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Light Drizzle Seaford seeks more success
Seaford wrestling is looking to carry over the momentum from a historic season last winter.
Three Vikings reached the New York State Championships after capturing individual Nassau County and the team won the program’s first dual meet county championship. With a strong returning cast, seventh-year head coach Dave Takseraas is eyeing seeing more of his wrestlers stand on the podium in February.
“Last year was a really good season for us and coming into this year we had high expectations,” said Takseraas, a former Viking wrestler who graduated Seaford in 1996. “We have a lot of good wrestlers back.”
Junior Jake Murphy got off to a 23-1 start at 126 pounds and is seeking his third straight county crown. Murphy, who earned a 99-pound county title as a freshman, won the 113-pound championship last year and had only one loss the whole season that occurred when he moved up in weight to 120.
Senior Pat Quinn is also back on the mats looking to defend his 182-pound title. Junior Brendan O’Hagan won a county championship with pin last year and Takseraas is hoping he peaks come championship time at 195 pounds after starting the season late due to injury.
“They are all great leaders in their own way,” said Takseraas of his large group of captains, who all have garnered All-County accolades three times. “To leave any of them off as captains didn’t see right.”
Takseraas also sees potential for championship success by junior Nick Luciano, who was the third ranked wrestler at 195 pounds in Division II by the Long Island Wresting Association as of Jan. 19 and is expected to compete in the 220 division in the countes. Freshman Jack Godoy also making waves as the second-ranked LIWA wrestler at 99 pounds after earning some varsity experience as an eighth grader last year.
The Division II county championships are slated for President’s Day weekend at Cold Spring Harbor High School. The New York State Championships will be held Feb. 28-29 at the Times Union Center in Albany.
To prepare his wrestlers for high stakes championship bouts, Takseraas pieced together a grueling non-league schedule. Seaford was pitted against some of the state’s top wrestlers at the two-day Mid-Hudson Tournament in Dutchess County featuring 26 teams. The Vikings also competed against Wantagh, Long Beach and Uniondale in the annual Patrick Butler Duals on Jan. 4.
“We wanted to get the team ready for the end-of-the year tournaments,” Takseraas said. “We’re looking to peak at the right time.”
