Caravel flexes early muscle in DIAA wrestling

Caravel has been the best high school wrestling team in Delaware all season, and the Buccaneers enhanced that reputation on Saturday.

Six of the seven Bucs to take the mat reached the semifinals on the opening day of the DIAA Individual Wrestling Championships at Cape Henlopen High School.

With coronavirus safety concerns preventing qualifying tournaments from being held, this year’s state meet was opened to all comers. The seven lightest weight classes (106-145 pounds) were narrowed down to eight wrestlers each on Saturday, with the seven heaviest classes (152-285 pounds) set to do the same beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The remaining wrestlers in all 14 classes will return to Cape on Wednesday, when all of the individual titles and the team championship will be decided.

Caravel, ranked No. 1 in Division II after going 8-0 in dual meets, is already assured of having plenty of wrestlers coming back.

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Eddie Radecki (106 pounds), Luke Poore (120), Dylan Knight (126), Michael Kling (132), Ethan Gray (138) and John Antonio (145) all reached the semifinals for the Bucs.

All seven top seeds advanced, including Poore and Gray. Salesianum senior Chris Gandolfo (106), Smyrna junior Gabe Giampietro (113), Milford junior Jack Thode (126), Milford senior Trenton Grant (132) and Cape Henlopen sophomore Luke Bender (145) were the other No. 1 seeds reaching the semis.

Giampietro will be going for his third state championship on Wednesday. Poore, Thode and Gray moved closer to becoming two-time champs.

DIAA did not hold dual-meet team championships this year, so the team title will be decided by points earned in the individual meet. Caravel leads the team race after Saturday’s action with 90.5 points, followed by Salesianum (76), Milford (75.5), Caesar Rodney (67.5), Sussex Central (63.5), Smyrna (61), Cape Henlopen (55), Lake Forest (43.5), William Penn (41) and St. Georges (40).

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

DIAA Individual Wrestling Championships

At Cape Henlopen High School

106 pounds

First round

Gandolfo, Sal, pinned Zitofsky, SG, 2:29; Smith, Lau, dec. Carney, Poly, 7-0; McEvoy, CR, pinned Mayfild, IR, 4:28; Cooke, Wood, pinned Killingsworth, Appo, :58; Nowak, WC, pinned Avery, DMA, 2:00; Cruz, Mid, dec. Soto-Perez, ST, 7-0; Radecki, Car, pinned Bennett, Cape, 1:59; Menickella, Tat, won by forfeit; Miller, Smy, pinned Lynch, Hod, :31; Murray, SC, pinned Santiago, McK, :31; E. Thode, Mil, pinned Alexander, FSMA, 3:16; McDonald, SM, pinned Weiner, WF, 1:53; Rapuano, Delc, pinned Shepherd, AI, :33.

Second round

Gandolfo, Sal, pinned Smith, Lau, :50; McEvoy, CR, pinned DiTomasso, NC, 2:23; Cooke, Wood, maj. dec. Silver, LF, 15-2; Cruz, Mid, dec. Nowak, WC, 6-0; Radecki, Car, pinned Murray, WP, 3:36; Miller, Smy, dec. Menickella, 6-1; Murray, SC, tech. fall E. Thode, Mil, 18-3; Rapuano, Del, pinned McDonald, ST, :28.

Quarterfinals

Gandolfo, Sal, pinned McEvoy, CR, 3:46; Cruz, Mid, dec. Cooke, Wood, 13-6; Radecki, Car, pinned Miller, Smy, 3:31; Rapuano, Delc, dec. Murray, 9-2.

Wednesday’s semifinals

Chris Gandolfo, Sal, vs. Jason Cruz, Mid; Eddie Radecki, Car, vs. Julian Rapuano, Delc.

113 pounds

First round

Giampietro, Smy, pinned Jones, NC, :19; Delcollo, DMA, maj. dec. Flanagan, Arch, 10-1; Pena, AI, dec. Niblett, Lau, 8-1; Gordy, WP, pinned Smith, McK, 3:33; Copes, Mil, dec. Bennett, CR, 9-2; Givler, WC, pinned Lopez-Mendiola, IR, :51; Russo, Appo, dec. Kamenitzer, CSW, 9-5; Meadows, SG, pinned Perez, CH, 1:03.

Second round

Giampietro, Smy, pinned Bartkowski, Sal, :50; Delcollo, DMA, pinned Miller, Poly, 1:38; Pena, AI, pinned Tharp, ST, :54; Ratledge, LF, pinned Gordy, WP, 1:46; Copes, Mil, pinned Campanelli, Tat, 2:26; Ioannoni, Car, pinned Givler, WC, 1:25; Russo, Appo, pinned King, SC, 3:51; Meadows, SG, pinned Holmes, SM, :41.

Quarterfinals

Giampietro, Smy, pinned Delcollo, DMA, :30; Ratledge, LF, tech. fall Pena, AI, 16-1; Copes, Mil, dec. Ioannoni, Car, 4-0; Meadows, SG, pinned Russo, Appo, 1:25.

Wednesday’s semifinals

Gabe Giampietro, Smy, vs. Tyler Ratledge, LF; Trevor Copes, Mil, vs. Matt Meadows, SG.

120 pounds

First round

L. Poore, Car, pinned Jones, Del, 1:18; Bosco, Mid, dec. Ciampoli, Arch, 9-4; Pratt, TH, pinned Baxley, Dic, 1:00; Smith, CR, pinned Buckley, Wood, 1:12; King, SC, pinned Tomaseski, San, 2:44; Shaubach, IR, pinned Farquhar, NC, 1:04; Altenor, Sea, pinned Sauce-Pena, McK, 1:09; Engelmann, Sal, pinned Rosah, Poly, 1:23; Drummond, Lau, dec. Watkins, Smy, 10-5; Dempsey, LF, pinned Fanning, CSW, 1:52; Messick, Mil, pinned Bell, FSMA, :13.

Second round

L. Poore, Car, pinned Bosco, Mid, 1:03; Pratt, TH, dec. Smith, SG, 9-4; Smith, CR, pinned Fleming, WF, :29; King, SC, maj. dec. Mahan, DMA, 13-1; Shaubach, IR, maj. dec. Wright, CH, 13-2; Engelmann, Sal, pinned Altenor, Sea, 2:30; Drummond, Lau, pinned Hunter, WP, 3:20; Messick, Mil, pinned Dempsey, LF, :30.

Quarterfinals

L. Poore, Car, pinned Pratt, TH, 3:04; King, SC, dec. Smith, CR, 5-2; Engelmann, Sal, dec. Shaubach, IR, 5-1; Messick, Mil, pinned Drummond, Lau, 3:55.

Wednesday’s semifinals

Luke Poore, Car, vs. Dylan King, SC; Jack Engelmann, Sal, vs. Corey Messick, Mil.

126 pounds

First round

Hackett, SG, pinned Skehan, McK, 3:50; Williams, DMA, tech. fall Bellamy, WP, 18-3; Girard, Sal, pinned Oldaker-Banks, Od, 3:05; Cataldi, CR, pinned Kryka, Arch, 2:42; Barczak, CH, dec. Petrillo, CSW, 8-3; Schaen, LF, maj. dec. Horner, Conc, 12-0; Wagner, Smy, dec. Ruff, ST, 6-2.

Second round

J. Thode, Mil, pinned Hackett, SG, 1:45; Savage, SC, pinned Esque, IR, 1:22; Williams, DMA, pinned Long, Sea, 1:18; Girard, Sal, pinned Atchley, FSMA, :27; Cataldi, CR, pinned Kelley, SE, 1:00; Garland, Appo, dec. Barczak, CH, 6-5; Heesh, Poly, pinned, Schaen, LF, 4:49; Knight, Car, pinned Wagner, Smy, 1:56.

Quarterfinals

J. Thode, Mil, pinned Savage, SC, 2:00; Girard, Sal, dec. Williams, DMA, 5-4; Cataldi, CR, pinned Garland, Appo, 3:35; Knight, Car, tech. fall Heesh, Poly, 17-1.

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Jack Thode, Mil, vs. Connor Girard, Sal; Cameron Cataldi, CR, vs. Dylan Knight, Car.

132 pounds

First round

Grant, Mil, pinned Hudson, IR, 2:38; Haney, WC, pinned Conway, FSMA, 3:47; Weaver, Lau, dec. Garrett, Poly, 11-4; Teoli, Del, dec. Duffy, TH, 7-3; Crespo, AI, dec. Littleton, Delm, 8-6; King, Car, pinned Kamenitzer, CSW, :27; Sinclair, WP, dec. Hudson, SC, 8-3; Atchley, CR, pinned Strine, Arch, 5:05; Sachetti, RLCA, pinned Kennedy, SE, 3:39; Jones, Sea, won by no contest; Kist, Sal, maj. dec. Garcia, CH, 9-0; Wells, Smy, dec. Moyer, LF, 4-0.

Second round

Grant, Mil, pinned Johnson, How, :50; Weaver, Lau, pinned Haney, WC, 1:34; Teoli, Delc, dec. Crespo, AI, 11-6; Kling, Car, pinned Kubler, Appo, 1:10; Sinclair, WP, pinned MacDonnell, DMA, 1:14; McCann, MP, dec. Atchley, CR, 10-6; Sachetti, RLCA, pinned Jones, Sea, 1:24; Wells, Smy, dec. Kist, Sal, 9-5.

Quarterfinals

Grant, Mil, pinned Weaver, Lau, 1:08; Kling, Car, pinned Teoli, Delc, 2:17; Sinclair, WP, maj. dec. McCann, MP, 14-2; Wells, Smy, maj. dec. Sachetti, RLCA, 14-4.

Wednesday’s semifinals

Trenton Grant, Mil, vs. Michael Kling, Car; Daniel Sinclair, WP, vs. Jamar Wells, Smy.

138 pounds

First round

Gray, Car, dec. Regas, Arch, 9-3; Hudson, Smy, pinned Malmgren, DMA, 1:34; Luciano, Hod, pinned Berlins, MP, 5:00; Wiley, Sea, pinned Uhde, Appo, 2:35; Soto-Perez, ST, pinned Ramos, SG, 1:08; Frederick, CH, pinned Limehouse, Lau, 1:47; Narvel, TH, pinned Brickman, IR, 3:51; Ciafardo, Mid, pinned Hughes, WP, 3:25; Sullivan, Sal, pinned Bush, CR, 4:34; Ankrom, SC, pinned Richards, How, :53.

Second round

Gray, Car, pinned Anderson, CSW, :50; Hudson, Smy, won by injury default; Briscoe, Mil, tech. fall Wiley, Sea, 17-2; Ahmad-Statts, LF, pinned Soto-Perez, ST, 5:39; Frederick, CH, pinned Narvel, TH, 4:49; Ciafardo, Mid, pinned Grey, Poly, 2:46; Webb, Wood, dec. Sullivan, Sal, 6-4; Ankrom, SC, pinned Crespo, AI, 2:28.

Quarterfinals

Gray, Car, dec. Hudson, Smy, 4-0; Ahmad-Statts, LF, dec. Briscoe, Mil, 6-3; Frederick, CH, pinned Ciafardo, Mid, :17; Ankrom, SC, pinned Webb, Wood, 1:53.

Wednesday’s semifinals

Ethan Gray, Car, vs. Abdullah Ahmad-Statts, LF; Michael Frederick, CH, vs. Mason Ankrom, SC.

145 pounds

First round

Bender, CH, pinned Kedash, San, 1:34; Harvey, CR, pinned Mora-Salas, IR, 1:53; Kemp, Delm, dec. Luciano, Hod, 4-2; Cope, SC, pinned White, How, :55; Lane, WP, dec. Mejia, Mil, 6-0; Horenstein, CSW, maj. dec. Gierej, Od, 18-10; Bracalenti, SM, pinned Ursomarsco, WF, 3:01; O’Brien, Sal, pinned Huffman, Arch, 1:50; Carrion, SG, pinned Soto, SE, 1:03; Burbank, FSMA, pinned Almanza, McK, :34; Dixon, Smy, pinned Carney, Poly, 1:52; Wood, SA, dec. Jackson, 4-3; Winton, MP, pinned Holloway, Appo, 1:28; Antonio, Car, pinned Savage, AI, :47; Ahmad-Statts, LF, pinned Peterson, Conr, 1:45; Simpson, DMA, maj. dec. Fischer, Mid, 14-3.

Second round

Bender, CH, pinned Harvey, CR, 1:30; Kemp, Delm, dec. Cope, SC, 11-7; Lane, WP, pinned Horenstein, CSW, 3:35; O’Brien, Sal, pinned Bracalenti, SM, 1:49; Carrion, SG, pinned Burbank, FSMA, :20; Wood, SA, dec. Dixon, Smy, 8-2; Antonio, Car, maj. dec. Winton, MP, 10-1; Simpson, DMA, maj. dec. Ahmad-Statts, LF, 11-1.

Quarterfinals

Bender, CH, pinned Kemp, Delm, 1:15; O’Brien, Sal, pinned Lane, WP, 5:19; Carrion, SG, maj. dec. Wood, SA, 13-1; Antonio, Car, dec. Simpson, DMA, 3-1.

Wednesday’s semifinals

Luke Bender, CH, vs. Aiden O’Brien, Sal; Jonathan Carrion, SG, vs. John Antonio, Car.