North Fork grappler eyes wrestling state tourney

As a freshman two years ago, James Felakos qualified for the New York State wrestling championships. He has aspirations of returning to the MVP Arena in Albany this year for another shot at a title.

“I mean, that’s huge,” he said, adding that he lost in the 2023 Suffolk County wrestling semifinals by one point. “So, of course, I want to get back there. That’s the main goal all season.”

As a sophomore this wrestling season, Ryder Antonucci would love to follow in his teammate’s footsteps.

“It’s definitely a goal for the future,” he said. “That’s for all the best wrestlers and I want to be one of the best.”

It will be a month before they will be able to qualify for the states, but Felakos and Antonucci distinguished themselves in Mattituck/Greenport/Southold’s 54-12 home win over Center Moriches in League VIII wrestling action last Friday night.

Both wrestlers registered pins for the Tuckers (3-3, 2-2) against the Red Devils (0-5, 0-4). Mattituck head coach Nick Fioretti likes what he has seen from the duo this season.

“He’s having a great year,” he said of Felakos. “A lot of his matches, he’s been bumping up a weight class, even two weight classes above. That’s big for the team. He’s progressing. He’s learning a lot. The heavier wrestlers force him to be a little bit more precise with how he wrestles, not get sloppy and do things the right way. That’s what’s going to get you better and get you where you need to be.”

Felakos pinned Kevin Styles at 285 pounds in 3:31 to raise his personal match record to 11-3.

“I’m thinking pin,” he said. “It’s always the goal, especially in a dual meet. He’s the kind of guy I could pin. Two weight classes up from me, but a good wrestler. He was strong enough and he dragged it out to the second period.”

After losing in the early rounds at the 2022 state wrestling tournament, Felakos watched and cheered on teammate Joe Sparacio (132), who captured the crown in Albany.

“That was probably the biggest accomplishment so far in any sport,” he said of the states. “I’ve built a lot of my game off him. Some of my stances, some of the shots I take, it’s really based on what he would do.”

Antonucci, who began wrestling as a freshman, impressed Fioretti from the start.

“He’s finding his way. He’s learning a lot,” Fioretti said. “We’re being pretty hard on him. He’s someone who surprised us last year with that All-County showing. He stepped up big in the county, rose to the challenge. He’s learned to diversify his wrestling style a little bit more, and trust in his abilities.

“You want them to have these abilities for what it takes to succeed and be successful. It’s really starting to click for Ryder.”

It took Antonucci 56 seconds to pin Jack McKean in his 124-pound-bout. 

“My strategy was just to come out flying, just go straight for the double leg takedown, and then just see what happens from there,” he said. “I just went for it.”

Jose Perez, the lone senior on the wrestling team, won his final home dual meet match, besting Tyler Brady at 160, winning 8-6, in front of his parents.

“It was really a sweet way for him to end his year,” Fioretti said. “He’s had some struggles over the years, and he works so hard. I talk to the kids about how he does everything we ask, and he never complains. I’m just really happy that he got to end his senior year with a win.”

Two other Tuckers recorded pins — freshman Jack Buonaiuto (108) over Josh Gotkowski in 3:40 and junior Luca Sirico (170) in :31. Eighth-grader Elliott Sirico (101) recorded a 10-6 comeback win over Chuck Dechairo. Freshmen Alexander Felakos (145), Joseph Martocchia (190) and Luis Sanchez (215) and sophomore Douglas Corazzini (162) won by forfeit.

The Tuckers were pleased with the result, after losing to Babylon, 50-15, last Wednesday.

“That was a tough loss, and this is a good bounce back for the team,” Felakos said.

“Every kid had heart. It’s something we’ve been working on, going into the wrestling matches with a positive mindset and wrestling relentlessly and never giving up,” Fioretti said. “The kids stepped up big.”