North Shore wrestlers aim high

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The Vikings storm into a 2017-18 varsity wrestling season with a rambunctious fervor for success. North Shore boasts a collection of talented wrestlers returning with needed experience to comprise what head coach Michael Emmert believes to be his most talented team yet.

“I think the may be the best North Shore wrestling team in school history,” Emmert said.

The Vikings return two All-County wrestlers in sophomore Antonio George (99/103 pounds) and Senior Zach Hasbrouck (126.) George, earning his All-County honors as a freshman, was the only wrestler in school history to accomplish that feat. Hasbrouck picked up his second All-County honor last season, being no stranger to the feat.

The Vikings also had a third member nearly achieve the impressive All-County honor, which requires a top six finish in Nassau. Junior Steven Grabher (152) arrived at the county championships last year, unfortunately suffering from the flu. He valiantly competed in the tournament, just narrowly edged out in the overtime of his match.

“He has a lot of heart and nearly won his match to be All-County as well,” Emmert said.

Senior Joey Barcellos (145) is a true ‘get-after it’ kind of athlete, working extremely hard as a key member of the team. Senior Kyle Knoll (160 lbs) returns as an important piece to the team with continued improvement in his technique. “He’s had a huge jump in skill,” Emmert said.

Junior Michael Bianchi adds another tough but highly skilled element to the already stellar team. Bianchi will move down from 152 pounds to 138 pounds, a weight class he saw action in last year, and his coach believes he could benefit greatly from this.

“He’s a total stud,” Emmert said. “Bianchi walks around probably near 160, so he would make 152 easily, but at 138 I believe he’s a real contender.”

Michael DerGarabedian, son of a National wrestling Hall of Famer of the same name, wrestling at 126 a year ago will return with a wide set of skills and a real feel for the sport. “He has a lot of wrestling ability,” Emmert said. “His wrestling IQ is through the roof.”

Emmert said he is very pleased with how quickly the team was able to move along early in the season. “We were able to move along a whole lot faster than usual,” he said. “We’re already done teaching and are on to our ‘power hours’ which we usually don’t start until mid-January.”

Emmert contends that the team is not only one of, if not the most skilled he’s had, but also one of the groups with the most chemistry as well.

“We have some vocal guys like Barcellos and Grabher, but the whole team pushes and supports each other,” Emmert said. “They are exploding out from the corners during matches to support their teammate; they are a tight-knit group.

“We’re pushing for a top five finish in the county, which would be the highest Nassau County finish in school history,” Emmert added. “We have a really special team. There are no complainers, and they have so much respect for each other and the coaches.”