Maybe it doesn't conjure up images of a fearsome jungle cat or have the ring of some other catchy modern mascot name, but the combined wrestling team representing Briarcliff, Byram Hills, Valhalla and Westlake high schools reigned supreme, winning the Section 1 Division I Dual Meet Championship on Thursday at Westlake High School. BBHVW edged Fox Lane, 37-34, to clinch the title.
Junior Nick Fortugno clinched the win for BBHVW, which does not have a team nickname, with a 12-1 major decision over Fox Lane's Maynor Argueta at 124 pounds. The victory was also the 100th of Fortugno's career. The team win qualifies the combined squad for NYSPHSAA's state dual meet championships in Syracuse Feb. 1
"I wouldn't be able to do it without the help of my family," said Fortugno, a Byram Hills student. "The job's not done yet. It feels great."
Also winning matches for BBHVW were Neil Paulercio (138), Thomas Tsoi (152), Peter Hinze (160), Vincenzo Mannello (108), and Jace Weinerman (116). Marcarlo Mannello (101) won by forfeit.
"It's been a long road," said BBHVW coach Joe Grippi, who noted the team wasn't very good when the merger happened several years back. "The kids have bought in. They've worked really hard. Some of our kids came up from freshman year and they were under .500 and now they're placing top in the sections and helped us win this tournament. The kids deserve all the credit. They've worked so hard."
BBHVW won the Section 1 Div. I team championship last year, but new rules preventing combined squads from winning that team scoring title later this season, make them ineligible to defend it.
"It's great that we can win this," said Grippi, himself a 2009 Fox Lane graduate and a former Section 1 champion, who was coaching against his alma mater. "Now, we're going to keep grinding and try to get as many guys to states as possible. All those guys, and especially our top level guys have aspirations of not only getting to the states, but getting to the top of the podium."
Winning matches for Fox Lane were Marvin Alarcon (145), Luke Ryan (170), Barron Ransom (190), Jack Morales (285) and Piero DiNicola (131). Alex Berisha won by forfeit at 215 for Fox Lane.
Fox Lane beat North Rockland 50-12 in a semifinal, while BBHVW beat John Jay-Cross River, 39-35.
Semifinal: Briarcliff-Byram Hills-Valhalla-Westlake 39, John Jay-Cross River 35
Consolation: John Jay-Cross River 38, North Rockland 33
"It takes a lot of hard work and it takes a lot of being together, as a family," Fortugno said of winning a team championship. "We're a family. We do everything together. We take losses together. We take wins together. It's just a brotherhood. I love being a part of this team. We all have each other's backs. It's a love for the sport."
"We weren't always this good," said Tsoi, a Valhalla student. "We built this team to make it become something really good and we all built off each other. We worked hard. We worked our butts off to get here. We're just like any other team, merger or not. We were bad and then we were good and nobody cared until we were good."
"Everyone's working hard in practice," said Paulercio, a Valhalla senior . "That's what's really getting the job done on the mat."
"Honestly, it's pretty great having people come from four different schools.," Paulercio said. "Everyone gets to know each other very quick. Everyone's wrestling. Everyone gets together, scraps, hangs out after practice. Gets extra work in after practice and we all become brothers from there."
Phil Strum is an editor who oversees local sports for lohud/The Journal News.
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