Garden City's Horl following in Dad's footsteps
Garden City's Connor Horl was one of Newsday's players to watch in Nassau County football. He also wrestles in the winter. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
ALBANY - Senior Connor Horl of Garden City nearly jumped out of his shoes after pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the early going at the state wrestling championships. One of the Trojans' most flamboyant athletes, he leaped from the mat and pointed toward the Nassau crowd in the blue seats at Times Union Center.
Horl, the sixth seed, edged third-seeded John Acorsi of Burnt Hills (Section II), 3-2, and was overcome with emotion. He shook hands, signed his bout sheet and sprinted into the stands. He went up to the upper concourse and ran over three sections and into the arms of his father, Larry.
"I'm so proud right now," Horl said. "I wanted to earn All-State like my Dad. It was a great match."
It was 30 years ago when South Side's Larry Horl finished fifth at 215 pounds. Horl was part of a 1980 Nassau sectional team that earned the team championship.
"The goal is to do better than my Dad," said Horl, who won both of his bouts by 3-2 scores.
Horl, who was an All-Long Island selection as a two-way lineman for Garden City's Class II championship football team, will meet second-seeded Enzo Zagari of Spencerport (V) in Saturday's semifinal round. He is guaranteed All-State status after Friday's quarterfinal win.
Around the mats
In pinning Adam Wallace of Fulton (III) in 1:49, Syosset's Nick Arujau moved within one of the Nassau record for consecutive wins of 122 held by Paul Liguori of Wantagh. Arujau, a two-time state champion who is 36-0 with 28 pins this season, has won 121 straight matches dating to the 2007 state final. The senior will wrestle Vin Fischetti of Farrell in Saturday's semifinals . . . Suffolk, the defending state sectional champion, leads the team scoring with 106.5 points. Nassau is in second place with 72 points. Suffolk advanced 15 wrestlers into the semifinal round. Huntington and Rocky Point each have three wrestlers . . . Suffolk teammates Kyle Wade of Islip and Nick Terdick of Glenn will meet in the 152-pound semifinal. Terdick edged Wade, 3-2, in the Suffolk championship bout two weeks ago . . . Nassau has nine semifinalists . . . St. Anthony's and Wantagh both have three semifinalists . . . The Division II competitors from Long Island have not fared well. None of the 30 qualifiers advanced into the semifinal round.
