Elijah Rodriquez - Long Beach

Dylan Ryder - Hills West

Justin Vines - Wantagh

Jacori Teemer - Long Beach

FOUR NYS CHAMPIONS RETURN FROM LONG ISLAND

Anthony Sciotto - North Babylon

Jake Silverstein - Hauppauge

Jack Bokina - Mattituck

Deonte Wilson - Amityville

Adam Busiello -

Eastport South Manor

     Long Island wrestling returns four state champions and a group of talented state place-winners as they embark on the 2017-18 campaign. LI will be led by four-time champion  Jacori Teemer (188-5 career mark) of Long Beach, now a senior at 152 pounds. Teemer will take his mat skills west next season and compete for Arizona State. Nassau's other returning state winner is Justin Vines (31-1) at 132 of perennial team power Wantagh HS. Suffolk boasts two returning champions: junior Adam Busiello (201-8) of Eastport-South Manor at 126. The Penn State-bound Busiello has claimed three state crowns, is a four-time finalist and recently claimed a prestigious Super 32 mat title. Dylan Ryder (108-4) of Hills West, a senior is now in the 113-pound class and will wrestle locally at Hofstra in the fall.

     Five state finalists return to seek redemption, including Nebraska-bound Jake Silverstein (212 career victories) at 160 and gridiron star Deonte Wilson (285) of Amityville. Division Two runners-up are freshman Jordan Titus (106) of Center Moriches, the Bokina twins from Mattituck; Luke at 132 and Jack in the 145-pound class.

     Other state placers are in the field for the upcoming season include state bronze medalists: Zach Redding (ESM) at 120, Matt Campo (Mt. Sinai), at 126, two-time state medalist Anthony Sciotto (120) of Rocky Point, who will wrestle for the Naval Academy next season. Others are  three-time state placer junior Kyle Mosher (28-1) at 145 of South Side, the North Babylon tandem of Anthony Sobotker (138) and David Miele-Estrella (170), along with  John Glenn's Joe Franzese (182) and Cornell prospect Jonathan Loew (33-1, 212-41) at 195 pounds.

     Returning state place-winners include sophomore Josiah Encarnacion (106) of Wantagh, Joe Constrastano (113) of Carle Place-Wheatley and Pat-Med's Chris Gomez in the 138-pound class. Other top prospects on Long Island are lightweight standouts Joe Becker of Lynbrook, Christian Gannone (ESM) both are juniors and at 113, Jared Altan (126) of Plainedge, Joseph Simons (138) of Farmingdale and tough Elijah Rodriguez (24-2) of Long Beach at 220, that elite group all won county titles last season. 

     Also to watch are county finalists Mark Matyka (106) of Riverhead and  Wantagh's Christian Encarnacion at 120. Other All-County performers include Luke Smith (22-4) at 99, of Hauppuage, Justin Amendola (106) of Rocky Point, Matt Mustakis (126) of East Meadow, a pair-top-132-pounders: Ward Melville's Rafael Lievano and Chris Esposito (Northport),  Jon Spadafora (Hills East), Dan Mauriello (108-20) of Hauppauge, at 138 and Shawn Regan (East Meadow) at 152. Vying for county crowns will be Massapequa teammates, Chase Liardi (27-2) at 99, Garrett Gibbons (160) and Angelo Petrakis (16-0) at 182, Liam McIntyre (182) of Westhampton Beach, Dom Mastrangelo (Hills West) at 195, Boaz Smart (BJFK) and Brentwood's Nathaniel Lennon, both in the 220-pound class. Others to watch are St. Anthony's Maguire Horl who looks to capture the CHSAA title, Ryan Charleston (Farmingdale)  and Commack's Joey Slackman, all are at 285 pounds.

Mat Notes:
     The top teams on Long Island are reigning Nassau champion Wantagh (23-0), Suffolk winner Rocky Point, Eastport-South Manor, Massapequa, Hauppauge, Long Beach, Smithtown West, Brentwood, MacArthur, Bay Shore, Connetquot, John Glenn, Ward Melville and Division II stalwart Mt. Sinai. The LI contingent has garnered 35 sectional team titles- Suffolk has won 25 and Nassau has 10,  this years NYSPHSAA Championships should be no exception. Long Island wrestling has a rich history with the first title claimed by Section VII in 1963 and Section XI which has reeled off an unprecedented nine consecutive state titles. One of those elite squads is figured to claim yet another state crown in Albany at the 56th edition of the NYS Championships.