Northport's Matt Marlow wins second consecutive state Div. l title at 118 pounds
Matt Marlow of Northport wrestles Anthony Clem of Wantagh in the 118 lb Division I finals match at the 2023 NYSPHSAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at the MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
ALBANY – A year later, Matt Marlow is still atop the 118-pound weight class.
In a highly anticipated matchup between two of Long Island’s best technicians, the Northport junior defeated Wantagh’s Anthony Clem via 5-0 decision to claim his second straight Division I state wrestling title Saturday evening at MVP Arena.
“I knew I was capable of doing this, but to say it and to do it are two different things,” Marlow said.
Marlow had to work for his first points of the match, but after positioning himself for a single-leg takedown for ten seconds, he was finally awarded the two points with 52 seconds left in the first period.
“I just had to keep working to score on it. Eventually, I got his leg up and took him down to the mat,” Marlow said. “I think that set the pace for the match.”
Marlow, the top seed, scored an escape before earning another takedown with 42 seconds left in the second period for the final points of the match.
Following the match, Marlow was overwhelmed with excitement as he had a moment alone in the staging area.
“He doesn’t care who’s looking,” Northport head coach Thad Alberti said. “He just wants to win. We can’t coach that passion.”
Marlow (41-0) became Northport’s first state champion when he won the title last year. He holds a 121-8 career record.
“He knows that he’s setting the standard for the entire program,” said assistant coach and Marlow’s father, Andy. “Hopefully, it sets the stage for future kids to follow suit, whether it’s next year or five years from now.”
“I knew it would be an exciting matchup if I faced Clem,” Marlow added. “To face someone of his caliber and come out on top is something I take pride in.”
Clem (52-5) picked up an 8-0 major decision over Arlington’s Dillon Arrick in the semifinals Saturday morning.
Following the match, Clem watched his brother, Joe, compete in the final at 126 pounds. Joe fell via 4-2 decision to Jaden Crumpler (Niagara Falls).
At 152 pounds, Hauppauge senior Frankie Volpe finally got his state title.
Volpe, the third seed, defeated top-seeded Donovan Smith (Elmira), 10-5, to become Hauppauge’s tenth state champion and first since 2019.
Smith earned an escape with 28 seconds left in the third period to cut Volpe’s lead to 6-5. But Volpe got right back on the attack.
He scored his third takedown of the period in the final seconds and tacked on two nearfall points to seal the victory.
“I was circling a lot and tried to run the time out,” Volpe said. “He got in close and tried to throw me and I dropped my whole weight and landed on top of him.”
Volpe (40-3) defeated second-seeded Casper Stewart (Attica-Batavia) via 5-2 decision to advance to the final. Stewart defeated Volpe in overtime at the Eastern States Classic in January.
“What he does for our program lifts everybody else up,” Hauppauge coach Chris Messina said. “Everyone gravitates towards him. Those guys don’t come around all that often.”
Herricks senior Joseph Mattei lost in the 160-pound final to Cornwall’s Tyler Reed. Mattei held a one-point lead, but Reed scored a takedown with a minute left in the third period for a 7-6 decision.
Herricks’ all-time pins leader with 138, Mattei picked up two pins in the tournament, including one over second-seeded Johnathan Clohecy (Fulton) in 2:57 in the semifinals.