Although fall sports are coming to an end, Friar Wrestling is just around the corner. Finishing off their 2016-2017 season as NYSCHSAA State, League, and League Dual Champions with 9 Catholic State Finalists, 2 Catholic State Champions and their 4th consecutive CHSAA Championship title.
Varsity Head Coach Antoni Walters is looking to make history this year. “This year we will be the first team other than Chaminade to win 5 Catholic State titles, ever. Then we’re going to become the first Catholic high school to win a New York State Public Federation Title.”
Winning that public state title shouldn’t be too hard considering the competition the team will be facing this year. Their first dual meets are against Wyoming Seminary, Bergen Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep, currently ranked #1, #6 and #14 in the nation respectively, all within 3 days of each other. Following that, the team will be heading to the Prep Slam in Georgia, one of the toughest private school tournaments in the country. “We have the best schedule in New York State, #1 in the country, #6 in the country all coming to St. Anthony’s.”
In terms of the Catholic league there isn’t much competition. During their 2016-17 season, the Friars beat Chaminade, 60-15, St. John the Baptist, 62-15, Holy Trinity, 74-6, and Kellenberg, 64-12, showing how truly dominant they are. Assistant Coach Vinny Realmuto, a former Friar Wrestler himself (Class of 2001), is looking forward to the first two dual meets of the season, Wyoming Seminary (PA), and Bergen Catholic (NJ). “They are consistently top ranked teams in the country. They should be a good gauge to see where we are as a team.”
Coach Walters, an Amityville wrestler, who is a 2x World Team Trials Qualifier in Freestyle and a US Greco-Roman National Champion, is entering his 23rd year as the Head Coach of the program. He believes his captains are ready to lead the team. “Our captains are three seniors, Nicholas Greer, Justin Crawford and Maguire Horl, and I see them all going to public states this year.” In terms of their leadership of the team, Coach Walters believes all they need to do is lead by example and the rest will fall in line.
The rest of the team should perform well also, said Walters, “as long as they do what they’re supposed to do, don’t question it and live the mentality, history will be made. As it says on the wall, If you don’t believe, you don’t belong.” The Friars lost 12 seniors last year, 7 of which were starters. Coach Realmuto believes that “losing Brian Kelly’s experience and Dutch Schultz’s leadership are hard to replace, but I believe that we have some guys ready to step up and fill those roles in a big way.”
In terms of coaching, the team lost one Assistant Coach at the end of the season and gained another former friar, Jamel Hudson (2012) to their coaching staff, along with Realmuto (2001), Frank Lombardo (2005) and Connor Horl, who was not a friar but a Garden City Wrestler. “Having alumni on the coaching staff is a vital part of St. Anthony’s Wrestling. The alumni coaches know the history of the team, they wrestled under Walters, and they know what is expected of the wrestlers and of themselves.” says Realmuto.
The road to public states is a long one that all begins with the annual ten-mile run, five miles to Walters’ house, and five miles back to St. Anthony’s. The ten-mile run is a requirement of all team members, Coach Walters included. Running, sometimes biking, alongside his wrestlers is the same way he practices with them. The mentality that Coach Walters creates in the room develops a family atmosphere unlike any other. “Friar Wrestling is unlike any other team, we’re one huge family and that’s why we’re going to to win that title.”
Be sure to come out and support Friar Wrestling at their first home match against Wyoming Seminary on Thursday, December 21 at 6pm.
About The Author:
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Tori Walters Tori is a junior at St. Anthony’s high school, writing for her first year with Friar Scoreboard. She is a member of NHS, Math Honor Society, S.A.L.T, Friar Faithful, and Winter and Spring Track. |
