Jets aiming high on the mats

East Meadow is turning heads in the typical way on the mat—with headlocks and cradles—but the Jets are also doing so to opposing teams with their overall performances. Backed by a strong junior class and emerging group of underclassmen, East Meadow has fared well in dual meets—knocking off five opponents at Freeport’s Terry Haise Duals on Dec. 20, including Commack, East Islip and Freeport and also won its own Holiday Invitational on Dec. 27. 

“The guys have really been wrestling well,” coach Chris Edmunds said. “They’re really picking up the technique and putting in the hard work and its showing in the [results].”

East Meadow knocked off Baldwin, 61-14, in a Conference I-B dual meet last Friday that included wins in five straight weight classes after starting out with a forfeit at 99 pounds. Junior John Massoud, perhaps the team’s most improved wrestler, pinned Jahlio Treasure at the 1:58 mark in their bout at 100 pounds, followed by eighth-grader Shawn Regan squeaking by Ronaldo Escobar in a 2-1 decision at 113 pounds. For Regan, it was a strong rebound after dropping an earlier decision to Escobar in a mid-December tournament. Last Friday, Regan made a single takedown stand up for the victory.

“He got beat pretty good [in the first match],” Edmunds said of Regan. “But he made adjustments and has been receptive to the suggestions on what to do and when to do it. He’s doing well.”

Junior Dan Rivers pinned Baktawar Khan at the 1:52 mark at 120, then Matt Girsch (126) avenged an earlier loss to Baldwin’s Jon Quinn with a pin of his own in 2:58. “It shows signs that we’re coming around when [a few] guys lose and then a few weeks later come back and win [against the same opponent],” Edmunds said.

At 132, junior Andre Cunha has been one of the Jets’ anchors, along with junior Mike Choi at 138. At the East Meadow Holiday Invitational, Cunha was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler, while Choi has developed into perhaps East Meadow’s most decorated wrestler. He started the season with a pair of second-place finishes at Long Beach’s Battle of the Beach, and Bellmore’s Sprig Gardner Tournament then earned himself an individual title at the East Meadow Invitational with a 5-2 decision over Mt. Sinai’s Lionel Paul. 

Voted the Most Valuable Wrestler by his own team after a strong showing at the Freeport duals, senior Dan Frigonis kept his strong start going with a 10-2 decision at 152 against Baldwin’s Ellis Douglas. Senior Josh Levenson, a 160-pounder, ripped off four pins in 9:12 at the East Meadow Holiday Invitational (best of the day) and added another (at the 2:59 mark) over Baldwin’s Dennis Feeney. After missing last season because of injury, senior Marcos Watkins is back at 220 pounds and has already knocked off the No. 2 seed in Nassau County in that weight class. He and junior Joe Antuofermo have flip-flopped at 220 and 285.