Long Beach boys wrestling coach Ray Adams to play role of father, mentor at state championships
From left: Long Beach boys wrestling coach Ray Adams and Long Beach wrestler Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez; Adams' daughter, Reese, is a wrestler for the Calhoun girls team. Credit: Thomas A. Ferrara; Sam Johnston
Ray Adams said he’ll try and not allow his emotions to get the most of him this weekend. He’s not making any promises.
The 56-year-old Long Beach wrestling coach will face his most difficult test as he wears two hats at the state wrestling championships at the MVP Arena in Albany.
One as a father and the other as the Long Beach boys head coach.
Adams will wear the hat of proud dad when his daughter, Reese Adams, a senior at Calhoun, competes in the 126-pound weight class in the second annual girls state wrestling tournament on Thursday.
“It’s very personal this weekend, very emotional,” Adams said. “My daughter missed her entire junior season of wrestling after a complete tear of her ACL during a practice. She has shown such grit and perseverance to come back and wrestle in her senior season.”
Adams pinned defending county champion Olivia Rausenberger of MacArthur in 1:52 for the Nassau sectional title at 126 pounds. She was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
“When my daughter wrestles, I approach it from the perspective of a proud dad,” Adams said. “Her coaches are great and I trust them 100%. I’ll sit and watch and cheer and win or lose I’ll tell her I love her.”
On Friday and Saturday, in the 63rd edition of the boys state tournament, Adams will be in the coaching corner guiding his three qualifiers, including two-time Division I state champion Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez (42-3) at 118 pounds. It’s the final stop on a miraculous journey for the 18-year-old Sibomana-Rodriguez, who has defied the odds to climb to the upper echelon of the wrestling world.
“His journey has been special,” Adams said. “I was blessed when he walked into our wrestling room. He has taught me about having strength and toughness and being resilient. He’s a survivor. He enjoys life. He’s the type of person to make a difference in this world. Wrestling will give him the platform to help others.”
Sibomana-Rodriguez survived a horrific chimpanzee attack in Virunga National Park in his native Congo when he was six years old. Two playmates were killed in the attack and Sibomana-Rodriguez suffered traumatic injuries to his face and right ear, and had the middle finger on his left hand completely bitten off.
At eight years old, he came to the United States for rare reconstructive facial surgery at the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. He has endured 19 surgeries to date.
“His is the epitome of courage,” Adams said. “He inspires our students at school and our community. He’s a rock star.”
The final state tournament in his high school journey will not be easy. The 118-pound weight class is loaded with talent, including Manhasset senior Will Russell (41-6), whom Sibomana-Rodriguez beat, 1-0, for his fifth Nassau title earlier this month. His first win at the state tournament will be the 200th of his career.
“If he brings his 'A' game, he has a chance to do it,” Adams said. “The pressure will be unbelievable.”
One wrestler inspired by Sibomana-Rodriguez is Adams’ daughter.
“Dunia is one of my best friends,” said Reese Adams, who will wrestle at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania next school year. “His life story is an inspiration – look what he went through. When my therapy got hard, I thought about Dunia for motivation. I also remember that awful, empty feeling when the bus left for the state tournament last year and I watched them go. It was heartbreaking and I cried. It was emotional and drove me hard in physical therapy. I never skipped. And every session was one step closer to achieving my goal.”
Notes from the mat
Perhaps the toughest weight class in the tournament comes at 110 pounds. Freshman Jon Tutku (34-2) of Massapequa won the 101-pound Division I state title as an eighth grader. He’s moved up in weight and will battle for the 110-pound crown out of the third seed. Tutku has a loaded weight class, including Suffolk champion Xavier Seabury (43-1), the top seed out of North Babylon. Long Beach sophomore Ethan Andreula (25-2) is the fourth seed and defending state champion Will Soto (42-1) of Newburgh Free Academy is the second seed . . . Camryn Howard (44-0) of Bellport and Tommy Vecchio (44-0) of Sachem North are the only undefeated wrestlers from Long Island. Howard, a four-time Suffolk winner, is the top seed in Division I at 157 pounds and Vecchio is the No. 16 seed at 175 pounds . . . Plainedge senior Devin Downes (39-4) won the state title in Division II in 2025. This year he’s the top seed in Division I . . . Shoreham-Wading River junior Gavin Mangano (43-3) is looking for his third straight Division II crown. He is the top seed.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
