With the winter season well underway, Friar wrestling finished off their 2017-2018 season as NYSCHSAA State, League and League Dual Champions, with 10 Catholic State Finalists, 7 Catholic State Champions and their 5th Consecutive CHSAA Championship title.
Last year, at the beginning of the season, Head Coach Tony Walters predicted that his team would win their 5th Consecutive title. In doing so, they were the first team other than Chaminade to ever accomplish such a feat. When asked how the Friars prepared to win, Walters simply stated, “We do the things necessary to make it happen.”
With that in mind, the team attended one of the first of their highly competitive tournaments at Excalibur in PA. Excalibur, one of the most anticipated tournaments in the country, allowed the team to face fierce competition, such as Wyoming Seminary and Bergen Catholic currently ranked #2 and #3 in the nation respectively. The team finished 5th, with 9 out of 13 place finishers and gained new experience wrestling tough competition.
Having a competitive schedule isn’t the only thing the Friars take advantage of. The team recently brought back alumni Johnny Vrasidas, and Joe Russ to the coaching staff. “Having alumni as coaches is great and vital to our team mentality.” said Walters. “ They’ve gone through the program so they know what is expected of the team”. Along with alumni coaches Vinny Realmuto, Jamel Hudson and Coach Joe “Grandpa” Collacca, Coach Walters, who is currently in his 24th year as head coach, believes the staff and the captains are ready to lead the team into their best year yet. “This year our captains are seniors John Baloga, Tommy Lotito, Preston Maucere, Tyler Podolsky, Joe Schultz and Jordon Wellington,” said Walters, “who are all more than capable of leading the team to another championship title and to public states.”
Following X-Calibur, the team hosted the annual Friar Bash in the SA student center and took 1st with 9 champions, and 18 place finishers and Preston Maucere taking home Most Outstanding Wrestler. They then headed to Chaminade for their first dual meet of the season, where they won 56-29 in a match filled with pins.
This year the schedule is filled with a ton of competitive dual meets such as St. Peter’s Prep, and Wyoming Seminary, within one day of each other and Bergen Catholic six days later. “Having such a competitive schedule allows the team to have better competition,” says Walters, “which in turn helps [them] to reach another level, and to constantly be pushing [themselves] makes them better wrestlers and us a better team.”
Be sure to come out and support Friar Wrestling at the CHSAA State Championship Saturday and Sunday Feb. 9th and 19th at Holy Trinity High School
By Senior writer Tori Walters: A member of NHS, Varsity Track Team, Kick Line, NHS(National Honor Society), MHS(Math Honor Society), HHS (History Honor Society), Friar Faithful, S.A.L.T, One Love.
