By STEVE SINISKI
But for the first time in the history of the tournament, a twist was added -- wild-card
wrestlers.
In an effort to prevent byes for the top four wrestlers in
each weight class, four wild cards were selected from across the state based on a variety of categories.
Because of his stellar track record in Nassau County Championship tournaments over his career -- which included a pair of second-place finishes, a third and a fourth -- his career win/loss differential and the performance of Section VIII in previous state meets, Pagano became one of the 60 wild cards selected to compete at the Times Union Arena in Albany. Nassau County, which
finished fourth overall as a team, had seven wild-card entrants, the least of any team in the top four.
The luck of the draw at 140 pounds wasn't necessarily in Pagano's favor, as he opened against Desi Green of Section V's Rush Henrietta. Much like Pagano, Green found himself on the outside looking in after several second-place finishes in his own county tournaments.
Pagano fell behind early but forced the action in the third period before time became his enemy in a 9-6 loss to Green. It was the first of four wins for Green, the ultimate title winner in the weight class.
"He wrestled brilliantly," Colts Coach Gregg Muscarella said of Pagano. "He pushed the issue in the third period, and [Desi] Green wore down. He just ran out of time."
Bounced to the wrestleback rounds following the defeat, Pagano knocked off Jake Villaret of the New York City Public Schools in a 10-3 decision. Pagano got on the scoreboard first and continued to apply the pressure throughout, staying true to the Calhoun creed of being
active on the mats. "He left it all on the mat," Muscarella said of Pagano's performance at the tournament. "If you're going to win, you've got to make things happen. He's always been aggressive and assertive and did a great job."
Despite a recovery from an early-season knee injury that prevented him from competing or training at full strength, Pagano advanced to the third round against Islip's Paul Vaeth, who eventually captured third place in the weight class. Vaeth managed to keep Pagano off the
scoreboard in a 5-0 win. "He wrestled well, but [Vaeth] had a little bit more than him," Muscarella said. "We weren't able to get a takedown, good penetration and finish.
"He was in both matches. He got the opportunity to wrestle in the states and got a tough draw, but he put his best foot forward."
The all-time leader in wins at Calhoun, Pagano made his only career entry into the state tournament a memorable one. And you can count Muscarella among those in favor of wild-card entries at the state tournament. "The wild card was a long time coming," he said. "It gives kids the opportunity who are greatly deserving of it. It's a breath of fresh air to know that you're not leaving kids home that have the credentials."
