Blue Devils Crown Six Mat Champions
The Blue Devil wrestling team is off to a good start. Huntington High School finished second in its own tournament and crowned six individual champions this past Saturday in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
Only Kings Park outdistanced the Blue Devils in the team standings, 201-191. Patchogue-Medford (152), Port Jefferson (99.5) and Great Neck North (19) trailed the two frontrunners.
“It was a nice way to start the season,” Huntington head coach Travis Smith said. “Almost everyone had a lot of matches and we looked good. The competition we face will gradually become more challenging. We have some tough matches ahead of us.”
Huntington senior John Arceri pinned five opponents to win the 132 lb. weight class. The teenager is the first Blue Devil wrestler to win the Huntington tournament five times in the 45 year history of the competition.
A three-time county titlist and defending state champion, Arceri pinned his opponents in 3:56, 1:36, 3:12, 2:41 and 2:43 earning him the award for having the most pins in the least amount of time.
The five victories helped Arceri edge closer to the Blue Devils’ all-time record for wins. The senior currently has 156 victories, just seven behind Nigel McNeil, who set the mark of 163 in 2011.
Ryan Mock (106 lbs.), Kyle Mock (138 lbs.), Joe Puca (160 lbs.), Chris Bierd (182 lbs.) and Khari McNeil (285 lbs.) also won weight class titles for Huntington. Ryan Postiglione (138 lbs.), Robert Simon and Jon Canas (195 lbs.) finished second in their respective weight classes.
Ryan Mock won five bouts en route to his title, earning 6-0 and 7-4 decisions and pinning three foes in 1:13, 1:29 and 1:42. Kyle Mock also won five matches. The older of the two brothers, captured a 14-2 decision along with pins in 1:37, 1:50 2:25 and 4:00.
Puca also turned in a splendid performance. The returning All-State grappler pinned all four of his opponents in less than a minute, with falls in 0:12, 0:29, 0:35 and 0:54. Bierd had a pin (0:22) and a pair of decisions (14-4 and 15-4) over the course of the tournament. McNeil recorded pins in 0:27, 0:41 and 2:20.
Postiglione (8-6 and 10-8 decisions and a pin in 1:38) earned three victories on his way to a second place finish at 138 lbs. Simon (5:59 and 4-0) won two matches while finishing at the 182 lb. runner-up. Canas pinned foes in 1:22 and 1:46 while taking second place at 195 lbs.
Jared Leake (third at 145 lbs.), Ryan Stieve (third at 195 lbs.), Charlie Gadson (third at 220 lbs.), Aeden McDonald (fourth at 99 lbs.), Ethan Dwyer (fourth at 120 lbs.), Will Thomas (fourth at 170 lbs.), Sean Flick (fifth at 99 lbs.), Alexie Benitez (fifth at 113 lbs.), Kerwhin Valette Toirac (fifth at 220 lbs.), William Mejia (sixth at 132 lbs.) and Temple Hyman (sixth at 152 lbs.) also grabbed places in the competition.
Huntington’s Charlie Ehrman and Aiden McCooey finished 1-2 in the Varsity B 170 lb. bracket. Ehrman won 5-0 and 7-0 decisions and had a pin in 2:37.
“All in all it was a good day,” Smith said. “There is always plenty to work on and we will be doing that this week.”
The Blue Devils will compete in the Port Jervis tournament this Saturday.