Wantagh captures 13th Conference IV-A dual-meet title in past 15 years
Tommy Bonasera wins the 145-pound bout via a pin in Nassau IV-A dual meet against Plainedge on Wednesday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
The Wantagh wrestling team is getting primed for a big run at the Nassau County dual meet title and a bid to the state tournament.
Led by Mike D’Amico’s first period pin at 160 pounds, Wantagh turned in five pins on the way to a 49-15 win over Plainedge on Wednesday night to claim the Nassau Conference IV-A dual meet crown.
D’Amico pinned the Red Devils' Robert Merkert at 160 to help Wantagh capture the school’s 13th regular season conference dual meet title in the last 15 years. Plainedge fell to 11-2.
“We’ve had an especially good week of wrestling,” Wantagh coach Paul Gillespie said. “I tell our guys that it does matter how you start because you always want to win every time you take the mat. But the most important thing is how you finish. And I think our guys are in a good place heading into the toughest part of the schedule.”
Wantagh was coming off a huge win over previously undefeated Long Beach, 37-28, over the weekend. The back-to-back wins over Long Beach and Plainedge precedes Wantagh’s appearance at the highly competitive Eastern States Tournament at Sullivan Community College this weekend.
Wantagh will send nine wrestlers in search of individual titles in this weekend’s prestigious tournament.
“We’re ready,” Wantagh assistant coach Ray Hanley Sr. said. “We’re on a roll and wrestling with a lot of confidence.”
Wantagh improved to a Long Island best 22-0 in dual meet action with Wednesday’s win. They were buoyed by pins from Darren Santucci at 110 pounds, Ben Burkhardt at 132, Tommy Bonasera at 145 and Noah Corwin at 172.
“This was a big test having to face Long Beach and Plainedge in the same week,” Hanley said. “We had to win quite a few close matches. Our guys are wrestling very well.”
Wantagh fell just short of a state Division I title in 2022. They reeled off a Long Island single season record of 32 straight dual meet wins. They were beaten by the state Division I champion from Minisink Valley, 49-13, in the final.
“We’ll have to continue to wrestle at a high level to get through the county and get another shot at the state title,” Hanley said. “And we must stay healthy. But we are wrestling well.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
