Long Island wrestlers have good shots to win state wrestling championships
Hauppauge's Danny Mauriello (blue) wrestles Longwood's Zach Soriano in the 170 pound weight class on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at the Suffolk HS Division I Wrestling individual semifinals at Suffolk Community College. Credit: George A. Faella
ALBANY— The state high school wrestling tournament will bring an opportunity of redemption for many of the Long Island qualifiers. A few near misses in 2019 and a few disappointing performances in previous years can all be washed away with a winning performance in the 2020 Division I and II state championships at The Times Union Center.
“Oh boy, we had some serious heartbreak last year at the state tournament,” Wantagh coach Paul Gillespie said. “And a lot of our guys have worked so hard to get back to the state tournament and get another shot. This is what it’s all about — winning the big one on the biggest stage. We have a solid sectional team and I would expect some of them will win state titles.”
Nassau, which hasn’t won a state team title since 1987, sends a strong sectional team to the 58th Annual Division I state tournament with nine returning place winners, though no defending champions.
MacArthur sophomore Killian Foy at 113 pounds, Wantagh senior Josiah Encarnacion at 120 and Freeport senior Myles Norris at 285 were all second in the state in 2019.
“I guess we all have something in common and we’re all back for another opportunity to win the state tournament,” said Encarnacion, who qualified for the tournament with an at- large entry.
Encarnacion, who will wrestle on scholarship at the University of Virginia, has a 43-2 record this season, but has had his share of disappointment in big matches. He lost a gut-wrenching 2-1 bout in two overtimes to Massapequa junior Chase Liardi in the Nassau finals at Farmingdale State on Feb. 16.
Josiah Encarnacion takes controls during his 120 pound match at the Nassau High School Division I wrestling individual semifinals on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at Farmingdale State. Credit: Dawn McCormick
“He’s an excellent wrestler and a tireless worker,” Gillespie said. “I’d love to see him get the big win. But his weight class could be the toughest in the tournament.”
There is little doubt that the mountain Encarnacion and Liardi must climb also includes four-time defending champion Greg Diakomihalis of Hilton, the top seed, who will come out of the top half of the bracket.
Encarnacion is the third seed in the tournament and Liardi is the No. 2 seed in the bottom half of the bracket. The two wrestlers would need to win two bouts each to set up a rematch of the sectional final in the state semifinal round on Saturday morning.
“There can be no mistakes in the tournament because there are no second chances,” said Encarnacion, who lost in the state final to Diakomihalis in 2019 at 113 pounds.
The Nassau sectional team also includes undefeated sophomore George Oroudjov of Syosset at 126 pounds. He’s 47-0 and placed fifth at the state tournament in 2019.
Wantagh senior Matt Rogers has placed twice in the state tournament and is seeded seventh at 182 pounds.
“He’s had a terrific season,” Gillespie said. “He can win a state title.”
The Suffolk Division I team has seven returning state place winners, including defending champion Danny Mauriello of Hauppauge at 170 pounds. Mauriello, who won the state title at 152, has battled through an array of football injuries to get back on the mat and won his third Suffolk crown at Suffolk CCC-Brentwood on Feb. 16.
Eastport-South Manor senior Zach Redding, who won a state crown in 2018, finished third last year and earned the top seed at 132 pounds this season. Redding, who accepted a scholarship to wrestle for Iowa State, is 46-0 this season.
Suffolk had won a state record 10 team titles in a row before Rochester took the D-I crown in 2019.
The Suffolk Division II team features undefeated and defending state champion Jordan Titus of Center Moriches. Titus is 35-0 and earned titles at two of the toughest tournaments in the country, winning the Eastern States at Sullivan CC and the Ironman Invitational in Ohio.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
