Coach Matt Beatty’s Rye grapplers fought their way through two major tournaments to open the season.

By Mitch Silver

Coach Matt Beatty’s Rye grapplers fought their way through two major tournaments to open the season. The first, their own Bernie Miller extravaganza that was held December 6 — and named for the former Garnets’ Athletic Director — paired off the eight teams to start the day, with Rye drawing the combined squad from Lakeland-Walter Panas.

Though the inexperienced Garnets dropped the overall team contest to the Rebels, 54-35, five locals won their bouts, with a sixth win coming by forfeit. At 170 pounds, Jackson Kligerman was up 14-0 when he scored a 5-point TKO. Tyler Webb, an eighth grader wrestling at 152, scored a lightning-quick pin in 21 seconds. Franklin Goldzer pinned his 138-pound foe for a six-point pickup. Phillip Smith’s pin in the 113-pound weight class added six more. At 195, Miles Giordano’s pin gave the host school their final points on the day.

A week later they were back in their headgear at the Hommocks School, taking on 14 teams from all over the metropolitan area in an all-day tournament. “Our wrestlers performed well,” Coach Beatty said. “They lack experience, but just love the opportunity to get on the mat. Despite being a young team, these boys are beating opponents they should not be beating.” He singled out Jackson Kligerman, who has a good chance to go a long way at Sectionals this year in a 170-pound class that has no returning champion or All-Section wrestlers. “Jackson won the tournament, beating the second-ranked kid along the way. He looked very impressive.”

Rye travels to Croton-Harmon and then White Plains post-press time, with the Woodlands tournament December 20, starting at nine in the morning.