NYSPHSAA Division 2 – Tournament Preview

Port Jervis 8th grader Chalie Wylie is the first female to win a Section 9 title and qualify for the NYSPHSAA Championships!

102 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Ciaran Egan (Pleasantville)
Section 2 – Gabe English (Berne-Knox)
Section 2 – Ashten Haley (Cobleskill)
Section 3 – Gene Edwards (Central Valley)
Section 3 – Evan Rutecki (Cazenovia)
Section 3 – Brock Frederick (Sandy Creek)
Section 4 – Darren Florance (BGAH)
Section 4 – Lucas Hoffman (Odessa)
Section 4 – Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley
Section 5 – Christopher Noto (Honeoye Falls)
Section 5 – Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima)
Section 6 – Carmine Calimeri (Southwestern)
Section 6 – Dominic Callara (Medina)
Section 7 – Hayden Bartlemous (Northern Adirondack)
Section 8 -William Grassini (Clarke)
Section 8 – Brendan Watson (Seaford)
Section 9 – Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis)
Section 10 – Tanner King (Ogdensburg)
Section 11 – Tommy Aiello (John Glenn)
Section 11 – Quade Mather (Bayport Blue Point)
PSAL – Branden Munoz (Petrides)
AIS – Krish Ghandi (Horace Mann)

Section 4 champion Darren Florance is one of the favorites to take home the 102-pound title in Albany.

The Division 2 lightweights are going to provide fireworks at the MVP Arena in Albany! There are no fewer than four wrestlers with a legitimate shot at winning this weight class. Let’s start with Darren Florance from BGAH. The Section 4 champ placed 6th in NYS in 2020, is perfect at 24-0 this season, and has a few very impressive wins. He has a major decision over Section 4 D1 champ Ryan Ferrara and he also has wins over two of the best D2 wrestlers in the state, Gavin Mangano and Christopher Noto. Mangano, from Section 11 Shoreham Waging River, suffered a late season injury and is not wrestling in Albany however Noto is! Noto, an 8th grader from Honeoye Falls Lima, is sporting a 31-1 record for the season with his only loss coming via 5-3 decision to Florance. Gene Edwards from Section 3 is 39-2 this year with both losses coming at 110 to very good wrestlers. Edwards also has a win over 110-pound Section 2 D2 champ Liam English, whose twin brother Gabe is a contender here at 102. Gabe is having a great year and has only one loss on the season – a 4-3 decision to his brother Liam! Section 11 champion Tommy Aiello’s only two losses this year are to the aforementioned Mangano and he will also be in the medal hunt. Section 6 champ Carmine Calimere has only one loss and he avenged that loss in the S6 finals. He also has wins over both S6 D2 state qualifiers! We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that Section 9 has their first ever female NYS qualifier. Port Jervis 8th grader Charlie Wylie won the Section 9 title at 102 and is having a great year. Her season record is 30-6 and she should not be overlooked! A few others to keep an eye on here are Section 5 runner-up Jacob McVige and Section 8 champion William Grassini.

Port Jervis senior Trevor Tufano is making another trip to the state tournament in Albany and has a good chance of ending his high school career as a NYS place winner!

110 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Josh Laaz (Ardsley)
Section 2 – Liam English (Berne)
Section 2 – Ryker Cox (Coxsackie)
Section 3 – Talan Hubbard (Homer)
Section 3 – Trevor Waugh (Beaver River)
Section 3 – Dylan Nolan (JE/PB/US/CM)
Section 4 – Jayden Duncanson (Tioga)
Section 4 – Caleb Cole (Unatego)
Section 4 – Aidan Shufelt (Groton)
Section 5 – Andrew Spaulding (Honeoye Falls)
Section 5 – Ryan Farley (Avon-Geneseo)
Section 6 – Bryce DellaPenta (Eden)
Section 6 – Kenji Walters (Southwestern)
Section 7 – Gavin Morrow (Ausable Valley)
Section 8 – Raymond McNulty (CS Harbor)
Section 8 – Vito Valentino (Seaford)
Section 9 – Trevor Tufano (Port Jervis)
Section 10 – Ryan Mashaw (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Frank D’elia (Port Jefferson)
Section 11 – Michael Sangiradi (John Glenn)
PSAL – Ty’Sun Gillard (Eagle)
AIS – Jovanny Nazario (Horace Mann)

Could we see Tioga’s Jayden Duncanson capture a NYS title as an 8th grader?

The Division 2 110-pound weight class is wide open! Section 9 champion Trevor Tufano is one of the favorites at this weight. The Port Jervis senior is making his 3rd trip to the state tournament and is 25-1 this season. One of his losses however is to another wrestler in the bracket, Jayden Duncanson from Tioga. The Section 4 eighth grader pinned Tufano in Syracuse at the state duals and went on a roll through the remainder of the year. Duncanson hasn’t lost a match since the first week of January. Section 3 champion Talan Hubbard is another contender here. The sophomore from Homer has lost only two matches and both losses were 2-point decisions to D1 wrestlers. Section 11 champion Frank D’Elio has a very similar resume – he is 31-2 and both of his wrestlers to D1 opponents. Section 2 champion Liam English will also be in the hunt at 110 in Division 2. English has only two losses all season and one of them was to his twin brother and 102-pound Section 2 champ, Gabe! Andrew Spaulding also has a shot at a title here at 110 D2. Spaulding, the Section 5 champion from Honeoye Falls Lima, has a 28-3 record this year with one of the losses coming to Hubbard. The Section 4 runner-up Caleb Cole has only lost twice all year and both times it was to S4 champ Duncanson so he’s definitely in the medal hunt. A few other wrestlers in this bracket we need to watch closely are Section 1 champ Josh Laaz, Section 11 runner-up Michael Sangiardi, and Section 5 runner-up Ryan Farley.

Rondout Valley senior Lucas Ospina is 19-2 on the season and ready to make a run at the podium in Albany!

118 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Dhilan Patel (Edgemont)
Section 2 – Trevor Bishop (Tamarac)
Section 2 – Scott Nicolella (Duanesburg)
Section 3 – Chase Nevills (Copenhagen
Section 3 – Carl Santariello (Marcellus)
Section 3 – Patrick Grimsey (Lowville)
Section 4 – Gianni Silvestri (Tioga)
Section 4 – Joey Florance (BGAH)
Section 4 – Trevor Cortright (Chenango Valley)
Section 5 – Xavier DeJesus-Remchuk (Canisteo)
Section 5 – Jazz Spaulding (Honeoye Falls-Lima)
Section 6 – Daniel Kirsch (Pioneer)
Section 6 – Jordan Joslyn (Chautauqua Lake)
Section 7 – Ryan Devins (Saranac)
Section 8 – Jack Godoy (Seaford)
Section 8 – Jack Parise (Carle Place)
Section 9 – Lucas Ospina (Rondout Valley)
Section 10 – Ashtyn Amo (Ogdensburg)
Section 11 – Anthony Mirando (John Glenn)
Section 11 – Cade Delgado (Port Jefferson)
PSAL – Kimoni Giles (Eagle)
AIS – Jimmy Carlock (Collegiate School)

Tioga sophomore Gianni Silvestri is looking to capture his 2nd NYS championship!

118 Division 2 is one of the most loaded weight classes in the tournament for either division. This weight class has four returning state place winners and a few other who are capable of taking the title. Let’s start with Gianni Silvestri from Section 4. The Tioga sophomore was the 2020 state champion at 99 and is 34-1 this year. His only loss of the year was a 3-1 sudden victory loss to a D1 state qualifier during the first week of the season. Silvestri also has a victory this year over the same wrestler he defeated in the state finals back in 2020, Xavier Dejesus-Remchuck from Section 5. DeJesus-Remchuck, a senior from Canisteo Greenwood, is having an outstanding season and has posted a few wins over the Section 5 runner-up Jazz Spaulding who is a medal contender here. Section 6 has two wrestlers in this bracket who are capable of taking home gold, Daniel Kirsch from Pioneer and Jordan Joslyn from Chautauqua Lake. Kirsch, who placed 6th in NYS in 2020, and Joslyn have faced each other twice this year. Joslyn won the first match by major decision and Kirsch defeated Joslyn 4-3 in the Section 6 finals. The losses to each other are the only two blemishes on each wrestlers resume this year. Section 2 champion Trevor Bishop is a perfect 35-0 this season and will contend here as will Section 3 champ Chase Nevills whose only loss this year came to Silvestri. In the Section 3 finals, Nevills defeated Carl Santariello from Marcellus Onondaga. Santiariello is our 4th returning state place winner here at 118 having placed 6th at 106 in 2020. A few others who will be in the medal hunt here are Dhilan Patel from Section 1, Lucas Ospina from Section 9, Joey Florance from Section 4, Ryan Devins from Section 7, Jack Godoy from Section 8, and Section 11 champ Anthony Mirando.

Highland senior Chris Gatto is 33-6 this season and is looking to get into the medal hunt up in Albany!

126 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Jackson Wainwright (Lourdes)
Section 2 – Dylan Devine (Schalmont)
Section 2 – Dylan Winchell (Warrensburg)
Section 3 – Trey Kimball (Camden)
Section 3 – Cooper Reed (Central Valley)
Section 3 – Colin Scherer (Marcellus)
Section 4 – Mason Welch (Tioga)
Section 4 – Tyler Roe (Tioga
Section 4 – Ethan Randis (Chenango Valley)
Section 5 – Mason Drew (Hornell)
Section 5 – Gavin Bob (Canisteo Greenwood)
Section 6 – Johnny Vicario (Eden)
Section 6 – Gavin Ciarfella (Medina)
Section 7 – Ashton Seymour (Saranac)
Section 8 – Evan Shriberg (Locust Valley)
Section 8 – Matteo Kanakari (North Shore)
Section 9 – Chris Gatto (Highland)
Section 10 – Zoe Griffith (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Max Gallagher (Bayport Blue Point)
Section 11 – Liam Rogers (Port Jefferson)
PSAL – Tiki Graham (Eagle)
AIS – Wlliam Greene (Collegiate School)

Section 11 champion Max Gallagher finished 3rd in NYS in 2019 and 2nd in 2020! Is this the year he makes it to the top of the podium?

There are plenty of talented wrestlers at 126 however the heavy favorite to take home the 2022 state title at this weight is Section 11 champ Max Gallagher from Bayport Plue Point. Gallagher finished 3rd in NYS at 99 in 2019, 2nd in NYS at 113 in 2020 and kicked it into high gear ever since that 3-2 loss in the 2020 finals. Gallagher has posted off season win over some of the top wrestlers in the nation and has occasionally appeared on the national rankings. Gallagher is 32-0 this season and has scored bonus points in nearly every match. One of the wrestlers looking to test Gallagher is Trey Kimball from Camden. The Section 3 champion is 26-1 this season and his only loss came up at 132 to a D1 wrestler. Mason Drew from Section 5 is also a contender here. Drew is sporting a 37-1 record and his only loss came way up at 138 to a state qualifier. Tioga’s Mason Welch will also make some noise here. Welch, who placed 8th in NYS in 2020, has 7 losses this year but all seven are to top notch opponents – he is battle tested and ready for the state tournament. A few other to watch at 126 D2 are Chris Gatto from Section 9, Jackson Wainwright from Section 1, Dylan Devine from Section 2, and Tyler Roe from Section 4. We should also mention that female wrestler Section 10 champ Zoe Griffith is now a 2X state qualifier!

Rondout Valley Rocco DeAveiro is 17-3 this season and is looking to make the most out of his first trip to the state tournament!

132 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Quinn Egan (Pleasantville)
Section 2 – Tanner McKenna (Warrensburg)
Section 2 – Torin Bishop (Tamarac)
Section 3 – Tavian Camper (Copenhagen)
Section 3 – Culley Bellino (Canastota)
Section 3 – Parker Allers (Phoenix)
Section 4 – Caden Bellis (Tioga)
Section 4 – Aiden Marcin (Greene-Oxford)
Section 4 – Landen Estus (Deposit-Hancock)
Section 5 – Nicholas Noto (Honeoye Falls)
Section 5 – Colton Havens (Canisteo)
Section 6 – Aidan Gillings (Newfane)
Section 6 – Trent Burchanowski (Chautauqua)
Section 7 – Alex Clancy (Saranac)
Section 8 – Louis Cannata (Seaford)
Section 8 – Michael Centrella (Cold Spring Harbor)
Section 9 – Rocco DeAveiro (Rondout Valley)
Section 10 – Hunter Mashaw (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Joe Sparacio (Mattituck)
Section 11 – Tristan Petretti (Shoreham Wading River)
PSAL – Cameron Mayfield (Eagle)
AIS – Kiki Tuttle (Collegiate School)

Section 5 champion Nicholas Noto is 30-1 and undefeated against Division 2 wrestlers this season!

This is going to be an incredible weight to watch at this year’s state tournament! There are five returning state place winners and a few other wrestlers who are right on par with them! Let’s start with Nicholas Noto from Section 5. Noto placed 6th as an 8th grader in 2019 but missed 2020 due to injury. Noto placed 3rd at the 2021 NYS Journeymen and he is having a great season sporting a 30-1 record with his only loss coming to 138 D1 hammer Casper Stewart. One of Noto’s wins this season was over Caden Bellis from Section 4 Tioga. Bellis placed 4th in NYS at 106 in 2020 and he is 37-1 this season with his only loss being a 5-3 decision to Noto back in December. Bellis has a win this season over another former state placer who is a contender here, Aiden Gillings from Section 6. Gillings, only a freshman, is also 37-1 and his only loss was the 4-3 decision to Bellis in Syracuse at the state duals. Gillings placed 4th in NYS at 99 back in 2020. Section 11 champ Joe Sparacio placed 4th in NYS in 2019 and is a perfect 30-0 this season and has the ability to win it all here as does PSAL champ Cameron Mayfield who placed 8th in the state in 2020. Section 1 champ Quinn Egan from Pleasantville has quietly put together a great season. He is 26-1 on the year with his only loss coming up at 138 to a D1 wrestler. Other to keep an eye on here at 132 D2 are Tanner McKenna from Section 2, Rocco DeAveiro from Section 9, Colton Havens from Section 5, Tavian Camper from Section 3, and Alex Clancy from Section 7.

New Paltz sophomore Justin Coiteux (right) won a barnburner against Highland’s Logan Zehr in the Section 9 finals to punch his ticket to the NYS Championship tournament!

138 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Christian Perlleshi (Pleasantville)
Section 2 – Kieran Cullen (Greenville)
Section 2 – Luke Yorke (Cobleskill)
Section 3 – Kace Cook (Central Valley)
Section 3 – David O’Neil (General Brown)
Section 3 – Dylan Petrie (Copenhagen)
Section 4 – Nate Merwin (Walton)
Section 4 – Drew Macumber (Tioga)
Section 4 – Owen Emmick (Lansing)
Section 5 – Caleb Sweet (South Seneca)
Section 5 – Ethan Coleman (Bolivar Richburg)
Section 6 – Ryan Sweeney (Iroquois)
Section 6 – Shane Walczyk (Eden)
Section 7 – Sawyer Bell (Beekmantown)
Section 8 – Jordan Soriano (Clarke)
Section 8 – Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor)
Section 9 – Justin Coiteux (New Paltz)
Section 10 – Trayton Tupper (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Kyle Barber (Bayport Blue Point)
Section 11 – Craig Jablonski (Shoreham Wading River)
PSAL – Vakramogo Dosso (Eagle)
AIS – Cole Joseph (Hackley School)

Section 8 champion and Drexel commit Jordan Soriano is one of the favorites to win it all at 138 pounds!

The 138-pound weight class is going to be another great bracket to watch unfold! If we had to pick a favorite it would definitely be Section 8 champion Jordan Soriano from Clarke High School. Soriano placed 5th at 126 in 2020 and he’s having another monster year. Soriano is 35-1 this season and his only loss was up at 145 to an absolute hammer in Jackson Polo. Soriano will not go untested in Albany; there are several in this weight class that will push him. Section 2 champion Kieran Cullen is 40-1 on the season and has only lost to D1 NYS place winner Jordan Brown. Section 5 champ Caleb Sweet is another serious contender here. Sweet is 40-2 for the season and his only two losses were razor close decisions to other state qualifiers not in this bracket. Kace Cook from Section 3 Central Valley Academy is coming into the state tournament with a 35-2 record with his two losses coming at 145 and 152! Section 7 champion Sawyer Bell from Beekmantown should not be overlooked! Bell has a 34-1 record, and his only loss was a 6-3 decision to Cullen. Section 11 has two very solid entries at 138 D2. Craig Jablonski from Shoreham Wading River was a state place winner in 2020 however he lost in the Section 11 finals to Kyle Barber from Bayport Blue Point. A few other wrestlers that can shake up this bracket in Albany include Section 1 champion Christian Perlleshi, Section 6 champ Ryan Sweeney, and Section 9 champion Justin Coiteux.

Port Jervis sophomore Ryan Ross is making his second trip to the state championship tournament!

145 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Sander Miller (Edgemont)
Section 2 – Owen Hicks (Fonda-Fultonville)
Section 2 – Dante Corriveau (Warrensburg)
Section 3 – Sixx Cook (Central Valley)
Section 3 – Aaron Briones-Coopers (South Jeff)
Section 3 – Kayleb Martin (Sackets Harbor)
Section 4 – Donavan Smith (Tioga)
Section 4 – Brady Smith (Norwich)
Section 4 – Josh Rowland (Dryden)
Section 5 – Ben Lloyd (Alfred Almond)
Section 5 – Beau Zeh (Canisteo Greenwood)
Section 6 – Luke Tomlinson (Maple Grove)
Section 6 – Adam Huntington (Newfane)
Section 7 – Collin Clancy (Saranac)
Section 8 – Jackson Polo (Cold Spring Harbor)
Section 8 – John Bower (Clarke)
Section 9 – Ryan Ross (Port Jervis)
Section 10 – Lucas Martin (Malone)
Section 11 – Joe Steimel (Shoreham Wading River)
Section 11 – Kevin Vides (John Glenn)
PSAL – Mitchell Barcus (Eagle)
AIS – Elias Romero (Horace Mann)

Section 11 champ Jackson Polo is a 2X state place winner and is 32-0 this season!

Cold Spring Harbor senior Jackson Polo is the definite favorite at 145 D2 but this will not be a cakewalk! The Section 8 champion is a perfect 32-0 this season and he placed 3rd in NYS at 113 on 2020 and 5th in NYS at 99 in 2019. One of the wrestlers looking to upset Polo is Section 6 champion Luke Tomlinson. The Maple Grove senior is 41-1 this season and his only loss came at the hands of nationally ranked Cameron Catrabone. Our Section 2 champion, Owen Hicks, is another wrestler looking to hop on the top step of the podium on Saturday night. Hicks is 31-1 and his only loss was a 5-4 decision to D1 hammer Connor Gregory. Section 1 champ Sander Miller will also be in the mix. Miller has three losses on the season including a 1-point loss to Hicks. Section 3 champion Sixx Cook is 38-3 with all three losses coming to D1 state qualifiers – Oroudjov, Rossini, and Montalvo, while the Section 4 champion Donovan Smith is sporting a 34-3 record and he too will be in the medal hunt! The others in this weight who we should keep our eyes on include Section 9 champion Ryan Ross, Section 5 champion Ben Lloyd, Section 7 champion Alex Clancy, and Section 6 runner-up Adam Huntington.

New Paltz junior Cole Cuppett is 32-2 for the season and could definitely be in the hunt for a spot on the podium this weekend!

152 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Noah Bernstein (Edgemont)
Section 2 – Kendryek Flynn (Watervliet)
Section 2 – Jeremy Rehberg (Duanesburg)
Section 3 – Mason Rowley (Little Falls)
Section 3 – Nathan Snow (General Brown)
Section 3 – Joey Reed (Mexico)
Section 4 – Ousmane Duncanson (Tioga)
Section 4 – Ryan Kennedy (Windsor)
Section 4 – Anthony McMillen (Lansing)
Section 5 – Mitchell Gaiser (Alexander)
Section 5 – Braidon Woodward (Canisteo)
Section 6 – Dakota Mascho (Portville)
Section 6 – Brady Heckathorn (Pioneer)
Section 7 – Hunter Devins (Saranac)
Section 8 – Ryan Romano (Island Trees)
Section 8 – Justin Gonzalez (Clarke)
Section 9 – Cole Cuppett (New Paltz)
Section 10 – Vandavian Way (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Anthony Evangelista (Port Jefferson)
Section 11 – James Felakos (Mattituck)
PSAL – Devone Bogie (Eagle)
AIS – Sean Tansey (Collegiate School)

Section 5 champion Mitchell Gaiser (green) is one of several 152 pounders with a shot of taking the title in Albany!

This is an excellent weight class with a lot of balance. Section 10 champion Vandavian Way is definitely one of the favorites here. The Gouverneur sophomore is 31-1 but his one loss is to another wrestler in this bracket, Section 5’s Braidon Woodward. Woodward however was not the Section 5 champion, Mitchell Gaiser from Alexander took that title. Woodward and Gaiser wrestled 4X this year, Woodward won the first two, Gaiser won the final two. Section 6 champion Dakota Mascho placed 5th in NYS at 152 in 2020. He is undefeated at 32-0 this season and is clearly a contender here as is Section 4 sophomore Ousmane Duncanson who is 40-2 with losses to 152 and 160 pound D1 Sectional champions. Noah Bernstein from Section 1 Edgemont is tough and should not be overlooked and the same can be said for the Section 7 champion Hunter Devins who is 32-2 for the season. There are several others in this bracket who are having great season and could potentially place in the top 8. Keep an eye on Cole Cuppett from Section 9, Ryan Romano from Section 8, Anthony Evangelista from Section 11, and Kendryek Flynn from Section 2.

Highland senior Logan Smith is 31-3 and has a legitimate shot at placing in the top 8 in Albany!

160 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Nick Paternostro (Pleasantville)
Section 2 – Daniel Forbes (Catskill)
Section 2 – Jonathan Cranker (Fonda)
Section 3 – Evan Austerman (Canastota)
Section 3 – Ike Svitavsky (JE/PB/US/CM)
Section 3 – Aydin DeForest (Mt. Markham)
Section 4 – Emmett Wood (Tioga)
Section 4 – Brady Buttice (BGAH)
Section 4 – Mason McCombs (Windsor)
Section 5 – Ryleigh Duryee (Letchworth)
Section 5 – Gavin Hart (Dansville)
Section 6 – Nick Brown (Springville)
Section 6 – Donald Bennett (Pioneer)
Section 7 – Cornal Brinson (Beekmantown)
Section 8 – Jack Forte (Clarke)
Section 8 – Yan Jun Lin (Wheatley)
Section 9 – Logan Smith (Highland)
Section 10 – Carter Baer (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Joe Lacorte (John Glenn)
Section 11 – Anthony Pipia (Port Jefferson)
PSAL – Carlos Bermudez (Eagle)
AIS – Cole Nesselson (Trinity School)

Gouverneur senior and Binghamton commit Carter Baer is a heavy favorite to win it all at 160 and become a 2X NYS champion.

Perhaps the biggest favorite of the entire tournament to win his weight class – D1 or D2 – is Carter Baer from Section 10 Gouverneur. Baer was the 138-pound state champ in 2020 and he is undefeated this year. The Binghamton bound Baer has pinned or teched every opponent in the first period this season with the exception of one – he pinned Section 4 D1 champion Ethan Hart in 2:22. There are some other very good wrestlers in this bracket, and it will be interesting to see if anyone can push Baer. Section 4 champ Emmitt Wood placed 7th in NYS at 152 and is battle tested. He will contend here as will Section 3 champ Evan Austerman who is 38-1. Section 4 runner-up Brady Buttice is super tough and should medal here and we can expect to see Section 8 champ Jack Forte make some noise. The Section champion here is Daniel Forbes. He has a 30-1 record this season and should also be in the mix. Others to watch here include Section 5 champion Ryleigh Durlee, Section 9 champ Logan Smith, Section 6 champion Nick Brown, and Section 2 champion Daniel Forbes.

Onteora’s Wyatt Konjas is having a great season and is hoping to carry that momentum into this weekend’s NYS Championship tournament!

172 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – James Donnelly (Ardsley)
Section 2 – Reed Douglass (Canajoharie)
Section 2 – Ray Hutton (LaSalle)
Section 3 – Adam Ortega (Copenhagen)
Section 3 – Jordan Koenig (Holland Patent)
Section 3 – Sean Kelly (Lowville)
Section 4 – Hunter Page (Greene-Oxford)
Section 4 – Dominick Weaver (Windsor)
Section 4 – Trevor Harrington (Sidney)
Section 5 – Lucas Dendis (South Seneca)
Section 5 – Malachi Smith (Byron-Bergen)
Section 6 – Tavio Hoose (Souhtwestern)
Section 6 – Luke Pagett (Randolph)
Section 7 – Landen Smith (Saranac)
Section 8 – Ryan Mastropaolo (Island Trees)
Section 8 – Keegan Gagnon (Cold Spring Harbor)
Section 9 – Wyatt Konjas (Onteora)
Section 10 – Adam Calton (Ogdensburg)
Section 11 – Colin Presti (John Glenn)
Section 11 – Tate Klipstein (Mattituck)
PSAL – Carlos Guzman (RKA)
AIS – Cullen Davis (Collegiate School)

Section 2 champion Reed Douglas will definitely be one of the contenders at 172 in Albany!

This is a very open weight class but if we’re going to discuss some of the favorites, Section 3 champion Adam Ortega would be a place to start! The senior from Copenhagen High School is 36-1 with his only loss being a 2-0 decision to a wrestler from Pennsylvania. Section 2 has two wrestlers who will be in contention for gold here. Champion Reed Douglass and runner-up Ray Hutton are both having great seasons and will be in high medal contention here as will Section 5 champion Lucas Dendis who is 35-3 but has not lost to a D2 wrestler all season. It’s not common to see an 8th grader get into the medal hunt at the upper weights but Tavio Hoose from Section 6 is an exception. The middle schooler from Southwestern is 37-4 this season and is likely going to do very well in Albany. The Section 3 runner-up Jordan Koenig will be in the mix here as will PSAL champion Carlos Guzman. The other wrestlers we should watch here include Section 9 champion Wyatt Konjas, Section 8 champion Ryan Mastropaolo, Section 7 champion Landen Smith, Section 1 champion James Donnelly, and Section 5 runner-up Malachi Smith.

Port Jervis sophomore Ivan Figueroa is getting hot at the right time and is hoping to open some eyes in Albany!

189 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Jalin Badillo (Nanuet)
Section 2 – Brent Perry (Granville)
Section 2 – Troy Austin (Whitehall)
Section 3 – Ethan Randall (Central Valley)
Section 3 – Jared Bilinski (Dolgeville)
Section 3 – Andrew Bailey (Chittenango)
Section 4 – Gabriel Monroe (Windsor)
Section 4 – Devin Beach (Susquehanna)
Section 4 – Jarrett Thayer (Unatego)
Section 5 – John Layfield (Wellsville)
Section 5 – Brett Rooks (Palmyra Macedon)
Section 6 – Simon Lingle (Newfane)
Section 6 – Zach Hill (Royalton Hartland)
Section 7 – Jack Hanson (Peru)
Section 8 – Justin Soriano (Clarke)
Section 8 – Beau Hodgson (Cold Spring Harbor)
Section 9 – Ivan Figueroa (Port Jervis)
Section 10 – Cooper Funk (Malone)
Section 11 – Brad Bockhaus (Southampton)
Section 11 – Alon Alkeali (John Glenn)
PSAL – Noah Campbell (Inwood Academy) 
AIS – Tyvaughn Jones (Rye Country Day School)

Section 4 champion Gabriel Monroe placed 4th in NYS at 182 in 2020 and is looking for a 2022 state title on Saturday in Albany!

This is another very good weight here in the small school division however Section 4 champion Gabriel Monroe has to be considered the favorite. Monroe finished 4th in this tournament at 182 in 2020 and is sporting a 34-1 record this season. His only loss was to nationally ranked Division 1 stud Kole Mulhauser. Monroe is the favorite, but he will not stroll through this bracket. Section 8 champion Justin Soriano is 31-1 this season and his one loss was a 5-3 decision to a wrestler from PA. Soriano is definitely capable of winning it all here. Another contender for the gold here is Section 6 champion Simon Lingle whose only loss on the season was up at 215 to a state qualifier. Section 3 champion Ethan Randall is also in the medal hunt here. Randall comes into the state tournament with a 33-1 record and avenged his only loss of the season when he defeated Section 3 runner-up Jared Belinski who is also in this bracket. The Section 5 champion John Layfield is 36-1 so we need to keep an eye on him as well as Section 1 champion Jalin Badillo, Section 4 runner-up Devin Beach, Section 9 champ Ivan Figueroa, and Section 4 qualifier Jarrett Thayer.

Port Jervis sophomore Matt Oosterom is making his first but likely not his last trip to the NYS championships in Albany!

215 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Jacob Cassidy (Putnam Valley)
Section 2 – Logan Marissal (Hadley Luzerne)
Section 2 – Hunter Nemec (Warrensburg)
Section 3 – Sam Sorenson (Homer)
Section 3 – Casey Bixby (Canastota)
Section 3 – Dominic Jones (Mt. Markham)
Section 4 – Garrett Bidwell (Windsor)
Section 4 – Donovan Mitchell (Groton)
Section 4 – Ty Beeman (Waverly)
Section 5 – Trent Sibble (Bolivar Richburg)
Section 5 – Connor Hare (Warsaw)
Section 6 – Dontae Hoose (Southwestern)
Section 6 – Trevor Barry (Iroquois)
Section 7 – Trey McGee (Northern Adirondack)
Section 8 – Garrett Geraci (Cold Spring Harbor)
Section 8 – Sean Roberts (Locust Valley)
Section 9 – Matt Oosterom (Port Jervis)
Section 10 – Gabe Wainwright (Gouverneur)
Section 11 – Willy Rodriguez (Port Jefferson)
Section 11 – Luc Angus (John Glenn)
PSAL – Tabe Tar Agborenow (RKA)
AIS – Liam Abraham (Hackley School)

Section 3 champion Sam Sorenson from Homer placed 5th in the state in 2020 and is one of the favorites to win it all this year!

The 215-pound weight class is a solid bracket however all signs point to a Saturday evening showdown between a couple of returning state place winners. Section 3 champion Sam Sorenson placed 5th in NYS at 220 pounds back in 2020 and he is 41-0 this season. Sorenson also won the 2021 Journeymen NYS Tournament by defeating D1 hammer Ethan Gallo in the finals – Sorenson is legit! The wrestler most likely to challenge Sorenson for the title is Section 6 champion Dontae Hoose. The senior from Southwestern High School placed 6th at 195 pounds back in 2020 and his only loss this year was a 7-5 decision to a wrestler from Pennsylvania. Section 5 champion Trevor Sibble is an amazing 48-0 this season so he’s definitely a medal contender here as is the wrestler he handed his only loss to in the Section 5 finals, Connor Hare who is 40-1 this year. Section 2 champion Logan Marissal is 29-1 with a few good wins will be in the mix as will Section 9 champion Matt Oosterom who is 29-4. We should also keep our eyes on Section 4 champion Garrett Bidwell, Section 1 champ Jacob Cassidy, and Section 6 runner-up Trevor Barry.

New Paltz’s Logan Ormond is making his first trip to the state tournament in Albany and he has the ability to make some noise!

285 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Charles Batista (Lourdes)
Section 2 – Tristen Hitchcock (Warrens)
Section 2 – Evan Day (Salem-Cambridge)
Section 3 – Nick Rogers (General Brown)
Section 3 – Josh Salsman (Camden)
Section 3 – Andrew Morris (Holland Pat)
Section 4 – Kam Hills (Waverly) 
Section 4 – John Hammond (SVEC)
Section 4 – Logan Jamison (Marathon)
Section 5 – Noah Wazinski (N. Rose Wolcott)
Section 5 – Mason Petersen (Marcus Whitman)
Section 6 – Charles Larose (Newfane)
Section 6 – Ryan Carpenter (Randolph)
Section 7 – Connor Bushey (Beekmantown)
Section 8 – John Zabielski-Ramos (North Shore)
Section 8 – Neriel Colon (Seaford)
Section 9 – Logan Ormond (New Paltz)
Section 10 – Brody Fountain (Malone)
Section 11 – Melkin Alfaro-Chavez (John Glenn)
Section 11 – Diego Giron (Mattituck)
PSAL – Christian Solano (Eagle)
AIS – Sami Uyanik (Dalton School)

Section 2 champ Tristen Hitchcock is 43-2 this season and is one of the favorites to win the 285-pound state title this year!

With several potential champions in the bracket, the 285-pound heavyweights are going to be fun to watch. Let’s start with our Section 2 champion Tristen Hitchcock. He is 43-2 this season and his losses are to 215 D1 hammer Gallo and 285 D1 Section 3 champion Tibbetts – both matches were very close! Our Section 3 Division 2 champion is Nick Rogers from General Brown, and he is going to be heard from this weekend. Brown has only two losses on the season – both to 215 S3 D2 hammer Sam Sorenson. Our PSAL champion here is Christian Solano and he sports a perfect 35-0 record coming into the tournament and we should also watch out for sophomore Section 7 champion Connor Bushey whose only loss on the season was to Hitchcock. The Section 4 champ Kam Hills and the Section 5 champ Noah Wazinski both have some nice wins and will make some noise as could Section 9 champion Logan Ormond who is 20-2 on the season. Others to watch here are Section 3 Josh Salsman and Andrew Morris, Section 6 champion Charles Larose, and Section 5 runner-up Mason Peterson.

8 thoughts on “NYSPHSAA Division 2 – Tournament Preview”

  1. Your story portion of the 128 lb says Zoe Griffith is from section 7, but she’s a section 10er.

    Great overview though!

  2. With the severity of Winter Storm Oaklee that is predicted to arrive Thursday night and into most of Friday is there now a contingency plan in place for the wrestling championships in Albany ? The forecast for the Albany area are for ice and 12-18 inches of snow . My planned departure for Albany on Friday morning looks to be in serious jeopardy . When will the organizers make a decision to hold the event or move it to another date if that is a possibility or just cancel it entirely ?

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