| A Look Back 1981 |
| At the Nassau County Championships, Massapequa won the the team title with 203 points, finishing ahead of Freeport (160) and Berner (157). The Chiefs were led by Jeff Grossfeld who won the 91-pound title and runner-ups Steve Whelan (215) and Paul Juliano (275). The Palacio brothers won their respective weight classes as defending state champion Al won at 105 and Leo claimed the 126-pound class. Berner crowned three champions, as defending county champ Don Ophals won at 98, Matt Doherty scored an exciting come-from-behind victory over Baldwin's Rich Lithgow, 7-6. at 138, and was voted the tournament's outstanding wrestler and unbeaten Chris Bevilacqua breezed to the 145-pound title. Bellmore JFK's Keith Cavayero won at 167 lbs.and has the sole distinction for competing in every weight class throughout his high school career; 98 pounds as a 9th grader and 215 this season. At the Suffolk County Championships, Bay Shore dominated as they amassed 245 points to easily outdistanced Sachem (140) and Commack North (86). Winning titles for Bay Shore were Peter Fusco (91), Bob Pannariello (98) and Pat Glynn at 145 pounds. NYS '79 champ Mike Murnane (Bayport) won at 105 and defending champion Ted DiPasquale (Deer Park) posted a 7-4 victory over Glen Lanham (Lindenhurst) at 132 pounds. The OSW Award went to Ward Melville's John Arceri who decisioned Ralph Leggio, 22-5, to captured the 138-pound crown. Bellport garnered their first county champion with Wayne Catan. Catan defeated Sachem's Dan Mayo, 8-4, to claim the 167-pound class.Port Jefferson's Jim Carrera (126) finished second for a record five consecutive years, as he dropped a 6-4 decision to Commack North's Pete Mankowich. Mankowich scored with a reversal with 60 seconds remaining in the bout. At the 19th annual New York State Intersectional Championships Section Five (Rochester area) won their first-ever team title with 222.5 points and finished ahead of Section Eleven (Suffolk) with 214 and Section Four (Binghamton area) with 201.5. The purple-cladded contingent crowned three champions; Keith Cotroneo (Irondequoit) at 112, heralded Matt King (Canandaigua) at 132 and teammate Joe Kuras at 250 pounds. Windsor's Brad Penrith defeated Berner's Don Ophals, 5-0, at 98 pounds, Long Beach's Al Palacio won his second state title at 112 and was voted the tournament's outstanding wrestler. Dan Hopkins (Commack South) won in overtime to claim the 119-pound crown, Pete Mankowich (Commack North) won at 126, Ward Melville's John Arceri prevailed and came away with the 138-pound championship, sophomore Jon Cardi (Burnt Hills) won the tough 145-pound class, Paul Diekel edged Wayne Catan (Bellport), 5-3, and went on to win the 167-pound title and defending champion Andy Schwab (Elmira SSide) won his second consecutive 215- pound title. Canandaigua-5 won the individual high school team championship. CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS 91- Pauley (New Hartford-3) dec. Gumble (Maine-Endwell-4), 3-2 ot. 98- Penrith (Windsor-4) dec. Ophals (Berner-8), 5-0. 105- A.Palacio(Long Beach-8) dec. Keyes(Port Jervis-9), 6-0. 112- Cotroneo(Irondequoit-5) dec. Morales (Sachem-11), 7-3. 119- Hopkins (Commack S-11) dec. Watson (Burnt Hills-2), 7-3 ot. 126- Mankowich (Commack N-11) dec. Lateer (Johnson City-4), 7-5. 132- King (Canandaigua-5) dec. DiPasquale (Deer Park-11), 5-4. 138- Arceri (Ward Melville-11) dec. Graham (Spencerport-5), 6-1. 145- Cardi (Burnt Hills-2) dec. Buenting (Brockport-5), 11-5. 155- Northrup (Waverly-4) wbdef. Kay (Fairport-5), default. 167- Diekel (Whitehall-2) dec. Webb (Bainbridge-Guilford-4), 10-7. 177- Matteson (Oswego-3) dec. Galo (Mohonasen-2), 7-6. 215- Schwab (Elmira Southside-4) wbdef. Sabo (Granville-2), default. 275- Kuras (Canandaigua-5) dec. Nichols (Arlington-1), 10-7. TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Section Five 222.5 2. Section Eleven 214 3. Section Four 201.5 4. Section Two 181.5 5. Section Eight 134 6. Section Three 123 7. Section Six 106 8. Section One 99 9. Section Nine 85.5 10. Section CHSAA 21 11. Section Ten 16 12. Section PSAL 16 13. Section Seven 15 |