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Yorktown gets over hump vs. Somers
Rob DiAntonio
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – The Yorktown Huskers have had a breakthrough season on the wrestling mats. But they couldn’t get over the hump and earn a win over Somers. The Tuskers had beaten the Huskers twice by identical scores of 37-34.
Yorktown got over that hump on Thursday, pulling out a 39-30 win over Somers on senior night.
“They came out and wrestled hard,” Yorktown coach John Tornambe said of his team. “We knew it was going to come down to the wire. Every time we wrestle them it’s a back-and-fourth chess game as far as lineups. Today we got the better of them.”
The Huskers were coming off a loss to Mahopac on Tuesday, but they bounced back quickly.
“That’s what we used for motivation,” said Tornambe, whose team improved to 13-3 after beating Somers. “It’s not like we didn’t wrestle hard against Mahopac. A couple matches go our way and the score is a lot different. We didn’t get them that day, but we got [Somers] today.”
Super heavyweight David Varian started things off for the Huskers with a huge 3-2 win over Dom DeVita in triple overtime. Varian escaped to pull off the win over DeVita, who usually wrestles at 220 pounds. It’s the second time Varian has defeated DeVita in overtime this season. Both grapplers are serious contenders for Section 1 titles in their respective weight classes.
Somers then had to forfeit the next three out of four matches, which put them in a quick 21-6 hole. The Tuskers were missing Dylan Realbuto at 120 pounds and Larry Courtien at 138 pounds. Realbuto was disqualified in the championship match of Eastern States last Saturday and had to sit out against Yorktown.
After Somers’ Anthony DiMauro earned a decision over Jordan Olivera at 126 pounds, Yorktown’s Kyle Santucci responded by pinning Joe Palumbo at 132 pounds.
In the 145-pound match, Yorktown’s Chris Pyle made quick work of Peter Johnson, pinning him at 1:08 to stretch the lead to 33-12. Pyle had lost to Johnson in the past, but pulled through this year.
“He shot in on me and got the leg,” said Pyle, a senior. “I’m just good with funk rolls. I was thinking in my head, ‘Should I hit it?’ I ended up hitting it and that’s how I got the pin.”
The Tuskers won four out of the next six matches, but couldn’t overcome the large deficit.
“All of our guys really worked hard and stepped up,” Pyle said of the win. “This is so huge. We might have just won the league.”
Yorktown’s Thomas Murray bumped up to 195 pounds and edged Nick Giancaspro, 4-3, in a hard-fought match.
“Thomas Murray wrestled real well,” Tornambe said. “If I’m not mistaken, [Giancaspro] is ranked in the section.”
Somers’ Mark Lasar earned a 5-2 upset win over Yorktown’s Joe Mastro at 152 pounds.
“He’s been our secret all year,” said Somers coach William Von Tobel, whose team fell to 18-3. “He’s going out there and beating some of the top kids in the county. He’s just a hard-nosed wrestler and gives a good performance every time.”
Somers’ Brian Realbuto bumped all the way up to 182 pounds and pinned Yorktown’s Zach Reilly in just 21 seconds. Kyle Turchick (138 pounds), Liam Heine (160), Luke Roediger (113) and Mike Donovan (220) also picked up wins for Somers.
Yorktown’s Steven Sabella won by decision at 170 pounds. Nick Belmonte (99 pounds), David Suarez (106) and Jimmy Kaishian (120) all won by forfeit.
The Huskers have improved by leaps and bounds and are hoping to continue to get better with sectionals around the corner.
“We’ve made huge progress,” Pyle said. “We’ve come a long way. Every weight class has improved in technique, strength and everything.”
Match Results
285 – David Varian (Y) dec. Dom DeVita, 3-2 (OT)
99 – Nick Belmonte (Y) by forfeit
106 – David Suarez (Y) by forfeit
113 – Luke Roediger (S) pin Chris Varian, 3:23
120 – Jimmy Kaishian (Y) by forfeit
126 – Anthony DiMauro (S) dec. Jordan Olivera, 9-5
132 – Kyle Santucci (Y) pin Joe Palumbo, 2:17
138 – Kyle Turchick (S) dec. Jesse Jewell, 16-10
145 – Chris Pyle (Y) pin Peter Johnson, 1:08
152 – Mark Lasar (S) dec. Joe Mastro, 5-2
160 – Liam Heine (S) dec. Harry Mandel, 8-5
170 – Steven Sabella (Y) dec. Angelo Revel, 9-3
182 – Brian Realbuto (S) pin Zach Reilly, :21
195 – Thomas Murray (Y) dec. Nick Giancaspro, 4-3
220 – Mike Donovan (S) by forfeit
Follow Rob DiAntonio on Twitter @MSGV_RJD
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