Wrestler grappling over disputed decision
School appeals call that gave title to La Salle’s Florio
By DAN HOWLEY, Staff writer
Don’t look for a reversal of the reversal.
North Rockland High is challenging an officiating call that cost senior C.J. Rodriguez the 135-pound Division I state wrestling championship and gave it to La Salle senior Paul Florio.
Nina VanErk, executive director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, said Friday she has received a letter from North Rockland athletic director Joe Casarella requesting more information about what happened and appealing the protest committee’s decision to uphold the call.
“The decision of the protest committee is final and there is no right of a formal appeal, “VanErk said. “Officials make judgment calls all the time and our association doesn’t hear appeals to judgment calls.”
The way the call was made and its timing stunned fans at Pepsi Arena and sent both wrestlers home utterly frustrated.
Rodriguez’s hand had already been raised after it appeared he had won 7-6. He jumped around, hugged people and was off celebrating for several moments when he was called back. One official had informed the other that Rodriguez had broken a sportsmanship rule by tossing his headgear in jubilation before the handshake, and Florio was awarded two points and an 8-7 victory.
Florio’s hand was then raised, drawing a deafening cascade of boos from the close to 7,000 fans.
It was a bizarre conclusion to great seasons for both wrestlers, Rodriguez feeling cheated, Florio uneasy with the title.
“I’ll probably always think of (the circumstances) in my head, but overall I won, “said Florio, adding he was upset after the match but comforted by officials, referees and wrestlers who assured him his victory was legitimate.
“In my mind I believe he’s won, “said Bob Florio, his father and assistant coach. “Nobody’s come up to us and said, ‘You got lucky.’ Nobody’s come up to us and said, ‘You got a call that you shouldn’t have gotten.’ “
Jim Sutton, Florio’s coach, stressed the importance of sportsmanship in the intense, physical sport.
“We have strict rules on sportsmanship and how you’re supposed to treat each other, “Sutton said. “You are supposed to shake hands, you are supposed to hold your headgear, you are supposed to walk off the mat and uphold great sportsmanship, and in this case you have a kid who violated one of our No. 1 rules.”
“The match was over, the head referee and the assistant referee raised my son’s hand, “said Rodriguez’s mother, Allison. “My son was in the stands with the family. More than five minutes had gone by. It’s just tragedy. I not only feel for my son, I feel for the other boy.”
Joe Bena, a longtime Niskayuna wrestling coach now coaching at Duanesburg, said Friday that rules are rules but he did not appreciate how the penalty was called.
“It was the way they did it, “Bena said. “He was off the mat when they called him back. It was nasty. It wasn’t pretty.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before. That’s a tough way to lose a championship, and it’s a tough way to win a championship. I feel bad for both kids.”
Bena, however, said the officials followed the rule to the letter and that officials are there to follow rules, not interpret them. He said that changing the outcome is not an option.
“To reverse it would be saying we are disregarding the rules, “he said.
VanErk said she would discuss Casarella’s request with state wrestling coordinator Don DeBadts and gather the requested information.
Ettkin contributed to this story.
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