On a day that began with the Harrison wrestling program celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of it’s soon-to-be graduated seniors, it was actually a younger Husky who ended up stealing the show. Just one hour after the team honored its past prior to the Huskies’ Jan. 30 season-finale dual meet against Pearl River, freshman phenom Tyler Joseph made a strong case for its future, becoming the youngest competitor in the program’s history to reach the 100 career-win mark.
Squaring off against Pearl River 120-pounder Edgardo Ruballos in the final match of the day, Joseph earned an impressive 22-7 win to reach the milestone he said that he has had his eye on since the end of last season.
“It feels great, my goal was to get it this year and I did,” Joseph said. “I just needed the same amount of wins that I had last year to get it this year, so it was something that was kind of on my mind.”
Joseph, who joined the Huskies’ program as a seventh-grader, has certainly established himself as one of the top competitors in Section I at the 113-pound weight class this year. With the postseason kicking off this weekend—the Huskies will compete at the divisional tournament at Horace Greeley High School on Feb. 3—he is currently ranked second among all Division I 113-pounders and believes that his physical maturation over the past three years has led to him becoming more of a force on the mat.
“I think my technique’s gotten better, but mostly it’s just being able to get through the whole match,” he said. “It’s that drive, and being able to put in that same amount of effort and not get tired.”
According to Harrison head coach Vin Nicita, Joseph is the first freshman in the program’s history to reach the 100-win plateau. If Joseph continues at his current trajectory, added Nicita, the school’s all-time record—set in 2008 by now-Huskies assistant coach Mark Arcara—could soon fall as well.
“For him to get 100 wins as a freshman, that’s incredible,” Nicita said. “[Mark] holds the school record at 163 wins, so if Tyler can stay healthy, that record could be in jeopardy.”
Joseph’s milestone win was one of the few bright spots on the day for Harrison, who fell 71-16 to the visitors. 182-pounder Zach Finn also picked up a victory, but for the most part, the powerhouse Division II program provided a stiff test for Harrison, which was looking for a challenge before the divisional tournaments kick off this weekend. The top four wrestlers in each weight class at each divisional location will earn an automatic berth to the Section I championships.
“We knew we were going to have our hands full today; but the kids battled and they never backed down,” Nicita said. “We think Tyler will be seeded one, Zach will probably be seeded two, and hopefully we can get some other kids qualified as well.”
