Leading this year’s crop of honorees was Southwestern senior Giuseppe Hoose, who received the Ilio DiPaolo Award as a wrestler who excels on the mat, in the classroom and in the community.

Hoose’s resume includes a varsity record of 178-57 while finishing third at the New York State Public High School Championships at 182 pounds.

After weighing his post-graduate opportunities, Hoose has decided to commit to Hofstra University.

“It was a great evening, very nice and well put together,” Hoose said of the banquet. “Wrestling is really starting to grow around here, especially in the offseason, and it is helping (wrestlers) a lot. We were all just super excited. It was a huge honor.”

While the senior that finished his year with a record of 40-3 was honored to receive his scholarship, Hoose is confident that his high school career will not be the end of good things to come as he takes to the mat with the Pride.

“It was nice to see that over the years (the work) has been recognized, but that doesn’t mean that I’m done,” he added.

Joining Hoose on Monday’s guest list was New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II 160-pound champion and Post-Journal Wrestler of the Year Bryce Rowe of Chautauqua Lake.

Rowe received the “Destroyer” Award, which bears the name of legendary pro wrestler, Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer.

Finishing the year at 45-3 and his career at 183-51, Rowe’s accolade was created to honor a wrestler that displays toughness and fortitude in competition.

“It was kind of an award for a battler and a destroyer, when he was out there on the mat,” said head coach Brad Rowe. “The people involved with the banquet are amazing, and the DiPaolo family. It was an amazing night, just a huge honor. I think if you get any of the awards, it is an extreme honor. It is the highest honor in Section VI wrestling.”

Rounding out the local honorees was Matt Evans of Randolph, whose senior season included a fifth-place finish in Albany at 132 pounds.

The winner of the Cauliflower Alley Club Award, which honors a wrestler who achieves greatness in volunteerism and community service, ended his year at 38-5 and his career at 151-39 as a five-time Section VI place finisher.

“I would say that it is the culmination of what Matt Evans has done over the course of the last five years at Randolph with our wrestling team,” said Cardinals coach Todd Conley. “I think that you have three young men who have had outstanding careers wrestling, this banquet (and) the scholarships that they received recognize them as great wrestlers, but also they recognize them as being great young men who have given back to their community and back to their schools. They are just good young men, and that makes these awards that these young men won very special.”

For the local coaches who have worked so hard to promote wrestling in Western New York, Monday served as a welcome chance to reflect on everything that has been achieved.

“The section as a whole has had a great year and to have three kids from our area receive these awards it’s very impressive. It shows they’re great wrestlers and the ability, but (it also shows) the high-quality kids all together,” said Rowe, whose cousin, Adam, earned the Cauliflower Award in 2000.