FREEDOM PLAINS – Randy Earl was out of breath. The John Jay High School wrestler’s bottom lip was cut open. His eye swollen.
Randy Earl of John Jay, bottom, beat Jack Bokina of Mattituck 5-2 in the championship match at 126 pounds at the 51st Annual Mid-Hudson Wrestling Invitational at Arlington High School on Wednesday.
His opponent, Jack Bokina of Mattituck, had given him a tough match. But bruises and lacerations aside, it was Earl who came out on top, 5-2, to win the 126-pound championship at the 51st annual Mid-Hudson Wrestling Invitational at Arlington High School on Wednesday.
Earl was among five area wrestlers to win championships. Arlington’s Dennis Robin (99 pounds), Isaac Matthews of Roy C. Ketcham (160), Kyle Davis of Beacon (195) and Arlington’s Jacquez Poole (285) also won.
“I knew that if I went out there and wrestled my match, he wasn’t going to be able to stop me,” said Earl, who finished in a three-way tie for Most Outstanding Wrestler among senior competitors. “I knew I had to keep my game tight, because he (Bokina) is a good wrestler.”
Mattituck was the team champion with 206.5 points.
Arlington placed second (176.5), John Jay was 10th (71), Ketcham 12th (65), Beacon 16th (47), Red Hook 17th (43.5), Highland 20th (22) and Marlboro 21st (10).
Robin was named Most Outstanding Wrestler among freshmen grapplers, and defeated teammate Tim Bova 5-0 for the 99-pound title. Coach Fred Perry was pleased with both of his athletes.
“Both of them wrestled real well in this tournament. I thought it was fantastic,” Perry said. “They did what they’re supposed to do in the quarters and the semis.”
Matthews pinned Ossining’s Tyrese Marbury in 2:29 to capture the 160-pound title.
“(Marbury) kept getting out of bounds — every shot he took on me, he kept doing that,” Matthews said. “I just wanted to finish my shots in bounds.”
Winning a championship in the tournament as a senior “meant everything,” Matthews said.
Tim Bova and Dennis Robin of Arlington High School face off for the 99-pound title at the 51st Annual Mid-Hudson Wrestling Invitational at Arlington High School on Wednesday.
Davis tussled with Tanner Zagarino of Mattituck and came out with a 9-4 win to take the 195-pound championship. It marked the first time Davis won a championship in the Mid-Hudson tournament.
He went into the final with a strategy, aiming to weaken his opponent as the match wore on.
“In the third (period) I went with a relentless style,” Davis said. “I tired him out and beat him up.”
In the 285-pound final, Poole pinned Newburgh’s Will McCartney in 1:29.
Tristan Schiafo of Red Hook reached the 152-pound finals, but lost to Kingston Nijee Nobel, 3-1.
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJM_PoJoSports
