Captions: Tyler Webb applies the coup de grâce at 220 lbs.
Rye High Wrestling
Tyler Webb Takes 220-lb. Title in Sectional Qualifier
By Mitch Silver
Home cooking served Rye High senior Tyler Webb well Saturday when he grappled his way through a strong 220-lb division on his home mats to earn his way to the Section 1 Large School Wrestling Championships slated for this weekend.
With simultaneous qualifying meets at Arlington High School, Horace Greeley, John Jay-East Fishkill, and Rye, only the four semifinalists in each weight class in the four tourneys would make it to championship weekend. The Garnet captain not only survived the qualifying grind, he took the title by going into the second 30-second overtime to outpoint the top seed, Izaiah Steen of Ossining, 10-5.
Afterwards, Webb said, “I’ve faced him five times. The three before today all went to overtime, with Izaiah beating me each time by a single point. I guess we’re both good defensive wrestlers. This time I came out on top.” Webb does that a lot. He’ll wrestle for the Sectional title needing just two wins to make it an even hundred for his high school career.
Rye’s other qualifier wrestled against opponents who are 100 lbs. lighter than the ones Webb faced. Junior Madoc Digiulio was seeded third at 120. He decisioned sophomore Auggie Autieri of Carmel High 9-5 before losing by a pin to the #2 seed, Ossining’s Tristan Robinson-July. He lost the bout for third place to another Carmel wrestler, Kai Chu. Even so, Digiulio is going to Sectionals for the first time as the fourth-place finisher.
Other first-round winners among the Garnets were ninth-grader Caleb Wexler, who pinned his 138-lb. senior opponent, Raul Iglesias of White Plains, at the 2:57 mark. Tommy DeCaro went even farther at 152. The Rye High junior nipped Beacon’s Sean Cooper 9-8 after each advanced to the quarterfinals on a bye. His loss to Suffern’s Justin Pena dashed his hopes of wrestling this weekend.
At 182 lbs., junior Dylan Webb would have met classmate Grant Howard in the wrestle-back after a loss to Mount Vernon’s Nyus Samuel. A weigh-in mix-up cost Howard his chance to compete, and the younger Webb brother then lost a major decision to Israel Perez of White Plains. Peter Patouhas was slated to go at 285 lbs., but a knee injury the day before the match eliminated him from competition.
After the meet, eight Rye wrestlers were named to the all-league team: Ryan Becton, 106;
Conor Galligan, 113; Madoc Digiulio, 120; Tommy DeCaro, 152; Dylan Webb, 182; Carlos Rodriguez, 195; Tyler Webb, 220; and Peter Patouhas, 285.
Webb and Digiulio will travel to Arlington High Saturday with Head Coach Joel Jenson. Clarkstown South will hold the finals Sunday, February 10.
