For a long time, Mahopac was on top of the wrestling world in Section 1. They made winning tournaments look easy and dominated the competition. But the past few years, the Indians have not lived up to their high standards.

Now, they’re back on top.
Mahopac won the Super 16 tournament with 202.5 points on Saturday at Yonkers High School. The Indians snatched the title away from defending champ and cross-town rival Carmel, who came in second with 174 points. Somers placed third with 146.5 points with Yorktown and Hendrick Hudson tying for sixth at 96 points each.

Senior 125-pounder Justis Flamio won a 20-8 majority decision over Fox Lane’s Danny Ventura in the finals. For the Navy-bound two-time state runner-up, it was his fifth Super 16 championship.

“I’ve been training very hard for the last five years,” Flamio said. “I think I have just trained harder than the people I have wrestled against over the weekend.”
Two other teammates joined Flamio as champions in 135-pounder Brian Carson (4-0 decision), the first time he had ever been the top seed in a tournament, and 285-pounder Andy Scopino, who pinned Hen Hud’s Sean Barry at 3:13.

Also helping Mahopac to the title was a second-place finish by 119-pounder Jake Srednicki. What made Srednicki’s performance stand out was that he accomplished what he did as a 10th seed, wrestling in his first meet of the year after an injury.

Pat Bruenn also earned a second-place finish for Mahopac at 145 pounds.
“What my teammates did was very important,” Flamio said. “To have five guys finish either first or second in a tournament like this is outstanding, especially someone like Jake, who is coming off an injury. I think it shows we are peaking at the right time.”

That’s because the postseason begins with the divisionals this weekend.
“The Super 16 is usually a good barometer of what the sectionals will be,” Flamio said. “Now, some of the other top teams competed in other tournaments but you still have a great group of teams in this tournament.”

Also placing high for Mahopac were third-place finishers Zack Boker (96), Steve Pagliuca (130) and Mike Spinelli (152), and fourth-place finishers Paul Caruso (103) and Tom Viento (171).
Carmel Head Coach Bill Twardy was content with his squad’s second-place finish.
“Overall, I was very pleased with our performance,” Twardy said. “The Super 16 is sometimes a preview, sometimes it’s not, of what the sectionals are going to be.”

Taking home championships for Carmel were Nick Rosalino at 103 pounds and Kevin Davidson at 140 pounds. Tom Davidson placed second at 112 pounds.
Kevin Davidson is coming off a minor injury that prevented him from competing in the Eastern States and Rhode Island Tournaments, but he won the championship at Beacon Jan. 23 and
Twardy feels great about him entering the stretch run.

“I expect Kevin to win the sectionals and place in the states,” Twardy said.
Twardy was also impressed with Rosalino winning.

“Nick didn’t wrestle last year but he came back this year, which I was very pleased about,” Twardy said. “He was over-aggressive for awhile but now he does a great job in waiting for his setups.”

Mykhaylo Panchishak (189) took third for the Rams, while Rob Kirk (125) and Chris Pecora (135) finished fourth.

Somers 112-pounder Brian Realbuto won his third Super 16 crown with a pin of Tommy Davidson at 2:52. The sophomore phenom was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Sophomore. Had it not been for losing to Flamio in the 2007 final, he would have four Super 16 titles.

“Brian wrestled very well,” Somers Head Coach Dennis DiSanto said. “For him, this is a warm-up for the postseason. He’s just on another level right now.”
Earning second-place finishes for Somers were 96-pounder Dylan Realbuto and 130-pounder Rino DeVita. Kyle Turchick and Brett Emanuel placed third for the Tuskers at 103 and 119 pounds, respectively.

DiSanto also pointed out the importance of his wrestlers who lost their first match but came back to place. They were 125-pounder Josh Zimmerman and super heavyweight Ryan Englert, who both finished in fifth, and sixth-place finishers Mark Lasar (140 pounds), Rich Radi (152) and Jason DiBenedetto (160).

“They wrestled very tough,” DiSanto said. “We don’t place third as a team without their help.”
Another local wrestler who was outstanding was Hen Hud 171-pounder David Lee. Lee, as the No. 4 seed, was the lowest seed to earn a championship and was also named the Most Outstanding Junior wrestler in the tournament. Lee, a first-year wrestler, is the first grappler in Head Coach Dennis Wolownik’s seven years to win the Super 16.

For Hen Hud, Barry (285) placed second while Arthur Niebrzydowski (160) and Cody Butler (189) both took fourth place. Joshua Jack (112) placed fifth and Mike Cignarale took sixth.
Ossining junior 215-pounder Daniel Panken took home a title, winning a 2-1 thriller against Yonkers’ Eliot Maldonado, the No. 1 seed. Omi Ibarra (285) placed third.

Yorktown’s Steven Sabella placed third at 135 pounds, while Joe Porcelli (140) took fourth.
Croton-Harmon’s David Occhipinti finished third at 125 pounds. Dan Guido (96) took fourth.
John Jay tops Fox Lane for league

For John Jay, the last three league championships have come down to its match with Fox Lane.

And the Indians have been victorious every time.
John Jay defeated visiting Fox Lane, 48-21, Friday before a packed crowd estimated to be over 500 people. It was the fourth consecutive league title for Jay.

“Matches like this are just full of drama and anticipation,” John Jay Head Coach Bill Swertfager said. “We had more people at this match than any match in the history of John Jay wrestling.”
Swertfager said that 140-pound junior Jay Smith and 145-pound senior Mike Kelly provided the turning points in the match, picking up big wins by decision.

It was also Senior Parent Recognition Day and the Indians didn’t disappoint. Seniors Dan Yablon (96), Billy Watterson (119), Henry Stauber (130), Scott Genovesi (160), Donny Gecaj (189), Lucas Myer (215) and Timmy Gecaj (285) all recorded wins.

“We have an outstanding group of young men, who have really put this program on the map,” Swertfager said. “I have never had that many seniors (nine) before and we will miss them all dearly.”

Juniors Mark Swertfager (135) and Wyatt Gilchrist (171) also won.
Coach Swertfager believes the team is peaking at the right time with divisionals slated for Feb. 6.

“We look forward to the challenges that lay before us, and can’t wait to get after it,” he said.

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