Newsday's All-Long Island wrestling team 2024

Newsday’s Long Island Wrestler of the Year: Brayden Fahrbach, Mount Sinai, 138, Sr., 43-0, 199-15

There were expectations for Mount Sinai’s defending state champion. And he knew early in the season that his path to another title was blocked by two defending state champions. Challenged by the difficulty of the state’s toughest weight class, Fahrbach forged ahead and capped a dominant season with a 6-5 win over two-time state champion Gianni Silvestri of Tioga to capture the 138-pound crown. His performance at the MVP Arena in Albany earned him the tournament's most outstanding wrestler award.

Fahrbach was undefeated in both his junior and senior seasons. He ended his career on a 77-match winning streak, one of the longest in Long Island history. He was a four-time all-state wrestler, placing third, second, first and first respectively.

Nassau Wrestler of the Year: Joseph Clem, Wantagh, 131, Sr., 51-3, 181-18

He capped an outstanding career by winning the Division I state title at 131 pounds with a hard-fought 5-3 win over Pittsford’s Samson McKissick-Staley. Clem finished third in the state as a sophomore and second as a junior. He is Wantagh’s 14th state wrestling champion.

First Team

Devin Downes, Plainedge, 170, So., 51-2, 121-23

He became his school’s first state champion since 2012 and just its third overall. He won a school record 51 matches this season.

Gavin Mangano, Shoreham-Wading River, 131, Fr., 51-1, 117-3

He won the Division II state championship at 131 pounds, pinning Jayden Duncanson of Tioga in 5:56 in the final. Mangano was a state runner-up last season. He followed a fantastic state title run by winning the national high school championship in Virginia Beach.

Matt Marlow, Northport, 124, Sr., 41-6, 162-14

He became the 27th Long Islander to reach the state finals three times. He won state titles as both a sophomore and junior. This season, he lost in the 124-pound Division I final to Luke Soriano of Valley Central, 10-0.

Greyson Meak, Cold Spring Harbor, 190, Jr., 42-1, 144-27

He won the 190-pound Division II state crown with a 5-3 win over Tavio Hoose of Southwestern. Meak was a state runner-up as a sophomore. He is the Seahawks third state champion.

Luke Nieto, Plainedge, 138, Jr., 49-2, 124-20

He won the Nassau Division I 138-pound title after finishing third the past two seasons. He reached state final where he lost, 9-4, to Amir Avazov of James Madison (PSAL).

Vincent Petzold, Plainedge, 285, Sr., 48-3, 110-13

He won his second straight Nassau Division I title at 285 pounds. He won two close decisions in the state tournament (2-1 and 4-1, SV-1) before losing in the state final to Stephen Monchery of Middletown.

Matthew Rodriguez, East Meadow, 160, Sr., 42-4, 135-26

He became East Meadow’s first Nassau champion in 13 years and first state finalist in 24 years. He lost in the 160-pound Division I state final, by technical fall in 5:43 to three-time champ PJ Duke of Minisink Valley.

Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez, Long Beach, 108, So., 42-3, 109-12

He lost a heartbreaker in the Division I state final at 108 pounds. He dropped a 1-0 decision to Cooper Merli of Newburgh Free Academy. A three-time state place winner, Sibomana-Rodriguez was a state champion as an eighth grader and took third as a freshman.

Coaches of the Year

Rob Shaver, Plainedge

In his 28th year as head coach, Shaver led his team to the school’s first title in both the Division I state dual meet tournament and the Section VIII tournament. The Red Devils were the top ranked team on Long Island and were 24-2 in dual meets.

Vinny Innes, North Babylon

He led the Bulldogs to the school’s first ever Suffolk Division I dual meet and Section XI tournament tiles. North Babylon finished the season with a dual meet record of 19-2 and won both League III dual meet and tournament titles. After a 34-year career, the past eight years at North Babylon, Innes retired from coaching.