Scarsdale tournament: Holmes wins despite bout with illness

Scarsdale tournament: Holmes wins despite bout with illness
By Anthony Malakian
The Journal News

SCARSDALE - When Horace Greeley's Mike Holmes woke up in the morning, no one really knew if he would be able to wrestle in yesterday's Scarsdale tournament.

Holmes has been battling a nasty case of pneumonia for virtually the whole season. The last time he was on a wrestling mat was in the first week of the season when he placed second at the Port Chester tournament.

So even if he could wrestle, how good could he possible be?

Well, Holmes made the trip and it paid off with his first-ever tournament title last night.

In definitely the biggest upset of the night, Holmes pinned Scarsdale's Nick Civetta 1:11 into the second period in the 275-pound final. Civetta was 12-0 going into the match and had won two previous tournaments this season.

"I've been out since probably Dec. 10 and I haven't practiced once since then," Holmes said. "I got up this morning, met them at the bus, and I am lucky things went my way."

Surprisingly, despite the fact that he had not even practiced since early December and had a tough 10-4 decision victory in the semifinals, Holmes still had a tremendous amount of endurance.

Holmes was able to catch Civetta twice with a pancake, the final winning being the decisive move.

"He was beating up on me," Holmes said. "Once I found out that I could get him on his back like that, it took just a little motivation, a little bit extra to go after him and try to get it."

Port Chester took the team title with 170 points, 29.5 ahead of Harrison and 45 ahead of Yorktown. The Rams were led by the Calero brothers: Jamie, J.P., and Alex.

Jamie claimed the 152-pound title; J.P. won at 189; and Alex placed fourth at 140.

Jamie defeated Pearl River's Anthony Ramone 9-4 and J.P. won a 7-4 decision over Louis Difazio of Harrison. The brothers were proud of what they and their team achieved.

"We try to work hard every day in practice. Coach (Greg Domestico) pushes us everyday," J.P. said. "We did really well today and I am proud of everybody. We did a great job."

Fellow Rams Max Josephson (96), Andres Salcedo (119), Johnny Maldonado (125), Randy Robbins (135) and Mike Sorbella (215) each placed second. Josephson was named the most outstanding freshman.

In the most evenly contested match of the finals, Harrison's Rick Contrata outlasted Mount Vernon's Cory Scott to win 6-4 in overtime at 130 pounds.

Contrata was able to get a reverse to tie the score at 4-4 with 1:15 left in the third period. Contrata rode Scott out to get to overtime and hit a smooth single leg as both wrestlers crashed out of bounds.

Contrata said it was Scott's height - about 3-4 inches on Contrata - which gave him the most problems.

"It was a little hard and I had to move him around a lot more," said Contrata, who was named the most outstanding senior. "I just wanted to win."

Contrata and teammate Mark Arcara, who won the 112-pound crown, notched their 95th career victories.

Dom Campitiello (Clarkstown South) was named the most outstanding wrestler on his way to winning the 96-pound division. John Coffey of Pearl River, the champ at 145, was named the most outstanding junior after notching his 89th career victory.

Rounding out the list of champions were Mike Ahern (103), Jeff Allison (119), Dylan Sanzo (125), Matt Edwards (135), Ben Spiegel (140), Dennis Pace (160), Sam Weiner (171) and Ben Proteno (215).

Reach Anthony Malakian at amalakia@lohud.com or 914-696-8233.

Scarsdale tournament

At Scarsdale

Team results - 1. Port Chester (PC) 170; 2. Harrison (H) 140.5; 3. Yorktown (Yk) 125; 4. White Plains (WP) 124; 5. Pearl River (PR) 104.5; 6. Scarsdale (Sc) 82; 7. Clarkstown South (CS) 64.5; 8. Mount Vernon (MV) 62; 9. Horace Greeley (HG) 59; 10. Pawling (Pw) 52; 11. Tappan Zee (TZ) 27.

Championship

96 - Dom Campitiello (CS) pin. Max Josephson (PC), 1:33; 103 - Mike Ahearn (Yk) pin. Nathan Lustig (WP), 1:48; 112 - Mark Arcara (H) pin. Juan Garcia (WP), 1:48; 119 - Jeff Allison (PR) maj. dec. Andres Salcedo (PC), 13-1; 125 - Dylan Sanzo (CS) maj. dec. Johnny Maldonado (PC) 10-1; 130 - Rick Contrata (H) dec. Cory Scott (MV), 6-4, OT; 135 - Matt Edwards (WP) pin. Randy Robbins (PC), 3:25; 140 - Ben Spiegel (HG) maj. dec. Dan Romero (Pw), 14-2; 145 - John Coffey (PR) pin. Dave Edelman (Sc), 1:19; 152 - Jamie Calero (PC) dec. Anthony Raimone (PR), 9-4; 160 - Dennis Pace (MV) pin. Steve Simonetti (Pw), 3:10; 171 - Sam Weiner (WP) pin. Luke Genovese (Yk), 1:33 ; 189 - John Calero (PC) dec. Louis DiFazio (H), 7-4; 215 - Ben Proteno (H) pin. Mike Sorbella (PC), 5:07; 275 - Mike Holmes (HG) pin. Nick Civetta (Sc), 3:49.

Semifinals

96 - Josephson (PC) pin. Planamento (H), 1:13; D. Campitiello (CS) pin. Bombach (Yk), 1:54; 103 - Ahearn (Yk) pin. Dorf (Sc), 3:57; Lustig (WP) maj. dec. Lieberman (PR), 12-0; 112 - Arcara (H) pin. A. Faroan (TZ), 1:55; J. Garcia (WP) pin. Vitro (Pw), :45; 119 - Allison (PR) pin. Skolnik (Sc), 2:17; Salcedo (PC) pin. Drummond (CS), 3:08; 125 - Sanzo (CS) dec. Antonio (Sc), 9-6; Maldonado (PC) pin. Spinola (H), 5:45; 130 - Contrata (H) pin. Modi (Yk), 5:20; Scott (MV) dec. Wortham (WP), 8-3; 135 - Edwards (WP) dec. Lutz (H), 6-4; Robbins (PC) pin. Tobia (Yk), 5:45; 140 - Romero (Pw) dec. Volpe (H), 8-4; Spiegel (HG) maj. dec. A. Calero (PC), 12-4; 145 - Coffey (PR) pin. G. Campitiello (CS), 2:39; Edelman (Sc) pin. Anderson (MV), 5:22; 152 - Anthony Raimone (PR) pin. Hollahan (WP), 5:12; J. Calero (PC) pin. Garrigan (Yk), 1:14; 160 - Page (MV) pin. Albrecht (PR), 5:33; Simonetti (Pw) pin. Pack (HG), 1:41; 171 - Weiner (WP) pin. Carias (PC), :58; Genovese (Yk) pin. Sherman (Sc), 4:45; 189 - J. Calero (PC) pin. Baez (TZ), :26; DiFazio (H) maj. dec. Whiting (PR) 17-6; 215 - B. Protano (H) pin. Drivas (Sc), 3:37; Sorbella (PC) pin. Chen (Yk), :41; 275 - Civetta (Sc) pin. Tapia (PC), 1:15; Holmes (HG) dec. M Protano (H) 10-4.

Third place

96 - Bombach (Yk) dec. Porcelli (Yk) 4-3; 103 - Lieberman (PR) dec. Caldera (CS), 6-4; 112 - A. Faroan (TZ) dec. Vitro (Pw), 8-1; 119 - Rayo (WP) dec. Drummond (CS), 6-3; 125 - Spinola (H) pin. Antonio (Sc), 5:04; 130 - Wortham (WP) pin. Modi (Yk), 4:57; 135 - Lutz (H) dec. Tobia (Yk), 11-5; 140 - Volpe (H) dec. A. Calero (PC), 5-2; 145 - Anderson (MV) dec. G. Campitiello (CS), 8-1; 152 - Garrigan (Yk) maj. dec. Hollahan (WP), 15-7; 160 - Albrecht (PR) pin. Pack (HG), 1:39; 171 - Carias (PC) maj. dec. Jean (MV) 8-1; 189 - Whiting (PR) dec. Baez (TZ), 5-2; 215 - Drivas (Sc) dec. Chen (Yk), 3-2; 275 - Tapia (PC) dec. LaPorta (Yk), 3-1.