Let’s Meet The Wrestlers

Let’s get to know all of the wrestlers who are representing Section 9 at this weekend’s NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships.  The tournament is being held at the Times Union Center in Albany.  I would strongly recommend making the trip to watch this event live!  Albany is a great host city and the Times Union Center is a perfect venue!  For those who cannot attend, round-by-round updates for all of our Section 9 wrestlers will be posted right here!  Good luck boys!

99 Pounds – Division 1
Colby Amell
Saugerties, 10th Grade
Season Record: 30-6
First Opponent: Myles Griffin, Section3
Colby’s Record Against the Field: 0-3 (Robin 3X)
Comments:  Colby is a raw talent who keeps getting better.  He was pinned by Robin in their 1st match however Amell closed the gap and lost by an 11-8 margin in their next encounter.  The 3rd match was won by injury default.  Colby definitely has the ability to win some matches in Albany.

99 Pounds – Division 2
Nikko Walsh
Rondout Valley, 8th Grade
Season Record: 24-7
First Opponent: Mason Bush, Section 3
Nikko’s Record Against the Field: 0-1 (Titus)
Comments: Walsh is only an 8th grader and has a lot of upside.  He drew the #2 seed Bush right out of the gate which will be a huge challange for Nikko.  Regardless of his results this will be a tremendous learning experience for the Rondout 8th grader and this will likely be his first of several trips to the state tournament.

106 Pounds – Division 1
Dylan Earl
Monroe Woodbury, 11th grade
Season Record: 28-7
First Opponent: Antoine Grace, Section 2
Dylan’s Record Against the Field: 1-1 (win Fischer, loss Anders)
Comments:  Dylan is scrappy and is never out of a match.  He received a nice draw in Grace, a wrestler that Fischer has beaten earlier this season.  If he wins that match he’ll run into #2 seed Ryder in the quarters.  Dylan has a legitimate chance to medal this weekend.

106 Pounds – Division 1
Greg Fischer
Newburgh, 11th grade
Season Record: 38-7
First Opponent: CJ McMonegal, Section 1
Greg’s Record Against the Field: 1-2 (win Grace; losses Earl and Redding)
Comments:  Greg earned his spot on the Section 9 team via an at-large bid. With his 5-2 loss to ESC champion Redding, Fischer proved that he can wrestle with anyone in the state.  If he is able to win his opening round match he will likely see the #1 seed Griffin in the quarters.

106 Pounds – Division 2
Pat Ross
Onteora, 8th grade
Season Record: 24-9
First Opponent: Trent Svingala, Section 2
Pat’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Pat is young but he’s getting better each day.  His oppening round draw is a very tough wrestler in Svingala.  This will be the toughest tournament he has ever wrestled and will definitely leave Albany as a better wrestler.

113 Pounds – Division 1
Marco Vespa
Monroe Woodbury, 10th grade
Season Record: 34-5
First Opponent: CJ Lee, Section 5
Marco’s Record Against the Field: 2-2 (wins Ryan, Romano; losses Sciotto, Diakomihalis)
Comments: Marco has a good position in the bracket and has the talent to make it all the way to the finals.  Greg D. has proven himself to be the class of this field but perhaps his toughest match all year came from Vespa at UE.  Marco can place high here!

113 Pounds – Division 1
Matt Romano
Valley Central, 9th grade
Season Record: 35-4
First Opponent: Mark Acheson, Section 1
Matt’s Record Against the Field: 1-1 (win Acheson, loss Vespa)
Comments: Matt received the #8 seed and drew a first round opponent who he has already beaten this year.  If Romano gets to the quarters he’ll face top seeded Diakomihalis.  This will not be Matt’s last trip to Albany!

113 Pounds – Division 2
Nick Ross
Onteora, 8th grade
Season Record: 27-9
First Opponent: Caleb Robinson, Section 4
Nick’s Record Against the Field: 0-1 (Scarno)
Comments:  Nick won the S9 title by defeating a wrestler who had pinned him twice this season. Like his twin brother Pat, Nick is a young wrestler with a tremendous upside.  He has a very tough first round match match in Robinson but you never know!

120 Pounds – Division 1
Tyler Lynch
Minisink Valley, 12th grade
Season Record: 35-8
First Opponent: Hunter Scutellaro, Section 8
Tyler’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments:  One bad period in the quarterfinals last year is all that prevented Lynch from placing at states last year.  He’s a talented and scrappy wrestler and is hoping to step on the podium on Saturday night.

120 Pounds – Division 2
Nick Conetta
Chester, 12th grade
Season Record: 26-1
First Opponent: Zach Braddell, Section 6
Nick’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Conetta is very talented and has a very imressive record.  His only loss of the season was a 3-2 decision at 126.  That said, he has not wrestled a single state qualifier all season so this tournament will prove to be the ultimate testing ground.  I think Nick can open some eyes this weekend!

126 Pounds – Division 1
Cameron Wernicki
Monroe Woodbury, 12th grade
Season Record: 25-10
First Opponent: Justin Vines, Section 8
Cam’s Record Against the Field: 1-1 (win Davis, loss Killard)
Comments: Wernicki pulled off the biggest upset of the Section 9 tournament when he defeated 2X champion Connor Griener in the finals.  Cam is hoping to ride this momentum into the state tournament against the very talented field at 126 starting with his first opponent, top seeded Justin Vines from Wantagh.

126 Pounds – Division 1
Andrew Davis
Wallkill, 12th grade
Season Record: 44-6
First Opponent: Austin Hertel
Record Against the Field: 0-2 (Wernicki, Earl)
Comments: Davis earned a wildcard entry into this year’s tournament and he is hoping to make the most of it.  He drew the #2 seed Hertel right out of the gate but Davis knows how to keep matches close.  He may surprise an opponent or two up in Albany.

126 Pounds – Division 2
Nate Ross
Onteora, 9th grade
Season Record: 19-6
First Opponent: Jack Bokina, S11
Nate’s Record Against the Field:  0-1 (Walz)
Comments: Nate drew an extremely tough opponent for the opening round in Bokina from Mattituck.  Like his younger twin brothers, Nate is young and will definitely have a learning curve competing at this level.  I have a feeling we will be hearing about the Ross brothers for the next several years!

132 Pounds – Division 1
Vinny Vetrano
Minisink Valley, 11th grade
Season Record: 31-9
First Opponent: Warren McDougald, Section 6
Vinny’s Record Against the Field: 2-1 (wins Bonner, Satriano; loss McDougald)
Comments: Vinny wrestled his first round opponent McDougald at the Eastern States Classic where he lost to him by a narrow 3-1 margin.  Vetrano, however, gets stronger and stronger as the season progresses.  Don’t be surprised if you see Vinny on the podium on Saturday evening!

132 Pounds – Division 1
Brad Bonner
Wallkill, 12th grade
Season Record: 40-8
First Opponent: Matt Maquet, Section 8
Brad’s Record Against the Field: 1-3 (win Satriano; losses Satriano, Vetrano, Gomez)
Comments: Bonner earned the 3rd wildcard for entry into this year’s NYS championship tournament.  He has a very tough opening round opponent in Maquet but may surpise an opponent or two here.

132 Pounds – Division 1
Robert Satriano
Valley Central, 12th grade
Season Record: 34-7
First Opponent: Noah Carpenter, Section 4
Rob’s Record Against the Field: 1-3 (win Bonner, losses Bonner, Vetrano, King)
Comments: Satriano earned the 4th at-large birth to gain entrance into the state tournament.  Rob’s a tough wrestler who is very dangerous.  This is a pretty deep weight so relatively speaking he has a decent opening round draw.

132 Pounds – Division 2
Ian Houck
Rondout Valley, 11th grade
Season Record: 26-7
First Opponent: Riley Gerber, Section 3
Ian’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Ian is a very capable wrestle who has beaten a few of the wrestlers in the D1 brackets.  His first round oponent was not Heberlein Colom, or Dusold so no complaits there!  Houck may surprise some people and earn his way to the medal stand an Saturday evening!

138 Pounds – Division 1
Dom Vetrano
Minisink Valley, 11th grade
Season Record: 34-7
First Opponent: Jake Silverstein, Section 11
Dom’s Record Against the Field: 0-2 (Osman, Gramuglia)
Comments: Like his twin brother Vinny, Dom Vetrano gets stronger and stronger as the season progresses.  His first round opponent is nationally ranked Jake Silverstein – I’m not sure who received the worse draw, Jake or Dom.  Vetrano will win some matches this weekend!

138 Pounds – Division 2
Matt Malherio
Highland, 10th grade
Season Record: 35-10
First Opponent: Colin Hogan, Section 2
Matt’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Malherio defeated last year’s Section 9 champion Gullickson from New Paltz in an exciting match to claim the title at 138.  He has yet to wrestle against the level of competition he will see in Albany however Matt is only a sophomore and he has a high ceiling.

145 Pounds – Division 1
Brandon Bobe
Washingtonville, 12th grade
Season Record: 38-3
First Opponent: Gianno Silba, Section 4
Brandon’s Record Against the Field: 0-2 (Shanahan, Cavallo)
Comments: Of his three losses, two of them were by injury at ESC.  Bobe’s only wrestled loss was a 5-2 decision to 3rd seeded Shanahan.  Brandon has a good draw and definitely has the potential to open some eyes by placing this weekend.

145 Pounds – Division 2
Zach Chartrand
Onteora, 11th grade
Season Record: 25-10
First Opponent: Daylon Swearinger, Section 5
Zach’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Zach has been showing steady improvement all season long and is peaking at the right time.  He has a decent 1st round draw and may surprize some wrestlers up in Albany.  This will be a great learning experience for the Onteora junior.

152 Pounds – Division 1
Evan Barczak
Monroe Woodbury, 12th grade
Season Record: 40-2
First Opponent: Dutch Schultz, CHSAA
Evan’s Record Against the Field: 2-1 (wins Schultz, Byron; loss Pappas)
Comments: Evan is a 2X NYS placewinner and has his sights set on nothing less than a state title this weekend!  152 is a brutal weight so whoever comes away with the gold will have earned it! In order to win, Evan will likely beed to defeat Laniewski, Grippi, and Pappas in consecutive matches – can you say “meat grinder!”

152 Pounds – Division 2
Dillon Ross
Onteora, 11th grade
Season Record: 31-6
First Opponent: Ross McFarland, Section 3
Dillon’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: The oldest of the 4 Ross brothers who are competing this weekend, Dillon is a returning state qualifier and has his sights set higher than last year.  He is battle tested and has proved that he can wrestle with some of the best in the state.  He drew the #2 seed right out of the gate but Ross will be ready!

160 Pounds – Division 1
Ryan Ferro
Warwick, 12th grade
Season Record: 33-0
First Opponent: Jake Wright, Section 3
Ryan’s Record Against the Field: 1-0 (Cuomo)
Comments: Ferro was the NYS champion at 152 pounds last season and he is undefeated this season!  He is the #1 seed at 160 and he has pinned the #2 seed, Cuomo, earlier this season. Expect to see Ryan high on the medal stand on Saturday evening!

160 Pounds – Division 2
Noah Curreri
Eldred, 12th grade
Season Record: 32-2
First Opponent: Joe DiForte, PSAL
Noah’s Record Against the Field: 1-0 (Hoover)
Comments: Noah placed 5th in NYS last season and has his sights set higher this year!  His only two losses of the season came at ESC and neither of those wrestlers are in his bracket.  He is the #3 seed and will likely see 50-match winner Cameron Page from Section 6 in the semis.

170 Pounds – Division 1
Adonis Morano
Middletown, 11th grade
Season Record: 40-6
First Opponent: Sammy Deprez, Section 5
Adonis’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Adonis is a dangerous wrestler who is a good finisher.  His 1st round opponent is a very tough Sammy Deprez and this should prove to be a good test for Morano. Any opponent who looks past Adonis may be in for a surprise.

170 Pounds – Division 2
Jeffrey Kiluba
Red Hook, 12th grade
Season Record: 25-6
First Opponent: Trevor Snow, Section 3
Jeff’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Kiluba is a strong 170 pounder and he’s a finisher.  He has a tough 1st round opponent in Snow but he definitely has the potential to win some matches in Albany this weekend!

182 Pounds – Division 1
Mike Fekishazy
Wallkill, 12th grade
Season Record: 37-2
First Opponent: TJ Toles, CHSAA
Mike’s Record Against the Field: 4-1 (wins Frank 2X, Andressen, Yanis; loss Deprez)
Comments: Fekishazy finished 6th in NYS last year at 170 and is hoping to ascend higher on the podium this year! He made it to finals of the ESC but had to injury default to Deprez for his only loss against the field.  He comes in as the #3 seed and will likely see fellow state placer Tyreek Bromley in the quarters.

182 Pounds – Division 1
Joey Yanis
Minisink Valley, 11th grade
Season Record: 39-3
First Opponent: Max Emond, Section 3
Joey’s Record Against the Field: 1-3 (win Cicco; losses Bromley, Deprez, Fekishazy)
Comments: Joey earned his way to Albany by wildcard after losing a sudden victory decision to Fekishazy in the S9 finals.  He suffered losses to Deprez and Bromley at ESC however he did notch a win over Cicco, the #2 seed this weekend!  Section 9 may put two wrestlers on the medal stand at 182!

182 Pounds – Division 2
Ben Cuppett
New Paltz, 12th grade
Season Record: 19-7
First Opponent: Doug Simmons, Section 3
Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Cuppett is a 3X Section champion but he has been hampered by injuries most of the season.  If healthy, he definitely has the potential to win some matches and maybe find his way on the medal stand.  He’ll see #2 seed Simmons in the opening round.

195 Pounds – Division 1
Kendall Elfstrum
Monroe Woodbury, 12th grade
Season Record: 15-0
First Opponent: Dylan Nerich, PSAL
Kendall’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Elfstrum finished 4th in NYS last season at 182.  He missed the majority of this season due to injury but is now healthy and ready to make a run at a state title. Elfstrum is the 5th seed and will likely see 4th seeded Kyle Davis from Beacon in the quarters.  This is a deep weight class with several possible champs and Kendall is definitely one of the them!

195 Pounds – Division 2
Brody Harris
Chester, 12th grade
Season Record: 26-3
First Opponent: Sam Ahearn, Section 7
Brody’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comment: Brody put in a lot of work in the off season and he’s having a great year.  He comes in as the #8 seed and has a winnable opening round match before running into top-seeded Joe Benedict in the quarters.  Let’s see what happens!

220 Pounds – Division 1
Ryan Ellefsen
Goshen, 12th grade
Season Record: 35-2
First Opponent: Mason Hoose, CHSAA
Ryan’s Record Against the Field: 4-2 (wins Rupert, Mastrangelo, Hoose, Jean-Baptiste; losses Caffrey, Gecaj)
Comments: Ryan was a state finalist at this weight last year and comes into this year’s tournament as the #1 seed.  His opponent in last year’s state final, Terron Robinson, sits in the bottom half of the bracket along with Damien Caffrey, a wrestler who beat Ellefsen at ESC.  This will be a great weight class to follow.

220 Pounds – Division 2
John Goodell
E/L/SW, 11th grade
Season Record: 22-14
First Opponent: Matt Edridge, Section 6
John’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments:  Goodell comes in as the #5 seed and has a pretty decent draw.  Although he not wrestled anyone in the field, he does have some matches including one win over some D1 entries.

285 Pounds – Division 1
Horace Duke
Middletown, 12th grade
Season Record: 31-8
First Opponent: Shaerod Rodgers, Section 6
Horace’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Duke’s entry at 285 was probably the biggest surprise at the S9 seeding meeting.  The gamble paid off as he defeated his teammate Norris Gipson in the finals in order to punch his ticket to Albany.  Smaller, athletic heavyweights can give some wrestlers fits!

285 Pounds – Division 2
William Sutherland
Rondout Valley, 12th grade
Season Record: 22-11
First Opponent: Lucas Sanders, Section 2
William’s Record Against the Field: 0-0
Comments: Sutherland avenged several of his losses from earlier in the season and may just be hitting his stride at the right time.  Sanders is a tough wrestler but he definitely could have drawn worse.

*Special thanks to MV’s Coach Hendershot for taking some of these headshots*