Section 5 Super Sectionals

Varsity Wrestling Tournament and State Qualifier

@ SUNY Brockport

February 28, 1987

Championship Final

(Winners advance to state tournament.)

 91 - Tim McKee (Haverling) t.f. Andy Aceto (Edison)

 98 - Shawn Knisely (Waterloo) d. Bryant Ranger (Midlakes), 1-0

105 - Kerry Foster (Canandaigua) d. Mike LoPresti (Spencerport), 8-3

112 - Charlie Sortino (Brockport) d. Anthony Calderone (Edison), 9-7

119 - Ray LeChase (Spencerport) d. Rob Wilson (McQuaid), 14-2

126 - Tom Billone (Spencerport) d. Steve Mesiti (Brockport), 4-2

132 - Tom Reina (Gates Chili) d. Peter Chou (Brighton), 5-2

138 - Shawn Costello (McQuaid) d. Todd Drickel (Webster), 6-0

145 - Vaughn Peterson (Sodus) d. Gary Gilbert (Victor), 3-2 OT

155 - Rick Sadwick (Hilton) d. Doug Miller (Pittsford), 6-5

167 - Jeff Hefner (Spencerport) d. Rob Goodell (Perry), 7-5

177 - Bill Barker (Irondequoit) t.f. Mike Chester (Le Roy), 3:55

215 - Bill Cronmiller (Edison) d. Scott Swenson (Mynderse), 10-3

250 - Joe Amico (Batavia) d. Roger LeClair (Newark), 3-2

Sortino saves trip to states; Brockport senior 'thinks purple'

By John Moriello

Democrat and Chronicle

Sunday, March 1, 1987

Full Text: Copyright © 1987 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Company Inc.

Charlie Sortino had a fine view of the Brockport State gymnasium ceiling last night during the supersectional meet.

The Brockport High School senior saw more of the rafters that he cared for in the last 20 seconds of his victory against Anthony Calderone of Edison.  Calderone, who bagan the third period down by a 9-1 score, attacked in the final minute and had Sortino vulnerable.

Then Sortino remembered his reason for wrestling and maintained a perfect bridge until time expired.

"I kept thinking purple singlet, purple singlet," he said after holding on for a 9-7 decision in the 112-pound final.  "I've seen so many people do it before.  It took me four years to reach out and grab one of these.

After the match, he collected that purple jersey he will wear in Syracuse when the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament begins Friday.

He was one of 14 champions crowned in the tournament that brought together the to four finishers in each class from last week's Section 5 tournaments.

Some of his Syracuse teammates won't be strangers.  Sortino practiced with the Spencerport team this week, and the Rangers provided three state qualifiers: Ray LeChase (119 pounds), Tom Billone (126), and Jeff Hefner (167).

Other workout partners included 105-pound Chris Passero of McQuaid.

"I had a great week of practice, and it was so important," Sortino said.  "That's why Ray and Tom are so good."

So good in fact that only the public address announcer could defeat them.  In the pre-meet lineups, Billone was accidentally introduced as LeChase's opponent.  The mistake was the result of some cards being out of order, but it was appropriate.  They were a combined 67-1-1 this season.

The two laughed at the announcement, and the crowd applauded.

Billone defeated Steve Mesiti of Brockport, 4-2, in a match that was sluggish at times.  Mesiti worked out with the Spencerport team last week, but not with Billone.  They did meet twice during the season.  Billone won both, by scores of 4-0 and 7-1.

"Once you wrestle that much, you get hesitant to shoot on each other," Billone said.  "You know exactly what the other guy has."

A match-by-match rundown:

91 pounds - Edison's Andy Aceto was on the defensive for the entire 3:20 before losing to Tim McKee of bath on a technical fall.  McKee (32-0), Section 5's state rep last year, surrendered his first points of the year (not including penalties) during a 5-4 quarterfinal victory against Andy Antonucci of Hilton.

98 - The most uneventful final of the night saw Shawn Knisley of Waterloo edge Bryant Ranger of Midlakes, 1-0. The point came when Ranger allowed Knisley to step out of the referee's position to begin the third period.

105 - Kerry Foster of Canandaigua assured his return to the state meet by yanking an ankle from under Spencerport's Joe LoPresti in the second period.  He led 5-0 at that point and won by 8-3.

112 - Sortino (32-3) outlasted Calderone.

119 - LeChase (34-0) of Spencerport, a losing finalist last season, took the extra step with a 14-2 decision over Rob Wilson of McQuaid.

126 - Billone overcame an elbow injury suffered earlier in the day to trip up Mesiti of Brockport, 4-2.

132 - As was the case at 98, 112, and 119 pounds already, the contestants were opponents in sectional finals last week.  Sectional Class A champ Tom Reina of Gates-Chili downed Peter Chou of Brighton, 5-2.

138 - Empire State Games silver medalist Shawn Costello of MCQuaid blanked Todd Drickel of Webster, 6-0.

145 - Vaughn Peterson of Sodus escaped with :08 left in the final overtime period to edge Victor's Gary Gilbert, 3-2.

155 - Doug Miller was more than competitive than in the Class A final last week at R-H Sperry, but he still dropped a 6-5 decision to Hilton junior Rick Sadwick.  Sadwick coasted last week, 10-4.

167 - Spencerport senior Jeff Hefner gave the Rangers their third Syracuse-bound wrestler by rallying from a 5-2 deficit for a 7-5 decision over Bob Goodell of Perry.

177 - Irondequoit senior Bill Barker stayed perfect (36-0) with a technical fall over Le Roy's Mike Chester just :05 before the end of the second period.

215 - Bill Cronmiller kept the finals from being an Edison washout by defeating Scott Swenson of Mynderse, 10-3.

250 - All Greater Rochester football lineman Joe Amico of Batavia clinched his second straight state berth by outlasting Roger LeClair of Newark, 3-2.