NEW YORK STATE WRESTLING: NEWARK VALLEY'S POST BATTLES IN QUARTERFINAL LOSS (2020-02-28)
BY TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
ALBANY — Newark Valley's Josh Post ran into a bit of a wall at the NYSPHSAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Times Union Center here Friday. That wall was top-seeded Locust Valley standout Gage DeNatale.
DeNatale, who spent last summer competing overseas and earned All-American status in October, backed up his accolades with a 5-0 decision in the 132-pound quarterfinal.
"He's the No. 1 seed for a reason," Newark Valley coach Mike Daly said.
Still, it was a respectable showing for Post, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.
"Respectable wasn't going to do it and we knew it. I don't say that to be mean or anything," Daly said. "We talked about it, like we need some things to go our way this match, and they didn't, but — I want to be like Josh when I grow up, because he handles it. There's definitely not a lack of desire there, or a lack of discipline or whatever. He's the type of kid that handles it well. It's eating him up, but he doesn't show it. You can appreciate that as a coach."
DeNatale grabbed a 2-0 lead with a first-period takedown. In the second period, he escaped, then added another takedown to build a 5-0 cushion. DeNatale, a returning placer at 132, was able to ride out Post in the third period to earn his second straight trip to the semifinals.
Post, meanwhile, will put this match behind him and attempt to wrestle back to a podium finish.
Daly expects his senior standout to come back refreshed and ready to get after it during the wrestlebacks.
"He'll approach it with the same workmanlike mentality," he said. "It's the same thing. That's what it's about. You go out there to give your best show, your best effort and your best performance. You don't always, but that's always the goal and he's one of those kids that does that."
Some wrestlers will fold after a tough loss at states, but not Post, according to Daly.
"That's not Josh," he said. "He has too much respect for his coaches, his parents, this program, everything, to ever let that thought enter his head."
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR
