Freeport's Myles Norris claws into state semifinals with double OT victory
Myles Norris of Freeport, shown here during the Nassau Division I wrestling finals on Feb. 16, won his 285-pound quarterfinal match, 2-1, over Minisink Valley's Adam Fenner on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, in Albany. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
ALBANY — Myles Norris collapsed.
He threw his arms over his head and rested his hands over his eyes as he lay at the side of the wrestling mat. The exhaustion of a double-overtime quarterfinal bout had taken its toll on the Freeport senior.
He’d survived a physical brawl with Minisink Valley junior Adam Fenner and came away with a stirring 2-1 win to advance into Saturday’s semifinal round of the state’s Division I wrestling tournament at Times Union Center.
“I just needed a moment to collect myself,” said Norris, who was a state runner-up a year ago. “I’ve only had one goal in mind since last year’s tournament, and that was to win a state title. It doesn’t take much to lose in this tournament. And that’s the worst feeling.”
Norris dropped a 4-2 decision to Commack’s Joey Slackman in the 285-pound final a year ago.
“That pain of losing never goes away,” Norris said. “It’s all I thought about almost every day since I lost in the final.”
Norris, who improved to 30-2, held his fingers in front of his face and illustrated just how close he was to a state crown. He held his thumb and index finger an inch away from one another.
“I was so close,” Norris said. “I definitely want that championship.”
A late-season knee injury almost killed his dream of a state title and championship redemption. The cold water that dripped from the plastic bag that held the ice in place over his left knee was a subtle reminder of how a title shot is never guaranteed.
Norris will meet Hilton senior Collin Burns in Saturday’s semifinal.
“He refuses to lose and has such a strong will to win,” Freeport coach Matt Cellan said. “Even with the knee injury, he wants to practice and we have to hold him out. He’s one of the toughest athletes we’ve had in any sport, football or wrestling. And he’s such a humble kid that leads other students as a positive role model.”
Nassau moved 13 wrestlers into the semifinal round and leads Suffolk for the team title, 92.5-90. The Nassau sectional team last won a title in 1987. Suffolk has 10 wrestlers qualified for the semifinals.
“We wrestled well on the first day,” said John Mankowich, the Nassau wrestling coordinator. “But the semifinal round is the key to winning the tournament. We need to move guys into the finals.”
It’ll be an all-Nassau semifinal when second-seeded Matt Hegi of Mepham and third-seeded Nick Franco of Farmingdale meet at 195 pounds. Hegi earned two wins by decision and Franco had a first-period pin and added a stunning last-second win over Fombo Azah of Carthage in the quarterfinals. Franco gained a takedown in the final seconds to beat the sixth-seeded Azah, 6-4.
Hegi edged Franco, 3-2, in the semifinal round of the Nassau sectional.
Hempstead’s Lee Mauras trailed 4-0 in his quarterfinal against Central Square sophomore Kole Mulhauser midway through the second period at 145 pounds. He lit the crowd with a funky front headlock to throw Mulhauser to his back for the pin in 3:22.
“I could feel it starting to slip away,” Mauras said. “I remembered what coach Cellan had told me. He didn’t want me to tie up with him and watch his right hand. And wait for him to make his move. I waited and then made my move.”
Mauras, who transferred from Freeport into Hempstead this year, still has strong ties with his friends on the Red Devils. The entire Freeport section in the stands roared as the official signaled for the pin.
“He’s family, we were all rooting for him,” Norris said.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
