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Fair Three qualifier champs pace Sailors
Oceanside’s wrestling program continues to be on the rise.
The Sailors followed a successful regular season by finishing third in one of the seven-team Nassau Qualifying Tournaments held last Saturday. Coach Julio Flores said he’s thrilled with Oceanside’s three individual champions and two runners-up.
“I don’t think we could’ve hoped for much more,” Flores said. “The kids were motivated after we lost to Westbury by one point in the dual meet playoffs. They were upset but didn’t dwell on it.
“It’s the biggest time of the season and they really stepped up,” he added. “They weren’t intimidated by the bigger programs. I’m proud of them.”
Senior Kash Calderon provided the lion’s share of the heroics for the Sailors when he outlasted Long Beach’s Keith Wildstein, 5-4, in double overtime to win the 126-pound weight class. Junior Vinny Candela preceded Calderon with a hard-fought 4-2 decision over Uniondale’s Chris Pereira in the finals at 120, while senior JT D’Angelo took a 9-2 decision over Freeport’s Dashaun Thomas in the 170-pound title bout.
Host Long Beach, fresh off its first county dual meet championship in 19 years, ran away with the qualifier title. The Marines totaled 448.5 points, followed by Freeport (330) and Oceanside (263.)
Calderon, Candela and D’Angelo head a group of at least eight Sailors headed to the Nassau County championships beginning this Friday morning at Hofstra University. The tournament continues Sunday, with the finals expected to start at approximately 6 p.m.
“It would mean a lot for Kash to finish All-County,” Flores said of Calderon, who is ranked third. “He’s capable of going really far.”
Candela turned the table on Pereira, who beat him in overtime last month. “I had a feeling Vinny would win this time,” Flores said.
Flores said D’Angelo’s opening match was all he needed to see. “JT has been up and down, but when he’s on he’s tough to beat,” the coach noted. “I knew right away he was on.”
Sophomore Quinn O’Rourke reached the finals at 106 where he ran into defending state champion Jacori Teemer, who recorded a pin in 3:10. Teemer was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and enters the county tournament as a heavy favorite to repeat. Flores believes O’Rourke, who is ranked fourth, will make plenty of noise at Hofstra. “Quinn can do some damage,” Flores noted.
At 195, senior Anthony Pena made an impressive run to the finals where he was defeated by Deny Tavarez of Freeport, ranked No. 1 in the county, 8-3. Pena is looking to crack the top six at Hofstra to reach All-County status. “Anthony has reached the finals of every tournament we’ve been in this season,” Flores said.
Also set to represent Oceanside at the county tournament are 113-pound junior Michael Fishman, who placed third in the qualifier, junior Paul Jacobs, who was fourth at 126, and senior Chris Woods, who was fourth at 160. Sophomore John Cannella also qualified, placing fourth at 132, but will be unable to compete after suffering a broken collarbone.
