Pictured from top to bottom, Piero DiNicola dumps his opponent on his way to victory for Fox Lane. Fox Lane’s Jake Raimo locks up a move for a pin. Barron Ransom rolls his opponent over for a pin in win over New Rochelle. Jim MacLean Photos
By JIM MACLEAN
Every wrestling match comes down to individual matchups, and Fox Lane coach Anthony Rodrigues knew there were a couple of bouts that could determine the outcome as the Foxes hosted New Rochelle on Jan. 3.
The Foxes entered the match with a few injuries, but Piero DiNicola and Jake Raimo each won key matches by pin to lead the way as Fox Lane scored a 53-21 victory over the Huguenots.
“I was concerned with this match, especially with Marvin Alarcon out of the lineup,” admitted Rodrigues. “We also had three or four guys coming down a weight and sometimes the first match down a weight you don’t know what you’re going to get, but I was pleased with how they wrestled. Jake Raimo and Piero DiNicola had really big matches, those were the two key matches, everything else went according to how we thought it would go, but we had to win those two matches, and little Flavio DiNicola did a great job losing only by a decision.”
Maynor Argueta got the Foxes rolling as he came down a weight class to compete at 116 pounds and dominated, registering a first-period pin to make the score 12-3.
New Rochelle answered with a pin to make it 12-9, and that set the stage for Piero DiNicola at 131 pounds against one of the Huguenots better wrestlers. With the score tied 4-4, DiNicola made his move to register the pin and give the Foxes an 18-9 lead.
Once again New Rochelle answered to cut the lead down to 18-15, but then Raimo came through with his big victory at 145 pounds. Trailing 3-0, Raimo turned his opponent onto his back to win by pin and give the Foxes a 24-15 lead. The Huguenots cut the lead down to 24-21, but the strength of the Fox Lane lineup was coming up as the Foxes rolled to victory in the next five bouts to wrap up the win.
After Chris Bloom won by forfeit, Luke Ryan followed with an 18-1 victory by tech fall, and Barron Ransom won his match by pin for the Foxes. Alex Berisha and Jack Morales then won by forfeit to make the final score 53-21.
Ransom pinned his opponent at 190 pounds as he continued to make his case as a contender for a sectional title. Of course, he does get to compete against Berisha every day in practice. Berisha is used to getting forfeit victories in dual meets without much competition to face on his level in Section 1. He is a two-time Section 1 champion and was a New York state finalist last year, currently ranked No. 1 in the state in the 215-pound weight class.
“That’s my bro right there, he helps me a lot and I appreciate him, I’ve learned so much from him,” Ransom said of Berisha.
Over the holidays, Berisha was busy as he competed in the Beast of the East Tournament in Delaware, one of the top tournaments of the season with the best wrestlers from the East Coast. He went 4-2 overall and finished fourth in the 215-pound weight class.
Rodrigues will be taking Berisha, Ransom and Ryan upstate to compete in the Eastern States Classic wrestling tournament against a tough field that includes many of the top wrestlers in the Northeast.
“Alex was fourth at the Beast of the East, not what he wanted, he’s at that level where he’s not looking for moral victories, he wants to win, but competing in those tournaments that’s how you get better. Those tough tournaments you just want to be better on Sunday than you were on Saturday. Barron sometimes makes it harder than it has to be, you can’t be a high-wire act and make a mistake, but he’s working hard and getting better every day. Him and Luke are going to be a problem in their weight classes by the end of the year for sectionals.”
The Eastern States Classic will be held Jan. 10-11 at the Impact Athletic Center in Clifton Park. The rest of the Foxes will be competing on Saturday at the Hen Hud tournament.