And, now, how it shook out …

• For five innings, Mayfield pitcher Anna Husain again dominated the Lady Hilltoppers. Through the first five innings, Husain struck out 10, walked one and allowed no runs on two hits. But the day’s drizzle progressed into a steady rain come the sixth inning and the extra moisture in the air seemed to hurt Husain. In the game’s final four innings, Fort Plain scored two runs on eight hits and only struck out three times.
• Much like the time the two teams played roughly 10 days ago, another great day in the field for the Lady Panthers. In the game’s early innings, Husain was striking out a couple of batters an inning, but the Fort Plain batters also had several well-struck balls that were fielded flawlessly. The one that sticks out came in the sixth inning — right before the Lady Hilltoppers’ game-tying rally began — when Mayfield second baseman Lisa Hime made a fantastic catch on Jenna Barhydt’s line drive. With the way the outfield was playing, there was a huge gap in right-center field; without Hime’s catch, Barhydt likely makes it to second base and Fort Plain wins the game in regulation.
• Husain was her usual dominant self in the circle, but Fort Plain’s Jamie Fredericks matched her counterpart. The Fort Plain junior worked in and out of trouble throughout the game — in the game’s first four innings, a Mayfield runner reached third in each inning and the bases were loaded in two separate frames; Fredericks allowed just one unearned run through all of this — and seemed to get stronger as the game went along. She said after the game that she was tiring, but her final three pitches were among her fastest of the day, as she struck out Jennifer Little to end the game.
• I’ve seen Fredericks throw a change-up here and there in the past, but she really had that pitch working Monday afternoon. Her change-of-pace toss had Mayfield batters off balance all day, but the weapon was rendered useless in the game’s final few innings — with the rain falling harder, Fredericks seemed to lose the ability to control the pitch and had to abandon it for the contest’s latter stages.
• Speaking of pitching, I had a first yesterday: An intentional walk in a softball game. Fort Plain elected to give Whitney Ostrander a free base in the bottom of the ninth to load the bases. The move worked, as Fredericks struck out the next batter, but the more enjoyable thing to watch was Fredericks, Ostrander and Fort Plain catcher Kendra Trembley during the intentional walk … none of the three seemed to know how to handle the situation. Ostrander looked uncomfortable in the batter’s box, Trembley didn’t seem quite sure how to handle the situation, and Fredericks whipped the four wide ones as fast as she could.
• They’ve both been discussed a bunch here already, but the day’s hitting stars were Husain and Fredericks. Mayfield’s hurler went 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Fredericks was 3-for-4 with a double. Mayfield’s Ostrander also had a multiple-hit day, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, while Fort Plain’s Abby Boyer and Shawna Cotton each had a hit and a walk.
• Loved Fort Plain’s aggressiveness in the sixth inning, even if both times it worked against them in the end. The Lady Hilltoppers made their final two outs of the inning at home plate — one on a suicide squeeze attempt, the other on a wild pitch — and while some purists would not have liked the plays, Husain was dealing for Mayfield and Fort Plain showed that inning it was willing to scrap as hard as possible to get a winning run. I thought those two outs set the tone for the rest of the game: Fort Plain was the aggressor and Mayfield was forced to react.

– Michael Kelly

And, now, how this one rolled …

• Let’s start right at the end. With two outs and a 1-1 count on Amsterdam batter Ashley Przybylowicz, F-F put second baseman Sami Fraser into deep right-center field as a fourth outfielder. Still, Przybylowicz blasted the next pitch over Fraser’s head, but the Lady Ram was gunned down at third base by a perfect relay — Fraser to shortstop Emily Parslow to third baseman Courtney Putnam — to end the game. Amsterdam head coach Brenden Cetnar did not offer any excuses and said he’d send Przybylowicz again on that play — he reasoned that with two outs, his squad needed that extra base — while F-F head coach Kari MacDougall gushed about her team’s relay effort after the game.
• It would have been interesting to see if Cetnar would have sent his No. 3 hitter to third base in that situation if the team’s regular clean-up hitter, Jordann Bernardo, was in the game’s lineup.
• The dramatic play capped off a long day of softball. Both Amsterdam and F-F played at 1 p.m. in the tournament’s first-round games, then waited for a few hours before the 5:20 p.m. start of the final. The Lady Rams looked particularly exhausted by the end of the final; Amsterdam’s first-round matchup with Broadalbinn-Perth went 10 innings.
• F-F’s Sam Hart was the story for the Lady Braves. Usually the team’s center fielder, the junior pitched both games on the day and was marvelous in the final. Hart scattered six hits and was always able to work out of trouble. Her biggest spot was in the sixth inning, when Amsterdam’s Courtney Rosser reached third base with one out. With Rosser representing the tying run, Hart struck out both Michela Puglisi and Amanda Bienick to end the inning.
• Rosser and Puglisi both pitched in the final for Amsterdam, with each going three innings. Rosser allowed six hits and both runs, but was really only hit hard once; Puglisi allowed just two hits in her three innings.
• While acting in relief in her team’s second game, Puglisi pitched all 10 innings of her team’s first contest.
• For the first time this season when I’ve seen the Lady Braves, a team kept leadoff hitter Cassandra Egelston in check. Usually on base a few times a game to cause havoc on the base paths, Egelston did reach base twice — on a walk and a single — but was not able to steal any bases. The last time I saw the Lady Braves, which was against Watervliet, Egelston stole five bases.
• The main difference in the game? While F-F had eight hits to Amsterdam’s six, the Lady Braves made that two-hit difference seem larger because they managed to string together their hits. F-F twice had three hits in a single inning and, (not) coincidentally, those were the innings the team scored.

– Michael Kelly

And, now, how it went down …

• Cassandra Egelston did a lot of everything for F-F. The sophomore made her high school pitching debut and sparkled in a complete-game gem, allowing just five hits and striking out eight from the pitcher’s circle. Meanwhile, in the batter’s box, the Lady Braves’ normal backstop was 4-for-4, scored three runs and had two RBIs.
• On the basepaths was where Egelston made her one mistake of the day, as she was out at home while trying to stretch a triple into a home run. Of course, Egelston’s aggressiveness on the bases provided more good than bad for F-F — she stole five bases in the contest.
• Prior to the game, F-F head coach Kari MacDougall was talking up Egelston’s ability to excel in the pitcher’s circle, saying she knew the sophomore could handle the added pressure and come through for the Lady Braves. Then, with an exhale, MacDougall admitted, “But I’ve got knots in my stomach (for her).”
• A perfect day in the field for F-F, as the Lady Braves made zero errors and several nice plays. Shortstop Emily Parslow stood out in the field, as the freshman had one assist and four put-outs in the contest.
• The biggest difference in the game was the depth of each team’s lineup. Watervliet’s top two hitters in the batting order, Kate Murray and Shelby Duggan, went a combined 4-for-7 with a walk; the rest of the Cannoneers went 1-for-10 with three walks and two hit-by-pitches. Meanwhile, eight of the Lady Braves reached base, seven reached twice and seven either scored or knocked in a run.
• F-F came through the game with the victory despite playing with an extremely juggled lineup, brought on by several injuries and illnesses to the team’s roster. Of the Lady Braves’ starting nine in this one, only one player — Parslow — started at her usual position.

– Michael Kelly

All statistics for the 2012 collegiate season are accurate as of the morning of April 26.

Nathan Gomez

Hometown: Miami, Fla.
School: Marshall
Year entering next fall: Senior
Height: 6-foot-3-inches
Weight: 207 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/L
The skinny: So far this season, Gomez is hitting an even .300 and has been the team’s main run producer with 31 RBI. … Gomez has shown solid plate discipline, especially for a power hitter — he has just 26 strikeouts against 20 walks. On the season, Gomez has clubbed a pair of home runs and 12 doubles. … Gomez is also capable of playing a corner outfield position. … In his 2011 season at Marshall, Gomez batted .252 and hit four home runs.

Josh Nethaway

Hometown: Fonda, NY
School: UAlbany
Year entering next fall: Junior (Redshirt)
Height: 6-foot-2-inches
Weight: 220 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
The skinny: Nethaway is a returning Mohawk, who hit .314 with two home runs and 26 RBI last season in Amsterdam. Nethaway missed the end of the season with a back injury and was leading the club in RBI before his injury. … Though listed this year as a first baseman, Nethaway mostly played outfield last season for the Mohawks. He is also capable of catching. … This season at UAlbany, Nethaway is hitting .306 with two home runs and 18 RBI.

— — —

My take: Both players should play a big role for Keith Griffin this summer.

In Nethaway’s case, the former Fonda-Fultonville Brave has a heavy bat that produced last season in Amsterdam; from past experience with Griffin, the head coach entering his fourth season in Amsterdam really likes to rely on his returning players. Throw in Nethaway’s versatility and the Great Dane should be able to comfortably register 150-175 plate appearances this summer if he stays healthy.

Gomez is a big get for Amsterdam and one team president Brian Spagnola should be happy to have for the summer. Though still posting a solid season, Gomez’s power numbers cooled after a torrid start to his collegiate season, which was a good thing for the Mohawks — if he had kept up his pace, he might have skipped Amsterdam to head to the minor leagues. As it is, now, he should be here this summer. Gomez will add a nice left-handed bat into the middle of the Mohawks’ lineup this summer and should prove to be the team’s best defensive option at first base.

– Michael Kelly

Where: Broadalbin

When: April 16, 2012

Significance: The Lady Rams came back from a multi-run deficit to post the victory, as Jordann Bernardo slammed a grand slam to complete the comeback.

And, now, some things of note …

• I don’t know if it was the summer-like weather or the heat generated between the two local rivals, but Monday’s game had an extra bit of intensity to it.
• First-pitch strikes might have been the most telling statistic in this one. B-P’s Nicole Traver threw her first offering for a strike in 20 of the 38 (53 percent) batters she faced, while Amsterdam’s Michela Puglisi was a bit better in turning the trick to 22 of the 31 (71 percent) B-P batters she faced.
• Why was the first pitch so important? Well, in the two big innings for Amsterdam — the fifth and sixth innings, in which the Lady Rams scored seven runs — Traver only started ahead in the count in five of the 14 plate appearances in those innings.
• Another pitching note: As someone who did not grow up playing softball and is relatively new to the game — though, it should be pointed out that I am a tremendous slow-pitch softball hurler — I find it really interesting how many innings and pitches the pitchers are capable of throwing. In this game, both pitchers went seven innings, while Traver threw 112 pitches and Puglisi threw 85.
• B-P had it rolling early, as the Lady Patriots scored in four of the first five innings. But then the bats went cold for the home team — over the last two innings, Puglisi retired the side in each inning.
• The Lady Patriots offense was heavily aided by some Amsterdam miscues. The Lady Rams made three errors in the first three innings, with those errors attributing to three unearned runs.
• Couple of long drives in this one sent outfielders up the hill that provides the field at B-P a natural barrier. I always get a kick out of watching the fielders trying to scale the small mountain.

– Michael Kelly

Where: Fort Plain

When: April 4, 2012

Significance: The Lady Hilltoppers overcame a an early deficit to post a comeback victory against the rival Lady Cougars.

And, now, some things that stuck out from Wednesday afternoon’s game …

• Fort Plain’s attack is aggressive. Never mind the 11 hits the team had; only two of the Lady Hilltopper plate appearances went more than four pitches, as head coach Katie McCumber’s team went up to the dish looking to swing the bat. The aggressiveness paid off, as Fort Plain never was retired in order in an inning of the contest.
• Canajoharie sophomore pitcher Shyanna Logan likely should have looked to waste a few more pitches than she did, as the Lady Cougars hurler threw first-pitch strikes in 21 of the 30 plate appearances taken by the Lady Hilltoppers. A wasted pitch or two could have helped, as Fort Plain’s aggressiveness could have been used against them — several times during the game, the Lady Hilltoppers swung at balls outside the strike zone.
• Fort Plain pitcher Jamie Fredericks gave up a pair of early runs and then got rolling, maybe a little too much, she worried. The senior said sometimes she gets too comfortable on the mound and needs to remind herself to stay focused — which she did.  After allowing two runs in the first inning, Fredericks did not allow a Lady Cougar to reach base in the next three innings.
• Only four hits for Canajoharie in this one, two of which came from Brianna Slater. Canajoharie head coach Bridget Anderson said she thought some first-game nerves got to her team.
• It’s a very young team and it was just one game, but I was really impressed with some of the pieces on Fort Plain. Catcher Kendra Trembley — an eighth-grader — went 2-for-3 and was impressive defensively, while sophomore shortstop Abby Boyer was 2-for-4 and handled every ball that came to her.
• Harder to get a feel for Canajoharie, at this point. The team has a lot of injuries right now and probably won’t be at full strength for a bit. Be interesting to see if the Lady Cougars can stay afloat until they get their full complement of players back.

– Michael Kelly

Where: Fonda

When: April 2, 2012

Significance: F-F battled back from a three-run deficit to force extra innings, but could not pull off the season-opening comeback victory.

And, now, some thoughts from a very windy game …

• And, oh, it was very windy. The best offense on Monday was a high fly ball, a play that resulted in several base hits that should have been easy outs. One fly ball I watched started off headed down the first-base line and should have ended up in fair territory; instead, the wind grabbed it and took it about 15-to-20 feet foul.
• Interesting pitching game for both teams. Schalmont’s Katarina Miley was literally “un-contactable” — she struck out nine and walked seven — and F-F’s Sami Fraser did nothing but allow Sabres to make contact , allowing her fielders to make plays for her. In pitching 10 innings and allowing just two earned runs, Fraser struck out only four.
• The X-factor in the game: Lauren Mahar. The Schalmont sophomore came in relief of Miley for the game’s final six innings and was superb,  striking out 12 and earning the win.
• Making contact was an issue for the Lady Braves. Of F-F’s 30 outs, 21 came via the strikeout, as the club struggled to advance runners with bunts throughout the contest, often attempting and missing, digging the team’s batters two-strike holes.
• The one time the Lady Braves did get a bunt down in a big situation came in the bottom of the sixth, when Cory Lais put down a picture-perfect bunt to score Katie Simonds. The run tied the game up, completing the team’s comeback from an early three-run deficit.
• To make up for the lack of hitting, the Lady Braves were very aggressive on the base paths. F-F was 4-of-5 on steal attempts, and also advanced several times on wild pitches and passed balls.
• Defensively, the Lady Braves were stellar, but not at first. Jitters and the wind contributed to a few misplays early on in the game for F-F, but shortstop Emily Parslow made several above-average plays and catcher Cassandra Egelston acted as a brick wall and threw out two Sabres attempting steals.

– Michael Kelly

• My account of the game can’t really begin to describe how quickly the game turned on its head. For the first six-plus minutes, Amsterdam’s offense was completely out-of-sorts. Not only could they not manage a shot on Maple Hill goalkeeper Mike Fish, but they could barely string two passes together in the offensive box. Then, with a little more than five minutes left in the first quarter, they got the man advantage for the first time and got a goal from Junel Lewis. Ricky Gonzalez then won the ensuing faceoff and it took just 21 seconds for Jake Dygon to score, giving the Rams the lead for good.
• The team clicked the best when Dygon, Lewis and Hector Diaz were operating in midfield. The trio combined for 10 goals (four for Dygon, three each for Diaz and Lewis), and they’ve developed a terrific chemistry with each other the last couple of years, each with their own roles. Diaz is the facilitator, the focal point for most of the Rams’ ball movement; Lewis is the speedster, starting Amsterdam’s transition game from the defensive half and doing most of his damage with some nifty dodges and Dygon is the finisher, the most likely to play closer to the cage (he inverted to attack during a lot of Amsterdam’s possessions). It’s a potent combo.
• While Dygon, Lewis and Diaz, along with senior goalie Josh Soper (who didn’t play Saturday) are Amsterdam’s headline grabbers, the two players who might end up being the Rams’ most undervalued weapons this season are faceoff specialist/midfielder Ricky Gonzalez and longstick midfielder Dan Banewicz. Gonzalez was essentially unbeatable at the faceoff X Saturday against Maple Hill’s Cullen Utermark, and has the ability to turn a faceoff win into an instant fast break opportunity. Banewicz, on the other hand, was the unsung hero of Saturday’s win. Playing at the top of the Rams’ zone defense, Banewicz doesn’t have the size of a typical LSM or close defender, but he’s incredibly pesky when it comes to forcing turnovers, scoops up groundballs like a vacuum and has the speed to immediately kickstart the offense.
• Banewicz and the Rams’ four close defenders (starters Nick Lomanto, Dan Lis and Mason Calhoun along with backup Joe Krutz) made life easy on backup goalkeeper Dillon Smith after a shaky start. Forced to play with Soper not in pads for Saturday, Smith let in a goal on Maple Hill’s first shot just 91 seconds into the game. From that point, however, Amsterdam’s defenders — particularly the very active Lomanto — shut down Kolby Randall’s ability to pick people out from behind the cage or dodge past goal-line extended. That meant Smith was able to see pretty much everything else that was put on his cage pretty cleanly, and stopped seven of the Wildcats’ final eight shots on goal.
• In the end, there were a lot of positives to be taken away from the game (solid finishing, terrific defense, pretty good ball movement), but they came against a Maple Hill team playing its first varsity game … ever. The Rams can feel good that they took care of business to start the season, but now they have nearly two weeks to prepare for their next game, an April 13 home meeting against fierce rival Johnstown.

Where: Broadalbin

When: March 30, 2012

Significance: Granville received an all-around effort from pitcher Emily Fuller, as the Lady Horde downed the Lady Patriots in the first game of the season for each team.

And, now, some notes from my (note)book …

• First of all, I mistyped the date for this game initially as “January 29, 2011.” Couple things stick out about this that are worth sharing: One, I was literally off on every single part of the date; two, the temperature it was during this game might have played into my thinking that “January” was the correct month.
• Granville’s Emily Fuller had a great start to her season, as the senior went 2-for-4, with a pair of RBI and runs scored to her name … besides pitching a complete game, striking out five. Most impressive, to me, was that Fuller did not get rattled on the mound during some tough situations. In the first inning, the Lady Horde’s defense made one error and misplayed another ball that allowed B-P to get on the board, but Fuller did not let the situation fester further out of hand — with runners on second and third, with one run already in and no outs, Fuller did not allow B-P to push a second run across in the inning.
• The triples in the sixth inning for Granville were a major reason why the Lady Horde emerged with the opening-day win, but the bigger thing at play in this one was walks. B-P pitcher Samara Smith had two rough innings, control-wise, and it came back to hurt the Lady Patriots. In all, Smith had eight walks, but her three walks granted in the first inning and her pair of walks in the sixth inning played a heavy hand in Granville’s scoring. In the first inning, two of Smith’s walks were with the bases loaded, while the first two runners on base in the sixth inning reached via the walk.
• Two notes on the above. One, it was right around 40 degrees for this game, so I can’t imagine trying to grip and whip a softball into a foot-by-foot box would have been the easiest thing to do. Two, I think you can only really fault Smith for the sixth-inning walks; the ones in the first inning came when a very jittery looking B-P team was struggling all over the field.
• Besides the walks, Smith struck out six and allowed four earned runs in seven innings of work. B-P head coach Sara Hisert seemed satisfied with Smith’s game, only saying that she thought the senior needed to be more aggressive early on in counts to try and get ahead.
• Most impressive to Hisert was the defensive play of shortstop Rachel Orapello and third baseman Ashley Vosburgh. The two combined to flawlessly handle six chances during the contest. Second baseman Megan Platt also was solid in the field, and catcher Abbie Samples did a nice job not allowing any pitches in the dirt to get by her.
• I thought the top of the B-P lineup showed a lot of potential. She did not have a hit, but center fielder Caitlin Rasefske reached base twice and, each time she did, Platt successfully bunted her over to second base from the 2-hole in the lineup.
• Lost in the shuffle with Fuller’s effort for Granville was that almost the entirety of the Lady Horde lineup contributed. Granville only had five hits split between three players, but eight of the nine in the lineup reached base at some point during the game.

– Michael Kelly 

• Catcher Mitch Slauter, Mississippi State, is currently listed as headed to Amsterdam for this summer, but Mohawks head coach Keith Griffin says Slauter will not be here this summer. Griffin said the team would have to add another catcher to the roster before opening day, as he would like to have three capable catchers.
• Similar note: Cory Turner, Radford, is 50/50 on heading to Amsterdam this summer. A wrist injury that limited him last spring is acting up, and his status for summer baseball will not be known until late this spring.
• Enough of who is not headed this way. A guy not currently on the team’s listed roster is Auburn’s Chase Williamson, but Griffin says the right-handed pitcher will be a Mohawk this summer. The freshman has pitched just three innings so far this season for the Tigers.
• A returning face for the Mohawks will be reliever Derrick Brewer, Radford. Brewer was a lights-out set-up man last season for the Mohawks and Griffin said that the role of closer will be his to start the 2012 season. At Radford so far this season, Brewer has a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings of work.
• Evan Stephens, Wake Forest, has been a great surprise so far this spring for the Mohawks. The sophomore outfielder is hitting .375 so far this season, with five extra-base hits in 56 at-bats.

– Michael Kelly

While it’s unlikely Manning will hold a half-hour special to announce where he will play next season — it turns out, that’s not a good way to go about your free agent business — his “decision” should more than makes waves when he announces where he will be headed to next season. Despite all of his recent surgeries and the questions over whether he can still perform at a high level, you’ve got to figure that Manning will become one of the more sought after free agents in NFL history given his resume of accomplishments.

With that said, here is some early handicapping on the five NFL franchises most likely to sign Manning, as argued out by Recorder sports editor Paul Antonelli and myself.

5) San Francisco 49ers
Forget that the 49ers were likely a competent quarterback away this past season from having the most complete team in the NFL — how funny would it be if Manning goes and plays for Andrew Luck’s old college coach?

4) Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals offer something no other franchise can to Manning: a chance to play with Larry Fitzgerald. The Cards are a logical choice, too, as Arizona brought in an end-of-the-road Kurt Warner and worked magic with him.

3) Washington Redskins
No team will offer Manning more money than Daniel Snyder and the Redskins … and Manning just lost his $28 million signing bonus.

2) Tennessee Titans
Three things stick out with Tennessee. One, the team has a top-of-the-line running back (Chris Johnson) and an upper-echelon wide receiver (Kenny Britt) in place for Manning to play with; two, Manning played his college ball as a Volunteer; three, (a possibly vindictive) No. 18 would get two cracks at playing against his old team.

1) New York Jets
The reasons that people will give for why bringing Manning to New York won’t work — his brother’s presence, the hindering of Mark Sanchez’s development, etc. — do not hold up against the benefit of being able to cure all of your offense’s ails by bringing Manning into the fold. That the Jets don’t have to give up anything to get him makes this an easy call for the franchise to go after him.

– Michael Kelly

*****

Wrestling is about to get underway, we’ve got championships semifinals and consolation quarterfinals at the same time. Brandon Lapi’s semifinal against Dylan Realbuto will be in the third set of matches called to the mat, probably about 15-20 minutes from now.

*****

Well, here we go again…

I’m set up in my spot right in front of Mat 6 here at the Times Union Center, were in about 90 minutes or so, Amsterdam’s Brandon Lapi will take the mat for his New York State 113-pound Division I semifinal against Somers’ Dylan Realbuto. Lapi is in the semifinals for the second straight year, and after getting knocked out of the championship bracket at this stage last year by Long Beach’s Mark Raghunandan, Lapi is hoping to do himself at least one better and reach his first state final.

If you believe in good omens, this might be one for you: In each of the last two even-numbered years, Amsterdam has had a wrestler in a state championship match (Brian Benton in ’08, Giuseppi Lanzi in ’10), so Lapi may have karma on his side.

Stick around the blog all day to find out. I’ll be updating as often as I can.

*****

Mike Garrison (Amsterdam-II) vs. Matt Pasqualini (Fox Lane-I)

160-pound Wrestleback (First Round)

First period: We’re in wrestlebacks, so the period length goes 1-2-2. Garrison moving early, tie-up and a nice go-behind for a takedown. Pasqualini posts up, gets out of bounds with 34 seconds left. Pasqualini rolls on the restart, Garrison grabs a single off a scramble, turns him for two back points. 4-0 Garrison

Second period: Garrison wins toss, defers. Pasqualini chooses bottom. Tries to sit out for reversal, Garrison holds on to control. Stopped for potentially dangerous with 1:29 left. Garrison working on a single as Pasqualini stands up, but Pasqualinin gets the reversal. Garrison nearly rolls Pasqualini to his back, but he counters and eventually ends up with a tight cradle. Garrison fighting, but it’s over with 29 seconds left. Pasqualini pinned Garrison, 2:31.

*****

After HOURS, I’ve finally got some working WiFi here at the Times Union Center. So, quick updates…

Brandon Lapi is into the semifinals for the second straight year, where he’ll face Somers’ Dylan Realbuto tomorrow morning. In the quarters against Ossining’s Alex Delacruz — who pinned Realbuto in the Section I 113-pound final — Lapi fought through a scoreless first period, got an escape and a takedown on his way to leading 3-1 after two periods, then scored another takedown in the third and eventually posted a 5-2 victory.

Earlier, Mike Garrison was knocked out in the opening round at 160 pounds by Dylan Palacio of Long Beach, the top seed in the bracket. Garrison was aggressive and nearly turned Palacio to his back on multiple occasions in the first period, but Palacio’s scrambling paid off and he eventually powered ahead, getting a pair of three-point near falls to record a 17-2 technical fall midway through the third period.

****

Brandon Lapi vs. Santo Curartolo
First Period: Little action, Curartolo clamping onto Lapi’s head. Curartolo with a deep single, Lapi sprawls free. No score after one.
Second period: Lapi chooses bottom. Early escape. Lapi gets a takedown with 15 seconds left and leads 3-0 after two.
Third period: Curartolo takes down. Lapi working an armbar and tilts for three with 30 seconds left. Curartolo out late, Lapi called for stalling as match enda. LAPI.DEC. CURARTOLO, 6-0.

Brandon Lapi’s first round match at 113 pounds against PSAL chamSanto Curartolo of Tottenville is on deck. I’ll be back in a few minutes with the recap.

****

Things are actually a bit ahead of schedule. First matches at 99 pounds getting underway right now. Brandon Lapi should be up sometime between 10:30 and 11 a.m. I’ll update when his match is on deck.

*****

Earlier: We’re up-and-running here at the Times Union Center in Albany for the 50th NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships. Things are just getting set up right now, with wrestlers out on the mats warming up. Pretty soon, they’ll all be marshaled off the arena floor for the Parade of Champions, which is scheduled to get underway about 10 a.m, with wrestling getting underway at 10:30.

Amsterdam’s Brandon Lapi should be heading to the mat hopefully about a half-hour or so into the opening round, as his 113-pound first round contest against Tottenville’s Santo Curatolo will be in the sixth group of matches to head to the Division I mats. Teammate Mike Garrison will get going a little later on in the opening session with his 160-pound match against top seed Dylan Palacio of Long Beach.

I’ll try to update as things are happening as much as I can, so check this post for the latest news. If a match is taking place right in front of me, I’ll have round-by-round details as it happens. If not, since I’m also on photo duty today, I’ll give the play-by-play as soon as I get back to my spot at the media table. Also, the wireless here at the Times Union Center has been a little spotty over the years, but my signal is good so far, so we should be good to go.

I’ll be there all day Friday and Saturday covering the action, and I’ll be providing live updates here on the blog as Amsterdam’s Brandon Lapi and Mike Garrison both try and bid for state titles.

In getting ready for the tournament, I thought I’d throw in a weight class-by-weight class primer to preview what’s going to go down on the Division I (large school) mats over two long days of wrestling.

As a refresher, the Division I bracket can be viewed HERE.

*****

99 pounds

Top seed: Kyle Kelly, Jr., Chenango Forks-IV

Contenders: Jose Rodriguez, Fr., Wantagh-VIII; Jon Haas, Soph. Spencerport-V

Analysis: On the surface, it looks to be a collison course between top seed Kelly and third seed Rodriguez, who won the 99-pound title at the prestigious Eastern States Classic in January.  Both of them are undefeated this year. The Section II rep is Shenendehowa eighth-grader Kevin Parker, who looked great at the Glens Falls Civic Center and is one of two eighth-graders in the bracket. Parker would draw Rodriguez in the second round if both advance.

 106 pounds

Top seed: Nick Piccininni, Fr., Ward Melville-XI

Contenders: Justin Cooskey, Soph., MacArthur-VIII; Mike Parise, Sr., Brewster-Il; Krishna Sewkumar, Sr., Long Beach-VIII

Analysis: Piccininni is 41-0 and is the deserving favorite, but behind him the weight class is loaded, with two Section II reps — Shen’s Corey Ali and Saratoga’s Dom Inzana — who are both candidates to finish on the podium. Parise and Sekwumar are among the wrestlers at this weight with a ton of state tournament experience.

 113 pounds

Top seed: Mark Raghunandan, Sr., Long Beach-VIII

Contenders: Brandon Lapi, Soph, Amsterdam-II; Corey Jamison, Soph., Huntington-XI; Vincent DePrez, Soph., Hilton-V

Analysis: Talk about a stacked weight class. Raghunandan is a defending state runner-up who beat Somers’ Dylan Realbuto (also in this bracket) in the Eastern States finals, Jamison is on a roll coming out of Suffolk County and beat Lapi in the finals of the Big 10 Invitational and Lapi took third in the state at 103 last year, his only loss in that tournament coming to Raghunandan. Throw in an unbeaten DePrez, Section I champ Alex Delacruz and a few others and fireworks are almost guaranteed.

120 pounds

Top seed: Matt Leshinger, Jr., Sayville-XI

Contenders: Sean McCabe, Sr., Connetquot-XI; T.J. Fabian, Jr., Shoreham Wading River-XI; Rocco Russo, Soph., Frontier-VI

Analysis: Suffolk County (Section XI) has three wrestlers in the field — including the top two seeds — and it wouldn’t be surprising if Leshinger, McCabe and Fabian ended up first through third when Saturday comes around. The other Long Island rep in the field is Section VIII champ John Lanzilotti of Roslyn, who has just one loss this season, but faces Leshinger in the first round.

 126 pounds

Top seed: Sam Speno, Sr., Fox Lane-I

Contenders: Alec Dierna, Sr., Webster Schroeder-V; Maverick Passaro, Sr., Eastport-South Manor-XI

Analysis: Speno, Dierna, Passaro and Section VI champ Dylan Caruana (Kenmore West) are the class of a bracket that includes three Section II wrestlers in Columbia’s Matt Greene, Queensbury’s Josh St. John and Lansingburgh’s Drew Oligney. Speno and Dierna could meet in the semifinals in what would be one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend.

 132 pounds

Top seed: Dan Ventura, Sr., Fox Lane-I

Contenders: Nick Kelley, Jr., Shenendehowa-II; Jamel Hudson, Sr., St. Anthony’s-CHSAA; Nick Mauriello, Sr., Hauppauge-XI

Analysis: Kelley, Hudson and Mauriello might be the three best wrestlers in the bracket — and they’re all on the same side of the draw, with Ventura being the No. 1 seed. Kelley and Hudson both have tough roads to get to each other in what could be an epic semifinal match.

 138 pounds

Top seed: Dan McDevitt, Jr., Wantagh-VIII

Contenders: James Dekrone, Sr., John Glenn-XI; Malik Rasheed, Sr., Longwood-XI; Alexis Blanco, Sr., Brentwood-XI

Analysis: Yep, Long Island vs. The World. Nassau County has the top seed in McDevitt, with Suffolk County holding the next three seeds. Between those four, it’s completely wide open. Shen’s Dave Almaviva is the No. 5 seed and was dominant in winning the Section II Division I title.

145 pounds

Top seed: James Kloc, Sr., Iroquois-VI

Contenders: Corey Rasheed, Soph., Longwood-XI; Evan Wallace, Sr., Columbia-II; Mike Caputo, Sr., North Rockland-I

Analysis: Kloc is the defending state champion at 145 and is 44-1 this year, including an Eastern States title earlier this season. Wallace is a perfect 47-0 for Columbia, and beat Amsterdam’s Gaetano Lanzi is the Section II finals two weeks ago.

152 pounds

Top seed: Brian Realbuto, Sr., Somers-I

Contenders: Nicky Hall, Jr., Longwood-XI; John Keck, Sr., Shoreham Wading River-XI

Analysis: Realbuto has two state titles to his name already, is ranked seventh in the nation at 152, will wrestle at Cornell next year and has only lost once this season — to 160-pound top seed Dylan Palacio in the 152-pound Eastern States finals. In the Eastern States semis, Realbuto pinned Hall, the No. 2 seed in this tournament, in the first period

 160 pounds

Top seed: Dylan Palacio, Sr., Long Beach-VIII

Contenders: Tyler Grimaldi, Jr., Half Hollow Hills West-XI; Connor Sutton, Sr., LaSalle-II; Joe Cataldo, Sr., MacArthur-VIII

Analysis: Palacio has dominated his competition this season, posting a 37-0 record with 18 pins and 11 tech falls. He won Eastern States at 152, but decided to move up in weight for the postseason, so there’s no rematch with Realbuto on the horizon. Palacio will face Amsterdam’s Mike Garrison in the opening round, an exceptionally tough draw for the Rams’ senior. Section II might provide the biggest road block for Palacio to win the title in the form of Sutton, who won the state title at 140 last year.

 170 pounds

Top seed: Dan Spurgeon, Sr., Plainedge-VIII

Contenders: Stephen Lumley, Sr., South Glens Falls-II; Rrok Ndokaj, Sr., Monsignor Farrell-CHSAA; Dylan Seybolt, Sr., Longwood-XI

Analysis: A wide-open field, with no returning state place finishers among the 16 wrestlers in the field. Spurgeon is the top seed with an undefeated record, but Section II champion Stephen Lumley has lost just once this year and has been on a roll recently.

182 pounds

Top seed: McZiggy Richards, Sr., Wingate-PSAL

Contenders: Matt Lashway, Sr., Queensbury-II; Jacob Berkowitz, Sr., Scarsdale-I

Analysis: Lashway went from a wild card to state runner-up at 171 pounds last year, but is the No. 2 seed here behind Richards, who handed Lashway his only loss earlier this season at Eastern States. Richards and his glorious first name will be attempting to make history and become the PSAL’s first state champion ever.

 195 pounds

Top seed: Tony Fusco, Sr., Shenendehowa-II

Contenders: Reggie Williams, Soph., Johnson City-IV; Zac Conner, Sr., Islip-II

Analysis: On the surface, it looks like Fusco’s title to lose. The Plainsmen’s senior star is 33-0 this season and holds two wins over No. 2 seed Williams. But, those are Williams’ only two losses all season.

220 pounds

Top seed: Josh Lackey, Sr., Fairport-V

Contenders: Max Antone, Sr., Niagara Wheatfield-VI; Dom Devita, Sr., Somers-I

Analysis: Lackey is 36-1, his only loss coming to Fusco, but there’s no true favorite here. Watch out for LaSalle senior Jon Babson, who has been on terrific form over recent weeks and was clearly Section II’s best 220-pounder at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

 285 pounds

Top seed: Ethan Stanley, Sr., Saugerties-IX

Contenders: Corey Quintana, Sr., Mohonasen-II; Cole Lampman, Sr., Shenendehowa-II

Analysis: No easy draw for anyone here. Stanley is the top seed and was a runner-up at Eastern States, and the top half of the bracket includes potential stumbling blocks against Uniondale’s Dante Salkey, Kingston’s Seth Stauble or Syosset’s Evan Kappatos. The lower half of the bracket is the Section II show, with Quintana, Lampman and Columbia’s El Shaddai Gilmore-VanHoesen all in the mix. Lampman may have been the favorite prior to the Section II tourney, when Quintana upended him in a thrilling overtime match in the sectional finals.

And, now, some thoughts …

• Argyle comes into the game 15-3 and is out of the Adirondack League, while Northville is 9-10 and plays in the WAC North. Argyle’s record is much better looking than Northville’s, but the Lady Falcons did play a slightly tougher schedule this season; the WAC is primarily Class C schools, while the Adirondack is a bit Class D-heavy.
• Argyle ran past Lake George in its first-round game, as the Scots jumped out to a 21-4 lead after one quarter and cruised to a 61-41 victory. Meanwhile, Northville beat Salem, 59-38, in the first round.
• Stopping Argyle begins with slowing down Jacquelyn Miller, who is averaging 16.9 points per game this season and has canned 49 3-pointers. While Miller is the team’s top shooter, Megan McWhorter has also connected for 27 3-pointers this season, so guarding the 3-point line should be Northville’s top concern in this one, defensively.
• Argyle should also be plenty worried about defending the deep shot. Northville’s Allison Wadsworth has made 39 3-pointers this season and connected for five in her last game, a 20-point effort against Salem. As a team, the Lady Falcons have made 66 3-pointers this season.
• To win this one, Northville will need Wadsworth to be her normal self and will need to have at least one other player step up and score in double figures. Sophomore Lyndsey Wadsworth and senior Madalyn Ryan, the Lady Falcons’ next two highest scorers. In Northville’s most recent victory, the younger Wadsworth had eight points and Ryan had seven; Kelly Van Nostrand had 10 points in that game.

– Michael Kelly