Chris Vaccaro
MaxPreps.com
After learning he was unable to participate for the remainder of his senior year because of breaking Section XI wrestling rules by competing against college athletes in the Midlands Tournament last month in Evanston, Ill., Shoreham-Wading River's Corey Jantzen was cleared to wrestle again.
He won by forfeit against Westhampton, which didn't have an opponent in the 145-pound weight class. Jantzen was allowed to participate again because of findings of miscommunication between the district's athletic director, Jim Cranmer, and coach, his father Don.
Originally Jantzen was thought to be able to wrestle in Illinois but was not allowed to be sponsored by the school, wear the school's uniform or use the school's insurance. He followed the rules, but the NYSPHSAA still ruled against him when they found out he was wrestling college athletes.
SWR wrestles Rocky Point Friday (1/19), takes part in the Sachem Invitational Tournament (1/20), hosts Harborfields (1/26) and competes against Amityville (2/2). Jantzen will be a major contender in the New York State tournament and is looking to defend his title.
Wantagh's Liquori Stacking up the Wins
Paul Liquori has won 56-straight matches and is 17-0 this year. He is the defending Division I state champion at the 96 pound class. He wrestled Brentwood's Ricardo Gomez, another top light weight contender, in the Rocky Gilmore Classic and won in a 7-4 decision.
Huntington Wins Unadilla Valley Tournament
Huntington put up 293.5 points compared to second place Unadilla Valley's 158.5 at the Unadilla Valley Tournament. The Blue Devils' Allan Hendrickson was named most outstanding wrestler, while teammate Justin Giani pinned Unadilla's Mark Geier 3:58 into the 130 pound bout.
Boys' Basketball: Rice beats Simeon
In one of the better high school matchups of the season, Chicago powerhouse Simeon lost to Rice, 53-51, in the Super Six Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Rice guard Kemba Walker scored 14 points and had six assists in the game, propelling the Raiders past Simeon and phenom Derek Rose, who is headed to Memphis and had 22 points. While Rose is already set on his school, Walker's stock is rising and now that he has proven he can play on the main stage and will be a nice addition to wherever his future takes him.
Hot Hands in Amityville, Babylon
Amityville's (4-1) Andrew Ayodeji hit a three-point shot as time expired in the Warriors' 54-52 win over Glenn. He finished the night with 14 points.
Babylon's (3-1) Steven Morvay nailed a 10-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left against Southampton to seal a 46-44 win.
Chaminade's Beinert Leads in MLK Tournament
Andrew Beinert scored 19 points against Forest Hills (Queens) in a 63-44 win at the ELMCOR Martin Luther King Jr. Showcase at Long Island Lutheran.
John F. Kennedy (Bronx) beat Long Island Luther, 60-57, in the other tournament game. JFK's Jay Henriquez had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the contest.
Jericho and Uniondale's Streaks Snapped in Same Week
Jericho's 27-game win streak, which dated back to 2004, was snapped by Westbury in a 55-49 loss. Uniondale also saw its long win streak come to an end, suffering a 44-37 loss to Hempstead. The setback closed a 20-game conference unbeaten streak which started in 2005.
Top College Commitments
The following area seniors have already signed with colleges: Chaminade's Beinert (Holy Cross), Carey's Mike Sands (Yale), Uniondale's Steve Priestley (Siena), St. Dominic's T.J. Carey (Harvard) and Roslyn's Jason Lieberman (Princeton).
Girls' Basketball: Milestones on Long Island
Sophomore Catherine Pastor scored career point No. 1,000 against Great Neck North (1-2) in a 54-34 win.
Portledge's Emily Edwards grabbed a career-high 28 rebounds in her team's 41-34 win over Our Savior New American.
Boys' Bowling: DellaGatti Records Career-highs
Mineola freshman Carmine DellaGatti had a career-high score of 228 in the second game of a career-best 572 series. Mineola beat Locust Valley 671-529, 682-582, 674-691.
