By TONY BELLISSIMO
As expected, last Thursday's Conference I-B wrestling opener between Oceanside and Sewanhaka West came down to the wire. The Sailors, who were forced to forfeit two weights due to injury or illness, lost two pivotal bouts late in the match and ended up on the short end of a 33-30 decision.
"The kids and I felt good about having a shot to win right through to the end," Oceanside coach Joe Kachuba said. "There weren't many pins, so the match stayed close all the way."
The Sailors hung tough despite handing away 12 points. Junior Zach Zassman (171 pounds) returned to practice the following day after missing about a month with an injury, and junior Carson Aksnes (189) was out sick. Sewanhaka West conceded at 103, and winning half of the 10 contested bouts was enough to give it the victory. Eric Blasich's win at 152 and Miguel Ponce's pin at 160 provided the difference.
Kachuba continues to be impressed by the performances of seniors Chris Kapp (215) and Harrison Billig (135/140), who improved their records to 10-2. Kapp pinned his opponent in 1-minute, 27-seconds, while Billig needed only 41 seconds to get the job done.
"Chris is a strong 205 pounds but he has the agility of a 189-pounder," Kachuba said. "His quickness and technical skills give him an edge over most opponents, even though he gives away close to 10 pounds most of the time. A lot of heavyweight matches are low-scoring, but that's usually not the case when Chris is involved."
Billig earned All-Conference honors a year ago and came within a single victory of finishing in the top six in the county at 130 pounds. Both of his losses so far this season saw him get pinned after holding a large lead.
"Harrison needs to wrestle smart in the counties to go far," Kachuba said. "He's certainly capable of doing some damage. Like Chris, he's probably the top kid in the conference at his weight and he wrestles with a lot of confidence."
An influx of youth has brought Oceanside's numbers to triple the amount it concluded with last season. Sophomore Matt Strandberg (119) is off to a fine start with a .500 record, and Kachuba is appreciating the scrappiness of freshmen like Jeff Marmol and Nick Cascio. "Jeff and Nick are battling every practice," he said of the young 140-pound pair. "They've been getting into some varsity matches and gaining experience every day."
The coach was pleased with the participation at practices during the holiday break, which always makes for a challenge. "We had improved turnout," Kachuba said. "It's a tough time of the season because a lot is happening."
The Sailors continue their conference schedule with a trip to Hicksville on Friday, and they're headed to Mineola for some dual meet action on Saturday.
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
