Finley’s Young Wrestling Squad Goes 6-3
It wasn’t the undefeated season the program always sets its sights on, but the J. Taylor Finley Middle School wrestling team still enjoyed a successful campaign, compiling a 6-3 record under coaches Mike Marinello and Lou R. Giani.
The Falcons were led by seventh graders John Mallouk and Nick Schoen and eighth graders Ryan Ricciardelli, Kevin Feliciano and Kevin Mendez. The 28-man roster was dominated by seventh graders.
Mallouk developed into a very steady and consistent wrestler. “John is an extremely hard worker and a talented wrestler,” Marinello said. “We will be looking to John next season to lead the team.” Schoen showed promise, too, with impressive strength and athleticism.
Marinello called Ricciardelli “perhaps the best overall wrestler.” Feliciano worked hard to get the moves down in his first year with the sport and showed above-average strength. Mendez is a “very dedicated wrestler,” the coach said. “I project that he will be an all-league/all-county wrestler if he maintains his current desire and dedication.”
While Finley didn’t dominate every opponent on its schedule, as it has done many times in the past, the squad showed improvement throughout the season and always displayed sportsmanship, Marinello said.
“With an above-average seventh grade group moving up and the recruitment of a few first year eighth grade wrestlers, we should have a strong eighth grade class” next year, said Marinello. “The incoming seventh graders will be the question mark. I have at least eight students that I worked with at Woodhull, but the crew from Huntington Intermediate is the unknown.”
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