WRESTLING: With four champions, nine finalists, Riverhead takes league tourney title

BY BOB LIEPA  |  SPORTS EDITOR

SMITHTOWN -- Blue was the color of choice in the Suffolk County League IV wrestling championships on Saturday. That is blue, as in Blue Waves.

The Riverhead Blue Waves, who are the league's dual-meet champions, completed a double by winning the tournament team title for the first time since 2005. With four league champions and nine finalists, Riverhead totaled 268 1/2 points to finish well ahead of the second-place West Babylon Eagles (196 1/2) in the tournament at Smithtown West High School.

"After the league season is over, this is like our second season," Riverhead Coach Rocky Davey said. "This is what we worked for all year."

Riverhead senior Myles Buhner said his team's achievement "just feels phenomenal."

Buhner (171 pounds) ended up standing atop the podium as a league champion as did teammates Chris Krumbiegel (125), Edwin Perry (140) and Gabe Rice (145). It was the second straight year in which Perry and Buhner were crowned league champions.

Fourteen Blue Waves qualified for the county tournament that will be held Friday and Saturday at Stony Brook University. Among them are league runners-up Anthony Infantolino (112), Bill Anderson (119), Jose Hernandez (130), Travis Baskin (135) and Delon Richards (189).

"We definitely made a statement today," said Perry.

The top-seeded Buhner brought his record to 33-2 by scoring a 3-2 decision over Frank Speights of West Babylon in overtime of their final.

"Everybody wants to win and you're afraid of losing, but you got to go out there and give it your all," Buhner said. "You can't hold back."

Perry (29-2) won a 15-4 major decision over Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West in their title bout. It was redemption for Perry, who had lost to Grimaldi earlier in the season. "I was just focusing on beating the kid in the finals, getting revenge," the senior said.

Immediately after their match, before Perry's arm was raised by the official, Perry and Grimaldi apparently had some words to say to each other. Asked about it later, Perry said, "It was just some stuff that wasn't settled from the last time I wrestled him."

Krumbiegel (32-5) justified his No. 1 seeding with a 12-2 major decision over his final opponent, Steven Gagliano of West Babylon. "It feels great," said Krumbiegel, who called it the biggest achievement of his wrestling career. "I'm going to the counties, so it can't get any better."

Rice (28-5), seeded third, knocked off the No. 2 and No. 1 seeds in the semifinals and final. The Riverhead junior earned a 10-4 decision over Joe Hunsucker of Smithtown West in a semifinal before defeating Michael Carter of Hills West, 4-2, in the championship match. Both Hunsucker and Carter had beaten Rice earlier in the season.

"That's what you want to do, come in here and do something like that," said Davey.

Did Rice feel pressure when he walked onto the mat for the final?

"It's somewhat nerve-wracking, but after you get into the second period you start to focus on the match instead of everything  around you," he said. "Then it's just wrestling."

Baskin may have suffered the most heartbreaking loss of the finals. He was leading Brandon Cauchi of Deer Park, 1-0, before Cauchi executed a lightning quick reversal in the final seconds to win, 2-1, in dramatic fashion.

In the other finals in which Riverhead ers lost: Zach Lugo of Deer Park prevailed over Infantolino, 3-2; Jorge Borreiro of West Babylon was a 10-4 winner over Anderson; Paul Baumann of West Babylon pinned Hernandez at 2 minutes 35 seconds; and Jake Smith, who was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler, decisioned Richards, 6-3.

Posting third-place finishes for Riverhead were Kevin Thomas at 96 pounds, Keith Miles at 103, Pat Thomas at 125, Joe Menna at 160, and Shawn Yarborough at 285. Another Riverhead er, Chris Blank, was fourth at 215.

"The competition was alright, but the county is where it really matters," Perry said. "That's where the real competition is going to be."

bliepa@timesreview.com