This wrestling season at Brewster High School is a triumphant one: there are five wrestlers who will be competing at the Section One State Qualifying Tournament next week. These kids deserve special recognition for their achievements, and they each have their own reasons to celebrate. Head Coach Tom Looby gave me unique insight to each of the kids’ wrestling performances, and he lauds their persistence.
Coach Looby, joined by Coach Mike Ford, and JV Coach James Duncan, all have high hopes for these individuals and the future of BHS Wrestling. Looby says, “We have a very young team and are expecting an additional 18 freshman next season. This is an excellent problem for a team that has been rebuilding. These kids are young and inexperienced, but they are hard workers and are willing to put in the time it takes to improve. The majority of our Varsity starters are underclassmen and have all shown considerable potential. Our schedule this season has been demanding, wrestling tournaments in Virginia and taking on some of the toughest teams in the section. These kids don’t quit and really bonded and enjoyed themselves this season. We are looking forward to Sectionals, States, and seeing what kind of team we can put together next season.”
The youngest of them all, Jacob Hamblin, is a 113 pound 8th grader, with a record of 13-15. Jacob Bett is a freshman in the 106 pound weight class, with a record of 11-15. According to Looby, these boys are very young with great potential for the future.
Alex Goldberg is next, as a 113 pound sophomore with a record of 30-10. He’s currently seeded 3rd in this weekend’s Section One tournament. Looby states he has been working hard to improve and is taking training to the next level, competing and practicing in the off season.
Next is senior Brooke Pagan, an outstanding wrestler with a big future ahead of her as she has committed to wrestle at Life University next year. At 138 pounds and a record of 10-18, she just recently qualified for Sectionals at North Rockland. To top it all, this summer, she received the title of a Fargo All-American.
And lastly, the weariless Grant Cuomo, a junior in the 160 pound weight class with a current record of an incredible 29-2, Grant won Sectionals last season and placed 5th at States after returning from a hip injury that had him sidelined for most of the season. But according to Looby, Grant is 100 percent this year, and proved it by becoming the first wrestler in Brewster history to become an Eastern States Champion, a tournament which showcases the best of the best from both Division I and II combined, a competition against 500 wrestlers. This win was like a springboard to the New York State Finals. He’s currently ranked 2nd in New York and is focused on winning a state title.
Cuomo believes this team will reach new heights very soon. He says, “In the beginning of the season I was disappointed with how the team was looking. A lot of newcomers and not of the relentless warriors I had the pleasure of wrestling with in my past four years. But the team this year was about much more than winning. This year was about bonding and growing as a team. This year was about getting each other better, and by the time sophomores become seniors, I believe Brewster will be a powerhouse again. After all, the team is young and these kids will be sticking around for a few years. If the boys work in the offseason with me, Brewster will make huge jumps, not just as a team but individually. I expect great things in the future, but it’s all thanks to our coaches Looby, Ford, and Duncan. They pushed us to get better and stay focused all year because we need each other to rise up again.”