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Southampton Press
January 20, 2005
Canes Improve to 3-0, Take Third at Kujan Tourney
By Kerry Monaco
The lineup is riddled with injuries and illness but the Westhampton Beach wrestling
team proved its depth this week, winning two League VI matches and placing third at the Kujan Tournament.
The Hurricanes crushed East Hampton, 63-9, on January 12 on the road and handed Miller Place a 48-9 loss the following
afternoon at home to improve to 3-0 in league action, giving the squad control of first place in the league. Harborfields,
Miller Place and Rocky Point are all tied for second with 1-1 records.
This week the Hurricanes are going to get some much-needed rest. It’s the team’s bye week for league matches and
the team doesn’t have any tournaments this upcoming weekend. Westhampton Beach coach Paul Bass believes the time
off will do his team good.
“We have nothing this week,” Bass said. “Hopefully, we’ll come back next week healthier. We’re going to clean out
the lockers and take some days off from practice. We’ve been sick and keep passing it back and forth around the
team. We’re going to disinfect the lockers and get ourselves healthy.”
The Hurricanes will return to league action on January 28 when they travel to Rocky Point.
Pair of League Wins
Coach Bass was happy to get out of this week with two wins. The team didn’t go up against the top teams in the
league, but anything was possible in the absence of a handful of key players. The three biggest hits to the lineup
are heavyweight Charlie Pendlebury, who is still out with an illness, Mauricio Molina (145), who continues to deal
with a separated shoulder, and Kyle Hubbard (119), who is out with a hand injury.
“The wins were very satisfying because we were shorthanded this week,” Bass said. “I know I worry about everything
but I was really worried about this week. We were missing five or six starters at the two matches. But the kids
who wrestled really stepped it up.”
In the meet with East Hampton (0-2), Westhampton Beach forfeited the 215-pound class and East Hampton won the 112-pound
bout and that was all the points the Hurricanes would give up. Westhampton Beach racked up eight pins—John Prudenti
(119), Andy Mistina (125), Jon Gress (135), Nick Broccoli (140), Rudy Mistina (145), Steve Kobus (160), Mike Gandolfo
(171) and John Gillen (189). Julian Lee earned a technical fall at 130 and James Uresk won an 11-1 decision at
152.
Against Miller Place (1-1), Scott Lagoumis won an overtime decision at 112, his first league win of the season.
Gillen went above and beyond his obligations, moving up to 215 for the bout in the absence of Pendlebury, and made
easy work of his opponent, pinning him in 1:17.
Andy Mistina, Gress and Gandolfo pinned their opponents while Lee, Broccoli, Uresk and Kobus all earned decisions.
“Miller Place is much-improved,” Bass said. “They are trying to rebuild their program. The score was not indicative
of how close it was. We just won the close ones.”
Kujan Tournament
The Kujan Tournament, held annually at William Floyd High School, is considered one of the most competitive tournaments
on Long Island. The tournament always features the top teams on the island and the Hurricanes use the tournament
to better themselves.
Plainedge won the tournament with 220.5 points followed by Connetquot with 201 and Westhampton Beach with 197.5
points. Also competing at the tournament were William Floyd, Wantagh, Ward Melville, Sachem North, North Babylon
and Comsewogue.
“The competition at this tournament is so good,” Bass said. “Plainedge and Wantagh are in the top five in Nassau
County and us, North Babylon, Connetquot and Sachem [North] have all been in the top 15 this season. The depth
at the tournament was incredible in most of the classes. At 140, the kids who took fifth in the county last year
was seeded sixth! That’s how good the competition is.”
Jay Herrick pulled off the upset of the day, en route to capturing the super-heavyweight title. Herrick beat Ken
Kennedy of Sachem North. Kennedy is the defending county champion and placed fourth at the state tournament last
season.
Uresk was also impressive at 152, winning his first tournament title. He was seeded third entering the tournament.
“James has turned the corner,” Bass said. “He has always been so close and been a place-winner but now he’s there.”
Gillen placed second at 189 and Gress was the runner-up at 135. Gandolfo finished in third place at 171 and Nick
Broccoli placed fourth at 140.
The tournament also marked the return of Kyle Pisaneschi. Pisaneschi, who suffers from a chronic neck problem,
hasn’t wrestled since last year’s Kujan Tournament but returned with a bang, placing second at 119. He stunned
the competition after entering the tournament unseeded. Pisaneschi knocked off the second seed and pinned the sixth
and seventh seeds before losing to the top seed in the finals.
“He’s back and he looked awesome,” Bass said. “Hopefully, he’s back for good. We’ll have to see what happens, but
it’s good to have him back.”
Issue Date: Southampton Press 1-20-05
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