Big Win Before Busby Classic

Coach Anthony Schettino got some bad news just prior to the varsity wrestling team's match against Valley Stream Central on Friday afternoon. Luke Klumpp, one of the Vikings' senior co-captains, was out of the lineup with the flu, leaving the coach with an empty spot in the 145-pound weight class.

The coach had to think fast. He bumped up Harry Weinstein from 140 to 145 and plugged in Lenny Joutovsky at 140 pounds. Low-and-behold, it all worked out. Weinstein pinned his opponent for six points and the win while Joutovsky took home a forfeit victory. The Vikings went on to defeat Central, 54-18, in this Conference II-B matchup, improving their record to 6-4.

"Everything really fell into place," Schettino said. "We went into the the match a little down, but came up big."

He added, "We dominated. It was a big win. We were in control the entire match."

Co-captain Mike O'Brien (215 pounds) continued his impressive season, pinning his opponent in less than a minute. "I think Mike leads by example," Schettino said. "He works hard and therefore he wins."

This was the Vikings' fourth consecutive win heading into the team's final regular season meet — The 8th Annual Bob Busby Invitational.

"We're a very, very young team, which should work to our benefit down the road," Schettino said. "Our conditioning and our technique continues to improve with every match. Coaches try to design it so the kids peak at the end of the year and — knock on wood — we're going according to plan."

Following the Busby Classic, which pits Schreiber against Manhasset, North Shore and Great Neck North high schools on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the team will host a dual meet playoff match on Thursday, Jan. 21. Their opponent has yet to be determined.