Mepham carries over momentum

Fresh off a solid campaign that saw two of its wrestlers earn county championships, Mepham, one of the county’s most-storied programs, is off to a great start in 2019-20.
Despite a relatively young roster (the Pirates have just five seniors), the team has performed well in tournaments, is undefeated in dual meets, and expects to have multiple wrestlers competing for county supremacy come February.
Mepham made some noise at the annual Charles McCullough Tournament last weekend, finishing in second place just behind host Glen Cove. Seniors Matt and Ryan Hegi each earned championships in their respective weight classes. In addition, Matt was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler for the 145-285 weight classes.
“So far, things are going pretty well,” Mepham coach Sean Arresto said. “The flu and fevers have hurt us a little bit, but the boys are looking good. When you work hard, you get good results.”
Matt Hegi, who as a junior became the 63rd Mepham wrestler to win a county championship, is 15-0 on the season and is ranked No. 1 in the county at 195 pounds. He pinned Glen Cove’s RJ Alma to take the title at the McCullough Tournament.

“Matt has an unreal work ethic, and always takes it to another level,” Arresto said. “He’s a winner. That’s the best way to put it. He refuses to lose. You could never count him out of any match. You can’t teach that.”
Ryan Hegi, who pinned Glen Cove’s Jordan Kalberer to win at the McCullough, is 14-1 and ranked second at 220 pounds. Ryan is a leg rider, a technique more commonly associated with lightweights. Arresto sees this unique skill set a differentiating factor, and calls Ryan a finisher.
Hard-working junior Nick Robles put in a ton of time during the offseason and he’s seeing the dividends. Robles has 15 wins in the 170-pound class, and has been a finalist in the tournaments at Glen Cove and South Side.
Junior Nick Zuzzolo has really come into his own at 182 pounds. After putting on 15-20 pounds of muscle, Zuzzolo has placed in a few tournaments. In the heavyweight division, the Pirates are high on Miguel Rivera. Just a sophomore, Rivera has been a finalist in three tournaments and was narrowly defeated each time.
Eighth-grader Devin Greene has a ton of talent and a high ceiling. Greene has been a tough opponent at 106. Freshman Dylan Dunn has missed most of the season with an injury, but the agile Dunn will be a factor at 113.
Sophomore William Prostick has improved tremendously. Prostick lost in the finals at Glen Cove at 113. Junior Billy Molloy, a three-sport athlete, has been very competitive at 132.
“We’d like to be undefeated when we meet Long Beach in the final conference meet.” Arresto said. “The goal is always to be among the top 10 teams in the county. Last season, we finished fifth. We’re looking to continue to take steps toward winning the county.”