Kenny Knapp’s final quest for his first state wrestling title came to an end in the semi final round on Saturday March 7 in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City when he fell 6-2 to Jordan Beverly of Point Pleasant Boro but although the Brearley senior was not able to match 2008 graduate Jesse Boyden as state champion, he will still leave a legacy as one of the most consistent and classy wrestlers in the school’s rich history. Knapp fought off the disappointment of his semi final loss to win his wrestleback semi final over Derrik Russell of Jackson and won his third place match over James Green of Willingboro 3-1 on Sunday March 8, an improvement of two places over last year. Ironically, Knapp had defeated both Russell and Green earlier in the tournament and the final victories provided a fitting ending to his career according to Brearley coach Brian Luciani
“Kenny has been an integral part of our team and he has met the challenges placed before him his entire career and he has met them head on with great success. He is the epitome of class and I along with the team am very proud of him. Kenny has truly been an ambassador to the sport. It has been a great pleasure to be his coach and watch him develop,” said Luciani.
In his third place match against Green on Sunday, Knapp got a takedown with: 32 left in the first. Green escaped in the second period and it ended with Knapp leading 2-1. Knapp escaped at the beginning of the third to open a 3-1 advantage, which he adroitly held to the end.
In his only loss of the six weekend matches against Beverly in the semi finals, Knapp was in immediate trouble as Beverly scored a takedown 20 seconds into the first period for a quick 2-0 lead. Beverly earned an escape point 19 seconds into the second to take a 3-0 lead before Knapp cut the deficit to 3-2 on a takedown with 45 seconds left in the period. Beverly, who escaped late in the second, got another takedown with 45 seconds left in the third to seal the victory.
Knapp, who lost in the quarterfinals a year ago, got through that round this time when he outscored Green 5-2. Knapp escaped early trouble early in the match against his aggressive opponent and got a takedown right before the first period buzzer for a 2-0 lead. In second period Knapp added an escape and another takedown for a 5-0 lead and cruised form there. Knapp had begun his quest Friday night March 6 in the pre-quarterfinal round by whitewashing Russell 11-0.
Senior Umar Taramov also got to the quarterfinals with a tidy 9-3 win over Anthony Sherman of Toms River East. Taramov’s championship quest ended in the quarterfinals when he lost a tough 3-1 decision to Preston Keiffer of Eastern. The match was scoreless through the first period, but in the second Keiffer escaped for a 1-0 lead. Taramov tied it in the third with an escape but was taken down with a minute left and couldn’t make any progress from there. Taramov won his wrestleback matches against Zach Agostino of Egg Harbor 6-4 and Dan Soffer of Somerville 4-2 in four overtimes but lost the semi final wrestleback to Mike Dessino of Middlesex 10-8 in what was a rematch of their region final the week before that Taramov had won 4-2. Taramov’s final match of a distinguished career ended in defeat Sunday when Keiffer defeated him 7-0 in the fifth place consolation match, relegating Taramov to sixth place, but not detracting from a superb career.
“Umar has been an excellent addition to our team. He has really developed into an all around excellent wrestler that combines what he likes from the Russian style to incorporating our American style into what he does. He always gives 100% and always leaves everything on the mat,” Luciani said.
Luciani was hoping that sophomore Anthony Madonia could enhance what has been a breakout sophomore season by winning his first match in the preliminary round Friday and making it through to wrestle Saturday. Madonia obliged by defeating Andrew Hewitt of Franklin 4-2. Madonia was pinned in 1:35 by the state’s second ranked wrestler Nick Sausman of Camden Catholic in the pre-quarterfinal round Friday night. Madonia was ousted in the first round of wrestlebacks by Justin Colon of Belleville 11-5 but still had a breakthrough season.
“Madonia has really stepped up his game and now that his goal of making it to the tournament has been met, we wanted him to win a round and get some footing in AC. He has shown how hard work over the summer can pay huge dividends,” said Luciani.
Fellow sophomore Dan Ries followed the same pattern as Madonia winning his preliminary match over highly rated Connor Melde of Bergen Catholic 6-3 before falling 6-3 in the second round to Corey Kozimor of Hackettstown Ries also lost his first round wrestleback when he was pinned by Zach Huxford of Jackson.
Before the tournament Luciani described Ries as “like a machine, he is constantly getting better and better. He can beat anyone he wrestles as long as he stays focused.”
Cranford heavyweight Joe Brady saw his fine season end in the preliminary round when he was pinned by Mike Dwyer of Cinnaminson in 3:31.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Regions
Regardless of their Algebra aptitude, every New Jersey high school wrestler understands the formula R * WC * Q = AC. R stands for the 8 regions consisting of four districts that are arranged geographically.. WC is 14 weight classes ranging from 103 to 285. Q equals three qualifiers from each weight class in each region. Multiply the three together and you get 336, which equals the amount of wrestlers that qualified for this weekend’s state championships which begin Friday March 6 in Atlantic City (AC) and continue with the eventual crowning of 14 champions on Sunday March 8 . The difference between being one of those select 336 and being on the outside looking in can be agonizingly miniscule.
Of the sixteen area wrestlers who participated in the regions which began Tuesday February 24, five are still alive in their quest to join Jesse Boyden of Brearley (2008) and Pat Hogan of Cranford (2006) as recent state champions, while two others fell one point short.
Senior Kenny Knapp of Brearley who is no stranger to the Atlantic City hoopla, claimed his third straight region title and was named the outstanding wrestler, winning at 130 pounds after taking the 103-pound title as a sophomore and the 119-pound title last year. Knapp will be making his fourth consecutive trip to the state finals, having placed second as a freshman at 103 in 2006.
In the finals, Knapp scored two takedowns on Westfield's John Barnes in the first period to take a 4-1 lead into the second period and held on for a 5-3 victory to secure his third straight region title. It was the first time in his brilliant career that Knapp had not faced a South Plainfield wrestler in the region finals. Second seed Nick Heilmann of South Plainfield had lost to Knapp in each of the last two seasons in the region final, but was upset in the semi finals by Barnes. In the semi finals Knapp made quick work of Erik Gobbo of Delbarton, pinning him in 1:18 and in the quarterfinals he also pinned Chris Roberts of Johnson in 2:38. Knapp improved to 30-4 for the season and 145-19 for his career.
Senior Umar Taramov repeated his 160 pound title by nipping top seeded. Mike Dessino of Middlesex 4-2. Dessino was the defending 152 pound champion. Tarmov had outlasted Dawud Hicks of Plainfield 10-5 in the semi finals. Taramov took care of Anthony Pizzuta of Parsippany 18-6 in the quarterfinal round.
Sophomore Dan Ries will be returning to Atlantic City and nearly qualified as a region champion, but lost to fellow sophomore Lou Mascola of Seton Hall Prep 5-4. It was a much closer match than the previous week, when Mascola won the district final 10-4. As a second place district finisher, Ries had to wrestle an extra match on Tuesday, defeating Tristan Bundy of Scotch Plains Fanwood. In the quarterfinals Ries dominated Rochelle Hinton of Rahway 19-2 with a technical fall in 5:08. In the semi finals Ries took care of Jeff Canfora of Delbarton 3-1.
Sophomore Anthony Madonia will be the only first time state qualifier in the Brearley quartet. Madonia was pinned by Tyler Hunt of South Plainfield in 1:13 in the finals but had already punched his ticket to Atlantic City by scoring late to edge Patsy Davis of Madison, 2-1. In the quarterfinal round on Friday night Madonia pinned Adam Sabo of Hanover Park in 2:11.
Cranford junior heavyweight Joe Brady will be the only Cougar making the trip, although he came within point of winning the region title and gaining a coveted first round bye into the round of 16. In the finals Brady was edged 4-3 by Conor Sweeney of Seton Hall Prep. The top seed, Brady won one of the longest matches of the weekend when he scored on an escape in the fourth overtime to edge. Christian Bollin of Middlesex 4-3.
Cougar sophomore Joe Giaccio just missed joining Brady in Atlantic City. After improving his record to 28-0 with an impressive 7-2 victory over Dan Pisaro of Roselle Park in the quarterfinals, Giaccio suffered his defeat of the season in Saturday morning’s semi finals when he was edged 4-3 by Steve Godine of Whippany Park. Giaccio bounced back to win his first wrestleback 8-2 over Travis Bach of Parsippany. In a back and forth match Giaccio fell short 6-5 to Rich Szeliga of South Plainfield.
Brearley junior Khusen Taramov, who finished seventh in the state last year, narrowly missed a return visit losing a 3-2 decision to Mike Lomio of Hanover Park in the consolation match for third place at 171. Taramov, the second seed, had suffered a 3-2 upset loss to Mike Wagner of South Plainfield in the quarterfinal round and had to win two wrestleback matches to qualify. In the semi finals he pinned Tyler Selby of Seton Hall Prep in 3:22.
Senior Travis Dilts of Brearley pinned Urayoan Garcia of Rahway in 4:13.in the quarterfinal round before losing in the semi finals 5-1 to Mark Wroblewski of Watchung Hills. Sophomore Devin Geoghegan won his quarterfinal match before being pinned by Nick Bach of Parsippany in the semi finals.
Sophomore Kyle Markovitch, like Giaccio was defeated by a Delbarton wrestler, Jeff Canfora who won the quarterfinal match up 7-3. Also losing in the quarterfinal round was Allen Phillips of Brearley who was edged by Ryan Sacco of South Plainfield 4-3 and Dillon Geoghegan. Julian Campo of Cranford also lost in the quarterfinal round at 215 to Wroblewski. Matt DiGiovanni of Cranford was pinned by Anthony Caselli of Roselle Park in 5:16 and Connor Leahy lost 10-5 at 171 to Mike Lomio of Hanover Park.
Of the sixteen area wrestlers who participated in the regions which began Tuesday February 24, five are still alive in their quest to join Jesse Boyden of Brearley (2008) and Pat Hogan of Cranford (2006) as recent state champions, while two others fell one point short.
Senior Kenny Knapp of Brearley who is no stranger to the Atlantic City hoopla, claimed his third straight region title and was named the outstanding wrestler, winning at 130 pounds after taking the 103-pound title as a sophomore and the 119-pound title last year. Knapp will be making his fourth consecutive trip to the state finals, having placed second as a freshman at 103 in 2006.
In the finals, Knapp scored two takedowns on Westfield's John Barnes in the first period to take a 4-1 lead into the second period and held on for a 5-3 victory to secure his third straight region title. It was the first time in his brilliant career that Knapp had not faced a South Plainfield wrestler in the region finals. Second seed Nick Heilmann of South Plainfield had lost to Knapp in each of the last two seasons in the region final, but was upset in the semi finals by Barnes. In the semi finals Knapp made quick work of Erik Gobbo of Delbarton, pinning him in 1:18 and in the quarterfinals he also pinned Chris Roberts of Johnson in 2:38. Knapp improved to 30-4 for the season and 145-19 for his career.
Senior Umar Taramov repeated his 160 pound title by nipping top seeded. Mike Dessino of Middlesex 4-2. Dessino was the defending 152 pound champion. Tarmov had outlasted Dawud Hicks of Plainfield 10-5 in the semi finals. Taramov took care of Anthony Pizzuta of Parsippany 18-6 in the quarterfinal round.
Sophomore Dan Ries will be returning to Atlantic City and nearly qualified as a region champion, but lost to fellow sophomore Lou Mascola of Seton Hall Prep 5-4. It was a much closer match than the previous week, when Mascola won the district final 10-4. As a second place district finisher, Ries had to wrestle an extra match on Tuesday, defeating Tristan Bundy of Scotch Plains Fanwood. In the quarterfinals Ries dominated Rochelle Hinton of Rahway 19-2 with a technical fall in 5:08. In the semi finals Ries took care of Jeff Canfora of Delbarton 3-1.
Sophomore Anthony Madonia will be the only first time state qualifier in the Brearley quartet. Madonia was pinned by Tyler Hunt of South Plainfield in 1:13 in the finals but had already punched his ticket to Atlantic City by scoring late to edge Patsy Davis of Madison, 2-1. In the quarterfinal round on Friday night Madonia pinned Adam Sabo of Hanover Park in 2:11.
Cranford junior heavyweight Joe Brady will be the only Cougar making the trip, although he came within point of winning the region title and gaining a coveted first round bye into the round of 16. In the finals Brady was edged 4-3 by Conor Sweeney of Seton Hall Prep. The top seed, Brady won one of the longest matches of the weekend when he scored on an escape in the fourth overtime to edge. Christian Bollin of Middlesex 4-3.
Cougar sophomore Joe Giaccio just missed joining Brady in Atlantic City. After improving his record to 28-0 with an impressive 7-2 victory over Dan Pisaro of Roselle Park in the quarterfinals, Giaccio suffered his defeat of the season in Saturday morning’s semi finals when he was edged 4-3 by Steve Godine of Whippany Park. Giaccio bounced back to win his first wrestleback 8-2 over Travis Bach of Parsippany. In a back and forth match Giaccio fell short 6-5 to Rich Szeliga of South Plainfield.
Brearley junior Khusen Taramov, who finished seventh in the state last year, narrowly missed a return visit losing a 3-2 decision to Mike Lomio of Hanover Park in the consolation match for third place at 171. Taramov, the second seed, had suffered a 3-2 upset loss to Mike Wagner of South Plainfield in the quarterfinal round and had to win two wrestleback matches to qualify. In the semi finals he pinned Tyler Selby of Seton Hall Prep in 3:22.
Senior Travis Dilts of Brearley pinned Urayoan Garcia of Rahway in 4:13.in the quarterfinal round before losing in the semi finals 5-1 to Mark Wroblewski of Watchung Hills. Sophomore Devin Geoghegan won his quarterfinal match before being pinned by Nick Bach of Parsippany in the semi finals.
Sophomore Kyle Markovitch, like Giaccio was defeated by a Delbarton wrestler, Jeff Canfora who won the quarterfinal match up 7-3. Also losing in the quarterfinal round was Allen Phillips of Brearley who was edged by Ryan Sacco of South Plainfield 4-3 and Dillon Geoghegan. Julian Campo of Cranford also lost in the quarterfinal round at 215 to Wroblewski. Matt DiGiovanni of Cranford was pinned by Anthony Caselli of Roselle Park in 5:16 and Connor Leahy lost 10-5 at 171 to Mike Lomio of Hanover Park.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Districts
At the District 10 championships held Friday February 20 and Saturday February 21 at Union High School, Brearley’s powerful and heavily favored wrestling team was in trouble before a match ever began. In a development that sent shock waves throughout the venue, neither freshman sensation Nick Lospinoso, the favorite at 112 nor his senior brother Joe Lospinoso, the overwhelming favorite at 135 appeared at Friday’s weigh ins. Joe Lospinoso had won the Outstanding Wrestler award at the districts last year and was state runner-up at 135 but bowed out of this year’s tournament to be with his father, a Brearley assistant coach Joe Lospinoso, who was having gall-bladder surgery.
“Coach Lospinoso was very sick and is getting better. I am quite sure he was missed more than the kids let out and their thoughts were with him. He brings a certain flavor to our team and yes it is always different when an ingredient is missing,” said Luciani.
Nick Lospinoso had missed school the past two days and would not have made weight. Joe Lospinoso made the decision to be with his father at 3 pm Friday and did not weigh in.
Leaving two weight classes they were favored to win vacant, proved to be too much for even Brearley to overcome, as the Bears lost a 208.5 to 207.5 squeaker to local rival Roselle Park and saw their four year winning end. The Bears did not go down without a fight as Kenny Knapp became the school's first four-time district champion when he claimed the crown at 130 pounds. Knapp, sixth in the state tournament last year at 119 pounds and third in the state at 103 in 2007, won the championship at 103 pounds in 2006 and '07 before winning at 119 last year. Knapp's teammate, Umar Taramov, repeated at 160 after winning at 171 two years ago. The Bears also got titles from sophomore Anthony Madonia at 103, sophomore Dillon Geoghegan at 145, junior Khusen Taramov at 171 and senior Travis Dilts at 215, but Roselle Park took both 112 and 135 titles and won two of three head to head finals matches.
Coming into Saturday Brearley Coach Brian Luciani knew the odds were stacked against his team.”We had three less going into the semi finals than Roselle Park After the semis we had cut the margin to 8.5 but I thought Park would squeeze in and win. All of our kids wrestled well and gave as much as they could,” said Luciani.
Leading the charge was Knapp, who defeated Alex Kleban of Seton Hall Prep 17-1 in the final.”He is like the energizer bunny, he just goes and goes and goes, what else can you say? I would take an entire team of Kenny's. He is in a good place and he understands that he cannot take anyone lightly so he is focused for the Regions, where he could be a four time finalist and possible three time champion. The States are the states and once you are there it is time to be smart and mistake free,” said Luciani.
Umar Taramov was dominant in his two matches, pinning Joe Lombardo of Seton Hall Prep in 3:46 in the final. Taramov has appeared to be gaining strength and should be the top seed at the region tournament. His younger brother Khusen was one of the great stories of the state tournament last, upsetting two region champs on his way to a seventh place finish in the state. After an impressive romp to his first district title at 171, which culminated with a 1:25 pin over Tyler Selby of Seton Hall Prep, the younger Taramov will be one of the favorites in his weight class. “Khusen will not be sneaking up anybody this year but he knows what he needs to do,” said Luciani.
At 103 Sophomore Anthony Madonia pinned Eamonn Gaffney of Seton Hall Prep in 3:56 to win his first title. “Madonia went from a .500 record to an incredible sophomore year. He has been transformed into a great wrestler and he just keeps on getting better and he is a great kid,” said Luciani.
Sophomore Dillon Geoghegan avenged a county finals loss when he won his first district title at 145 by defeating Nick Longo of Roselle Park 8-6.
Dilts defeated Daryl Shabazz of Columbia to win his first title, a long deserved award according to his coach. “Travis is the consummate team player. Over the course of his career here he has wrestled up giving up over 70 pounds as heavyweight last season and has cut down to wrestle state champs. He is having a great year and I could not ask for anything more. I hope he continues and reaches his goal of making the state tournament,” said Luciani.
Also advancing for the Bears was sophomore Dan Ries, a runner-up at 119, junior Allen Phillip, third place at 125, sophomore Devin Geoghegan, a runner-up at 140 and Khasan Taramov, a runner-up at 189. All four runner-ups will wrestle on Tuesday night while the six Brearley first place winners wrestle again on Friday night,
“It is nice to relax until Friday however I like the match on Tuesday it makes you maintain weight and gets the butterflies out for Friday. All should do fine and then prepare to battle on Friday and Saturday,” said Luciani.
While it was scant consolation for a stunning loss, Luciani, was named the district's Coach of the Year. “That award is really a representation of the coaching staff and our wrestlers who did a great job this year. My assistants are extremely dedicated and our kids work extremely hard.”
“Coach Lospinoso was very sick and is getting better. I am quite sure he was missed more than the kids let out and their thoughts were with him. He brings a certain flavor to our team and yes it is always different when an ingredient is missing,” said Luciani.
Nick Lospinoso had missed school the past two days and would not have made weight. Joe Lospinoso made the decision to be with his father at 3 pm Friday and did not weigh in.
Leaving two weight classes they were favored to win vacant, proved to be too much for even Brearley to overcome, as the Bears lost a 208.5 to 207.5 squeaker to local rival Roselle Park and saw their four year winning end. The Bears did not go down without a fight as Kenny Knapp became the school's first four-time district champion when he claimed the crown at 130 pounds. Knapp, sixth in the state tournament last year at 119 pounds and third in the state at 103 in 2007, won the championship at 103 pounds in 2006 and '07 before winning at 119 last year. Knapp's teammate, Umar Taramov, repeated at 160 after winning at 171 two years ago. The Bears also got titles from sophomore Anthony Madonia at 103, sophomore Dillon Geoghegan at 145, junior Khusen Taramov at 171 and senior Travis Dilts at 215, but Roselle Park took both 112 and 135 titles and won two of three head to head finals matches.
Coming into Saturday Brearley Coach Brian Luciani knew the odds were stacked against his team.”We had three less going into the semi finals than Roselle Park After the semis we had cut the margin to 8.5 but I thought Park would squeeze in and win. All of our kids wrestled well and gave as much as they could,” said Luciani.
Leading the charge was Knapp, who defeated Alex Kleban of Seton Hall Prep 17-1 in the final.”He is like the energizer bunny, he just goes and goes and goes, what else can you say? I would take an entire team of Kenny's. He is in a good place and he understands that he cannot take anyone lightly so he is focused for the Regions, where he could be a four time finalist and possible three time champion. The States are the states and once you are there it is time to be smart and mistake free,” said Luciani.
Umar Taramov was dominant in his two matches, pinning Joe Lombardo of Seton Hall Prep in 3:46 in the final. Taramov has appeared to be gaining strength and should be the top seed at the region tournament. His younger brother Khusen was one of the great stories of the state tournament last, upsetting two region champs on his way to a seventh place finish in the state. After an impressive romp to his first district title at 171, which culminated with a 1:25 pin over Tyler Selby of Seton Hall Prep, the younger Taramov will be one of the favorites in his weight class. “Khusen will not be sneaking up anybody this year but he knows what he needs to do,” said Luciani.
At 103 Sophomore Anthony Madonia pinned Eamonn Gaffney of Seton Hall Prep in 3:56 to win his first title. “Madonia went from a .500 record to an incredible sophomore year. He has been transformed into a great wrestler and he just keeps on getting better and he is a great kid,” said Luciani.
Sophomore Dillon Geoghegan avenged a county finals loss when he won his first district title at 145 by defeating Nick Longo of Roselle Park 8-6.
Dilts defeated Daryl Shabazz of Columbia to win his first title, a long deserved award according to his coach. “Travis is the consummate team player. Over the course of his career here he has wrestled up giving up over 70 pounds as heavyweight last season and has cut down to wrestle state champs. He is having a great year and I could not ask for anything more. I hope he continues and reaches his goal of making the state tournament,” said Luciani.
Also advancing for the Bears was sophomore Dan Ries, a runner-up at 119, junior Allen Phillip, third place at 125, sophomore Devin Geoghegan, a runner-up at 140 and Khasan Taramov, a runner-up at 189. All four runner-ups will wrestle on Tuesday night while the six Brearley first place winners wrestle again on Friday night,
“It is nice to relax until Friday however I like the match on Tuesday it makes you maintain weight and gets the butterflies out for Friday. All should do fine and then prepare to battle on Friday and Saturday,” said Luciani.
While it was scant consolation for a stunning loss, Luciani, was named the district's Coach of the Year. “That award is really a representation of the coaching staff and our wrestlers who did a great job this year. My assistants are extremely dedicated and our kids work extremely hard.”
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Brearley - Phillipsburg
It was frigid outside in Kenilworth on the first Thursday evening in February but the temperature in the crowded Brearley gym was mid July like as an overflow crowd saw the Bears upset Phillipsburg, the state’s second ranked team 45-22. Brearley registered seven pins and won nine of 14 bouts as they beat a team that has long been synonymous with wrestling supremacy in the state, Phillipsburg, has won a state-record seven Star-Ledger Top 20 trophies as New Jersey's top-ranked team and had lost just once in 19 matches, falling only to top ranked High Point.
“For the program it is the biggest, and by far its most historical as it relates to who we have wrestled over these past four years, and really since the school was opened in 1966,” said an elated Bears’ Coach Brian Luciani.
“Phillipsburg as it is stated many times over is the most storied program in wrestling history and that is a small part of what makes this victory extremely special. For me it was important that we represent the Mountain Valley Conference and Union County Wrestling in a positive way and I feel our coaches and team did just that,” added Luciani.
As would be expected, the heroes were numerous for the winners. Freshman Nick Lospinoso, who recently has had trouble making weight at 112, came up with a huge pin at 112 pounds and sophomore Devin Geoghegan iced the meet with a pin in overtime at 140 pounds in the next-to-last bout of the evening.
After Phillipsburg jumped out to 6-0 lead with a pin at 152, Umar Taramov quickly tied the match with a pin at 160 in 1:37. After Khasan Taramov lost 7-2 at 171, twin brother Khusen, responded with a 48 second pin at 189 to give the Bears a 12-9 lead. Phillipsburg took victories at 215 and heavyweight to forge a short lived 19-12 lead, before sophomore Anthony Madonia changed the momentum when scored a pin at 103 in 5:32. It set the stage for Nick Lospinoso’s pivotal match at 112. After grabbing a 6-3 lead on the strength of three takedowns, he ignited the crowd by pinning his opponent to put Brearley in front for good at 24-19.
For the immensely talented freshman, the toughest battle has been making the weight. "That was the plan -- to get me to 112 -- but it's been tough getting down," Lospinoso said.
“He knows believe me he knows, with a full line up we can be a dangerous team. He is an integral part of it and understands what his duty and responsibility is to the team,” said Luciani.
Brearley extend the lead to 27-19 when sophomore Dan Ries continued his near perfect season with a 7-2 win at 119. Allen Phillips was edged in an overtime match, but senior co-captains Kenny Knapp and Joe Lospinoso won 9-3 and 3-2 respectively, giving the Bears a solid but not insurmountable 33-22 lead with only the two bouts involving the Geoghegan twins remaining. Devin Geoghegan put the match away when he took pinned his opponent in overtime. Dillion added the icing to a great night with another pin. Luciani was happy but not that surprised that the sophomore twins came through with the match on the line. “Devin is in a different universe, he is just getting better and better and no matter what position he is in just is able to score and score big, no matter what the stage. Dillon is deliberate and steady, always pushing the pace and wrestling smart. Both boys are doing a great job and we are all proud of their effort” said Luciani, who was effusive in his praise for the knowledgeable wrestling fans who packed the gym for both teams.
“The Phillipsburg fans were great, loud and supportive of their kids and their team. The Brearley side was almost fanatical with the cheers and constant support of us during every match of every minute. It was the most electrifying atmosphere the gym has ever seen, including Roselle Park. It was a very special night,” said Luciani.
“For the program it is the biggest, and by far its most historical as it relates to who we have wrestled over these past four years, and really since the school was opened in 1966,” said an elated Bears’ Coach Brian Luciani.
“Phillipsburg as it is stated many times over is the most storied program in wrestling history and that is a small part of what makes this victory extremely special. For me it was important that we represent the Mountain Valley Conference and Union County Wrestling in a positive way and I feel our coaches and team did just that,” added Luciani.
As would be expected, the heroes were numerous for the winners. Freshman Nick Lospinoso, who recently has had trouble making weight at 112, came up with a huge pin at 112 pounds and sophomore Devin Geoghegan iced the meet with a pin in overtime at 140 pounds in the next-to-last bout of the evening.
After Phillipsburg jumped out to 6-0 lead with a pin at 152, Umar Taramov quickly tied the match with a pin at 160 in 1:37. After Khasan Taramov lost 7-2 at 171, twin brother Khusen, responded with a 48 second pin at 189 to give the Bears a 12-9 lead. Phillipsburg took victories at 215 and heavyweight to forge a short lived 19-12 lead, before sophomore Anthony Madonia changed the momentum when scored a pin at 103 in 5:32. It set the stage for Nick Lospinoso’s pivotal match at 112. After grabbing a 6-3 lead on the strength of three takedowns, he ignited the crowd by pinning his opponent to put Brearley in front for good at 24-19.
For the immensely talented freshman, the toughest battle has been making the weight. "That was the plan -- to get me to 112 -- but it's been tough getting down," Lospinoso said.
“He knows believe me he knows, with a full line up we can be a dangerous team. He is an integral part of it and understands what his duty and responsibility is to the team,” said Luciani.
Brearley extend the lead to 27-19 when sophomore Dan Ries continued his near perfect season with a 7-2 win at 119. Allen Phillips was edged in an overtime match, but senior co-captains Kenny Knapp and Joe Lospinoso won 9-3 and 3-2 respectively, giving the Bears a solid but not insurmountable 33-22 lead with only the two bouts involving the Geoghegan twins remaining. Devin Geoghegan put the match away when he took pinned his opponent in overtime. Dillion added the icing to a great night with another pin. Luciani was happy but not that surprised that the sophomore twins came through with the match on the line. “Devin is in a different universe, he is just getting better and better and no matter what position he is in just is able to score and score big, no matter what the stage. Dillon is deliberate and steady, always pushing the pace and wrestling smart. Both boys are doing a great job and we are all proud of their effort” said Luciani, who was effusive in his praise for the knowledgeable wrestling fans who packed the gym for both teams.
“The Phillipsburg fans were great, loud and supportive of their kids and their team. The Brearley side was almost fanatical with the cheers and constant support of us during every match of every minute. It was the most electrifying atmosphere the gym has ever seen, including Roselle Park. It was a very special night,” said Luciani.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Brearley -Kittatiny
Like many of the state’s top wrestling programs, Brearley has shown that it will travel to all ends of the state in an effort to compete against the toughest competition possible. After having made Saturday excursions to southern New Jersey venues like Toms River and Buena Township, the Bears took their powerful team north to Sussex County to face Kittatinny and Toms River North and came away with two hard fought victories, Saturday January 31, raising their record to 18-2.
After cruising past Toms River North 46-20, Brearley had its hands full with the host team and things looked bleak when they trailed 33-28 with two matches left. Dillion Geoghegan squeaked though by the slimmest of margins, 3-2 and Umar Taramov won 14-5 at 160 to pull out the match.
Taramov’s brothers, Khasan and Khusen got the visitors off to a 9-0 lead with a decision and pin at 171 and 189 respectively. After watching Khasan struggle at 189, Coach Brian Luciani decided to switch the two brothers’ weight classes.
“Khusen is a much tougher and nastier wrestler who can deal with many different situations and wrestlers. Taking eighth in the state last year adds greater credibility about what he can do,” said Luciani.
Travis Dilts continued winning with a decision at 215. But three straight pins turned a 12-0 lead into an 18-12 deficit. The Bears trailed 21-12 until Dan Ries, moving up to 125 from his usual 119 stopped the bleeding with a 7-3 decision.
“We moved some of our lower weight wrestlers around to get Nick in at 119,” said Luciani.
Trailing 21-15, the Bears nearly incurred a devastating blow when Knapp was declared too injured to continue his 130 pound match. Joe Lospinoso got the points right back with a 39 second pin and Devin Geoghegan evened things up with a 3:13 pin at 140. But Brian Gilligan was pinned at 145 meaning Brearley would have to win the final two matches to emerge victorious. Dillion Geoghegan pulled out a tough 3-2 decision at 152 and Umar Taramov pulled the match out with a 14-5 victory at 160 giving the Bears a one point win.
One name missing from the match was county 125 pound champion Allen Phillips. “He got squeezed out of the line up due to who the other teams had in different spots, Allen is a classy wrestler and always does what is best for the team, He is one of our leaders and can always be counted on,” said Luciani.
The Bears had an easier time with Toms River North, winning 46-20. Umar and Khusen Taramov won by decision and Khasan won by forfeit at 171 giving them an early 12-0 lead. Dilts moved up to heavyweight and scored a 1:44 pin to extend the margin to 18-6. Madonia came back down to 103 and won 6-0. Nick Lospinoso won a 7-2 decision at 119 to extend the lead to 24-12. Ries and Knapp posted identical pins in 1:27 at 125 and 130 respectively, padding the lead to 36-12. Joe Lospinoso made it three straight pins and took only 42 seconds to clinch match. Dillion Geoghegan won 3-0 at 145 for the final points.
Earlier in the week Brearley won their local brawl with Cranford 44-20 Thursday afternoon January 29 at Kenilworth. The match was scheduled for the previous night, but was delayed because both schools were closed for snow.
With the match starting at 215, the Cougars had an early 16-3 lead. After county champion Travis Dilts cooled off red hot Julian Campo of Cranford 10-1 at 215, county champion Joe Brady pinned Viglione in 3:50 and rapidly improving freshman Ian Henry shocked Mike Disko with a 36 second pin at 103. With Joe Lospinoso missing the match, Luciani moved his lower weight wrestlers up one class and Joe Giaccio easily won a battle of county champions at 112 with a superior decision 11-1 over Madonia. But freshman Nick Lospinoso \,who has been having trouble making weight at 112, started the comeback with a hard fought 11-6 victory over Kyle Markovitch. Ries the newly crowned, county 119 pound champion pinned Carmine Pellino at 125 in 34 seconds. Phillips superior decisioned Brian Buontempo 12-2 at 130 and Knapp won by forfeit at 135. Cranford drew within 22-20 when Matt DiGiovanni stopped Jesse Bell 12-2 at 140.but the Bears took the remainder of the matches. The Geoghegan twins each won tough matches. Devin edged freshman J.P. Christiano 2-1 at 152 in a battle of a county champion against a runner up. Dillion won 7-1 at 145. Gilligan pinned George El-Khoury in 4:39 at 160 and Umar Taramov won a battle of seniors by defeating Connor Leahey 11-3 at 171. Khusen Taramov finished the match with a forfeit at 189.
“(Coach) Darren (Torsone) and his staff have done an excellent job with the team, They are young and getting better each match and will be a tough contender in the upcoming 2009-2010 season for the new Conference, County and the Section,” said Luciani.
Cranford took their other two matches, beating a vastly improved Linden team 49-27 on Friday night January 30 and finished their week and the month of January with a 57-15 home rout of Elizabeth on Saturday morning January 31. Against Linden Brady, Henry, Giaccio and Markovitch all won to give the Cougars a quick 21-0 lead. Buontempo, DiGiovanni, Christiano, Leahy and Campo all won their matches to finish off the victory.
Facing Elizabeth, the Cougars Markovitch and DiGiovanni sandwiched pins around forfeits by Pellino and Buontempo to give Cranford a quick 24-0 lead. Londregan, Christiano and Chris Keim followed with victories to clinch the decision. Leahey pinned at 171 and Campo and Brady also won their matches. Giaccio closed the match by running his record to 20-0 with a 1:42 pin.
After cruising past Toms River North 46-20, Brearley had its hands full with the host team and things looked bleak when they trailed 33-28 with two matches left. Dillion Geoghegan squeaked though by the slimmest of margins, 3-2 and Umar Taramov won 14-5 at 160 to pull out the match.
Taramov’s brothers, Khasan and Khusen got the visitors off to a 9-0 lead with a decision and pin at 171 and 189 respectively. After watching Khasan struggle at 189, Coach Brian Luciani decided to switch the two brothers’ weight classes.
“Khusen is a much tougher and nastier wrestler who can deal with many different situations and wrestlers. Taking eighth in the state last year adds greater credibility about what he can do,” said Luciani.
Travis Dilts continued winning with a decision at 215. But three straight pins turned a 12-0 lead into an 18-12 deficit. The Bears trailed 21-12 until Dan Ries, moving up to 125 from his usual 119 stopped the bleeding with a 7-3 decision.
“We moved some of our lower weight wrestlers around to get Nick in at 119,” said Luciani.
Trailing 21-15, the Bears nearly incurred a devastating blow when Knapp was declared too injured to continue his 130 pound match. Joe Lospinoso got the points right back with a 39 second pin and Devin Geoghegan evened things up with a 3:13 pin at 140. But Brian Gilligan was pinned at 145 meaning Brearley would have to win the final two matches to emerge victorious. Dillion Geoghegan pulled out a tough 3-2 decision at 152 and Umar Taramov pulled the match out with a 14-5 victory at 160 giving the Bears a one point win.
One name missing from the match was county 125 pound champion Allen Phillips. “He got squeezed out of the line up due to who the other teams had in different spots, Allen is a classy wrestler and always does what is best for the team, He is one of our leaders and can always be counted on,” said Luciani.
The Bears had an easier time with Toms River North, winning 46-20. Umar and Khusen Taramov won by decision and Khasan won by forfeit at 171 giving them an early 12-0 lead. Dilts moved up to heavyweight and scored a 1:44 pin to extend the margin to 18-6. Madonia came back down to 103 and won 6-0. Nick Lospinoso won a 7-2 decision at 119 to extend the lead to 24-12. Ries and Knapp posted identical pins in 1:27 at 125 and 130 respectively, padding the lead to 36-12. Joe Lospinoso made it three straight pins and took only 42 seconds to clinch match. Dillion Geoghegan won 3-0 at 145 for the final points.
Earlier in the week Brearley won their local brawl with Cranford 44-20 Thursday afternoon January 29 at Kenilworth. The match was scheduled for the previous night, but was delayed because both schools were closed for snow.
With the match starting at 215, the Cougars had an early 16-3 lead. After county champion Travis Dilts cooled off red hot Julian Campo of Cranford 10-1 at 215, county champion Joe Brady pinned Viglione in 3:50 and rapidly improving freshman Ian Henry shocked Mike Disko with a 36 second pin at 103. With Joe Lospinoso missing the match, Luciani moved his lower weight wrestlers up one class and Joe Giaccio easily won a battle of county champions at 112 with a superior decision 11-1 over Madonia. But freshman Nick Lospinoso \,who has been having trouble making weight at 112, started the comeback with a hard fought 11-6 victory over Kyle Markovitch. Ries the newly crowned, county 119 pound champion pinned Carmine Pellino at 125 in 34 seconds. Phillips superior decisioned Brian Buontempo 12-2 at 130 and Knapp won by forfeit at 135. Cranford drew within 22-20 when Matt DiGiovanni stopped Jesse Bell 12-2 at 140.but the Bears took the remainder of the matches. The Geoghegan twins each won tough matches. Devin edged freshman J.P. Christiano 2-1 at 152 in a battle of a county champion against a runner up. Dillion won 7-1 at 145. Gilligan pinned George El-Khoury in 4:39 at 160 and Umar Taramov won a battle of seniors by defeating Connor Leahey 11-3 at 171. Khusen Taramov finished the match with a forfeit at 189.
“(Coach) Darren (Torsone) and his staff have done an excellent job with the team, They are young and getting better each match and will be a tough contender in the upcoming 2009-2010 season for the new Conference, County and the Section,” said Luciani.
Cranford took their other two matches, beating a vastly improved Linden team 49-27 on Friday night January 30 and finished their week and the month of January with a 57-15 home rout of Elizabeth on Saturday morning January 31. Against Linden Brady, Henry, Giaccio and Markovitch all won to give the Cougars a quick 21-0 lead. Buontempo, DiGiovanni, Christiano, Leahy and Campo all won their matches to finish off the victory.
Facing Elizabeth, the Cougars Markovitch and DiGiovanni sandwiched pins around forfeits by Pellino and Buontempo to give Cranford a quick 24-0 lead. Londregan, Christiano and Chris Keim followed with victories to clinch the decision. Leahey pinned at 171 and Campo and Brady also won their matches. Giaccio closed the match by running his record to 20-0 with a 1:42 pin.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Brearley - Union County
There was little suspense about which high school team was going to win the Union County wrestling championships, held Saturday January 24 at Union High School. The only question was how dominant, heavily favored Brearley would be in capturing its fourth straight title. The answer was nine individual championships, compared to five for the other 12 teams combined which even left the hard to please Brearley coach Brian Luciani beaming.
“There were a lot of highlights throughout the day. Everybody who wrestled Saturday did a nice job, whether or not they finished first,” said Luciani, who felt that the Bears’ demanding schedule helped their performance.
“Our schedule may beat up our record and bruise some egos but the end result is to put the kids in a position to gain confidence and be able to meet the challenge and work to improve. Perhaps where some wrestlers cannot draw from that experience or position we can,” said Luciani.
In addition to sweeping all nine finals, the Bears also took two of three third place consolation bouts to finish with 270 points, well ahead of Roselle Park, which has now finished second five straight years.
Senior Kenny Knapp was named outstanding wrestler and became the seventh grappler in county history to win four titles, joining 2008 Brearley star Jesse Boyden in the record books. Knapp won an 8-1 decision over John Barnes of Westfield in the 130 finals to add to his titles won at 119 last year and 103 as a freshman and sophomore.
Fellow co-captain and senior Joe Lospinoso edged Anthony Casselli of Roselle Park 3-1 to defend his 135 title and win the third crown of his high school career. Lospinoso also won at 119 as a freshman. Senior Umar Taramov also defended his title at 160 by pinning Dawud Hicks of Plainfield in 4:58. His junior brother Khusen followed with a 14-6 victory over Alex Aravena of Roselle Park at 171.
The Bears’ two top seeded sophomores, Anthony Madonia and Danny Ries sailed to victories at 103 and 119 respectively. Madonia pinned Anthony DeFranco of Governor Livingston in1:58 and Ries stopped 2008 103 pound champion Mike Stepien of Governor Livingston 5-1.
“Madonia is having a great season, Ries just continues to wrestle like a machine and if he continues will make some noise at the end of the season,” said Luciani.
In addition to their six top seeded wrestlers, the Bears got titles from three of their lower seeded athletes. The most exciting final also resulted in the biggest upset when Brearley sophomore Devin Geoghegan toppled top seed Russell Benner of Roselle Park 6-5 in a three overtime marathon. Second seed Allen Phillips also captured the 125 pound title with a 5-4 squeaker over Christian Alvarez of Union and junior Travis Dilts toppled top seeded Gary Pyrus of Rahway 7-4 to win the 215 pound title. Phillips defeated Joe Hoy of Governor Livingston in the semi finals avenging a defeat from a year ago.
“Phillips was great, Travis was incredible but Devin Geoghegan's win over Benner was tremendous,” said Luciani, who was most surprised with Geoghegan’s upset win.
“We reminded him to stay focused and just pressing the attack, I told him to not just stop and relax and continue moving. We also reminded him about his shot distance and poor angles from his feet. He made some good corrections and took Benner's aggressiveness away. It was very exciting regardless of the outcome,” added Luciani, who also lauded Brian Gilligan’s third place finish.
“Brian worked hard to wrestle back to third, gave (Mike) Ferrara of Scotch Plains all that he could handle in the semi's,” said Luciani.
The Bears competed without 112 pound freshman star Nick Lospinoso, who failed to make the weight and heavyweight Jeff Viglone.
Cranford got victories from sophomore Joe Giaccio at 112 and junior heavyweight Joe Brady and finished sixth. Giaccio, the top seed, made amends for a disappointing loss in the finals as a freshman last year after he was also the top seed.
This time, Giaccio broke on top quickly and controlled the match in defeating Dan Pisauro of Roselle Park 5-1. Giaccio won his semi final 8-0 over Troy Skibitsky of Westfield.
“Last year I was upset in the county final, so I was very glad to win it this year. I wrestled Pisauro twice before the final, I knew I was going to have to wrestle hard and get the first takedown and continue wrestling as if I was down, said Giaccio who to 17-0 with the win.
Brady continued his fine season with an 8-2 win over top seeded Matt Tansey of Governor Livingston, avenging an earlier season defeat. Freshman J.P. Christiano had a break through tournament at 145 before being pinned in the finals by Mike Ridge of Scotch Plains-Fanwood. Christiano pinned Dillon Geoghegan of Brearley to reach the finals. Co captain Connor Leahy at 171, junior Julian Campo at 215 and freshman Ian Henry at 105 also finished fourth.
“There were a lot of highlights throughout the day. Everybody who wrestled Saturday did a nice job, whether or not they finished first,” said Luciani, who felt that the Bears’ demanding schedule helped their performance.
“Our schedule may beat up our record and bruise some egos but the end result is to put the kids in a position to gain confidence and be able to meet the challenge and work to improve. Perhaps where some wrestlers cannot draw from that experience or position we can,” said Luciani.
In addition to sweeping all nine finals, the Bears also took two of three third place consolation bouts to finish with 270 points, well ahead of Roselle Park, which has now finished second five straight years.
Senior Kenny Knapp was named outstanding wrestler and became the seventh grappler in county history to win four titles, joining 2008 Brearley star Jesse Boyden in the record books. Knapp won an 8-1 decision over John Barnes of Westfield in the 130 finals to add to his titles won at 119 last year and 103 as a freshman and sophomore.
Fellow co-captain and senior Joe Lospinoso edged Anthony Casselli of Roselle Park 3-1 to defend his 135 title and win the third crown of his high school career. Lospinoso also won at 119 as a freshman. Senior Umar Taramov also defended his title at 160 by pinning Dawud Hicks of Plainfield in 4:58. His junior brother Khusen followed with a 14-6 victory over Alex Aravena of Roselle Park at 171.
The Bears’ two top seeded sophomores, Anthony Madonia and Danny Ries sailed to victories at 103 and 119 respectively. Madonia pinned Anthony DeFranco of Governor Livingston in1:58 and Ries stopped 2008 103 pound champion Mike Stepien of Governor Livingston 5-1.
“Madonia is having a great season, Ries just continues to wrestle like a machine and if he continues will make some noise at the end of the season,” said Luciani.
In addition to their six top seeded wrestlers, the Bears got titles from three of their lower seeded athletes. The most exciting final also resulted in the biggest upset when Brearley sophomore Devin Geoghegan toppled top seed Russell Benner of Roselle Park 6-5 in a three overtime marathon. Second seed Allen Phillips also captured the 125 pound title with a 5-4 squeaker over Christian Alvarez of Union and junior Travis Dilts toppled top seeded Gary Pyrus of Rahway 7-4 to win the 215 pound title. Phillips defeated Joe Hoy of Governor Livingston in the semi finals avenging a defeat from a year ago.
“Phillips was great, Travis was incredible but Devin Geoghegan's win over Benner was tremendous,” said Luciani, who was most surprised with Geoghegan’s upset win.
“We reminded him to stay focused and just pressing the attack, I told him to not just stop and relax and continue moving. We also reminded him about his shot distance and poor angles from his feet. He made some good corrections and took Benner's aggressiveness away. It was very exciting regardless of the outcome,” added Luciani, who also lauded Brian Gilligan’s third place finish.
“Brian worked hard to wrestle back to third, gave (Mike) Ferrara of Scotch Plains all that he could handle in the semi's,” said Luciani.
The Bears competed without 112 pound freshman star Nick Lospinoso, who failed to make the weight and heavyweight Jeff Viglone.
Cranford got victories from sophomore Joe Giaccio at 112 and junior heavyweight Joe Brady and finished sixth. Giaccio, the top seed, made amends for a disappointing loss in the finals as a freshman last year after he was also the top seed.
This time, Giaccio broke on top quickly and controlled the match in defeating Dan Pisauro of Roselle Park 5-1. Giaccio won his semi final 8-0 over Troy Skibitsky of Westfield.
“Last year I was upset in the county final, so I was very glad to win it this year. I wrestled Pisauro twice before the final, I knew I was going to have to wrestle hard and get the first takedown and continue wrestling as if I was down, said Giaccio who to 17-0 with the win.
Brady continued his fine season with an 8-2 win over top seeded Matt Tansey of Governor Livingston, avenging an earlier season defeat. Freshman J.P. Christiano had a break through tournament at 145 before being pinned in the finals by Mike Ridge of Scotch Plains-Fanwood. Christiano pinned Dillon Geoghegan of Brearley to reach the finals. Co captain Connor Leahy at 171, junior Julian Campo at 215 and freshman Ian Henry at 105 also finished fourth.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Brearley - Buena
Brearley Wrestling Coach Brian Luciani has always tried to find the best competition for his team, no matter how far away that might take them. On Saturday the Bears traveled to Buena Township in Atlantic County, hoping to take on Buena Regional, Washington Township from Sewell Township in Gloucester County and highly rated Walkill Valley from Hamburg in Sussex County. While the snow conditions in the northwest part of New Jersey kept Walkill Valley from making the trip, Brearley was able to defeat both the hosts and Washington, raising their record to 8-2.
Like other New Jerseyans, Luciani heard the ominous weather forecast but correctly deduced that the conditions would not be treacherous going south.
“If you want to wrestle sometimes you got to drive. We were fortunate the weather was just cold going down and back and the only snow was in Kenilworth,” said Luciani.
Brearley used its superior depth to beat the hosts 55-15 and hand Washington its first loss, 41-21. The Bears competed without two of their top wrestlers, Kenny Knapp and Khusen Taramov.
“Kenny was ill all week and Khusen needed some rest so everything worked out ok,” said Luciani.
Against Washington, Brearley was trailing 18-9, when Co-captain Joe Lospinoso started the comeback with a pin at 135 in 1:31. Devin Geoghegan put the Bears ahead for good with a 2:15 pin at 140 and his twin brother Dillion extended the lead with a 5-0 decision at 145. Brian Gilligan continued the avalanche with a 34 second pin at 152 and Umar Taramov kept the streak intact with a 13-4 win at 160. Olsi Musaij, filling in for Khusen Taramov clinched the match with a 2:20 pin at 171. Brearley also got victories from Travis Dilts at 215, Anthony Madonia at 103 and Dan Ries at 115.
“It was a long day but very successful. It would have been better if Walkill had come,” added Luciani.
. Cranford’s big match with Governor Livingston came down to the final bout. Trailing 36-33, the Cougars needed a victory from Julian Campo at 215 to gain a tie but he did even better scoring a pin with only eight seconds left in his match, to give the Cougars an exhilarating 39-36 win, raising their record to 6-1 and handing the Highlanders their first defeat. The match was a see saw affair, with heavyweight Joe Brady, suffering his first loss to start the Cougars in a 3-0 hole. Trailing 9-0, Joe Giaccio got the Cougars back in the match with a lighting fast 38 second pin at 105. After Kyle Markovitch suffered a surprising loss at 119 and another loss at 125, the Cougars were down 21-6. Brian Buontempo started the comeback with a 50 second pin at 130 and Matt DiGiovanni closed further with 1:33 pin at 140. Connor Londregan won 8-4 at 145 and JP Christiano had 3:33 pin at 152. Captain Connor Leahy kept the match close with a 3:12 pin at 171.
“We have wrestled well as a team this year. We had one bad match but we bounced back well. The team is also excited with the young talent coming up, and that we have young wrestlers that we help build up the team,” said Leahy, who has taken well to his responsibilities as captain.
“I try to set the pace in practice, and encourage kids that are having trouble and starting off the matches strong,” added Leahy.
Like other New Jerseyans, Luciani heard the ominous weather forecast but correctly deduced that the conditions would not be treacherous going south.
“If you want to wrestle sometimes you got to drive. We were fortunate the weather was just cold going down and back and the only snow was in Kenilworth,” said Luciani.
Brearley used its superior depth to beat the hosts 55-15 and hand Washington its first loss, 41-21. The Bears competed without two of their top wrestlers, Kenny Knapp and Khusen Taramov.
“Kenny was ill all week and Khusen needed some rest so everything worked out ok,” said Luciani.
Against Washington, Brearley was trailing 18-9, when Co-captain Joe Lospinoso started the comeback with a pin at 135 in 1:31. Devin Geoghegan put the Bears ahead for good with a 2:15 pin at 140 and his twin brother Dillion extended the lead with a 5-0 decision at 145. Brian Gilligan continued the avalanche with a 34 second pin at 152 and Umar Taramov kept the streak intact with a 13-4 win at 160. Olsi Musaij, filling in for Khusen Taramov clinched the match with a 2:20 pin at 171. Brearley also got victories from Travis Dilts at 215, Anthony Madonia at 103 and Dan Ries at 115.
“It was a long day but very successful. It would have been better if Walkill had come,” added Luciani.
. Cranford’s big match with Governor Livingston came down to the final bout. Trailing 36-33, the Cougars needed a victory from Julian Campo at 215 to gain a tie but he did even better scoring a pin with only eight seconds left in his match, to give the Cougars an exhilarating 39-36 win, raising their record to 6-1 and handing the Highlanders their first defeat. The match was a see saw affair, with heavyweight Joe Brady, suffering his first loss to start the Cougars in a 3-0 hole. Trailing 9-0, Joe Giaccio got the Cougars back in the match with a lighting fast 38 second pin at 105. After Kyle Markovitch suffered a surprising loss at 119 and another loss at 125, the Cougars were down 21-6. Brian Buontempo started the comeback with a 50 second pin at 130 and Matt DiGiovanni closed further with 1:33 pin at 140. Connor Londregan won 8-4 at 145 and JP Christiano had 3:33 pin at 152. Captain Connor Leahy kept the match close with a 3:12 pin at 171.
“We have wrestled well as a team this year. We had one bad match but we bounced back well. The team is also excited with the young talent coming up, and that we have young wrestlers that we help build up the team,” said Leahy, who has taken well to his responsibilities as captain.
“I try to set the pace in practice, and encourage kids that are having trouble and starting off the matches strong,” added Leahy.
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