For the 3rd season in a row, Section 9 has won the Division 1 sectional title and Minisink Valley had won the Division 1 team title at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships! Section 9 had a monster Day 2 with several clutch performances in one of the most exciting days of wrestling in tournament history! As a section we crowned five champions and placed a total of 18 wrestlers in the top-8 of their weight class!
Division 1 Recap
Section 9 Division 1 captured five individual titles, placed 15 wrestlers in the top-8, and won the sectional title for the 3rd season in a row. Section 9 and Section 8 (Nassau County) were neck-and-neck going into the finals on Saturday and there were three head-to-head finals matchups – Section 9 won all three of them! In an equally tight team race, Minisink Valley edged out Plainedge 88.5 to 86 thanks to the MOW performance of PJ Duke as well as gutty performances from three other place winners, namely Anthony Tresch who lost in the quarters and wrestled all the way back to take 3rd place! Let’s take a closer look at all 13 weight classes with a spotlight on our Section 9 champions and place winners.
101 Finals – William Soto (NFA) major 11-0 EJ Vass (Valley Central)
Section 9 left no doubt about which section has the best lightweights in NYS! Soto, a freshman from NFA, defeated Vass, and 8th grader from Valley Central, in a rematch of the Mid-Hudson, Eastern States Classic and Section 9 finals! Soto placed 3rd in NYS last season and finished the season a perfect 51-0. Vass finished the season 35-5 with all five of his losses coming to Soto.
108 Finals – Cooper Merli (NFA) dec 1-0 Dunia Sibomana (Long Beach)
In perhaps the biggest upset of the finals, Merli defeated longtime rival Sibomana-Rodriguez in a head-to-head matchup between Section 9 and Section 8. Merli, last year’s state champion at 102, and Sibomana-Rodriguez, the 2022 NYS champion at 102, also locked horns in the finals of the Eastern States Classic in January where Sibomana defeated Merli by a score of 9-2. Incredible job turning the tables in the state finals Cooper! Section 9 had another place winner at 108 with Wallkill sophomore Marco Futia taking 4th place!
116 Finals – Evin Gursoy (Midwood) maj 14-2 Anthony Severino (Lindenhurst)
Gursoy, a state finalist last season at 110 pounds, made a statement this year by dominating the competition at 116 pounds. Section 9 did not have any place winners at this weight class.
124 Finals – Luke Satriano (Valley Central) maj 10-0 Matt Marlow (Northport)
In a battle between the 2023 110-pound state champion, Satriano, and a 2X NYS champion, Marlow, it was our Section 9 hammer who came out on top with a statement victory! Satriano showed that iron sharpens iron. The Valley Central junior suffered six losses this season – two at the Beast of the East, two at Powerade, and two at the Eastern States Classic – but it all paid off when it mattered most!
131 Finals – Joe Clem (Wantagh) dec 5-3 Samson McKissick-Staley (Pittsford)
Section 8 senior and University of West Virginia commit Clem reversed the result from their match at the Eastern States Classic and defeated the Section 5 sophomore to capture the state crown at 131. It was McKissick-Staley’s only loss of the season. Section 9 had one place winner here with NFA junior Matthew Mercado grabbing 8th place honors!
138 Finals – Amir Avazov (James Madison) dec 9-4 Luke Nieto (Plainedge)
Nieto defeated Avazov at the Eastern States Classic, but it was the PSAL senior Avazov who came out on top on Saturday night in Albany. Section 9 did not have any top-8 place winners at this weight class.
145 Finals – Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills) dec 3-1 Mason Ketcham (Washingtonville)
Washingtonville junior Ketcham was not able to compete last season due to an injury but returned this season with guns a blazin! Ketcham only suffered two losses this year – one in the Eastern States Classic semifinals and one in the state finals! Carlin was a state finalist at 132 last season. Section 9 had two place winners here as Minisink Valley junior Anthony Tresch, seeded 7th, lost to Ketcham in the quarters but then wrestled all the way back to 3rd place.
152 Finals – Cameron Catrabone (Williamsville NE) dec 3-0 Griff LaPlante (St. Francis)
Nationally ranked Catrabone is now a 2X NYS champion. His only loss this year was up at 160 pounds in the Eastern States Classic to PJ Duke from Minisink Valley. Duke’s teammate, Luke Greiner, placed 5th at 152 this year. Greiner, who will be serving our country in the United States Coast Guard after high school, is a 3X Section 9 champion.
160 Finals – PJ Duke (Minisink Valley) tf 27-12 Matthew Rodriguez (East Meadow)
Minisink Valley junior PJ Duke is now a 3X NYS champion. He is without question the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the state and is the #1 ranked wrestler at his weight in the nation. Duke scored bonus points in every match in Albany which helped Minisink Valley edge out Plainedge for the team title. The Warriors are now 3X defending team champions. His win over a Section 8 opponent was also very instrumental in helping Section 9 earn the sectional title for the 3rd straight year!
170 Finals – Devin Downes (Plainedge) dec 6-4 Leo Venables (Carmel)
Section 8 sophomore Downes picks up his first state title with a solid victory over Venables who placed 4th in the state last season. Section 9 did not hace any place finishers at this weight.
190 Finals – Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton) maj 13-0 Zach Caldwell (St. Francis)
Yeah definitely not the first time a Diakomihalis has won a state title – Yianni won four and Greg won five. Elijah, only a junior, adds to family mantle with title number ten by dominating the competition in Albany. He was a state finalist last year losing in the finals 3-0 to Minisink Valley’s Zack Ryder. Speaking of Minisink Valley, Warrior sophomore Zachary Filip placed 7th at this weight class this year!
215 Finals – Coy Raines (Churchville) dec 3-1 Alex Berisha (Fox Lane)
The Section 5 senior capped off a great year with a state title. Raines also won the Eastern States Classic in January, and he was a 6th place NYS place finisher in Albany last year. Section 9 had a strong showing at this weight class with two wrestlers finishing in the top-8. Middletown senior Bryson Tibbs placed 5th while NFA junior Chris Leggett took 7th. Tibbs finished his year as a 2X NYS place winner and Leggett becomes Section 9’s first ever 3rd place sectional place finisher to place at the state tournament. NFA has four returning state place winners.
285 Finals – Stephan Monchery (Middletown) f 2:17 Vincent Petzold (Plainedge)
Monchery capped off an incredible high school career by winning the NYS title at 285 pounds. Monchery finished the season undefeated and was also the Eastern States Classic champion. Steph will continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Buffalo. Monchery’s teammate, Rahmiere Bradley, also earned his 2nd trip to the podium in Albany. Bradley, who placed 7th last season, took 4th place at this year’s state tournament.
D1 Sectional Team Score
- Section 9 – 229.5
- Section 8 – 213.5
- Section 11 – 180.0
- Section 5 – 170.0
- Section 1 – 146.0
- CHSAA – 136.0
- Section 2 – 132.0
- Section 3 – 125.0
- Section 6 – 108.5
- PSAL – 96.0
- Section 4 – 14.0
D1 Individual Team Scores
1. Minisink Valley – 88.5
2. Plainedge – 86
3. St. Francis – 83
4. Newburgh – 72.5
5. Middletown – 66
6. Wantagh – 64.5
7. Long Beach – 58
8. Valley Central – 52
9. Hilton 51.5
10. Burnt Hills – 42
Division 2 Recap
Our Division 2 squad did not experience the same success as our large school team did, however there were still a few major accomplishments worth celebrating. As a team, Section 9 Division 2 finished in 8th place. This ties for the highest finish ever for our Division 2 wrestlers since the state went to a 2-division system back in 2004. We also placed 8th in 2018. The 74 points scored by our D2 team is the most ever scored by a Section 9 small school squad! We also had three wrestlers from Port Jervis place in the top-8 in their weight class. This is the first time since “the split” in 2004 that a small school team from Section 9 had three state place winners!
101 Finals – Andrew Juliano (Holland Patent) f 3:07 Jakob Lucinski (Newfane)
Juliano was pinned in the first period of the Section 3 finals by Colin Logalbo. He dusted himself off, worked his tail off for two weeks and won a NYS title in Albany. The wrestler he defeated in the finals, Lucinski from Section 6, finished 4th in the state last year.
108 Finals – Maverick Beckwith (Norwich) dec 7-1 Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley)
To say that Section 4 was strong in this weight class would be an understatement. The top 4 finishers all hailed from the Southern Tier. Beckwith defeated Valls to take gold in a rematch of the S4 finals while Kadin Cole took 3rd place by pinning defending state champ Tommy Aiello from Section 11 in their medal match. Bryce Reilly from Our Lady of Lourdes made it to the blood round.
116 Finals – Darren Florance (BGAH) dec 3-1 Brock Frederick (South Jefferson)
Section 4 hammer Florance is now a 3X NYS champion. Nationally ranked at times during the season, Florance cruised through the tournament before being tested by Section 3 champ and previously undefeated Brock Frederick in the finals.
124 Finals – Chase Nevills (Copenhagen) dec 6-3 Christopher Noto (Honeoye Falls)
Defending state champion Nevills avenged his only loss of the season by defeating Section 5 sophomore Christopher Noto in the finals to win state title #2! Noto beat Nevills 7-1 earlier this season in the finals of the Windsor Tournament.
131 Finals – Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-WR) f 5:56 Jayden Duncanson (Tioga)
Section 11 freshman Mangano capped off a great season with a NYS D2 title. Mangano also won the Eastern States classic this year and he was a state finalist last year. He finished 51-1 this year with his only loss coming to his teammate, Chris Colon, at a tournament in early December.
138 Finals – Brayden Fahrbach (Mt. Sinai) dec 6-5 Gianni Silvestri (Tioga)
In what was considered by most to be the toughest weight class in the tournament in either division, Section 11 senior Fahrbach, a 2023 state champ, defeated Section 4 senior Silvestri, a 2022 and 2020 state champion! Both wrestlers were undefeated going into the finals! In order to get to the finals, Silvestri needed to defeat the wrestler who beat him in the state finals last season, Jordan Joslyn from Section 6.
145 Finals – Casper Stewart (Attica-Batavia) dec 4-2 Kieran Cullen (Greenville)
Section 5 senior Stewart finished in 3rd place last season in the Division 1 tournament. This year he was able to win it all in the small school division by knocking off last year’s 5th place finisher at D2 145, Kieren Cullen from Section 2 Greenville. New Paltz senior Justin Coiteux made it to the blood round here.
152 Finals – Tavian Camper (Copenhagen) dec 4-3 Caden Bellis (Tioga)
Camper from Section 3 avenged his only loss of the season by defeating returning state champion Bellis on the finals. Camper, who finished 3rd in NYS last season, was defeated by Bellis 1-0 in the finals of the Christmas Windsor Tournament earlier this season.
160 Finals – Ousmane Duncanson (Tioga) tf 16-0 Jacob Stephenson (Wilson)
The Section 4 senior picks up state title #3 in dominating fashion. Duncanson’s closest match at the tournament was an 8-3 win over his Tioga teammate Drew Macumber who placed 3rd at the tournament! Port Jervis senior Ryan Ross ended his outstanding high school career by placing 6th at this weight. Ross lost a tough match in the quarters but rallied off two wins in the consies to secure his spot on the podium.
170 Finals – Braidon Woodward (Palmyra-Macedon) dec 5-1 Charles Foster (Vernon-Verona-Sherill)
After missing the state tournament last year, Section 5 senior Woodward made the best of his final trip to the state tournament by bringing home the gold! Woodward, who finished the season 54-1, placed 3rd at 152 back in 2022. Chester senior Michael Franco made it to the blood round at this weight!
190 Finals – Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor) dec 5-3 Tavio Hoose (Southwestern)
Section 8 junior Meak finally defeats his rival Hoose from Section 6 and earns the coveted state title. This was a rematch of last year’s state finals at 172 and January’s Eastern States Classic semifinals at 190. In the previous two bouts, Hoose was victorious in razor close decisions! Port Jervis junior Maddox McCormick battled through this tough weight class and took home 8th place honors!
215 Finals – Matt Trim (Maple Grove) maj 11-0 Mason Maring (Chautauqua Lake)
The Section 6 senior level jumped in 2023-2024! He placed 8th at 189 last season and won the state championship this year! Port Jervis senior Matt Oosterom finishes his high school career as a 3X state place winner! Oosterom placed 7th in 2022, 4th in 2023, and took home 5th place honors this year in Albany! Congrats to Matt and to all three Port Jervis state place winners!
285 Finals – Troy Beeman (Waverly) dec 9-4 sv William Wortkoetter (Wilson)
In a battle between sophomore heavyweights, it was Section 4’s Beeman who came out on top in sudden victory over Section 6’s Wortkoetter! Red Hook’s Mark Paschal made it to the blood round at this weight class!
Division 2 Sectional Team Scores
- Section 4 – 263.0
- Section 3 – 246.0
- Section 6 – 225.0
- Section 5 – 207.0
- Section 11 – 128.0
- Section 2 – 118.0
- Section 8 – 93.5
- Section 9 – 74.0
- Section 1 – 61.0
- Section 7 – 53.0
- Section 10 – 50.5
- ASIS – 22.0
- PSAL – 21.0
Division 2 Team Scores
1. Tioga – 210.5
2. Pal-Mac – 80
3. Wilson – 71
4. Southwestern – 59
5. Copenhagen – 56
6. Honeoye Falls-Lima – 54.5
7. Canisteo Greenwood – 48.5
7. Jordan-Elbridge/PB/US/CM – 48.5
9. Shoreham-Wading River – 43.5
10. Cold Spring Harbor – 42
10. Newfane – 42
12. Waverly – 41
13. John Glenn – 40
14. Chautauqua Lake – 39.5
14. South Jefferson – 39.5
16. Vernon-Verona-Sherill – 38
17. Holland Patent – 37
18. Mt. Sinai – 36.5
19. Port Jervis – 36
19. Lowville – 36
19. Windsor – 36
215 – Bryson Tibbs of Middletown High School showcased his skill and determination, securing a remarkable 5th place at 215. Tibbs concluded his high school wrestling journey with an impressive 8-3 decision, solidifying his legacy on the mat.
Adding to the excitement of the competition, Christopher Leggett of Newburgh displayed exceptional talent, earning a well-deserved spot as the 3rd place Sectional Finisher. Leggett’s pin was a testament to his dedication and prowess, marking his debut as a New York State placefinisher. We eagerly anticipate witnessing his continued growth and success as he returns for another thrilling season.
Furthermore, it’s noteworthy to acknowledge the outstanding performance of Newburgh Free Academy, clinching the 4th position in the team standings with a commendable score of 72.5. Their collective effort and skill contributed significantly to their remarkable achievement in the tournament.
285 – In a night that will be etched into the annals of Section 9 wrestling history, Middletown achieved a remarkable feat, capturing their first state title since 1992. The crowning moment came when the top-seeded Stephan Monchery demonstrated his dominance by pinning his Section 8 opponent, sealing not only his own spectacular high school career but also a momentous victory for the Middie Bears.
Stephan Monchery’s triumph not only marked the end of an era for him as he moves on to the University at Buffalo, but it also propelled Middletown to a commendable 5th place team finish. This accomplishment stands as a testament to the dedication, skill, and perseverance of the entire Middletown wrestling program.
However, the glory didn’t end there. Monchery’s success also played a pivotal role in securing Minisink’s first-place victory over the reigning NYS Team Champions, Plainedge. This triumph highlights the collective strength and determination of Section 9 wrestlers, showcasing their ability to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
Joining Monchery on the podium was his wrestling partner, Rahmier Bradley, who clinched a respectable 4th place finish. Both Monchery and Bradley have now cemented their places as two-time state place finishers, leaving an indelible mark on Section 9 wrestling history.