By STEVE SINISKI
Seven Rams qualified to compete at the tournament, and a school-record four finished among the top six in their weight class to earn All-County honors.
And just as significant as the individual accomplishments is the team's 10th place finish in the 42-team field, also a new program benchmark. The Rams totaled 78.5 points, finishing just behind Calhoun (79).
"We only have 18 kids on the team," coach Mike Leonard said, noting two other wrestlers missed the season with injuries. "A lot of [the success] is due to commitment and sacrifice. With the four guys placing it might show the younger guys that hard work does pay off."
No Rams define the term "hard worker" better than senior Tiago Pereira (112 pounds) and sophomore Mike Leonard, Jr. (119), who each walked away with third place.
Leonard entered the tournament unseeded after a third-place finish at Clarke in the qualifying tournament Feb. 13 yet managed to string together a 6-1 mark at Hofstra in the longest road possible for All-County honors. He pinned Bethpage's Christian Toscano at the 1:37 mark for third place, and his only defeat last weekend was at the hands of the eventual champion in the weight class. Leonard lost his second match of the tournament but closed with five consecutive wins.
Pereira, meanwhile, who doubles as Leonard's workout partner, turned in a pair of tough decisions over Long Beach's Eddison Tigre on the way to third, including an 8-5 victory in the placing round. "You're only as good as your workout partner," coach Leonard said, noting the finish of both wrestlers.
Seniors Kelly Palmer (130) and Andrew Rollo (285) captured fourth place, with Rollo ranking among the team's big surprises. Palmer lost 9-7 in overtime in the semifinals to Ariel Guerrero of MacArthur. Senior Drew Gottstein (140) and junior Gustavo Cabrare (145) each earned the Rams points with victories, while freshman Dave Amann (103) made his first county tournament appearance.
Pair of Jets earn All-County
East Meadow had 15 wrestlers qualify to wrestle at Hofstra, and senior Rob Mancino (140) and sophomore Andrew Danziger (215) battled their way to All-County honors. Mancino took home sixth, and his 3-3 mark on the big stage included a pair of one-point defeats.
"He got down early and was never able to get the lead [on Cataldi]," Jets coach Chris Critchley said of Mancino, who ends his career with 104 victories and a pair of All-County finishes. "He just ran out of time."
Danzinger led the Jets with a fourth-place finish, dropping a 4-3 semifinal to Wantagh's Tom Hall and a 5-3 decision to Plainedge's David Ng in the placing round. Junior Nick Falco (119) fell one victory shy of All-County when he was defeated by Leonard, 5-4, one of six single-point defeats East Meadow suffered at the two-day event. Senior Max Jeshiva (152) also fell one win shy of All-County.
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