SUFFOLK COUNTY TOURNAMENT
Islip HS captured their first Suffolk County Championship as they amassed a record 276.5 points and easily outdistanced runner-up Hills East(110), Smithtown(108), Longwood(104.5) and defending team champion Huntington with 97.5 points. Coach Joe Patrovich, now in his ninth season, and longtime assistant Steve Arey have seen the Islip program reached its fruition, as the Bucs are the top-ranked team on Long Island and in New York State. Islip dominated the Suffolk Tournament as they crowned four champions, among its eight finalists, had 12 place-winners and took home both the Champion of Champions and Most Pins trophies. Winning titles for the Bucs were; sophomore Tyler Mashkow(32-1), who defeated defending champion, Brentwood's Peppy Cabrera(25-2), 4-3, to claim the 103-pound title and earned the Champion of Champions Award. Other titlists were; three-time champion Tom Magnani(33-0, 123-8 career) at 119, Chris Wade(32-2, 119-19) at 140 and junior Ryan Patrovich(31-2) who flattened all four of his opponents to garnered the 152-pound crown and the Most Pins Award. Islip shattered the Suffolk County record, as the Bay Shore squad won the 1981 tournament with 245.5 points and crowned three champions, their winners were, Peter Fusco, Bob Panariello (now the Islip HS Director of Athletics) and Pat Glynn. Reigning champions that remained unscathed were the aforementioned Maganani and Patrovich, along with, defending state king, Alton Lucas(34-0, 162-11) of West Babylon at 160, five-time county placer, John Barone(33-1, 141-19) of Wm. Floyd at 171 and Huntington's Jack Sullivan(22-2) at 189 pounds. Magnani, Patrovich(also a five-time county place-winner), Barone and Sullivan are state runners-up and will seek redemption at the 2005 state meet. Former 2003 champion Matt Scott(32-0) of Riverhead narrowly defeated Islip's Paul Vaeth, as he scored with a single leg takedown for a 4-2 overtime victory and the 130-pound crown. Lindenhurst's Chris Lahn, also a 2003 Suffolk champion, squared off against Sachem North's Chris Iorio(34-1) in the 125-pound bout and the marquee match of the championship finals. Lahn scored off a fireman's carry takedown for a 4-0 lead, but Iorio countered with a stepover reversal and back points for a 5-4 edge. Lahn executed a perfect switch midway through the second period to move ahead, 6-5. In the third period, Iorio rode Lahn and used his tight waist tilt for the decisive near fall points and emerged with an exciting 8-6 victory. For his efforts, he was voted the tournament's outstanding wrestler award. Iorio's teammate Ken Kennedy(23-2), a reigning Suffolk champ finished third at 275 pounds. Sachem East's Matt Ferber(33-2) edged top-seeded Jovan Belcher of West Babylon, 3-2, for the 215-pound title and gave coach Sean O'Hara his first county champion. Other champions were; Hauppauge sophomore John Oschmann(32-0) at 96, Commack's Mike Piccirillo(31-3) at 112, East Islip's Dave Ingram(34-3) at 135, Greg Holmes(34-1) of Longwood who edged Islip's Mike Rudden(29-3), 5-2, at 145, along with Jeremy Pellot(20-4) of Huntington at 275 pounds, and became Blue Devils' coach Lou Giani's... |
