Wrestling: 2024 New York State Division II small-school tournament preview
There are 14 local Division II wrestlers ready to take the mats at Albany for the 2024 NYSPHSAA Tournament.
Here's a class-by-class look at what lies ahead of them in the large-school division tournament.
101 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 10 Kelvin Jimenez, Sleepy Hollow (31-10)
The Sleepy Hollow eighth-grader will get his first NYSPHSAA tournament match against Sidney's Caden Higley. It'll be a battle between two wrestlers who have undergone turnaround seasons. Higley was 9-9 and didn't qualify for the postseason last year, while Jimenez finished just below-.500.
Jimenez came back and was a dominant force against Section 1 Division II competition, and he'll look to step things up at a state level. Higley is the Section 4 runner-up and enters with a 21-4 record.
If Jimenez is able to get by Higley, he'll have the tall task of going up against Newfane's second-seeded Jakob Lucinski, who is the lone returning all-state finisher in this bracket.
He might have to make his mark in the consolation bracket, but this will be a valuable experience for Jimenez moving forward.
108 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 18 Dorian Hidalgo, Sleepy Hollow (32-6)
After competing at 101 all year, Hidalgo bumped up to 108 for the postseason and captured the Section 1 title. He'll continue the climb in Albany. It'll be interesting to see how far he can go. Hidalgo is undersized, but has good technique.
Hidalgo will take on Section 7 champ Teegan Smith of Saranac to start. If he can take down the No. 15 seed, he'll face Chenango Valley's second-seeded Anthony Valls.
Valls has been a fixture in the top five of the Division II state rankings at 108 pounds. He is 1-3 against the No. 1 seed of the 108-pound bracket, Norwich's returning all-state standout, Maverick Beckwith. All four meetings with Beckwith were decided by four or fewer points.
If Hidalgo can't upend the 33-6 standout, he'll have to fight his way through the consolation bracket.
This is a top-heavy weight class. Starpoint transfer Jaron Barrientos remains a standout at Lewiston-Porter, Tioga's Kadin Cole has had some closely-contested battles with Beckwith and Valls. John Glenn's Tommy Aiello won a state title last season but enters as the No. 5 seed this time around, while Letchworth's Joe Scott is 43-0 and only the No. 6 seed.
116 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 17 Jesse Straus, Pleasantville (33-3)
How far will Straus' breakout campaign go? After winning his first section title, the Pleasantville sophomore will open up against Petrides' Rocky Molinare. The PSAL champ is back in Albany and is out to get some revenge on Section 1.
Last year, Molinare lost to Nanuet's John Parisi, before eventually getting eliminated from the tournament without a single win. If Straus can defeat Molinare, he'll have to take on returning state champion and No. 1 seed Darren Florance of BGAH. Florance is 31-1, with his lone loss coming in overtime against the No. 1 seed of the 108-pound bracket, Norwich's Beckwith.
Straus' run will likely have to come in the consolation bracket, but the experience of competing at the MVP Arena will surely fuel the Pleasantville sophomore going forward. Outside of Florance, Tioga's Logan Bellis, last year's state runner-up at 102 pounds, is the lone returning all-state wrestler. There's an opportunity here for plenty of wrestlers to make a name for themselves at a state-wide level.
124 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 19 Silas Corveddu, Sleepy Hollow (17-2)
It will be an uphill climb to start for Corveddu, who will be the lower seed against Gouverneur's 14th-seeded James Minckler. Minckler is 23-10 this season. Both wrestlers share a similar result against a common opponent, as both Corveddu and Minckler lost by six points to Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake's Neil Paulercio, suggesting that the two may be closer than their seeding indicates.
If Corveddu can get past Minckler, he'll face Lewiston-Porter's third-seeded Caden Barrientos. A Starpoint transfer, Barrientos is primed for a deep run in his first trip to states.
If he's unable to pull off the upset, Corveddu will have to scrap his way through the consolation bracket. He's only a freshman, though, so this experience will serve as a big building block moving forward.
Overall, it's the 124-pound bracket is one of the toughest in the Division II tournament. Honeoye Falls-Lima's Chris Noto, a returning all-state wrestler, holds the top seed with a 37-0 record. He also handed Copenhagen's Chase Nevills, the No. 2 seed, his only loss of the season. Noto defeated the returning state champion, 7-1, in mid-January.
This bracket also features numerous all-state standouts, with several getting middle-to-lower seeds. Cobleskill-Richmondville's Ashten Haley (37-6), Unatego/Unadilla Valley's Caleb Cole (31-2), Shoreham-Wading River's Chris Colon (41-4), Central Valley Academy's Gene Edwards (45-5), and Eden's Trevor DellaPenta (35-5) are all aiming to return to the podium in a crowded bracket.
131 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 5 Esuar Ordonez, Putnam Valley (33-3)
Ordonez is on the hunt for his second all-state finish, and he hopes to climb a few steps higher on the podium this time around after taking eighth last season. He will face either the 12th-seeded Reese Greathouse of Marlboro or Moravia's 21st-seeded Hunter Boynton to start.
In the quarterfinals, Ordonez could face either Hudson Falls' fourth-seeded Justin Mullis or the 13th-seeded Sawyer Bell of Beekmantown. Bell isn't your average 13-seed and enters with a perfect 44-0 record. If Mullis can hold off the upset bid, it'll be a rematch of their Eastern States Classic bout.
Mullis won that match, 11-5, but Ordonez had a great start and a big lead to open the match, before Mullis rebounded and controlled the last two periods.
The winner of the quarterfinal bout will likely take on No. 1 seed Gavin Mangano of Shoreham-Wading River, who's looking for his first state title after repeating as Eastern States champion. While it won't be an easy battle, Ordonez has proven the ability to pull off seismic upsets. He defeated Northport's Matt Marlow, a two-time state champion, with a second-period pin in the finals of the Putnam Valley Round Robin Challenge.
On the other side of the bracket, keep an eye on returning all-state finishers Carmine Calimeri of Southwestern and Tioga's Jayden Duncanson.
138 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 18 Ethan Badillo, Nanuet (23-4)
For the second straight year, Badillo has landed in arguably the most loaded weight class of the entire NYSPHSAA Division II championships.
Mount Sinai's Brayden Fahrbach is a three-time all-state finisher and returning state champion. He enters with a 35-0 record, a mark that also includes his second straight Eastern States Classic title. He is the No. 1 seed in a bracket that also includes another returning state champion, Chautauqua Lake's second-seeded Jordan Joslyn, who is 44-0.
This field also includes returning all-state grapplers Saranac's Alex Clancy (9-1, No. 12 seed in injury-filled season), Lowville's Patrick Grimsey (32-1), Cade Sands of Addison (58-1), Tamarac's Trevor Bishop (42-4), Honeoye Falls-Lima's Jacob McVige (30-3), and returning state runner-ups Newfane's Aidan Gillings (41-6) and Tioga's Gianni Silvestri (30-0). Silvestri was also a state champion in 2022.
As for Badillo, despite being the lower seed, he has a winnable first match against Locust Valley's Justin Dvorak. Dvorak placed third at sectionals, but won the true second match to snag a qualifying spot for states. The winner will get the second-seeded Joslyn in the round of 16.
Expect Badillo to be fired up, after a pair of close losses in Albany last year. It's a tough bracket, but he should have a better showing in his return trip.
145 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 15 Rafael Rodriguez, Sleepy Hollow (33-5)
The Sleepy Hollow freshman is fired up for states, and he'll be challenged in a competitive weight class. It'll be an important experience, as he tries to make his mark at MVP Arena, and will provide some learning tools moving forward.
Rodriguez will take on PSAL champion Jason Consalvo to start. The Petrides junior is 34-7. If he can dispatch Consalvo, he'll meet Greenville's second-seeded Kieran Cullen. The returning all-state standout is 41-2.
There are hammers at almost every corner of the bracket, so even a couple of wins would be a successful showing to build from. Rodriguez is a skilled and determined freshman, so he won't go down quietly against some of these seasoned veterans.
Outside of Cullen, this bracket features seven returning all-state grapplers: No. 1 seed Casper Stewart of Attica-Batavia (48-3), 3-seed Tyler Roe of Tioga, Newfane's fifth-seeded Ayden Buttery (37-3), Central Valley Academy's seventh-seeded Cooper Reed (46-5), ninth-seeded Colton Havens of Canisteo-Greenwood (43-6) and Tioga's 12th-seeded Deakon Bailey (19-7).
152 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 4 Henry Martin, Croton-Harmon (39-1)
Martin has taken massive strides with each passing year. After capturing his first career Section 1 title, he now turns his attention to the state tournament, where he enters as the Lower Hudson Valley's highest-seeded wrestler in the Division II championships.
Martin has his sights set on the podium, and there's a good chance he can land there. He is unbeaten against public school competition, but the state tournament provides a new challenge.
He can potentially cross paths with returning state champion Caden Bellis. The top-seeded Tioga standout has reached the state finals in each of the last two years, but Martin will try to disrupt that streak if they both reach the semifinals.
To get there, Martin will have to beat either 13th-seeded Chris Lotten of Port Jefferson or Seaford's 20th-seeded Louis Cannata in the round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, he will face Cooperstown-Milford's fifth-seeded T.J. O'Connor, who's been a fixture in the state rankings this season, or Palmyra-Macedon's Keegin Christian, who could potentially be a bracket buster as the No. 12 seed. Christian is battle-tested at 44-10 and has several losses that were close against some of the higher seeds in this bracket.
Other wrestlers to watch for include returning all-state grapplers Tavian Camper of Copenhagen (31-2), Gouverneur's Vandavian Way (33-4) and Unatego/Unadilla Valley's Wyatt Meade (32-10).
Honeoye Falls-Lima's sixth-seeded Waylan Winseman (30-7) and Ausable Valley's Dominick LaPier (39-0) are other first-time podium candidates. LaPier is the No. 10 seed, despite his unbeaten record so far.
160 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 10 Michael Malfitano, Pearl River (28-7); No. 13 Remy Becker, Hackley (21-5)
This is the only Division II weight class that features multiple Lower Hudson Valley wrestlers.
Pearl River's Malfitano is back at the state tournament, after falling just shy of the second day last season, while Hackley's Becker is Albany-bound for the first time as a NYSAIS champ.
They'll be on separate sides of the bracket to start. Malfitano will open up against Port Jervis' seventh-seeded Ryan Ross. The Pearl River senior will get his chance at revenge on a bigger stage. Ross defeated Malfitano, 4-0, at the Eastern States Classic this year.
If he can get past Ross, he'll go up against second-seeded breakout star Mason Rowley of Little Falls. Rowley is enjoying a big comeback season after being sidelined last year due to injury. He enters with a 35-3 record and has several wins over returning all-state grapplers.
As for Becker, he'll open up against 20th-seeded Nick Reilly of Mount Sinai, the Section 11 third-place finisher. If he can advance, he'll take on Perry's Noah Leitten, who is enjoying his second straight 40-win season in a return trip to Albany. The fourth-seeded Leitten is 44-1 this year.
If Malfitano or Becker can't pull off the upset over those top-seeded adversaries, they'll have to make their mark in the consolation bracket.
170 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 9 Fredrick Mekhi Smithwick, Croton-Harmon (31-7)
Smithwick will get a chance to settle the score in his opening round matchup, when he takes on Chester's Michael Franco. The eighth-seeded Franco is 29-3 this season, a mark that includes a win by disqualification over Smithwick in the Hen Hud Sailor Classic finals.
It'll be interesting to see what a more conclusive result could bring at MVP Arena. If Smithwick advances, he'll take on Palmyra-Macedon's top-seeded Braidon Woodward, who is a combined 96-1 over the last two years.
Woodward was an all-state finisher in 2022, but didn't get a chance to compete in the postseason last year after a late-season suspension ended his junior season at 46-0.
Smithwick may have to make his run in wrestlebacks, but he's shown several times this season that he doesn't back down from a challenge and can't be counted out until the final whistle.
190 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 16 Asa Nunberg, Pleasantville (28-4)
Nunberg showed plenty of resolve in his run to the section title. In the finals, he unseated defending Section 1 champ Kyle Peske of Hen Hud, battling back from behind and getting the match-tying takedown at the buzzer, before ultimately going on to win in overtime. That will be a vital experience to have at states, where every point is earned.
Nunberg has a winnable match to start against Eagle Academy-Bronx's Denzel Perez. Afterwards, the winner will take on defending state champ Tavio Hoose of Southwestern. It will be a steep climb, but it's Nunberg's senior year, and he's already shown he won't go away quietly, no matter the odds.
The top-seeded Hoose leads a bracket that also features returning state runner-up Greyson Meak of Cold Spring Harbor, as well as other returning all-state standouts in Windsor's Mason McCombs (30-0), Byron-Bergen's Malachi Smith (37-1), and Hudson Falls' Jesse Mullis (41-4). Palmyra-Macedon's Luke VanGorden enters with a 44-4 record and is another candidate to watch. He hopes to breakout at a state level in his first Albany appearance.
215 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 8 Thomas Kellas, Sleepy Hollow (35-5)
Of the Sleepy Hollow section title-winning quintet, Kellas enters as the highest-seeded member of the Horsemen. The eighth-grade standout will be the youngest wrestler in his bracket, but he's already proved that he's capable of hanging with the big boys, when he took seventh at the Eastern States Classic this season.
Kellas opens against Section 4 runner-up Matthias Welles from Waverly. The two have no common opponents this season, but Kellas has a 35-5 record, while the ninth-seeded Welles enters at 26-11.
The winner will likely face No. 1 seed Sean Kelly of Lowville. The returning all-state standout is 37-2 this season. If Kellas can't pull off the upset, he'll have to find a path to the podium in the consolation bracket. He's capable of reaching the second day of competition in his first trip to Albany.
Three-time PSAL champ and two-time all-state wrestler Christian Solano of Eagle Academy-Bronx and Maple Grove's all-state standout Matt Trim are on Kellas' side of the bracket as No. 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.
The other side of the bracket features No. 2 seed and returning all-state grappler Matt Oosterom of Port Jervis, who is 40-1. Bolivar-Richburg's Caden Allen (39-5), Windsor's Dominick Weaver (34-3) and Chautauqua Lake's Mason Maring are other threats who can go far.
285 pounds
Local wrestlers: No. 15 Jaden Tesher, Putnam Valley (24-3)
With no returning all-state finishers in this bracket, there's a new generation of Division II 285-pounders looking to make a name for themselves.
Tesher is coming into his first NYSPHSAA championships appearance with plenty of momentum, after getting a revenge win over Hen Hud's Mason Dietz. While only the Section 1 champ gets to go to states in Division II, both wrestlers were highly regarded and present in the final regular season state rankings.
Dietz made it to the blood round of states as a No. 13 seed last year, and Tesher will aim to make that uphill climb and go far as a 15-seed.
Tesher opens up against Section 5 runner-up Hunter Jewell-Smith, who lost a close 6-3 bout with third-seeded Luke Herendeen in the section finals. If Tesher can advance, he'll take on Wilson's second-seeded Will Wortkoetter. Wortkoetter is undefeated at 23-0, but he hasn't really been tested outside of his section.
Sherburne-Earlville's Landon Andrade, this year's Eastern States Classic runner-up, is the favorite to win it all, but there's no underestimating or overlooking anybody in this bracket. Don't be surprised to see a couple of upsets in a weight class with no established all-state grapplers.
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Wrestling: New York State Division II tournament preview - 2024
