Long Island wrestling teams come up short at state Division I dual meet
Commack's Marino Mancuso wrestles against Lancaster's Bryce Bolognese in the 152 pound weight class of the second round of the state wrestling dual meet championship. Credit: Heather Ainsworth/Heather Ainsworth
SYRACUSE — It’s not the finish any of Long Island’s Division I wrestling teams envisioned.
For Commack, MacArthur and Patchogue-Medford, the state Division I dual meet tournament was an opportunity lost but an experience to build a foundation for the future.
All three schools were eliminated before Saturday’s semifinal round of the state championships at the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse. MacArthur, coming off a fantastic run through the Nassau sectional tournament, including beating Massapequa, the state’s defending Division I champion, split its two duals in the round-robin format.
Commack, which qualified as the wild-card selection, drew top-seeded Minisink Valley (Hudson Valley-IX) but managed to split its two duals. Patchogue-Medford, Suffolk’s sectional champion, was shut out, losing to Horseheads (Binghamton-IV) and Fulton (Syracuse-III).
“It’s sobering in a lot of ways because I really thought we had a good workout on Friday night and got all the nerves out,” Patchogue-Medford coach Tom Anello said. “We were winning a few matches where we gave up the lead and got pinned. It’s a long ride home and we’re disappointed, but it doesn’t diminish what a great season we’ve had.”
The first time can be the worst time for schools that have never experienced the upstate drama and atmosphere. There’s the pressure of winning on the big stage and continuing the upward climb to state prominence.
“The state event gets too big for some teams especially after they get on the emotional high of winning the sectional tournament to qualify,” said Eduardo Ramirez, Baldwin’s director of athletics, who still serves on the state wrestling committee but stepped down as Nassau wrestling coordinator last year. “MacArthur was so awesome at the sectional level last week and here in Syracuse they came out flat with no energy. I’m not surprised because it’s hard to produce that energy in back-to-back weeks. And we had three teams that couldn’t replicate the success of last week.”
MacArthur coach Rob Paletta watched his team bounce back from a 49-18 loss to Fox Lane (Westchester-I) to post a thrilling 34-32 comeback win over Niagara-Wheatfield (Niagara-VI). But it wasn’t good enough to qualify for the semifinal round. Ben Velasquez recorded an 11-1 major decision over Casey Robinson at 195 pounds to give the Generals a 34-30 lead and proved to be the match winner. Sophomore James Clarkson lost a 4-1 decision to heavily-favored Louis Perreault to seal the win. Niagara lost a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct after Perrault’s win.
“We showed real character after a disappointing loss by coming back to beat Niagara,” Paletta said. “We lost a couple of bouts that could have gone our way. We’re a young team and we’ll learn from this and hopefully get another chance to come back up here to the state tournament.”
Commack (18-4) lost its first dual to Minisink Valley, 57-9. The Cougars came back for a 38-22 win over Lancaster.
“We had a tough draw with Minisink Valley, the one seed, and they don’t make mistakes,” Commack coach Mike Guercio said. “They won all the close bouts, which is why they’re number one. Some of our guys were awestruck by the atmosphere, the long bus ride and the hotel stay. But it’s going to help us to get ready for the league and the county tournaments. I’m real proud of the way they’ve pushed and battled through a tough schedule. What a great team experience.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
