SOURCE: www.monroecopost.com

February 24, 2005

Gordon wins sectional title
Royal Comets finish in fifth place as a team at Section 5 Championship
By Dick Standish
Henrietta Post
Thursday, February 24, 2005

Full Text: Copyright © 2005 Henrietta Post.
Reproduced with the permission of Messenger Post Newspapers.

On February 9th, the Royal Comet wrestling team had their last dual meet of the season, at Gates-Chili, and a lot was riding on it. If they won, they would share the Monroe County Division I Championship with Brockport.

As it turned out, Gates-Chili was not able to put a full roster on the mat and the Royal Comets easily defeated the Spartans, 63-12. There were only five of the 13 weight classes contested, but R-H won two of them in dramatic fashion. Mike Mancari (112) pinned Frank Martello early in the second period. Jason Hightower (145) took Dave Danuzio down to the mat and pinned him in less than a minute.

This dual meet victory and the championship that went along with it gave the team momentum going into the AA Sectional tournament this past weekend at Webster Schroeder High School.

If you have ever been in the R-H wrestling room, you know the names of all the R-H wrestlers who have won tournaments, Counties and Sectionals are painted on the wall for all to see a source of inspiration. Phil Gordon (130) had high hopes of revenging his loss in the finals of the Monroe County Tournament to Mike Hicks of Spencerport, and getting his name on the wall again.

It was already there for winning the Spencerport tournament earlier in the year. As fate would have it, he got his wish and defeated Hicks 5-1 this time, to win the Section V AA title.

The team as a whole also did well this weekend, capturing 5th place overall. The top four finishers in each weight class at sectionals now advance to Super Sectionals, the State Qualifier Tournament. Coach Marlowe will be taking a group of five wrestlers to the tournament next weekend at SUNY Brockport.

Because of his win, Gordon will be the number one seed at 130 pounds. Desi Green (103) and Amadu Jalloh (140) both won their Consolation finals match to finish in third place.

Dan Pagan (125) and Andy DeMersman (215) both lost 1-point matches to take home fourth place. Therefore, these four wrestlers and Gordon will be in Brockport next weekend.

Two others, Hightower (145) and Greg Standish (171) captured fifth place and will be the alternates for Super Sectionals and will fill in if one of the first four in their weight class is injured or cannot make weight. Jon Roberts (119), Dave Rolley (152) and Jeremy Andreano (160) all finished in sixth place to complete the scoring for R-H.

The season is over for most of the team except those headed for Super Sectionals. Regardless of what happens next weekend, Coach Marlowe and the Royal Comets have had a great season. Good luck at Supers!