Granito & Pupillo Capture Titles at Mamaroneck Tournament

Freshman Chris Granito and junior Vincent Pupillo captured weight class titles and six other wrestlers won medals as the Huntington wrestling team finished second in a field of 19 at the 49th Mamaroneck Tiger Tournament last Saturday.

The Blue Devils amassed 187 points to outrun every team except Hauppauge, which won the team title while claiming first place at six weight classes and second at three others. It was Huntington’s first ever appearance in the tournament, which drew teams from Sections I, VIII, IX, XI, PSAL and CHSAA.

Huntington’s very young team performed well. Granito (7-0) took first place at 108 lbs. and Pupillo (8-1) pinned four opponents on his way to the title at 160 lbs. Seventh grader Jason Bencivenga (6-2) was the runner-up at 101 lbs. Walter Kusterbeck (8-1) battled his way to second place at 131 lbs.

Joe Conklin (6-3) won four matches to take fifth place at 145 lbs. Thomas Smith (6-1) placed third at 190 lbs. Jose Quintanilla (2-6) finished fourth at 215 lbs. Ethan Naima (5-5) pinned three foes and took sixth place at 285 lbs.

Since new head coach Andy Marlow assumed leadership of the program last spring, he has steadily rebuilt the roster ranks with more than 40 now on the squad. The roster includes two talented seventh graders and numerous freshmen and sophomores that the coaches think can eventually compete for league and county crowns.

“Pupillo was dialed in all day. He looked sharp throughout and dominated, pinning all four of his opponents,” Marlow said. “Granito continues to impress with a combination of takedowns and tilts and is becoming a lightweight to look out for.”

All things considered, Marlow was upbeat about how the team performed. “I am pleased with how the team is progressing,” he said. “Obviously there is still much work to be done, but just two competitions into this season and most wrestlers have exceeded their win total from all of last year.”

Up and down the lineup, there was reason for optimism in light of Saturday’s competition.

“Bencivenga has not been fazed by the varsity competition and is a fiery competitor,” Marlow said. “Kusterbeck suffered his first loss of the season to a top ranked wrestler in the state. He needs to continue his hard work to get to that next level. Smith dropped a hard fought match in the semifinals, but is only a few tactical and technical adjustments from turning the tables. Conklin practices hard and competes hard and is improving rapidly. He is making a name for himself. Quintanilla and Naima wrestled hard and are showing signs of improvement in their wrestling.”

Huntington hosts Northport on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.