Wrestling: Boisseau likes fast starts, early endings
Malachi Boisseau doesn’t waste time. When the whistle blows to start a wrestling match, he goes right to work, bringing energy and a sense of extreme urgency. He wants to end the match in the first period, and for good reason.
“His biggest strength is the first period,” Mattituck/Greenport/Southold coach Cory Dolson said. “His biggest weakness is the third period.”
That’s understandable, given the amount of energy Boisseau expends. It’s not easy keeping up that pace for a full six minutes. So the energized Boisseau burst onto the mat at Shoreham-Wading River High School Wednesday and put the back of his opponent at 160 pounds, Conner Hughes, to the mat for a pin in a swift 1 minute, 26 seconds.
Over and done, just the way Boisseau likes it.
“Just shoot fast, good stance, just try to get the match over with, pin him, that’s my strategy,” he said. “I give everything I got on the mat. Even when I’m drained, I keep fighting.”
Boisseau’s victory was among five straight bouts Mattituck took in its 42-34 Suffolk County League VII victory over SWR. Mattituck is 2-2 in the league; SWR is 1-3.
Boisseau, a junior, is one of Greenport’s two representatives on the team, the other being David Jenkins. He spent most of last season wrestling for the junior varsity team, but has put in the time and effort to make himself better. If that means extra practice, so be it. If that means running on off days, so be it. If that mean’s additional pushups, so be it.
That work has yielded results.
“I’ve improved a lot,” said Boisseau, who has been recording pins with crossface cradles. He said he has gotten stronger and has improved his shooting technique.
Dolson said Boisseau is “probably one of the best athletes on our team.” The coach said Boisseau had lost a wrestle-off for the team’s spot at 152 pounds earlier in the season. Even so, Boisseau made a place for himself in the lineup.
“It’s really an attribute to his hard work,” Dolson said. “We can’t keep him out of the lineup. That’s a testament to him.”
Mattituck, which forfeit the three lowest weight classes, received something of an unforeseen boost when Cam Altinprack pinned Paul Reilley in 3:17 at 285 pounds.
“That was huge,” Dolson said. “We didn’t even know if we would win [that bout], never mind get a pin.”
Mattituck’s entry at 195 pounds, Colby Suglia, made short work of Jake Ekert, pinning him in 1:41. Cole DiGregorio (138), Ben Webb (145) and Ethan Schmidt (170) supplied second-period pins for the Tuckers. DiGregorio stopped Sean Miller in 3:08, Webb downed Connor Mullahey in 3:03, and Schmidt beat Dylan Anderson in 2:48.
Jackson Cantelmo (152) and Tyler Marlborough (220) brought Mattituck wins by decision. Cantelmo was a 10-3 winner over Dan Dacos and Marlborough was a 6-1 victor over Dylan Blanco.
Perhaps the most impressive showing by a SWR wrestler was provided by Connor Pearce (120), who pinned Gabe Gamboa in 63 seconds.
But other Wildcats impressed, too. Wins were also turned in by Eddie Troyano (8-0 over Ethan Prager at 126), Chris Anderson (8-2 over Jacob Theodorou at 132) and Sal Livigni (16-4 over Jenkins at 182).
Dolson called it a “team win. It took everybody.”
And that included Boisseau, the wrestler who specializes in quick starts and early endings.
“He’s still got a lot of work to do,” Dolson said. “When he gets out there and puts the pedal to the metal, there’s not a lot of kids who can handle that. He’s a super nice kid, too. That’s a bonus.”
Photo caption: Shoreham-Wading River’s Connor Pearce has his arms wrapped around Mattituck/Greenport/Southold’s Gabe Gamboa. (Credit: Garret Meade)
