Sports

Recap: Matyka, three SWR wrestlers advance in state tourney

Riverhead senior Ed Matyka wrestles Peter Pappas of Plainview in the first round Friday of the state championship. (Credit: Paul Wager)
Riverhead senior Ed Matyka wrestles Peter Pappas of Plainview in the first round Friday of the state championship. (Credit: Paul Wager)

There will be no state champion for Shoreham-Wading River this season. But the Wildcats still have a chance for a memorable finish.

All three Shoreham wrestlers advanced to the second day of the New York State Wrestling Championships Friday at Times Union Center in Albany. Riverhead senior Ed Matyka won a pair of matches as well to advance.

Each wrestler is now one win away from earning a spot on the podium with an all-state finish. They can all finish as high as third Saturday.

Matyka faced a tough draw by going up against the No. 2 seed in the 120-pound bracket Friday morning. Matyka, the county champion from Section XI, lost a 5-4 decision against Peter Pappas of Plainview, a state runner-up from a year ago.

Matyka bounced back with two dominant performances to defeat Alex D’Angelo of North Rockland, 6-0, and Alex Vargas of Syosset in a 14-0 major decision. Vargas was the section champion from Nassau County.

Matyka will now wrestle John Devine of Columbia in the next round of wrestlebacks Saturday morning. He would need three wins to take third place in the state.

The last all-state wrestler from Riverhead was Matt Scott, a third-place finisher in 2005.
The Wildcats will be aiming for three all-state wrestlers for the first time since 2012 when they had a pair of fourth-place finishers and a fifth.

Shoreham junior Kevin Meloni won his first round match at 99 Friday, pinning Thomas Trombley of Malone in 1 minute 25 seconds. He dropped his next match and came back to win an 8-2 decision in the second round of wrestlebacks against Joe Abelgore of Fulton. Meloni will face Mitch Seaver of Lockport in the next round.

At 132, senior James Szymanski let a late lead slip away in the third period of his first round match against Evan Barczak of Monroe-Woodbury and lost 4-3. It was a disappointing start to the tournament for Syzmanski, but he came back to win his next wrestleback, 15-2, and then received a forfeit win in the next round because of an injury.

Szymanski will face Matt Seitz of Monsignor Farrell in the next round.

At 145, Jack Taddeo won his first round match, 6-3, against Joseph Clemente of LaSalle. He was taken down in the quarterfinals and bounced back to win two wrestlebacks.

Taddeo will face Mike Laloggia of Webster Schroeder in the next round.

Click below for a live blog from the first day of the tournament:

Live Blog New York State Wrestling Championships: Day I
 

New York State Wrestling Championships