2024 CHSAA State Dual Championships Recap:

The 2024 CHSAA State Dual Championships was definitely an unforgettable one. Held in the Lion’s Den at Monsignor Farrell the Dual Championships had featured incredible dual bouts across the board. I for one couldn’t wait for this weekend and the hype was worth the wait. So, let’s stop wasting time and get right into it.

St. Francis Wins Dual Championship:

St. Francis has been on an absolute tear this season and they made it clear they weren’t looking to slow down any momentum heading into this post season. The Raiders were undefeated in dual competition this weekend and took home the 1st place Team Title back to Hamburg. They defeated Iona Prep 42-27 in the finals. Their weekend record en route to their finals appearance are:

St. Francis 69- Fordham prep 6

St. Francis 59- St. Anthony’s 18

St. Francis 59- St. Joseph by the Sea 18

St. Francis 42- Chaminade 29

St. Francis 50- St. John the Baptist 16

St. Francis 54- St. Joseph Collegiate 20

St. Francis 44- Chaminade 27

St. Francis 42- Iona Prep 27

The finals dual between Iona Prep and St. Francis was the most anticipated dual of the weekend. So much so it drew a crowd around the mat and gym full of spectators. Some even came from local schools to watch some of the highest level of wrestling in our state, and it lives in our section. The coaches were into it, the teams were into it, and the crowd was into it. It was a spectacular moment. The dual opened up with 285lbs where Connor Miller put up six for the Raiders with a pin against Frankie Serrano in 5:07. Rohan Ramdhani got it back for the Gaels the next bout at 101lbs with a pin over Brayden Pyzikiewicz in 3:04. The Raiders then put up 18 consecutive points between a forfeit for Cullen Edwards at 108lbs, Owen Braunscheidel’s pin over Christian Chilelli in 1:10, and Kole Haseley pin over Johnny Callanan in just 40 seconds! But this dual was back and forth and the Gaels rallied back with 4 straight wins! Vincent Tripaldi took a forfeit at 131lbs, Jude Bellantoni got another six for the Gaels with a pin over Owen Miller in 3:00, Justin Shay got a forfeit at 145lbs, capped by George Johnson’s nail-biting 4-3 decision win against Rory White. The Raiders sealed the dual winning every match in the last 4 remaining weight classes. One half of the LaPlante brothers Griffin LaPlante nabbed a 9-4 decision win over Konstantinos Koufalis, Brandon Drummond beat returning CHSAA Sectional Champ and State Medalist Paolo Ciatto 2-0 in overtime in arguably the match of the whole dual,  Gage LaPlante pinned Logan Donato in just 45 seconds clinching the dual victory, where Zachary Caldwell capped it off with a statement pin over Malad Nukho in just 1:43.  

Top 5 Team Finishes:

1.     St. Francis

2.     Iona Prep

3.     Kellenberg

4.     Chaminade

T5. Monsignor Farrell/St. John the Baptist

Top Dual Matches:

Vincent Tripaldi (Iona Prep) vs Elijah Clarington (Kellenberg)

Rory White (St. Francis) vs Nick DeNatale (Chaminade)

Brandon Drummond (St. Francis) vs Paolo Ciatto (Iona Prep)

Kosta Koufalis (Iona Prep) vs Kyle Jacobs (Monsignor Farrell)

Michael Illuzi (Monsignor Farrell) vs Patrick Donovan (St. Anthony’s)

The CHSAA State Duals this year is one that won’t be forgotten. It truly showcased some great wrestling that exists in our section and how far CHSAA Wrestling has come. Every dual was competitive for the most part with back-and-forth matches swaying the dual in each team’s favor. But first wrestlers must get through their League Tournaments, the NYC, Nassau, and Monsignor Martin League. Leagues are one week out from the duals and will decide who will compete at our sectional tournament. Top 6 from NYC, Top 6 from Nassau, and Top 3 from Monsignor Martin will punch their tickets to the CHSAA Sectional Tournament on February 10. We got a glimpse of potential finals matches for the CHSAA Sectional Championships that will be held in Huntington at the Friars home gym at St. Anthony’s. And you know what they say, the money is in the rematch!