McGrew wins sectional wrestling tuneup

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Palmer

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With the sectionals two weeks away, wrestlers throughout Section II are settling into their weight classes.

A lot of them got a final tournament prep at Saturday’s Big 10 Invitational, hosted by Albany High.

Two athletes expected to be among the large-school favorites at 215 hooked up in the final, as Zeal McGrew of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake beat Guilderland’s Devan VanAuken, 7-6, the second time in two meetings this season McGrew has scored a close win in their heard-to-head matchups.

Both McGrew, who came within a win of placing at the states at this weight last winter, and Van Auken have split their seasons competing at both 215 and 285. The latter weight class is occupied by returning state champ Ken Altarac of LaSalle.

“I like 215 better, no question,” said McGrew, one of four Burnt Hills finalists. “John [Acors] sometimes has trouble making 285, so we’ve wrestled both.

“But I’m giving up 70 pounds when I go 285. This is a more natural weight for me.”

Van Auken likely will also stay at 215 for the postseason.

“He says he’s more comfortable at 215,” said Guilderland coach Korey Rogotzke. “At 285, he said it was too much weight on his joints.

“At 215, he’s one big, powerful kid.”

While McGrew and Van Auken were looking to settle into a weight class this year, Brian Walsh was just looking to settle. After competing as a one-man team for Loudonville Christian School, Walsh is wrestling on the Watervliet varsity. He’s one of the top 135-pounders at the small school level.

Walsh still attends the private school, then goes to Watervliet to work with his teammates.

“It’s all been new, and it’s been great,” said Walsh, who fell to two-time state champ Paul Ligouri of team champion Wantagh (six individual winners) in Saturday’s final. “Just to be part of a team, to have regular workout partners, to wrestle in dual meets, it’s been a totally new experience.”

Walsh, who has placed in the sectionals, was looking to join a team where he wouldn’t be taking a spot away from a returning wrestler.

“I wanted something close to Loudonville, and a team that needed wrestlers.” said Walsh. “I ended up in a great situation, with great coaches and great practice partners.”

The Cannoneers had three of their four entrants reach the finals, as John Delaney lost in the 96 title bout, and Andrew Etman was second at 125 to Ravena’s Andy Lyman.

One wrestler who will be hard to dislodge from the top spot at 130 is returning Section II champ Matt Cubillos of Guilderland, who beat Huntington’s Omar Santiago, 9-3, to cap his day.

Fourth in the state at 125 last winter, the senior is breezing through his final year. He was pushed to the full six minutes in his semifinal and final, which wasn’t a bad thing.

“I don’t get a lot of six-minute matches, so it helps with conditioning,” said Cubillos, an “A” student who wants to attend an Ivy League college. “A lot of times at tournaments, there are only two good wrestlers in the weight class, and you don’t meet until the final.”

Cubillos was outstanding at the 2008 state tourney. After dropping a one-point decision in his opening match, he stormed through the wrestlebacks with four solid wins, one of against Fox Lane’s Joe Grippi, who had ended Ligouri’s run of two straight state titles with a first-round upset.

“I had wrestled enough to know I could compete with the best kids in the state, but states was a good experience. It was a confidence booster.”

Albany senior Stephon Flood also got a big shot of confidence, as he upset state-placer Brendan McKeown of Burnt Hills, 8-6, in the 145-pound semifinals before securing MOW honors with an 8-2 win over Johnstown’s Joey Morrison in the 145 final.

“Maybe now people won’t think of him as another of those athletic kids from Albany who never win,” said Falcons coach Nick Littieri. “He’s lost to two very good kids this year, but this is the best kid he’s beaten this year.”

Burnt Hills finished third behind Wantagh and Huntington, as Ethan Wilson pinned his way through the 160 brackets. Max Miller (112) and Acors also got to the finals.

Giuseppi Lanzi was Amsterdam’s lone champ, and 119-pounder Curt Thompson of Whitehall was the only one of four finalists from his team to win.

Corinth invitational

Mike Rubel of Corinth, the 160-pound champ, and Greg Mollnow of Cohoes, the 215-pound champ, were named the most outstanding wrestler and most outstanding senior, respectively, as the host Tomahawks had eight champs and took team honors.

Rubel handed Cohoes’ Dustin Hallock his second loss of the season in the final.

Corinth also had individual champs in Zach Marcel (96), Kyle Mulcahy (119), Tyler Nicholson (135), Adam Dayton (145), Cory Nicholson (152), Clint DuMoulin (171) and Zach Bourdeau (285). Paul Billings (130) and Tyler Giller (140) joined Mollnow as Cohoes champions, and Kody Shaw of Fonda-Fultonville won at 103.

NORTHEAST DUALS

Curt Rowley, Evan Borst and Nick Gwiazdowski all went 4-0 as Duanesburg finished third in this event in Springfield, Mass.

The Eagles tied Longmeadow (Mass.), 34-34, in the third-place match, but won on critertia.

BIG 10 INVITATIONAL

Team results — Wantagh 194.5, Huntington 179, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 163.5, Guilderland 139, Averill Park 124, Whitehall 122.5, Amsterdam 94.5, Johnstown 88.5, Albany 85.5, New Rochelle 84.5, Watervliet 73.5, Schenectady 70.5, Middletown 61.5, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 57, Bethlehem 56, Warrensburg 52, Niskayuna 41, Cobleskill-Richmondville 24, CBA 23.5, Albany Academy 4.

Championship finals

96 — Joe Barbato (Wan) dec. John Delaney (Wat), 18-5; 103 — Damon McQueen (Hunt) dec. Ty White (White), 12-0; 112 — Nigel McNeil (Hunt) dec. Max Miller (BH), 9-3; 119 — Curt Thompson (White) dec. Matt Jankowski (NR), 10-0; 125 — Andy Lyman (Rav) dec. Andrew Etman (Wat), 17-3;; 130 — Matt Cubillos (Guild) dec. Omar Santiago (Hunt), 9-3; 135 — Paul Ligouri (Wan) technical fall over Brian Walsh (Wat); 140 — Giuseppi Lanzi (Ams) pinned Austin Debell (John), 1:18; 145 — Stephon Flood (Alb) dec. Joey Morrison (John), 8-2; 152 — John Greishieimer (Wan) pinned Bryan Fain (Midd), :42; 160 — Ethan Wilson (BH) dec. Travis Beayon (White), 2:35; 171 — Joe Kavanagh (Hunt) dec. Zach Diekel (White), 11-1; 189 — Matt Loew (Wan) dec. Anthony Lupi (Hunt), 10-5; 215 — Zeal McGrew (BH) dec. Devan VanAuken (Guild), 7-6; 285 — Nate Brown (AP) pinned John Acors (BH), 2:50.

Consolation finals

96 — Cody Mosley (AP) forfeit over Shawn Bernman (Alb); 103 — Jeff King (AP) pinned Nick DiCaprio (Schen), 2:56; 112 — Hunter Jones (NR) dec. Joey Persico (Rav), 10-2; 119 — Kyle DiCaprio (Schen) forfeit over Travis Wolanski (Guild); 125 — Neil Robertson (Beth) forfeit over Colin Selin (Nisk); 130 — Nick Fitzmaurice (Wan) dec. Eric Ripley (White), 17-8; 135 — Matt Hart (Guild) dec. Josh Vics (Schen), 6-3; 140 — Marco Lagone (Hunt) dec, Anthony Bartilucci (Wan), 8-3; 145 — Brendan McKeown (BH) dec. Kevin Selin (Nisk), 8-0; 152 — Nate LaGoy (White) and Dylan Clarke (BH), no bout; 160 — Louis Puca (Hunt) dec. Eugene Sellie (Guild), 8-2; 171 — Ryan Fox (Hunt) dec. Dan McNamara (Ams), 8-3; 189 — Mike Matrazzo (BH) dec. Orlando Pacheco (Ams), 6-5; 215 — Logan Rock (Warr) dec. Tom Hall (Wan), 5-1; 285 — Tyreek Walrond (Midd) pinned Mike Depercin (Alb), :50.

CORINTH TOURNAMENT

Team results — Corinth 253.5, Catskill 145, Rensselaer 132, Queensbury 121, Fonda-Fultonville 117, Cohoes 106, Broadalbin-Perth 34, Waterford-Halfmoon 29, Taconic Hills 15.

Championship finals

96 — Zach Marcel (Cor) dec. Zak Shaw (FF), 5-4; 103 — Kody Shaw (FF) dec. Casey Jones (Q), 3-2; 112 — Tyler Pavlin (Cat) pinned Mike Guiffre (FF), 3:00; 119 — Kyle Mulcahy (Cor) pinned Mike Goffredo (Cat), 5:39; 125 — Paul Billings (Coh) dec. Chris Schnackenberg (FF), 6-3; 130 — Cole Alaxanian (Ren) pinned Dakota Soms (Cat), 4:53; 135 — Tyler Nicholson (Cor) pinned Frank Giles (Cat), :34; 140 — Tyler Giller (Coh) tech fall Sean Daly (Cat), 16-1; 145 — Adam Dayton (Cor) default T.J. Baldwin (Q), 5:05; 152 — Cory Nicholson (Cor) pinned Nick Vachon (Q), 1:32; 160 — Mike Rubel (Cor) dec. Dustin Hallock (Coh), 4-3; 171 — Clint DuMoulin (Cor) pinned Erik Franklin (FF), 5:12; 189 — Nate Butler (Ren) pinned Chris Sanson (Cat), 5:46; 215 — Greg Mollinow (Cor) pinned Jasheen Hamilton (Ren), 5:51; 285 — Zach Bourdeau (Cor) pinned Justin Murphy (Coh), 1:46.

Consolation finals

96 — Tyler Wood (Q) pinned Jared Rzeszoto (WH), :14; 103 — Adam White (Cat) pinned Jeremy Beithaupt (Ren), 1:19; 112 — Tom O’Connor (Q) default John McWhinnie (BP), 2:08; 119 — Antonio Russomano (Ren), advanced through bye; 125 — Seamus Cutler (Cor) pinned James Collins (WH), 3:24; 130 — Shaun Wroble (BP) dec. Steve Abare (Cor), 4-0; 135 — Evan Earle (Q) major dec. Tyrone Mungia (Ren), 13-2; 140 — Jeremy Ives (Cor) major dec. Scott Elliott (WH), 16-8; 145 — Brandon Ainsworth (BP) dec. James Komaromi (Cat), 5-2; 152 — Wally Kowalski (FF) pinned Jesse McClellan (Ren), 2:24; 160 — Brandon Breault (Q) pinned Joey Chiera (WH), 4:00; 171 — Jason Jenkins (Cat) pinned Chris Poole (Ren), 2:15; 189 — Justin Benjamin (Cor), pinned Harley Fountain (FF), 4:15; 215 — Mike Jenner (TH) dec. Nick Ecuyer (Cor), 5-3; 285 — Andrew Avery (Ren) pinned Dan Watkins (Q), :15.

NORTHEAST DUALS

Duanesburg 55, Cathedral 15

103 — Curt Rowley (D) technical fall over Elvis Tran; 112 — Alex Marcotte (C) by forfeit; 119 — Evan Borst (D) pinned Matt Begley. :58; 125 — Gus Clark (D) technical fall over Tim Le; 130 — Randy White (D) pinned Frank Bruton, :52; 135 — Tyler Waldron (D) by forfeit; 140 — Ryan Brown (D) pinned Eric Daveys, :28; 145 — Ben Lynch (D) dec. John Brodeur, 4-2; 152 — Mike DeMaio (C) dec.Nick Leveille, 15-8; 160 — John Ash (D) dec. Kyle Nedeau, 7-3; 171 — Jerry Mesick (D) by forfeit; 189 — Nick Gwiazdowski (D) pinned Ian Morgan, 1:33; 215 — Steve Karandy (D) dec. John Robinson, 10-5; 285 — Doug Vellaro (C) pinned Alex Brown, :37.

Duanesburg 43, Putnam 30

103 — Rowley (D) dec. Jutice Atkins, 6-4; 112 — Dexter Ansley (P) by forfeit; 119 — Borst (D) pinned Ben Ortiz, 1:42; 125 — Jamison Atkins (P) dec. Clark, 7-2; 130 — Anthony Medina (P) pinned White, 1:36; 135 — Waldron (D) pinned Daniel Gramarossa, 3:01; 140 — Jamie Melendez (P) pinned Lynch, :39; 145 — Brown (D) pinned Dan Mraz, 1:04; 152 — Jake Rolen (P) pinned Ashm 5:04; 160 — Leveillle (D) by forfeit; 171 — Panjuan Grant (P) pinned Mesick, 5:17; 189 — Gwiazdowski (D) dec. Ezeouil Nwafor, 10-2; 215 — Karandy (D) pinned Jose Ramirez, 1:44; 285 — Brown (D) pinned Jorge Diaz, 5:20.

Semifinal

Springfied Central 43, Duanesburg 15

103 — Rowley (D) dec. Edgar St. Pharo, 14-2; 112 — Double forfeit; 119 — Borst (D) dec. Robbie Flores, 10-1; 125 — George Wilson (S) dec. Clark, 16-5; 130 — White (D) dec. Jorge Cruz, 14-5; 135 — Mike Ernst (S) dec. Waldron, 6-2; 140 — Bennett Banks (S) dec. Brown, 11-5; 145 — Ruben Gonzalez (S) dec. Lynch, 6-4 (ot); 152 — Anthony Brooks (S) pinned Leveillle, 1:26; 160 — Manny Ocasio (S) pinned Ash, 3:42; 171 — Nate Collins (S) pinned Mesick, 1:12; 189 — Gwiazdowski (D) dec. Bobby Contant, 6-5; 215 — Alex Ocasio (S) pinned Karandy, 3:16; 285 — Josh Moore (S) by forfeit.

Third-place match

Duanesburg 34, Longmeadow 34

Duanesburg wins on criteria

103 — Rowley (D) dec. Glenn Michelman, 10-7; 112 — Mike LaDuc (L) by forfeit; 119 — Double forfeit; 125 — Borst (D) dec. Matt Shapiro, 14-1; 130 — White (D) pinned Will Nicholson, :38; 135 — Chris Deluca (L) pinned Waldron, 1:22; 140 — Lynch (D) dec. Connor Samuelson, 7-2; 145 — Glenn Asbar (L) pinned Brown, 3:20; 152 — Tom Caliento (L) dec. Ash, 14-1; 160 — Dmitriy Donskoy (L) pinned Leveille, 1:27; 171 — Dmitri Clark (L) pinned Mesick, 2:44; 189 — Nick Brosnan (L) by forfeit; 215 — Gwiazdowski (D) pinned Egan Kennedy, :10; 285 — Karandy (D) by forfeit.