Somers Takes 2nd at Westchester County Championships

Steuber, Ball Crowned Champs; Other Locals Exceed Expectations

By Tony Pinciaro

Time was winding down in the third period of the Westchester County Wrestling Championships 108-pound title match and Somers’ Ethan Steuber was facing a pivotal situation.

Iona Prep’s Fotis Koufalis was leading by one point and controlling Steuber from the top position. On two previous occasions Steuber avoided being tilted for back points which would have sealed the victory for Koufalis.

As time dipped below 30 seconds, a determined Steuber reached deep within himself for one last push and it resulted in a reversal for a one-point lead. However, the match was not over. Now, Steuber had to keep Koufalis from escaping for the final 25 seconds to become a champion and he did just that.

After runner-up finishes in the 2023 and ‘24 Westchester County Wrestling Championships, Steuber is now a champion following a 2-1 victory over Koufalis.

Steuber, along with teammate and fellow titlist Ryan Ball (131 pounds), led Somers to a second-place finish at Sleepy Hollow behind a dominant showing by Iona Prep.

The Gaels had two local resident champions – 145-pounder George Johnson (Mahopac) and 124-pounder Kenny Keltto (Carmel).

“I knew I couldn’t give up the tilt points and my mindset was I refused to lose again,” Steuber said. “I knew time was running out so it was now or never. I felt that I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t give it my all. In the final seconds I knew I was so close to my goal and I couldn’t let it slip away.”

The smile on Somers’ coach Ron DiSanto, Jr.’s face following Steuber’s victory said all you needed to know about the coach’s reaction.

“I’m really happy for Ethan,” said DiSanto, who wrestled for and graduated from Somers. “I knew how determined he was to win. In the final, the key to his win was his stingy defense in the neutral position and then his well-timed reversal in the third period which gave him the lead. Then, he finished it with a tough ride on top.”

Following the two second-place finishes, this title represents one thing.

“This means so much to me as it represents hours of blood, sweat and tears along with keeping a 4.0 GPA in school,” Steuber said. “Which I have come to realize is really hard and requires many late nights studying after giving it my all at wrestling practices.”

Ball added his second county title to his impressive resume and was chosen the most outstanding junior wrestler by the coaches. The two-time Section 1 Division I champion registered a 58-second pin in the final.

“Ryan truly dominated throughout the day while having fun and supporting his team,” DiSanto said. “It was great seeing him recognized as the most outstanding junior as he continues his historic career. I am very proud of him.”

DiSanto was also very pleased with the team’s overall performance as Cal Ehrmann, Loghan Dwyer, Derek Kuchinsky and T.J. Mauro also placed in the top six.

“The team’s goal was to place in the top three so to do even better and finish second feels nice,” DiSanto said. “The boys have been working hard and are dedicated in and out of the season. There’s a lot of sacrifice and discipline they show behind the scenes. And, then to perform and get the results is the whole other thing, to stay focused, manage their matches and manage their way through the tournament shows their mental toughness.”

Fox Lane’s Alex Berisha made it a hat trick for county titles, winning the 215-pound championship with a major decision in the final. He was also chosen the most outstanding senior wrestler by the coaches.

“This means a lot to win it again this year and just shows how much hard work I have put in,” said Berisha, a 2024 Section 1 Division I champion. “I was pleased with the way I wrestled today in that each match I was just trying to score points and that’s what I did.”

Berisha, who won the Shoreline 215-pound title last week, continues to work his way toward his succession of goals – divisional title, sectional championship and eventually a state title. Every day his goal is to improve and peak for the postseason.

“At this point in the season my wrestling is the best it’s ever been,” Berisha said. “With the postseason coming up I just need to keep my head down and stay working hard.”

Chris Nocca gave Horace Greeley a county champion following a 9-7 victory in the 152-pound final.

Nocca raced out a 6-1 lead as a result of two takedowns against Thomas Tsoi of Briarcliff/Byram Hills/Valhalla/Westlake.

“It was a big deal for Chris to win a very competitive tournament when the lights were on,” Horace Greeley coach Anthony Tortora said. “When Chris was on the attack, he was creating some really good openings. He will continue to do the right things to put himself in the best position to be successful.

“We know Chris is capable of beating anyone, but now that he has gained some confidence I think he is going to jump to another level.”

Nick Fortugno, a Byram Hills’ senior, also won his third consecutive county title, by major decision, in the 116-pound final.

“Nick did a great job in that he was focused in every match and did a great job of getting to his offense and scoring,” said Briarcliff/Byram Hills/Valhalla/Westlake coach Joey Grippi. “Nick is such a hard worker and it’s great to see the hard work pay off.”

Fortugno’s teammates Neil Paulercio (138) and Tsoi (152) were runners-up.

Hen Hud senior Mason Dietz won the 285-pound title by criteria, 5-2, over Ryker McCarthy of John Jay-Cross River.

The match was even at 1-1 after regulation and one minute of sudden-victory overtime. The wrestlers exchanged escapes in the respective 30-second extra sessions. In the decisive 30-second period, Dietz got to choose defensive (bottom) or offensive (top) position because he scored first so he went with  bottom. Dietz escaped and took down McCarthy for the win.

Yorktown had a pair of runner-ups –Rowan Larsen (145) and Rocco Lore (215). Pleasantville’s Ciaran Egan (131) and Fox Lane’s Oscar O’Donnell-Powell (190) also finished second.

CHRIS BALL PHOTOS