Luke Smith, Joe DiBartolo help give Hauppauge a big lead in Suffolk I wrestling finals
Hauppauge's Luke Smith (top) wrestles Smithtown West's Nick Germano in the 126 pound weight class on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at the Suffolk HS Wrestling individual quarterfinals at Sufflok Community College in Brentwood. Credit: George A. Faella
Let’s do it again.
Hauppauge’s 126-pound seniors Luke Smith and Joe DiBartolo are on a collision course for a rematch of their epic final in the Suffolk League V tournament.
DiBartolo persevered in that bout with a late takedown for an 8-6 win in sudden victory a week ago. That helped him earn the top seed at 126 pounds for the L. Robert Fallot Suffolk Division I championships at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood on Saturday. It is the 81st year of the tournament.
DiBartolo won his first two bouts by technical fall and Smith, unseeded in this sectional tournament, came through a tougher bracket with two pins to reach Sunday morning’s semifinal round.
They could meet in the 126-pound final on Sunday night at the Suffolk Federal Credit Union Arena on the campus of Suffolk CCC-Brentwood.
“It would be incredible to see them do it again,” Hauppauge coach Chris Messina said. “They’re both wrestling at such a high level.”
Smith has placed third in the state tournament the past two years and would like the opportunity to go back and win that elusive state crown. DiBartolo, who broke his ankle the day before Christmas in 2018, came back a month later and went up two weight classes to 132 pounds to capture the League V title. He finished fifth in Suffolk.
DiBartolo is not the only wrestler getting healthy for the Eagles. Defending state champion Danny Mauriello advanced at 170 pounds with an 18-second pin and a win by major decision. Top-seeded Mauriello was banged up during a grueling football season and only started wrestling a month ago.
“He’s doing great,” Messina said. “He broke his thumb and injured his leg in football and didn’t start wrestling until January. We couldn’t wait to get him healthy. He’s been lifting and getting in shape and looks good.”
Hauppauge, which won the Suffolk League V dual meet and tournament crowns, also are the defending Suffolk Division I champions. They were upended in the Suffolk Division I dual meet tournament in a heartbreaking 33-32 semifinal loss to Commack.
“We didn’t wrestle well at the duals,” said Messina, who has a Suffolk-record 510 dual-meet wins in 39 years. “We didn’t score the extra points that we needed. Brentwood, Patchogue-Medford and Commack are right there with us in duals. But we have seven or eight elite wrestlers and beyond them we didn’t do a good job in some other weight classes to win the duals. We’re proving that we’re a much better tournament team. But it’s still close enough that we need to wrestle well again on Sunday.”
Hauppauge moved seven wrestlers into the semifinal round. The Eagles have a commanding 26.5-point lead in the team standings over second-place Patchogue-Medford (99.5-73.0). Islip (71.5) was third, and Brentwood, Commack and Miller Place are tied for fourth with 71 points.
Hauppauge has won the Suffolk title three times in six years.
Eastport-South Manor’s Zach Redding recoded falls in 12 seconds and 2:14 to advance at 132 pounds. Redding won the state title in 2018 at 120 pounds and finished third at 126 in 2019.
Unseeded Evan Matias of Rocky Point beat second-seeded Thomas DiResta of Kings Park, 4-3, in an exciting quarterfinal bout. He’ll meet Smith in the semifinal round.
All seven of Suffolk’s defending county champions advanced through the first two rounds. None of the top seeds were beaten.
Wenchard Pierre-Louis of Brentwood was called for an illegal slam on Huntington’s Joe Nicotra in the quarterfinal round at 152 pounds. Nicotra suffered a head injury and according to Dr. Anthony Donatelli was placed the concussion protocol.
The medical personnel ruled Nicotra unable to continue. He was eliminated by medical forfeit, allowing Pierre-Louis to advance.
“He has a concussion,” Donatelli said. “He was placed in the concussion protocol. He cannot continue unless a doctor clears him. And I will not clear him.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
