The championship mindset is back on Old Jerusalem Road.
Two years after capturing the team title at the Nassau County individual championships, the MacArthur wrestling team is fueled for an opportunity to once again vie for spots at the top of the podium following last winter’s truncated season.
The Generals were limited to seven matches in the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic with no traditional county or state championships.
“It’s night and day,” said 13th-year MacArthur head coach Rob Paletta of having championship events back on the schedule. “That is why coaches coach and the kids always want to compete for some type of title at the end.”
Paletta returns a number of wrestlers who will be in the mix for either individual championships or earning All-County accolades by placing in the top six.
Senior Killian Foy, who finished fourth in the state and second in the counties as a sophomore two years ago, will look to close his high school career with a title at 138 pounds. Foy is off to a strong start this season posting pins in matches against Kellenberg, Great Neck South along with a dominating 16-1 victory that ended by technical fall versus Mepham’s Devin Greene on Dec. 16.
Twin brothers James Clarkson and Matt Clarkson will also look to reach the podium as All-County wrestlers at 215 and 285 pounds, respectively. Paletta said the two seniors were rising sophomores in 2020 and have worked hard in the offseason after missing out on a chance to compete in the counties last year.
Junior Paul Lichter is also expected to be in the mix for All-County honors at 145 or 138. His younger brother, Matt Lichter shows promise at 110 and shows early potential for a top-six finish at counties.
Paletta said junior Benjamin Velasquez is making strides at 215 and could also make a run at the county championships. He recorded a pin of Mepham’s Igneri in just 52 seconds as part of MacArthur’s commanding 62-8 dual meet win.
“We have a solid team,” said Paletta, a former standout MacArthur wrestler who placed second in the 1991 county finals. “We have a couple of guys who didn’t get as much of a chance to compete last year and if we can develop them and get them going for the dual meet championship I think we should be in the mix.”
MacArthur, which captured the 2020 dual meet championship, will be battle-tested in its quest for a repeat when it hosts title contender Long Beach on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. The county dual meet championships are scheduled for Jan. 22 at Clarke High School and the New York State duals will take place on Jan. 29 at SRC Arena in Syracuse.
The Nassau County individual championships will take place Feb. 12-13 at Nassau Community College. Those who qualify will compete at the individual New York State Championships at the Times-Union Center in Albany from Feb. 25-26.
