LV's Casella edged in 99-pound Div. II state final
ALBANY -- Locust Valley freshman Nick Casella did not set out to make history or help change the perception of Division II wrestlers on Long Island.
But when the 99-pounder beat Hoosick Falls' Luis Weirbach, 7-2, in the semifinals Saturday, he became the first L.I. wrestler to qualify for the Division II state championship since Grant Greene (Cold Spring Harbor) and Mike Gomez (Locust Valley) in 2007.
In last evening's final, Casella allowed a third-period escape point and dropped a 1-0 decision to Lyndonville freshman Tony Recco.
Despite the loss, the significance of the state tournament run was not lost on Casella.
"This means that we can work hard and do exactly what the Division I kids are doing," he said.
This year, Long Island sent 15 wrestlers to Division I championships, and the Division II schools had three place-winners: Casella, Center Moriches' Travis Baskerville (160, fifth) and Bayport-Blue Point's Harrison DeSousa (285, fourth).
"Nassau only has seven D-II schools, so winning the county tournament is never going to get you that respect," Locust Valley coach Joe Enea said. "Every time you place upstate, that's the real deal. This championship is going to turn some heads and show that D-II guys from Nassau can wrestle up here."
Casella (30-4) had little trouble in his two Saturday matches, scoring two pins in 4:31. Afterward, he grabbed a bite to eat and was only a pound or two heavy, so he went for a 25-minute evening jog.
He rested easy that night, comforted that a finals berth was one match away.
"I thought it was really cool that I stepped it up this year and that Locust Valley has something," Casella said.
Casella routinely beat kids from larger schools this season, with two of his four losses coming by decision to Wantagh's 99-pound Division I state runner-up, Jose Rodriguez.
Following an impressive eighth-grade season, Enea said none of his wrestlers matched Casella's offseason preparation.
And with an enviable freshman season, Casella helped put Locust Valley, and Long Island's Division II wrestlers, back on the map.
"If I could draw it up," Enea said, "this would be the guy that I picked."
