Somers Can’t Hold Onto Early Lead in Loss to Rye

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After jumping out to a 33-12 lead, Somers looked like they were coming away with an easy home win versus Rye. But the Garnets refused to leave town without a fight, and at 33-30, the match rested on TJ Mauro.

“He did everything he could,” said Ryan Ball, and the senior could just not get the final turn in a 5-3 loss that let Rye complete a 39-33 comeback win.

On the other end, Rylan Steuber and Kenneth Tripp came out, and through two periods, neither wrestler could figure out which way was up. Reversals, neutrals and takedowns, Steuber entered the third with a 9-8 lead.

Nonetheless, the Somers 103 pounder was done going bottom’s up. “I felt strong and energetic and I knew I could get him,” said Steuber. “I just overpowered, hipped in and put him to his back.”

Seven straight points to open the period, the rest had him riding high. “When I got on top, I felt pretty comfortable,” said Steuber, and the 16-8 victory gave the home team a 4-0 lead.

Not for long, Elias Becerril made quick work of John Jackson. The Garnet got the early takedown and ran a half to a 10-6 Rye lead.

Robert DeCamp was not as expedient but just as productive. Two takedowns sprung the 118 pounder to a 7-0 lead, and he cradled away Cameron Harvey with 47 seconds left in the second.

A Somers forfeit at 126 continued the back and forth, so Loghan Dwyer did his part to maintain the script. He opened with a single leg takedown and went up 6-0 in the second by playing defense. The 132 pounder refused to give ground on Declan Sutter’s shot, and after sprawling for three, the wrestler kept piling on.

Dwyer scored a major 18-3 decision in the third and sparked three more Somers wins in a row. First up was Ryan Ball. 51 seconds, the senior was at a bit of a loss as to the actual mechanics. “I don’t know, I think it was a cradle,” he said.

Cal Ehrmann was no less forgiving. Three takedowns, he jumped out to a 10-0 lead. “I had good shots today,” the 144 pounder assured.

So the writing was obviously on the ceiling. “I cradled him from a front headlock,” said Ehrmann.

27-12, Derek Kuchinsky followed suit. A 4-4 start didn’t have him celebrating, though. “I was disappointed with the way I wrestled,” said the 150 pounder. “I let him take me down.”

Of course, the Tusker cleaned up in the end. “I hit a nice slide single leg takedown to a cradle and locked him up for the pin,” Kuchinsky asserted.

But three straight Rye pins put it all on John Jack Anderson and TJ Mauro. Three points separating the match, Mauro gave his team the edge with a single leg takedown in the first.

Anderson escaped to close the period, and opening the second on the bottom, the 190 pounder pulled within one with another escape. The big boys slugging it out on their feet, Anderson landed what proved to be the deciding punch.

He got the reversal in the waning seconds and had two minutes to hold onto a 5-3 lead. Easier said than done, the Garnet spent much of the period refusing to let go of Mauro’s leg, and time eventually ran out on the Tusker

A super heavy weight forfeit for Rye decided the day, but down the road, Ball expressed confidence in his teammate. “TJ knows what he needs to do, and If they wrestle again,’ the outcome will be different,” he concluded.

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Somers Takes Fourth in 45th Annual Eric D’Agnese Tournament

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After getting snowed out two days in a row, the high school finally got to host the 45th Annual Eric D’Agnese Tournament on Martin Luther King Day. 4th place for the Tuskers, the big winner for the team deferred his first place medal for the bigger picture.

“It’s not for me, it’s for my town,” said TJ Mauro.

The 190 pounder slugged out a double overtime 4-2 victory in the semis, but the finalist looked beaten. Down 7-2 late in the third, he rolled a Granby and stacked his opponent into a pin.

The gym exploding, the champ refused to bask in the victorious tumult. “I wrestled terrible,” said Mauro. “It should never have come to that.”

Still, Mauro didn’t dismiss the noise. “I appreciate the support,” he assured.

At the other end of the scale, Loghan Dwyer came up short in the finals. A 5-2 final, the 2-1 grind through two periods was all defense. “We were both going back and forth, shot after shot,” said Dwyer.

Unfortunately, Dwyer’s opponent got the better of him in the third. “It cost me the match,” said the sophomore. “I shot when I shouldn’t have. Then he got the takedown.”

Footwork had Cal Ehrmann experience a near miss too. Surrendering the takedown in the first, the 144 pounder fought back with a pair of escapes to set up a 3-2 showdown.

On the circle’s edge, the Tusker nearly got a takedown to end the second, and at the match’s end, control was open to interpretation. Nonetheless, Ehrmann mostly agreed with the call. “I’m not sure I got the takedown,” he admitted.

It was a matter of equilibrium. “If he gave me a bit more forward pressure, maybe I would have got something,” said Ehrmann.

Second place was far from a waste, though. “I’m happy with the way I wrestled today,” said the senior.

So the outlook left the wrestler faced forward. “I hope to stay strong for my match tomorrow and look to win the counties,” said Ehrmann.

In the same boat, Derek Kuchinsky had to settle for a finals loss too. “It’s a bittersweet feeling,” he said.

Of course, sweet was first in the semis. “I did a switch on the bottom, from there I ran a cement mixer, and that led to the pin,” said the 150 pounder.

Done before the first period ended, the finals were another story. Dominated throughout, the Tusker took the loss in stride. “You only get better if you wrestle better kids,” said Kuchinsky, and like all the Tuskers, he is not looking back either.

Note : Ryan Ball finished third and Ethan Steuber and Robbie DeCamp went home with fourth place medals.

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