Division II


	EDITORIAL

DIVISION II ALMOST MAKES A MARK

Sean Heaney was a win away from guaranteeing himself all-state honors in this past weekend's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II wrestling championships in Albany. Unfortunately, it was not to be for the Mattituck/Greenport senior. But the circumstances under which Heaney lost his final match of the season in the 189-pound weight class were of the rarest form.

Less than two minutes into the first period, he had his opponent, senior Zak Griffith of Warsaw, on his back.

Before the championships, Heaney had said that his strategy would be to go for the first takedown, and with it take control of the match. Against Griffith, Heaney had both.

"We were screaming: 'He's pinned! He's pinned!' "Greenport/Mattituck Coach Cory Dolson said of himself and his assistant as they looked on.

One minute 58 seconds into the match, the referee slapped the mat. It was over.

Heaney, who according to Dolson is fairly unemotional, was beaming. Like his coaches, Heaney thought he had won.

Dolson said he was fixated on Griffith's back, which he said was flat to the mat. The referee did not see it that way, and raised Griffith's arm, the victor by defensive pin. Heaney had put his back flat on the mat in making his offensive move.

"What do you say?" Dolson said. "He thought he'd achieved all-state. That was his goal. For 10 seconds you think you've achieved your goal. Then all of the sudden, you don't. It's tough. You try to tell him he had a great season. The way it ended was kind of difficult to swallow."

Dolson said that in his mind, it was not a good call. But there was no reversing it. Heaney's season had ended one match shy of his goal, his final season record at 35-2.

"That's a great season regardless of what happened," Dolson said.