Carle Place Sophomore Wrestler Moses Morales Advances to State Championship After County Runner-Up Finish

Carle Place sophomore wrestler Moses Morales qualified for the NYSPHSAA Wrestling championship in Albany after finishing second in Nassau County, according to head coach Steve Sebastopoli.

Morales, competing at 126 pounds, lost to reigning county champion Brendan Fox of Seaford by a 2-0 decision in the Division II title match. Despite the loss, his runner-up finish earned him a spot at the state tournament.

“We were confident going in, but it didn’t work out,” Sebastopoli said. “We’ve made adjustments for states and are looking to score points and get on the podium.”

The achievement marks significant progress for Morales, who finished fourth in the county as a freshman last season in his first year of varsity wrestling. This represents his first all-county placement.

Sebastopoli credited Morales’ offseason dedication for his improvement. “He’s fine-tuned techniques, especially on top, improved his takedowns and matured overall,” the coach said. “After last season’s fourth-place finish, he showed how badly he wanted it by putting in time during the offseason and doing additional club wrestling sessions after practice.”

Morales served as one of Carle Place’s captains despite being just a sophomore, leading a young team at Nassau County’s smallest school. According to Sebastopoli, approximately 80 percent of the wrestling roster consisted of first-year wrestlers during his inaugural season as head coach.

“Moses was one of our captains,” Sebastopoli said. “He brings maturity and passion and helps motivate teammates. Carle Place is the smallest school in Nassau County and about 80% of our roster were first-year wrestlers, so he stepped up as a true leader.”

Wrestling runs in Morales’ family. His father qualified for Nassau County competition while wrestling for Port Washington High School and introduced his son to the sport three years ago when Morales was in seventh grade at Lindenhurst High School.

“Everybody in my family wrestled, especially my dad,” Morales said. “He really got me into wrestling and I just never stopped from there. He always wants me to do better than him. You don’t really have many people with that mindset who want you to surpass them.”

At the state tournament, Morales entered as the No. 19 seed and faced No. 14-seeded Peter Filli from Ichabod Crane in the opening round. Filli defeated Morales by technical fall, sending the Carle Place wrestler to the consolation bracket. In his consolation match, Morales lost 10-0 by major decision to Long Island native Evan Seppe from Miller Place, ending his tournament run.

Sebastopoli noted that preparation for states involved both mental and physical elements. “A lot of it is mental preparation — building confidence, developing game plans and taking one match at a time,” he said. “Moses also dealt with injuries, so working through adversity, improving conditioning and fine-tuning technique on his feet and on top are key focuses.”

The team achieved success beyond individual accomplishments this season, according to Sebastopoli. The squad earned all-honor team recognition with a grade point average above 90, reached the dual meet playoffs, and sent Morales to the state championship.

With two years of eligibility remaining, Morales has established himself as a cornerstone for Carle Place wrestling’s future. Sebastopoli expressed optimism about building the program around returning wrestlers like Morales.

“We have two more years with Moses, and this is setting the foundation for Carle Place wrestling,” Sebastopoli said. “With many newer wrestlers and Moses returning, we’re looking to continue building the program.”