Blue Devils Win League Wrestling Titles

Huntington seniors Christian St. John and Max Casiano won championships and four other Blue Devils placed among the top finishers at their respective weight classes at the Suffolk League IV tournament last weekend at Smithtown West. St. John was voted the competition’s Most Outstanding Wrestler by the coaches of the participating teams.

The six All-League wrestlers will now advance to the Section XI tournament next weekend at Stony Brook University. The top three finishers in each weight class will earn berths in the state championships in Albany February 23-24.

Wrestling at 152 lbs., St. John (30-3) had a first round bye before pinning Bellport’s Braydon Cipp in 0:41 and West Islip’s James Moore in 0:35.

The fired-up St. John wrestled a great match in the finals, pinning Smithtown West’s highly regarded Jack DiMaggio in 4:43 to garner the league MOW Award.

Casiano (29-0) swept through four matches in convincing fashion at 160 lbs. He opened the tournament with a 15-3 major decision over Bellport’s Orion Beadle before pinning West Islip’s Mathew Marker in 1:56. Casiano topped Bellport’s Jason Nichols in the semifinals with a 15-0 technical fall before winning another major decision in the finals, this time over West Islip’s James Rogler, 9-0.

In other action:

• Jon Granito (23-8) went 3-1 to finish third at 131 lbs. The senior pinned West Islip’s Maceo Blumberg in the consolation bout in 2:54.

• Vincent Pupillo (18-7) went 2-1 to finish third at 152 lbs. The sophomore pinned West Islip’s James Moore in the consolation bout in 1:51.

• Thomas Smith (24-9) went 2-1 with a pair of pins to finish third at 170 lbs. The junior pinned West Babylon’s Hamdi Tecki in the consolation bout in 3:55.

• Jeffrey Quintanilla (9-14) placed fourth at 285 lbs. The senior pinned West Islip’s Noah Rakovic in the quarterfinals in 0:36 to lock-up All-League honors.

The Blue Devils finished fifth in the team standings with 110 points.