Starting with the 113 pound weight class in Division I, which features three nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 6 Thomas Cox (Deer Park) is in a half-bracket with returning state placer Anthony Sulla (North Rockland), while No. 20 Kellan McKenna (New Hartford) and No. 17 Anthony Cirillo (Rocky Point) occupy the other half-bracket.
Even though there is no nationally ranked wrestler at 120 pounds in the Empire State, the talent here across both divisions is crazy good, with many on the precipice of a ranking. In Division I, the top seed Anthony Sparacio (North Babylon) - a returning state placer -- was done no favors. He'll have the winner of an opening match between returning state placers in Austin Hertel (Hilton) and Anthony Argentieri (Kenmore West) in the quarterfinal, while 2014 state placer Tito Colom (St. Francis) lurks as a possible semifinal opponent. Returning state runner-up, and 2014 Super 32 placer, Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge) is seemingly by himself in the other half-bracket.
The Division II 120 pound bracket features four wrestlers that were in the state finals last year. The returning state runners-up occupy different quarters of the top half, Dane Heberlein (Alexander) and Jacob Nolan (Saranac); while returning state champions Jonathan Gomez (Locust Valley) and Theo Powers (Mexico) are in the lower half, with 2014 state placer Dean Raymond (Deposit-Hancock) in the same quarter as Powers.
There is a champ vs. champ clash in Division I at 126 pounds with No. 16 Jacori Teemer (Long Beach) and John Arceri (Huntington) possibly to meet on Saturday night in Albany. The 132 pound bracket in Division I features a pair of ranked wrestlers with No. 2 Vitali Arujau (Syosset) and No. 18 Peter Pappas (Plainview JFK); Arujau is a two-time state champion after finishing runner-up to Yianni Diakomihalis in eighth grade, while Pappas has finished runner-up each of the last two years to Diakomihalis. Arujau was done no favors, though it doesn't matter, as returning state placers Phil Spadafora (Half Hollow Hills East) and Hector Colom (St. Francis) loom in the quarterfinal and semifinal. Returning state qualifier Freddie Eckles (Lake Shore) is also in the half-bracket with Pappas.
Finally, the 145 pound Division I bracket is heavy with talent, anchored by returning state champion Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield). Ranked No. 8 nationally, Gissendanner is looking at a likely semifinal against either returning state placer Evan Barczak (Monroe Woodbury) or the very talented Connor Melbourne (John Jay Cross River). The likely finals opponent will be the winner of a quarterfinal bout between returning state placer Jack Taddeo (Shoreham-Wading River) and two-time National Prep placer John Busiello (Eastport-South Manor).
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