Spanning the Empire (Week #1)

14th Annual Mark Stephens Classic (At Horseheads HS):

Anchored by their three returning state place-winners and four top-15 ranked individuals, the contingent from Canisteo-Greenwood posted a perfect 6-0 record in duals to come away with the team crown!

Their closest match being a 37-36 triumph in round #4 versus Middletown, key victories were delivered by Connor McCaffrey (DII #15 @108) and Austin Hall (DII #8 @131; 2023 NYS 8th) who each secured bonus points by way of a fall in 4:24 and an 8-0 major decision over Jared Lupian-Reyes (2023 S9 5th) and Jacob Roger (3x Sectional medalist)

McCaffrey, Hall, as well as Colton Havens (2x NY Medalist) all rose to the occasion one round earlier in another nailbiter, as they won by way of a 15-4 major decision, injury default in 3:17, and injury in 0:32 over the likes of Joel Scibek (2023 S4 Runner-up), Cody Dale (3x S4 medalist/2023 Sectional Champion), & Lucas Mosher (2x S4 placer/2023 runner-up) en route to a 39-36 dub over Horseheads!

McCaffrey and Dylan Depew-Cappadonia both went unblemished, with a minimum of five wins each!!


OTHER RESULTS OF NOTE (Involving Ranked personnel):
*108: Kelly Sullivan (Monroe-Woodbury) upended DII #2 @101 /Multiple-time Women's All-American, Teegan Sibble (Bolivar-Richburg), 9-6
*116: Connor McCaffrey (Canisteo-Greenwood) Teched DII #2 Sibble, 18-3
*138: Cody Dale (Horseheads) pinned DI #9/2x State Qualifier, Quentin Getzin (Ithaca), in 5:13
*138: DI #9 Quentin Getzin (Ithaca) dec. DII #8 Austin Hall, 4-1
*160: Connor Warrick (Horseheads B) pinned #8 ranked/3x State Qualifier, Gavin Bob (Canisteo-Greenwood), in a time of 0:39
*160: DI #5/3x S4 titlist Daniel Parker pinned Colton Havens (Bolivar-Richburg)
*170: DII #4 ranked/2023 DII State runner-up, Tavyn MacDonell (Bolivar-Richburg), won a 5-3 decision over #5 ranked/2023 State 5th, Beau Zeh (Canisteo-Greenwood)
*215 DI #4/2023 NYS State 6th, Bryson Tibbs (Middletown) dec. DII #7/2023 DII State 5th, Caden Allen (Bolivar-Richburg), 10-3

Team Standings:
1. Canisteo-Greenwood---8-0

2. Middletown--- 5-1-1

3. Horseheads--- 5-2

4. Monroe Woodbury--- 4-2-1

5. Horseheads "B"--- 3-4

6. Ithaca---2-5

7. Bolivar-Richburg---1-6

8. Sayre Area (PA)---0-7

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BRACKETS

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2023 Battle At the Beach (Long Beach):

Propelled by a trifecta of titlists, a runner-up, two bronze medalists, and several additional placers (4th-6th), the Warriors of Wantagh High School was able to cruise to the hardware, as they outpointed James Madison in the team standings by totals of 243.0 to 228.5!!!

Winning crowns for the Black & Gold juggernaut would be: 138-Joseph Clem (DI #2 ranked/2023 DI State runner-up), 160- Jesse Vanorden (#4 Ranked; 2023 NYS DI 3rd), and big man, Andrew Perez, who all recorded bonus points in their finales, with the former [Clem] sticking 2023 Section 9 champ, Richard Degon (Valley Central) in 0:45; Vanorden gluing 2023 CHSAA State 6th, Luke Chernaski (Kellenberg Memorial) at the 24-second mark; and Perez taking the walkover victory against Hewlett's Christopher Maiorano!

Defending and/or returning State Champions/Top-ranked Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez (Long Beach; #1 @116) & Luke Satriano (Valley Central; #1 @124) had no trouble holding serve up a weight class as the 2x State medalist/2022 DI Champ from Nassau [Sibomana-Rodriguez) completed a 3-0 tally this past Saturday when he stuck Rasul Kakhramonov (James Madison) 1:38 into the second period of their 124-pound title contest....Satriano, himself a two-time All-Stater/2023 titlist had to navigate a slightly more difficult path, but still managed to dominate his way to the gold, as he built a 9-0 lead before hearing the slap of the mat against current #15 @131/2x S8 medalist, Kirk Smith (Hewlett), in a time of 2:57...Satriano concluded the day with four falls and a 15-0 tech as a demonstration of what he has in store for those who step foot on the mat with him this season!

While the two aforementioned big names in the field were both victorious, there would be a few marquee upsets in the finals, as it was EJ Vass (DI #11 @101 for Valley Central), Eric Gendlin (DI #15 @145 for Hewlett), and Jared Marine (#11 @170 for Oceanside) all knocking off higher touted foes in their finals bouts at 108, 145, and 190....

Vass, the 2023 S9 4th place performer/2023 NHSCA MS All-American utilized one takedown apiece in each of the first two periods to come away with a 5-2 decision over 2023 NYS DI 7th/DI #4 @101, Ethan Andruela (Long Beach)....The decision in the finals was the lone occasion in which the youth phenom was forced to go the distance as he had falls in the round of 16 and semis, sandwiched around a 15-0 TF in the quarterfinals!

Gendlin, who has twice placed in the S8 Championships, blew open a 4-3 bout when he struck for a takedown + near-fall in the last 90 seconds of the 3rd period to increase the lead to 9-3 before hanging on for a 9-5 decision against #3@138/returning DI State 4th, Amir Avazov (James Madison)!

Marine, who took 4th at the Nassau Championships in 2023, converted takedowns in the 1st and 2nd periods to record the 4-1 decision versus DI Sixth-ranked 190-pounder/2023 State 8th, Aidan Gubarev (James Madison)!
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The remaining titlists were: Casey Powers (101; Long Beach), Jake Strianese (116; Oceanside), Maxim Belousov (152; James Madison), Jonathan Hoffman (170; Kellenberg Memorial), and Ben Rivezzo (215; Oceanside)...

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BRACKETS

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2023 Matthew Marino Wrestling Tournament (Webster Schroeder HS):

With a plethora of ranked individuals condensed into a few weight classes, the festivities at the Marino lent themselves to some meat-grinder and/or gauntlet-like brackets where Steel conquered fellow steel....

160 pounds being the prime example of this, after each bonus pointed their way through pool-play and then a cross semifinal, it was an inevitable collision course between Defending NYS DI Champion/#2 ranked, Cam Catrabone (Williamsville North), & DII #1/returning NYS DII Bronze medalist, Tavian Camper (Copenhagen), with the Nationally ranked/2023 Super 32 runner-up/future second-generation superstar at the University of Michigan [Catrabone], using a TD and three separate sets of swipes for the full allotment to jump out to an 11-0 advantage at the end of the 1st period before adding another TD + turn in the 2nd to amass a 15-0 TF!....Earlier in the today, Catrabone also banked a 1:12 fall over 2x S6 medalist, Brady Wilkinson (Iroquois)!

Catrabone was the second of a pair of 2023 Gold Medalists in Albany that was successful in getting their repeat bid off to the ideal start, as it was University of Virginia commit/#1 ranked Chase Nevills, striking for six takedowns and a 3pt NF to run away with the 131-pound title via a 15-4 major decision versus DI #3/2023 NYS DI 5th, Nik Massaro (St. Joe's Collegiate)!!...The convincingly triumph over the Marauder being the only time he was forced to go the distance, Nevills also had a nice win in the crossover semis, sticking 2023 S5 4th, Joseph Trieste (Spencerport) in 2:45!

"Wood Squared" were the catalysts towards vaulting Brockport to the team title (258.0 to 247.0 over Niagara Wheatfield), as Richard Wood (DI #4/2023 NYS 7th) & William Wood (#13/2x S5 placer) took home the brass rings at 124 and 138 pounds respectively....

Richard picked up one of the finest dubs of his scholastic career when he established a 5-0 lead before ultimately sticking DI #3 @116/2023 NYS DI 5th, Austin Zimmerman (St. Joe's Collegiate) with just :03 remaining in the 3rd period of their finals match-up....In the semis, pinned returning Section 6 bronze medalist, Muntatha Abbas (Niagara Wheatfield), in 3:19!

William made the most of back-to-back mat slaps in the championship bracket portion of the weekend when he needed just 2:35 and 3:41 to put away Greece's Daniel O'Dea (2023 S5 6th) and St. Joe's Collegiate's Sean Gordon (2023 CHSAA State Bronze) in the semifinals and finals rounds!

At 215 pounds, it was DII #3, Trevor Barry (2x NYS medalist; 3rd in 2023), getting the better end of his clash with #8 Matt Trim (2023 NYS DII 8th) when a takedown in the final :45 seconds of the 1st period would be enough for him to claim the 2-1 decision in the war or returning state medalists...Trim was one of two ranked foes that felt the wrath of Barry, as Union-Endicott's DI #11 Jaylon Yearwood (2023 Section 4 champ), was pinned in 1:34 of the crossover quarterfinals...For good measure, Barry also had a 1:22 fall versus 2023 S6 6th, John Fike (Niagara Wheatfield)!

Pulling off slight "upset specials" at 116 and 145 were Jackson Harrison (Webster Schroeder) & Jayson Kline (St. Joe's Collegiate)....

Harrison, the 2023 Section 5 3rd place performer, overcame an initial 2-0 deficit to score 10 unanswered points to record the 10-2 major decison over 2x defending S6 titlist/DI #12 ranked, Eian Peterson (Niagara Wheatfield), in the finale!!...He'd close out pool-play with a 1:12 pin of 2023 S6 5th, Nick Rodriguez (Williamsville North); and pinned S5 5th, Joseph Molica (Greece), in the crossover semis!

Kline, the Catholic State 3rd from last season, has seemingly jumped levels from one year to the next, as he pinned 2023 NYS DI Qualifier/2023 S6 runner-up, Chase Richards (Niagara Wheatfield) in a time of 2:49 in the crossover semis before following it up by converting a TD in the last :15 of the 3rd period to turn a 3-2 hole into a 4-3 victory in the finals over DI 10th-ranked/2x S5 bridesmaid, Dino Battisti (Brockport)!

DI #4 Big Daddy, Qymani Viera-Powell, wasted little time in setting the tone for the kind of standard he is going uphold, as the 2x Section 4 finalist/2023 Champion for Union-Endicott came out of the gate on fire, pinning fellow top-15, Zaid El Nasser (2023 S6 3rd for Williamsville North), in under 1:00 (0:53) of their pool-play opening-round match....He later pinned El Nasser's teammate, 2023 S6 Bronze Medalist, Max Smith, in an identical time (0:53), to close out his title-yielding display!

Joining the party as champions would be: 101- Tanner Catrabone (Williamsville North); 108- Juan Eckebrecht (Webster Schroeder), 152- Te'Shaun Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield), 170- David Santoli (Webster Schoeder), and 190- Reid Johnson (Greece)!!

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BRACKETS

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2023 Bill Andersen Memorial (North Syracuse Jr. HS):

Getting the action rolling in S3 was the Annual Andersen Memorial, which welcomed in a deep field where the talent was evenly distributed throughout multiple weight classes...

A top-15 ranked wrestler claiming hardware in the majority of the weight classes, there would be some epic battles at 101, 116, 124, 152, 170, and 215!!!

At the lightest of the 13 weight classes, it was 2023 Section III silver medalist, Brady Maneri (Auburn) putting on a clinic from his feet, converting seven takedowns and adding two sets of swipes to run away with a 21-4 technical fall over returning Section 5 5th, Bennett Palmeri (Fairport), in a clash of the #5 and #8 ranked competitors among the Large School ranks!!...

116 saw a bit of a slight upset on paper, as it was NYWN's DII #8 at 108 pounds/2023 NYSPHSAA State Qualifier, Dylan Newman (Falconer-Cassadaga Valley) requiring just 43 ticks before he was able to pin the fifth-ranked 116-pounder in DII, Evan Sheils (Lansing)....

Christopher Noto lived up to the impeccable family reputation at 124 pounds, as the 2x NYS DII State medalist/DII #3 for the HFL Cougars pinned his
way through the bracket, with the final touches coming in the form of a fall in 3:10 (up 7-0) versus 2023 NYS Qualifier/current DI #5, Trey LeChase (Fairport)...

The more significant of his two signature wins actually occurring in the semifinals, 152-pound titlist, DII #10 Matt Verri (Little Falls) used a 3rd periods reversal and rideout in the 3rd period to upend 2nd ranked/2023 S5 Champion, Waylan Winseman, to steal a 2-1 decision....In the finals, he'd take home the hardware via injury default over 2x NYS Qualifier/current DII #8, Owen Emmick (Lansing)!!

2022 S3 gold medalist, Mason Rowley, certainly had himself a day, as he was the man at the center of perhaps the biggest win of the tournament when he converted a takedown in the last :40 of the 3rd period to snap a 2-2 tie and send himself onto a 4-3 triumph at 170 pounds over DI #3/2023 NYS DI 5th, Johnathan Clohency (Fulton)...In his previous two appearances (quarters and semis), the Little Falls' senior [Rowley] upended 2022 NYS Qualifier/DII #6 Kayleb Martin (Sackets Harbor) & 2x NYS Qualifier/DI #13 Maxx Fesinger (West Genesee) by injury default and 5-1 decision!!

2x S3 placer/DI #10 Kamdin Bembry (Cicero-North Syracuse) certainly got the home crowd up on their feet when he lowered the boom at 215, beating the buzzer to pin 2022 NYS DII State 4th/Current #6 ranked, Dominick Weaver (Windsor), at the 1:58 mark!!

Ripping the class slipper off the foot of a Cinderella story at 131 was 2x Section 3 titlist/DI #4 ranked, Tomah Gummow (Indian River), who struck for six TDs during the final 4:00 to deny 2x S3 runner-up, Mike Boyhan (Auburn), the crown via a 15-5 major decision...While Boyhan did not come in ranked, Gummow did notch a pair of top-15 wins along the away, defeating 2x S5 bronze medalist/DI #11 ranked Phillip Provenzano (Fairport), 3-1 in quarters, complemented by a 16-8 major in the semis against returning DII State 7th/current #9 ranked, Kolton Kelley (Camden)....Boyhan reached the 'ship when he shocked 2022 NYS DII runner-up/7th ranked Andrew Spaulding (HFL), 8-4, in the top-half semis!

Rounding out our collection of kings were: 108- DI #8 Kymah Gummow, 138-Logan Willis (West Genesee), 145- DII #6 Jacob McVige (HFL), 160- Brady Lynch (Indian River), 190- DII #4 Mason McCombs (Windsor), & 285- DI #5 Jackson Schwab (Fayetteville-Manlius)!

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BRACKETS

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2023 Gray/Fitzgerald Holiday Tournament (Sayville):

With a pair of #1 overall ranked wrestlers competing on the campus of Sayville HS to begin their 2023-2024 campaign, we were being strict attention to the small, but competitive event out in Suffolk County!!

Successfully holding serve and living up to their respective top billings at 124 and 152 pounds were Finnegan O'Brien (Locust Valley) & Jason Kwaak (Brentwood)....

O'Brien, who had his season cut short last year, is back on a mission, demonstrating why NYWN hails him as our top overall prospect in the 2028 class by way of three 1st period pins, followed up by a 15-0 TF in the finals overs ESM's Elijah Mayers....

Kwaak, the 2x NYS placer who himself battled injury at the end of his sophomore campaign, came out of the gates strong in his 11th grade debut, as the 2023 Fargo 16U FS All-American/nationally ranked standout barely broke a sweat this past weekend, going a perfect 4-for-4 in securing slaps of the mat to claim the prize....His longest match of the day lasting just 0:51 (finals), he'd stick teammate, John De La Rosa, to put the exclamation on a great opening weekend....

The 116 and 145-pound title bouts also proved quite intriguing as DI #6 Jason Euceda (Brentwood) and DI #13 Anthony Avitabile conquered quality opponents to get their seasons off on the proper footing...

The former [Euceda] displaying the skillset that has made him a 2x NYS Qualifier and the defending Suffolk County Champion, stringing together a takedown hat trick (two in the 1st period) to come away with a 7-2 decision versus 2023 S11 4th, Julian Medina (Connetquot)....However, it was his semifinal win that really caught our attention as he'd claw his way to the hard fought 6-5 decision over youth phenom/DI #10, Matty McDermott (Smithtown East), in what is sure to be round #1 of a fierce rivalry!

Avitabile, who punched his ticket to Albany for the first time in his scholastic career last season via a 3rd place showing at the Suffolk Championships, recorded the caliber of victory he will need to repeat in the feat, as he stuck fellow '23 State Qualifier/Suffolk Bronze Medalist, DI #8 Leo Mongiello (Sayville), in a time of 1:08...The win should constitute a considerable boost in the polls!

285 proved to be a clash of titans as it was East Meadows Joseph Arbitello (DI #8/2023 S8 runner-up) emerging as the last man standing in bracket of three top-12 ranked competitors when he earned an E1 with :21 remaining in UTB to pick up the 3-2 decision over DI #13/2023 Suffolk County 6th, Matt Pompeii....Pompeii reached the ship behind a 3-1 decision against DII #8/Defend S8 titlist, Charles Kelly (Locust Valley)!

Top-10ers---DI #7 Matthew Rodriguez (170; East Meadow) & DI #9 Chris Ayala (215; Brentwood) also took care of business, combining for five falls and a TF to each ascend to the top step of the podium...

Rodriguez, a sectional silver medalist/NYS Qualifier for the Jets as a junior in 2022-2023, glued his opposition from East Islip, Christopher Coleman 1:13 into the 2nd period; while Ayala (2023 S11 5th) logged his shortest outing of the day in the finals, sticking Sayville's Carter White in 58 ticks!!

Rounding out the champ parade were the following: 101- Rocco DeStefano (East Islip), 108-Joey Kokolakis (Connetquot), 131- Matthew Motamedian (East Meadow), 138- Tyler Visciano (Smithtown East), 160- Jaden Raynor (ESM), and 190- Nicholas Groneman (East Islip)!!

Among that final group of champs, it was Visciano posting the most significant victory, as the 2023 S11 5th pinned 2023 NYS DII Qualifier/Nassau Runner-up, Liam Dvorak (Locust Valley) in 95 seconds!

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BRACKETS‍

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2023 VinLouie's Pizzeria Duals (St. Francis HS):

Taking the short trip (no more than 45 minutes) from Rochester into Buffalo, the Blue Devils of Attica-Batavia came, saw, and conquered all nemesis en route to amassing an unblemished 8-0 record to seize the title on the Red Raider campus!!

Enjoying an average triumph of 58-14, it would be their hosts from St. Francis that managed to pose the greatest challenge, but even that match-up proved to be a 25pt differential as Attica-Batavia wrestlers got their arms raised in 9 of 13 individual bouts to post the 48-23 victory...

The Big boys (215 & 285) being the ones to register key wins, it was DII #5/2023 S5 4th, Tymothey Murrell, etched out a 10-8 decision at 215 pounds over DI #5/NHSCA All-American, Zachary Caldwell....Tyler Baetzold also got the better end of a squeaker, as his takedown in SV propelled him to a 7-5 decision over 2023 CHSAA State 5th, Jack Coughlin, at 285!!

Five members of the Blue Devil contingent posted immaculate resumes as soloists, as 131- Wyatt Bryman (2x S5 placer), 138- Luke Gutman, 152- DII #1 Casper Stewart (3x NYS medalist/3x Fargo AA), 190- Dom Darch, and 285- Baetzold all finished with zeros in the loss column (minimum of 7 appearances)...

Mark Cook (7-1 at 101), Blake Donohue (6-1 at 108), Preston Bannister (7-1 at 116), Andrew Childs (7-1 at 160), and 215- Murrell (7-1 at 215) all were outstanding in their own, just missing unbeaten status!!

In addition to Stewart, seven other top-15 ranked studs survived the day unscathed as DII #5 @108, Jakob Lucinski and DII #1 #138, Aidan Gillings both went 8-0 on behalf of Newfane.....The transfer trio of DI #4 at 108, Culled Edwards; DI #3 @160, Griff LaPlante, and DI #1 @170, Gage LaPlante, all posted identical 8-0 sheets for the host school....DI #3 @215, Jack MacDonald, checked off the box for Orchard Park!

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OTHER RESULTS OF NOTE (Involving Ranked personnel):
*152: Rory White (2022 CHSAA State 6th) won by injury default over DII #7/2x NYS medalist, Ayden Buttery (Newfane)
*215: DI #3 Jack MacDonald (2023 NYS 7th for Orchard Park) pinned DII #5 Tymothey Murrell in 1:08

Team Standings:
1. Attica/Batavia---8-0

2. St. Francis--- 7-1

3. Niagara Falls--- 6-2

4. Orchard Park--- 5-3

4. Newfane--- 5-3

6. Hamburg---4-4

7. Fredonia---2-6

8. Gowanda---2-6

9. St. Mary’s---1-7

10. Salamanca---0-8

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BRACKETS

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2023 Clyde Cole Invitational (At Oxford)

The 2023 edition of the Cole bore witness to some under the radar gentlemen making serious claims as to why they belong in the NYWN top-15 as nine of 13 gold medal recipients entered this past weekend without a number adjourning their names....

However, the biggest story of the tourney would probably occur among the big boys as DII #1 ranked 285-pounder/2023 NYPHSAA DII State Qualifier, Landon Andrade (Sherburne-Earlville) was soundly defeated, 8-1, in the finale by Carthage #9-ranked large schooler, Kamdyn Dorchester, in a battle of 2023 S3 Bronze medalists...At thissame event in 2022-2023, it was Andrade winniing by fall in the finals....In the semis, Dorchester also logged a stick in 3:35 over returning S4 medalist (6th), Braden Reid (Norwich)!

While Andrade was unable to defend his top-billing, nothing could stand in the way of two additional top-2s/returning and/former state finalists in the persons of Darren Florance & Ryan Ferrara!!!

Florance, the 2x defending DII State Champion with the #1 next to his name at 116 pounds was the final man standing in what was arguably the deepest bracket, as he'd upend not one, but TWO fellow state medalists to hoist hardware.....Squaring off in the semis in what on paper could materialize into a preview of February's Saturday Night Main Event (state finals), Florance would be able to double-up young stud/2023 NYS DII 8th/DII #2 ranked, Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley), 6-3....As an encore, he slayed another top-3 foe, beating DII #3 @108/returning State Bronze medalist, Maverick Beckwith (Norwich), 9-4!!....At the earlier stages of the day, the "Gorilla Grappler" padded his resume with a 17-2 TF over 2023 S3 6th, Ayden Downing (Carthage)!....Florance has now won this tournament on FOUR different occasions!

Ferrara, a 2x NYS DI medalist/2022 State runner-up, moved up from the 124-pound weight class (currently #2 ranked) to blitz his way through the 131-pound bracket, racking up three techs to reach the finale before then sticking 2023 NYS DI Qualifier/S3 runner-up, Landon Copley (Carthage) 1:23 into the 2nd period....

2023 State Qualifier/S2 runner-up, DI #11 Lucas Schell (Queensbury) was the last our our ranked quartet to deliver the brass ring, as he'd amass bonus points in all three of his outings, highlighted by a fall with :34 remaining in the 3rd of his finals win over Shenendehowa's Ethan Yang ....

The block ranging from 138-152 saw hidden gems all topple ranked opponents in their respective title matches, as it was Carthage teammates Shay Sinitiere & Logan Munn going back-to-back before William Ackley got Johnson City on the title scoreboard!!

Sinitiere, the 2x defending Section 3 King who is looking to make all the pieces fit in his swan song, is off to a promising start, as he'd take out DI #12/2x S2 Bronze medalist, Greg Green (Shenendehowa), via a 5-3 decision!

On match later, Munn, the 2023 Sectional runner-up caught an even bigger fish, when he emerged as a 10-5 victor over DI #5 (@138)/2023 S2 silver medalist, David Ensminger (Shenendehowa)...Munn reached the money match behind earlier wins over blue chip/nationally recognized female, Selina Moore (Sherburne-Earlville) and returning S4 runner-up, Donny Winslow (Vestal), prevailing by fall in each at times of 2:38 and 2:44!

Ackley, twice a sectional bronze medalist for JC, was utterly dominant, as the top seed at 152, as he capped off his title-winning day by pinning DI #15 Joey Losee (Shenendehowa) in the last seven seconds of regulation (5:53) to close out a day in which he was menacing (2 pins, 2 techs)....

After finishing 6th at the Section 2 Championships as a junior, Benjamin Killingsworth (Queensbury) is off to a promising start to senior year, as the last of his four pins over the weekend at 215 came at the expense of DI #12 (@190) Alex Salsbury (Averill Park) in a time of 5:49....In the semis, Killingsworth also banked a pin at the 3:19 mark over 2023 S4 6th, Mike Moppert (Chenango Forks)!

170-pound champ, Braden McMahon (Vestal), joined Florance, Ferrara, and Schell as repeat winners when he recorded a 9-3 decision over Queensbury's Dylan Smith in the finals...

Completing our array of 2023 Cole champs were---Dylan Green (101; Shenendehowa), Aiden Branigan (108; Walton-Delaware Academy), Justin Somers (124; Walton-Delaware Academy), and John Johnston (190; SVEC)!!!

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BRACKETS‍

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2023 Horace Greeley Duals

Fresh off of winning the program's first ever CHSAA State Team title last season, the Gaels of Iona Prep are demonstrating that "next man" up philosophy as the graduation of a few NYSPHSAA State medalists [Max Watson & Sean Degl] and the transfer of another [Gabe Garibaldi] does not appear to be hindering them in the least at the onset of the new year....

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Compiling a 4-0 record (average margin of 54-18), the Maroon & Gold cohort was spearheaded by eight individuals who all finished the event unblemished (minimum of 3 outings), including a trio of top-15 ranked standouts---DI #7 (138) Justin Shay (2023 NYS DI Bronze Medalist); DI #8 (160) Eric "Diesel" Grant; and DI #5 (170) Paolo Ciatto (2023 NYS DI 8th)!!

Their shining moment coming when they got their arms raised in 11 of 13 bouts as part of a 65-12 triumph in the finals over Uniondale, of prominence during the championship were the performances of Rocco LaMotta and Shay, who knocked off two of Knights' toughest customers at 116 and 145 pounds, with the former pinning r Joshua Pierre-Paul in a time of 5:10, while the latter needed just 4:00 to secure a 16-0 TF against Brandon Juncal!!!

The more formidable challenge coming one round earlier in the semifinals, IP boasted an 8-5 edge in individual bouts to come away with a 46-27 dub over John John-East Fishkill...Shay pinned returning S1 bronze medalist, Kevin Murphy, in a time of 3:49!

Also finishing unbeaten in three or more bout was for the New Rochelle based school was LaMotta (108/116), Vincent Tripaldi (131; 2023 CT State runner-up), Jude Bellantoni (138), George Johnson (152), and Carlos Malespin (285)!

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LaMottta's signature win came in round 2 when he pinned 2023 S1 4th, Kieran DePrima (Putnam Valley) in 1:31.....During this same dual, Tripaldi, Bellantoni, and Malespin also notched marquee wins, as the transfer from New Fairfield [Tripaldi] pitched a 15-0 TF shutout over returning S1 4th, Nick Paonessa, while the 2023 CHSAA State 4th [Bellantoni] won an 8-6 decision over DII #11 ranked/2023 DII State 8th, Esuar Ordonez...Malespin needed just 54 seconds to deck DII #13/2023 S1 runner-up, Jaden Tesher!

Grant won a clash of 2023 sectional champs in round #1 when he posted a 5-2 decision over Cameron Wierl (John Jay Sr -Cross River)!

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Non-Gael State-Ranked Dillon Arrick (DI #2 at 131) & Leo Tansey (DII #9 @145) finished 4-0 for Arlington and The Collegiate School respectively...

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Team Standings:

1. Iona Prep

2. Uniondale

3. John Jay-East Fishkill

4. North Rockland

5. John Jay-Cross Rive

6. Horace Greeley

7. Arlington

8. Cornwall

9. Edgemont

10. Collegiate School

11. Putnam Valley

12. Carmel