Sachem East's Jared Weinhaus improves to 32-0, advances to Sunday's Suffolk semifinals
Sachem East's Jared Weinhaus wins the 138-pound weight class Saturday in the Suffolk Division I individual wrestling quarterfinal championships in Bay Shore. Credit: George A Faella
Jared Weinhaus has had his share of ups and downs in wrestling. The talented senior placed sixth at the state tournament as a freshman and then failed to qualify in his sophomore year. He was robbed of a shot at a state title shot when the COVID pandemic cancelled the Suffolk and state tournaments in 2021.
"We once thought he’d be a five-time place winner at the state tournament," said Sachem East coach Ray Pickersgill. "He knows this is his year and he’s not going to be denied."
Weinhaus had a second-round pin in 2:48 over Anthony DiConza of Smithtown East and recorded a 15-2 decision over Hauppauge’s Charles Olaechea in a quarterfinal. He advances to meet Sayville’s Yirdaw Rivera, who pinned East Islip’s Anthony Avitable in 5:57.
"Jared is a tireless worker and wrestled 300 matches before he even wrestled in high school," Pickersgill said.
The top-seeded Weinhaus improved to 32-0 this season. All of the top seeds made it through to Sunday morning’s semifinal round. Perhaps one of the more interesting winners came in the very first weight class at 102 pounds, where it's been quite the season for Comsewogue freshman Mason Mangialino. The top-seeded wrestler at 102 showed the capacity crowd why he’s been unbeatable. Mangialino is looking to become Comsewogue’s first county champion in 23 years. The last to do it was Glenn Burns when he copped the 275-pound title in 1999.
Mangialino had a first-round pin of Devin Connelly of Longwood in 1:58 in the second round. He followed that a win by major decision over Hauppauge’s Gina Manta in a 9-0 quarterfinal bout.
"He’s a very technical wrestler that doesn’t make any mistakes," said Comsewogue coach Brian Fitzgerald. "He has a game plan every time he goes on the mat. He’s been so good he hasn’t been taken down all season."
Mangialino was brought up to the varsity as a seventh grader and was unbeaten in last year’s COVID shortened season and not given the opportunity to wrestle for a Suffolk title. Mangialino will meet fifth-seeded Aidan Donohue of Rocky Point in Sunday’s semifinal match. Donohue erased a huge second period deficit to pin Brentwood’s highly regarded Jason Euceda in 4:47. Donohue caught Euceda with a second period headlock.
It’s been a special year for Comsewogue wrestling. The program earned its first-ever league wrestling title.
"We had four league champions and tremendous support throughout the program from the coaches to the parents," Fitzgerald said. "It takes everyone to get the job done."
They will lean on Mangialino to give them another title– one of Suffolk champion.
Team title race
Sayville has four wrestlers in the semifinals and three in the wrestleback rounds and leads the team scoring for the first time in school history with 90.5 points. Brentwood moved five wrestlers into the semifinals and had one in the wrestleback round and sits in second place with 84 points. Miller Place is third with 75 points and Connetquot is fourth with 69.5.
With Matt Lindsay
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
