As we always tend to do at this time of year, as soon as one season ends, we find ourselves immediately looking towards next season. Last year, I picked who I thought the top five teams would be for 2011-12 right after the season ended, and correctly named four of… Read More →
There were so many emotions running through Somers junior Dylan Realbuto in the moments after he won his first ever state title on Saturday that it’s difficult to pinpoint one over the other. His reaction was the polar opposite of his brother Brian’s, who admitted afterwards that he was more… Read More →
It’s been a long day, and I have a lot more uploading to do, but what a finish for Somers junior Dylan Realbuto. He and his brother Brian were the only two state champs from Section 1, and D-Real won his title with the most thrilling finish I’ve ever seen…. Read More →
We’re about an hour away from the finals here at the Times Union Center, so here’s what you need to know about what’s happened so far today. We have five Section 1 wrestlers who advanced to the finals – four in D1, and one in D2. Somers junior Dylan Realbuto… Read More →
Division 1 Fifth place 99 – Bryan Lantry (Wayne) pin Barbaria (New Rochelle). 132 – Danny Ventura (Fox Lane) dec. Nick Cegelski (Penfield), 3-1. 145 – Dale White (John Jay-EF) dec. Anthony Pistone (Sachem East), 8-7. 160 – Matt Pasqualini (Fox Lane) dec. Zak Mullen (Shoreham Wading River). 220 –... Read More →
Division 1 99 – Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks) pin Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle), 4:58. 113 – Dylan Realbuto (Somers) dec. Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam), 4-3. 126 – Sam Speno (Fox Lane) maj. dec. Alec Dierna (Webster Schroeder), 8-0. 145 – Corey Rasheed (Longwood) dec. Mike Caputo (North Rockland), 5-3. 152 –... Read More →
After one crazy day of wrestling, only seven Section 1 competitors remain standing. In Division 1, that would be New Rochelle sophomore Nick Barbaria (99), Somers junior Dylan Realbuto (113), Fox Lane senior Sam Speno (126), North Rockland senior Mike Caputo (145), Somers senior Brian Realbuto (152), and Scarsdale senior… Read More →
Division 1 99 – Barbaria (New Rochelle) dec. Bryan Lantry (Wayne), 2-1. 113 – Realbuto (Somers) dec. Jake Green (Chenango Forks), 6-4; Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam) dec. Delacruz (Ossining), 5-2. 126 – Speno (Fox Lane) tech. fall Isaiah Perry (Massena), 19-4. 132 – Dylan Cohen (Williamsville East) dec. Ventura (Fox Lane),... Read More →
Division 1 99 – Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle) dec. Joe Calderone (Walt Whitman), 6-3. 106 – Freddy Dunau (St. Anthony’s) pin Mike Parise (Brewster), 5:45. 113 – Alex Delacruz (Ossining) dec. Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa), 4-1; Dylan Realbuto (Somers) maj. dec. Thomas Hill (Fulton), 9-0. 120 – Steve Michel (Lancaster) dec…. Read More →
I had my first opportunity to cover the wrestling state championships last season, and one of the things that really struck me was the way that all of the Section 1 athletes pulled for each other. For just about every match featuring a Section 1 wrestler, a crowd of others… Read More →
After coming on strong last season, Dom DeVita elevated himself into one of the top wrestlers in state in his weight class. His rival all season was New Rochelle’s Tyler Lilly, who he beat twice by one point, including in the section finals. DeVita has a non-stop motor, and often… Read More →
We’re less than 24 hours away from the start of the 2012 NYSPHSAA wrestling state championships, which will be held at the Times Union Center in Albany. I’ll be making my way up there tomorrow morning, and covering all of the action throughout the weekend. Wrestling is set to begin… Read More →
After losing to eventual state champ Ryan Osleeb in last season’s section finals, Brett Pastore was able to get it done this year. Pastore only suffered five losses all season, and pinned his opponents in well over half of his wins. His most recent pin of Edgemont’s Jack McCormack earned… Read More →
Each year the Golden Knights seem to have a new face emerge as a prominent contender in Division 2, and this season that was Vinny Skokos. In his first full season in the varsity lineup, Skokos came on strong, showing right away that he can hang with some of the… Read More →
After years of coming close, Dean Rogener finished off his career in Section 1 on top with his 3-2 win over Nanuet’s Matt Dillon in the finals. Rogener had placed second as a sophomore, and third as a junior. He missed a portion of the season due to injury, but… Read More →
Vin Mercogliano’s LoHud Wrestling Chat
It’s 6:30 p.m., and we’re one hour away from our live LoHud Wrestling Chat! I’ll be hosting the chat beginning at 7:30, and you can log in by visiting the LoHud Wrestling Blog, or by going to our homepage at lohud.com. With all of the Section 1 champions being crowned… Read More →
In a feature story that I wrote for today’s paper, I detailed the unique bond that is shared between the four sets of brothers from Section 1 who will each be making the trip to Albany for this weekend’s state championships. As many of you know, there are several prominent… Read More →
After placing second in the section last season, Obum Anyichie came back stronger than ever this year. He got his revenge when he defeated Irvington’s Chris DiNardo late this season, and then beat DiNardo’s brother Anthony in the section finals by decision, 3-1. Anyichie has to be considered among the… Read More →
John Messinger comes from a wrestling family, and he became the first Messinger to win a section title this season. His older brother Ray seemed destined for a title himself, but injuries derailed his season before sectionals twice. That made John’s victory on Sunday all the more sweeter for the… Read More →
To get everyone set for the state tournament this weekend, I’ll be hosting another CoverItLive LoHud Wrestling Chat tomorrow night at 7:30. We’ll be discussing how things played out at sectionals, how Section 1 is preparing as a team for states, and which wrestlers have the best shot of making… Read More →
It’s difficult to believe that this was Danny Ventura’s first section title, but in fact it was. He’d come close before, before finally getting it done with a first period pin of Scarsdale’s John Tambunting on Sunday. Ventura is regarded as one of the best wrestlers in Section 1 after… Read More →
David Occhipinti has become one of the faces of Division 2 wrestling, and he took another step towards cementing his legacy with his third section title on Sunday. Over the course of his time at Croton, he’s seen the program improve every season, combining with coach Sam Occhipinti to form… Read More →
