HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING: STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

By P.J. Harmer

Staff Writer

UNIONDALE — Bainbridge-Guilford

Star photo by P.J. Harmer A referee positions himself for Eric Decker’s pin of Cory Daniels in a Division II state quarterfinal at 160 pounds Friday at Nassau Coliseum. Decker will wrestle in a semifinal Saturday.

/Afton’s Eric Decker stands alone.

One of seven local Section Four champions competing at the State Wrestling Championships on Friday, senior Decker earned the area’s only semifinal berth at Nassau Coliseum.

Decker (39-2) had a first-round bye and dominated his opponent in a Division II quarterfinal at 160 pounds. He pinned Clifton Fine’s Cory Daniels in 1 minute, 28 seconds, setting up a state semifinal against Section Two’s Nate Graham (Ravena-Co[an error occurred while processing this directive]emans-Selkirk) at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The winner advances to the Division II state finals, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

"I didn’t really want to hang out on the mat any longer than I had to," said Decker, a two-time state champion who is the only wrestler to win six Section Four titles. "Anything freaky can happen, so I wanted to get in, get out and get done. Go eat, weigh out and enjoy myself rather than put myself through hell staying out there."

Former state champion Trevor Franklin, a senior at Unadilla Valley, lost both of his 125-pound matches in the Division I Tournament on Friday. Junior Micci Mason, Delhi’s first sectional champion, was eliminated at 119 pounds in Division II.

B-G/A senior Greg Conover (D-II, 135), Delhi senior Geoff Rosa (D-II, 140), Unadilla Valley junior Shayne Wilcox (130) and UV senior Scott Fuller (160) lost their opening matches. Each won a wrestleback, however, and can still place at states via the consolation bracket.

Decker showed Friday he’s out for more than simply placing, though.

Decker, who won the 152-pound D-II state title the last two seasons, needed all of 12 seconds to score his first points. He followed a two-point takedown with three back points for a 5-0 lead 48 seconds into the quarterfinal. Decker wasted little time sealing the victory with a pin 40 seconds later.

"Every year, I’ve had a close one in the semis," Decker said. "This year, I don’t want that. This year, I want to go out there and destroy him, and every time he does something, I want to punish him for doing it. That’s my mentality for (Saturday)."

Franklin dropped his opening match, 7-6, to Mahopac’s Dave Colagiovenni in a D-I quarterfinal. Franklin, who won the 2004 D-II state title at 96 pounds, then fell, 3-2, to Long Beach’s P.J. Gillespie.

"That’s not the Trevor Franklin we’ve seen all year," said Unadilla Valley coach Paul DuVall, who announced Friday that he will retire after this season. "I don’t know what went on out there. He was just very slow and sluggish. The kid he wrestled wasn’t a bad wrestler, but nothing compared to some of the kids he has beaten this year. He should have dominated that kid."

Trailing, 5-4, after two periods against Colagiovenni, Franklin opened the final period with an escape to tie the score. Colagiovenni earned a takedown with 1:40 left and Franklin escaped 38 seconds later for the final point.

"I don’t know what it was — a bad tournament I guess," Franklin said. "The kid was really defensive. I couldn’t get him set up. I would shoot in and he would just block it. I spent probably half the match that way. It was really frustrating."

Mason lost his first match by injury default against Pleasantville’s Michael Esteves. Mason injured his right shoulder midway through the second period, trailing, 5-2. He was down, 10-2, when the match was called and pulled out of the tournament.

"I think he shot and the other guy sprawled and it looked like (the shoulder) popped in and out," Delhi coach John Wake said. "He was wrestling well."