Minisink Valley and Monroe Woodbury have squared off in the Section 9 Duals finals seven times including six of the last seven seasons!
The inaugural year for the Section 9 Duals was 1991-1992. The tournament has evolved over the years, sometimes due to budget constraints. Under the current format, the Division 1 and Division 2 champions receive an automatic birth to the NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Championships! The Division 2 tournament broke off as a separate tournament in 2008-2009. Let’s take a year-by-year look at the results for the Section 9 Duals. I am still looking for many of the dual meet final scores so if you have them please feel free to email them to me at sectionixwrestling@gmail.com. I will update the post as I receive them.
Division 1 Results 1991-1992: Cornwall over Ellenville 1992-1993: Pine Bush over Minisink Valley 1993-1994: 1994-1995: Goshen over Valley Central 1995-1996: Newburgh Free Academy over Pine Bush 1996-1997: Monroe Woodbury 42 Middletown 32 1997-1998: Valley Central over Monroe Woodbury 1998-1999: Monroe Woodbury over Valley Central 1999-2000: Monroe Woodbury over Newburgh Free Academy 2000-2001: Monroe Woodbury over Port Jervis *#1 NYS 2001-2002: Valley Central over Minisink Valley 2002-2003: Valley Central over Wallkill 2003-2004: Valley Central over Minisink Valley 2004-2005: Valley Central over Monroe Woodbury *#1 NYS 2005-2006: Valley Central over Minisink Valley 2006-2007: Valley Central over Minisink Valley 2007-2008: Monroe Woodbury over Port Jervis 2008-2009: Monroe Woodbury over Minisink Valley 2009-2010: Valley Central over Minisink Valley 2010-2011: Warwick over Cornwall 2011-2012: Warwick 39 Monroe Woodbury 38 2012-2013: Monroe Woodbury 61 Valley Central 6 2013-2014: Monroe Woodbury 33 Minisink Valley 32 *#1 NYS 2014-2015: Minisink Valley 43 Monroe Woodbury 21 *#1 NYS 2015-2016: Monroe Woodbury 48 Minisink Valley 28 2016-2017: Monroe Woodbury 45 Minisink Valley 28 2017-2018: Minisink Valley 56 Monroe Woodbury 16 2018-2019: Minisink Valley 48 Monroe Woodbury 24 2019-2020: Minisink Valley 60 Middletown 15 *#1 NYS
Division 2 Results 2008-2009: Highland over Ellenville 2009-2010: Onteora over Highland 2010-2011: Onteora over New Paltz 2011-2012: Red Hook 38 Onteora 36 2012-2013: Onteora 46 Red Hook 26 2013-2014: Highland 65 Onteora 12 2014-2015: Red Hook 50 Highland 24 2015-2016: New Paltz 45 Red Hook 40 2016-2017: Red Hook 61 New Paltz 16 2017-2018: Port Jervis 45 Red Hook 25 2018-2019: Eldred/Liberty/Sullivan West 37 Highland 36 2019-2020: Port Jervis 56 Red Hook 12
Tallies Most D1 Titles 10 – Monroe Woodbury 8 – Valley Central 4 – Minisink Valley 2 – Warwick 1 – Goshen, NFA, Cornwall, PIne Bush
Most D2 Titles 3 – Red Hook, Onteora 2 – Port Jervis, Highland 1 – Eldred/Liberty/Sullivan West, New Paltz
Most D1 Finals Appearances 16 – Monroe Woodbury 14 – Minisink Valley 11 – Valley Central 2 – Cornwall, Pine Bush, Port Jervis, NFA, Warwick, Middletown 1 – Ellenville, Wallkill, Goshen
Most D2 Finals Appearances 7 – Red Hook 5 – Highland, Onteora 3 – New Paltz 2 – Port Jervis 1 – Ellenville, Eldred/Liberty/Sullivan West
Valley Central’s Cody Ruggirello is Section 9’s All-Time Wins Leader with 275!!!
Now it’s time for the all time wins leaders and also let’s take a look at each school’s career wins leader! For this list I have only included current Section 9 schools however if anyone has the stats for the Rockland schools prior to 1985 I would love to see it! Also, there are a few current Section 9 schools that are missing from the list so if anyone has that info please send it to me at sectionixwrestling@gmail.com.
Top 25 Wins Leaders – Section 9 History 275 – Cody Ruggirello, Valley Central, 2010 (275-20) 219 – Evan Barczak, Monroe-Woodbury, 2017 (219-34) 214 – Mike D’Amato Wallkill/Valley Central, 2008 (214-43) 213 – Maxx DeCapua, Newburgh Free Academy, 2020 (213-45) 211 – Marco Vespa, Monroe-Woodbury, 2019 (211-40) 208 – Jamie Franco, Monroe-Woodbury, 2009 (208-30) 201 – John Stramiello, Pine Bush, 2014 (201-44) 196 – Mike Raccioppi, Minisink Valley, 2015 (196-36) 196 -Tyler Serafini, Newburgh Free Academy, 2019 (196-63) 194 – Ricky Scott, Valley Central, 2005 (194-29) 186 – Matt Romano, Valley Central, 2020 (186-48) 185 – Taylor Laraia, Newburgh Free Academy, 2010 (185-32) 183 – Darrell Ford, Minisink Valley, 2004 (183-26) 183 – Ryan Ferro, Warwick, 2017 (183-34) 180 – Vinny Vespa, Monroe-Woodbury, 2015 (180-29) 180 – Shane Connolly, Warwick, 2012 (180-36) 176 – John Gartiser, Monroe-Woodbury, 2002 (176-21) 176 – Dillon Ross, Onteora, 2018 (176-39) 175 – Troy Bouzakis, Pine Bush, 1990 (175-2) 174 – Mitch Wightman, Warwick, 2011 (174-23) 173 – Kyle Diesel, Minisink Valley, 2011 (173-43) 172 – Tyler Lynch, Valley Central/Minisink Valley, 2017 (172-38) 171 – Lou Ruggirello, Valley Central, 2006 (171-9) 170 – Nick Rausenberger, Newburgh Free Academy, 2000 (170-43) 170 – Ali Hasan, Valley Central, 2010 (170-41)
School by School Career Wins Leaders Chester – Liam Bullock (2019) – 83 wins Cornwall – Tyler Lawlor (2011) – 162 wins Eldred – Noah Curreri (2017) – 133 wins Goshen – Ryan Ellefsen (2017) – 131 wins Highland – Austin Ingrahan (2014) – 127 wins Kingston – Deon Edmond (2013) – 142 wins Liberty – Kevin Morgans (2016) – 115 wins Marlboro – John Antonelli (2020) – 116 wins Middletown – Justin Morales (2020) – 157 wins Minisink Valley – Michael Raccioppi (2015) – 196 wins Monroe Woodbury – Evan Barczak (2017) – 219 wins Monticello – Anthony Ng (2006) – 117 wins Newburgh Free Academy – Maxx DeCapua (2020) – 213 wins New Paltz – Eric Januszkiewicz (2013) – 141 wins Onteora – Dillon Ross (2018) – 176 wins Pine Bush – Johnny Stramiello (2014) – 201 wins Port Jervis – Eric Biccum (2002) – 162 wins Red Hook – Steven Dousharm (1995) – 138 wins Rondout Valley – Ian Houck (2018) – 168 wins Saugerties – Matt Bucci (2019) – 130 wins Tuxedo – Greg Brunner (2011) – 51 wins Valley Central – Cody Ruggirello (2010) – 275 wins Wallkill – Zac Mills (2004) – 163 wins Warwick – Ryan Ferro (2017) – 183 wins Washingtonville – Collin Casey (2012) – 146 wins
2009 Monroe Woodbury grad Jamie Franco was a 5X NYS medalist!
I think it’s safe to assume that every wrestler who has ever stepped on the mat has dreamed of one day being on the medal stand at the state championship tournament. Section 9 wrestlers have stepped onto that podium nearly 400 times since 1963! Let’s take a look at the medal tally for every Section 9 program since Day 1!
Monroe Woodbury Takes Top Spot With their two state place winners in 2020, Monroe Woodbury now holds sole possession of the top spot on the state medal leader board! The Crusaders are actually on a pretty incredible streak…Monroe Woodbury has achieved MULTIPLE state place winners every year since 2013!
Coaches Tally (only while coaching in Section 9)
29 – Paul Cummings (Middletown/Valley Central 27 – Steve Fischbein (Valley Central/Monroe Woodbury) 24 – Kevin Gallagher (Minisink Valley) 17 – Jeff Cuilty (Newburgh Free Academy/Wallkill) 16 – John Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury) 16 – Mark Faller (Port Jervis) 12 – Don Blaine (Cornwall) 12 – Dave Simmons (Port Jervis) 10 – Bob Zifchock (Valley Central)
Let’s take a look at the list of all of the Section 9 Championship MOWs that we have in our database. There are a few that are missing so if you know who won MOW during those years please let me know either through the comment section below or via email at sectionixwrestling@gmail.com.
Section 9 Championship MOWs
Ian Houck Rondout Valley 2018 D2 MOW
2020 D1 – Tommy Askey (Pine Bush, 152) 2020 D2 – Nick Ross (Onteora, 152) 2019 D1 – Nick Picariello (Minisink, 120) 2019 D2 – Nate Ross (Onteora 152) 2019 D2 – Jason Lonstein (Ellenville, 285) 2018 D1 – Marco Vespa (Monroe, 120) 2018 D2 – Ian Houck (Rondout, 145) 2017 D1 – Evan Barczak (Monroe, 152) 2017 D2 – Zach Chartrand (Onteora, 145) 2016 D1 – Ryan Ferro (Warwick, 152) 2016 D2 – Noah Curreri (Eldred, 152) 2015 D1 – Ryan Ferro (Warwick, 145) 2015 D2 – Dillon Ross (Onteora, 120) 2014 D1 – Gerard Daly (Minisink, 120) 2014 D2 – Matt Rauch (Red Hook, 126) 2013 D1 – Dylan Booth (Port Jervis, 113) 2013 D2 – Avery Leighton (Onteora, 120) 2012 D1 – Kyle Wierzbicki (Warwick, 145) 2012 D2 – John Hodes (Rondout Valley, 126) 2011 D1 – Mitch Wightman (Warwick, 160) 2011 D2 – Greg Brunner (Tuxedo, 130) 2010 D1 – Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central, 135) 2010 D2 – Peter Ferrante (New Paltz, 145) 2009 D1 – Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central, 130) 2009 D2 – Dean Hottum (Onteora, 152) 2008 D1 – Sean Floor (Port Jervis, 140) 2008 D2 – Ian Ellis (Red Hook, 125) 2007 D1 – Cory Lempka (Minisink Valley, 145) 2007 D2 – Max O’Meara (Red Hook, 160) 2006 D1 – Cory Lempka (Minisink Valley, 145) 2006 D2 – 2005 D1 – 2005 D2 – 2004 D1 – Phil Szumlaski (Newburgh Free Academy, 125) 2004 D2 – 2003 – Kevin Navarra (Cornwall, 171) 2002 – John Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury, 135) 2001 – Mike Mormile (Monroe Woodbury, 112) 2000 – David Edwards (Cornwall, 130) 1999 – Dom Abato (Wallkill, 189) 1998 – 1997 – Paul Paquin (Cornwall, 125) 1996 – 1995 – Al Mann (Cornwall, 112) 1994 – Ed Vass (Goshen, 167) 1993 – Chris Cotten (Valley Central, 126) 1992 – 1991 – Mike Castro (Washingtonville, 126) 1990 – Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 126) 1989 – Lou Ruggirello Sr. (Valley Central, 138) 1988 – 1987 – Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bus, 105) 1986 – Rich Parete (Rondout Valley, 126) 1985 – Rich Parete (Rondout Valley, 119) 1984 – Matt Gallagher (Minisink Valley, 177) 1983 – Tom Ladka (Monroe Woodbury, 215) 1982 – Jeff Keys (Port Jervis, 119) 1981 – Earl Lynch (Monroe Woodbury, 155) 1980 – 1979 – Eric Savacool (Port Jervis, 132) 1978 – Ron Simonson (Port Jervis , 145) 1977 – Lou Banach (Port Jervis, 177) 1976 – Paul Pietropoalo (Nanuet, 112) 1975 – Steve Silverberg (Ramapo, 126) 1974 – Frank Rodriguez (Ramapo, 119) 1973 – Tony Marciano (Ramapo, 119) 1972 – Joe Goldsmith (Ramapo, 112) 1971 – Ruben Solero (Middletown, 119) 1970 – Lou Conway (Pearl River, 137) 1969 – 1968 – Charles Kwiecinski (Clarkstown, 175)
Jeff Cuilty Section 9 Wrestling Chairperson and Eastern States Classic Tournament Director
Let’s take a “By the Numbers” look at the history of the Section 9 Wrestling Championships! Most of the information I am posting has be provided to me by our current Section 9 Wrestling chairperson, Jeff Cuilty. Jeff is a NYSPHSAA and National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee. He served as NFA’s head coach from 1988-89 until 2011-12. Cuilty then took the reigns at Wallkill and served as their head coach from 2012-13 until 2016-17. He retired from coaching with 432 career wins ranking him 3rd in Section 9 history. Along with serving as the Section 9 chair, Cuilty is also the of tournament director for the Eastern States Wrestling Classic. Jeff, thank you for everything that you do for Section 9 Wrestling!
Port Jervis wrestling legends Ed and Lou Banach
Most Section 9 Champions By School 1. Port Jervis (93) 2. Monroe Woodbury (86) 3. Valley Central (79) 4. Minisink Valley (78) 5. Red Hook (57) 6. Newburgh Free Academy (48) 7. Onteora (46) T8. Middletown (43) T8. Suffern T10. Cornwall (35) T10. Pine Bush (35) 12. New Paltz (31) 13. Warwick (30)
4 of VC’s Greatest! Lou Jr., Cody, & Lou Sr. Ruggirello and Ricky Scott
Most Section 9 Division 1 Tournament Team Titles 1. Valley Central (13) T2. Minisink Valley (9) T2. Monroe Woodbury (9) 4. Port Jervis (4) 5. Suffern (3) T6. Warwick, New Paltz (2) T8. Middletown, Goshen, Ramapo, Pearl River, Rondout Valley (1)
Red Hook has dominated the D2 Tournament with 9 Team Titles!!!
Most Section 9 Division 2 Tournament Team Titles
1. Red Hook (9) T2. Port Jervis (3) T2. Onteora (3) 4. Highland (1)
2020 Minisink Valley NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Champs Section 9 Champs
Most Team Points at Section 9 Division 1 Championships
1. 2020 Minisink Valley – 369 points 2. 2018 Minisink Valley – 312.5 points 3. 2005 Valley Central – 304.5 points 4. 2016 Minisink Valley – 302.5 points 5. 2019 Minisink Valley – 292 points 6. 2017 Monroe Woodbury – 276.5 points 7. 2013 Monroe Woodbury – 275 points 8. 2015 Monroe Woodbury – 271.5 points 9. 2014 Monroe Woodbury – 265.5 points 10. 2011 Warwick – 263.5 points
Over 700 Wins!!! Brothers Nate Ross, Pat Ross, Austin Weigel, Nick Ross & Dillon Ross
Most Team Points at Section 9 Division 1 Championships 1. 2011 Onteora – 274.5 points 2. 2020 Port Jervis – 262.5 points 3. 2014 Highland – 250 points 4. 2006 Red Hook – 238.5 points 5. 2018 Port Jervis – 228 points
Most Wildcards (began in 2007) 1. Monroe Woodbury (14) 2. Minisink Valley (10) 3. Newburgh Free Academy (7) 4. Valley Central (5) T5. Cornwall, Port Jervis, Warwick (4)
The 1987 NYSPHSAA Champions Section 9’s Troy Bouzakis sporting his first of two MOW trophies!
Well we went decade-by-decade in putting together our S9 All-Decade Teams so the next logical step is to put together an All Time Section 9 Wrestling Team! This was a fun project but definitely not an easy one! Some absolute hammers had to be left off including 2X state champions and 5X Section 9 champions! It just shows the incredible talent that has stepped on the mats over the past 57 years! Just a few notes about the All Time Team to avoid confusion… I have decided to use the current weight classes for the All Time team. I did my best to place wrestlers in weight classes that were closest to their actual weights in high school. Also, a few wrestlers are listed on the All-Time Team at different weights than they appeared on the All_Decade team. The goal here was to create the absolute best team possible, so in some cases it was necessary to juggle weight classes. Lastly, I decided to include 2020 graduates for consideration on the All-Time Team. As always, comments and corrections are welcomed below in the comment section or you can email me at sectionixwrestling@gmail.com. Enjoy!
After a stellar career as a wrestler, Rocco has coached at West Point, Tennessee – Chattanooga, and Notre Dame HS
99 Pounds Rocco Mansueto (Middletown, 1998) Picking “Mansueto” as our starting 99 pounder was a no-brainer. Deciding which “Mansueto” was not so easy, but after careful consideration we are going with 2X state champion Rocco! Rocco was the 96 pound NYS champion in 1997 and then won his 2nd state title as a senior at 112. He went on to wrestle at D1 Cleveland State where was a 3X NCAA qualifier. He biggest competition for the All Time Team was his twin brother Phillip who was a 4X Section 9 champ, a 4X NYS place winner and the 1997 NYS champ at 103. It was a close call but we gave the nod to the 2X state champ!
After his wrestling career Klepper taught Chemistry and Physics before earning his medical degree and is a board certified gastroenterologist.
106 Pounds Lee Klepper (Suffern, 1969) Our selection 106 pounds goes to 2X NYS champion Lee Klepper from Suffern High School. Klepper was a Section 9 finalist as a sophomore losing in the finals to Ron Lewis of Liberty. That would be the last high school match that Klepper would lose. In 1968 he avenged his loss to Lewis in the Section 9 finals and went on to win the NYS title at 98 pounds. As a senior, Klepper moved up to 103 pounds and went a perfect 26-0 claiming his 2nd NYS championship! Klepper was also an outstanding student and went on to have an extremely successful wrestling career at Princeton University where he finished with a career record of 118-20 and was selected to the All-Ivy team three times!
In two trips to the state tournament, Goldsmith (bottom row, 4th from left) was 8-0 with 5 pins, 2 majors, and a decision!
113 Pounds Joe Goldsmith (Ramapo, 1972) One of the most dominating wrestlers in Section 9 history, Goldsmith finished his prep career with an incredible 69-1-1 record! His only loss came in the Section 9 finals of his sophomore year when he dropped a decision to Newburgh’s Jim Tiso. Goldsmith avenged his loss to Tiso in the 1971 Section 9 finals and went on to win the state title at 103 pounds. He then went on to win his second state crown as a senior at 112 pounds. After high school, Goldsmith wrestled in college at Division 1 Southern Illinois where he was a 4X Illinois Collegiate State Champion. As a senior, Goldsmith earned D1 All-American status by finishing 6th at the 1976 NCAA Championships. Upon graduation from college, he served as an assistant coach for Eastern Michigan for a season.
During his incredible collegiate wrestling career at Hofstra, Ruggirello notched wins over D1 studs Coleman Scott, Tony Ramos, Mike Grey, and Tyler McCormick.
120 Pounds Lou Ruggirello, Jr (Valley Central, 2006) In four trips to the New York State Wrestling Championships, Louie Ruggirello finished 3, 1, 1, 1! As a 3X NYS champion he was absolute “shoe-in” for a spot on the Section 9 All Time Team! As a freshman Ruggirello came in 3rd in the state with his only loss coming in a 2-1 semifinals loss to eventual 4X state champ and NCAA champ JP O’Connor. He went on to win NYS titles at 96 as a sophomore, 112 as a junior, and 119 as a senior. In those three years he was 11-0 at the state tournament with 6 pins, 4 majors, and only 1 regular decision! Ruggirello continued his wrestling career in college at D1 Hofstra where he was a 4X NCAA qualifier and earned All-American status as a senior!
3X NYS Champion Troy Bouzakis. Troy’s son Nic is currently the #1 ranked 126 pound wrestler in the nation wrestling for national power Wyoming Seminary.
126 Pounds Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 1990) Generally regarded as the greatest high school wrestler in Section 9 history, Troy Bouzakis was a 5X state place winner, 4X finalist, and a 3X NYS champion. Many consider him to be among the top 5 most talented wrestlers in NYS history….he was that good! Bouzakis became the first 8th grader in NYS history to win a state title when he won the 91 pound crown in 1986. He followed up with his second title as a freshman at 105 pounds by defeating defending state champion Lou Roselli. Bouzakis competed at 119 the next two seasons taking 3rd as a sophomore and 2nd as a junior. He capped off his incredible high school career by winning his 3rd state title by taking home the 126 pound crown in 1990. Troy was a 2X MOW of the NYS tournament. After high school, Bouzakis took his talents to D1 Clemson where he was undefeated until his career was cut short due to injury.
Cody Ruggirello running an arm bar – a very familiar image to anyone who watched his compete during his illustrious career!
132 Pounds Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central, 2010) When you talk about the great wrestling families in NYS history, the Ruggirello family is right there with the best. Louie’s younger brother Cody is our choice for the 132 pound weight class on the All Time Section 9 Wrestling Team. Cody was a 5X NYS place winner, a 3X finalist and a NYS champion. He placed 3rd as an 8th grader at 96, 1st as a freshman at 103, 2nd as a sophomore at 119, 3rd as a junior at 130, and 2nd as a senior at 135. Like his older brother Cody decided to continue his academic and athletic career ar D1 Hofstra University. While at Hofstra Cody was a 2X NCAA tournament qualifier and made it to the blood round at 149 his senior year.
One of the most dominating wrestling families in Section 9 history – Louie Jr, Cody, and Lou Sr. In this picture there are 13 S9 titles, 11 state placings, and 5 NYS titles!
138 Pounds Lou Ruggirello Sr. (Valley Central, 1989) Since both of his sons are on the Section 9 Wrestling All-Time Team we might as well include the old man! Lou Ruggirello Sr. was one of the most dominating wrestlers in Section 9 in the 1980’s. Lou was a 4X Section 9 champion, a 2X NYS place winner, and the 1989 New York State champion at 138 pounds. He began his run in 1986 when he won the Section 9 title as a freshman at 132 pounds. His sophomore season he bumped up to 138 and took home his second S9 crown and then dropped back down to 132 for his junior year to win title #3. That year he lost in the quarterfinals of the state tournament but wrestled all the way back and took 3rd place in NYS. For his senior campaign Ruggirello went back up to 138 pounds and won his 4th Section 9 title as well as the elusive NYS title by defeating Bill Terry from Section 8 by the score of 7-1.
Pine Bush’s Tommy Askey after defeating defending NYS champion Aj Kovacs 8-5 in the 2020 NYSPHSAA finals! It was sweet revenge for Askey who lost to Kovacs by that exact score the year before in the state quarterfinals.
145 Pounds Tommy Askey (Pine Bush, 2020) Askey is the only current wrestler to make it onto the Section 9 Wrestling All Time Team! Askey freshman and sophomore years in high school were good, but probably not what you might expect from an All Time Team member. He placed 4th in the Section as a freshman and he was a S9 finalist as a sophomore – but then flipped the switch! Askey dedicated himself to the sport and won his first Section 9 title as a junior and placed 4th in NYS at 145 pounds. His senior year, however, is what punched his ticket onto this team. Askey moved up to 152 and finished his senior year a perfect 45-0 which included a NYS championship and an Eastern States Classic title! His most impressive win came in the state finals when he defeated defending state champion AJ Kovacs 8-5 in the finals. At the time, Kovacs, an NC State commit, was ranked #5 in the nation according to InterMat Wrestling. Askey has recently decided to continue his academic and athletic career at Division 1 Appalachian State!
3-sport athlete Ryan Ferro from Warwick was a 2X NYS champion and a 4X Section 9 champion. In his 4 trips to the state tournament, Ferro went 14-3 with 7 pins and a tech fall!
152 Pounds Ryan Ferro (Warwick, 2017) 2017 Warwick grad Ryan Ferro may be the best all around athlete on this team! Ferro was a 4X Section 9 champion, a 3X NYS place winner,and a 2X NYS champion. What makes his achievements even more impressive is that Ferro was a three sport athlete who also excelled in football and baseball and did very little off-season wrestling. Ferro won his first S9 title as a freshman at 152 and went 2-2 at states, falling in the blood round. As a sophomore he knocked off defending S9 champion Michael Raccioppi from Minisink Valley in the S9 finals at 145 and went on to take 3rd in NYS. For the next two seasons Ferro was a force to be reckoned with, winning back-to-back state titles at 152 as a junior and 160 as a senior. Ferro began his college career at the Ohio State University before transferring to LIU where he just completed his redshirt sophomore season.
As a 3X NYS place winner, NYS champion, 4X D1 All-American, 3X NCAA champion, and Olympic gold medalist, Ed Banach is without question the most decorated wrestler in Section 9 history.
160 Pounds Ed Banach (Port Jervis, 1978) Was there any doubt that the name “Banach” was going to appear on this list at least once? Ed Banach was a 3X Section champion, a 3X NYS place winner, a 2X NYS finalist and the 1978 NYS champion. Banach placed 6th in his first trip to the state tournament as a sophomore wrestling at 167 pounds. The following year, Banach dropped down a weight class and took 2nd place at 155 pounds before capping off his high school career as a state champion back up at 167. Not too shabby right? Well he was just getting started. Ed went on to wrestle at Iowa where he would become a 4X NCAA All-American and a 3X NCAA champion wrestling for the legendary coach Dan Gable. As if that wasn’t enough, Ed Banach went on to win the gold medal in freestyle at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles!
The 2004 NYSPHSAA D1 champions photo. Ricky Scott is top row 4th from right and his cousin Louie Ruggirello is bottom row 1st on left.
170 Pounds Ricky Scott (Valley Central, 2005) Valley Central dominated the Section 9 wrestling scene for a good portion of the 2000’s and one of the major contributors to the program was Ricky Scott. Scott, a cousin of Louie and Cody Ruggirello, was a 4X Section 9 champion, a 3X NYS place winner, and a 2X NYS champion. Scott burst on to the scene winning his first S9 title as a freshman at 152 pounds. The following year Ricky won sections again, this time at 160 and he went on to place 6th in NYS. For the next two seasons, Ricky Scott was perhaps the best 171 pound wrestler in the nation. As a junior he won his third S9 title and his first NYS title. As a senior he completely dominated the competition earning his second state title and he was selected to represent Team USA at the prestigious Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Scott was also a two time champion at the Eastern States Classic. Following his high school career, Scott went on to wrestle at Division 1 Buffalo where his career was cut short due to an injury.
Lou Banach is considered by some to be the best American heavyweight wrestler of all time. Banach pinned fellow heavyweight legend Bruce Baumgartner in the 1981 NCAA finals!
182 Pounds Lou Banach (Port Jervis, 1978) Was there any doubt that a second “Banach” would appear on the All Time Section 9 Team? Lou Banach, fraternal twin of Ed, is our clear choice for the 182 pound weight class. Lou was a 2X Section 9 champion, a 2X NYS place winner, and a NYS champion. As a junior, Lou Banach won the Section 9 title at 177 pounds and then went on to win the state title up in Syracuse. As a senior he notched a second Section 9 title, however lost in the state quarters but wrestled all the way back to 3rd place. Like brother Ed, Lou would go on to wrestle for Dan Gable at the University of Iowa. In college, Lou Banach was a 3X All-American and a 2X NCAA champion. He would also go on to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. After retiring from wrestling, Banach earned his MBA from Penn State and has been very successful in the banking industry.
Red Hook’s Mike Bucci was a 4X NYSPHSAA place winner including a state title at 215 as a senior.He was a also a 4X NCAA DIII All-American for SUNY Cortland.
195 Pounds Mike Bucci (Red Hook, 1990) Mike Bucci was one of the most dominating wrestlers in Section 9 history. As a 3X champ at 177 and a 1X champ at 215, he seemed like the logical choice to be the 195 pound selection for our All Time Team. Bucci launched himself onto the Section 9 wrestling scene by winning the 177 pound S9 title as a freshman! He would go on to place 6th in the states as a freshman and then would follow up with an identical performance as a sophomore – 177 lb. S9 champ and 6th in NYS! As a junior, Bucci would notch his 3rd Section 9 title at 177 pounds and this time he would take 3rd at the state tournament before capping off his incredible high school career with 215 pound state title as a senior! After taking a 6 year hiatus from wrestling, Mike would go on to wrestle at Division III power SUNY Cortland where he would become the program’s first ever 4X All-American! Bucci wrestled heavyweight for the Red Dragons placing 4th as a freshman, 7th as a sophomore, 6th as a junior and 2nd as a senior.
Ed Bordas gets the nod for the 220 pound wrestler for the Section 9 All Time Team. Bordas dominated the competition during his senior year pinning his opponents in the semis and finals at the NYSPHSAA Championships!
220 Pounds Ed Bordas (Valley Central, 2005) Selecting a wrestler for 220 pounds was one of the tougher decisions for this project but when all was said and done it was Ed Bordas from Valley Central who received the nod. Bordas was a 3X Section 9 champion, a 2X NYSPHSAA place winner and the 2005 state champion at 215 pounds. Only a sophomore, Bordas won his first S9 title at 215 and placed 6th in NYS. He repeated as Section 9 champion as a junior however had a tough state tournament going 0-2 but rebounded as a senior when he won his 3rd Section 9 title and also won the NY state title at 215 pounds. Bordas went on to wrestle at the D1 level for Binghamton and Rider where he was a 3X NCAA tournament qualifier. He was also selected as team captain for Rider during his junior and senior seasons.
Joe Yanis (top row, far right) was the 1991 NYSPHSAA champion at HWT. His son, Joe Jr, was a 2X state qualifier for Minisink Valley and currently wrestles for Brockport!
285 Pounds Joe Yanis (Minisink Valley, 1991) Very few wrestlers in Section 9 history have combined the size and athleticism of Minisink Valley’s Joe Yanis. Yanis was a 3X Section 9 finalist at heavyweight suffering tough losses as both a sophomore and a junior before breaking through his senior year and punching his ticket to the state tournament in Syracuse. “Big Joe” would not let the opportunity pass him by and he ran the table in convincing fashion at the state tournament taking home the first state title in Minisink Valley school history. Yanis was a well rounded athlete and received state level accolades in both football and track and field for the Warriors. He continued his academic and athletic career at Division 1 Hofstra University where he excelled in both wrestling and football.
2nd Team
99 Pounds Phil Mansueto (Middletown, 1998) Phil was a 4X Section 9 champion, a 4X NYS place winner, and state champion! He placed 6th as a freshman at 91, 2nd as a sophomore 98, 1st as a junior at 103, and 2nd as a senior at 119.
106 Pounds Phil Consiglio (North Rockland, 1985) Consiglio won 3X Section 9 titles and then a 4th sectional title when Rockland County became part of Section 1 for his senior year. He was the NYS champ at 105 in 1984. Phil was a 4X NYS place winner taking 6th as freshman at 98, 6th as a sophomore at 105, 1st as a junior at 105,and 3rd as a senior at 112.
113 Pounds Mike Mormile (Monroe Woodbury, 2001) Mormile was a 3X Section 9 champion and a 3X NYS place winner including a state title as a senior. He placed 3rd as a sophomore at 96, 2nd as a junior at 105, and was the 112 NYS champion as a senior!
120 Pounds Paul Paquin (Cornwall, 1997) Paquin was a 2X NYS champion. He won titles as a junior at 112 pounds and as a senior at 125 pounds. He went to Oklahoma on a wrestling scholarship but an early injury prevented him from competing in college.
126 Pounds Jamie Franco (Monroe Woodbury, 2010) Franco was a 5X Section 9 champion and a 5X NYS place winner including a state title during his junior year. He placed 4th at 96 as an 8th grader, 2nd at 112 as a freshman, 4th at 119 as a sophomore, 1st at 125 as a junior and 2nd at 125 as a senior. He wrestled at D1 Hofstra where he was an NCAA qualifier.
132 Pounds Pat Lloyd (Valley Central, 2003) Lloys was a 3X Section 9 champion and a 2X NYS place winner. He finished 5th in NYS during his freshman year at 96 pounds and he was the 130 pound NYS champion as a senior. Lloyd went on to wrestle at Division 1 Buffalo in college.
138 Pounds Al Favata (Newburgh, 1969) Favata was a 2X NYS place winner and a NYS champ. He took 4th in the states as a sophomore and took home the title as a junior at 138 pounds. Favata went on to become a coach in S9 taking the reigns at Rondout Valley for 7 years!
145 Pounds Gary Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury, 1983) Fischbein was a 4X Section 9 champion, a 3X NYS place winner and the NYS state champion at 145 pounds in 1983. He wrestled in college at UVA where he was an NCAA Championship qualifier.
152 Pounds AJ Aeberli (Minisink Valley, 2016) Aeberli was a 2X Section 9 champion and a 2X NYS place winner including winning a state title as a senior. He placed 5th in NYS at 152 as a junior and then took home the title at 160 the following year. AJ went on to wrestle for the Coast Guard Academy where he became a Division 3 All American!
160 Pounds Mitch Wightman (Warwick, 2011) Wightman was a 3X Section 9 champion, a 2X NYS place winner, and the 160 pound NYS champion at 160 pounds in 2011. Wightman went on to wrestle D1 in college at Boston University and American University where he was a NCAA tournament qualifier.
170 Pounds Jim Horvath (Ramapo, 1972) Horvath was a 2X Section 9 champion and a 2X NYS place winner. He placed 3rd in NYS at 155 as a junior and then in his senior year he won the NYS title at 167 pounds. Horvath went on to wrestle in college at D1 Southern Illinois.
182 Pounds Mike Fekishazy (Wallkill, 2017) Fekishazy was a 2X Section 9 champion and a 2X NYS place winner. He won his first S9 title as a junior and placed 6th in the state and then as a senior notched S9 title #2 and was the state runner-up at 182. He was defeated in the state finals by Louie Deprez who was the top ranked 182 pound wrestler in the nation.
195 Pounds Kendall Elstrum (Monroe Woodbury, 2017) Elfstrum moved to Monroe from Illinios as a sophomore and went on to win 3X Section 9 titles. He was also a 2X NYS place winner taking 4th in the state as a junior at 182 and then winning the state title at 195 as a senior! Kendall now wrestles for Division 1 Princeton!
220 Pounds Will Leonard (Cornwall, 2019) Leonard took 6th in NYS as a junior before capping off his career with an incredible undefeated senior season which included titles at the Eastern States Classic and the NYSPHSAA Championships at 220 pounds. He is currently wrestling at the University of Buffalo.
285 Pounds Scott Ketchum (Clarkstown South, 1975) Ketchum was the New York state champion at heavyweight during his senior year at Clarkstown South. He was part of the 1975 squad which remains the only Section 9 team to win the team title at the state tournament.
Coaching Staff
Hall of Fame Coaches Coach Don Blaine (right) – 529 wins Coach Kevin Gallagher – 506 wins
Don Blaine Coach Blaine was the head wrestling coach at Cornwall High School for 36 seasons. He is the all time wins leader for Section 9 coaches with an astonishing 529 coaching victories! The last match he ever coached was Will Leonard’s 2018 state championship victory! He has been inducted into the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Upstate New York Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Kevin Gallagher Coach Gallagher sits at #2 behind Blaine on the coaching wins list with 506. He has been coaching for 30 years and is currently the head wrestling coach at Minisink Valley where he, along with his longtime assistant Scott Hendershot, has lead the Warriors to eight Section 9 Tournament titles and two NYS Dual Meet titles. Coach Gallagher has been inducted in to the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Paul Cummings – Coach of 10 State Champions!
Paul Cummings Coach Cummings coached at Middletown High School from 1993-94 until 1997-98. He then took over as head coach at Valley Central from 2000-01 until 2005-06. In that relatively brief coaching career, Cummings an astonishing 10 New York State champions as well as another 19 New York State place winners! During those years he also coached 4 teams to Section 9 Tournament titles – 3X with VC and 1X with Middletown. Coach Cummings has been inducted into the Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Warwick’s Ryan Ferro was a 4X Section 9 champion and a 2X NYS champion! After high school he attended Ohio State University before transferring to Long Island University where he is the starting 165 pounder!
Last but not least, The 2010-2019 All-Decade Team! I knew right from the moment that I decided to work on this project that this would be the most difficult decade…and I was correct! The talent in this decade was incredible forcing me to make some very difficult choices. Before we look at the hammers that made the team, let’s acknowledge a few of the guys who just barely missed out, namely Shane Connelly (5X S9 champ), Taylor Laraia (NYS 2nd & 3rd), Ryan Ellefsen (NYS 2nd & 3rd), James Bethel (NYS 3rd), Kyle Deisel (NYS 2nd), Mike Fekishazy (NYS 2nd & 6th), Dan DeCarlo (NYS 3rd & 5th), Chris Truglio (4th Senior Nationals), Noah Curreri (NYS 2nd & 5th), Maxx DeCapua (3rd & 6th), and Dylan Earl (NYS 5th & 5th)! Yeah that’s pretty scary….these are the guys NOT on the All-Decade Team! Enjoy!
2010 – 2019 All-Decade Team
99 – Johnny Stramiello (Pine Bush) 106 – Vinny Vespa (Monroe Woodbury) 113 – Marco Vespa (Monroe Woodbury) 120 – Gerard Daly (Minisink Valley) 126 – Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley) 132 – Evan Barczak (Monroe Woodbury) 138 – Da’mani Burns (Newburgh) 145 – Ryan Ferro (Warwick) 152 – AJ Aeberli (Minisink Valley) 160 – Mitch Wightman (Warwick) 170 – Dillon Ross (Onteora) 182 – Kendall Elfstrum (Monroe Woodbury) 195 – Nick McShea (Monroe Woodbury) 220 – Will Leonard (Cornwall) 285 – Joe Humphrey (Middletown)
2010 – Division 1 96 John Stramiello (Pine Bush, 8) 103 TJ Kreider (Cornwall, 10) 112 Shane Connolly (Warwick Valley, 10) 119 Gary Wolff (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 119AL Richard Dennison (Minisink Valley, 11) 125 Nic Smith (Valley Central, 12) – 6th NYS 130 Taylor Laraia (Newburgh, 12) – 2nd NYS 130AL Robert Bailey (Valley Central, 12) 135 Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central, 12) – 2nd NYS 140 Trent Costello (Kingston, 11) 145 Mitch Wightman (Warwick Valley, 11) – 5th NYS 152 Mike Vespa (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 5th NYS 160 Dan Smith (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 160AL Tyler Lawlor (Cornwall, 11) 171 Ryan Nicholas (Minisink Valley, 12) – 6th NYS 171AL Nick Matthews (Kingston, 12) 171AL Sean Prell (Warwick Valley, 11) 189 Marcus Spearman (Newburgh, 12) 189AL Mike McGrath (Kingston, 12) – 4th NYS 215 Andrew Smith (Port Jervis, 11) 215AL Henry Marley (Kingston, 12) 285 John Carey (Newburgh, 12)
2010 – Division 2 96 Eric Januszkiewicz (New Paltz, 9) 103 Jorge Chardon (Highland, 12) 112 Cory Necketopoulos (New Paltz, 10) 119 Pete Hottum (Onteora, 11) 125 Greg Brunner (Tuxedo, 11) 130 John Ferrante (New Paltz, 11) 135 Chet Cochrane (Onteora, 12) 140 Peter Ferrante (New Paltz, 11) 145 Andres Ulloa (Tuxedo, 12) 152 Donnie VanBuren (Onteora,11) 160 Kevin Dommreis (Millbrook, 12) 171 Ameil Maerling (Ellenville, 12) 189 Chris Pflaum (Highland, 12) 215 Peter Behnke (Highland, 12) 285 Vinny Barber (Highland, 12)
2011 – Division 1 96 John Stramiello (Pine Bush, 9) 103 Joe Ginley (Warwick Valley, 10) 112 Justin Corradino (Warwick Valley, 11) 112AL TJ Kreider (Cornwall, 11) 119 Shane Connolly (Warwick Valley, 11) 125 Kyle Wierzbicki (Warwick Valley, 11) 125AL Gary Wolff (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 125AL Luke Roth (Cornwall, 11) 130 Andrew Natalizio (Minisink Valley, 12) – 6th NYS 135 Richard Dennison (Minisink Valley, 12) 135AL Trent Costello (Kingston, 12) 140 Brian Vutianitis (Warwick Valley, 12) 145 Glen Ferrier (Minisink Valley, 12) 152 Aaron Moore (Newburgh, 12) 152AL Julio Gonzalez (Middletown, 12) – 4th NYS 160 Mitch Wightman (Warwick Valley, 12) – NYS Champion 160AL Kyle Diesel (Minisink Valley, 12) – 2nd NYS 171 Sean Prell (Warwick Valley, 12) – 3rd NYS 189 Joe Gaynor (Pine Bush, 12) 215 Pavel Gorelov (Warwick Valley, 11) 215AL Andrew Smith (Port Jervis, 12) 285 Ethan Stanley (Saugerties, 11) 285AL Seth Stauble (Kingston, 11)
2011 – Division 2 96 Declan McNulty (Red Hook, 10) 103 Avery Leighton (Onteora, 10) 112 Eric Januszkiewicz (New Paltz, 10) 119 Zach Apolitto (Onteora, 12) 125 Pete Hottum (Onteora, 12) 130 Greg Brunner (Tuxedo, 12) 135 CJ Goldizen (Onteora, 12) – 5th NYS 140 Jordan Gluskin (Onteora, 12) 145 Colin Waterhouse (Red Hook, 12) 152 Donnie VanBuren (Onteora, 12) 160 Peter Ferrante (New Paltz, 12) 171 Andrew Martinez (Liberty, 10) 189 Kaason Clark (New Paltz, 11) 215 Joseph Friedel (Onteora, 12) 285 Kyle Roberts (New Paltz, 12)
2012 – Division 1 99 Gerard Daly (Minisink Valley, 9) 99AL Vinny Vespa (Monroe Woodbury, 9) 106 John Stramiello (Pine Bush, 10) – 6th NYS 106AL Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley, 9) 113 TJ Kreider (Cornwall, 12) – 6th NYS 120 Justin Corradino (Warwick Valley, 12) – 5th NYS 126 Tom Murphy (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 132 Luke Roth (Cornwall, 12) 138 Shane Connolly (Warwick Valley, 12) 145 Kyle Wierzbicki (Warwick Valley, 12) 145AL Brett Sauschuck (Port Jervis, 12) 152 Ryan Bedross (Warwick Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 160 Dan DeCarlo (Port Jervis, 10) 170 Colin Casey (Washingtonville, 12) 182 Bilal Hasan (Valley Central, 12) 182AL Anthony Sannella (Minisink Valley, 12) 195 Deon Edmond (Kingston, 11) 195AL Pavel Gorelov (Warwick Valley, 12) 220 Connor Leavell (Warwick Valley, 12) 285 Ethan Stanley (Saugerties, 12) – 4th NYS 285AL Seth Stauble (Kingston, 12)
2012 Divison 2 99 Dean Stanton (Tuxedo, 9) 106 Austin Ingraham (Highland, 10) 113 Declan McNulty (Red Hook, 11) 120 Eric Januszkiewicz (New Paltz, 11) 126 John Hodes (Rondout Valley, 12) 132 Collin Dimler (Rondout Valley, 12) 138 Ian Morse (Rondout Valley, 12) 145 Ricky Treu (Red Hook, 12) 152 Paul Sommer (Rondout Valley, 12) – 5th NYS 160 Austin Weigel (Onteora, 11) 170 Mike Rauch (Red Hook, 11) 182 Andrew Martinez (Liberty, 11) – 6th NYS 195 Dustin Mackenzie (Onteora, 10) 220 Dominique Vales (Eldred-Fallsburg, 12) 285 Anthony Tufano (New Paltz, 11)
Lou Ruggirello was a 4X NYS placewinner and a 3X NYS champion! He went on to wrestle at D1 Hofstra where he was a 4X NCAA Tournament qualifier and was an All-American as a senior!!!
Our nation entered Y2K without missing a beat and so did Section 9 wrestling! There were several major changes to the landscape of high school wrestling in this decade. First and foremost was the split into two divisions beginning in 2004. The larger schools now wrestle in Division 1 while the smaller schools wrestle in Division 2. The other major change took place in 2007 when New York adopted a “Wildcard” or “At-Large” system to allow 4 additional wrestlers per weight class to enter the state tournament in order to have a full Round of 16 for the opening round. Wrestlers who earned At-Large births into the state tournament have the letters “AL” after their weight class on the lists below.
As I assumed, putting together an All-Decade Team continues to get more difficult with each passing decade. The 2000’s All-Decade Team is absolutely loaded and there are some hammers who were left off! Imagine an All-Decade Team that excludes wrestlers like Scott Prutzman, Phil Szumlaski, John Gartiser, Sean Bauer, Terry Madden, and Joe Zitone!!! Enjoy and please feel free to share your thoughts either below in the comment section or even better, on Facebook.
The 2000’s All-Decade Team
96 – Louie Ruggirello Jr. (Valley Central) 103 – Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central) 112 – Mike Mormile (Monroe Woodbury) 119 – Darrell Ford (Minisink Valley) 125 – Jamie Franco (Monroe Woodbury) 130 – Pat Lloyd (Valley Central) 135 – Jason Jones (Port Jervis) 140 – Sean Floor (Port Jervis) 145 – Cory Lemka (Minisink Valley) 152- Nick Rausenberger (Newburgh) 160 – Max O’Meara (Red Hook) 171 – Ricky Scott (Valley Central) 189 – Steven Butler (Port Jervis) 215 – Ed Bordas (Valley Central) 285 – Corey James (Kingston)
2000 96 Pat Lloyd (Valley Central, 9) – 5th NYS 103 Mike Mormile (Monroe Woodbury, 11) – 2nd NYS 112 John Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury, 10) – 5th NYS 119 Rob Sckalor (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 4th NYS 125 Joe Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 3rd NYS 130 Dave Edwards (Cornwall, 12) 135 Casey Todd (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 140 Jason Jones (Port Jervis, 11) – 6th NYS 145 Ryan Pullman (New Paltz, 12) – 6th NYS 152 Nick Rausenberger (Newburgh, 12) – 3rd NYS 160 Terry Madden (Pine Bush, 12) – 3rd NYS 171 Kevin Lawrence (Newburgh, 11) – 6th NYS 189 Mike Gerstl (Minisink Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 215 Jason Lichtenstein (Middletown, 12) 275 Alva Conklin (Middletown, 12) – 2nd NYS
2001 96 Ken Stalter (Ellenville, 10) 103 Chris Cartwright (Newburgh, 9) – 6th NYS 112 Mike Mormile (Monroe Woodbury, 12) NYS Champ & MOW 119 Lance Dolson (Valley Central, 12) – 4th NYS 125 John Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury, 11) – 2nd NYS 130 Eric Biccum (Port Jervis, 11) 135 Jason Jones (Port Jervis, 12) – NYS Champion 140 Casey Todd (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 145 Josh Jones (Port Jervis) – 4th NYS 152 Keith Nelson (Red Hook, 12) 160 Kevin Lawrence (Newburgh, 12) – 5th NYS 171 Mike Karaban (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 189 Steve Scrobe (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 215 Scott Proscia (Port Jervis, 12) – 2nd NYS 275 Tom O’Toole (Monroe Woodbury, 12)
2002 96 Scott Prutzman (Valley Central, 10) – 2nd NYS 103 Andy Franco (Monroe Woodbury, 9) – 5th NYS 112 Tim Schofield (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 119 Darren Mima (Kingston, 11) 125 Zac Mills (Wallkill, 10) 130 Pat Lloyd (Valley Central, 11) 135 John Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 140 David Mills (Wallkill, 11) 145 Eric Biccum (Port Jervis, 12) – 5th NYS 152 Ricky Scott (Valley Central, 9) 160 Mike Vichiariello (Port Jervis, 11) 171 Jerrell O’Neal (Newburgh, 11) 189 Dennis Norton (Cornwall, 12) 215 Jon Andriac (Port Jervis, 12) – 4th NYS 275 Matt Gurdineer (Minisink Valley, 12)
2003 96 Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central, 9) – 3rd NYS 103 Steve Valastro (Valley Central, 10) 112 Scott Prutzman (Valley Central, 11) 119 Darrell Ford (Minisink Valley, 11) – 4th NYS 125 Darren Mima (Kingston, 12) 130 Pat Lloyd (Valley Central, 12) – NYS Champion 135 Trevor Nauta (Pine Bush, 12) – 6th NYS 140 Pat D’Aliso (Monroe Woodbury, 9) 145 Matt Bauer (Valley Central, 12) 152 Mike Vichiariello (Port Jervis, 12) – 4th NYS 160 Ricky Scott (Valley Central, 10) – 5th NYS 171 Kevin Navarra (Cornwall, 12) 189 Pablo Diaz (Middletown, 12) 215 Ed Bordas (Valley Central, 10) – 6th NYS 275 Steve Cuff (Newburgh, 11)
2004 – Division 1 – First Year of D1/D2 96 Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central, 10) – NYS Champion 103 Mike D’Amato (Wallkill, 8) 112 Sean Bauer (Valley Central, 11) 119 Darrell Ford (Minisink Valley, 12) – 3rd NYS 125 Phil Szumlaski (Newburgh, 12) – 3rd NYS 130 Chris Cartwright (Newburgh, 12) – 5th NYS 135 Kyle Fried (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 5th NYS 140 Tom Sands (Newburgh, 12) 145 Bryan Welsh (Minisink Valley, 12) – 6th NYS 152 John Foley (Port Jervis, 11) 160 Willis Freeman (Kingston, 12) – 3rd NYS 171 Ricky Scott (Valley Central, 11) – NYS Champion 189 Alex Kaufmann (Port Jervis, 10) 215 Ed Bordas (Valley Central, 11) 275 Steve Cuff (Newburgh, 12)
2004 – Division 2 96 Robert Slavin (Millbrook, 10) 103 Emilio Torres (New Paltz, 10) 112 Nick Nekos (Onteora, 10) 119 Mike Amodio (New Paltz, 12) 125 Jason Rury (Onteora,10) 130 Ryan Wittig (New Paltz, 10) 135 Trevor Gale (Onteora, 11) 140 Chris Cannizaro (Millbrook, 12) 145 Chuck Chandler (Eldred, 11) 152 Joe Judge (New Paltz, 12) 160 Scott Honan (New Paltz, 12) 171 Justin Martino (New Paltz, 11) 189 Corey Proscia (Eldred, 11) 215 Tim Hallock (Eldred, 11) 275 John Slegona (Ellenville, 12)
Steve Garland was a 2X Section 9 champion and a 2X state finalist for Middletown HS. In college he was a 3X NCAA qualifier and came in 2nd in the nation as a senior for the University of Virginia. Garland has been the head coach at UVA since 2006.
Here we go!!! Let’s take a look at all of the Section 9 champions from the 1990’s as well as the 1990’s All-Decade Team! I would like to once again thank everyone who I have called or texted for assistance in putting together these star-studded teams. It seems to be getting tougher each decade and I imaging that the next two decades are going to be no different. Section 9 produced some incredible wrestlers in the 90’s and quite a few of them were left off this team. I hope that it creates some heated, yet friendly, discussion and most importantly takes us on a trip down memory lane. Just imagine an “All-Decade” team that excludes hammers like Marcus Hutchings, Jeremy Smit, Christian Favata, Dave Colabella, and Brian Benson! Keep in mind that Troy Bouzakis and Mike Bucci were on the 1980’s Team so they do not appear here. Also, if a wrestler has impressive credentials in the 90’s but graduated in 2000 it is possible that they will appear on the 2000-2009 Team. Enjoy!
1990’s All-Decade Team
91 – David Hartwick (Valley Central) 98 – Steve Garland (Middletown) 105 – Phillip Mansueto (Middletown) 112 – Rocco Mansueto (Middletown) 119 – Paul Paquin (Cornwall) 126 – Mike Castro (Washingtonville) 132 – Jeff Smith (Rondout Valley) 138 – Tim Cornish (Minisink Valley) 145 – Mike Mitchell (Cornwall) 155 – Dennis Clark (Monroe Woodbury) 167 – Rob Padilla (Newburgh) 177 – Joe Pistone (Middletown) 215 – Joe Sahl (Valley Ventral) 250 – Joe Yanis (Minisink Valley)
1990 91 David Hardwick (Valley Central, 10) 98 Jeff Tufano (Port Jervis, 9) – 5th NYS 105 Mark Aguilar (Washingtonville, 10) 112 Kyle Sibley (Valley Central, 11) 119 Chris Svensson (Goshen, 12) 126 Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 12) – NYS Champ & MOW 132 Keith Anderson (Pine Bush, 12) 138 Chris Fleeger (Port Jervis, 12) 145 Ron Clinton (Middletown, 12) – 5th NYS 155 Marcus Hutchins (Monticello, 12) – 4th NYS 167 Heath Macaluso (Minisink Valley, 12) – 6th NYS 177 Mike Rydell (Newburgh, 12) 215 Mike Bucci (Red Hook, 12) – NYS Champion 250 Matt Brandt (Red Hook, 12)
1991 91 David Hardwick (Valley Central, 11) – NYS Champion 98 Kurl Asdal (Monticello, 12) 105 Mark Aguilar (Washingtonville, 11) 112 Jeff Tufano (Port Jervis, 10) 119 Kyle Sibley (Valley Central, 12) 126 Mike Castro (Washingtonville, 12) – NYS Champion 132 Mike Gardianos (Minisink Valley, 12) 138 Rich Gomez (Washingtonville, 12) 145 J.P. Sautter (Minisink Valley, 12) 155 Marcus Hutchins (Monticello, 12) – 5th NYS 167 Gino Brown (Newburgh, 11) – 5th NYS 177 Greg Conn (Valley Central, 12) – 6th NYS 215 Bob Bucci (Red Hook, 11) 250 Joe Yanis (Minisink Valley, 12) – NYS Champion
1992 91 Brian Murtaugh (Minisink Valley, 12) 98 Mike Mitchell (Cornwall, 9) 105 David Hardwick (Valley Central, 12) 112 Mark Aguilar (Washingtonville, 12) 119 Brian Miller (New Paltz, 12) 126 Chris Cotten (Valley Central, 12) 132 Josh Potter (Minisink Valley, 11) 138 Quoc Le (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 145 Neil Brutus (Valley Central, 12) 155 Luke Barbalich (Port Jervis, 12) 167 Nick Byrne (Cornwall, 12) 177 Gino Brown (Newburgh, 12) – 6th NYS 215 Bob Bucci (Red Hook, 12) 250 Lou Volpe (Cornwall, 12) – 6th NYS
1993 91 Jun Watanabe (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 98 Mike Masci (Goshen, 11) 105 Tim Keys (Port Jervis, 12) 112 Billy Lynch (Valley Central, 11) 119 Mike Mitchell (Cornwall, 10) 126 Chris Cotten (Valley Central, 12) 132 Josh Potter (Minisink Valley, 12) – 6th NYS 138 Tim Cornish (Liberty, 10) 145 Josh Hnath (Pine Bush, 12) 155 Paul Hartmann (Port Jervis, 10) 167 Nick Macri (Cornwall, 12) – 6th NYS 177 Frank Graziano (Minisink Valley, 12) 215 Mike Harding (Pine Bush, 12) 250 Tim Southard (Port Jervis, 12) – 5th NYS
1994 91 Steve Garland (Middletown, 11) – 2nd NYS 98 Dan Garland (Middletown, 11) – 6th NYS 105 Mike Masci (Goshen, 12) – 6th NYS 112 Steve Alvarado (Cornwall, 12) 119 Billy Lynch (Valley Central, 12) – 6th NYS 126 A.J. Levine (Pine Bush, 11) 132 Mike Mitchell (Cornwall, 11) 138 Tim Cornish (Liberty, 11) 145 Mike Kikendall (Monticello, 12) 155 Doug Spelman (Middletwon, 11) 167 Ed Vass (Goshen, 11) 177 Phil Dudek (Kingston, 12) 215 Jason Pawliczak (Pine Bush, 12) – 6th NYS 250 Jeremy Smit (Valley Central, 11)
1995 91 Phillip Mansueto (Middletown, 9) – 6th NYS 98 Steve Garland (Middletown, 12) – 2nd NYS 105 Vinny Pickell (Ellenville, 12) 112 Al Mann (Cornwall, 12) 119 Dylan Ronk (Goshen, 12) – 3rd NYS 126 A.J. Levine (Pine Bush,12) 132 Tim Hendershot (Minisink Valley, 12) 138 Tim Cornish (Minisink Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 145 Mike Mitchell (Cornwall, 12) – 3rd NYS 155 Doug Spelman (Middletown, 12) – 6th NYS 167 Ed Vass (Goshen, 12) 177 Joe Pistone (Middletown, 12) – 4th NYS 215 Mike Rechtorovic (Valley Central, 12) – 5th NYS 250 Jeremy Smit (Valley Central, 12) – 3rd NYS
1996 91 Kevin Fleenor (Newburgh, 12) – 4th NYS 98 Phillip Mansueto (Middletown, 10) – 2nd NYS 105 Bill Maloney (Port Jervis, 11) 112 Paul Paquin (Cornwall, 11) – NYS Champion 119 Jim Powderly (Newburgh, 12) – 6th NYS 126 Jason Nauta (Pine Bush, 12) 132 Jeff Smith (Rondout Valley, 12) – 3rd NYS 138 Christian Favata (Rondout Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 145 Joe Stepp (Goshen, 12) 155 Matt Dunne (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 167 Rob Padilla (Newburgh, 12) – 2nd NYS 177 Walt Henry (Pine Bush, 10) 215 Billy Donohue (Middletown, 11) 250 Ron Gannello (Middletown, 11)
1997 96 Rocco Mansueto (Middletown, 11) – NYS Champion 103 Phillip Mansueto (Middletown, 11) – NYS Champion 112 Al Ronaldson (Valley Central, 12) – 4th NYS 119 Pat Griffin (Valley Central, 11) – 4th NYS 125 Paul Paquin (Cornwall, 12) – NYS Champion 130 Jeremy Nauta (Pine Bush, 12) 135 Joe Papasidero (Goshen, 12) – 6th NYS 140 Steve Boenigk (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 6th NYS 145 George Butwell (Newburgh, 12) 152 Dennis Clark (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 160 Dan Uebel (Cornwall, 10) 171 Walt Henry (Pine Bush, 11) 189 Ken Barringer (Valley Central, 12) 220 Nick Losey (Goshen, 12) 275 Ron Gannello (Middletown, 12)
1998 96 Eric Biccum (Port Jervis, 8) – 5th NYS 103 Dave Edwards (Cornwall, 10) 112 Rocco Mansueto (Middletown, 12) – NYS Champion 119 Phillip Mansueto (Middletown, 12) – 2nd NYS 125 Pat Griffin (Valley Central, 12) – 4th NYS 130 Joe Molloy (Rondout Valley, 12) 135 Nick Rausenberger (Newburgh, 10) 140 Pat Sansbury (Valley Central, 12) 145 Walter Kaufmann (Port Jervis, 12) 152 Dennis Clark (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 3rd NYS 160 Dave Colabella (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 171 Walt Henry (Pine Bush, 12) 189 Rob Flores (Port Jervis, 11) – 6th NYS 215 Joe Sahl (Valley Central, 11) – 6th NYS 275 Jake Wright (Minisink Valley, 11)
1999 96 Mike Mormile (Monroe Woodbury, 10) – 3rd NYS 103 Keith Pickel (Ellenville, 12) – 2nd NYS 112 Jim Pagan (Newburgh, 11) 119 Brian Benson (Valley Central, 12) – 2nd NYS 125 Joe Gartiser (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 125 Brad Giambrone (Onteora, 12) – 5th NYS 130 Dave Edwards (Cornwall, 11) – 4th NYS 135 Shawn Wiley (Pine Bush, 11) 140 Terry Madden (Pine Bush, 11) 145 George Pullman (New Paltz, 12) – 3rd NYS 152 Nick Rausenberger (Newburgh, 11) – 4th NYS 160 Kevin Lawrence (Newburgh, 10) – 6th NYS 171 Dave Colabella (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 3rd NYS 189 Dom Abato (MVP) (Wallkill, 12) 215 Joe Sahl (Valley Central, 12) – 2nd NYS 275 Alva Conklin (Middletown, 11)
Pine Bush’s Troy Bouzakis was a 5X Section 9 Champion, a 3X NYS Champion, and a 2X State Tournament MOW!
So it is getting tougher and tougher to come up with these All-Decade teams! There are absolute hammers who are being left off … but that’s what makes this fun! One of the goals of these posts is to take us on a trip down memory lane to provide a healthy distraction from these very trying times. Just a few notes for clarification… Some wrestlers have credentials which would make them candidates for two All-Decade Teams however I am only including them on one team. The obvious examples are here are Troy Bouzakis and Mike Bucci who were also 1990 state champs but I have decided to include them on the 1980’s team. Putting together this team was the toughest one yet – deciding between Rich Parete or Dickie Bouzakis at 126 was impossible! How about leaving off Bryan Keys and Ken Wojehowski? I am sure that it will get even more challenging once we have to factor in D1 and D2 wrestlers! I made several calls, texts, and emails to help me with some of these decisions! Thank you very much for everyone who chipped in especially Donnie Blaine, Steve Fischbein, Kevin Gallagher, Tracy Sutera, and Tim Monahan.
1980’s All-Decade Team 91 – Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush) 98 – Phil Consiglio (North Rockland) 105 – Doug Keys (Port Jervis) 112 – Jeff Keys (Port Jervis) 119 – Jeff Lewis (Valley Central) 126 – Dickie Bouzakis (Pine Bush) 132 – Tim Ferrante (New Paltz) 138 – Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central) 145 – Gary Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury) 155 – Earl Lynch (Monroe Woodbury) 167 – Matt Pisciotta (New Paltz) 177 – Mike Bucci (Red Hook) 215 – Tom Ladka (Monroe Woodbury) 250 – John Nickless (Valley Central)
1980 91 Glenn Burres (Monroe Woodbury, 10) 98 Bryan Keys (Port Jervis, 11) – 4th NYS 105 Mike Mott (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 112 Art Schad (Red Hook, 12) – 6th NYS 119 John Doyle (Tappan Zee, 12) 126 Gary Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury, 9) 132 John Stewart (Port Jervis,12) – 2nd NYS 138 Doug Jenks (Port Jervis, 12) – 4th NYS 145 Bill White (Suffern, 12) 155 Kevin Troche (Port Jervis, 12) – 5th NYS 167 Dan Parietti (Suffern, 12) 177 Todd Giles (Ramapo, 12) – 3rd NYS 215 Dave McNally (Suffern, 12) 250 Blaze Winters (Tappan Zee, 12) – 5th NYS
1981 91 Rick Grande (Ramapo, 12) 98 Jose Munoz (North Rockland, 10) 105 Bryan Keys (Port Jervis, 12) – 2nd NYS 112 Jeff Keys (Port Jervis, 11) – 4th NYS 119 Carl Marinaccio (Suffern, 12) 126 Andy Silverberg (Ramapo,12) 132 Gary Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury, 10) – 5th NYS 138 Bob Judge (Nanuet, 12) 145 Mike Shaffer (Ramapo, 12) – 5th NYS 155 Earl Lynch (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 6th NYS 167 Dan Parietti (Suffern, 12) 177 Kirk Butryn (Minisink Valley, 12) – 5th NYS 215 Paul McAdon (Washingtonville, 12) 250 John Foley (Goshen, 12)
1982 91 John Canty (Suffern, 10) 98 Phil Consiglio (North Rockland, 9) – 6th NYS 105 Dave Mott (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 112 Glenn Burres (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 119 Jeff Keys (Port Jervis, 12) – 5th NYS 126 Tim Ferrante (New Paltz, 11) – 6th NYS 132 Bill Szulewski (Middletown, 12) 138 Gary Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury, 11) – 3rd NYS 145 Lee Ingersol (Goshen, 12) 155 Marty Pidel (New Paltz, 12) – 6th NYS 167 Chad Tompkins (Valley Central, 12) – 6th NYS 177 Tim Howell (Goshen, 12) – 4th NYS 215 Tom Ladka (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 250 Ben Blackwell (North Rockland, 12) – 6th NYS
1983 91 Obed Morales (North Rockland, 12) – 5th NYS 98 Steve Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury, 11) – 4th NYS 105 Phil Consiglio (North Rockland, 10) – 6th NYS 112 Jose Munoz (North Rockland, 12) 119 Anibal Nieves (Ellenville, 11) 126 Alberto Nieves (Ellenville, 11) 132 Tim Ferrante (New Paltz, 12) – 2nd NYS 138 Jim Kelly (Clarkstown North, 12) 145 Gary Fischbein (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – NYS Champion 155 Steve Pisciotta (New Paltz, 11) 167 Paul Bailey (Nanuet, 12) – 6th NYS 177 Nunzio DeGregorio (Pearl River, 12) 215 Tom Ladka (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 2nd NYS 250 Pete Galendez (Suffern, 12)
1984 91 Dave Bisko (New Paltz, 12) 98 Pat Nolan (Tappan Zee, 12) 105 Phil Consiglio (North Rockland, 11) – NYS Champion 112 Rich Parete (Rondout Valley, 10) 119 Mike Pisciotta (New Paltz, 12) – 6th NYS 126 Anibal Nieves (Ellenville, 12) – 5th NYS 132 Robbie Allison (North Rockland, 11) 138 Steve Greco (Suffern, 12) – 4th NYS 145 Mike Vasquez (Monroe Woodbury, 11) 155 Steve Pisciotta (New Paltz, 12) 167 Paul Bailey (Nanuet, 12) – 5th NYS 177 Matt Gallagher (Minisink Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 215 Peter Valois (Clarkstown South, 11) – 4th NYS 250 Mike DeCapua (New Paltz, 12)
1985 91 Brian Smith (Pine Bush, 12) 98 Jeff Lewis (Valley Central, 9) 105 Doug Keys (Port Jervis, 12) – NYS Champion 112 Joe Morgan (Red Hook, 10) 119 Rich Parete (Rondout Valley, 11) 126 Dick Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 12) – 2nd NYS 132 Terence Hollywood (Minisink Valley, 12) 138 John Parete (Rondout Valley, 12) 145 Mike Vasquez (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 155 Jim Licardi (Pine Bush, 12) 167 Matt Pisciotta (New Paltz, 12) – 4th NYS 177 Dan Sanchez (Rondout Valley, 11) 215 Ken Tuttle (Wallkill, 12) 250 Mike Davis (Monticello, 12)
1986 91 Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 8) – NYS Champion 98 Mark Smith (Rondout Valley, 12) 105 Jimmy Duque (Valley Central, 11) 112 Jeff Lewis (Valley Central, 10) 119 Mike Zigrossi (Goshen, 11) – 5th NYS 126 Rich Parete (Rondout Valley, 12) – 3rd NYS 132 Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central, 9) 138 Chris Goddard (Pine Bush, 12) 145 Jim Balzan (Saugerties, 12) 155 Rich Kruse (Port Jervis, 12) 167 Frank Genaro (Monroe Woodbury, 12) 177 Dan Sanchez (Rondout Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 215 William Smith (Middletown, 12) – 4th NYS 250 John Nickless (Valley Central, 9)
1987 91 Bret Roby (Port Jervis, 12) 98 Matt Kramer (Goshen, 12) 105 Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 9) – NYS Champ & MOW 112 Jimmy Duque (Valley Central, 12) 119 Jeff Lewis (Valley Central, 11) – 2nd NYS 126 Joe Morgan (Red Hook, 12) – 6th NYS 132 Mike Zigrossi (Goshen, 12) – 4th NYS 138 Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central, 10) 145 Doug Morse (Rondout Valley, 11) 155 Joe Petit (Rondout Valley, 11) 167 John Reitzel (Minisink Valley, 12) 177 Mike Bucci (Red Hook, 9) – 6th NYS 215 Jack Flynn (Rondout Valley, 11) 250 A.J. Knapp (Minisink Valley, 12)
1988 91 Ken Wojehowski (Cornwall, 11) 98 Jeff Duque (Valley Central, 9) – 6th NYS 105 Dave Sherman (New Paltz, 12) 112 Jay Brewer (Cornwall, 12) 119 Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 10) – 3rd NYS 126 Jeff Lewis (Valley Central, 12) – 3rd NYS 132 Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central, 11) – 3rd NYS 138 Johan Duque (Valley Central, 12) – 2nd NYS 145 Doug Morse (Rondout Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 155 Joe Petit (Rondout Valley, 12) 167 John Fuller (Port Jervis, 12) 177 Mike Bucci (Red Hook, 10) – 6th NYS 215 Jack Flynn (Rondout Valley, 12) 250 John Nickless (Valley Central, 11)
1989 91 Rich Ruck (Rondout Valley, 12) 98 Ken Wojehowski (Cornwall,12) – 4th NYS 105 Jeff Duque (Valley Central,10) – 3rd NYS 112 Tom Maltes (Washingtonville,12) 119 Troy Bouzakis (Pine Bush, 11) – 2nd NYS 126 Sam Sicoli (Pine Bush, 12) – 6th NYS 132 Dan Longo (Kingston, 12) 138 Lou Ruggirello (Valley Central, 12) – NYS Champion 145 Chris Bell (Minisink Valley, 12) – 4th NYS 155 Mike Lesick (Goshen, 12) 167 Clinton Troncone (Goshen, 12) 177 Mike Bucci (Red Hook, 11) – 3rd NYS 215 Alex Biolsi (Monroe Woodbury, 12) – 4th NYS 250 John Nickless (Valley Central, 12)
