Presenting the 2024 Providence Journal All-State Boys Wrestling selections

The All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the player of the year nominees for Boys Wrestling. The winners will be announced during the live show on Thursday, June 27, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

During the live show, athletes of the year in 30 sports will be honored. In addition, top teams, coaches and overall athletes will be honored as will a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. Details on how additional tickets can be obtained will be available soon.

For more information about the show and to opt into email updates, visit the website, and you can also follow it on Facebook.

The All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. This year, one school from the area will win a $1,000 donation to its athletic department through our School Spirit Contest.

The 2024 Providence Journal All-State Boys Wrestling First Team

Cole Lemovitz, Ponaganset

Freshman, 106 pounds

The rookie raced onto the high school wrestling scene, earned the top seed in the state championship weight class and won his first three matches via pin. In the final, Lemovitz won, 5-1. Lemovitz also won the New England Championship tournament.

Apollo Bellini, Ponaganset

Freshman, 113 pounds

Another winner in Ponaganset’s wrestling factory, Bellini also entered with the top seed and won his final three matches by decision. In the title match, Bellini captured gold with a 4-3 final.

Jared Hood, Ponaganset

Junior, 120 pounds

Hood dominated the 120 class this winter with four straight pins en route to his third straight state championship gold. To top that off, Hood took first place at the New England Championships. He won the 106 class as a freshman and 113 in his sophomore campaign.

Peyton Ellis, Coventry

Senior, 126 pounds

Ellis capped a perfect high school wrestling career by taking the semifinal bout and championship match via technical fall. Ellis won first place at the New England Championships with a 10-5 decision. The star leaves the high school ranks for Johnson & Wales University.

David Perez, Ponaganset

Sophomore, 132 pounds

After taking second at 120 as a freshman, Perez moved to 132 a sophomore. As the division's top seed, he won each of his state championship matches via pin. His first-place match ended at 3:29 to secure another gold for the Chieftains. Perez also won the New England title via pin.

Joseph Joyce, Ponaganset

Sophomore, 138 pounds

Joyce owned the 138-pound weight class again this winter. It’s his second gold and after cruising to the title last year. He won the 2024 championship match in a major decision. Joyce also took first place at the New England Championships.

Andrew McCarthy, Mt. Hope

Junior, 144 pounds

After a runner-up finish at 126 pounds in 2023, McCarthy bulked up and earned the No. 2 seed at 144. After pins in his first two matches, he seized gold with decisions in the semifinals and championship. McCarthy also finished second at 113 as a freshman, making his junior year title a breakthrough effort.

Gabriel Bouyssou, Scituate

Senior, 150 pounds

One of the state’s best wrestlers to ever grace the mat, Bouyssou leaves with a perfect in-state record. The Spartan star dominated for four winters, winning titles previously at 132, 138 and 144 pounds. This season, Bouyssou dominated the 150-pound class and won at the New England Championships. He will attend Cornell University in the fall.

Ryan Currier, Chariho

Senior, 157 pounds

If you left the arena for just a second, you might have missed Currier’s mat time. His first two matches were quick pins and the semifinal and finals were both dominating performances. Currier finished third at the New England Championships.

Andrew Reall, Ponaganset

Senior, 165 pounds

The 165-pound top seed was the weight’s top winner. Reall, a Brown University commit, graduates as a three-time state champion. Reall also finished runner-up at the New England Championships.

Preston Marchesseault, Ponaganset

Junior, 175 pounds

The 175-pound star for the Chieftains dropped a weight class after finishing runner-up in his sophomore season. This winter, Marchesseault entered as the top seed and won via pin in his first three matches. He capped the title run with a 7-2 decision in the finals. Marchesseault also finished runner-up at the New England Championships.

Jack Giannetto, Narragansett

Junior, 190 pounds

As the sixth seed in the 190-pound class in the state tournament, Giannetto finished with three pins in less than a minute to enter the championship. Down, 10-3, in the finals, the Mariners star pulled off the pin to earn gold at the 1:26 mark of the championship.

Michael DiOrio, Ponaganset

Junior, 215 pounds

DiOrio’s breakthrough gold came on the heels of three pins, including the title match, to cap the Chieftains’ dominance at the state meet. Ponaganset then went on to win at the New England Championships by more than 50 points.

Kaz Morosetti, North Kingstown

Sophomore, 285 pounds

Morosetti’s sophomore winter ended with his first gold. A dominant performance at the state championship was wrapped with an 8-2 decision in the finals for the Skipper.

2024 Providence Journal All-State Boys Wrestling Second Team

106 — Robert Newton, Scituate, Sophomore

113 — Caden Hughes, Scituate, Sophomore

120 — Cameron Davis, Central, Senior

126 — Robert Douangmala, Ponaganset, Freshman

132 — Benjamin White, South Kingstown, Junior

138 — Sebastian Armstrong, Coventry, Senior

144 — Colby Vital, Ponaganset, Sophomore

150 — Matthew Pappas, Hendricken, Sophomore

157 — Jordan DaCosta, Cumberland, Senior

165 — Ferhat Baha Akdemir, East Providence, Junior

175 — Trevor O'Connor, Pilgrim, Senior

190 — Spencer Fine, Hendricken, Senior

215 — Andrew Alchihed, Cranston West, Senior

285 — Ason Jones, Coventry, Junior

jrousseau@providencejournal.com

On X: @ByJacobRousseau

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 2024 Providence Journal All-State Boys Wrestling First and Second teams