Mattituck/Greenport/Southold wrestling coach Ryan Grebe perhaps put it best about his three wrestlers who competed at the state wrestling tournament in Albany last weekend.
“It didn’t go as planned,” he said. Seniors James Felakos (190 pounds) and Luca Sirico (170) and junior Ryder Antonucci (138) did not win a match in their respective weight classes at MVP Arena.
They lost their first match and then their second bout in the consolation round.
It was disappointing, but Grebe felt the experience was invaluable for those wrestlers and several teammates.
“If you look back at their entire season, I was really proud of all of them,” he said.
“The state tournament was great experience,” the coach added. “There was a big group up there to cheer them on. But at the end of the day, it just didn’t go as planned.”
Felakos, who reached the states for the third time in four years, captured the Suffolk County Division II title last month. He finished the season with a 37-6 mark and recorded more than 100 career wins.
“James had an incredible season,” Grebe said. “He worked really hard. He’s had a phenomenal career. I know he fell a little bit short of his goals this year, [to be] on the state podium, but overall, one of the best seasons in Mattituck. Anytime you get 100 career victories, it’s pretty amazing.”
Sirico, who finished with a 24-11 record this season, broke his collarbone early in his high school career. He bounced back to earn All-County honors last year, winning his weight class county title in February. He pinned Southampton’s Hudson-Fox Bathon in 35 seconds.
“He faced someone who he had never beaten,” Grebe said. “That was also a goal, is to get that one back. It was awesome that he did. He had a phenomenal season. He got over 20 wins. It was awesome to see him grow as a wrestler.”
Antonucci completed his third year of wrestling with a 28-14 record.
“Which is pretty wild,” Grebe said. “He kind of came out of nowhere in his freshman year.”
As a freshman, Antonucci finished fourth at the counties at 99 pounds before falling short as a sophomore. He took second in the Suffolk tournament this season. “This year, he just turned it up,” Grebe said.