Reddick is natural champ for R-H
But Spencerport rolls to team title
By John Moriello
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The opportunity to move down has put Scott Reddick a step ahead of the wrestling competition .

The Rush-Henrietta senior, finally competing in his natural weight class, earned the Section 5 Class A championship for 145-pounders and remained undefeated last night with a 9-6 decision over Brockport junior Steve Taylor.

Reddick, whose family moved here from Oklahoma four years ago, spent the previous two seasons locked out of the middle of the Royal Comets lineup because of the presence of Jason Hulett at 145 pounds and Todd Burchardt at 155.

"I was wrestling at '67 and '77, which was way out of my weight range," Reddick said outside the Rush-Henrietta gymnasium, "but I had a winning record. I knew I'd get a chance at '45 because Burchardt and Hulett were moving on.

"I was in perfect position, being able to work against so many good people."

Reddick has gone from 19-11 as a junior to 33-0-1 and the Monroe County Division I wrestler of the year this winter.

The next step is the state qualifier beginning Friday at Webster Junior High. The top four in each of four sectional classes will meet over two days to determine the single Section 5 representative in each class for the state meet March 3-4 at Syracuse.

Among those joining Reddick will be fellow seniors John Welch of Canandaigua and Andy Antonucci of Hilton.

Welch earned his third straight 167-pound sectional championship. He decisioned Matt DePoint of Churchville Chili in the final, 13-7, after pinning his first three opponents in 4:49.

Antonucci, wrestling up two classes from a year ago, decisioned Joe Giglio of Gates-Chili at 119 pounds, 9-3.

None of the above, however, had an impact on the team title. Spencerport, with five boys in the finals, rolled up 206 points to easily hold off three-time defending champion Brighton (160) and Gates-Chili (153 1/2).

The trophy represented the Rangers' seventh championship of the season. Earlier, they won tournaments at Jamestown, Spencerport and Hilton; the Monroe County tournament title; the league's Division II championship; and the league's crossover dual meet.

Jon Raines, a 105-pound senior, and Joe LoPresti, a 126-pound senior, brought home championships. It was particularly sweet for LoPresti, who was subject to booing in the county meet and again last night.

"He doesn't deserve to be booed. No kid does," Rangers Coach Bill Jacoutot said. "No matter how much or how little he wins by he gets booed. He's got to live with it and he knows it."

The booing started in the first period of LoPresti's 4-2 decision over Brockport senior Scott Daly as neither wrestler made much of an effort at a takedown.

Daly scored a second period escape and both competitors were assessed a point for backing out the 10-foot circle. Then, with under 30 seconds to go, Daly plowed LoPresti back and had him vulnerable. But the state-meet veteran managed to hang on without any damage over the final seconds, much to the crowd's disapproval.

LoPresti registered an escape and a takedown midway through the third period, then survived a near reversal as time expired. The booing went up as the referee raised the winner's hand.

"People love to see up lose," LoPresti said. "They love to see winners lose. Is it our fault we work harder then any other team?"

"We idolize (the University of) Iowa. We watch their tapes all the time in practice and they're always getting booed."

Said Jacoutot: "On an applause meter, we'll break all records if we're losing. Joey and Chris Bannister were losing in the semifinals and the place sounded like Yankee Stadium."

Reddick was warming up as the whole LoPresti episode was going on last night. To put it mildly, he was amazed.

"I was talking about that at counties," he said. "I couldn't wrestle under those conditions. I thrive on congratulations. I'd still wrestle, but my heart wouldn't be in it."

North Rose wins Class B
North Rose-Wolcott ended East Rochester's 11-year reign in Class B with a 17 1/2- 156 decision at Geneva.

It was NR-W's first ever Class B championship.

Going into the final round, ER was ahead, 141 1/2 - 141. Gary DeCarr (112 pounds), Rich Steeves (119), John Brooks (138) and Heath Rush (126) won championship bouts for NR-W while Wayne Homan (98) and Mike Vandewin (145) won third-place bouts.

For East Rochester, Pietro Furgiuele was runner-up to Palmyra-Macedon's Derek LaRock at 91 pounds; Roy Frey won at 98 and Pat Quinn won the 132 final.

Other champions in the meet included Shawn Knisley of Waterloo, who won his fourth Class B title. Knisley was named the most outstanding wrestler.