Louis Hernandez knew that he had to keep calm after trailing going into the third period of the finals at the State Tournament in Albany on Feb. 23, and his patience paid off, as he became the first Mepham High School wrestler in 29 years to win the State Championship.
Hernandez, 16 and a junior at Mepham, was the top seed going in and had already won the Nassau County Title and Eastern States in the 145-pound bracket. That, and his 51-1 record, gave him confidence as he headed back to Albany for the second straight year.
Follow Bellmore Patch and Merrick Patch on Twitter.
"I was really confident because I won Eastern States, which is another high caliber tournament," Hernandez said. "I thought, if I could win there, I could win the state tournament."
Hernandez won his first three matches in Albany, but Eric Lewandowski had a game plan, which prompted Hernandez to make adjustments mid-match.
"They know my strong point is on my feet," Hernandez said. "When I wrestled him, he was on his knees, and it was frustrating because I could get in the shots that I normally do."
Hernandez was down 2-1 in the third period, but he was eventually able to pull a reversal to tie the score. With about 10 seconds left, he was able to get in a shot for two points to secure the win, 4-2.
"You get a rush of energy that just surges your whole body," he said. "You look at the crowd and you see the people who’ve been with you the whole time, and you can’t help but just point at them and say thank you."
“It was unbelievable," Coach Richard Anderson said. "We’re just super happy for him and it’s big for the program.”
Hernandez will return as a senior and will push to repeat as a state champion next season.
“He’s going to refocus his goals, hopefully become a two-time state champ and get ready for college," Anderson said.
Beyond high school, Hernandez said he hopes to continue wrestling in college and to one day become a wrestling coach. He also added that he'd been giving thought to pursuing broadcasting.
What do you think of Hernandez's accomplishments this season? Tell us in the comments section below.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
