Since the conclusion of the state wrestling championships I’ve been sulking around my house and the office, going through wrestling withdrawals. The one thing that has made it somewhat easier to accept season’s end is this blog. I knew I could log on each day and read intelligent posts (well, most of them) from coaches, parents, former wrestlers and fans. Now that the spring sports season is upon us, it is time for Takedowns to be taken down until, hopefully, next December. I enjoyed the season, especially reading the daily insight from the Section 1 wrestling community. I would like to thank all of the loyal blog readers and contributors. If it wasn’t for you, Takedowns would not have been successful. To all the wrestlers, coaches, parents and fans, have a great offseason and let’s have a continued effort to help improve Section 1 wrestling. I hope to be back at this blog site next December for another season of this great sport.

   In today’s story concerning the coaches’ plan to improve Section 1 wrestling, I wrote that Section 1 has had only six finalists since 2000. I was incorrect. My memory failed me last night as I was writing my story.

   I forgot 2005 in Albany when North Rockland’s C.J. Rodriguez and Marc Zurla and Fox Lane’s Mike Cucolo all wrestled for state titles. My apologies to C.J., Marc and Mike for the memory lapse.

   Let me set the record straight. The aim of this blog is to discuss Section 1 wrestling, not to bash coaches, wrestlers or individuals who are trying to help Section 1 wrestlers.

   Here is an example why Section 1 will constantly struggle to improve. Instead of trying to work together as a collective section, we have individuals taking shots at others. Whether you like someone or not, or their approach, they are attempting to help Section 1 wrestlers.

   I don’t want this blog to deteriorate into the old Section 1 forum. Let’s keep the discussions to how we can help Section 1 improve. 

   Coach Mahoney’s posting regarding Section 1’s state performance initiated a spirited, and sometimes highly-charged, discussion about what Section 1 needs to do to improve.

   There were many excellent comments, which is good to see. Now, let us see what will come. I guess we will find out, or shall I say Coach Rogers will find out, when the Nationals come up in July, and when schools have open mats.

   To recap what has been suggested by the loyal blog contributors, Section 1 wrestlers need to work harder during the offseason, compete in off-season tournaments whether it be Greco, Freestyle or Folkstyle, go to open mats whenever you can, and join a private club, if it is affordable. And during the season, going outside the section to difficult tournaments so wrestlers can be exposed to possible state-championship competition before March. So what if a wrestlers suffers one or two losses during the season. The important thing is for the wrestler to face the best competition his coach can find to prepare him for the state championships.

   Ask Ardsley’s Pete Vulpone, New Rochelle’s Jim Guccione, Nanuet’s Brenden Rogers, Somers’ Dennis DiSanto, Mahopac’s Salvatore Imbimbo, Putnam Valley’s Will Carano and Suffern’s Chris Matteotti. Where do these coaches take their teams for tournaments, to Long Island, the Eastern States, Section 2 tournaments, or schedule a Huntington or Babylon or Valley Central (like North Rockland coach Andy Guccione did this season).

   Also, like Coach Rogers said, enough with the finger pointing. Do you think the Section 11, Section 5, Section 2 or Section 8 coaches, just to name a few, are arguing and shifting the blame to others in their respective sections? Enough already, how about Section 1 working collectively to try and improve.

   For example, when Mahopac’s Joe Mazzurco and Pearl River’s Matt Homenick, two of Section 1’s finest and dedicated wrestlers, were seniors, Homenick made the trip to Mahopac to work out with Mazzurco in preparation for the state championships.

   I’ve said enough and now I throw it open to the loyal blog contributors.  

  

   The coaches have spoken.

   Coach Rogers said it best, get out and wrestle, be it either in Greco-Roman, Frestyle or Folkstyle. Also, like coach Rogers said, if the expense of a private wrestling club is too great, there are schools with open mats with Clarkstown South being the prime example.

   Coach Mahoney has made a good point when he said that coaches have to work together to make the level of wrestling in the section better.

   Coach Warren noted that Section 1 teams should go to out-of-section tournaments.

   Now, it is time for the wrestlers to respond so that Section 1’s state-showing can improve.

  The longest two weeks of the wrestling season officially concludes Friday with the beginning of the State Championships.

   The past two seasons Section 1 has had seven finalists. In 2005, North Rockland’s C.J. Rodriguez and Marc Zurla and Fox Lane’s Mike Cucolo reached the finals. I think we all remember the grand larceny that was performed on Rodriguez, who won the 135-pound state championship, only to have it taken away from him on a technicality. To this day, as I have been told, and rightly so, Rodriguez is viewed as the 2005 135-pound state champion.

   Last season, Mahopac’s Dave Colagiovanni, Horace Greeley’s Greg Einfrank, Pearl River’s Shawn Logue and Nanuet’s Rich Berkowitz were all finalists.

   All the best to Section 1 wrestlers as they continue building to the ultimate goal – a state championship. It’s good to have wrestling back after this two-week layoff.