NYS Champ
Eastport South Manor senior Adam Busiello seeks to become only the 3rd wrestler in NYS history to become a 5X state champion. Busiello looks to join Troy Nickerson (Chenango Forks, 2001-2005) and Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, 2014-2018) as the only three wrestlers in state history to achieve this incredible accomplishment. Busiello will be wrestling at 138 pounds this weekend and will definitely be tested. His biggest test will likely come in the finals in an anticipated showdown with Willie McDougald from Niagara Falls. McDougald, a junior, won the 132 pound state champion last year by defeating another state champion, Justin Vines, in the finals. Can McDougald knock off another state champion? Busiello and McDougald met in the Eastern States Classic finals in January where Busiello won by a razor close 3-2 decision. If the seeds play out at 138, a Busiello vs McDougald II would be the most anticipates match of the tournament.
Will Section 11 Continue to Dominate?
Section 11 (Suffolk County) has won the sectional team race for the last 10 years at the NYSPHSAA wrestling tournament! Yes, 10 straight years! Is this the year that the streak will end? Although they are extremely strong in several weight classes and will inevitably win a few titles, it can be argued that there are two sections that have shot at taking top honors this year. Section 5 (Rochester area) is definitely one of the teams in the hunt. They probably will not crown as many champs as S11 but they have a very solid team this year and could possibly have the most top-4 place winners. Section 8 (Nassau County) will also be in the mix. Similar to S5 they will not crown as many champs as Suffolk but they have a let of depth and could possibly chase after the team tile by Saturday night!
CHSAA Looking to Make History
The Catholic High School Athletic Association is bringing a strong contingent to Albany this year! Since they have joined the tournament, the CHSAA has had 9 champions – Andrew Lenzi 2X, Richard Sisti 2X, Robert Murphy, Lucas Magnani, Grant Greene, Jamel Hudson, and Terry Adams. This year, however, could be the first time that the CHSAA has every crowned 2 champions in one year! They are strong at several weights but let’s pay extra attention to James Ryan (Monsignor Farrell) at 120, Preston Maucere (St. Anthony’s) at 132, and AJ Kovacs (Iona Prep) at 145. All three wrestlers are absolute hammers and it would surprise very few people if one, two, or all three are wearing a gold medal on Saturday night!
The Eastern States Classic Connection
This section will be completed after the tournament. Each year at the completion of the state tournament, the Friends of Section 9 will analyze the results of both the Eastern States Classic and the NYSPHSAA Championships. The correlation is typically mind blowing! For now, we know that 20 of the 30 #1 seeds in the state tournament finished in the top 3 at the ESC. Steel sharpens steel! To be continued….