Long Beach out to defend title

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Last winter was a historic one for Long Beach’s wrestling program.

The Marines enjoyed a history-making performance at the Nassau Division I championships, setting records for points (322.5) and All-County finishers (14) on the way to capturing their first county tournament title in six years.

They crowned four county champs, the most in any season under 20-year head coach Ray Adams, including undefeated Jacori Teemer (126 pounds) who went on to capture a third straight state title. Teemer, Tyrese Byron and Tyreek Bromley are returning county champs, and three other runners-up return, making Long Beach chalk to repeat.

“In the springtime we got to enjoy how well we did last season with our awards dinner,” Adams said. “The Long Beach wrestling community is one big family. The community always gets behind the program and we’re excited to try to build off last season.

“We’re taking the same approach we always do,” he added. “We build the toughest schedule we can and try to get better every day.”

Long Beach, which repeated as Nassau dual meet champs, qualified 26 for the county finals at Hofstra, after setting a Qualifying Tournament mark with a dozen winners. The Marines had seven county finalists, by far the most of any school.

Teemer, a junior who was slowed in December by a knee injury, added a national championship to his resume over the summer. “Jacori’s one of the best wrestlers in the state and he knows everyone is out to beat him,” Adams explained. “It’s just another challenge he’s looking forward to.” Teemer will compete at 132 pounds come county tournament time in February.

Byron and Bromley, both seniors, reached champion status last season after finishing runners-up the previous campaigns. Byron won the 152-pound crown with a pin of East Meadow’s Mike Choi, while Bromley took down the 182 pound title with a 10-4 decision over Lynbrook’s Zachary Kornberg. “Tyrese is quick and explosive and has an unorthodox style that gives opponents problems,” Adams said of Byron. 

Bromley earned a wild-card berth to the state tourney and finished fifth. He recently was named the most outstanding linebacker in Nassau County football. “He’s very strong and explosive,” Adams said. “His goal is to repeat as county champ and become All-State.”

Incredibly, the Marines have 10 other All-County returnees, including finalists Joe Giorlando (170), Pablo Martinez (99) and Charlie Spada (145.) Giorlando put himself on the radar last season as a junior with a big win in the Massapequa Tournament and continued his momentum all the way to the finals where he fell 7-4 to MacArthur’s Jeremy Hughes. Martinez is a rare senior in the smallest weight class where he’ll have an experience advantage, and Spada, who competed in the state tournament as a wild card, is looking to go out with a big senior season.

Senior Matt Maquet is a three-time All-County winner, and seniors John Colletti, Jeffrey Alvarez, Brandon DeVivio and Gregg Wildstein, along with junior Elijah Rodriguez and sophomore Dylan Martinsen, come off All-County campaigns.