Community Celebrates the Team with a Special Send-Off Ahead of the Victory
The Miller Place High School Varsity Wrestling team has made history, securing the school’s first Division II New York State Championship following a stellar season of determination and skill.
Ahead of the championship, the Miller Place School District hosted a special send-off to honor the team as they departed for the tournament at the SRC Arena at Onondaga County Community College in Syracuse. The Miller Place High School marching band performed for the team as they marched through the halls where students and staff were lined up cheering them on and celebrating their hard work, dedication and achievements.
The Panthers defeated Shoreham-Wading River 45-24 in a thrilling showdown, marking their third victory over the same team in just two weeks and earning the prestigious Division II dual meet state title.
“We’ve had a really strong program. This is the first time we’ve won a county dual meet title and state championship.” said Miller Place Head Coach Matt Kaszubski. “It’s significant, not only for the program but for the District. It brings a lot of pride to the community and we’re really happy to represent them up in Syracuse.”
Leading the charge for Miller Place were standout wrestlers Nicolo Dolson, Brett Winslow, Charles Clifford, Alex Southworth, Jack Miller, Brice Browning, Andrew Bennett-Guma, Bradyn Ellis and Reese Zakar. Each athlete contributed crucial points and momentum, helping the Panthers pull ahead and secure the championship.
“It’s a close match every time with Shoreham,” Coach Kaszubski said in an interview with Newsday. “We had to make some adjustments to get the right matchups, or it could go the other way. Our guys really came through tonight. It’s hard to beat a quality team like Shoreham once, let alone three times. Our kids were outstanding and met the challenge three times.”
After clinching the state championship, the Panthers are now focusing their attention on individual competitions. The team will compete next at the Section XI individual wrestling championships later this month, where several wrestlers are expected to contend for top honors. The Division II finals are scheduled for Feb. 13 at Shoreham-Wading River High School.
Miller Place High School and the entire community applaud the Panthers for their historic achievement and look forward to continued success on and off the mat.
For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us. To read more about the great things happening in Miller Place schools, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page.
