After completing the finest season in school history in 2008, David Brearley’s wrestling team served notice that this year’s team may be just as powerful. The Bears opened their 2009 season on December 27 sweeping two opponents at the Brearley Duals Tournament.
In the finals the Bears took care of highly regarded Seton Hall Prep 45-24. In the opening round Brearley crushed Dover 67-12, while Seton Hall prep turned back Sayreville 42-25. Sayreville took the consolation match over Dover 45-18.
The Bears’ three returning region champions Kenny Knapp, Joe Lospinoso and Umar Taramov led the way with two victories apiece but Kenilworth showed balance across nearly every weight class.
Against Seton Hall Prep, Joe Lospinoso’s younger brother Nick gave the team a lift right from the outset by wrestling a competitive match against defending region champion Lou Mascola, losing a close 11-4 decision. Sophomore Dan Res, third in the regions a year ago, gave the Bears the lead for good with a pin in 5:03. Allen Phillips extended the lead to 9-3 with an 8-2 decision, before Knapp won one of the most anticipated matches of the day when he outmaneuvered district champion Chris Puorro 10-3. Lospinoso followed with a forfeit win and Brian Gilligan won a tough 3-1 decision at 145. Dillion Geoghegan lost a tough 807 decision at 152 and Anthony Tancs was pinned at 160 before the Khusen Taramov, Umar Taramov and Khasan Taramov pinned their opponents at 171,189 and 215 in a total of six minutes. Heavyweight Travis Dilts was defeated by injury default and Mike Disko was pinned at 103 before Anthony Madonia completed the match with a forfeit win.
Knapp and Joe Lospinoso, who took region titles at 119 and 135 respectively last year, now wrestle consecutive weight classes, having each bulked up to 135 and 140. The Taramov brothers, form a fearsome threesome at 171,189 and 215 respectively. Umar Taramov, who moved to the U.S. from Russia two years ago, won the 160 regional crown last year as the fourth seed.
In the earlier match Madonia won by superior decision at 112, Nick Lospinoso scored a 59 second pin, Ries took 1:11 for his pin, Phillips pinned in 2:09, Knapp pinned in 3:45 and Joe Lospinoso scored the quickest pin, a dominating 44 second pin at 140. Gilligan and Geohegan followed with superior decisions. After the Taramov brothers won their matches, Dilts moved down to 215 for a 2:43 pin and Jeff Viglione won by forfeit at heavyweight.
Although they graduated state 215 pound champion Jesse Boyden, the school’s all time victory leader and region winner Hany Elshiekh, the Bears may be a deeper team than a year ago when they had four wrestlers in the state’s top eight. Lospinoso is determined to take the final step at 140 after finishing second at 135. Knapp was sixth at 119 and Khusen Taramov was eighth at 171.
