Underdogs they may have been, but the Mahopac Wolf Pac were in it to win it from start to finish at the Section 1 Division I wrestling championship tournament at the Westchester County Center on Feb. 7-8. Among a field of 32 teams, the Wolf Pac placed third overall with 179 points, a bit behind first-time Section 1 champion Yorktown (218 points) and runner-up Tappan Zee (189).
“What a great experience we had at the County Center,” Mahopac coach Steven Tornambe said. “It is actually the best venue for the sectional tournament. As far as Mahopac wrestling: What can I say? We wrestle our best at the end of the year. I couldn’t be more proud of our boys.”
Tornambe said the team’s consistency helped make the season a special one and set the tone for success in the sectionals.
“We have placed in the top three in every tournament we’ve been to all year and I kept reminding the team that this was just another tournament — and if they kept doing what they have been doing we would do well,” Tornambe said. “As a coach, I want our kids to wrestle like how I remember Mahopac wrestlers were when I wrestled: Gritty, tough, resilient kids. And that’s exactly what they did. Everyone we brought won at least one match.”
The Wolf Pac began day two with 122 team points, wrapped in a three-team battle with Yorktown (137.5) and Tappan Zee (132) for sectional bragging rights. Mahopac placed five grapplers in the semifinals, including 110-pounder Justin Cabuhat, 138-pounder Charles Przymylski, 157-pounder Pace Zeiler, 165-pounder Hector ‘Moose’ Perez and heavyweight Peter Grishaj. Przymylski, Zeiler and Cabuhat all reached the finals, where the legend of ‘Chaz Przy’ took on a whole new life when he came away with his second consecutive Section 1 championship (he won at 124 pounds in 2025).
As many predicted back in November, Przymylski was pitted against Somers hotshot Ryan Ball — and the contest lived up to its marquee billing. Along the way, Przymylski pinned Ball’s teammate Derek Kuchinsky before facing the two-time sectional champ and one of the finest in Somers history. From the start of the season, it seemed inevitable that these two history-making grapplers would meet at a fork in the road. And when that clash finally came to pass in Sunday’s finals, it was Przymylski who would own the moment with a 10-5 win and kudos as the tourney’s Most Outstanding Wrestler for lightweights.
“What a great kid Charles is,” Tornambe said. “Most outstanding wrestler for the tournament and a student of the sport. What else can I say? I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
With a 3-0 lead after the first period, Przymylski and Ball had a brief feeling-out period before Ball took a 4-3 lead off an escape and takedown. Przymylski drew even after an escape and then pounced for three points with control and a takedown to take a 7-5 lead into the final period. He controlled things from there to win his second Section 1 title.
“The match was incredible, and I think it lived up to the excitement people were hoping for,” Przymylski said. “Going into it, I knew he had a very weird, funky style, but I was confident in my strengths and in my ability to offset what he does well.”
The senior captain earned a second trip to the New York State Public High School Association tournament in Albany Feb. 27-28, as did second-place teammates Zeiler and Cabuhat.
“It feels great being Albany-bound again, but honestly it’s even better going with two of my teammates,” Przymylski said. “It was a huge weekend — not just for me, but for all of Mahopac. We finished in third place with three sectional finalists, and being voted Most Valuable Lightweight Wrestler by the coaches was an awesome feeling.”
Meanwhile, Tornambe said he had a hunch that Zeiler would show up throughout the season, including sectionals, and the junior did just that with a second-place finish after a strong comeback in the semifinal against Matthew Clyman (Lakeland/Panas). Zeiler (who earlier pinned Suffern’s Peter Orlando in 3:27) looked like his goose was cooked when he trailed 6-1 and then 9-4 before a reversal and a series of back points changed the match dramatically, giving the Mahopac grappler a 15-10 edge at the end of two periods. He finished with another takedown for an 18-10 victory to advance to the finals. There, he met his match in a 16-1 setback to two-time champion Chris Nocca (Greeley), who placed fourth in NYS last year.
“Pace Z showed why he was the No. 2 seed, taking care of business from the start,” Tornambe said. “He was down in his semifinals 6-1 but stayed calm and worked his way back for the victory, also punching his ticket to Albany with a win in the true second match.”
Cabuhat, a junior captain, rose from also-ran to finalist by showing steady improvement throughout the season, capping it off with a 13-3 semifinal win over Luca Lore of Yorktown before falling 6-2 in the finals to top-seeded Ethan Steuber of Somers. Cabuhat, who finished the season 36-11, nearly forced some back points late in the final period but wasn’t awarded.
“Justin Cabuhat was an absolute stud all tournament,” Tornambe said. “His work ethic is second to none. He had some unfinished business from last year and worked all offseason to leave his mark.”
Grishaj, the 285-pounder in just his second year of wrestling, earned a third-place finish and did more than enough damage for Mahopac to distance itself from fourth-place Somers (149.5 points) and Clarkstown North (149.5). The 13th-seeded senior scored huge team points leading up to the semifinals, including a 2-1 upset of No. 5 Ulises Del Moro of Arlington and a 5-1 win over No. 4 Jeremiah Fils of North Rockland, before knocking off Brewster’s Adrian Martinez, 9-0, in the consolation final for third place.
“Peter G., what can I say?” Tornambe said. “I told him Mahopac has a long line of great heavyweight wrestlers, and he has already left his mark. But his third-place finish solidified his name on that list of great heavyweights at Mahopac.”
Perez, a steamrolling junior, picked up steam as the year went on and provided the Wolf Pac with pivotal points in all major tournaments, including sectionals, where he finished fifth.
“A fifth-place finish in another stacked weight class shows how well he’s been wrestling all year,” the coach said of Perez.
Senior Jake Clarke had a big pin in the 190-pound consolation round, locking down a sixth-place finish overall.
“Jake Clarke has been a rock all year,” Tornambe said. “He’s a strong, hard-nosed kid who gives everything he has all the time. So proud he found his way on the podium with a sixth-place finish.”
Wolf Pac senior Sean Coronel went 4-2 in the tournament at 175 pounds, bowing out in the consolation round to Peekskill’s Stephen Cordero.
“Making the blood round and finishing day one with a bang and sending us into day two pumped up was key,” the coach said of Coronel, who went 3-2 in the tournament.
Wolf Pac freshman Anthony Tornambe fell just short of the podium, finishing 3-2 overall, beating his first two opponents by a combined 22-1 count.
“Starting at 103, Anthony has been consistently wrestling better week after week,” the coach said. “But after a controversial call in the quarterfinals it was hard to stay focused. Winning his next match and making the blood round on day two was good for him. It leaves a little meat in the bone for next year to stay hungry.”
At 144, Billy Camperlango went 2-2 in a loaded weight class, helping the Wolf Pac score team points. At 150, sophomore Leo Pryzmylski showed his future worth by winning his first two sectional matches and going 2-2 overall.
"Leo had a great sophomore campaign," Coach Tornambe said. "He showed up in big matches when we needed him to. We hope to see his best next season. Leo is the kind of kid that isn't afraid to roll up his sleeves and get to work."
Eighth-grader SJ Tornambe showed his potential for years to come. Aaron Rojas and Matt Camperlango contributed to the team's success. Unfortunately, Connor Lowery suffered a tournament-ending injury in his first match, along with fellow senior Eddie Zhinin.
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