Shoreham-Wading River gets four pins in row to top Glenn
Shoreham-Wading River's Tristian Petretti celebrates after pinning Glenn's Dylan Bulger in the 132-pound weight class during the Suffolk Division II wrestling dual meet championship on Saturday at Bay Shore. Credit: Bob Sorensen
For Shoreham-Wading River’s Tristan Petretti and the rest of his teammates in the middleweights there’s only one way to wrestle. Nothing short of the full six points for a pin is enough.
"We just have that mentality," Petretti said. "We’ve always had this thing with our middleweights and that was our strong point. Today it was like ‘pin, pin, pin, pin.’
That stretch of four straight pins began with Petretti at 132 pounds and was continued by Will Miller at 138, Joe Steimel at 145 and capped by Craig Jablonski at 152 as the Wildcats rode the wave of momentum to a 32-29 win in the Suffolk Division II dual meet wrestling championship Saturday at Bay Shore.
"We knew we needed all those bonus points and our coach brought us in the back and talked to us and told us we needed to perform our best and get pins," Petretti said.
The win was Shoreham-Wading River’s second consecutive Suffolk title and advances the Wildcats (10-4) to Saturday’s state dual meet tournament in Syracuse.
"It feels just as great as last year and this year I got to contribute with a win," Jablonski said. "I’m just proud of my team and the fact we were able to do it all over again."
Before the run of pins began, Glenn (10-5) had jumped out to a 12-8 lead behind wins from Melkin Chavez at 285, a pin by Karahn King at 110 and a decision win by Chris Boccard at 126.
"We definitely had to change the momentum and the middle of our lineup did that," Jablonski said. "We knew we had to get the gears going again to get the win. I know it had to be a pin or else I would be disappointed in my match."
After the consecutive pins put Shoreham-Wading River ahead the rest of the Wildcats were able to hold off Glenn from being able to secure the bonus points they would have needed to win the match.
"Certain wrestlers depending on their style and who their opponents are we tell them to be cautious and don’t open up because if you lose the six points in a dual meet it’s a big deal,"
After Anthony Giordano and Jack LaValle both wrestled their opponents to decision losses it was enough for the Wildcats to clinch the title.
"Those are guys who are coachable and they work hard," Condon said. "They are committed and did it for the team."
Gene Morris joined Newsday's sports department in September 2012 and covers high school sports. He earned a journalism degree from Stony Brook University in 2010.
