John Jay Wrestling and Hockey Looking Strong

With the postseason just around the corner, the hockey and wrestling teams from John Jay are hitting their strides at the right time.

The hockey team has won five straight games against Section 1 opponents, while the wrestling team just clinched its fourth straight league title.

John Jay hockey (11-4-1) won both its games this past week by big margins, defeating Rye Town/Harrison 4-0 on Monday and Mount Pleasant 4-1 Saturday night. Before that, 10 of their first 14 games were decided by two goals or fewer.

"They've been the same kind of game," coach Alex Smith said. "Defensive minded, good goaltending, and taking advantage of our chances."

Smith, who was the program's first coach when the team formed in 1999, has come back to the bench after leaving in 2001 to coach his own sons. He returned to John Jay just days before the start of the season and wasn't sure what to expect until the team's first game, a 2-2 tie against sectional finalist White Plains. Senior goalie Mike Ott made 37 saves, the defense kept shots to the outside, and the forwards were opportunistic.

"That really was a game that foreshadowed what kind of team we would be," Smith said.

Besides Ott, a standout in net who has a 1.86 goals-against average, the team has senior leadership from co-captains Scott Turecamo and Nathaniel Kaplan. Turecamo, a forward who leads the team in goals (14) and points (20), plays hard and leads by example.

"He's not big physically, but he plays with a big heart," Smith said.

Kaplan is the biggest player on the team, and the more vocal leader.

"He's very passionate about the team and the game, and it's a good combination," Smith said.

Meanwhile, the John Jay wrestling program followed up its win at the Beacon tournament last weekend by clinching its league title with a 48-21 win over rival Fox Lane Friday night.

Coach Bill Swertfager estimated the crowd was more than 500, the largest ever at John Jay for a wrestling meet. The Indians were down 15-8 after some of the lower weight classes, but victories by Jay Smith (140 pounds) and Mike Kelly (145) turned the match around, and the heavyweights turned it into a decisive win.

It was also Senior Day for nine wrestlers — the most seniors in the program's history — including Billy Watterson, who became the first John Jay wrestler to win the prestigious Con Edison Award.

The Indians added to the trophy case last weekend at the Beacon Classic, defeating Valley Central, the 16th ranked team in the state, by a score of 193-190. Five wrestlers competed in the finals, with Watterson (119), Henry Stauber (130) and Scott Genovesi (160) winning championships and Mark Swertfager (135) and Timmy Gecaj (285) both taking second place. Jay Smith and Lucas Myers placed third, while James Kelly took fourth and Jared Egeler took sixth.

The wrestling team heads to divisionals next weekend, while the hockey team has four more games until the playoffs start on Feb. 22.