March 4, 2014 Volume-VI Issue-5
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Catania, Farrell Realize Their Vision
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Region VI Finals: Expect the Unexpected Ending the Drought: Region VI Consolation Story
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THE SHORE’S BEST BOYS SCT CHAMPS
SHORE’S 9-13 THE BEST GIRLS SCT CHAMPS
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Iwama Put RFH Wrestling Back on the Map Stumpy’s Corner
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CATANIA, FARRELL REALIZE THEIR VISION
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By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer
he first golden era of Point Pleasant Beach boys basketball ended in the mid-1960’s, and the last several years have seen the resurrection of Beach Ball, culminated by a 49-41 win over Christian Brothers Academy in the Shore Conference Tournament final Saturday at the Multipurpose Activities Center on the campus of Monmouth University.
Where the new era of Garnet Gulls basketball began is as fascinating as where it has ended up – with a first ever SCT championship to go with the program’s first NJSIAA championship last season.
There are any number of potential moments when the spark became the fire that is this roll the Garnet Gulls have been on over the last five years. If you are a skeptic or the naysaying type, the transfers from bordering towns and the German imports taking advantage of Point Beach’s status as a tuition school district might come to mind. A more positive spin is that head coach Nick Catania has created a basketball attraction for anyone with high aspirations whose bedrock has been four-year leaders like senior Matt Farrell. Regardless of who or what started this era of Point Beach basketball, the moment it all became real is fairly well-defined as far as Catania and some of his current and former players are concerned.
A year after coming up just short of knocking off a powerhouse CBA team in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals in 2010, the Garnet Gulls got a second chance to take down the two-time defending champion the following season. This time, they landed the knockout blow: a 56-55 win over CBA that put Point Beach in the SCT semifinals for the first time in nearly half a century. “I still tell people I got the game-winning rebound in that game,” said Farrell, who was once again brilliant with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the championship
game. “That was maybe the biggest game in the history of the program, certainly at the time, and being a freshman who got to play in that game, it kind of set the foundation for what was to come.”
That’s where the Point Beach story becomes unique. The Garnet Gulls spent only a matter of moments as the “little team that could” following a huge SCT win before reality and newfound expectations set in. Over the ensuing weeks and subsequent seasons, Point Beach transformed into a Shore Conference favorite, and while that word has two meanings within the context of sports, it has only one in this instance. “We know people don’t like us, and we’re fine with that,” Farrell said. “We like that. We’re very stubborn. We knew it was us against the world today. We knew CBA was coming with a crap-load of fans. We knew people from other schools were going to come here hoping to see us lose, and we like that.” Despite the win over CBA in the SCT quarters, the Gulls lost to a 13th-seeded Rumson-Fair Have team in the SCT semifinals, did not win their division outright and lost to Asbury Park in the sectional playoffs. After a so-so year with Farrell as a sophomore, Point Beach reloaded last year only to come up short against Lakewood after taking the next step by reaching the championship game. Some of his team’s shortcomings might have prompted other coaches to change, but Catania had no such designs. Not after coming
from where he started the program nine years ago. Even a life-threatening heart arrhythmia suffered two months before the start of the season did not change anything about Catania. “I think there is some perception that I’ve changed, but I think I’m pretty much the same as I’ve always been,” Catania said. “Nothing I’ve done this year is any different than I’ve done it in other years. I’m the same guy with the same level of intensity, especially in practice.”
“He’s the same guy,” Farrell said. “A couple practices ago, he ripped into us, and he joked with us, ‘Don’t you guys know my heart can’t take this?’ That’s coach. He’s been the same guy no matter what, and that’s why we love him.”
The recent history of Point Beach also includes the reputation as a team of transfers. Four of the seven players to play on Saturday – Uhl (Germany), Noah Yates (North Carolina), Jeff Bryant (Monsignor Donovan) and Mike Frauenheim (Immaculata) – came to the program after attending other high schools. Although one of last year’s top seniors was a four-year varsity player (P.J. Kineavy), the other (Riley Calzonetti) was a CBA transfer who started his Point Beach career as a sophomore. The 2010 team had Jordan Wejnert, a transfer from North Jersey, and Mike Rotando, a transfer from St. John Vianney.
While this should surely be a testament to the basketball environment Catania has created, it has also created a predictable stigma of which Catania and his players are aware.
If love and admiration have been slow to trickle in, the championships have finally come. Last season the Garnet Gulls finished off the program’s first NJSIAA Group I championship and played a competitive Tournament of Champions game against Group IV champion Atlantic City. Last year was also the first time Point Beach won an outright division championship after finishing tied with Asbury Park in the previous season.
“We accomplished a lot of the goals we set out to accomplish, but this was the last box we had to check,” Catania said of the SCT title.
It all culminated, fittingly enough, against CBA, the team it had seen in three straight SCTs from 2010 to 2012, and the team the Garnet Gulls beat to announce that they had arrived on the Shore Conference scene. Here were the Colts – a non-public, tuition school with 16 SCT championships under their belt – drawing the backing of the neutral fans at the MAC against a Group I school that had never won a conference championship, because they were the underdog. That, in and of itself, could be considered an accomplishment for Point Beach.
So forgive Farrell, Catania and the rest of the Garnet Gulls if they choose to ignore the outcry and the jokes about how many different buses it takes to transport the team to school in the morning and how many German-toEnglish dictionaries in the high school library had to be dusted off since 2009. This journey was one that carried with it colossal expectations from the outside over the last four years and even greater expectations from Catania beginning nine years ago.
Admiration was not on Catania’s to-do list, but he has earned it as much as anyone can. Maybe that part comes now that everything else on the list is checked off.
File Photo by:
Bill Normile
www.billnormile.zenfolio.com
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Region VI Finals: Expect the Unexpected
By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer
A fter an unpredictable quarterfinal round, seven wrestlers seeded sixth or
lower had found their way into the NJSIAA Region VI semifinals. When the finals were set Saturday afternoon, however, just one wrestler seeded outside of the top four remained: Brick Memorial freshman Gianni Ghione.
As the No. 6 seed at 106 pounds, Ghione had made a great run to the final with a pin of third-seeded Jeff DeLuise of Barnegat before avenging a loss to Brick’s Dan Rackliffe in the semifinals. His opponent in the championship bout was seeded fourth, but may as well have been the top seed. Christian Brothers Academy sophomore Sebastian Rivera entered the final with an undefeated record and a growing aura that looked untouchable. Instead it was Ghione who wrestled as if he were the favorite, scoring the only two takedowns of the bout, including the winning takedown in sudden victory, to defeat Rivera, 5-3, and capture the 2014 NJSIAA Region VI 106pound championship. Ghione was subsequently selected as the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler as voted upon by the coaches. After a scoreless first period, Ghione escaped early in the second and scored seconds later to open a 3-0 lead. Rivera escaped to make it 3-1 heading to the third period. A second stalling call on Ghione brought Rivera to within 3-2, and Ghione was later forced to cut him loose and leave the bout tied 3-3, eventually forcing overtime.
In sudden victory, Ghione threw Rivera down to his back near the edge of the circle for the winning takedown, capturing his first region title and giving Rivera his first loss this season.
Ghione’s region title was the 52nd in Brick Memorial history. The Mustangs would win three region titles in total on Saturday for the first time since 1994 (Dan Santaniello, Todd Palmisano, Jim Hogan) to bring their Shore Conference-best total to 53. Ghione was also part of an early string of championship bouts that electrified Pine Belt Arena. One bout before Ghione’s victory, Howell senior heavyweight Kyle Cocozza defeated Raritan senior Pat Toal, 4-3 with a takedown at the buzzer. Toal led 3-0 in the second period with an escape and a takedown, but two escapes by Cocozza cut Toal’s lead to one point late in the third period. Cocozza lunged in for a single-leg takedown and was able to get a hold of Toal’s leg, but the Raritan senior sprawled and clamped down on Cocozza’s head as the clock ticked down. In a desperate attempt to score, Cocozza kept his head down
and churned his feet, and it was enough to knock Toal flat on his back just before the buzzer sounded for a 43 win.
Jackson Liberty junior Mike Russo, Point Boro senior Ryan Budzek and CBA senior Mike Oxley each captured their second region titles. Russo dominated the field at 120 pounds with a 9-1 major decision over Ocean senior Max Rallo. Budzek defended his 126pound title with a 7-3 win over Colts Neck’s Nick Ottaviano.
“I looked at the clock with 13.3 seconds left and thought to myself that it was over,” Cocozza said. “But then I rethought it’s more than enough time to get a takedown.
“I was in on a shot and noticed he just sat there. I didn’t know how much time was on the clock, just that I had to keep going. I ran my feet and plowed him over. I heard the two and the buzzer, and was like ‘Holy crap, I just did it.’”
Brothers Matt and Zach Wilhelm, a junior and senior, respectively, each captured region titles for Southern on Saturday, becoming the first brothers to win Region VI titles since Andy and Nick Roy won for Wall in 2000. Matt defeated two-time champion Joe Ghione of Brick Memorial, 3-1 in sudden victory at 138 pounds, while Zach stopped previously undefeated Brick Memorial junior Alec Donovan, 3-2 at 145 pounds. Zach Wilhelm qualified for the state tournament as a freshman and went on to finish eighth at 112 pounds. He hasn’t been back since. And while he locked up a trip to Atlantic City with a semifinal victory over Brick’s Will Scott, he wasn’t about to settle for second place, not against a wrestler who had defeated him in their past two meetings. Tied 1-1 in the third period, Wilhelm secured the only takedown of the bout to win 3-2 and capture his first region title.
“It was extremely frustrating these last two years,” Zach Wilhelm said. “I lost in wrestleback quarters my sophomore year, was winning in the third-place match and got pinned last year. The lessons I took from that are you have to keep pushing and learning from your mistakes. I came back this year and became a region champ.”
Matt Wilhelm won in similar fashion, taking Ghione down in sudden victory for the only offensive points in the bout and a 3-1 victory. Wilhelm didn’t wrestler last year after winning a district title and finishing 22-11 as a freshman. The plan was to cut to 120 pounds, but when he couldn’t get there and lost his wrestle-off at 126, he decided to train at his normal weight with an eye on this season. In the second period Ghione appeared to throw Wilhelm to his back for a five-point move, but the officials deemed he never had control and was only awarded one point for an escape. Wilhelm knew he had dodged a bullet.
Ryan Budzek, Sr., Point Boro, 126 “I got back up and was expecting it to be 5-1, and when I saw it was 1-1 I thought if I was going to catch a lucky break it might as well be now,” Wilhelm said. “Going into this tournament I wanted more than anything for Zach to get out,” Matt Wilhelm said. “It was real hard on him the last two years. I knew how hard he trained, so watching that was awesome.”
“It was incredible,” Zach Wilhelm said. “He didn’t wrestle last year, so for him to come back and beat a two-time state place-winner and two-time region champ like that, and for me to win next, is incredible. You couldn’t ask for anything else.” Following the Wilhelm brothers, Southern senior Nick Racanelli defeated St. John Vianney senior Terrence Davis, 5-1, to win the 152-pound title. It is the first region title for Racanelli and was the third title for Southern in the tournament, matching Brick Memorial for the high mark.
The Mustangs also received titles from seniors Tyler Poling (220) and Nick Costa (182). Poling, the top seed, pinned Southern’s Jesse Bauta with one second left in a bout he was leading 7-3 for his first title. Middletown North sophomore Chad Freshnock stunned Raritan’s Kyle Lynch with a pin in the 182-pound semifinals, but Costa turned the tables on him with a cradle and pin in the second period. It is the first region title and second medal for Costa, who was seventh in the state last season at 182. Rumson-Fair Haven junior Marcus Iwama, a state qualifier last season, came from the No. 4 seed to win the 132-pound title with a 9-4 decision over Howell sophomore Kris Lindemann. Iwama is Rumson’s first region champion since current first-year head coach Bryan Heller (130) and Patrick Berger (119) won titles in 2003.
Oxley outlasted Jackson Memorial senior Ken Bradley, 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker, to win the 195-pound title for the second straight season. Oxley was able to escape in the final 30-second rideout period to defeat Bradley for the second time this year.
Wall sophomore Brett Donner won a battle of one-loss wrestlers when he bested Howell senior Joey Schultz, 5-1, to win the 160pound title. He is Wall’s first region champ since Andrew Marr (215) in 2010.
Brick senior Dean Sherry remained undefeated (35-0) by defeating Toms River South junior Antrez Clagon, 3-2, at 170 pounds. Sherry’s third-period takedown that snapped a 1-1 tie was the difference.
Toms River South sophomore Owen McClave won his first title with a 2-1 victory over Freehold Township senior Nick DePierro at 113 pounds. McClave was the region’s second-place finisher at 106 pounds last season. It is his third victory over DePierro this season. At 152 pounds, Davis represented St. John Vianney’s first state qualifier and region finalist since champion Anthony Castro (130) and runners-up Kyle Pardun (135) and Mike Brogan (140) in 2004. At 182, Freshnock is Middletown North’s first state qualifier since Brandon Vorrius in 2010.
Howell head coach John Gagliano was selected as the Region VI Coach of the Year. The Rebels won the Shore Conference Tournament and Central Jersey Group IV titles for the first time in program history this season.
by:
Bob Badders www.shoresportsnetwork.com
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Ending the Drought: Region VI Consolation Story A
By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer
pair of extended state tournament droughts came to an end on Saturday at Pine Belt Arena.
Red Bank Catholic senior Shawn McCord and Pinelands junior Tom Poklikuha each won their thirdplace bouts during the NJSIAA Region VI Tournament to advance to next weekend’s state tournament in Atlantic City. McCord pinned Toms River North’s Mike Siwiec at 220 pounds and Poklikuha defeated CBA’s Erik Beshada, 6-3 at 138 pounds.
“Region VI is one of the toughest and I’m really excited I made it through,” McCord said. “I knew in my mind I could get the job done.”
McCord, who was the District 22 champion and seeded third in the region tournament, is the Caseys’ first state qualifier since Mike Conte won the Region VI heavyweight title 31 years ago in 1983.
Poklikuha had to defeat Beshada for a second time to reach Atlantic City for the first time. As the No. 10 seed, the Wildcats junior stunned Beshada in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champ Matt Wilhelm in the semifinals, 12-5. He knew his dream of reaching Atlantic City couldn’t end there.
McCord lost to Southern senior Jesse Bauta, 3-1, in the semifinals to be bounced into the consolation bracket. In the wrestleback semifinals he pinned Manalapan’s Ben Aquilina (34-4, District 21 champ) in 3:15 to reach the third-place match. McCord had Siwiec (32-5) on his back in the second period to help him open a 9-5 lead. He turned Siwiec again in the
In the wrestleback semifinals, he defeated Howell senior Jack Rada, 9-4. Waiting for him in the thirdplace bout was Beshada, a four-time District 22 champion and a former state qualifier. Scoreless in the third period with Poklikuha on defense, he hit a 5point move with a reversal and bow-and-arrow type
“Making it to Atlantic City is such a dream that everybody wants,” McCord said. “It feels awesome.”
“It’s overwhelming excitement,” he said. “Me and my dad put so much work into this. Pinelands isn’t really known for wrestling or athletics, so to be one of the good guys is unreal. I’m going to walk back into school on Monday like a Hollywood star.”
third period, this time finishing the fall in 5:25 to seal his trip to Boardwalk Hall.
“I tried to think about all the offseason work I did and remind myself these kids can’t keep up with me,” Poklikuha said.
Tom Poklikuha, Jr., 138, Pinelands move that exposed Beshada’s back for a three count. He held on to win, 6-3.
“I don’t even know what I did,” Poklikuha said. “I tried to get my hips high and just pull and hope something happened. I threw in a boot and he sat. I just tried to get him over and it worked.” Poklikuha is Pinelands’ first state qualifier since two-time region champ and three-time state medalist Mike Molosky in 2002.
Keansburg junior Tyree Sutton qualified for the state tournament via a third-place finish at 195 pounds. Sutton has widely been recognized as one of the top eight wrestlers at 195 pounds all season, and the weight looks to be among the deepest in the state tournament. Sutton lost to Jackson Memorial’s Ken Bradley in the semifinals, but had no problem advancing. He defeated Barnegat senior Greg Moran 6-1 in the wrestleback semifinals and won by 10-1 major decision over Wall’s Tyler Romanelli for third.
Sutton is just the second Keansburg wrestler to ever qualify for the state tournament. Anthony Consentino finished second at heavyweight in 2005 and stands as the only other state qualifier for the Titans. They have never had a state medalist. Sutton believes he’ll change that. “It feels amazing to get down there, and there have
VOLUME-VI been state champs who didn’t win regions, so I’m hoping I can be one of those,” Sutton said. “I feel like I can win it.”
Sutton has just three losses this season, falling by two points to Oxley, 3-1, in the District 22 final, by one to Bradley and by one to Franklin’s Ralph Normandia, who was third in the state at 220 pounds last season.
“You learn a lot when you don’t win,” Sutton said. “I know what I have to do to beat Oxley or Bradley and be a state champ.” Eleven of the 14 third-place finishers are, in fact, first-time state qualifiers.
Jackson Memorial junior Fred Terranova defeated Howell sophomore Peter Dee, 3-0, at 106 pounds. Terranova was the No. 1 seed, but lost to runner-up Sebastian Rivera, 4-0, in the semifinals. He won by major decision over Toms River South freshman Zack Martin in the wrestleback semifinals.
Toms River South senior Brandon Murray defeated Southern senior Andrew Tonneson 6-0 to finish third at 126 pounds. After losing to eventual champion Ryan Budzek of Point Boro, 4-2 in the semifinals, Murray defeated Howell sophomore Anthony Gagliano 3-0 before topping Tonneson to advance. Southern’s duo of Bryan Brown and Gerardo Jorge also punched their tickets to Atlantic City in the consolation finals. Brown, a senior who was the No. 1 seed at 132 pounds, edged Matawan sophomore Khalil Haskins, 2-1 in tiebreaker, to move on. Brown was defeated by eventual champion Marcus Iwama, 9-2, in the semifinals. He beat two-time state qualifier
Matt Russo of Jackson Liberty, 3-2, to reach the third-place bout. Jorge fell to eventual champion and still undefeated senior Dean Sherry of Brick, 8-1 in the semifinals, but clawed back for third with a 7-3 win over Middletown North’s Anthony Fabiano and a 3-2 decision over Wall freshman Matt McKenzie.
Neptune senior Romello Union used a takedown late in the third period to defeat Brick junior Will Scott, 4-3, at 145 pounds. Union, a two-time region qualifier entering the tournament, was the No. 10 seed. After losing to Scott 3-0 in the quarterfinals, he won three straight bouts to finish third. He defeated Middletown South’s Garrett Rumsby, 9-5, before clipping Manalapan’s Jake Kaminsky, 4-3, to reach the consolation final. Jackson Liberty senior T.J. Liquori held off Toms River South junior Joe Salvato 1-0 in the 160-pound third-place bout. Liquori reached the second round of wrestlebacks last season. After losing to Howell’s Joey Schultz, 2-1, in the semifinals, he defeated Raritan’s Connor Sheehan, 81, and then Salvato to reach Atlantic City.
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Three wrestlers reached the state tournament for the second time. Wall senior Denzel Tovar, a state qualifier last season, defeated Southern’s James Knoeller, 6-4, to place third at 113 pounds. At 120 pounds, Point Boro junior Dan Nobbs scored a last-second reversal to defeat Howell senior Jimmy Slendorn, 2-1, in the third-place bout. Nobbs was a state qualifier as a freshman and was seeded No. 2 in this season’s tournament. He was picked off in the quarterfinals by Long Branch’s Andy Hernandez, but pinned Point Beach’s John Finnerty and majored Southern’s Chris Crane to reach the consolation finals.
Brick junior Kyle Wojtaszek placed third at 152 for his second straight state tournament berth. Wojtaszek was the top seed before losing to Brick Memorial junior Rob Ruggiero in the quarterfinals. Wojtaszek beat Middletown South’s Matt Best 7-5, pinned Long Branch’s Brandon Perez, then edged Ruggiero 3-2 for third place.
Raritan senior Kyle Lynch was undefeated heading into the 182-pound semifinals but was head-locked and pinned by Middletown North sophomore Chad Freshnock. Lynch was able to rebound and eventually hold off Jackson Memorial junior Connor Bohringer, 5-3, to place third.
At heavyweight, Brick Memorial freshman Nick Rivera lost to finalist Pat Toal of Raritan in ultimate tiebreaker in the semifinals. He responded with a 3-1 victory over Barnegat senior Zach Andrews and a first-period pin of Central senior Atanacio Carrillo to finish third.
by:
Bob Badders www.shoresportsnetwork.com
A S A M P L I N G O F C U R R E N T A N D F O R M E R M A C A L L - S TA R S
n Sehmonyeh Allen—Neptune n Sean Armand—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS (NY) n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s n Brian Baker—Colts Neck n Mustafa Barksdale—RBR n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Park n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township n Kate Beriont—St. John Vianney n Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick n Josh Brody—RBR n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney n Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney n Isaias Calderon—Neptune n Quarran Calhoun—Raritan n Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North n Richard Calia—Holmdel n Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune n Chasen Campbell—Oak Hill Academy (VA) n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch n Raheem Carter—Long Branch n Corey Chandler—East Side n Markens Charles —St. Patrick n Robert Cheeks—St. Anthony’s
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n Rahmir Cottman—RBR n Vincent Council—Lincoln (NY) n Don Coven—Long Branch n Jared Craddox—Lakewood n Sumit Dalal—Marlboro n Charles Davis—Neptune n Syessence Davis—Neptune n Taquan Dean—Neptune n Paul De Salvo—CBA n Allen Dean—Neptune n Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC n Chris Delaney—CBA n Pat Delaney—CBA n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach n Mark Donnelly—RBR n Sean Dunne—CBA n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham Preparatory School (NY) n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech n Matt Farrell—Pt. Pleasant Beach n Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven n Sarah Fisher—RBR n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel n Colin Ford—Manasquan n Glen Ford—RBC n Greg Ford—Trenton Central
n Avery Gardner—Long Branch n Billy Gilligan—RBR n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney n Dana Graziano—Holmdel n Kevin Grier—CBA n Paul Halas—St. Rose n Felicia Harris—RBR n Michael Harris—Randolph n Mykel Harris—Great Mills (MD) n Ashley Hart—The Peddie School n Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey—St. Benedict’s Prep n Corey Haskins—RBR n JR Hobbie—Manasquan n Kasey Hobbie—RBC n Darien Hutton—Ewing n Nolan Ivers—Holmdel n Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge n Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney n Melvin Johnson—St. Benedict’s Prep n Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s (NY) n Michael Kelly—St. Anthony’s (NY) n Billy Kiss—Long Branch n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei Prep n Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s n Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven
n Carl Little—Asbury Park n Maggie Loundy—Pt. Pleasant Beach n Mike Mavrinac—Middletown South n Jasmine McCall—Manalapan n Billy McCue—CBA n Roshown McLeod—St. Anthony’s n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT) n Darius Morris—Long Branch n Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro n Michael Murphy—Howell n Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School n Brian O’Reilly—Middletown South n Karen Otrupchak—RBR n Kevin Owens—Neptune n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney n Evan Pastorelle—RBC n Shinece Perry—RBR n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s n Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti Catholic (PA) n Simon Press—Asbury Park n Joey Raines—Asbury Park n Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney School n David Reeves—RBC n Jarelle Reischel—Pt. Pleasant Beach n Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville School
n Charlie Rogers—Matawan n Amanda Rosato—St. John Vianney n Will Sanborn—RBR n Shira Schect—Hadassim HS (ISRAEL) n Keyron Sheard—RBR n Brian Snodgrass—Holmdel n Lauren Sokol—The Peddie School n Stephen Spinella—Colts Neck n Matt Stahl—Middletown South n Missy Stavola—Rumson-Fair Haven n Jenna Strich—RBC n Scott Stump—RBC n Kim Talbot—RBC n Aaron Tarver—RBR n Terrance Todd—Neptune n Maurice Turpin— Long Branch n John Weldon—Freehold Boro n Dawn Werner—St John Vianney n John Werner—St John Vianney n Kayshanna Wesley—Asbury Park n Kade Weston—RBR n Eric Yarborough—Asbury Park n Tomora Young—RBR n Terry Zinn—RBC n Lynne Zoltowski—RBC
V i s i t o u r w e b s i t e , w w w. m a c t e s t i n g . c o m
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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor
rom the minute basketball practices began in early December, Point Beach was expected to accomplish a feat that it had never achieved in the 77-year history of the Shore Conference Tournament.
The top-seeded Garnet Gulls fulfilled expectations on Saturday by knocking off second-seeded Christian Brothers Academy, 49-41, at Monmouth University for their first SCT title behind a game-high 25 points by senior point guard Matt Farrell on 8-for-14 shooting and 10 points and 5 rebounds by senior forward Dom Uhl. While adding an SCT title to the program’s first NJSIAA Group I championship from a year ago may have seemed pre-ordained for Point Beach (25-1), which has been the top-ranked team in the Shore since the preseason, it took numerous twists and turns to add another chapter in school history.
It took the leadership of a veteran coach whose heart had to be shocked back to life in a harrowing health scare barely over a month before practice began. It took a determined senior point guard who made 500 shots a day in the offseason and could be found doing Pete Maravich ball-handling drills at all hours. It took the silky athleticism of a player who didn’t even live in the United States two years ago. It took the stroke of luck of a three-sport star who was raised in Point Beach returning home after his father had moved the family to North Carolina following a job change.
All of those circumstances and more added up to a memorable day for Ocean County’s smallest public school on Saturday. The Garnet Gulls became the first Group I team to win the SCT since Asbury Park in 1986.
“This was one of our main goals,’’ said senior Noah Yates, who had eight points. “It was last year, and we couldn’t get it done (in a loss to Senior Matt Farrell
Lakewood). Getting here, we played well, and we played together. This was one of our best games of the season.
“Coming in as the No. 1 team in the Shore as a small school kind of puts a little target on your back. A lot of people don’t really like you because they think you’re arrogant. We’ve kind of accepted that title that we had in the preseason, and then we backed it up this year.”
“It feels great,’’ said Point Beach head coach Nick Catania. “The kids put a lot of hard work into that, so I’m really proud of them.” The pressure has been on them from Day One, and they have embraced the role of Goliath that CBA has inhabited so many times during its history.
“We know people don’t like us,’’ Farrell said. “We’re fine with that. We like that. We’re very stubborn. We knew it was us against the world today. We like having the targets on our back. That adds more fuel to the fire.”
The Garnet Gulls made their decisive move midway through the third quarter to take a fourpoint lead going into the final period and then closed out the win with the pressure defense and high-percentage foul shooting that have been their hallmarks during the championship run. After CBA (17-5) took a six-point lead early in the third quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomore star Pat Andree, who finished with a team-high 23 points, Point Beach outscored the Colts 28-14 the rest of the way.
The comeback began with a 3-pointer by Yates, a three-sport standout who moved back from North Carolina two years ago and also starred on the Point Beach football team that made history this past fall with the program’s first state sectional title. His triple jumpstarted a 12-2 run to end the quarter with a 33-29 lead.
Farrell capped the period with a pull-up 3-pointer off the dribble after Uhl floated a pass to him over CBA’s run-andjump defense.
“That was a big part of the game because they were trying to hold for one and we got the stop, and we got the shot at the end of the quarter,’’ Farrell said. “That was definitely a momentum-changer.”
“I felt good about the momentum going into the fourth,’’ Catania said. “The kids were fired up, and then we came out and got stops. We created some
turnovers in the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth. Our defense stepped it up a notch.” Point Beach’s defense, which did not allow more than 41 points in regulation in any of its final three games of the tournament, forced six fourth-quarter turnovers. CBA missed its first four shots of the fourth quarter, and the Garnet Gulls pushed the lead to 37-31 on a pullup by Farrell and a backdoor layup by Farrell off a dish by Uhl. The Garnet G u l l s t h e n
brought home the big plaque by shooting 12-for14 from the foul line in the final 2:45. “We know if we have a lead by even three or four points, it’s m o r e comfortable than most people’s three- or fourpoint leads
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By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer championship and the T of C semifinals, only to transfer back to Manasquan on Jan. 4.
Although she had to sit out of game action for a month and Manasquan coach Lisa Kukoda, her staff and the players had to acclimate to everything that comes with adding a player of Mabrey’s caliber, the working and the waiting paid off on Saturday.
rior to their Shore Conference Tournament championship game against nd St. Rose on March 2 , junior Marina Mabrey had waited two years to get back to the SCT final and the Manasquan girls basketball program had not brought home an SCT championship trophy in 31 years.
What was another month of waiting?
The fifth-seeded Warriors ended their 31-year SCT dry spell Saturday at the Multipurpose Activities Center on the campus of Monmouth University by beating No. 2 St. Rose, 61-41, for their first SCT championship since 1983 and third overall.
Junior guard Courtney Hagaman scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the second half while Mabrey posted a line of 18 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead Manasquan. Senior and three-year starter Sam Sullivan also added 11 points and five assists while anchoring the inside of a Manasquan defense that allowed St. Rose to shoot just 5-for-20 on two-point field goal attempts.
“We had the right mindset this time,” Mabrey said. “We did the work that needed to be put in. We stressed defense over offense. We wanted to set the tone with our defense, and we knew the offense would come later on. That’s what happened, and I just think this was all from being more prepared and having the right mindset.”
Mabrey was a freshman starter on the 2011-12 Manasquan team that won the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, but lost to St. Rose in the SCT final. Mabrey transferred to Point Pleasant Beach for her sophomore season, led the Garnet Gulls to the Group I
“I knew this was going to happen when I came here,” Mabrey said. “I had faith in my team, I had faith in my coach, that she was going to be able to handle it the right way.
“I know a lot of people were waiting for me to spoil the chemistry by coming in in the middle of the season, but I knew that’s not the way I operate, and I knew (Kukoda) doesn’t let anybody operate like that.”
Mabrey and Sullivan both were starters on the 2012 team that lost to St. Rose, when the Warriors and Purple Roses were the top two seeds. Hagaman and senior Eva Hart also played sparingly on that Manasquan team, which beat St. Rose during that regular season and later in the T of C semifinals.
Mabrey and Hagaman also had older sisters who started on that team and who have since graduated. “It definitely hit us that we had older girls on the
team who missed a chance to win, and we felt like we didn’t want to miss the opportunity,” Hagaman said. “A lot of us saw that game and some of us played in it, so yeah, we wanted to make the most of our chance this time.” Manasquan jumped out to a 11-2 lead after the first quarter and once Mabrey hit one of two free throws on the first possession of the second quarter to make the score 12-2, the Warriors led by double-digits the rest of the way. A 15-0 run built Manasquan’s lead to 18-2 and the lead swelled to 22-3 late in the second quarter. St. Rose did not score its first field goal until 2:33 left in the second quarter when senior Sarah Kurtz hit a 22-foot 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 22-8.
The Manasquan defense not only held St. Rose to 2-for15 shooting in the first half, but the Warriors also forced nine St. Rose turnovers. Manasquan forced 19 turnovers in the game, which helped offset 18 giveaways of their own. “I told the girls it was going to be our defense that either won or lost this game for us,” said Kukoda, a former assistant and standout player at Red Bank
Catholic. “They are obviously a very good offensive team, and we had to step up defensively. They run a lot of screens and a lot of dribblehandoffs and it was going to be our communication and intensity, and as long as we showed that every defensive possession, it was going to work in our favor.”
While Manasquan’s defense carried it to a 24-12 halftime lead, the Warriors finally caught fire from the field in the third quarter to pull Junior Marina Mabrey
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because we knock down free throws,’’ Yates said.
Up to that point in the third quarter, the game had been neck-and-neck, as the Garnet Gulls led by a point after the first quarter and the teams were tied at 21 at the half. Both teams entered the game having not lost to a Shore Conference opponent all season. While Andree had a big game, Point Beach smothered the rest of the Colts, with no other player reaching double figures. Andree shot 10-for-16 from the field, but the rest of the Colts shot a combined 6for-26.
“In a big game, Andree is going to be a big-time player,’’ Catania said. “He is going to get some points. You don’t want to let the other guys beat you. We’re not going to double, and now all of a sudden everybody has got an (open) three.” “We knew they had a lot of weapons on the floor,’’ Yates said. “They have five guys that could score the ball at pretty much any point. We were just trying to limit their open shots, and our main two things are always to defend and rebound.”
Tournament. I’ve been so fortunate for the people who helped me that day and just the people that have helped me and supported me through it and allowed me to come back and be here.”
The 6-foot-8 Uhl, who is committed to Iowa, slowed down Navy-bound CBA guard Louie Pillari (7 points) and also helped on Andree by switching with Yates on high screens. He has become a key cog in the Point Beach machine since coming over from Frankfurt, Germany, before last season. He has followed in the footsteps of Point Beach’s all-time leading scorer, current Rhode Island guard Jarelle Reischel, who came from Frankfurt to Point Pleasant and became a star.
With the one gap in the resume now filled, Point Beach will look to defend its Group I title from a year ago in the upcoming state playoffs, where it is the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group I. The Garnet Gulls’ only loss this season is a two-point nonconference setback against perennial state power Patrick School, which beat Linden to win the Union County Tournament on Saturday.
“I never would’ve thought of this two years ago,’’ Uhl said before smiling. “It means a lot, especially because when Jarelle was here they never won it.”
The engine that drove the run to history was clearly Farrell, a four-year starter who has made himself into a Division I player through tireless offseason work. His performance on Saturday was so impressive that new Rutgers head coach Eddie Jordan, who was in the crowd at Monmouth, offered him a scholarship on the spot after the game. Farrell, who initially was committed to Boston College before re-opening his recruitment, listed Fordham, St. Joseph’s, Monmouth, Providence, Creighton and Iona as other schools in the hunt for his commitment.
“Matt’s a special kid,’’ Catania said. “He’s a throwback kid. The only thing he cares about is winning.”
Along with Uhl, Yates and the supporting cast of forward Chris Schifano, center Jeff Bryant and guards Mike Frauenheim and Matt VanNostrand, Farrell also helped give
“I think we had kind of a lull at the beginning of the Shore Conference Tournament, and now we have our edge back,’’ Uhl said. Senior forward Dom Uhl
a special gift to Catania. Reaching the pinnacle of Shore Conference basketball had been his plan since he took over 10 years ago at his alma mater, and he nearly didn’t live to see it. On Oct. 14, Catania collapsed at work due to heart arrhythmia and nearly died. “Honestly, I don’t really try to think about it that much because I just try to move forward with my life,’’ Catania said. “Just thinking about it today, three months ago there was a chance I wasn’t going to even be here at all. The last thing on my mind was winning the Shore Conference
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away. After turning the ball over on its first two possessions of the third quarter, Manasquan scored on five straight possessions as part of a 12-2 run that stretched its lead to 36-14. Hagaman and senior Bridget Ford both hit threes during the runs, which ignited a 4-for-7 showing by the Warriors from behind the three-point line in the second half after shooting 1-for-5 in the first half. “In the third quarter, we made sure we came out strong because if we didn’t, they definitely had a chance to come back,” Hagaman said. “We didn’t want to let that happen so we made sure we came out in the third quarter and gave it our all.”
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for-11 shooting, including 3-for-6 from threepoint range. She was the lone Purple Roses player in double figures. “We didn’t help ourselves by missing some shots early,” St. Rose coach Joe Whalen said. “We missed some open shots, some foul shots and that wore on us. They did a great job taking away the lane and contracting on the lane, which didn’t allow us to kick it out to our shooters.” This version of Manasquan has only been playing together since Feb. 4, when Mabrey first became eligible to play in games, but there was plenty of familiarity between Mabrey and many of her former teammates. The only variable in the equation was Kukoda, who took over the after a program tumultuous offseason that saw Mabrey and then-sophomore standout Katelynn Flaherty leave for Point Beach and head coach Felix Romero step down.
The Warriors could “We talked about have potentially coming out in the returned four starters third quarter and from a Tournament of guarding them on the Champions team, but perimeter because if instead lost their top they were able to hit three scorers – Flaherty, a few shots to start Junior Courtney Hagaman Mabrey and Mabrey’s out, then suddenly sister Michaela, a senior they would have some momentum to get them back in the Notre Dame recruit and McDonald’s Allgame,” Kukoda said. “We talked a lot about American. what we needed to do defensively to stop “We thought we would be a good team them, and it turned out we were the ones that before the season started,” Hagaman said. hit some threes to start the half.” “Nothing really changed when Marina came Hart was a defensive standout for the except now we had Marina.” Warriors Saturday with nine rebounds and Kukoda took the job to build the Warriors three steals to go with her defense on St. Rose junior guards Kat Phipps and Jess back up step by step and had already led the Louro.Kurtz led St. Rose with 13 points on 3- Warriors to an 18-7 record in her first season.
The team got off to a fast start to this year, winning the WOBM Christmas Classic by beating Red Bank Catholic, which had just defeated Manasquan days early in the season opener. Then news of Mabrey’s transfer surfaced prior to the New Year and the step-by-step process took a giant leap forward.
“I would say not much has changed,” Kukoda said. “That was the big conversation when she came in: we’re still the same team, we’re still the same program. We’re not looking to change anything. We’re going to keep our fundamentals, and we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing well,and the reason it’s worked so well is because Marina came in with that same mentality, to be a part of what we’re doing.”
Manasquan went 5-3 during the month of January with two losses to Rumson-Fair Haven and one to St. John Vianney. The Warriors lost Mabrey’s first game back on Feb. 4 to St. John Vianney, a game in which she played less than half of the game and did not start, and have since won 10 straight on the way to an SCT title.
Next up for Manasquan is a run at the NJSIAA Group II title, which will go through Rumson-Fair Haven, the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group I. The Warriors are the
No. 4 seed and are lined up for a potential third meeting with the Bulldogs – who lost to St. Rose in the SCT semifinals on Tuesday – in the sectional semifinals.
“I was really familiar with the girls on the team, so that wasn’t a problem,” Mabrey said. “The key for us was going to be learning our new roles and accepting those new roles. I thought that as long as everyone accepted their roles, there was nobody in the Shore Conference that was going to be able to stop us.”
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Matt Manley
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Iwama Helps Put RFH Wrestling Back on the Map
By Scott Stump – Managing Editor
T
here are only two wrestlers in Rumson-Fair Haven history who know the feeling that junior 132pounder Marcus Iwama experienced on Saturday, and one of them was right there to congratulate him after he ascended to the top of the podium at Pine Belt Arena.
When Iwama won the 132-pound title at the NJSIAA Region VI Tournament, he became just the third region champion in school history and the first since 2003. While he beamed with pride following an 8-4 decision over Howell’s Kris Lindemann in the final, the first region champion in Bulldogs history was right there grinning along with him.
Bryan Heller, who won Region VI titles in 2002 and 2003 at 130 pounds, has returned to his alma mater as a first-year head coach of the Bulldogs this season. He and former teammate Patrick Berger, who won the Region VI title at 119 in 2003, were the only ones in Rumson history to accomplish the feat until Iwama cemented his place in history on Saturday.
I’m happy to be back in the program,’’ Heller said. “We are under the radar, and he is under the radar. I like where we’re at going to AC (Atlantic City) next weekend. He’s kind of still under the radar there, and I think he is going to surprise some people.” Heller wrestled at NCAA power Penn State following his
decorated career at Rumson. In his first year back, he can now say he is the only one in school history to win a region title and also train a region champion. “Coach Heller can drill with me one-on-one in the room,’’ Iwama said. “Since he wrestled at Penn State, it’s nice to have someone on that level who can pretty much destroy me every day.”
Iwama (30-2) finished third in Region VI at 126 as a sophomore, and his tireless work with Heller and at Triumph Wrestling Club in Ocean Township ensured he would reach rarefied air for a Rumson wrestler this season despite being the No. 4 seed in the bracket. He also has continued a proud family tradition, as his father was a two-time district placewinner at Rumson during his career.
“It feels amazing,’’ Iwama said. “We have a lot of people who work hard in our room, so it’s nice to come out and show that even though we don’t have the most competitive team, we can represent Rumson by winning a region title.” “He’s a super-coachable kid,’’ Heller said. “His work ethic improved drastically. That really helped his offense. Last year, I don’t want to say he was limited, but he was really heavy on the sweep single. Now he’s got a lot of good offense. His hand-fighting picked up, he feels comfortable riding on top, and on bottom he gets out. Being able to dominate – that’s what we’ve been working on.” Iwama dominated the No. 1 seed, Southern’s Bryan Brown, with a 9-2 win in the semifinals after registering a pin in the quarterfinals. In the championship bout, he took Lindemann down four times en route to the victory.
“He has a lot of dangerous moves,’’ Iwama said about Lindemann. “If you’re in bad position, he can really score a lot of fast points on you, so I was mainly just trying to control the pace of the match, take the shots when necessary, wrestle him tough and wrestle for six minutes.”
and sophomores,’’ Heller said. “This was great for them and for me to see Marcus succeed.”
Rumson junior 132-pounder Marcus Iwama
Iwama’s emergence could be the tip of the iceberg for the Bulldogs, as Rumson’s numbers are booming at the youth level with around 90 boys participating. A place that has been a wrestling afterthought could soon become a contender in the Shore Conference scene.
While talent and coaching have certainly been crucial to the rise of the Bulldogs’ football program into the Shore Conference elite, huge participation numbers and depth have also been key factors, so the wrestling program is hoping to follow that formula. Iwama is a product of that youth program, having begun his wrestling career as a fourth-grader. Many of his teammates were at Pine Belt Arena to watch him take home the crown. “We had no seniors this season and were mainly freshmen
The next frontier for Iwama is to earn a state medal at next weekend’s NJSIAA Individual Championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Iwama went down there last season but did not place in the top eight.
“Last year, I was a little overwhelmed by everything,’’ he said. “This year I think I can just go out there, wrestle tough and try to bring home a medal.”
Berger and Heller are the only wrestlers in Rumson history to place in the state, with Berger’s fourth-place finish at 119 in 2003 serving as the highest finish of any wrestler in Bulldogs’ history. Iwama looks to add his name to that short list. After surviving an overtime match with Ocean’s Andrew MacNeille in the District 22 final, he has been locked in and wrestling the best he has wrestled all season. “I just give him all positive encouragement,’’ Heller said. “He knows what to do already, so I just have to make sure he is confident in himself. He’s got the tools.”
VOLUME-VI VI Tournament could not have gone any better, and another stewing over a loss that is the latest frustration in a senior season full of them. Joe entered as the No. 1 seed, hoping to become just the fourth wrestler in Brick Memorial’s storied history to win three region titles, but lost 3-1 in sudden victory to Wilhelm. The Wilhelm brothers had the day the Ghione brothers hoped to have, as Zach Wilhelm followed Matt’s victory by beating previously undefeated Alec Donovan of Brick Memorial 3-2 to win the title at 145.
B
rick Memorial freshman 106-pounder Gianni Ghione grinned widely as he held up the plaque as the Most Outstanding Wrestler of Saturday’s NJSIAA Region VI Tournament at Pine Belt Arena. While his parents, friends and teammates snapped pictures, Gianni’s older brother, Brick Memorial senior 138-pounder Joe Ghione, was nowhere in sight. He was still boiling over an overtime loss to Southern’s Matt Wilhelm in the final that cost him a chance to become a rare three-time Region VI champion and had him whipping his second-place medal to the floor in disgust. It was that kind of day for the Ghione family.
“It was a really tough thing to handle,” Gianni said. “I was so happy I won, and then I saw my brother lost. I was kind of confused with how I felt about it. I like to win, but I hate when my brother loses.”
Joe’s loss came after Gianni wowed the capacity crowd at Pine Belt Arena by stunning Christian Brothers Academy sophomore Sebastian Rivera, who was 35-0 entering the match. Gianni won 5-3 with a takedown in sudden victory to grab the title as the sixth seed.
Witnessing it all in the stands were their parents, who saw the dramatic highs and lows while watching through the cracks between their fingers most of the time.
“She was just kind of sitting there not watching us,” Gianni said about his mom. “She’s always in the stands, but she’s always squeezing someone’s arm or not watching us wrestle and stuff like that because she’s all nervous.”
“We’ve been doing this for such a long time,” Amy said. “We really banked on this being the year because we only have them together (on the same team) for one year. Since they were in second grade, I’ve looked forward to this year. Having Joseph blow out his elbow the first weekend took all of that away.”
Joe suffered an elbow injury in the semifinals of the earlyseason Pride Tournament at The College of New Jersey in December, forcing him to miss a significant chunk of Brick Memorial’s dual meet season. That’s why even though he had a tough day on Saturday in Toms River, his mother views it as a positive that he was out there in the first place.
“The fact that I have them on the mat together at all, to me, is such a blessing and a gift,” she said. “Yeah, it stinks that Joseph didn’t win, but we live to wrestle another day next weekend (at the NJSIAA Individual
“If the roles were reversed, Gianni would be fine by the time we got home, but Joseph is very serious about what he does,” said their mother, Amy Ghione. “He gives 110 percent and Gianni is more relaxed and not all that intense, so for Joseph to lose, it makes it harder. If it was the reverse, it would be no problem.”
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Championships in Atlantic City), and honestly we thought the season was lost. So having that, what more could I ask for?” Saturday was the latest ride on the roller coaster for the Ghione family. Amy is the athletic trainer at Howell, which enjoyed its best season ever this winter. The Rebels won their first Shore Conference Tournament title and their first Central Jersey Group IV championship. Their opponent in both of those matches? Brick Memorial, of course.
Howell won the SCT final 28-27 over the top-seeded Mustangs, with Gianni dropping a 1-0 decision and Joe trying to gut it out after returning from the elbow injury and losing a major decision to Howell’s Kris Lindemann that clinched the victory for the Rebels. Joe avenged the loss to Lindemann, who reached the Region VI 132-pound final on Saturday, with a 7-3 win in the sectional championship match, while Gianni dropped another 1-0 decision to Peter Dee at 106 in a 27-25 win for Howell. Amy was caught in the middle of the exhilaration of her school winning two historic thrillers and the devastation of her sons being on the other end of it.
“Being the trainer at Howell and having Brick Memorial wrestle Howell in Joseph’s senior year coming back from an injury was probably the most stressful of my career as their mother in wrestling,” she said. “It was probably the worst day ever in stress level.” At the sectional final, Amy had another athletic trainer cover for her.
“I wasn’t questioning my ability as a trainer,” she said. “I didn’t want anyone else questioning my ability as a trainer. (Brick Memorial’s) Sue Penrod is a phenomenal trainer, and I’ve always trusted her opinion. As their mom, I don’t always make good choices where their health is concerned because I don’t want them to be hurt, so I don’t look at things objectively. I found that I go to her to give me her opinion on how they are doing first.”
Despite all the ups and downs, the brothers have one last chance to finish on a high note together. Joe has finished sixth in the state in each of the past two seasons down in Atlantic City and can make all the frustration of this season go away with one last inspiring run this coming weekend. His younger brother looks to just keep the ride going at Boardwalk Hall after his brilliant performance on Saturday. “My brother and I didn’t get that much time to spend together because of his injury, but finally we get to do what we need to do in Atlantic City,” Gianni said. “I’m always looking forward, so I can’t wait to see what will happen next.”
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It surely meant for a strange dinner atmosphere on Saturday night, with one brother jubilant that his first trip to the Region
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