How many years have you wrestled and why did you choose wrestling?

I have been wrestling for three years and I chose wrestling because of how unique it is compared to other sports. I also chose it because of the mental and physical toughness that you develop.

What traditions do you have before a match?

Not many, I like to listen to music and I try to warm up with a partner. That’s pretty much it.

What is your favorite sport aside from wrestling?

Football, because for me it’s more recreation and it’s a lot of fun. I like it.

What is your favorite wrestling moment?

My favorite wrestling moment is when I won my first match. I remember it because it was far into the season and it was a good move for me. I remember I told Pete about it and he was so happy for me. That’s when I knew I was going to stick with the sport.

How do you deal with defeat?

I try not to get to upset about it even though it takes a toll on you. The best way to think about it is to realize there is another match coming up and try to do your best in that one.

What is your main goal for the season?

I am aiming for a section title this season.

You were named Panther Tough Wrestler of the Week, what does that mean to you?

It just means that the work I am putting in is being recognized and that it is not the time for me to let up.

Over the off-season you worked very hard on your wrestling, have you seen an impact?

I have definitely seen an improvement in my wrestling in all areas but there is still a lot of work to be done.

What improvements do you feel you need to make?

I need to make improvements on my bottom wrestling, improvements on my feet even though it gotten better and my top game so basically all around.

Are you doing anything special to prepare for the (first) tournament?

Just making sure that I am eating healthy, staying in shape, anything I can do to get my body ready for the tournament.

Do you have a particular song that gets you pumped up?

Not really, sometimes I do not even listen to music. I’ll keep to myself and be alone for little bit. That helps me.

What are thoughts on the (first) tournament are you excited, nervous, etc.?

I am not going in there nervous I am actually excited because I’m ready to make an impact. I want to show everyone that hard work I put in is going to pay off. 

Game Day!

Get ready for the Post-Season!

The 2014 Section 1 Championships are upon us!

Beacon High School will play host starting this afternoon and continuing on to tomorrow.

Please use the address below for Beacon High School – internet address searches sometimes yield the address of the old Beacon High School.

Beacon High School
101 Matteawan Road
Beacon, NY 12508

Action kicks off at 4 PM this afternoon and Day 1 will include the Round of 16, Quarter-finals and two rounds of wrestle-backs in the consolation bracket.

Day 2 of the Section 1 Championships continues at Beacon High School. Tomorrow’s competition starts at 9:15 AM

Eight wrestlers from each weight will be brought back on Day 2, four in the semi-finals and four in wrestle-backs. Five rounds will be contested: the Semi-Finals, 3^rd Wrestleback Round, the Consolation Semi-Finals, the Third- and Fifth-Place bouts and finally the Championship Finals.

The Championship Finals are slated for 2:30 PM.

WInners of the Section 1 Championships will advance to the New York State Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany on Friday and Saturday, February 28^th and March 1^st. More information on the New York State Championships can be found here.

Go Panthers!

BEACON, NY – It wasn’t the first time the Edgemont Panthers sent five wrestlers to the finals of the Section 1 Championships, it was, however, a history-making event when all five won in dominant fashion to secure their tickets to the New York State Championships and their spot in Edgemont Wrestling history.

Brothers Tyler and Kyle Aslanian (senior, 113 lbs; and sophomore, 106 lbs, respectively), Cliffton Wang (freshman, 138 lbs), Colin Hopkins (senior, 145 lbs) and Chris Kim (senior, 182 lbs) all emerged victorious, joining an elite fraternity into which only 15 other Edgemont Wrestlers have ever been inducted.

Kyle Aslanian

As impressive as five finalist might be (the Panthers only had wrestlers competing in 10 of the 15 weight classes), what is even more telling about the depth and development of the program was the 13 wrestlers (out of 16 Edgemont grapplers competing in the tournament) who placed in the top 6 of their respective weight classes in a Section that spans Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess Counties.

Tyler Aslanian

At 106 pounds, Kyle Aslanian knocked off Westlake’s Rob Dinota with an 11-2 major decision to claim his first Section Championship. At 113 pounds, Tyler Aslanian was back in the winner’s circle after a Championship in 2012 and a second place finish last year. Tyler ended his tournament with a 14-0 major decision over Nanuet’s Dillon Mateo.

Cliffton Wang

At 138 pounds, freshman phenom Cliffton Wang pinned his way through the entire tournament, culminating in a 3:16 fall in the finals over #1-seeded Chris Santana of Pawling.

Colin Hopkins

At 145 pounds, Colin Hopkins came out of the 5^th seed position to upset the #4, #2 and #1 seeds enroute to his first crown.  In the quarters, Hopkins battled a hard-nosed Zach Martin of Pawling to a 5-5 tie with 30 seconds left on the clock. Hopkins scored a two-point reversal with seconds left to claim a 7-5 lead and the win. In the semi-finals, Hopkins came up against #1-seeded Nick Jolly of Lourdes. Hopkins scored first and controlled the match enroute to a 8-3 decision. In the finals, he would face Pleasantville’s Brandon Castro. Once again, Hopkins would prevail to win his first Section Title with an 8-3 decision.

Chris Kim

At 182 pounds, senior Chris Kim would not be denied a second Section Title. Kim
scored early and often against Irvington’s Zach Silverhardt, but rather than cruising to a victory, Kim picked up in the third period, scoring six points in the final frame and securing the tech fall and ensuing bonus points by winning 19-4 at 5:57.

Other Edgemont place finishers included, George Mellor (freshman, 99 lbs, 6^th); Andy Williams (freshman, 106 lbs, 5^th); James Hammond (junior, 120 lbs, 6^th); Max Worobow (sophomore, 132 lbs, 3^rd); Brian Evans (junior, 138 lbs, 4^th); Will Graybeal (senior, 145 lbs, 6^th); Tommy Jachemczyk (senior, 160 lbs, 4^th); and Marc Ficuciello (senior, 160 lbs, 5^th).

Edgemont’s five champions.

Edgemont’s five Section Champions will be back on the mat competing in the New York State Championships in Albany’s Times Union Arena on Friday, February 28^th and Saturday, March 1^st. Tickets and more info can be found here.

On February 28th and March 1st, Kyle Aslanian, Tyler Aslanian, Cliffton Wang, Colin Hopkins and Chris Kim take the mat at the New York State Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany!

All the info you need can be found below!

We will be live tweeting results throughout the tournament! Make sure to follow us on Twitter at @EmontWrestling!

Participants

As Sectional Tournaments are completed, a full list of participants can be found here.

Tournament Info

The 2014 high school wrestling state tournament will be held at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st.

The 2014 Tournament is now in its 11th year of a two-division format and will follow a similar schedule to last year’s event held at the Times Union Center. The tournament finals will be broadcast live by Time Warner Cable SportsChannel for the second straight year.  This year will mark the seventh year an additional 120 wrestlers will fill the byes in the brackets bringing the total number of participants to nearly 500. Qualifiers will hail from the 11 NYSPHSAA sections, as well as from the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) of New York City and the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA).

Ticket Information

Three ticket packages are being offered for the tournament including a “Premium package” for $38 in which an attendee would receive a ticket for each of the first two sessions and a third ticket for the last session in a premium seating area closer to the floor (finals only). Also available will be a one-session ticket for $12 as well as a three-session package without premium seating for $33. All seating is general admission except for premium seating for the finals. Premium seating will not be sold separately during the finals.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE today at the Times Union Center Box Office, select Wal-Mart locations, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For driving directions, please visit our Directions page. Find parking information here.

Schedule

SESSION #1
Friday, February 28
8:30 am……………………….. Gates Open
9:30 am….………………… Parade of Champions/National Anthem
10 am – 2 pm…..….……… Preliminaries: Division 1 and 2
2 pm – 4 pm……..…………Quarterfinals: Division 1 and 2
4 pm – 8 pm…..……………Wrestlebacks: Division 1 and 2

SESSION #2
Saturday, March 1
8:30 am………………………. Gates Open
9:30 am…………………… National Anthem/Special Awards
10 am – 12:30 pm……….. Semifinals: Division 1 and 2
Wrestlebacks: Division 1 and 2
12:30 – 2:00 pm………….. Wrestlebacks/Cons Semifinals: Div. 1 & 2
2 pm – 3:30 pm……………Consolations Finals: Division 1 and 2

SESSION #3
Saturday, March 1
5 pm………………………. Gates Open
6 pm…………………… FINALS: Division 1 and 2 (2 mats only)

Tournament History

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Wrestling State Tournament is one of the biggest high school events of the year. With 480 qualified wrestlers competing in the tournament each year, attendance of the event has grown significantly since 2004, when the format changed to two divisions. Fans and participants from all over New York State have converged on the Capital Region the last several years to watch this great event in one of the top venues in the state.

Below is an historical perspective on attendance of the NYSPHSAA Wrestling State Championships since 2003

2012 – 12,271 (Albany)
2011 – 12,017 (Albany)
2010 – 11,365 (Albany)
2009 – 13,268 (Albany)
2008 – 15,473 (Rochester)
2007 – 14,379 (Albany)
2006 – 17,755 (Long Island)
2005 – 17,323 (Albany)
2004 – 10,599 (Buffalo)
2003 – 9,401 (Syracuse)
2002 – 8,505 (Syracuse)

Here is a historical list of championship venues since 1963:

1963 – Cornell University, Ithaca
1964 – Walt Whitman High School, South Huntington (Long Island)
1965 – Ithaca College, Ithaca
1966 – Walt Whitman High School, South Huntington (Long Island)
1967 – Niagara University, Niagara Falls
1968 – Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse
1969 – George H. Clark Gymnasium, Rochester
1970-72 – Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse
1973 – Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica
1974-2003 – Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse
2004 – University at Buffalo, Amherst
2005 – Pepsi Arena, Albany (currently the Times Union Center)
2006 – Nassau Veterans Coliseum, Uniondale
2007 – Times Union Center, Albany
2008 – Blue Cross Arena, Rochester
2009-2012 – Times Union Center, Albany
2013-2016 – Times Union Center, Albany

There are fewer and fewer situations for adolescents in today’s complex world where there is a clear and direct correlation between sustained hard work and achievement.

For the student-athletes that make up the Edgemont Panther Wrestling Team, this is certainly NOT the case.

Wrestling is not an easy undertaking. It doesn’t come naturally for many and it takes a lot of time and effort to see appreciable results. While this goes “against the grain” for many, those that put in that effort and see those eventual accomplishments, earn far more than accolades.  They take with them one of the most fundamentally important lessons that will drive their successes for the rest of their lives:

“If you dream big, keep working hard and refuse to give up on yourself, you can accomplish anything.”

With the day-in and day-out grind of the wrestling season, the hard work is readily apparent – it’s the results that are sometimes hard to see.

That’s what makes our post-season so important. It’s a measuring stick for many. A chance to look back to where they were three months ago, twelve months ago or eight years ago and admire the view from a new height!

With that said, we’re proud to announce the post-season accolades received by this year’s Panther Wrestlers!

All-League:
99 lbs – George Mellor ‘17
106 lbs – Chris Eppolito ‘16
113 lbs – Kyle Aslanian ‘16
132 lbs – Zach Mohamed ‘16
138 lbs – Brian Evans ‘15
145 lbs – Will Graybeal ‘14
182 lbs – Chris Kim ‘14

All-League Honorable Mention:
132 lbs – Max Worobow ‘16
160 lbs – Marc Ficuciello ‘14

Sectional Place Finishers:
99 lbs – George Mellor ’17 (6^th)
106 lbs – Kyle Aslanian ’16 (Champion)
106 lbs – Andy Williams ’17 (5^th)
113 lbs – Tyler Aslanian ’14 (Champion)
120 lbs – James Hammond ’15 (6^th)
132 lbs – Max Worobow ’16 (3^rd)
138 lbs – Cliffton Wang ’17 (Champion)
138 lbs – Brian Evans ’15 (4^th)
145 lbs – Colin Hopkins ’14 (Champion)
145 lbs – Will Graybeal ’14 (6^th)
160 lbs – Tommy Jachemczyk ’14 (4^th)
160 lbs – Marc Ficuciello ’14 (5^th)
182 lbs – Chris Kim ’14 (Champion)

Section Champions and All-Section:
106 lbs – Kyle Aslanian ‘16
113 lbs – Tyler Aslanian ‘14
138 lbs – Cliffton Wang ‘17
145 lbs – Colin Hopkins ‘14
182 lbs – Chris Kim ‘14

All-Section Honorable Mention:
132 lbs – Max Worobow ’16
138 lbs – Brian Evans ‘15
160 lbs – Tommy Jachemczyk ‘14

All-State:
106 lbs – Kyle Aslanian ‘16

Section 1-Division 2 Wrestler of the Year:
106 lbs – Kyle Aslanian ‘16

Edgemont Wrestling is proud to announce its 2013-2014 Post-Season Team Award winners! In addition to the MVP and Coaches’ Award sponsored by the E-Club, Edgemont Wrestling annually presents these awards at our Post-Season Wrestling Banquet.

Here’s a quick description of our team awards.

Sean Ross Award – Named after wrestling Class of 2006 alumni and current coach, Sean Ross. This award is given to the Ultimate Teammate – always supportive and always doing whatever he can to help the team – qualities that Sean always exemplified as an athlete.

Captains’ Award – Chosen by the current captains, this award is given to the most dedicated, hardest-working freshman or sophomore during the past season

Eric Kantor Award – Named after Edgemont’s first-ever wrestling coach and long-time program supporter, Eric Kantor. The award is given to the athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of good sportsmanship at all times throughout the season.

George DiChiara Award – Named after Edgemont’s longest-tenured Head Coach, George DiChiara. This award is given to the athlete who best exemplifies the characteristics Coach DiChiara strived to teach on a daily basis – Class, Character and Competition.

David Rice Award – Named after wrestling Class of 2008 alumni, David Rice. Dave went from a barely .500 record his junior year to Section Champion, Sectionals Most Outstanding Wrestler and All-State his senior year. This award is given to the wrestler who has shown the most improvement since his last season.

Panther Award – Given to the wrestler who best demonstrates an ability to overcome adversity with mental toughness and resiliency.

And here are this year’s winners:

MVP – Colin Hopkins ’14

Coaches’ Award – Will Graybeal ’14

Academic Award – Zach Mohamed ’16

Sean Ross Award – Tyer Aslanian ’14

Captains’ Award – Cliffton Wang ’17

Eric Kantor Award – George Mellor ’17

George DiChiara Award – Will Graybeal ’14

David Rice Award – Brian Evans ’15

Panther Award – Marc Ficuciello ’14

From News 12 Westchester:

Personal trainers John Marsh & Derek Grant save life of cab driver in Hartsdale by performing CPR

Published: June 2, 2014 10:54 PM

HARTSDALE – A Sunday evening trip to the ice cream shop after work was life changing for two men when they ran into a taxi driver outside of a gas station.

Personal trainers John Marsh and Derek Grant say the driver of the cab was in his vehicle when he waved them over. They say he handed his cellphone to Marsh, who saw that he had called 911 and knew he was having some sort of health problem.

By the time the two men hung up the phone, the driver had passed out and Marsh and Grant had to pull him out of the car and lay him down on the concrete sidewalk. Marsh says he performed close to 200 chest compressions on the driver by the time EMS arrived, which may be the reason the man is still alive.

Marsh and Grant haven’t had a chance to meet the victim yet, but say they hope to do so soon. A spokesperson for Central Taxi of Scarsdale says they are thankful for the quick thinking of both men.

It’s that time of year again when Edgemont High School honors its students at its annual Senior High School Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony was held on Wednesday, June 4th in Edgemont’s PantherDome and as usual our wrestlers were well represented!

Congratulations to Edgemont Wrestling’s award winners!

• Cum Laude Society Award – Will Graybeal ‘14
• AP Scholar with Honors Award – Will Graybeal ‘14
• National Latin Exam – Level III Summa Cum Laude – Zach Mohamed ‘16
• Academic Excellence in AP Biology – Zach Mohamed ‘16
• Math Recognition Award – Cliffton Wang ’17 and Kyle Aslanian ‘16
• Senior Service Band Award – Will Graybeal ‘14
• Excellence in Instrumental Music Award – Will Graybeal ‘14
• Academic Excellence Award – Cliffton Wang ’17 and Zach Mohamed ‘16
• Arthur V. Mann Outstanding Senior Athlete Award – Chris Kim ‘14

This year’s Edgemont Wrestling Club Hall of Fame inductee is Dusty Peck ’68.

Dusty was a “founding member” of Edgemont Wrestling, coming on board as a 98-pound freshman in 1964-1965, the program’s inaugural year, under fellow Hall of Famer, Coach Eric Kantor.

Dusty immediately made an impact as a rookie freshman stepping into a starting roll as an undersized 98-pounder and finishing the season at 13-4. Clearly, Dusty had a gift for grappling.

His sophomore year, Dusty was still at 98 pounds, this time a bit more competitively sized for the weight class. He netted a 15-2 record and All-League honors in an era with far fewer competitions than today’s wrestlers and a single size division for wrestling throughout New York State.

Dusty would go on as a junior and a senior to become not only Edgemont’s first-ever Section 1 Finalist, but our first two-time Section 1 Finalist. He compiled a combined 38-2 record his final two seasons with his only two losses coming in the Section 1 Championship Finals each year.

The honors kept coming: Dusty was All-League, once again, and All-County and All-Section as a junior. His senior season he became an Edgemont Tournament Champion, a Divisional Champion as well as adding one more set of All-League, All-County and All-Section honors and finishing his career with an overall 66-8 mark.

Perhaps eclipsing all of this however was the leadership Dusty provided to the team throughout his career and particularly as a senior to a program in transition and in need of leaders.

Coach Eric Kantor stepped down as coach in 1967, after Dusty’s junior year, and handed to the reins to rookie Coach Al Katz. Katz inherited a program in 1967-1968 with Peck as his only wrestler with more than one year of experience. Peck served as team captain, was named team MVP and under his guidance insured that Edgemont Wrestling would continue on brightly into the future.

Congratulations to our 2014 Edgemont Wrestling Club Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Dusty Peck ’68!

Dusty’s induction ceremony will be held Saturday, June 21, 2014 at the Edgemont Wrestling Club BBQ at the Candlelight Inn at 3 PM – hope to see you all there!

Coach Budney, Coach Jacobson, Chris Kim, Coach Lee, Marc Ficuciello, Tommy Jachemczyk, Will Graybeal, Tyler Aslanian, Colin Hopkins, Coach Alayon, Coach Mitchell

A HUGE Congratulations to the Class of 2014!

You guys have been a tremendous part of the program for many years and you will be missed!

Tyler Aslanian – Wyoming Seminary Prep (Post-Grad Year)

Marc Ficuciello – University at Albany

Will Graybeal – University of Chicago

Colin Hopkins – Virginia Tech University

Tommy Jachemczyk – Plymouth State University

Chris Kim – Binghamton University

Sam Klein – University of Denver

Saumil Kothari – Quinnipiac University

“The past is prologue…”

Front: Will Graybeal, Colin Hopkins, Saumil Kothari. Back: Tyler Aslanian, Chris Kim, Tommy Jachemczyk, Marc Ficuciello.

Colin Hopkins, Tyler Aslanian, Tommy Jachemczyk, Chris Kim, Marc Ficuciello

Photo: Pitt Wrestling

For those who didn’t know, our own Dan Kornberg ’12 (current Pitt wrestler) has spent the last 10 months battling Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Check out the article below to read all about Dan’s journey.

Dan just hit a huge milestone – he finished his chemo and has been cleared to return to Pitt!

Below, members of the Edgemont Wrestling Class of 2013 and 2014 took Dan out to celebrate!

Left to right: Dan Kornberg ’12, Ross Kantor ’13, Sky Korek ’13, Oliver Oks ’13, Colin Hopkins ’14, Jack McCormack ’13, Jason Worobow ’13, Trey Aslanian ’13.

It’s a truly awesome to see Danny get better and to be part of a program where our current and former wrestlers care so deeply about each other and show such tremendous support!

Good luck Danny as your road continues – we’re ALL here for you!

#PantherTough

Click this picture to read about Dan’s battle.

Senior Brian Evans kicks off our Panther Tough Tuesday giving us his thoughts on the upcoming season.

Check out what our seniors are thankful for this holiday!

We’re all thankful to kick off our season next week at home vs. Port Chester at 4:30 PM. Hope to see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Check out senior Sam Charnizon’s thoughts on this past weekend and the season ahead!

The E-Club would like to recognize senior wrestler Sam Charnizon as Athlete of the Week for December 1, 2014. At 152 lbs. Sam is currently undefeated with five victories including a win in Edgemont’s dual meet victory over Port Chester on December 2. Sam also was the 152-pound champion of the Herricks Tournament on December 6, adding four more wins to his tally.

The E-Club would like to recognize sophomore wrestler Cliffton Wang as athlete of the week for the week of December 9, 2014.

Wang is undefeated on the season and went 6-0 this week.

In dual meet action, Wang won a 10-0 Major Decision over Pleasantville Sectional Finalist Brandon Castro and a 4-2 decision over Hastings’ Miles Gencarelli, another highly-regarded Section 1 opponent.

At the North Rockland tournament, Wang was the 160 lb Champion going 4-0 on the day with every victory coming by way of Major Decision, Tech Fall or Pin. He did not give up a single offensive point the entire tournament.

He had wins over all Division 1 powerhouse programs: Tappan Zee, Fox Lane, North Rockland and the one of the top-ranked teams in NYS, Monroe-Woodbury of Section 9.