By ANDREW McCLURE
"We'd like to win the conference as a team, have a bunch of boys qualify for the county meet, and hopefully have a few county champions." Gewirtz said. "The boys work very hard; they want to succeed."
After an impressive showing at the 12-team Uniondale Tournament, where the Rams finished in fourth place, West Hempstead appears to be set for a competitive season in Conference B-III.
One of the top wrestlers in the program is senior John Zanca. As a junior, Zanca qualified for the county meet in the 103-pound weight class. Gewirtz attributes Zanca's success on the mat to his strength and intelligence. Zanca finished first at the Uniondale tournament. Another wrestler who had a strong junior season is 145-pound Chris Scheel. The Rams expect big things from Scheel as a senior.
Three other seniors who bring wrestling knowledge, hard work and strength to the mat are 112-pound John Comuniello, 119-pound Matt Greiner, and Steve Lane who will wrestle in the 189-pound weight class. All three had third place finishes in the Uniondale tournament. Senior Doug Sheelar will be competitive at 171.
Gewirtz, who served as an assistant coach for two seasons, is pleased with the team's approach on and off the mat. "The boys not only have tremendous work ethic when it comes to wrestling, but they're excellent students in the classroom," Gewirtz said. "We make sure the kids stay on top of their studies."
The Rams work hard in the weight room, and spend a lot of time on cardio and plyometric training. Plyometrics is said to be one of the best ways, if not the best way, to improve power. Junior Dan Colica, an Olympic style weight trainer who qualified for the junior nationals in weightlifting, competes at 145 pounds. Another strong junior is 160-pound Keith Cohen.
A solid sophomore class, led by 130-pound Zach Frigand, should enable the Rams to have success in the years to come. Frank Lonigro and Mark Chou will also compete at 130 pounds. 215-pound Dom Bonfiglio, who was an alternate at the county meet as a freshman, finished second at Uniondale.
Other sophomores who will compete are hardworking 119-pound Chris Ostrander, 125-pound Ryan Michelman, and Jason Sohan who will wrestle in the 160-pound class. Gewirtz makes special mention of fellow 10th graders A.J. Marisi and Tom Scheel, citing both as outstanding team contributors.
Gewirtz, who is assisted by Neil Testa, likes what he has seen thus far from the Rams.
"I'm real proud of these kids," Gewirtz said. "They put a lot of time in practicing and preparing. We ended the season pretty well a year ago, and so far things are looking good this season."
West Hempstead is at Great Neck North on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
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