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Southampton Press
December 23, 1999
Wrestling: Grapplers Ready for Mat Action
By Jody Shenn
The Eastport, Hampton Bays, and Westhampton Beach wrestling teams had busy Saturdays
last week, as they were all in action with the wrestling season now officially open.
For Eastport, that meant a trip to Huntington Station for the Ducks’ first turn on the mats this season, the Walt
Whitman Tournament. It was a successful trip, as eight Eastport wrestlers placed.
Hampton Bays also opened its season with a tournament, its annual Doc Fallot Tournament on Saturday, and had a
trio of Baymen finish third in their weight classes against tough competition.
Westhampton Beach, fresh off the Sprig Gardner Tournament two Saturdays ago, faced Connetquot, a team the Hurricanes
had seen there, in a three-team event that also featured Bishop Kellenburg. The Hurricanes won both matches on
Saturday.
Eastport
The Ducks began their second season with a positive day at the Walt Whitman Tournament. Going up against wrestlers
from Shoreham-Wading River, Babylon, John Glenn, Copiague, Bayport-Blue Point, and Walt Whitman, Eastport scored
big, with eight wrestlers earning place finishes.
Last season was the first time that Eastport was been able to field a varsity team, as students from South Manor
began to compete with those from Eastport. For the previous three years, co-coaches Glenn Neimeth and Bob McIntyre
had coached the junior high wrestling teams at Eastport and South Manor, respectively. That foundation translated
into a 5-3 record in League VI in the team’s first season.
Although the team is still young this season, with 14 freshmen out of the 27 wrestlers, most of the young wrestlers
have had experience before with the junior high team, and some on the team have had contact with kid wrestling
programs.
“Almost all of the junior high team last was composed of eighth-graders, so we have a lot of freshmen now with
experience,” said freshman Jeff Karl at a recent practice.
However, with the sport new in Eastport, the Ducks also have a lot of newcomers.
“Most of them have wrestled less than three years,” McIntyre said. “A lot them are kids who weren’t doing any sports
before. But with wrestling you just need to be tough.”
Eastport only lost one member of last year’s lineup to graduation—Mike Acquafredda took third in the league at
152 pounds last season and will be missed this year—and the Ducks will return a number of wrestlers who also placed
in the league tournament. Eastport also had several wrestlers place at the Walt Whitman Tournament on Saturday,
and the lineup looks to be filled from top to bottom with capable, young wrestlers and returning varsity starters.
In the 96-pound weight class, sophomore Joe Schultze returns from last year’s team. He took second in the Walt
Whitman Tournament in his weight class. At 103 pounds will be freshman Paul Montpetit, who took first at the Walt
Whitman Tournament, and he’ll be pushed by freshman Sean Meade. Another freshman, Joe Bova, will be the likely
starter in the 112-pound weight class.
The Ducks will get experience in the 119-pound weight class from senior Carter Coleman, who took fourth in the
league at 112 pounds last season. Freshman Tom Sheppard also will be ready.
Eastport will have a lot of competition in the middle weights. In the 125-pound weight class, among the available
wrestlers are junior Peter Faine, who is new to the school but has wrestled before; senior John Klein, who missed
most of last season with an injury, freshman Joe Coleman, who finished sixth at the Walt Whitman Tournament; sophomore
Patrick Stroh; and freshman Jeff Karl will be available.
At 130 pounds will be senior Vinnie Palminteri, who took fourth at the league tournament at 125 pounds last season
and fourth at the Walt Whitman Tournament at 135 pounds. If he decides to wrestle in a higher weight class, senior
Patrick O’Conner, who finished fifth at Walt Whitman, sophomore Bill Erdman, who finished fourth in the leagues
at 119 pounds last season, or freshman Clint Raynor may hold the 130-pound weight for the Ducks.
Freshman Brian Schmidt, who took fifth place at Walt Whitman, and sophomore Mike Lohwasser will wrestle in the
135-pound weight class. Senior Tom Spagnnoli will wrestle his first varsity season at 140 pounds. Two freshmen,
Rob Petrillo and Bill Blaszeck, will man the 145-pound weight class.
Three freshmen, John Krup, Billy Milton and Frank Spata, will be available for Eastport at 152 pounds. At 160 pounds
will be freshman Ryan Sanders. In the 171-pound weight class, sophomore Joe Congero should be one of the Ducks’
best wrestlers—last season, he took third in the league tournament at 189 pounds, and he’ll be facing lighter opponents
this season.
At the top of the Ducks’ lineup will be freshman Nick Schmidt, who will wrestle at 189 pounds, and junior Matt
Wenschell, who finished fourth in the league in the 215-pound weight class last season, where he also took fifth
at the Walt Whitman Tournament.
With the lineup full and the league season set to begin with a match with Hampton Bays on Wednesday, January 5,
the Ducks will find out how their young team will do.
“We’re really not sure how we’re going to do yet,” said Sanders. “There are a lot of new guys, but we should be
good.”
Hampton Bays
The Baymen got their start in the Doc Fallot Tournament they hosted on Saturday. The annual tournament again brought
tough competition to Hampton Bays, as Hauppauge, Rocky Point, William Floyd, and Smithtown, all larger schools,
brought their teams. Although the small Hampton Bays team finished last with 12 team points, three Baymen grapplers
managed to wrestle into place finishes.
Junior Bryan McGann wrestled back after an early loss in the double-elimination tournament and past teammate sophomore
Joe Maloney in the semifinals of the consolation round in a double-overtime victory that was determined by criteria.
But McGann lost 5-2 to Travis Cook of Massapequa after giving up four first-period points to finish third at 130
pounds.
Senior Matt Forrest also took third, at 152 pounds, after losing a close decision, 3-0, to Craig Moulton of Hauppauge.
According to coach Mike Fitzgerald, senior John Brushy had the toughest route to a third place. After wrestling
to the finals only to be pinned by Joe Sea of Rocky Point, last year’s winner, he lost in the consolation round
to Dave Brundag, 13-2.
“I was very happy with him,” said Fitzgerald. “He lost to two tough kids”
Hampton Bays will travel to the Sachem wrestling tournament on Wednesday, December 29 before opening its League
VI season against Eastport on Wednesday, January 5.
Westhampton Beach
The Hurricanes started their season strong with a 41-28 victory over Connetquot and 51-30 victory over Bishop Kellenburg,
a Catholic school in New York City, on Saturday.
Despite forfeiting two weight classes, the Hurricanes overcame Connetquot with six pins. Junior Lee Fredette got
the Hurricanes on the board with a pin in 34 seconds at 112 pounds. Sophomore Chase Hubbard also pinned his man
quickly at 125 pounds. Senior Lou Vecchio, sophomore Mike DeStefano, junior K.C. Heinrich and senior Mike Hadley
also came through with pins for Westhampton Beach against Connetquot in the come-from-behind victory.
Against Kellenburg, the Hurricanes remained strong. Freshmen Kyle Berglin and Lee Fredette had third-period pins
at 103 and 112 pounds, respectively, to give Westhampton Beach the early lead. Hubbard, Vecchio, senior Jimmy Hille,
and seniors Pat and Mike Hadley recorded pins in their weight classes.
The Hurricanes begin their league season against Sayville on Thursday, January 6.
Issue Date: Southampton Press 12/23/1999
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