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Returning Bonac wrestlers include, from left, J.P. Amaden, Richie Perez, co-captains Santiago Maya and Caleb Peralta, Jose Calderon and Cooper Ceva.
As far as Ethan Mitchell is concerned, last season didn’t happen. And for all intents and purposes, it didn’t.
Although there was an intramural program last February, East Hampton School District opted to not have a wrestling season last winter. With wrestling being deemed “high-risk” by the county and state, the district felt it was too dangerous for the student-athletes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So what was supposed to be Mitchell’s first full season as head coach of the East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton/Ross wrestling team, taking over for Jim Stewart, was pushed to this season. The good news is that the pandemic didn’t force an entire rebuild like it has for some programs.
Santi Maya and Caleb Peralta, seniors who have been in the program for over four years now, are returning to lead the way as captains, both at 126 pounds, and they have a supporting cast as well. J.P. Amaden (132 pounds), Cooper Ceva (138), Jose Calderon (189) and Richie Perez (126) are all juniors and will have the year to build up to their senior seasons. Tristam Sisson (138) is the team’s only other senior with Maya and Peralta.
“Santi and Caleb were leaders on this team as sophomores, so I’m expecting them to continue in those roles as seniors,” Mitchell said. “Santi reached the blood round at counties and came close to placing two years ago. Caleb had a tough pull at counties and lost to the eventual county champion in the earlier rounds, so this is a great window for us. They’re almost still under the radar without the success that they absolutely would have had last season and coming into this season. I know they’re grateful to still have this opportunity to wrestle and they know how easily their season can be taken away from them so they’re here busting their butts every day.
“We’re looking at other kids, too, who have some leadership qualities, some juniors and seniors who are new to the sport,” he added.
Jack Cooper is a sophomore and first-year varsity wrestler who will be competing at 160 pounds. Augustus “Gus” Hayes is a first-year junior wrestler coming over from Pierson and Ayman Arkoukou is another sophomore first-year wrestler who is coming over from the Ross School. Mitchell has liked what he’s seen from all three thus far in the early going.
Aside from those aforementioned names, the numbers for the program have come down a bit, Mitchell said, from pre-pandemic times. He said some parents are still leery about having their kids wrestle during the pandemic, but the Bonackers still have 35 or so on their roster.
East Hampton hosted its annual Sprig Gardner Memorial Tournament on Saturday, hosting all South Fork teams in Southampton, Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach, in addition to Bayport-Blue Point and Ward Melville. The format was changed a little bit from a straight up individual tournament to more of a round robin to get wrestlers as many matches in on the day as they can. For the most part, it worked out well with many wrestlers getting up to five matches in.
Maya placed second at 132 pounds, falling to Ward Melville’s Jace Yannucciello in the championships in a 10-1 major decision. Peralta placed third at 138, defeating Westhampton’s Luke Citarelli, 5-4, in the consolation finals. Cooper Ceva placed fifth at 132.
East Hampton will wrestle in a very tough League V this season that contains Amityville, Comsewogue, East Islip, Eastport-South Manor, Half Hollow Hills West, Harborfields, Islip, Kings Park, Miller Place, Rocky Point and Westhampton Beach, Mitchell’s alma mater and where he coached prior to coming to East Hampton.
The Bonackers will host the Hurricanes this Friday, December 10, in the first dual meet for both teams at 6:15 p.m. They’ll then compete at the Doc Fallot Memorial Tournament at Hampton Bays High School the following day.
