The Sachem Youth Wrestling Programs from East and North continued their strong post season performances in February’s County Championships and the New York State Championship. The two squads sent a combined 27 wrestlers to the county championship and placed an outstanding 20 of those wrestlers on the podium at Half Hollow Hills West.
The team’s were paced by Champions Joey Mullady, Matty Keegan, Nick Dadabo, Zachary Redding and Danny Short. The Bantam Mullady captured his title in only his first year of wrestling. Keegan and Dadabo followed up their county titles with strong performances at the state championships which were held at Bay Shore High School this past
weekend.
Keegan had an impressive run to the title match, in a closely fought match he edged out his tough Section IV opponent to capture his first State Championship. Dadabo padded his ever expanding resume with another All-State finish, running the table to the finals where he came up just short of the title with a 2nd Place finish.
Keegan went undefeated in the counties on the way to his title. Redding had one of the most impressive runs of either tournament. He dominated the Suffolk Championships on the way to the finals. In the finals he met a training
partner who had beaten him in the past and edged him out 3-2. At states, redding faced that same opponent, and handily beat him this time, on the way to the finals match. In the finals, Redding, who entered as the
13th seed, faced the No. 2 seed fell in a very tough bout.
Redding is one of the most dedicated wrestlers in the room and trains year round with both the Sachem East Club team as well as top club team on Long Island. Clearly his extra work is paying off.
Beyond the champions strong performances were put forth by the entire squad. From the Bantam Division (1st & 2nd Grade) Sachem had multiple place winners. Behind Mullady and making the podium were Gio Crisanti, JT Mankowich and Kyle Price.
Mikey Tietjen, Ryan McLauglin and Christian Montalvo, all wrestling in the counties for the first time all picked up wins and when they didn’t, they represented Sachem well by battling every second of their matches.
The Intermediate (3rd & 4th Grade) had the most impressive run of any age group. 10 of the 11 wrestlers who entered made all county including three champions and two runners up. The intermediate group was so well
represented that it wasn’t uncommon to see Sachem kids facing off with teammates throughout the entire event. Lightweights Jared Weinhaus, Johnny Tietjen, Justin McFaul, Trey McGowan and Cameron Lee showed what having great workout partners does for you. All of these kids practiced with each other throughout the year and into the postseason and all of them made all county.
Moving to the bigger guys Gavin Souto, Keegan, Dadabo, Short and Tyler Price all had strong days. Tyler joined his brother Kyle as all county this year after both of them fell just short last year. They spent the whole season working towards their goal and achieved it.
The Novice Division (5th & 6th grade), while not entering as many wrestlers put on just as strong of a performance as the Intermediate group. 6 of 7 kids who entered made all county and the all of them qualified for the State Championships.
Sal Cusumano who missed placing by one close match, wrestled so well that he was offered a wild card to
the states.
Brothers Sam and Sawyer Matlat continued their stellar post season careers by notching another all county performance each. The total All-County honors for the brothers stand at 6 and counting. Sawyer Davis took a solid 3rd and again qualified for the state championships where he won his first match at states after making the tournament in the past.
Great, great efforts and improvement shown by Trevor Murray and Travis Ciulla. Trevor had an undefeated run to the semi-finals at counties before taking on states. At the states he only lost one match but an officials scorebook error ended his day early. Very unfortunate but Trevor took it in stride and battled on. Travis had one of the
strongest days of anyone at the States.
After taking 4th in the toughest weight at the counties he compiled a 4-2 record at the states.
The Schoolboy Division (7th& 8th Grade) was paced by Jordan Leath’s All County Performance. Also representing Sachem were AJ Curiale and standout Sagamore wrestler Brice O’Hara. Brice continues the O’Hara legacy forged by his dad Dennis and his uncle and Sachem East head coach Sean, not to mention his cousin Conor, who was All-State this season and holds the varsity wins record with 152 career victories.
The O’Hara name is not the only Sachem wrestling family in the district. They are joined by the following families who had multiple kids wrestling in the postseason or elsewhere in the district, to name a few
and I know we are missing some – The Prices, Tietjens (whose dad and uncles all wrestled for Sachem), Mankowich, Murrays, Matlat’s, O’Hehir’s and Leaths.
Honorable mention goes to cousins Cusumano and Keegan who both have little brothers on the way up. We will be hearing these names for years to come in kid, middle school and high school.
PHOTOS: See more images from Sachem Youth Wrestling
Post Season Accomplishments
- Matty Keegan – County Champ/NYS Champ
- Nick Dadabo – County Champ/All-State/State Finalist
- Zachary Redding – County Champ/All-State/State Finalist
- Danny Short – County Champ/All-State
- Joe Mullady – County Champ
All County
- Gio Crisanti
- JT Mankowich
- Robby Mankowich
- Kyle Price
- Jared Weinhaus
- Johnny Tietjen
- Justin McFaul
- Trey McGowan
- Cameron Lee
- Tyler Price
- Trevor Murray
- Sawyer Matlat
- Sam Matlat
- Travis Ciulla
- Sawyer Davis
- Jordan Leath
All State
- Jared Weinhaus
- Tyler Price