ORIGINALLY POSTED BY RICH MONETTI FOR THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES ON 12/24/2024
CROSS RIVER, N.Y. – On Tuesday, Dec. 17, John Jay hosted Suffern at the high school, and changing things up, the match began in the middle at 124 pounds. After John Aniello got the Wolves off to a technical default, the Mounties reeled off three straight pins. 18-5, Austin Omin was not thrown off by either factor.
“I think of it as one continuous tournament,” said the senior, and a second period pin put another round in the books, which paved the way for 39 straight points in the victory.
50-24 overall, Aniello came out with a plan.
“My coaches have been telling me to set up my shots,” said the wrestler, and three doubled leg takedowns resulted in a 16-0 third period lead.
Default coming with 17 seconds left, the bridge to Omin had to wait on losses by Nate Nosworthy, Aiden McCaffrey and Denis Zapson.
No problem, Omin un-evened the playing field from the neutral position.
“I try to keep them off balance and take a quick shot,” he said.
Two takedowns later, Omin turned a 6-0 lead into a half nelson pin with 31 seconds left in the second.
Then JoJo Kern hit the mat for the match of the evening. The first blow went to Yiorgos Georgas, though. He got the takedown for a 3-0 lead, and in with a plan, the wrestler proceeded to let Kern up. Another takedown resulting, the strategy didn’t look so bad, but Kern disagreed.
“I don’t like when people underestimate me,” the 152 pounder assured.
And when Georgas went to the well a third time, the basin was dry. Kern got the takedown, and the first period ended 6-5.
Still, the Mountie did open with a third takedown. No changing course, he didn’t learn his lesson. He let Kern up, the Wolf countered with a single leg takedown and he offered some words to the wise, “The strategy didn’t work out so well,” Kern asserted, and a pin moments later proved the point.
18-17 now, Jake Llanos was old hat after scoring the takedown. “Cradle, that’s my go to,” said the 170 pounder, “snap down and overhead.”
John Jay officially rolling, Jeff Quinlin kept his team on the incline. Two takedowns opened a 6-1 second period lead, but Kevin Jimenez battled back to within one with a third period takedown. Enough was enough, though, and Quinlin ended the drama with another John Jay pin.
A forfeit for James Dachik was next, and Craig Holm-Joergensen was almost as fast at 215. A takedown and his opponent was dispatched after only 39 seconds.
Back to the top, David Corrales didn’t miss a beat from being thrown out of order. “I don’t mind when I wrestle,” said the 100 pounder. “As long as I go out there and do well.”
62 seconds later, he made good. “He was pushing at me. So I snapped him down and got him to the mat,” said Corrales. “He was pushing forward. I got behind and worked the top.”
The pin making it 44-18, Mark Tcheremnykh took care of business with 50 seconds remaining in the first, and Omin brought the end full circle. “We got the next round of the tournament on Thursday,” he concluded.
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