Stephanos Hadoulis of Massapequa rides the back of Uniondale's Tristan...

Stephanos Hadoulis of Massapequa rides the back of Uniondale's Tristan Greenwood in the 145-pound matchup of the Nassau Conference 1A dual meet in Massapequa on Wednesday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff

Being pinned is unacceptable for Massapequa’s Stephanos Hadoulis, and he holds his teammates to the same standard at every match.

“There should be no instance where you really just get flat on your back and let the guy take complete control of you,” Hadoulis said. “You should always be fighting off your back.”

On senior night at Massapequa High School, it seemed appropriate that Hadoulis, a senior, continued to let his teammates know his mantra, to never give up.

Before and after he pinned Tristan Greenwood in 1:25 at 145 pounds, Hadoulis was cheering his teammates on and recording some shaky highlights on his phone. Massapequa (1-1) won its first Nassau I-A game this season, defeating Uniondale, 42-24, Wednesday evening.

Uniondale led 6-0 after the first two matches, but Austin Krien pinned Steven Fuentes in 48 seconds at 138 pounds to tie the score. Massapequa took control, not allowing Uniondale (0-2) to tie or take the lead again.

“When I’m in a really tough match and I hear my teammates screaming, it’s like a random burst of energy you just get,” Hadoulis said.

“When I see, especially the little guys, even some of the older guys that need it, start screaming. Call out moves. Do anything you can to help.”

Massapequa’s Mike McCann is in his first year as head coach but has been with the program since 2012. He credits the seniors for their ability to persevere through the pandemic to continue Massapequa’s storied success.

“They’re so important to this program,” McCann said. “Bridging that gap [through] that one lost year. These guys were able to carry the torch through it to get to where we’re at now.”

Eddie D’Avanzo, who pinned Dennis Argueta in 3:46 at 285 pounds, isn’t ready to leave the program, and while he has time left, senior night was a reminder his high school career is closing. He moved from Queens to Massapequa at a young age and has since adopted the school’s winning culture.

“Ever since I was a freshman or sophomore, I knew I couldn’t take time for granted,” D’Avanzo said. “Right now since I’m a senior, it’s surreal. It’s definitely like ‘Wow, I did so much here and I competed. I know the work I put in here means a lot.’”

When D’Avanzo graduates, he plans to take the Massapequa culture with him — something he’s proud to share — into collegiate sports.

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