Thursday, October 1, 2026
Wantagh’s wrestling team is getting its bearings with a young team while still finding success.
Despite only seven seniors on the roster, Wantagh jumped out to a 7-1 start in its dual meet schedule and is eyeing a high county finish come February.
“We feel like we do every year that we should be in the top five in the county and maybe a little bit higher,” said Wantagh assistant coach Ray Hanley Sr. “We are off to a strong start going into the Christmas break which we are very happy with and we are looking to build off of that.”
Hanley said sophomore Jordan Hill along with juniors Jonathan Cutrone and Jonathan Lembo all have potential to capture individual county titles when they compete on the big stage at Hofstra’s Mack Sports Complex on Presidents Day weekend.
Hill, who is Wantagh’s lone returning All-County wrestler, is competing at 110 pounds this winter after placing fifth as a freshman in the Nassau County Division I championships at 101. He captured the fifth place consolation finals at Hofstra with a pin of Valley Stream South’s Alex Bahadur and has shown periods of dominance early this season with two pins in the David Bloom Memorial Duals hosted by Wantagh on Dec. 13.
Cutrone is looking to return to All-County status at 132 pounds two seasons removed from placing fifth as a freshman at 101. Lembo is also looking to reach the podium at 165 after falling in the county quarterfinals last year.
“He is coming into his own this season,” said Hanley of Lembo, who recorded a pin of Massapequa’s Nicholas Scannapieco on Dec. 18 in a 47-24 dual meet win.
Hanley also sees opportunities for All-County seasons from junior Coley Blaney at 127, sophomore Nicholas Montagano at 144, senior Shane Adee at 190, eighth grader Jack Merecka at 110 and junior Liam Horan at 118.
“All those guys have the potential if everything works out where they can make the podium," Hanley said.
Wantagh will be well battle-tested as it gears up for counties with a rigorous schedule including competing at the prestigious Eastern State Duals on Jan 9-10 in Clifton Park, N.Y. The Nassau County Dual meet championships are scheduled for Jan. 24 at Clarke High School before individual county qualifying begins in early February.
The Warriors were without longtime head coach Paul Gillespie early in the season due to an illness with Hanley stepping up to lead the program in an interim capacity before he is slated to be back in January. The Wantagh coaching staff also includes Ray Hanley Jr., Todd Bloom and Matt Soethout.
“Paul knows all the guys well on and off the mat,” Hanley said of Gillespie, who has produced six state champions at Wantagh since taking over the program in 2011. “Paul is a great role model for the kids and we miss him immensely right now in the room but we will hopefully get him back soon.”
