Hilton rolls to Section V Wrestling Dual Meet Championship: Here's how

For the second season in a row, not long after the close of the Section V Wrestling Division Dual Meet Championships, the Hilton Cadets gathered for a team photo on Saturday as champions.

The Cadets ended up at the top of the sectional dual tournament in back-to-back years, after a short climb that began before the start of the one-day event in Brockport, at Oliver Middle School.

Hilton was a No. 2 seed, a spot in the tournament the Cadets were unable to claim until three days before the sectional duals. A victory over Pittsford midweek during a Monroe County league dual delivered one of the byes into the sectional semifinals, where Hilton defeated the No. 3 seed Panthers again.

The Cadets then defeated No. 1 seed Brockport 37-21 in the final, and had their hands on another sectional championship trophy and invitation to advance into the Division I or large schools dual meet state championships Jan. 27. Hilton's record in dual meets this season is 16-3 after injuries to experienced wrestlers threatened to slow the Cadets.

"They kept moving forward, kept working hard at practice," Hilton coach Craig Gross said. "It was sort of next man up, we’ll get these guys healthy eventually.”

Those moments arrived for the Cadets in recent weeks, as senior Landon Lazarek and sophomore Jonathan Testa came back from injuries. Lazarek finished in fourth-place in his weight class at the 2023 state championships. Testa also advanced to states last year.

"We have a lot of guys who are solid, who are goers. I think we have a really good chance,” Gross said before the sectional dual tournament.

Dual Meet Championship results: Section V wrestling results for the 2023-24 season

Cadets put together a charge

Lazarek, out of Hilton's lineup since early December, pinned Pittsford 170-pounder Rudy Antonucci in his first match back earlier in the week at Pittsford Sutherland. Hilton won that meet 45-18.

"Our guys were ready to go, pumped we had our team together for the first time this year," Gross said after the league dual against Pittsford on Jan. 17.

The Pittsford Panthers earned a rematch with Hilton after a 61-9 victory over No. 6 sectional seed Canandaigua during the sectional quarterfinals. But Hilton came out on top again, this time 33-18, a win that included a victory for junior Phil Testa over Zach Gerby, a Monroe County league champion.

"He did great," Gross said, as he noted that Phil Testa also defeated Brockport middleweight Paul Rose on Saturday in the final.

Hilton led Brockport 13-0 after sophomore 124-pounder Phil DiStefano won by decision 3-1. Brockport won the next three matches, including 145-pounder Dino Battisti by fall or pin that made the score 13-12. A 4-0 win by decision for Phil Testa gave Hilton a 16-12 lead after the 152-pound bout.

Lazarek pinned his 170-pound opponent to push Hilton's advantage to 22-15. But Brockport 189-pounder Cooper Farrell pinned his opponent to reduce Hilton's lead to one point.

Mason Suro, a first-year varsity member in his junior year, started Hilton's pull away to the championship at 215 pounds, when he won by pin.

Elijah Diakomihalis, a runner-up at the 2023 state championships, was next for Hilton. He pinned his opponent in 11 seconds, and Hilton's lead was 13 points, 34-21 with one match remaining.

"There were no forfeits, guys weren't giving up pins. It was a great dual meet," Gross said. "Hats off to (the Brockport Blue Devils), they have a great program.

"I'm excited to get back to the state duals. If we took second (at sectionals), I think we had a good chance at getting a wild card. Whether you win or lose, I think it's a great experience to get to that point (the dual state championship meet). It's something (the wrestlers) are not going to forget."

Next for the Brockport Blue Devils

Brockport was 12-0 in dual meets, repeated as Monroe County league Division I champions and ranked No. 4 in the state among Division I or large schools by New York Wrestling News before the loss to Hilton.

There remains a chance the Blue Devils will advance to dual states as a wild card.

"I'm incredibly happy," Brockport coach Tom Rispoli said about Brockport's season. "It was a little unexpected. We have some seniors and some experienced guys, but looking at our lineup there are six or seven guys in their first season on varsity.

"Guys want to go out there (on the mat), wrestle and perform well for their teammates and their school."

Rispoli said he felt Brockport was "in the running" for a wild card to state duals.

"You have to see what's going on around the state," Rispoli said. "Minisink Valley getting beat was an upset. The No. 1 team in the state losing was something no one expected."

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Hilton rolls to Section V Wrestling Dual Meet Championship: Here's how