It’s that time of the year! The high school wrestling season has begun and that means it’s time for preseason rankings! As I have done in the past, the first few rankings will combine our Division 1 and Division 2 wrestlers. Once we have a few weeks of results to analyze, the rankings will be separated into Division 1 and Division 2. Please remember that rankings mean nothing! The purpose of rankings is to generate a buzz about the sport that we love! All that really matters is what happens on the mat! If I have made any glaring omissions or if you do not agree with my rankings, please feel free to email me at sectionixwrestling@gmail.com.
102 Pounds
1. Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis, 9th)
2. William Soto (Newburgh Free Academy, 8th)
3. Garrett Judd (Warwick, 8th)
4. Kelly Sullivan (Monroe Woodbury, 7th)
5. EJ Vass (Valley Central, 7th)
Defending Section 9 D2 champ Wylie will have another incredible season! She is tough and can compete with any 102 pound wrestler in Section 9 – D1 or D1, boy or girl! Soto has had a great preseason and will make an immediate impact for the Goldbacks this year. Judd, Sullivan, and Vass have a ton of talent and will be fun to watch this season.
110 Pounds
1. Cooper Merli (Newburgh Free Academy, 9th)
2. Marco Futia (Wallkill, 9th)
3. Elijah Brown (Monroe Woodbury, 7th)
4. Gabriel McNally (Pine Bush, 10th)
5. Gabe Simpson (Minisink Valley, 9th)
Merli was a state qualifier last year and came was one win away from placing at the state tournament. Futia placed 3rd in S9 last year and has been busy in the off season. Brown is very talented as are last year’s JV champ McNally and MV’s Simpson.
118 Pounds
1. Luke Satriano (Valley Central, 10th)
2. Wyatt Boice (Minisink Valley, 8th)
3. Brady Judd (Warwick, 10th)
4. Joseph Uhrig (Minisink Valley, 8th)
5. Marco Piazza (Monroe Woodbury, 12th)
Satriano finished 4th in NYS last season and has his sights set on a higher step on the podium in 2023! Boice was a state qualifier last year and is poises for another strong season. Uhrig beat Judd 2X last season but Judd beat him at Sections and finished higher so I have Judd #3 and Uhrig #4. Piazza will be very tough at 118!
126 Pounds
1. Nick Weeden (Valley Central, 12th)
2. Rocco Futia (Wallkill, 12th)
3. Matthew Mercado (Newburgh Free Academy, 10th)
4. Liam Hayes (Monroe Woodbury, 9th)
5. Joe Sullivan (Minisink Valley, 10th)
Weeden was out S9 D1 champ last season and won a match at states. Futia was a state qualifier last season and went 2-2 and the state tournament. Mercado, Hayes and Sullivan all had very good seasons and will be in the hunt this year!
132 Pounds
1. Anthony Tresch (Minisink Valley, 10th)
2. Rian Kirker (Red Hook, 12th)
3. Griffin Petzold (Warwick, 10th)
4. Viktor Banda (Wallkill, 11th)
5. Jacob Roger (Middletown, 11th)
Tresch was our S9 D1 champ last year and notched a win in Albany. He has worked hard this past off-season and has his sights set on the podium in February. Kirker has been to Albany and is looking to get back there this season. Petzold, Banda, Roger and HM Maxim Javorky from Monroe Woodbury are all tough and should not be overlooked!
138 Pounds
1. Alex Greco (Warwick, 12th)
2. Zak McKernan (Minisink Valley, 12th)
3. Richie Degon (Valley Central, 11)
4. Jayden Norris (Middletown, 12)
5. Demetrius Massey (Red Hook, 12)
Former state place winner Greco is looking to finish his high school career with another state medal. McKernan was a state qualifier last year and went 2-2 in Albany. Degan and Norris are very scrappy, and Massey will be tough to beat in the D2 side!
145 Pounds
1. Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury, 12)
2. Luke Greiner (Minisink Valley, 11th)
3. Justin Coiteux (New Paltz, 11th)
4. Jackson Brady (Goshen, 12th)
5. Liam Holmes (Minisink Valley, 11th)
This weight is loaded! Brown is a 2X state place winner who might take the top prize in Albany this year! Greiner and Coiteux are both returning S9 champs who who went 1-2 at states. Holmes and Brady are very tough!
152 Pounds
1. PJ Duke (Minisink Valley, 10th)
2. Cole Cuppett (New Paltz, 12th)
3. George Thomas (Wallkill, 12th)
4. Tyler Desotle (Warwick, 11th)
5. Michael Accardo (Warwick, 11th)
Duke is a 2X state champion and is ranked in the top 3 in the nation by both Flo and MatScouts so I guess we will make him #1 here. PJ is as good as we have ever seen and he’s just a sophomore! Cuppett was the S9 D2 champ last season and is hoping to find his way to the podium in Albany in February. Thomas, Desotle, and Accardo had very good season’s last year and will be tough to beat this year!
160 Pounds
1. Tyler Reed (Cornwall, 12th)
2. Ryan Ross (Port Jervis, 11th)
3. Reece Greathouse (Marlboro, 11th)
4. Marco Martini (Wallkill, 12th)
5. Ibrahim Aljamal (Washingtonville, 12th)
Reed was a state qualifier at 152 last season and went 2-2 in Albany last year! Ross was the D2 champ at 145 last year and he also went 2-2 at states! Greathouse will surprise some people this year and don’t look past Martini and Aljamal!
172 Pounds
1. Joseph Ponesse (Newburgh Free Academy, 12)
2. Nick Cavallo (Cornwall, 12th)
3. Christian Hockx (Saugerties, 12th)
4. Logan Serafin (Washingtonville, 12th)
5. Quinten Morgan (Minisink Valley, 11th)
Pretty wide-open weight class here but Ponesse get the nod at the top spot to start the year. Cavallo, Hockx, and Serafin were all very solid last year and we should keep an eye on Morgan from MV who is very tough!
189 Pounds
1. Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley, 11th)
2. Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley, 12th)
3. Braydon Pennell (Pine Bush, 12th)
4. Bryson Tibbs (Middletown, 11th)
5. Christopher Leggett (Newburgh Free Academy, 10th)
When you are a 2X state champion, a World Bronze medalist, and ranked #2 in the nation by both Flo and MatScouts, I guess you are a pretty safe bet to be #1 in our rankings! Ryder has committed to Penn State and is a dominating wrestler. His teammate Filip finished 4th in NYS last year so he is our #2 followed by Pennell who was a state qualifier and gave Filip all he could handle in the S9 finals! Tibbs was also a state qualifier up at 215…this weight is loaded! Leggett had a very good year and will definitely be in the mix this year!
215 Pounds
1. Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley, 12th)
2. Matthew Oosterom (Port Jervis, 11th)
3. Gavin Furst (Cornwall, 12th)
4. Nick York (Kingston, 12th)
5. Eryk Shammgod (Monroe Woodbury, 12th)
Gallo was the NYS champion at this weight last year and is poised for a repeat performance! Not too shabby for a 3-sport athlete who only wrestles a few months out of the year! Oosterom was a D2 state placer last season and will look to ascend to a higher step on the medal stand this February! Furst, York and Shammgod will all have very good season this year!
285 Pounds
1. Stephan Monchery (Middletown, 11th)
2. Rahmiere Bradley (Middletown, 11th)
3. Logan Ormand (New Paltz, 12th)
4. Charles Batista (Our Lady of Lourdes, 12th)
5. Aiden DeEntremont (Goshen, 12th)
Monchery placed 5th in NYS last season and will definitely be in the hunt for a state title this year. His teammate Bradley was also a state qualifier last year and might surprise some wrestlers this year – he’s tough! Ormand was our D2 champ last year and went 1-2 in Albany. He might find his way to the medal stand this year, but he’ll need to get past Batista who was a D2 state qualifier for S1 last year. DeEntremont finished the year strong last year and should not be overlooked!
Thanks as always Mike ! Wishing all wrestlers a healthy year !!!