Vincent Z. Mercogliano

vmercoglia@lohud.com

Come Friday morning (and if you're reading this in the newspaper, it's already here), Sullivan Community College will be bustling with activity from the best high school wrestlers in the Northeast. The Eastern States Classic seems to get bigger and better every season, and now in its 15th year, that tradition is continuing.

The tournament began after New York state split into two divisions — large school and small school — which led to two state champions in each weight class. It left coaches, wrestlers and fans wondering who, in fact, was the best in the state?

In an attempt to answer that question, Wallkill wrestling coach Jeff Cuilty and others devised the Eastern States Classic — a coming together of the best wrestlers in New York, which over time has added teams from around the country.

SEEDS: The top four in each weight class, plus all locals who landed in the top 30

PODCAST: Previewing Eastern States with Fox Lane coach Anthony Rodrigues

The 2017 tourney will feature 157 schools from five different states, including 19 former state champions and 169 who have previously won titles in their respective sections. There will be no cupcake matches and those who make it to the podium will become recognizable names around the region.

Very few locals, if any, will come home with titles. But there will be plenty who make their presence felt, and as a preview, I’ve come up with a list of the top 10 local wrestlers to watch over the weekend. It’s based largely on individual skills, but I’ve also factored in the level of competition at each weight class. Some paths will surely be more difficult than others.

With that being said, here’s my ranking of the top 10 wrestlers from Section 1 who could win — or place highly — at the 15th annual Eastern States Classic.

1. Grant Cuomo, Brewster — As the only No. 1 seed from Section 1, it’s fair to say that the 160-pound junior has the best chance to win. That’s because defending state champ Ryan Ferro of Warwick, who trailed Cuomo on Saturday before pinning him in the second period, has been scratched. Cuomo missed last year's tourney due to injury, but he returned for the postseason and placed fifth in the state at 152 pounds. His top competition figures to be No. 2 seed Noah Grover of Warsaw, who placed third at 152 in the small school state tournament last season.

2. Matt Grippi, Fox Lane — The 145-pound junior has a couple of second-place medals from last season that he’s hoping to convert from silver to gold in 2017. In both the Eastern States and New York state finals, Grippi lost to Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis, a four-time state champ and one of the best in the world for his age group. With Diakomihalis out for this season due to elbow surgery, Grippi’s biggest hurdle has been cleared. But if he wants to win the tourney, he’ll probably have to go through Penfield’s Frankie Gissendanner, a two-time state champ who will enter as the No. 1 seed.

3. Conor Melbourne, John Jay — As the 152-pound senior noted following Wednesday’s win over Pearl River, he’s had his best moments in high school at Eastern States. Melbourne reached the finals last season, where he lost to Gissendanner, and will enter as the No. 3 seed this year. The top two seeds are Plainview’s Peter Pappas, a two-time Division 1 state finalist, and Holand Patent’s Hunter Richard, a defending Division 2 state champ.

4. Randy Earl, John Jay-East Fishkill — Even though the senior is seeded third at 126 pounds, there doesn’t seem to be much of a gap between Earl and the top two. Top-seeded Jon Gomez and No. 2 Hunter Dusold, who happen to be teammates for Locust Valley, will likely stand in Earl’s way. Neither placed in the top five at Eastern States last year, which makes that weight class look wide open.

5. Jordan Wallace, New Rochelle — One of six returning Section 1 wrestlers who placed last year, the senior is the No. 3 seed at 170 pounds. He’s taken his game to another level this season, adding strength and size while maintaining his quickness. Top seed Jason Hoffman of Hadley Luzerne/Lake George was a finalist last season and No. 2 Tyler Barnes of Ballston Spa took third, and they figure to be Wallace's main competition.

6. Evan Frank, John Jay — The 182-pound senior was one of four local finalists last year, which might indicate that he belongs further up on this list. But while some weight classes appear to be up for grabs, this field has a clear favorite in two-time state champ Louie Deprez of Hilton. He beat Frank with a 9-0 major decision in last year’s 170-pound final.

7. Cliffton Wang, Edgemont — While Frank is seeded third at 182 pounds, Wang is right behind him at No. 4. Like Frank, the Harvard-bound senior took third in the state last year and is undoubtedly one of the best from our area. If the seeds hold, we could see Wang get a shot at Deprez in the semifinals.

8. Dennis Robin, Arlington — There are two wrestlers from Section 1 seeded in the top four at 99 pounds. The freshman is behind Mahopac’s Garrett Semenetz, but he’s having a stronger season. Robin beat Semenetz with a 2-1 decision last week and remains unbeaten. He’ll enter as the No. 4 seed.

9. Garrett Semenetz, Mahopac — The senior was at 106 pounds for the first half of the season, but recently dropped down to 99. He’ll enter as the No. 2 seed at that weight, behind top seed Brandon Nunez of John Browne. Nunez is the only wrestler in the bracket who placed at this weight last year, but there is no overwhelming favorite.

10. Bim Gecaj, John Jay — There were many wrestlers to consider for this final spot, but the senior gets the nod because of his weight class. The 285-pound bracket is considered to be the thinnest at this year’s tournament. Oh, the irony. With no wrestlers who have previously placed at states, Gecaj is positioned to make a run if he brings his '‘A’' game.

10 more to watch(seed and weight class)

11. Satoshi Abe, Sr., Putnam Valley (No. 15 at 126)

12. Connor Breit, Sr., Nanuet (No. 5 at 195)

13. Ivan Garcia, Fr., Port Chester (No. 9 at 99)

14. Jake Logan, So., New Rochelle (No. 8 at 160)

15. Halil Gecaj, Jr., John Jay (No. 6 at 220)

16. Kyle Davis, Sr., Beacon (No. 6 at 195)

17. Jacquez Poole, Sr., Arlington (No. 17 at 285)

18. Mikey Bruno, Jr., Putnam Valley (No. 6 at 113)

19. Luca Errico, So., Byram Hills (No. 11 at 126)

20. Anthony Malfitano, Sr., Pearl River (No. 8 at 170)

Twitter: @vzmercogliano