On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, The Friends of Section 9 hosted their annual Banquet of Champions. The event was held at Spruce Lodge in Montgomery and was attended by nearly 240 people! Financial limitations due to COVID (no Eastern States Classic in 2021 or 2022) nearly caused us to once again hold a less formal event in a high school auditorium. Thanks to the encouragement of Valley Central parent Vinnie Satriano, we decided to hold a regular banquet. The 2022-2023 season was a special season and many of these kids have missed so much over the past few years. The only way it would work was if each attendee paid their own way. We sold every available ticket and did not hear a single complaint about the cost. Thank you Vinnie for the “nudge.”
At the banquet, certificates were awarded to the top 6 Division 1 place winners, the top 4 Division 2 place winners and the top 3 place winners in the Girls Division. Several others received “Special Awards” so let’s take a look at those who were honored by the Friends of Section 9!
20th Annual Banquet of Champions Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Spruce Lodge 619 State Route 17K Montgomery, NY 12549 6:00 to 9:00 pm Doors Open at 5:30 PM, Dinner at 6:00
All Division One place-winners (First through Sixth), all Division Two place-winners (First through Fourth) and all Girls Division medal winners will be receiving certificates at this year’s dinner.
The Friends of Section 9 Board of Directors agree with the responses we have received from many parents that our wrestlers deserve an official banquet to celebrate the historical season we just completed. The bad news is that fees for a banquet of this nature have increased since the last time we were able to do this in 2020. We understand that the cost may be prohibitive to some but we want you to now that this is what we are being charged and we are not looking to make money on the event. We will be purchasing the special awards that will be presented and the fees collected will go directly to the venue for food and rental of the facility.
The cost per person will be: $50
Menu includes: Hot Items: Penne a la Vodka, Sliced Flank Steak, Breast of Chicken Parm, Chicken Tenders, Curly Fries. Cold Items: Cesar Salad, tomato-Pesto Bruschetta, Fresh fruit and berry salad, freshly baked sliced assorted breads. A dessert medley, soft drinks, coffee and tea.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED BY SATURDAY 3/26/23 No walk-in’s will be permitted.
No monies or checks will be accepted at the dinner.
CHOICES FOR RESERVATIONS:
Choose one of the following, but you must pre-register by Saturday: 3/26
Choice 1/2:
You are planning on paying using a personal check or paying by check for a group using a team booster club check.
1-Complete the attached form and mail me it to the address below.
You will be charged $50 per person.
Mail the check: Made out to: Friends of Section 9 Wrestling
To: Jeff Cuilty 6 Pond Circle Forestdale, MA 02644
(Please do not bring the check to the dinner as there will be nobody there to give it to)
2-Email me the names attending and the team they are with.
(I will be away the week prior and will not have access to checks that are being mailed so without the email I will have no way of knowing that a check has been mailed or that you are attending).
JeffCuilty@GMail.com
People whose names you email to me DO NOT have to register on line with TicketLeap.
Choice 3:
If you want to pay by credit card, YOU MUST REGISTER on line at Ticketleap.(Ticketleap does have a service charge) Order individual tickets on line at Ticketleap.com then click at the top where it says:
LOOKING TO BUY TICKETS?
Search for: Friends of Section 9 wrestling or click this link to go directly to the site:
Best of luck to our two Section 9 alumni who will be competing at the weekend’s NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, OK. Pine Bush graduate Tommy Askey, a third-year sophomore who wrestles at 157 pounds for Appalachian State, punched his ticket to the tournament by winning the SoCon title two weeks ago. Drexel grad student Evan Barczak, a Monroe Woodbury graduate, will be making his third appearance to the big dance after receiving an at-large bid at 165 pounds.
Tommy Askey 2023 SoCon Champ at 157
157 – Tommy Askey (Appalachian State, Pine Bush) 2022-2023 Season Record: 30-11 Career Record: 49-26 Season Highlights: 2023 SoCon Champion, enters NCAA tournament on a 14-match win streak, placed 8th at the Cliff Keen, placed 7th at the Souther Scuffle, and placed 3rd at the Keystone Classic. Tommy was selected SoCon Wrestler of the Month for February! High School Accolades: 2020 NYS champion at 152 with a perfect 41-0 record including a title at the Eastern States Classic, 2019 NYS 4th place at 145 pounds with a 42-6 record. NCAA Tournament Preview: Tommy enters the NCAA tournament as the 24th seed and he will take on 9th seeded Will Lewan from Michigan in the Round of 32. Lewan defeated Askey earlier this year by the score of 8-2, but that was very early in the year! Askey is much improved since then and is riding the momentum of a 14-match win streak. In the last 10 matches, Askey has won by a combined score of 136-39 with no takedowns allowed and eight bonus point victories!
Evan Barczak 3X NCAA Tournament Qualifier
165 – Evan Barczak (Drexel, Monroe Woodbury) 2022-2023 Season Record: 26-6 Career Record: 91-48 Season Highlights: Went 2-3 at EIWA tournament but received an at-large bid to qualify for his 3rd NCAA tournament. He went 16-1 in duals this season and placed 3rd at the Tiger Style Invite and 2nd at the Keystone Classic. High School Accolades: Evan was a 3X NYS place winner finishing 3rd as a senior and 6th as a sophomore and junior. He was a 3X NHSCA All-American and a 4X Section 9 champion. NCAA Tournament Preview: Barczak is the 30th seed at 165 and has to take on 3rd seeded Dean Hamiti from Wisconsin in the Round of 32. Hamiti defeated Evan by a score of 7-1 earlier this year in a dual meet. Barczak knows that this is his last shot at the podium so expect him to pull out all of the stops this weekend!
Section 9 Finalists, Coaches, and Sectional Chairman Jeff Cuilty
DIVISION 1 AND MINISINK VALLEY GO BACK TO BACK!!! Congratulations to the Division 1 Section 9 wrestling team for another incredible performance at the NYSPHSAA Championships! Section 9 had eight finalists, crowned five state champions, and had a total of 12 state medalists step onto the podium in Albany. For the second year in a row our Division 1 squad won the sectional team race and Minisink Valley won the school team race! Absolutely amazing!!!
WYLIE MAKES HISTORY AND OOSTEROM SHINES FOR DIVISION 2!! Our Division 2 team did not fare as well as our D1 team did however we did have a few major bright spots! First and foremost, we have Port Jervis freshman Charlie Wylie making history by being the first Section 9 girl, and only the second in NYS history, to place at the boys tournament! Charlie place 6th in the state at 102 pounds! Port Jervis junior Matthew Oosterom was the second Raider to reach the podium at this year’s tournament by taking 4th place at 215 pounds. Oosterom is now a 2X state place winner!
Let’s take a look at all 14 of our Section 9 state place winners!
NFA State Champion Cooper Merli
102 – Cooper Merli (NFA) – STATE CHAMPION The NFA freshman made the most of his second trip to Albany. Last year Merli lost in the blood round and did not place. This year – State Champion! Merli began the tournament with a 6-3 win over Trevor DellaPanta from Section 6 and then notched an 18-4 major decision over Vincent Graulau of Section 2 in the quarters. Merli advanced to the finals with a 7-0 semifinal win over Ryan Munn of Section 3 and capped off his state title performance by beating Connor Sheridan of Section 11 in the finals by a score of 8-4!
NFA’s William Soto 3rd in NYS at 102
102 – William Soto (NFA) – 3rd Place Merli’s teammate Soto also had an incredible tournament at 102 pounds! Soto, a NFA 8th grader, made his first trip to the state tournament a memorable one! Soto won his opening bout by major decision 14-2 over Vincent Mastrianni of Section 2 before losing a 10-8 heartbreaker in the quarters to Section 11’s Anthony Lagala-Ryan. Soto then stormed all the way back in the consolation bracket with a pin over Gino Manta from Section 11, a 6-0 win over Ethan Andrula from Section 8, a 10-0 major over Ryan Munn from Section 3, and a 9-6 decision over Vincent Graulau from Section 2 to take third place in NYS!
Charlie Wylie – Port Jervis 6th in NYS at 102
102 – Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis) – 6th Place As mentioned above, Port Jervis freshman Charlie Wylie made history this year by becoming the first girl in Section 9 history to place in the state at the boys tournament. Wylie is only the second girl in the history of the state to accomplish this feat – Section 6’s Carlene Sluberski placed 2nd in the D2 tournament back in 2009. Wylie began her tournament with a 7-3 win in the Round of 16 over Jacob Hurd from Section 3. In the quarters, Wylie was pinned by eventual champion Tommy Aiello from Section 11. Wylie woke up on Saturday and defeated Section 5’s Wyatt Sartori 4-0 in the blood round to guarantee her place on the podium – and Section 9 history! Wylie won her next match 8-6 in sudden victory over Joe Scott from Section 5 before losing in the consolation semifinals 7-2 to Jakob Lucinski from Section 6. Charlie lost 7-1 in her medal match to Derek Walseman from Section 3 but finished in 6th place in NYS!
Valley Central State Champ Luke Satriano
110 – Luke Satriano (Valley Central) – STATE CHAMPION Hard work pays off! Satriano placed 4th in this tournament last season at 102 in a bracket that was eerily similar to this year’s bract at 110. Satriano started his tournament with a :29 pin of Ryan Ball from Section 1 then posted a 9-0 major over Ralph Keeney of Section 2 in the quarterfinals. In what was perhaps the most exciting match of the tournament, Satriano defeated returning state champion Dunia Sibomana from Section 8 in the semifinals by a score of 2-1. In the finals, the Valley Central sophomore defeated PSAL’s Evin Gursoy by a score of 2-1 to take home the state title!
State Finalist Jordan Brown Monroe Woodbury
138 – Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury) – 2nd Place Monroe Woodbury senior Jordan Brown caps off an incredible high school career by making it all the way to the finals making him a 3X NYS place winner! Brown started his 2023 state tournament campaign by pinning Justin Lee from PSAL in 2:55 and then notched a 10-5 win over Manuel Gonzales of Section 3. In the semis, JB posted a 5-2 win over Section 2 champ Gabe Goss before falling 6-1 in the finals to Nick LaMorte from Section 11.
Cornwall State Champion Tyler Reed
160 – Tyler Reed (Cornwall) – STATE CHAMPION Reed, a senior from Cornwall, was a state qualifier at the 2022 tournament where he went 2-2 and did not place. This year Reed would not be denied! Tyler began the tournament with a win by pinfall over fellow Section 9 wrestler Quinten Morgan from Minisink Valley. In the quarters, Reed recorded another pin, this time at the 5:41 mark against Section 1’s Tristan Robinson-July. In the semis Reed avenged a loss from the Eastern States Classic to Connor Gregory by defeating the Section 2 champion by a score of 5-3. Reed capped off his state title run by beating Joeseph Mattei from Section 8 by a final score of 7-6!
State Finalist Andrew Filip Minisink Valley
172 – Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley) – 2nd Place Filip capped of an outstanding high school wrestling career by placing 2nd in NYS and becoming a 2X state medalist! Filip placed 4th in the state at 189 last season! He began this year’s tournament with a 7-4 win over Ryan Monahan from Section 11 and then beat Robby Cunningham, also of Section 11, by a score of 8-3 in the quarters. In the semifinals, Filip topped Section 1’s Leo Venables by pin at the 2:51 mark before being defeated by top seeded Brady Unger from Section 5 in the finals by a score of 3-2.
3X NYS Champion Zack Ryder – Minisink Valley
189 – Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley) – STATE CHAMPION Minisink Valley junior is now a 3X NYS champion…and let’s be honest, if COVID didn’t cause the cancellation of the 2021 tournament, Zack would be a 4X state champion! Ryder wasted no time in his first two matches of this year’s tournament posting pins in :21 and :33 over Deondre Woods from Section 1 and Lorenzo Palleschi from Section 2, respectively. In the semis Ryder notched another pin, this time at the 3:44 mark over Kwazi Bonsu from Section 8. In the finals picked up state title number 3 by beating Section 5 champion Elijah Diakomihalis by a score of 3-0!
Pine Bush’s Braydon Pennell 5th in NYS at 189
189 – Braydon Pennell (Pine Bush) – 5th Place In 2022 Pennell went 1-2 and did not place at the state tournament at this exact weight. This year Pennell went 4-2 and took 5th place in NYS! Braydon opened the tournament with a 1:29 pin over William Henry from Section 8 before losing in the quarters to another Section 8 wrestler Kwazi Bonsu. In the consies Pennell pinned Mason Depew from Section 5 and majored Lorenzo Palleschi by an 11-3 margin. In the consi semis Pennell wrestled his third Section 8 wrestler of the tournament falling to Eric Carlson 13-7. Pennell won his medal match by pin in 1:33 over Section 11’s Michael Sanchez.
2X NYS Champion Ethan Gallo – Minisink Valley
215 – Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley) – STATE CHAMPION Warrior senior Ethan Gallo is now a 3X state medalist and a 2X NYS champion! Gallo, a 3-sport athlete who is leaning towards playing baseball and football at Cortland, placed 6th in 2020 at 182 before willing gold at 215 in 2022 and 2023. Gallo began this year’s run to the title with a pin in :55 over Pat McKinley from Section 2 and then teched Jackson Burns from Section 5 by a 17-2 margin in the quarters. In the semis Gallo pinned fellow Section 9 wrestler Bryson Tibbs from Middletown in 1:08 and then defeated Section 2 champion Darien Insogna in the finals by a score of 11-4.
2X NYS Place Winner Matt Oosterom – Port Jervis
215 – Matthew Oosterom (Port Jervis) – 4th Place The Port Jervis junior is now a 2X NYS place winner after following up last year’s 5th place showing with a 4th place finish at this year’s state tournament! Oosterom opened his 2023 state tournament campaign with a pin in 4:49 over Section 4’s Donovan Mitchell. In the quarters, Oosterom picked up an impressive 8-3 win over fellow returning state medalist Garrett Bidwell who was also from Section 4. In the semis Oosterom was pinned in 3:16 by Section 2 champ Evan Day dropping him to the consies. In the consolation semis Matt gutted out a 2-1 win over Caden Allen from Section 5 before losing in his medal match for 3rd/4th by a 6-3 margin to Section 6 champ Trevor Barry.
Middletown junior Bryson Tibbs 6th in NYS at 215
215 – Bryson Tibbs (Middletown) – 6th Place Tibbs, a Middletown junior, made his second trip to Albany and this time earned a spot on the podium by placing 6th at 215 pounds! Tibbs began his tournament with 1:02 pin over Section 1’s Yiorgos Georgas. In the quarters Bryson pinned Section 11’s Liam Knapp in 4:22 before losing to Gallo by fall in the Saturday morning semifinals. In the consolation semifinals, Tibbs was defeated by fall by Section 11’s William Francois and then lost 18-12 to another Section 11 wrestler, Jaiden Green, in the medal match to determine 5th and 6th place.
State Finalist Stephan Monchery – Middletown
285 – Stephan Monchery (Middletown) – 2nd Place Still only a junior, Middletown’s Stephan Monchery is now a 2X NYS place winner! Monchery finished 5th at 285 last year and made it all the way to the state finals this year! Monchery won his opening match 3-2 over Section 1 champion Dimitri Pierre. In the quarters Stephan won 3-0 over Section 5’s Ty Radar and then beat Section 2’s Cameron Groncki 4-0 in the semifinal round. In the finals Monchery would lock horn with returning state finalist Sebastian Regis from Section 11. Monchery pinned Regis earlier this season at the Eastern States Classic finals however it was the Section 11 champ who prevailed this time recording the pin in the second period at the 3:40 mark.
Middletown junior Bradley 7th in NYS at 285
285 – Rahmiere Bradley (Middletown) – 7th Place Also a Middletown junior, Rahmiere Bradley made his second trip to the state tournament a successful one by taking 7th place at 285. Bradley won in the Round of 16 by a 7-5 score in sudden victory over Section 8’s Brandon Goldstein. In the quarters, Bradley was defeated 4-1 by Section 2 champion Will Hotaling. In the blood round on Saturday morning, Bradley defeated Section 3’s Chris Belmonte 3-2 in the ultimate tie breaker to guarantee a spot on the podium. Rahmiere dropped his next match by fall to Gabe Garibaldi from the Catholic Schools before receiving a win by forfeit over Section 5’s Ty Radar to take 7th place!
102 D1: Cooper Merli (NFA) dec 6-4 Connor Sheridan (S11) 102 D2: Tommy Aiello (S11) dec 3-0 Logan Bellis (S4) 110 D1: Luke Satriano (Valley Central) dec 2-0 Evin Gursoy (PSAL) 110 D2: Darren Florance (S4) dec 8-7 Gavin Mangano (S11) 118 D1: Matt Marlow (S11) dec 5-0 Anthony Clem (S8) 118 D2: Chase Neville (S3) maj 9-1 Joey Florance (S4) 126 D1: Jaden Crumpler (S6) dec 4-2 Joe Clem (S8) 126 D2: Jordan Joslyn (S6) dec 6-4 Gianni Silvestri (S4) 132 D1: Tyler Ferrara (S4) dec 9-4 Liam Carlin (S2) 132 D2: Braydon Fahrbach (S11) dec 6-4 Aiden Gillings (S6) 138 D1: Nick LaMorte (S11) dec 6-1 Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury) 138 D2: Caden Bellis (S4) dec 6-1 Nick Noto (S5) 145 D1: Cameron Catrabone (S6) f 2:55 Renzo Montalvo (S2) 145 D2: Caleb Sweet (S5) maj 17-4 Owen Hick (S2) 152 D1: Frankie Volpe (S11) dec 10-5 Donavan Smith 152 D2: Sixx Cook (S3) dec 9-4 Sean Tansey (AIS) 160 D1: Tyler Reed (Cornwall) dec 7-6 Joe Mattei (S8) 160 D2: Ousmane Duncanson (S4) f 4:22 Tayvn McDonnell (S5) 172 D1: Brady Unger (S5) dec 3-2 Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley) 172 D2: Tavio Hoose (S6) dec 5-4 Greyson Meak (S8) 189 D1: Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley) dec 3-0 Elijah Diakomihalis (S5) 189 D2: Andrew Bailey (S3) dec 7-3 sv Shane Davidson (S5) 215 D1: Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley) dec 11-4 Darien Insogna (S2) 215 D2: Sam Sorenson (S3) dec 5-2 Evan Day (S2) 285 D1: Sebastian Regis (S11) f 3:39 Stephan Monchery (Middletown) 285 D2: Trent Sibble (S5) dec 4-2 Tristen Hitchcock (S2)
Medal Matches – Section 9 Wrestlers
3rd/4th – 102 D1: Soto (NFA) dec 9-6 Graulau (S2)…Will finishes 3rd in NYS!!! 5th/6th – 102 D2: Walseman (S3) dec 7-1 Wylie (Port Jervis)… Charlie takes 6th!! 5th/6th – 189 D1: Pennell (Pine Bush) f 1:33 Sanchez (S11)…Braydon takes 5th!! 5th/6th – 215 D1: Green (S11) dec 18-13 Tibbs (Middletown)…Bryson takes 6th!! 3rd/4th – 215 D2: Barry (S6) dec 6-3 Oosterom (Port Jervis) …Matt takes 4th!!! 7th/8th – 285 D1: Bradley (Middletown) fft Radar (S5)… Rahmiere finishes 7th!
Consi Semis
102 D1: Soto (NFA) maj 10-0 Munn (S3) 102 D2: Lucinski (S6) dec 7-2 Wylie (Port Jervis) 189 D1: Carleson (S8) dec 13-7 Pennell (Pine Bush) 215 D1: Francois (S11) f 2:41 Tibbs (Middletown) 215 D2: Oosterom (Port Jervis) dec 2-1 Allen (S5)
Consi of 4
102 D1: Soto (NFA) dec 6-0 Andreula (S8) 102 D2: Wylie (Port Jervis) dec 8-6 sv Scott (S5) 189 D1: Pennell (Pine Bush) maj 11-3 Palleschi (S2) 285 D1: Garibaldi (C) f 4:51 Bradley (Middletown)
Semifinals
102 D1: Cooper Merli (NFA) dec 7-0 Ryan Munn (S3) 102 D1: Connor Sheridan (S11) dec 3-0 Anthony Lagala-Ryan (S11) 102 D2: Tommy Aiello (S11) dec 5-4 Maverick Beckwith (S4) 102 D2: Logan Bellis (S4) dec 6-4 Jakob Lucinski (S6)
110 D1: Luke Satriano (Valley Central) dec 2-1 Dunia Sibomana (S8) 110 D1: Evin Gursoy (PSAL) dec 3-0 Ryan Ferrara (S4) 110 D2: Darren Florance (S4) dec 5-3 Chris Noto (S5) 110 D2: Gavin Mangano (S11) dec 7-0 Caleb Cole (S4)
118 D1: Matt Marlow (S11) dec 13-7 Angel Bangas (S8) 118 D1: Anthony Clem (S8) maj dec 8-0 Dillon Arrick (S1) 118 D2: Chase Nevills (S3) f 3:00 Gene Edwards (S3) 118 D2: Joey Florance (S4) dec 7-0 Cade Sands (S5)
126 D1: Jaden Crumpler (S6) dec 5-0 Ray Adams (S8) 126 D1: Joe Clem (S8) dec 3-2 Amarfio Reynolds (S6) 126 D2: Gianni Silvestri (S4) dec 10-4 Trevor Bishop (S2) 126 D2: Jordan Joslyn (S6) dec 2-0 Trevor Cortright (S4)
132 D1: Tyler Ferrara (S4) tf 20-5 Luke Nieto (S8) 132 D1: Liam Carlin (S2) dec 7-3 Michael Giugliano (S11) 132 D2: Brayden Fahrbach (S11) maj 8-0 Jazz Spaulding (S5) 132 D2: Aiden Gillings (S6) f 1:32 Culley Bellino (S3)
138 D1: Nick LaMorte (S11) dec 5-2 Te’Shawn Mathews (S6) 138 D1: Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury) dec 5-2 Gabe Goss (S2) 138 D2: Caden Bellis (S4) f 5:35 Cole Joseph (AIS) 138 D2: Nick Noto (S5) dec 11-4 Benny Merrill (S5)
145 D1: Cameron Catrabone (S6) dec 5-2 Max Watson (C) 145 D1: Renso Montalvo (S2) dec 4-0 Jesse Van Orden (S8) 145 D2: Caleb Sweet (S5) f 1:40 Drew Macumber (S4) 145 D2: Owen Hicks (S3) dec 7-6 Colton Havens (S5)
152 D1: Donavan Smith (S4) dec 3-2 Landon Lazarek (S5) 152 D1: Frankie Volpe (S11) dec 5-2 Casper Stewart (S5) 152 D2: Sean Tansey (AIS) dec 5-3 Devone Bogie (PSAL) 152 D2: Sixx Cook (S3) dec 3-1 Vandavian Way (S10)
160 D1: Tyler Reed (Cornwall) dec 5-3 Connor Gregory (S2) 160 D1: Joe Mattei (S8) f 2:57 John Clohecy (S3) 160 D2: Ousmane Duncanson (S4) dec 8-1 Mason McCombs (S4) 160 D2: Tayvn McDonnell (S5) dec 6-5 Luke Dendis (S5)
172 D1: Brady Unger (S5) f 3:28 Sam Szerlip (S1) 172 D1: Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley) f 2:53 Leo Venables (S1) 172 D2: Greyson Meak (S8) dec 1-0 Sean Kelly (S3) 172 D2: Tavio Hoose (S6) dec 8-4 Mason Edwards (S4)
189 D1: Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley) f 3:44 Kwazi Bonsu (S8) 189 D1: Elijah Diakomihalis (S5) dec 7-6 Eric Carlson (S8) 189 D2: Shane Davidson (S5) f 1:26 Troy Austin (S2) 189 D2: Andrew Bailey (S3) dec 2-1 Brent Perry (S2)
215 D1: Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley) f 1:08 Bryson Tibbs (Middletown) 215 D1: Darrien Insogna (S2) f 3:52 Jaiden Green (S11) 215 D2: Sam Sorenson (S3) dec 4-0 Trevor Barry (S6) 215 D2: Evan Day (S2) f 3:15 Matt Oosterom (Port Jervis)
285 D1: Stephan Monchery (Middletown) dec 4-0 Cameron Groncki (S2) 285 D1: Sebastian Regis (S11) f 1:36 Will Hotaling (S2) 285 D2: Tristen Hitchcock (S2) f 1:33 Connor Bushey (S7) 285 D2: Trent Sibble (S5) vs Noah Wazinski (S5)
Blood Round – Section 9 Wrestlers
102 D1: Will Soto (NFA) f 4:37 Gino Manta (S11) 102 D2: Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis) dec 10-3 Wyatt Sartori (S5) 118 D1: Ken Schmitz (S6) dec 6-4 sv Rocco Futia (Wallkill) 132 D1: Ryan Eckerle (S11) dec 5-3 Anthony Tresch (Minisink Valley) 152 D1: Charlie Foster (S3) dec 6-0 Zack Filip (Minisink Valley) 189 D1: Braydon Pennell (Pine Bush) f 4:16 Mason Depew (S5) 285 D1: Rahmiere Bradley (Middletown) dec 3-2 utb Chris Belmonte (S3)
Let’s take a look at the NYSPHSAA Division 2 Wrestling Championship tournament preview with a special spotlight on our Section 9 wrestlers! The winners from each weight class from the Section 9 Championships have earned the right to compete at the state championship tournament on Friday February 24th and Saturday February 25th at the MVP Arena in Albany. Click here for a link to the tournament home page which includes the tournament schedule and ticketing information!
Section 9 102 Pound Champion Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis, freshman) Season Record: 38-1 Wylie’s Record Against the Bracket: 1-0 Wylie’s Results Against the Bracket: Charlie defeated Clark 3-1 utb
PJ freshman Charlie Wylie is making her 2nd trip to the state tournament in Albany!
The 102 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Brendan O’Sullivan (Pearl River) Section 2 – D`Vante Ortiz (Tamarac) Section 2 – Luke LeBlanc (Salem Cambridge) Section 3 – Derek Walseman (Beaver River) Section 3 – Jacob Hurd (Central Valley Academy) Section 4 – Maverick Beckwith (Norwich) Section 4 – Owen Clark (Lansing) Section 4 – Logan Bellis (Tioga) Section 5 – Cael Stewart (Canisteo-Greenwood) Section 5 – Wyatt Sartori (Dansville-Wayland) Section 5 – Joe Scott (Letchworth) Section 6 – Jakob Lucinski (Newfane) Section 6 – Dylan Newman (Falconer) Section 7 – Jackson LaBarge (Northern Adirondack) Section 8 – John Mignanelli (Island Trees) Section 8 – Kevin Cusker (Island Trees) Section 9 – Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis) Section 10 – Paul Minckler (Gouverneur) Section 11 – Tommy Aiello (John Glenn) Section 11 – Antonio Faldetta (Mount Sinai) PSAL – Branden Munoz (Petrides) AIS – Krish Gandhi (Horace Mann School)
102 Pound Division 2 Preview Always an exciting weight class to follow, this year’s 102-pound bracket will not disappoint! Aiello from Section 11 is undefeated and definitely one of the favorites however Section 9 champ Wylie is right there with him. Charlie only has one loss, and it was by medical forfeit to a wrestler she has defeated earlier in the season. Could NYS have our first ever female state champion in the boy’s division? Section 5 champ Stewart, Section 4 champ Beckwith and Section 3 champ Walseman will all definitely be in the hunt here too at D2 102! Bellis from S4 and Sartori from S5 are medal contenders here and Ortiz from S2 has not lost to a small school wrestler all season so we need to keep an eye on him!
110 Pound Section 9 Champion Richard O’Lena (Port Jervis, junior) Season Record: 21-13 O’Lena’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-2 O’Lena’sResults Against the Bracket: Richard was teched by Florance 17-1 and pinned by Mangano 1:48
Section 9 D2 110 Champ Richard O’Lena
The 110 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – John Parisi (Nanuet) Section 2 – Ashten Haley (Cobleskill Rich) Section 2 – Angie Dill (Salem Cambridge) Section 3 – Brock Frederick (S. Jefferson) Section 3 – Cole Croniser (Adirondack) Section 4 – Darren Florance (BGAH) Section 4 – Caleb Cole (Unatego-Unadilla Val) Section 4 – Aidan Shufelt (Groton) Section 5 – Chris Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima ) Section 5 – Gary McDowell Jr. (Bolivar Richburg) Section 5 – Ryan Farley (Avon-Geneseo) Section 6 – Kenji Walters (Southwestern) Section 6 – Dominick Callara (Medina) Section 7 – Caleb Starke (Peru) Section 8 – Zachary Samuel (Wheatley) Section 8 – Joseph Manzano (Wheatley) Section 9 – Rich O’Lena (Port Jervis) Section 10 – James Minckler (Gouverneur) Section 11 – Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River) Section 11 – Chase Davis (Port Jefferson) PSAL – Rocky Molinare (Petrides) AIS – Jovanny Nazario (Horace Mann School)
110 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview With three absolute studs in this bracket, 110 D2 will be one of the best weight classes in the tournament to follow! Section 2 Darren Florance was the 2022 state champion at 102. He is undefeated on the season and currently ranked 15th in the nation by FloWrestling. Section 11 champ Gavin Mangano is 46-0 this season and he won the Eastern States Classic in January! Section 5 champion Chris Noto placed 3rd in NYS last year and took 5th at this year’s Eastern States Classic! Adding some outstanding depth to this bracket are Cole from S4, Frederick from S3, and McDowell from S5. This weight class is loaded!
118 Pound Section 9 Champion Ewen Celestine (Red Hook, sophomore) Season Record: 31-9 Celestine’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-1 Celestine’s Results Against the Bracket: Ewen was pinned by Colon
118 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview With six returning state place winners, the 118 D2 weight class will certainly provide some excitement for the fans in Albany. Section 3 champ Chase Nevills has had the best season of the six and could be considered the favorite, however Section 4 champ Joey Florance, who wasn’t a state placer last year, pushed Nevills this year only losing 3-1. Section 4 runner-up Duncanson has a win over Florance this season but did lose to him three times. Ryan Devins is as tough as anyone when he gets hot – he made it all the way to the finals of the Eastern States Classic this year! McVige, Edwards, and Calimeri are all 2022 state place winners and are definitely contenders here and we shouldn’t overlook Avi Berg from Section 2.
126 Pound Section 9 Champion Rian Kirker (Red Hook, senior) Season Record: 35-9 Kirker’s Record Against the Bracket: 1-0 Kirker’s Results Against the Bracket: Rian defeated McClernon by pin :56
126 Pound Division 2 Preview Another tough weight in the Division 2 tournament but defending state champion Gianni Silvestri from Section 4 is definitely the favorite. He is sporting a 38-1 record this season with his only loss coming at the hands of a nationally ranked wrestler from Florida. The two wrestlers with the best chance of picking off Silvestri are fellow S4 wrestler Trevor Cortright and Section 6 champ Jordan Joslyn. Cortright has a few losses to Silvestri this year, but the most recent match was decided in sudden victory by a 4-2 margin. Joslyn has an outstanding 42-2 record and will definitely be in the title hunt however one of his losses was to Liam English from Section 2. English, who placed 7th in the state last season, is in this bracket however he wasn’t the Section 2 champion – Trevor Bishop earned that honor by beating English 5-4 utb in the S2 finals. This weight has a lot of depth too with Winseman, Bailey, Spaulding, and Mirando all having great seasons!
132 Pound Section 9 Champion Thomas Shields (Onteora, junior) Season Record: 35-10 Shields’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-1 Shields’s Results Against the Bracket: Thomas was pinned by Nicolella 4:43
Onteora’s Thomas Shields
The 132 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Luke LaMagna (Pleasantville) Section 2 – Dylan Devine (Schalmont) Section 2 – Scott Nicolella (Duanesburg) Section 3 – Patrick Grimsey (Lowville) Section 3 – Culley Bellino (Canastota) Section 4 – Tyler Roe (Tioga) Section 4 – Landen Estus (Deposit-Hancock) Section 4 – Tim Boyce (Windsor) Section 5 – Jazz Spaulding (Honeoye Falls-Lima) Section 5 – Gavin Bob (Canisteo-Greenwood) Section 5 – Holden Kelly (Perry) Section 6 – Aidan Gillings (Newfane) Section 6 – Ayden Buttery (Newfane) Section 7 – Alex Clancy (Saranac) Section 8 – Evan Shriberg (Locust Valley) Section 8 – Jack Godoy (Seaford) Section 9 – Thomas Shields (Onteora) Section 10 – Zoe Griffith (Gouverneur) Section 11 – Brayden Fahrbach (Mount Sinai) Section 11 – Karahn King (John H Glenn) PSAL – Tiki Graham (Eagle Academy) AIS – Leo Tansey (Collegiate School)
132 Pound Division 2 Preview This is a great weight class with plenty of talent but the favorite to come out on top is Section 11 champion Brayden Fahrbach. He is undefeated this season and won the Eastern States Classic at this weight in January. Fahrbach’s biggest competition in Albany will likely come from Newfane teammates Aiden Gillings and Ayden Buttery. Gillings, who finished 4th in the state last season, defeated Buttery 5-4 in the Section 6 finals. Section 5 champion Jazz Spaulding, also a 2022 state place winner, is having a great year and will be in the mix here as will Section 3 champ and state placer Patrick Grimsey. Spaulding defeated Grimsey 2-1 in the 7th/8th medal match in Albany last year. S2 champ Devine placed 8th in NYS last season and he’s in the mix at 138 D2. Shriberg from S8 and Clancy from S7 will definitely contend for medals here and also keep an eye on Tyler Roe from S4 who has put together a very solid season!
138 Pound Section 9 Champion Demetrius Massey (Red Hook, senior) Season Record: 28-8 Massey’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-2 Massey’s Results Against the Bracket: Demetrius was pinned by Hardwick 3:00 and majored by Joseph 14-4
Red Hook’s Demetrius Massey
The 138 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Bobby Hardwick (Nanuet) Section 2 – Luke Yorke (Cobleskill Rich) Section 2 – Daniel Stealey (Duanesburg-Sch) Section 3 – Jack Lamson (Jordan-Elbridge-PB-US) Section 3 – Cooper Reed (Central Valley Acad) Section 4 – Caden Bellis (Tioga) Section 4 – Lucas Demott (Sidney) Section 4 – Wyatt Meade (Unatego-Unadilla Valley) Section 5 – Nick Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima) Section 5 – Benny Merrill (Alexander) Section 5 – Cody Quick (Palmyra Macedon) Section 6 – Xander Kirsch (Pioneer) Section 6 – Martin Ohlsson (Chautauqua Lake) Section 7 – Sawyer Bell (Beekmantown) Section 8 – Joeseph Filocamo (Island Trees) Section 8 -Justin Dvorak (Locust Valley) Section 9 – Demetrius Massey (Red Hook) Section 10 – Turner Sochia (Gouverneur) Section 11 – Vincent Daidone (Bayport-Blue Point) Section 11 – Thomas Palumbo (Shoreham-Wading River) PSAL – Cameron Mayfield (Eagle Academy) AIS – Cole Joseph (Hackley School)
138 Pound Division 2 Preview Good weight class with some depth but all signs point to a showdown between Section 4 champ Caden Bellis and Section 5 champ Nicholas Noto. Bellis was the 2022 state silver medalist at 132 and Noto placed 3rd at the same weight. Bellis defeated Noto 5-1 early this season. Cooper Reed from S3 placed in 2022 but he was the S3 runner-up to Jack Lamson who is making his first trip to Albany. Cameron Mayfield from PSAL is dangerous and could definitely medal high here and the same could be said for Section 6 champion Xander Kirsch. Private School entry Cole Joseph is very solid and might surprise some people here.
145 Pound Section 9 Champion Justin Coiteux (New Paltz, junior) Season Record: 29-6 Coiteux’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-2 Coiteux’s Results Against the Bracket: Justin was defeated by Cullen 6-4 and was defeated by Veirun 5-1.
145 Pound Divion 2 Preview This is one of the more wide-open weight classes in the tournament however the favorite is definitely Section 5 champion Caleb Sweet. A 2022 state finalist, Sweet is 39-1 this season with his only loss coming to a wrestler from out-of-state. His closest decision victory this year was at the Section 5 finals to Colten Havens who is definitely a contender here, as is Section 2 champ Owen Hicks who placed 6th at the Eastern States Classic. Section 11 champion Barber is one to watch here and Section 4 champ Macumber could go deep in the tournament. Section 9 champ Coiteux is tough as are S1 champ Veirun and S2 runner-up Cullen.
New Paltz senior Cole Cuppett
152 Pound Section 9 Champion Cole Cuppett (New Paltz, senior) Season Record: 32-3 Cuppett’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-0 Cuppett’s Results Against the Bracket: NA
The 152 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Michael Malfitano (Pearl River) Section 2 – Dante Corriveau (Warrensburg LG) Section 2 – Kyber Henry (Cobleskill Rich) Section 3 – Sixx Cook (Central Valley Academy) Section 3 – Sean Seymore (Camden) Section 4 – Anthony McMillen (Lansing) Section 4 – Connor Stotler (Waverly) Section 4 – Yanni Drapaniotis (Norwich) Section 5 – Beau Zeh (Canisteo-Greenwood) Section 5 – Sebastian Temich (Lyndonville) Section 5 – Gage Burgess (Palmyra Macedon) Section 6 – John Watson (Chautauqua Lake) Section 6 – Alex Schiffhauer (Iroquois) Section 7 – Kaiden Breyette (Saranac) Section 8 – Michael Coppeto (Island Trees) Section 8 – Max Addiego (Seaford) Section 9 – Cole Cuppett (New Paltz) Section 10 – Vandavian Way (Gouverneur) Section 11 – Joe Steimel (Shoreham-Wading River) Section 11 – Liam Rogers (Port Jefferson) PSAL – Devone Bogie (Eagle Academy) AIS – Sean Tansey (Collegiate School)
152 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview 2022 state placewinner Sean Tansey from the Independents could be the top dog here! Tansey is battle tested – 2-2 at Beast of the East, Mid-Hudson Finalist, Eastern States Classic place winner – and is ready for the state tournament. Tansey had a win over Section 10 champion Vandavian Way at the ESC but Way is a 2022 NYS 4th place finisher and is definitely a contender here. Section 3 champ Sixx Cook placed 3rd in the state last year and is having a great year with one of his two losses coming to Way. PSAL champ Bogie is having a great year and only lost by a 2-1 margin to Way so he’s in the mix here as will be Cuppett from 9 and Zeh from Section 5.
S9 160 Pound Champ Christian Hockx
160 Pound Section 9 Champion Christian Hockx (Saugerties, senior) Season Record: 31-5 Hockx’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-0 Hockx’s Results Against the Bracket: NA
The 160 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Kevin O’Sullivan (Pearl River) Section 2 – Luke Schirmacher (Mechanicville) Section 2 – Joseph Martinez (Coxsackie-Athens) Section 3 – Trent True (Holland Patent) Section 3 – Raymond Hennessey (Adirondack) Section 4 – Ousmane Duncanson (Tioga) Section 4 – Mason McCombs (Windsor) Section 4 – Braeden Hills (Waverly) Section 5 – Luke Dendis (South Seneca) Section 5 – Tayvn MacDonell (Bolivar Richburg) Section 5 – Chris Shearing (Letchworth) Section 6 – Jacob Stephenson (Wilson) Section 6 – Brodie Little (Falconer) Section 7 – Dominic LaPier (Ausable Valley) Section 8 – Nick Moretta (Carle Place) Section 8 – Aidan Lukas (Seaford Section 9 – Christian Hockx (Saugerties) Section 10 – Drew Gates (Gouverneur) Section 11 – Callum Jones (Center Moriches) Section 11 – Anthony Bell (John Glenn) PSAL – Nicholas D’Erasmo (RKA) AIS – Will Choi (Horace Mann School)
160 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview The clear favorite at this weight class is Section 4 champion Ousmane Duncanson. The Tioga junior was the 2022 NYS champion at 152 pounds, and he is a perfect 33-0 on the season. The two wrestlers most likely to test Duncanson are both from Section 5 – Luke Denis, a 2022 state place winner, and Tayvn MacDonell. Both wrestlers are having great seasons and have traded wins with each other in head-to-head matches. Although relatively untested, Section 2 champion Schirmacher is sporting a perfect 35-0 record, so we need to keep an eye on him as well as Shearing from S5 and McCombs from S4. McCombs was a state placer last season at 160. Hockx from Section 9 is dangerous and could contend for a medal here!
Chester’s Marcus Colon
172 Pound Section 9 Champion Marcus Colon (Chester, senior) Season Record: 26-2 Record Against the Bracket: 0-0 Results Against the Bracket: NA
The 172 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Michael McCarvill (Pearl River) Section 2 – Jesse Mullis (Hudson Falls) Section 2 – Jonathan Cranker (Fonda-FJ) Section 3 – Jordan Koenig (Holland Patent) Section 3 – Sean Kelly (Lowville) Section 4 – Mason Edwards (Norwich) Section 4 – Isaac Allen (Groton) Section 4 – Trevor Harrington (Sidney) Section 5 – Payton Grabowski (Lyndonville) Section 5 – Alan Anthony (North Rose Wolcott) Section 5 – Avery Bustamante (Wayne ) Section 6 – Tavio Hoose (Southwestern) Section 6 – Brady Heckathorn (Pioneer) Section 7 – Landen Smith (Saranac) Section 8 – Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor) Section 8 – Armando Espinal (Lawrence) Section 9 – Marcus Colon (Chester) Section 10 – Cayden Carter (Malone) Section 11 – Anthony Pipia (Port Jefferson) Section 11 – Preston Biedenkapp (Port Jefferson) PSAL -Noah Campbell (Inwood Academy) AIS – Sam Korff (Horace Mann School)
172 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview With only one returning state medalists in this bracket, 172 D2 is one of the most wide-open weight classes in Albany this year. Section 3 Jordan Koenig placed 3rd in the state last season and is sporting a 41-1 record with his only loss coming at 189 to a 2022 state finalist so he is the favorite here. Section 6 champion Tavio Hoose also has only a single loss on the season and that loss was to a wrestler from PA. Section 8 champion Meek from Cold Spring Harbor will definitely contend here and Section 4 has three entries that all have the potential to go make a run at the podium – Edwards, Allen, and Harrington! Section 7 champion Landon Smith has put together a nice season with some quality wins and a top-8 showing at the ESC. Section 9 champ Colon is a good finisher and could surprise some folks here!
189 Pound Section 9 Champion Maddox McCormick (Port Jervis, sophomore) Season Record: 13-1 McCormick’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-0 McCormick’s Results Against the Bracket: NA
PJ sophomore Maddox McCormick
The 189 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Kyle Peske (Henry Hudson) Section 2 – Troy Austin (Whitehall) Section 2 – Brent Perry (Granville Ft. Ann) Section 3 – Andrew Bailey (Chittenango) Section 3 – Jared Bilinski (Dolgeville) Section 4 – Mateo Goodhue (Oneonta) Section 4 – Matthias Welles (Waverly) Section 4 – Hunter Page (Oxford-Greene) Section 5 – Malachi Smith (Byron Bergen) Section 5 – Shane Davidson (Wellsville) Section 5 – Dakota Stewart (South Seneca ) Section 6 – Matt Trim (Maple Grove) Section 6 – Mason Maring (Chautauqua Lake) Section 7 – Trent Snide-Haselton (Northern Adirondack) Section 8 – Kristos Vlahopoulos (North Shore) Section 8 – Matt Martorana (Seaford Sr High) ) Section 9 – Maddox McCormick (Port Jervis) Section 10 – Cooper Funk (Malone) Section 11 – Willy Rodriguez (Port Jefferson) Section 11 – Carmine Gerbino (John Glenn) PSAL – Tabetar Agborenow (RKA) AIS – Ivan Dolphan (Horace Mann School)
189 Pound Division 2 Preview If 172 is wide open with only one returning state place winner, 189 pounds, with not a single medalist in the field, is definitely up for grabs! Section 2 champion and Eastern States Classic finalist Troy Austin is clearly one of the favorites here. He has a 39-1 record with his lone loss coming to Elijah Diakomihalis at the ESC finals. Section 3 champion Andrew Bailey is undefeated this year and so is Section 5 champ Malachi Smith so they are clearly contenders as is Section 3 runner-up Jared Bilinski who narrowly lost to Bailey in the S3 finals 2-1 utb! Davidson from S5 and Perry from S2 are worth watching here and keep an eye on S9 McCormick from Section 9 who has been very impressive in limited action.
The 215 Pound Section 9 Champion Matt Oosterom (Port Jervis, junior) Season Record: 39-4 Oosterom’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-3 Oosterom’s Results Against the Bracket: Matt was defeated by Bidwell 9-1, pinned by Jones 1:21, and defeated by Day 12-2.
2022 State Placewinner Matt Oosterom
The 215 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Nick Espinal (Pearl River) Section 2 – Evan Day (Salem Cambridge) Section 2 – Gavin Williams (Glens Falls) Section 3 – Sam Sorenson (Homer) Section 3 – Dominick Roes (Beaver River) Section 4 – Garrett Bidwell (Windsor) Section 4 – Jayden Zakala (Oneonta) Section 4 – Donovan Mitchell (Groton) Section 5 – Caden Allen (Bolivar Richburg) Section 5 – Hunter Worden (Waterloo) Section 5 – Jared Haers (Palmyra Macedon) Section 6 – Trevor Barry (Iroquois) Section 6 – Ison Shirley (Chautauqua Lake) Section 7 – Trey McGee (Northern Adirondack) Section 8 – Karl Leudesdorff (Seaford) Section 8 – Issac Bratter (North Shore) Section 9 – Matt Oosterom (Port Jervis) Section 10 – Edin Cecunjanin (Malone) Section 11 – Elijah Porpora (John Glenn) Section 11 – John Bracken (Mount Sinai) PSAL – Juan Vasquez (Petrides) AIS – Liam Abraham (Hackley School)
215 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview Several quality wrestlers here but the huge favorite at 215 D2 is Sam Sorenson from Section 3. Sorenson was the 2021 Journeyman NYS champion, the 2022 NYS champion, the 2023 Eastern States Classic champion and is currently ranked #11 in the nation by FloWrestling. Section 2 champion Evan Day placed 3rd in 2022 up at 285 so he’ll be in contention for a high medal as is Section 4 champion Garrett Bidwell who is very tough! Matt Oosterom from Section 9 placed 7th in the state in 2022 so he’s one to watch! A few others to keep an eye on here are Barry from Section 6, Allen from Section 5, and Porpora from Section 11.
The 285 Pound Section 9 Champion Luke Daniels (Red Hook, senior) Season Record: 36-7 Luke’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-1 Luke’s Results Against the Bracket: Luke was pinned by Hitchcock :50
Red Hook’s Luke Daniels
The 285 Pound Division 2 Bracket Section 1 – Mason Dietz (Henry Hudson) Section 2 – Tristen Hitchcock (Warrensburg LG) Section 2 – Tyler Lloyd (Duanesburg-Schoharie) Section 3 – Colin White (Adirondack) Section 3 – Landon Andrade (Sherburne Earlville) Section 4 – Kam Hills (Waverly) Section 4 – Logan Jamison (Marathon) Section 4 – Troy Beeman (Waverly) Section 5 – Trent Sibble (Bolivar Richburg) Section 5 – Noah Wazinski (North Rose Wolcott) Section 5 – Luke Herendeen (Palmyra Macedon) Section 6 – Ryan Carpenter (Randolph) Section 6 – Hamza Merrick (Wilson) Section 7 – Conner Bushey (Beekmantown) Section 8 – Charles Kelly (Locust Valley) Section 8 – Andrew Fabiilli (North Shore) Section 9 – Luke Daniels (Red Hook) Section 10 – Archie Green (Ogdensburg) Section 11 – Junior Beltran (Port Jefferson) Section 11 – Melkin Chavez (John Glenn) PSAL – Christian Solano (Eagle Academy) AIS – Will Rao (Hackley School)
285 Pound Division 2 Tournament Preview Normally a returning state champion would go into this tournament as an odd-on favorite – but not this year. Section 2 champion Tristen Hitchcock was the 2022 state champ at 285 and at 43-0 he’s certainly one of the favorites; however, Section 5 champion Trent Sibble may have something to say about this! Sibble was a state finalist at 215 last season and is 47-1 this year. His only loss of the season came down at 215 at the Eastern States Classic to D1 state champion Ethan Gallo. Earlier this season bumped up to 285 and notched an impressive win over Stephan Monchery from Middletown. Monchery won the ESC at 285 this season! This bracket will have some great depth too – Wazinski from S5, Bushey from S7, and Solano from PSAL are all returning state medalists. 285 D2 will be a great weight class to follow!
102 PoundSection 9 Champion Cooper Merli (NFA, freshman) Season Record: 44-3 Merli’s Record Against the Bracket: 7-1 Merli’s Results Against the Bracket: Cooper has pinned Mastrianni 2:38, defeated Edwards 9-3, defeated Andreula 3-1, defeated Sheridan 5-1, defeated Lagala-Ryan 7-2, was pinned by Lagala-Ryan 3:24, won by forfeit over Soto, and defeated Soto 3-2.
NFA’s William Soto
102 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up William Soto (NFA, 8th grade) Season Record: 43-5 Soto’s Record Against the Bracket: 4-3 Soto’s Results Against the Bracket: Will pinned Fortugno 1:18, defeated Graulau 19-12, defeated Edwards 7-0, defeated Gralau 10-6, lost to Merli by forfeit, lost to Lagala-Ryan 12-8, and lost to Merli 3-2.
The 102 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Nicholas Fortugno (Briarcliff-Byram Hill) Section 1 – Charles Pryzmylski (Mahopac) Section 2 – Vincent Graulau (Mohonasen) Section 2 – Vincent Mastrianni (Colonie) Section 3 – Ryan Munn (Carthage) Section 4 – Peyton Hubbard (Chenango Forks) Section 4 – Joel Scibek (Horseheads) Section 5 – Jon Testa (Hilton) Section 5 – Connor Guffey (Webster Thomas) Section 6 – Cullen Edwards (Frontier) Section 6 – Trevor DellaPenta (Hamburg-Eden) Section 8 – Ethan Andreula (Long Beach) Section 8 – Vincent Orandello (MacArthur) Section 8 – Charles Bergonzi (MacArthur) Section 9 – Cooper Merli (Newburgh) Section 9 – William Soto (Newburgh) Section 11 – Connor Sheridan (Hauppauge) Section 11 – Gino Manta (Hauppauge) Section 11 – Anthony Lagala-Ryan (Longwood) CHSAA – Brett Crawford (St. Anthony’s) PSAL – Tristan Levin (Tottenville)
102 Pound Preview This will be one of the most exciting weight classes in the Division 1 tournament this year. Merli, who is making his second trip to Albany, is having an incredible year which includes a title at the Eastern States Classic. He has head-to-heads over several wrestlers in this bracket including Sheridan, Mastrianni, Lagala-Ryan, Edwards, Andreula, and Soto. Merli’s one in-state loss this season, however, was to Lagala-Ryan who pinned Merli at the Jeff Cuilty Duals. Sheridan, Andreula and Soto all have close losses to Merli and are definitely going to be in the hunt here as will Testa who is 39-2 and Munn who is undefeated!
Valley Central’s Luke Satriano
110 Pounds Section 9 Champion Luke Satriano (Valley Central, sophomore) Season Record: 40-2 Satriano’s Record Against the Bracket: 6-0 Satriano’s Results Against the Bracket: Luke defeated Keeney 11-1, defeated Keeney 5-3, defeated Judd 17-2, defeated Judd 16-1, defeated Judd 19-3, and pinned Euceda 4:32
Warwick’s Brady Judd
110 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Brady Judd (Warwick, sophomore) Season Record: 30-8 Judd’s Record Against the Bracket: 1-4 Judd’s Results Against the Bracket: Brady lost to Euceda 9-1, lost to Satriano 17-2, lost to Satriano 19-3, lost to Satriano 16-1, pinned Gonzalez 5:40
The 110 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Ryan Ball (Somers-North Salem) Section 1 – Diego Gonzalez (Tappan Zee) Section 2 – Ralph Keeney (Ballston Spa) Section 2 – Drew Schiavo (Niskayuna) Section 3 – Matthew Dougherty (Jamesville Dewitt/CBA) Section 3 – Austin Fesinger (West Genesee) Section 4 – Ryan Ferrara (Chenango Forks) Section 5 – Kiernan Magee (Penfield) Section 5 – Ryan Cieslinski (Spencerport) Section 6 – Eian Peterson (Niagara Falls) Section 6 – Evan Azbell (Niagara Wheatfield) Section 8 – Dunia Sibomana (Long Beach) Section 8 – Carlos Salazar (Hewlett) Section 8 – Brody Franklin (Long Beach) Section 9 – Luke Satriano (Valley Central) Section 9 – Brady Judd (Warwick) Section 11 – Jason Euceda (Brentwood) Section 11 – Mason Mangialino (Comsewogue) Section 11 – Mason Jacobellis (Pat-Med) CHSAA – Austin Zimmerman (St. Joe’s Collegiate) PSAL – Evin Gursoy (Midwood)
110 Pound Preview Six returning state medalists including the top four finishers at 102 are entered here at 110 and promise to deliver plenty of fireworks for the fans at MVP Arena! Sibomana became last year’s state champ at 102 by pinning Ferrara in the finals. Both are in this bracket as are Gursoy and Satriano who placed 3rd and 4th respectively. As defending state champ, Sibomana is considered the favorite by many but it’s worth noting that Satriano has an impressive common opponent win over Sibomana. Dunia lost to Raekwon Shabazz from CT at the Beast of the East. A few weeks later, Satriano majored Shabazz at the Mid-Hudson Tournament. Keeney placed 5th and Mangialino took 8th at 102 at the state tournament last year. Euceda looked great at the S11 tournament and will be in the hunt as will Zimmerman who placed 6th at the Eastern States Classic. Magee should not be overlooked. He is undefeated this season however he has very few matches outside of Section 5. This is a very deep weight!
Wallkill’s Rocco Futia
118 Pound Section 9 Champion Rocco Futia (Wallkill, senior) Season Record: 47-2 Futia’s Record Against the Bracket: 5-1 Futia’s Results Against the Bracket: Rocco pinned Ramirez 1:42, defeated Ramirez 10-6, pinned Whiteley 4:58, defeated Gummow 11-10, defeated Boice 4-1, and was pinned by Marlow 4:19
Minisink Valley’s Wyatt Boice
118 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Wyatt Boice (Minisink Valley, 8th grade) Season Record: 30-11 Boice’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-4 Boice’s Results Against the Bracket: Wyatt lost to Dobbins 7-0, Lost to Dobbins 3-1, lost to Whiteley 4-3, and lost to Futia 4-1.
118 Pound Preview This is an excellent weight class however returning state champion Matt Marlow is the favorite here. Marlow is a perfect 37-0 this season and was the champion at Eastern States. Anthony Clem from Wantagh will likely be Marlow’s toughest test. Clem came in 3rd at ESC with his only loss coming to Division 2 wrestlers Devins. Futia placed 5th at ESC and could contend here as will Wood from Brockport and Meenaghan from Chaminade who is currently undefeated.
Valley Central’s Richie Degon
126 Pound Section 9 Champion Richie Degon (Valley Central, junior) Season Record: 15-3 Degon’s Record Against the Bracket: 2-1 Degon’s Results Against the Bracket: Richie pinned Petzold 1:09, pinned Petzold 3:34, and was defeated by Howard 10-5.
Warwick’s Griffin Petzold
126 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Griffin Petzold (Warwick, sophomore) Season Record: 33-6 Petzold’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-3 Petzold’s Results Against the Bracket: Griffin was pinned by Degon 1:09, pinned by Massaro 4:16, and pinned by Degon 3:34.
126 Pound Preview The 126-pound weight class was one of the most wide-open brackets at the Section 9 tournament…same can be said for 126 at the state tournament! There are no fewer that a half a dozen wrestlers with the ability to win this wight on any given day! Section 8 has three of them in Clem, Adams, and Manfredi while Section 6 has two of them in Crumpler and Reynolds. Crumpler beat Adams and Clem at Eastern States but lost to Manfredi. Clem beat Manfredi at the Section 8 tournament. Section 11 champ Howard from Bellport, only a 7th grader, hasn’t lost a match since mid-December and we should not overlook Tornambe or Degon here at 126.
Minisink Valley’s Anthony Tresch
132 Pound Section 9 Champion Anthony Tresch (Minisink Valley, sophomore) Season Record: 32-6 Tresch’s Record Against the Bracket: Tresch’s Results Against the Bracket: Anthony pinned Pennell 1:47, pinned Pennell 1:42, pinned Pennell 3:04, and defeated by Carlin 7-0
Pine Bush’s Logan Pennell
132 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Logan Pennell (Pine Bush, sophomore) Season Record: 27-8 Pennell’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-5 Pennell’s Results Against the Bracket: Logan was pinned by Tresch 1:47. pinned by Bauzile, pinned by Tresch 3:04, defeated by Grembocki 11-5, and pinned by Tresch 1:42
The 132 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Joshua Hametz (Horace Greeley) Section 1 – Robert DePolito (North Rockland) Section 2 – Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills) Section 2 – Vincent Grembocki (Shenendehowa) Section 3 – Kennedy Thomas (Cicero-North Syracuse) Section 4 – Tyler Ferrara (Chenango Forks) Section 4 – Coleton Owen (Horseheads) Section 5 – Cael Raines (Churchville-Chili) Section 5 – Makhare Rogers (Rush Henrietta) Section 6 – Tremell Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield) Section 6 – AJ Didas (Clarence) Section 8 – Ariel Waldman (Hewlett) Section 8 – Ryan Arbeit (Wantagh) Section 8 – Luke Nieto (Plainedge) Section 9 – Anthony Tresch (Minisink Valley) Section 9 – Logan Pennell (Pine Bush) Section 11 – Michael Giugliano (Miller Place) Section 11 – Ryan Eckerle (Commack) Section 11 – Leo Mongiello (Sayville) CHSAA – Justin Shay (Iona Prep) PSAL – Botensky Bauzile (Thomas Edison)
132 Pound Preview Another very solid weigh with plenty of talent however Section 4’s Tyler Ferrara is the clear favorite on paper. Ferrara was the 126 pound NYS champion last year and he won the Beast of the East this year! He is a perfect 29-0 for the season. Who’s has the potential to push Ferrara? Iona Prep’s Shay is a perfect 51-0 with a few win over wrestlers in the field and Liam Carlin and Michael Giugliano are having great seasons! Mathews is having a very solid season and Tresch has a win over Mathews which puts him into the mix here. Raines is tough and so are all three entries from Nassau! Very good weight class but it’s Ferrara’s to lose.
MW’s Jordan Brown
138 Pound Section 9 Champion Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury, senior) Season Record: 39-1 Brown’s Record Against the Bracket: 2-1 Brown’s Results Against the Bracket: Jordan was defeated by LaMorte 3-0, he defeated Bonasera 8-2, and he defeated McKernan 16-9
Minisink Valley’s Zak McKernan
138 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Zak McKernan (Minisink Valley, senior) Season Record: 29-8 McKernan’s Record Against the Bracket: 1-3 McKernan’s Results Against the Bracket: Zak was defeated by Goss 4-0, defeated Justin Lee 4-0, was pinned by Bonasera 4:25 and was defeated by Brown 16-9
The 138 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Thomas Iasiello (Scarsdale) Section 1 – Gregory Casvikes (Clarkstown South) Section 2 – Gabriel Goss (Burnt Hills) Section 2 – David Ensminger (Shenendehowa) Section 3 – Manuel Gonzales (Indian River) Section 3 – Walter Crofoot (Fulton) Section 4 – Ryan Massengale (Horseheads) Section 5 – Cal Arthur Russo (Spencerport) Section 5 – Dino Battisti (Brockport) Section 6 – Te`Shaun Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield) Section 6 – Chase Richards (Niagara Wheatfield) Section 8 – Thomas Bonasera (Wantagh) Section 8 – Dylan Vanegas (Lynbrook) Section 8 – Freedom Excel (Long Beach) Section 9 – Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury) Section 9 – Zak McKernan (Minisink Valley) Section 11 – Nick LaMorte (Rocky Point) Section 11 – Jared Spahn (Islip) Section 11 – Dean Renna (Kings Park) CHSAA – Paolo Ciatto (Iona Prep) PSAL – Justin Lee (Murrow)
138 Pound Preview Excellent weight class but all signs are pointing towards a showdown between Section 11 champ LaMorte and Section 9 champ Brown. Both wrestlers are returning state place winners with LaMorte taking 4th at 132 last year while JB placed 5th at 138. LaMorte defeated Brown 3-0 at the Eastern States on his way to the title. Brown wrestled back to take 3rd at the ESC; that loss was his only of the season! Bonasera’s only two in-state losses were to LaMorte and Brown at ESC so he’s definitely a contender as is Goss whose only on mat loss this season was to D2 stud Noto. Look for Mathews from S6 and Russo from S5 to make some noise here too!
Greiner and Brady Section 9 Finals
145 Pound Section 9 Champion Luke Greiner (Minisink Valley, junior) Season Record: 36-6 Greiner’s Record Against the Bracket: 2-1 Greiner’s Results Against the Bracket: Luke defeated Carlin 4-0, was defeated by Leverich 6-3, and pinned Brady 3:03
145 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Jackson Brady (Goshen, senior) Season Record: 35-5 Brady’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-3 Brady’s Results Against the Bracket: Jackson was defeated by Van Orden 8-0, defeated by Masch 9-5, and pinned by Greiner 3:03
The145 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Matthew Masch (Roy C Ketcham) Section 1 – Tyce Vandergoot (North Rockland) Section 2 – Renso Montalvo (Amsterdam) Section 2 – Colin Carlin (Burnt Hills) Section 3 – Maxx Fesinger (West Genesee) Section 4 – Daniel Parker (Ithaca) Section 4 – Cael Owen (Horseheads) Section 5 – Jackson Koppers (Rush Henrietta) Section 5 – Jacob Mendola (Webster Thomas) Section 6 – Cameron Catrabone (Williamsville North-East) Section 6 – Garrett Chase (Niagara Wheatfield) Section 8 – Jesse Vanorden (Wantagh) Section 8 – William McMullen (Bethpage) Section 8 – Jack Valentin (Long Beach) Section 9 – Luke Greiner (Minisink Valley) Section 9 – Jackson Brady (Goshen) Section 11 – Kenneth Leverich (Smithtown West) Section 11 – Christopher Massett (Patchogue-Medford) Section 11 – Anthony Avitabile (East Islip) CHSAA – Maxwell Watson (Iona Prep) PSAL – Amir Avazov (James Madison)
145 Pound Preview Section 6 champion Cameron Catrabone is the favorite at 145 D1. Catrabone was an Eastern States Classic champion, placed 2nd at Powerade, 3rd at the Beast of the East, and is currently ranked 12th in the nation by FloWrestling. Although he’s the favorite, Catrabone has been tested this season and will be pushed here at the NYSPHSAA tournament. VanOrden lost by a 3-1 margin to Catrabone at ESC. In the same tournament, Carlin only lost to him 4-0. Montalvo majored Carlin in the S2 finals so he’s clearly in the conversation as is Watson from Iona Prep who has an impressive 37-1 record. Section 11 champ Leverich is very tough and so is Greiner from Minisink Valley. This will be a great weight to follow!
Filip and Charlot square off in S9 finals
152 Pound Section 9 Champion Zack Filip (Minisink Valley, freshman) Season Record: 31-5 Filip’s Record Against the Bracket: 2-1 Filip’s Results Against theBracket: Zack defeated Charlot 10-3, was defeated by Warland 12-2, and defeated Charlot 8-1
152 Pound Runner-Up Marcus Charlot (Monroe Woodbury, senior) Season Record: 21-7 Charlot’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-2 Charlot’s Results Against the Bracket: Marcus was defeated by Filip 10-3 and defeated by Filip 8-1
The 152 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Cameron Wierl (John Jay Sr -Cross River) Section 1 – Anthony Lofaro (Ossining) Section 2 – Josh Warland (Burnt Hills) Section 2 – John Welcome (Averill Park) Section 3 – Charles Foster (Vernon-Verona-Sherril) Section 4 – Donavan Smith (Elmira) Section 5 – Casper Stewart (Attica Batavia) Section 5 – Landon Lazarek (Hilton) Section 6 – Dylan Gagnon (North Tonawanda) Section 6 – Cameron Millender (Sweet Home) Section 8 – Paul Lichter (MacArthur) Section 8 – Matthew Rodriguez (East Meadow) Section 8 – Devin Downes (Plainedge) Section 9 – Zack Filip (Minisink Valley) Section 9 – Marcus Charlot (Monroe Woodbury) Section 10 – Colden Hardy (Massena) Section 11 – Frankie Volpe (Hauppauge) Section 11 – Mason Rappold (Longwood) Section 11 – CJ Jones (Half Hollow Hills East) CHSAA – Eric Grant (Iona Prep) PSAL – Dwayne Harris (Grand Street Campus)
152 Pound Preview There are definitely some very talented wrestlers in this bracket however the favorite going into the tournament has to be Casper Stewart from Section 5. Stewart is a perfect 47-0 and won the Eastern States Classic this year, however he was pushed into overtime by Volpe from Section 11 in the ESC finals. A rematch between the two could very well wind up being the state finals but Eric Grant from Iona Prep may have something to say about that. Grant has a perfect 53-0 record this year and that includes a 15-0 tech fall over the Section 1 champ Wierl. Section 4 champ Donavan Smith was a D2 state finalist last year when he wrestled for Tioga so he’s one to watch and Section 8 champ Lichter has an unblemished record at 23-0 so he’s going to be in the hunt as well!
Reed and Morgan Section 9 Finals
160 Pound Section 9 Champion Tyler Reed (Cornwall, senior) Season Record: 39-2 Reed’s Record Against the Bracket: 3-1 Reed’s Results Against the Bracket: Tyler defeated Robinson-July 13-0, pinned Ricci 2:26, lost to Gregory 5-4 utb, and defeated Morgan 19-4
160 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Quinten Morgan (Minisink Valley, junior) Season Record: 29-7 Morgan’s Record Against theBracket: 1-2 Morgan’s Results Against the Bracket: Quinten was defeated by Robinson-July 6-4 sv, he defeated Coleman 7-5 sv, and was defeated by Tyler Reed 19-4
The 160 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Tristan Robinson-July (Ossining) Section 1 – Stephen Carroll (Lakeland-Panas) Section 2 – Connor Gregory (Ballston Spa) Section 2 – Lucas Schell (Queensbury) Section 3 – Johnathan Clohecy (Fulton) Section 3 – Anthony Kelly (Liverpool) Section 4 – Liam Levantovich (Horseheads) Section 5 – Coy Raines (Churchville-Chili) Section 5 – Sam Ricci (Victor) Section 6 – Michael Syposs (Niagara Falls) Section 6 – Joseph Cicco (Niagara Wheatfield) Section 8 – Joseph Mattei (Herricks) Section 8 – Matthew Coffey (East Meadow) Section 8 – Kenson Gervais (Westbury) Section 9 – Tyler Reed (Cornwall) Section 9 – Quinten Morgan (Minisink Valley) Section 11 – Vincent Stazzone (Kings Park) Section 11 – Max Casiano (Huntington) Section 11 – Stephen Coleman (East Islip) CHSAA – Sean Degl (Iona Prep) PSAL – Shaydon Bernadskiy (Tottenville)
160 Pound Preview This weight class should be a war! There are several wrestlers in the bracket who have the potential to win this weight class on any given day. S2 champ Gregory placed 3rd at ESC and has no losses to anyone in the field plus he has wins over Reed, Mattei, Coleman, and Morgan. Reed only lost to Gregory 5-4 utb so he is definitely in the mix and so is Mattei from Section 8 whose only two losses this season were by forfeit at the Eastern States Classic. Degl is tough and will contend here as will Clohecy from Section 3 who is currently undefeated.
Filip and Ponesse battle in the S9 finals
172 Pound Section 9 Champion Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley, senior) Season Record: 41-3 Filip’s Record Against the Bracket: 4-0 Filip’s Results Against the Bracket: Andrew pinned Cunningham 4:58, defeated Szerlip 17-8, pinned Ponesse 1:14 and pinned Ponesse 4:32
172 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Joseph Ponesse (NFA, senior) Season Record: 41-6 Ponesse’s Record Against the Bracket: 0-2 Ponesse’s Results Against the Bracket: Joseph was pinned by Filip 1:14 and pinned by Filip 4:32
The 172 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Leo Venables (Carmel) Section 1 – Sam Szerlip (Nyack) Section 2 – Arman Hashimee (Shenendehowa) Section 2 – Vito Spatafora (Saratoga) Section 3 – Owen Atchie (Liverpool) Section 4 – Dikota Hamilton (Ithaca) Section 4 – Sam Brenen-Buseck (Elmira) Section 5 – Brady Unger (Fairport) Section 5 – JT Hohman (Fairport) Section 6 – Luke Smeader (Hamburg-Eden) Section 6 – Mikey Schaefer (Lancaster) Section 8 – Justin Soriano (Clarke) Section 8 – Noah Corwin (Wantagh) Section 8 – Ryan Goodman (Hewlett) Section 9 – Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley) Section 9 – Joe Ponesse (Newburgh) Section 11 – Robert Cunningham (Miller Place) Section 11 – Ryan Monahan (Connetquot) Section 11 – Aaron Nelson (William Floyd) CHSAA – Nick Matos (St. Anthony’s) PSAL – Aidan Gubarev (James Madison)
172 Pound Preview Several very good wrestlers here at 172 but the two returning state place medalists are the two favorites going into the tournament. Section 5 champ Brady Unger placed 3rd last year at 160 and is a perfect 42-0 going into this year! Section 9 champion Andrew Filip placed 4th last season up at 189 and is 41-3 this season with two losses at Ironman and his other loss was at the ESC finals to Woodward. Soriano and Corwin from Section 8 are definitely two wrestlers worth watching here and Section 11 champion Cunningham is definitely a high medal contender.
Ryder and Pennell could both medal this year in Albany!
189 Pound Section 9 Champion Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley, junior) Season Record: 8-0 Ryder’s Record Against the Field: 1-0 Ryder’s Results Against the Field: Ryder pinned Pennell 3:51
189 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Braydon Pennell (Pine Bush, senior) Season Record: 30-3 Pennell’s Record Against the Bracket: 2-3 Pennell’s Results Against the Bracket: Braydon pinned Berisha, was defeated by Diakomihalis, was defeated by Bonsu, was pinned by Ryder and pinned Sanchez 2:52.
189 Pound Preview Ryder is a 2X NYS Champion, NYS Journeyman Champion, U17 World Bronze Medalist in freestyle, and is currently ranked #3 in the nation….yeah he’s the favorite here! Ryder’s biggest challenge will likely come from a Section 5 champ Elijah Diakomihalis who placed 3rd in NYS last season and was the Eastern States Classic champion this year, however we can rule out Sectio 8 champ Carlson as a potential finalist. Carlson placed 3rd in NYS last season and is undefeated this year – however he did not wrestle at ESC. Bonsu from S8 is also a likely medalist here as are Pennell, Berisha, and Sanchez!
Gallo and Tibbs battle in the Section 9 Finals
215 Pound Section 9 Champion Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley, senior) Season Record: 43-3 Gallo’s Record Against the Bracket: 5-0 Gallo’s Results Against the Bracket: Gallo pinned Tibbs, teched Robinson, pinned Insogna, defeated Insogna 6-1, and pinned Green 1:54
215 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Bryson Tibbs (Middletown, junior) Season Record: 36-3 Tibbs’s Record Against the Bracket: 1-1 Tibbs’s Results Against the Bracket: Bryson majored Gallagher and was pinned by Gallo
215 Pound Preview Section 9 champ Ethan Gallo is the clear favorite here. Gallo was last year’s state champion at this weight, he placed 2nd at the ESC, and is currently ranked 13th in the nation by FloWrestling. Section 2 champ Insogna has been defeated twice by Gallo however one of the matches was a 6-1 decision back in December so he’s definitely a contender here as is Section 8 champ Velsquez who placed 6th at ESC. Section 5 champion Kasper was not at ESC this year however he is sporting a 41-0 record and will be in the mix along with Files, Tibbs, and Abjandadze.
Teammates Monchery and Bradley in the Section 9 finals!
285 Pound Section 9 Champion Stephan Monchery (Middletown, junior) Season Record: 40-1 Monchery’s Record Against the Bracket: 5-0 Monchery’s Results Against the Bracket: Stephan pinned Regis, pinned Bradley, pinned Bradley, pinned Hotaling, and pinned Groncki
285 Pound Section 9 Runner-Up Rahmiere Bradley (Middletown, junior) Bradley’s Record Against the Bracket: 1-4 Bradley’s Results Against the Bracket: Rahmiere was pinned by Monchery, pinned by Monchery, lost to Hotaling, lost to Regis and defeated Radar
The 285 Pound Bracket Section 1 – Dimitri Pierre (East Ramapo) Section 1 – Justin Smoot (Clarkstown North) Section 2 – Will Hotaling (Colonie) Section 2 – Cameron Groncki (Mohonasen) Section 3 – Chris Belmonte (New Hartford-Saquoit Valley) Section 4 – Qymani Viera-Powell (Union-Endicott) Section 5 – Ty Rader (Victor) Section 5 – Jeffrey Craddock (Fairport) Section 6 – Tommy Carlsen (Lancaster) Section 6 – Bryce Hawes (Clarence) Section 8 – Vincent Petzold (Plainedge) Section 8 – Joseph Arbitello (East Meadow) Section 8 – Brandon Goldstein (Bellmore-JFK) Section 9 – Stephan Monchery (Middletown) Section 9 – Rahmiere Bradley (Middletown) Section 10 – Roy Gamble (Massena) Section 11 – Sebastian Regis (East Islip) Section 11 – Elmer Cruz (Brentwood) Section 11 – Juan Pantaleon (Islip) CHSAA – Gabe Garibaldi (Iona Prep) PSAL – Christian Kiste (Susan E. Wagner)
285 Pound Preview Several outstanding wrestlers here but we might be looking at a rematch of this year’s Eastern States Classic final! In that match, Section 9 champion Monchery, who placed 5th in NYS last season, pinned Section 11 champ Regis who was a 2022 state finalist! Hotaling from Section 2 has lost only twice this year, once to Monchery and once to a D2 wrestler, so he’s a contender as is the other S2 entry Groncki from Mohonasen. The Section 3 champ Belmonte is an undefeated freshman so he’s going to be one to watch as are Carlsen, Bradley, and Garibaldi!
