The only way a team can improve is to stand toe to toe against the best squads in
the league, and the Westhampton Beach wrestling team has done just that to start its season.
Though their record is not that impressive—2-5 in dual meets—the Hurricanes are making significant strides in terms
of how they stack up against some of the top talent in the league, according to coach Paul Bass. He emphasized
that improvement cannot always be measured on the number of team wins.
“We’ve made tremendous progress throughout the first few weeks,” he said. “The kids
are not intimidated; they’re not afraid of anybody. They’ve wrestled all the top kids.
“The first step to really being good is knowing you can go with All-State and All-County
kids,” he continued. “And we’re doing that. We’re ready now.”
Of his team’s five losses, three have come against opponents that are ranked in
the top 10 in Suffolk County, including three squads also ranked in the top 25 in the state.
In their final dual meet preparations for the league season, the Hurricanes went
1-2 in a span of 24 hours. Westhampton Beach downed Smithtown West, 42-18, before falling to Connetquot, 34-13,
at the Connetquot Tournament on December 21. The Hurricanes then lost to Copiague the following afternoon in a
match that went down to a tiebreaker. Both squads earned 27 points, but the Eagles earned one more match win (seven)
than the Hurricanes to break the tie.
Injuries have been plaguing the Hurricanes through the first few weeks of the season.
The Connetquot Tournament saw the return of All-County wrestler Paul Dilandro, who is also ranked first in the
county at 152 pounds. The team is still awaiting the return of Dilandro’s fellow co-captain, Kyle Hubbard, who
is expected back on the mat in early January.
Cory Hubbard, the team’s starting 119-pounder, did not wrestle his second match
of the night at Connetquot and did not compete against Copiague due to a shoulder injury. He is expected back in
the lineup when the league season gets underway this Friday, January 4.
At the Connetquot Tournament, the Hurricanes were on both sides of a lopsided score. Against Connetquot, the strongest
of the three teams, Westhampton Beach’s Pete Detore (103 pounds), John Prudenti (152), Paul Dilandro (160) and
Alex Mazarakis (189) were all winners.
In the Hurricanes’ victory over Smithtown West at the tournament, Zachary Bass (112),
Ethan Mitchell (130), Brian Higgins (135), Dennis Hayes (140), Brian Kobus (145), Prudenti (152), Dilandro (160)
and Mazarakis (189) were all winners.
The Hurricanes hosted Copiague the following afternoon and the most exciting bout
of the day for the hometown fans came at 135 pounds. With 90 seconds to go in the third period, Higgins took down
Matt Marcello to provide the final margin of 4-2.
Zachary Bass opened the match with a 10-2 decision against Nick Flynn at 112 pounds.
Prudenti pinned at 152 pounds, Mazarakis won a decision at 171 pounds, and Copiague forfeited at 103 pounds and
189 pounds to cap Westhampton Beach’s scoring.
In spite of losing his match, Hurricane Ryan Vasso put on quite a show in just his
second varsity bout. Vasso, who normally wrestles for the junior varsity team, found himself in the lineup with
an injury to Cory Hubbard on Friday night. Though many thought his opponent, Steve Tyrell, would cruise to victory,
Vasso showed that he belonged on the mats, giving up just three points in a 5-0 decision.
The Hurricanes will open the League VI season this Friday, January, 4, at home against
Bayport/Blue Point.
