103lbs
Wide Open Race
Wide open race here with Andrew Dolson (Shoreham-WR) and Connor Duryea (Avon-Geneseo) being two of the frontrunners, and then you have a trio of Section III studs in Max Hanselman (Lowville), Andrew Telesky (Sherburne-Earlville), and Freddy Smith (Sherburne-Earlville) also completely in the mix.
Max Hanselman (Lowville) was the #1 ranked wrestler after he won the Windsor Christmas Tournament and notched wins over Patrick Winseman (St. Francis) and Andrew Telesky (Sherburne-Earlville). He held that ranking all year until the Section III tournament when Freddy Smith (Sherburne-Earlville) decided to wreak havoc. He dropped from 110lbs to 103lbs and proceed to knock off Hanselman in the Section III semifinals 20-19. Smith would then lose the eventual final to teammate Telesky.
Dolson’s sole loss this year is to Division I long island foe Jace Rooney (East Islip) and outside of that he’s been dominant all year long. Similarly, Duryea has notched several wins over Division I opponents while being dominant in Division II.
Sleeper Pick
Mason Sampilo (Nanuet) is seeded 12th as a returning state qualifier and has had close matches with Andrew Dolson this year. He is also ranked 6th in our state tournament rankings. He’ll get a red hot Freddy Smith in the round of 16, but if he can get through him then anything is possible.
Semifinal Predictions
#5 Andrew Dolson (Shoreham-WR) vs #2 Andrew Telesky (Sherburne-Earlville)
#1 Connor Curyea (Avon-Geneseo) vs #4 Max Hanselman (Lowville)
Finals Predictions
#5 Andrew Dolson (Shoreham-WR) vs #4 Max Hanselman (Lowville)
State Champ: Max Hanselman (Lowville)
110lbs
Four Horse Race
Loaded weight here where the individuals who placed top 4 at 101lbs a year ago are now all up at 110lbs this year. Those four are Mason Dellapenta (Eden), Wyatt Sartori (Dansville-Wayland Cohoctan), Declan McKee (Tioga), and Adrian Torres (Southwestern).
For those reading to understand how close these four are in wrestling ability – last year Declan McKee won the weight at 101lbs. This year McKee lost to Tanner Catrabone (St. Francis), who Wyatt Sartori then went and beat later on in the year. Anything is possible at this weight.
Similarly, Mason Dellapenta (Eden) did major Adrian Torres (Southwestern) 11-3 earlier in the year. Torres did close that gap significantly in the Section VI finals where Dellapenta won 1-0. Can Torres pull it out this time around when it matters most?
Sleeper Pick
Coda Clifford (Canton) has a record of 27-3 this year and notched a win over a very tough Grady Ellsworth (Cicero-No. Syracuse) earlier in the year. He is ranked #13 in the state right now and will come off line 14 this weekend, but those Clifford brothers are no joke! Keep an eye on him this weekend.
Semifinal Predictions
#2 Wyatt Sartori (Dansville-Wayland Cohoctan) vs #3 Declan McKee (Tioga)
#1 Mason Dellapenta (Eden) vs #4 Adrian Torres (Southwestern)
Finals Prediction
#3 Declan McKee (Tioga) vs #1 Mason Dellapenta (Eden)
State Champ: Declan McKee (Tioga)
118lbs
The Favorite(s)
Two favorites hail out of Section III in Andrew Juliano (Holland Patent) and Mason Tanner (JEPU). Juliano was a state runner-up a year ago while Tanner took third in the same weight, and both lost to the state champ in Colton Schmiessing (Oyster Bay) who missed this year due to injury.
In 2025 it was Mason Tanner who would beat Andrew Juliano at the Section III tournament, but this year Juliano turned the tides and stuck Tanner in the finals. The two will now be opposite of each other and may link up again in the finals.
Other Contenders
There are six other former state medalists in the weight featuring Lukas Mills-Travis (Haverling), Lucas Hoffman (Odessa-Montour-Watkins-Glen), Logan Bellis (Tioga), Chase Davis (Port Jefferson), Miles Torres (Southwestern), and Clayton Ritter (Oneonta). Although Juliano and Tanner may be the favorites on paper, this weight is super deep, and anything can happen at MVP Arena.
Sleeper Pick
Tristan Bellis (Red Jacket) is 34-4 on the year and comes in on line 20 while ranked 13th in the state. He will draw Lukas Mills-Travis (Haverling) in the Round of 16 where Bellis took Mills-Travis to sudden victory in the Section V finals. If he reverses that result this time around, he could be well on his way to a state semifinal appearance.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Andrew Juliano (Holland Patent) vs #5 Logan Bellis (Tioga)
#2 Mason Tanner (JEPU) vs #4 Lucas Hoffman (Odessa-Montour-Watkins-Glen)
Finals Prediction
#1 Andrew Juliano (Holland Patent) vs #2 Mason Tanner (JEPU)
State Champ: Mason Tanner (JEPU)
126lbs
The Favorites
Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley) has been sitting atop the state rankings since he won a title at the Windsor Christmas Tournament and he’s been holding down the spot since. Also of note is that Aidan Lee (John Glenn) had been at 132lbs most of the year before he got injured midway through the season, and came back just in time for the postseason but down at 126lbs. Lee took 4th a year ago and is currently ranked #2 in the state.
Brock Frederick (South Jefferson) still is very much a contender after a slight stumble at the Section III tournament. Frederick was leading Jake Burton (Marcellus-Onondaga) throughout the entire first period before he ended up being pinned. The Buffalo commit is now a 2x state runner-up and is still the favorite to make it out of the bottom side of the bracket.
Barrett David (South Seneca) has been dominant all year long and actually teched Andrew Juliano earlier in the year. He is absolutely in the mix as well.
Criminal Quarter Bracket
#1 Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley) and #2 Aidan Lee (John Glenn) will actually link up in the round of 16 despite Lee having placed 4th at the state tournament a year ago. Whoever loses this bout will be doing some serious damage on the backside of the bracket, and could very well place third.
Burton Shakes Things Up
Due to Jake Burton getting the stick over Brock Frederick at the Section III tournament, his quarter bracket has now become wide open. #8 Colin Logalbo (Little Falls), #5 Dylan Newman (Falconer), #15 Peter Filli (Ichabod Crane), and #13 Jake Burton (Marcellus-Onondaga) make up that quarter bracket and anyone could make it out.
Sleeper Pick
Edward Stavros (Hackley) is only a freshman and has only wrestled 7 matches this season. He comes in seeded 20th and is ranked #12 right now. He was a stud this past summer and went undefeated at NHSCA Duals in Virginia Beach.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley) vs #12 Edward Stavros (Hackley)
#3 Brock Frederick (South Jefferson) vs #5 Dylan Newman (Falconer)
Finals Predictions
#1 Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley) vs #3 Brock Frederick (South Jefferson)
State Champ: Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley)
132lbs
The Favorite
Chris Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima) is looking for his second consecutive state title and is having an awesome year that features an Eastern States Classic title alongside an Ironman podium finish. His Ironman podium finish featured a win over Jensen Boyd (Delta, IN) who just finished 2nd in single class Indiana, made the finals in Noto’s weight at Grappler Fall Classic, and won U15 Pan Am’s a couple years ago.
The only other state medalist in this weight is Justin Mullis (Hudson Falls). The returning state runner-up was injured earlier in the year and came back mid-season. He is still unbeaten on the year and is opposite of Noto, so a state finals matchup between the two is likely.
Cole Clifford (Canton) is also having a phenomenal year as he is 37-0 on the year, while Gavin Nordberg (Unatego-UV-Franklin) comes in fresh off a Section IV title.
Sleeper Pick
Shane Wells (Mount Sinai) is coming off of line 12 and just beat a solid TJ Stazzone at the Section XI tournament. He’s 36-6 on the year wrestling on the island, and should be a tough match for whoever he’s up against.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Chris Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima) vs #3 Cole Clifford (Canton)
#2 Justin Mullis (Hudson Falls) vs #4 Gavin Nordberg (Unatego-UV-Franklin)
Finals Predictions
#1 Chris Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima) vs #2 Justin Mullis (Hudson Falls)
State Champ: #1 Chris Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima)
138lbs
The Favorite
Landyn Shaffer (Deposit-Hancock) enters the NYS tournament with a record of 42-1 and a plethora of wins over many in this bracket including Tioga’s Jayden Duncanson. Shaffer had a breakout year this past summer where he made the Fargo National Finals and had solid showings at the Grappler Fall Classic and Super 32. His only loss this year is to Jake Nieto in the Eastern States semifinals and he is the slight favorite at the weight.
The primary person challenging him this weekend is Section V standout Joe Scott (Letchworth). Scott is one of the only individuals in the field this weekend that has not taken a loss to Shaffer and he comes in with a record of 40-1. Scott is only a sophomore and enters the tournament having already placed three consecutive years in a row dating back to his 7th grade year. His past state placements go 7th as a 7th grader, 6th as an 8th grader, and 5th as a freshman. He’s a 2x NHSCA All-American and made the blood round of the tournament last spring. He also had a phenomenal showing at the Journeymen Fall Classic and made the finals of Eastern States earlier in the year.
The other person to keep an eye on hails out of Section IV in Tioga’s Jayden Duncanson. He’s already a 4x state medalist with his lowest placement at the tournament being 4th. He did take a loss by tech fall to Shaffer at the Section IV tournament, but he is never to be counted out.
Sleeper Pick
Returning state medalist John Parisi (Nanuet) comes in seeded 10th and only has one loss on the year, which was to Shane Degl of Iona Prep. Parisi did miss some time with an injury earlier in the year but came back strong at the Section I tournament. He’ll likely wrestle Vincenzo Rubino who is a new addition to Dolgeville in the round of 16. If he gets past him he’ll draw Joe Scott.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Landyn Shaffer (Deposit Hancock) vs #4 Justin D’Arce (Center Moriches)
#3 Joe Scott (Letchworth) vs #2 Jayden Duncanson (Tioga)
Finals Predictions
#1 Landyn Shaffer (Deposit Hancock) vs #3 Joe Scott (Letchworth)
State Champ: Landyn Shaffer (Deposit Hancock)
144lbs
The Favorite(s)
Pretty much a two star show here between nationally ranked wrestlers in Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-WR) and Ashten Haley (Cobleskill-Richmondville). Last year these two met in the finals where Mangano suffered a gruesome injury in the first period but somehow managed to squeak out a win. It ended up turning out that both of these guys were banged up – both Mangano and Haley got surgery at the end of the season and missed substantial time over the summer.
One of Haley’s first tournaments back would be the Grappler Fall Classic where he came in unseeded in a 128 man bracket. He would end up making the finals out of the topside of the bracket that included three nationally ranked kids, and he beat both Fargo National Finalists at 138lbs in back to back matches.
Mangano’s first tournament back would be Journeymen where he’d cruise to victory there, then would follow it up with a 3rd place finish at the coveted Super 32 tournament. During the season this year he would earn a podium finish at the Ironman tournament in Ohio, before a dominating performance at the Eastern States Classic that included a win over nationally ranked Sammy Staley.
Sleeper Pick
Markus Ferrara (Port Jervis) comes in seeded 17th and ranked 12th in the state. He’s wrestled solid Division I competition this year and had success doing so. There’s a solid chance he busts the backside of the bracket this weekend.
Another guy I really like is James Chase (Avon-Geneseo). Although he’s seeded 6th he placed 7th a year ago at 131 and is the highest ranked underclassmen at his weight class. He will likely get Justin Somers in the quarters with an opportunity to guarantee himself a spot in the semifinals.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-WR) vs #3 Evan Sheils (Lansing)
#2 Ashten Haley (Cobleskill-Richmondville) vs #6 James Chase (Avon-Geneseo)
Finals Predictions
#1 Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-WR) vs #2 Ashten Haley (Cobleskill-Richmondville)
State Champ: Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-WR)
150lbs
The Favorite
Maverick Beckwith (Norwich) is on the hunt for his third consecutive state title and comes in with a record of 40-2 and no in-state losses. Beckwith broke out this summer at Fargo where he placed 6th in 16U freestyle at 144lbs after missing weight at 138lbs for the tournament. He’d follow that up with a run to the finals at the Grappler Fall Classic, and would then place at the coveted Beast of the East tournament in the spring.
He has three returning state medalists in Owen Clark (Lansing), Trevor Dellapenta (Eden), and Gene Edwards (Central Valley Academy) chasing him down this weekend. Clark is a recent North Carolina commit while Dellapenta and Edwards are still uncommitted. It should be noted that Beckwith’s closest match with a Division II opponent did come to Clark in the Section IV finals where Beckwith won 11-3.
There are also three returning blood rounders at the weight from a year ago in Jayden Thomas (Phoenix), Ryan Mashaw (Gouverneur), and Nathan Barber (Granville-Whitehall).
Sleeper Pick
Super high on Anthony Perrino (Miller Place) as he comes in with a 19-3 record while wrestling on long island. Miller Place moved from D1 to D2 this year and they’ve had a lot of success. He also teched his way through the Section XI tournament last week with a 17-2 win over John Delaney (Mount Sinai) and Peter Bell (John Glenn) who was a returning state qualifier.
Also really like Josh Uben (Riverdale Kingsbridge) after his solid Eastern States Classic performance. He went 3-2 at Eastern States with his only losses coming to Gene Edwards (Central Valley Academy) and Nicholas Raptis (Poly Prep).
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Maverick Beckwith (Norwich) vs #3 Trevor Dellapenta (Eden)
#2 Owen Clark (Lansing) vs #4 Gene Edwards (Central Valley Academy)
Final Predictions
#1 Maverick Beckwith (Norwich) vs #2 Owen Clark (Lansing)
State Champ: Maverick Beckwith (Norwich)
157lbs
The Favorite
Returning state runner-up Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima) enters his last state finals with a record of 34-3 and his only in state loss coming to Devon Weber (Greece). In this weight he’s already beaten returning state medalist Cooper Robinson (Waverly).
His main challenger will be Bryce Dellapenta (Eden) who is a returning blood rounder from a year ago. The two haven’t met this year but he has beaten Cooper Robinson (Waverly) 5-4 who placed 5th a year ago.
The two other state medalists at the weight are Cooper Robinson (Waverly) and Logan Sheriff (Southern Hills) who have both wrestled close matches with McVige and Dellapenta, so this is essentially a four horse race.
Sleeper Pick
Alan Little (Oneonta) comes in off line 9 with a record of 34-5 and actually beat Will Ackley (Johnson City) earlier in the year who beat Cooper Robinson (Waverly). Little also went an impressive 4-2 at Eastern States with his only losses being to solid Division I opponents in Sebastian Mejia (Clarke) and Nicholas Flaherty (Comsewogue). He may not get past Jacob McVige but he should do some damage on the backside of the bracket.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima) vs #3 Cooper Robinson (Waverly)
#2 Bryce Dellapenta (Eden) vs #4 Logan Sheriff (Southern Hills)
Finals Predictions
#1 Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima) vs #4 Logan Sheriff (Southern Hills)
State Champ: #1 Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima
165lbs
The Favorite
The only returning state medalist at the weight is Army commit Ryker Cox (Coxsackie-Athens) who placed 4th a year ago. He already holds a win over returning state qualifier Peter Thompson (Dansville-Wayland Cohoctan) on the year and has not lost to anyone in Division II. After placing for the first time a year ago, Cox looks to climb a few spots up on the podium this time around and end his junior season on top of the podium.
His two main challengers hail out of Section V in Brody Heckman (Alexander) and Peter Thompson (Dansville-Wayland Cohoctan). The two have wrestled several times this year already with Heckman coming out the victor in most of those matches, but they are on a collision course to meet once again, this time in the semifinals, for the chance to wrestle for a state title.
Sleeper Pick
Miles Sheridan (Sleepy Hollow) didn’t qualify for the state tournament a year ago as Sleepy Hollow was up in Division I. Now down in Division II, he’s undefeated on the year and comes in at 24-0. He’s coming in as the #12 seed but is currently ranked 4th in the state. Be on the lookout for him this weekend.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Ryker Cox (Coxsackie-Athens) vs #4 Miles Sheridan (Sleepy Hollow)
#2 Brody Heckman (Alexander) vs #3 Peter Thompson (Dansville-Wayland Cohoctan)
Finals Predictions
#1 Ryker Cox (Coxsackie-Athens) vs #2 Brody Heckman (Alexander)
State Champ: #1 Ryker Cox (Coxsackie-Athens)
175lbs
The Favorite(s)
Primarily a two horse race here between #1 Connor Wilson (Lourdes) and #2 Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo). Wilson knocked off English earlier in the year at Eastern States 10-8 and is English’s only loss on the season. Wilson’s only loss is to Division I foe Wyatt Boice (Minisink Valley). Wilson did make the blood round a year ago at this tournament, while English was a state runner-up.
Sleeper Picks
Greg Golden (Thomas Edison) comes in as the 6 seed but actually has put together a super solid season with a record of 39-1 and wrestled a tough Section IV schedule. He will likely draw Landen Gadway (Saranac) in the quarters. Gadway is also super solid and is a returning state medalist from a year ago. If he gets through him, he’ll likely have English in the semis.
It should also be noted that Xander Outman (Wellsville) comes in 44-0 on the year as the 4 seed after not qualifying for the tournament a year ago. He beat returning Division I state medalist Preston Jackson (Rush-Henrietta) earlier in the year 12-5 and has made significant strides in the last year.
Semifinal Predictions
#1 Connor Wilson (Lourdes) vs #3 Xander Outman (Wellsville)
#2 Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo) vs #5 Landen Gadway (Saranac)
Final Predictions
#1 Connor Wilson (Lourdes) vs #2 Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo)
State Champ: #2 Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo)
190lbs
The Favorites
This is by far the most exciting weight this year, and got even better after Tavio Hoose transferred from St. Francis to Southwestern mid-year. Our state finals match may actually happen in the semifinals, however, as Tavio Hoose got the 4 seed while Yanni Drapaniotis (Unatego-UV-Franklin) got the 1 seed.
Drapaniotis has been uber impressive this year, particularly at Eastern States where he won a title there. He would actually beat returning state runner-up Trent True (Holland Patent) 17-4 in the quarterfinals at that tournament before beating Liam English (Berne Knox Westerlo) 8-6 in the semifinals. In the finals he’d beat then D1 #1 ranked Josh Kama (Farmingdale) by pin.
While Drapaniotis finished 3rd a year ago at this tournament, Hoose actually was not in attendance as he was upset 18-17 in a high scoring affair with Josh Jorgge at the CHSAA tournament. So this is his first trip to MVP Arena in two years now. The Section VI senior is no stranger to the big stage, however, as he secured a state title in 2023 and was a state runner-up in 2024.
As previously mentioned, the other two guys holding it down are Liam English and Trent True. Both English and True were high podium finishers a year ago with English placing 3rd and True making an appearance in the state finals. Both are very impressive wrestlers and with their caliber of wrestling, there is no doubt that they too could “surprise” the field and win it this weekend.
Patrick Braley (Falconer) is also a returning medalist from a year ago where he placed 8th at 190lbs. He has solid wins this year over Dylan Fitzgerald, Noah Leavell, and Will Coughlin.
Sleeper Pick
Titus Callahan (Newark Valley) has a 36-4 record this year and has wrestled solid competition. If the makes the quarters it may be a tough match with Drapaniotis, but he can do damage on the backside of the bracket.
Semifinal Predictions
#2 Yanni Drapaniotis (Unatego-UV-Franklin) vs #1 Tavio Hoose (Southwestern)
#3 Liam English (Berne Knox Westerlo) vs #4 Trent True (Holland Patent)
Final Predictions
#2 Yanni Drapaniotis (Unatego-UV-Franklin) vs #3 Liam English (Berne Knox Westerlo)
State Champ: Yanni Drapaniotis (Unatego-UV-Franklin)
215lbs
The Favorite
Chris Doshna (Marcellus-Onondaga) shook things up when he made the move up from 190lbs to 215lbs for the postseason. He did actually compete at 215lbs a year ago and is the highest returning medalist at the weight, where he took 4th. He wrestled to a close 3-0 match with recent East Stroudsburg commit Zach Filip (Minisink Valley) and is 42-1 on the year.
This weight is fluid with solid challengers as there are four returning state medalists looming at the weight with Gianni Velazquez (Geneva), Matthias Welles (Waverly), Takota Smith (Pioneer), and Warren Pray (Ausable Valley). It should also be noted that Kadyn Derby (Mount Markham) beat Mason Eckelman Ouelette (Lowville) earlier in the year, and Eckelman Ouelette beat Welles 12-9. Those two did not qualify for the state tournament a year ago and are also in the mix.
Also, an interesting thing to note is that three of the top four ranked wrestlers at this weight hail from Section III. Chris Doshna is currently ranked 1st, Kadyn Derby is currently ranked 3rd, and Mason Eckelman Ouelette is currently ranked 4th. Which means…
Criminal Quarter Bracket
As mentioned above, three of the top four ranked wrestlers at this weight come out of Section III and they’re also all in the same quarter bracket. Derby did beat Eckelman Ouelette in ultimate tie breaker at the Section III tournament and will get a rematch in the round of 16. Winner gets Doshna in the quarters.
Sleeper Pick
Hudson Garbarino (Pawling) comes off line 18 and is currently 42-1 on the year. He may not beat Velazquez but is someone to keep your eye on as the tournament progresses.
Semifinals Predictions
#1 Chris Doshna (Marcellus-Onondaga) vs #5 Matthias Welles (Waverly)
#2 Gianni Velazquez (Geneva) vs #8 Warren Pray (Ausable Valley)
Finals Predictions
#1 Chris Doshna (Marcellus-Onondaga) vs #2 Gianni Velazquez (Geneva)
State Champ: Chris Doshna (Marcellus-Onondaga)
285lbs
The Favorite
Three returning state medalists feature this weight class in Troy Beeman (Waverly), Zach Kuelling (Williamson-Marion-Sodus), and Jim Biccum (South Jefferson). Although Beeman is the highest returning medalist from a year ago, both Kuelling and Biccum did beat him earlier in the year (Biccum at Windsor, Kuelling at Southern Tier).
Bottom Half Blunder
The bottom half of the bracket is loaded with competition here. #1 Kuelling, #3 Beeman, #4 Brown, #5 Landon, and #9 Rondeau are all loitering on the bottom side of the bracket which makes for some exciting earlier round matchups.
It should also be noted that Antonio Landon (Granville-Whitehall) who is currently ranked 5th but seeded 7th, is undefeated on the year and has been weighing in at sub 200lbs all year long. Extremely impressive considering the weight that he is giving up and he should definitely not be counted out.
Semifinal Predictions
#2 Jim Biccum (South Jefferson) vs #6 Nick Oosterom (Port Jervis)
#5 Antonio Landon (Granville-Whitehall) vs #3 Troy Beeman (Waverly)
Final Predictions
#2 Jim Biccum (South Jefferson) vs #5 Antonio Landon (Granville-Whitehall)
State Champ: Jim Biccum (South Jefferson)
