Author: Mike Carey

Section 9 Wrestling
Individual Rankings – Combined D1/D2
January 16, 2018

Here are our first rankings after the Eastern States Classic!  At this point we have a pretty good idea about which weight everyone is going.  There will inevitably be some changes towards the end of the year as wrestlers and coaches put themselves in the best position position to win a Section 9 title and a trip to the NYS tournament in Albany on 2/23 & 2/24!  Here we go!!!  As always, respectful comments and suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated at sectionixwrestling@gmail.com. Enjoy!

99 Pounds
1. Justin Morales – Middletown, sophomore
2. Nikko Walsh – Rondout Valley, freshman
3. Christian Prokosch – Cornwall, senior
4. Andrew Marchese – Washingtonville, 8th grade
5. Evan Hewitt – Minisink Valley, freshman
6. Matt Davis – Wallkill, freshman

Morales drops to 99 and makes a statement by placing 8th at the ESC including a 6-2 win over previous #1 Walsh who also had a good tournament and was one win away from placing.  Prokosch, Marchese, Hewitt, and Davis all remain in the same order as last ranking and round out 3-6.  There is some others to keep an eye on here specifically Casey Lennon from VC, Richard Toledo from MW, Grant Barczak from MW, and Joey Curreri from Eldred/Liberty/Sullivan West.

106 Pounds
1. Greg Fischer – NFA, senior
2. Nick Picariello – Minisink Valley, sophomore
3. Jacob Chenier – Kingston, sophomore
4. Drew Greco – Warwick, freshman
5. Matt Morris – Red Hook, sophomore
6. Dylan Tierney – Goshen, junior

Fischer bounced back from an 11-0 loss to Suarez (@ 113) at the Section 9 Duals by having an awesome ESC placing 6th in an absolutely loaded field! The 2017 state qualifier recorded a pin over Len Balducci, a 5th place finisher at last year’s NYS tournament. Picariello also had a nice ESC making it to Day 2 and he was also a finalist at the Chris Hernandez Tournament so he stays #2. Chenier, Greco, and Morris stay in the same order and Goshen junior Dylan Tierney enters the rankings at #6!

113 Pounds
1. Dylan Earl – Monroe Woodbury, senior
2. Jordan Suarez – Minisink Valley, sophomore
3. Ryan Burgos – Monroe Woodbury, junior
4. Hunter Brown – Warwick, senior
5. Eric Tigue – Port Jervis, 8th grade
6. Derek Ellison – Wallkill, junior

Earl maintains the #1 spot at 113 with a head-to-head over Suarez in the S9 Duals finals.  No reason to change anyone else here. Suarez had an impressive 11-0 win over Fisher (#1 @ 106) . Tigue did wrestle at 106 for the ESC but it’s a +4 tournament but we’ll definitely keep an eye on his future weigh-ins!

120 Pounds
1. Marco Vespa – Monroe Woodbury, junior
2. Brandon DeLaRosa – Newburgh Free Academy, junior
3. Ethan Palanca – New Paltz, freshman
4. Joey Amato – Port Jervis, sophomore
5. Patrick Ross – Onteora, freshman
6. Liam Bullock – Chester, junior

Vespa dnp at ESC but his losses were to the eventual 3rd and 5th place finishers – he’s still the guy to beat at 120 in S9. DeLaRosa has been out resting an injury but stays at #2 but we have a new #3 in Palanca. The New Paltz freshman drops down to 120 and his wins over Ross and Amato this season earn him his ranking here.  Amato pinned Ross at the S9 Duals and jumps up to #4. Bullock took 3rd at the Sailor Tournament and is #6 at 120.

126 Pounds
1. James Faison – Wallkill, sophomore
2. Tom Maddox – Washingtonville, junior
3. Matthew Romano – Valley Central, sophomore
4. Luke Fischer – Newburgh Free Academy, sophomore
5. Sean Savacool – Minisink Valley, sophomore
6. Nick Ross – Onteora, freshman

Faison has been resting an injury but stays at #1 for now.  Maddox keeps impressing and notched another win over Romano in a recent dual. Fischer and Savacool remain in the same order but now at #4 and #5 and our new #6 is Onteora freshman Nick Ross who recorded an impressive 11-5 win over Sauschuck recently at 132!

132 Pounds
1. Connor Greiner – Minisink Valley, senior
2. Tommy Askey – Pine Bush, sophomore
3. Carson Sauschuck – Port Jervis, senior
4. Max Wernicki – Monroe Woodbury, sophomore
5. Hunter Phillips – Valley Central, junior
6. Trevor Faveron – Onteora, senior

No reason for change at 132. Greiner has looked great and placed 8th at the ESC notching 2 wins over state placewinners. Askey has looked very tough since his return to action finishing 3rd at the Mid_Hudson, 3rd at the Shoreline and notched head-to-head win  over #5 Phillips. Wernicki has also looked good and had a win over Phillips who remains at #5 with Faveron at #6.

138 Pounds
1. Dom Vetrano – Minisink Valley, senior
2. Joe McGinty – Monroe Woodbury, sophomore
3. Frank Fea – Goshen, senior
4. Dylan Greer – Pine Bush, senior
5. Nate Ross – Onteora, sophomore
6. Mat Malherio – Highland, junior

No changes at 145 either!  Vetrano was looked great since our last rankings…he pinned #2 McGinty at the S9 Duals and he placed 7th at the Eastern States Classic. McGinty placed 2nd at the Shoreline and looks very tough. Fea lost a close match at ESC before forfeiting in consies but he stays put as does Greer who has not wrestled since the Mid_Hudson. Ross and Malherio are both continuing to have solid seasons and round out the top 6.

145 Pounds
1. Steve Gazzillo – Cornwall, junior
2. Vinny Vetrano – Minisink Valley, senior
3. Ian Houck – Rondout Valley, senior
4. Carter Stewart – Monroe Woodbury, senior
5. Nick Florin – Pine Bush, junior
6. Zach Chartrand – Onteora, senior

Cornwall’s Steven Gazzillo posted a head-to-head win over defending S9 champion Vinny Vetrano and is your new #1 at 145.  Vetrano drops to #2 and had a win over #3 Houck at the ESC  and over Monroe Woodbury’s Carter Stewart at S9 Duals who is your new #4 here. Florin and Chartrand are at #5 and #6 rounding off a very tough weight!

152 Pounds
1. Tyler Serafini – Newburgh Free Academy, junior
2. Tristen Schiafo – Red Hook, senior
3. William Harrison – Port Jervis, junior
4. Joe Pushman – Wallkill, senior
5. Joe Velazquez – Middletown, sophomore
6. Nick Albornoz – Minisink Valley, sophomore

Serafini was one match away from placing at ESC and both losses were to placewinners. Schiafo drops down to 152 and is your new #2. Harrison continues to look very good as does Pushman who are #3 and #4 respectively. Middletown sophomore is at #5 and your new #6 at 152 is Nick Albornoz from Minisink Valley.

160 Pounds
1. Shaun Burgos – Pine Bush, senior
2. Griffin Roddy – Port Jervis, senior
3. Graeme Knisell – Saugerties, sophomore
4. Destin Morano – Middletown, junior
5. Pasquale Satriano – Valley Central,
6. Jace Hirsch – Minisink Valley, freshman

Burgos has been awesome since our last ranking!  He was a Shoreline finalist losing to Section 1 stud Grippi and he also defeated Ganuncio (#2 @ 170) at ESC. Roddy is putting together a nice year and he is #2 and Gnisell from Saugerties comes all the way down from 182 and is our #3 here. Morano from Middletown moves up to #4. Satriano from VC and Hirsch from MV enter the rankings at #5 and #6 respectively.

170 Pounds
1. Dillon Ross – Onteora, senior
2. Timmy Ganuncio – Minisink Valley, senior
3. Jason Butler – Port Jervis, senior
4. Matt Bucci – Saugerties, junior
5. Collin Cummings – Valley Central, senior
6. Brian Mascaro – Wallkill, senior

Ross continues his incredible season and takes 5th at the ESC.  His only loss to a NYS D2 wrestler was a 3-2 decision to Ross McFarland – Ross is definitely in contention for a state title this season! Ganuncio continues to impress and sits firmly at #2 while PJ’s Butler stays at #3. Bucci, Cummings, and Marcaro round out the top 6 in what should prove to be a very exciting weight class to follow.

182 Pounds
1. Joe Yanis – Minisink Valley, senior
2. Anthony Owen – Saugerties, junior
3. Ben Santarpia – Washingtonville, senior
4. Chris Tremper – Pine Bush, senior
5. Alex Miller – Newburgh Free Academy, senior
6. Luke Wojehowski – Cornwall, junior

Yanis is the clear #1 here after his 4th place finish at the ESC.  The MV senior will definitely be in the conversation for a state title at this weight in February. Owen from Saugerties drops down to 182 and takes over the 2nd slot followed by  Santarpia from Washingtonville who is putting together a great season. Tremper, Miller, and Wojehowski are all having very solid seasons and round out the to 6 at 182!

195 Pounds
1. Maxx DeCapua – Newburgh Free Academy, sophomore
2. Sam Santander – Monroe Woodbury, junior
3. Julius Oquendo – Middletown, senior
4. Andrew Wierzbicki – Warwick, senior
5. Anton Juncaj – Minisink Valley, junior
6. Raven Aumick – Port Jervis, senior

DeCapua looked great at the Eastern States Classic and took home 6th place honors. Santander is due to return from injury soon and remains #2 while Oquendo, Wierzbicki, and Juncaj holds spots 3 through 5. Based on his very nice win over Hobson from Red Hook at the S9 Duals, Raven Aumick from Port Jervis enters the rankings at #6.

220 Pounds
1. Will Leonard – Cornwall, junior
2. David Strauss- Monroe Woodbury, junior
3. Mark Crisfield – Valley Central. junior
4. Adam Fenner – Minisink Valley, freshman
5. Daniel Banegas – NFA, senior
6. Hayden Barley – Kingston, junior

Will Leonard cemented his #1 ranking at 220 with a very impressive run that led the Cornwall junior to 4th place honors. Strauss from MW stays at #2 with his head-to-head wins at the S9 Duals over Crisfield from VC and Adam Fenner from MV who are at #3 and #4 respectively. NFA senior Banegas enters the rankings at #5 while Barley from Kingston drops to #6 due to inactivity.

285 Pounds
1. Andrew Fenner – Minisink Valley, senior
2. Liam Dietrich – Red Hook, sophomore
3. Preston Havison – Monroe Woodbury, junior
4. Bryce Moore – Valley Central, junior
5. Caleb Williams – Newburgh Free Academy, junior
6. James Oosterom – Port Jervis, sophomore

Fenner looked very good at ESC and finished 5th on the medal stand. Dietrich stays at #2 but Havison and Moore flip flop after the MW junior’s win over his VC foe at the S9 Duals. Williams from NFA and Oosterom from PJ remain in the #5 and #6 slopts at 295.  This weight could prove to be very exciting at the S9 Tournaments for both D1 and D2!