The Huntington wrestling team is ready for Saturday’s Suffolk League III tournament at Northport. Several Blue Devils are in contention for league titles. The top four finishers in each weight class will advance to the Suffolk championships.
Huntington is led by Lucas Cirlincione (22-6), Joe Petrone (28-1), Billy Burton (24-7), Ethan Franciscovich (16-13), Samir Rathore (14-10) Aedan McDonald (23-10), Joe Nicotra (28-4), Robbie Smith (25-2), Nick Tudisco (24-3) and Kaleef Riley (17-9).
Eighth graders Max Casiano (18-13), Sam Nicotra (13-11), Christian St. John (11-10) and Teddy Leavy (9-4) will also be in the mix in their respective weight classes. The prized group has won a combined 51 varsity matches this winter, providing a glimpse of their future potential.
Huntington’s league tournament lineup will be bolstered by the presence of Enzo Pupillo (11 wins), Ryan Baker (13 wins), Anthony Annunziata (10 wins), Zachary Zboray (nine wins), Joe Rodriquez (five wins) and Lucas Petrizzi (10 wins).
The Blue Devils closed the dual meet season with a record of 11-4. A majority of the starting lineup is comprised of wrestlers in eighth, ninth or tenth grade.
The league tournament will feature teams from Huntington, Northport, Lindenhurst, Copiague, Smithtown West, Half Hollow Hills East, and Newfield. Teams are permitted to enter two wrestlers in each of the 15 weight classes. Tickets will be available at the door for $7.
The first whistle will sound at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday for preliminary round matches on three mats. The quarterfinals will immediately follow. The semifinals are set for 2 p.m. on two mats from by matches for third place at 3:30 p.m. The finals will be wrestled on one mat at 4:30 p.m.
“We’re excited to see how our guys wrestle,” Huntington head coach Travis Smith said. “We want to get as many kids through to the county tournament as possible. Everyone is working hard so we are optimistic. The goal of every Huntington wrestler has always been to win league, county and state titles. It still is.”
