Wrestling: State Tournament Preview

Nine North Jersey wrestlers got the top seed in their respective half brackets for the State Wrestling Tournament in Atlantic City this weekend, marking them at least as contenders to win a title if not out-and-out favorites.

Click the link below to see a copy of the comprehensive weight-by-weight preview of the state tournament that appeared in Thursday’s editions of The Record.

 

NJSIAA STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City

March 7-9

 

106

Local qualifiers: Jonathan Tropea, St. Joseph; Paco Robles, Emerson/Park Ridge; Evan DeLuise, Don Bosco; Phil Ruiz, Becton/Wallington; James Murdoch, Clifton.

Returning medalists: Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg, 5^th; Tyler Agaisse, Delbarton, 7^th.

Outlook: Once-beaten Paetzell and unbeaten Agaisse are the top seeds on the top and bottom brackets respectively and the favorites to meet in the final. Tropea, the third seed on the bottom bracket, has a tough road that will likely have to go through Alec Kelly of St. Peter’s, who has already beaten him twice, in the quarterfinals and Agaisse, who also has a win against him and Kelly this season, in the semis. Robles, who has been wrestling well lately, will likely see Paetzell in the quarterfinals if he makes it through Friday night. Ruiz has a tough pre-quarterfinal opponent in once-beaten Brandon Cray of Hamilton East, who could be a bracket buster from the third seed in the top bracket.

Prediction: Greg Schutta – Agaisse; Brian Giuffra – Agaisse.

 

113

Local qualifiers: Nick Suriano, Bergen Catholic; Avery Shay, Don Bosco; Ryan Freeman, Paramus; Mojahed Hamdeh, Wayne Hills; Dan Kee, Lakeland; Kareem Askew, Clifton; Dan Ortega, North Bergen.

Returning medalists: Suriano, 1^st; Patrick D’Arcy, Holy Spirit, 3^rd; Dean Caravela, Caldwell, 8^th.

Outlook: Suriano, the No. 2 ranked 113-pounder in the nation, is unbeaten in his high school career and head and shoulders above the competition in this bracket. Shay, making his first appearance in the state tournament, and Freeman could cause some damage in the bottom bracket. Freeman, unseeded as a Region third, can make his intentions known right off the bat with a first-round bout against Caravela. He could see Kee in the pre-quarterfinals if they both win their first-round bouts. Shay has been wrestling well of late and could have a pre-quarterfinal showdown with D’Arcy Friday night. The unbeaten Askew has the unenviable task of going through Suriano in the quarterfinals if he gets that far while Hamdeh could have to go through a pair of once-beaten wrestlers in the pre-quarterfinals and the finals.

Prediction: Schutta – Suriano; Giuffra – Suriano.

 

120

Local qualifiers: Luis Gonzalez, Don Bosco; Tyler Casamenti, Bergen Catholic; Mike Andreano, Glen Rock/Saddle Brook; Will Kui, DePaul; Khalid Zawaide, Clifton.

Returning medalists: Gonzalez, 1^st, 4^th, 2^nd; Anthony Cefolo, Hanover Park, 1^st; Michael RussoCQ, Jackson Liberty, 4^th; Bryan Damon, Jefferson, 5^th; Michael RussoCQ, St. Peter’s, 6^th; Alex Baider, Cherokee, 6^th; Tyler McBride, Camden Catholic, 8^th; Andreano, 8^th (2011).

Outlook: This is going to be one of the toughest weight classes in the tournament, topped by returning champions Gonzalez and Cefolo, who are the favorites to meet in the final. Gonzalez lost to Cefolo in overtime this season. But Delbarton’s Nick Farro, who has won the last two of three meetings with Cefolo in the district and region finals, could throw a monkey in the wrench as the fourth seed in the top bracket. He would face Gonzalez, who has won 12 straight bouts in February, in the quarterfinals Saturday. Casamenti, who had to bow out of the region final with back pain, has a brutal run through the bottom bracket against Damon, Russo of Jackson Liberty, and Cefolo. Andreano got a tough draw with a first-round bout against Cefolo, who was forced into a first-round bout by his upset loss in the region final.

Prediction: Schutta – Farro; Giuffra – Gonzalez.

 

126

Local qualifiers: Kyle Bierdumpfel, Don Bosco; Pete Lipari, Bergen Catholic; Taylor Shay, Hackensack; Matt Noble, DePaul; Tyler Hrycak, Wayne Valley; Marc Mastropietro, Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge; Tyler Tepe, Passaic Valley; Nicholas Legreaux, Passaic Tech.

Returning medalists: Craig De La Cruz, Bound Brook, 1^st, 4^th; Bierdumpfel, 2^nd; Christian Innarella, Delbarton, 3^rd, 6^th, 7^th; Noble, 7^th; Lipari, 7^th; Ryan Pomrinca, North Hunterdon, 7^th (2012); Mastropietro, 8^th (2012).

Outlook: This is the definition of a loaded weight class, particularly in the bottom bracket where De La Cruz, Innarella, Noble and Lipari are the top four seeds. Lipari will have to go through De La Cruz in the quarterfinals, hoping to reverse a major decision loss in January. Noble, who has a win over Lipari, would have to go through Innarella in the quarters. The finalist out of this bracket will be battle tested. Bierdumpfel has less gold to fight through on top with Pomrinca, Mastropietro and Hrycak earning the next three seeds. But Pomrinca is on a huge high after shocking De La Cruz in overtime in their region final, making that a dangerous semifinal matchup for Bierdumpfel.

Prediction: Schutta – Bierdumpfel; Giuffra – De La Cruz.

 

132

Local qualifiers: JP Ascolese, Bergen Catholic; DJ Tirelli, River Dell; Alex Sebahie, Paramus; Anthony Giraldo, North Bergen; Mohamed Farhan, Clifton; Matthew Rose, Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge.

Returning medalists: Giraldo, 1^st, 5^th, 4^th; Mike Magaldo, Watchung Hills, 3^rd, 1^st, 2^nd; Michael Derin, High Point, 8^th.

Outlook: The Rutgers-bound Giraldo, who has won 77 straight bouts dating back to December of 2012, marked himself as one of the best wrestlers in the state last season with an amazing run through the toughest weight class in the tournament at 126. That included a 4-1 win over Magaldo, who Giraldo also beat this season in a likely preview of the state final. Farhan and Tirelli could meet in the pre-quarterfinals Friday night in a tremendous North Jersey battle. The winner would likely go up against Magaldo in the quarters. Ascolese got a tough draw having to go through Giraldo in the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Schutta – Giraldo; Giuffra – Giraldo.

 

138

Local qualifiers: Joe Trovato, Paramus; Joe Oliva, Ridgewood; Laurien Anghelina, Bergen Catholic; Brandon Kui, DePaul; Thomas Dunphy, Passaic Valley.

Returning medalists: Ronald Gentile, Paulsboro, 2^nd; Trovato, 5^th, 5^th; Gordon Wolf, Lawrence, 5^th; Justin McTamney, Bordentown, 6^th; Joe Ghione, Brick Memorial, 6^th (2012), 6^th (2011); Oliva, 7^th; Connor Burkert, St. Peter’s, 7^th.

Outlook: Gentile tops a bracket that features a lot of wrestlers who can rise to the top and do some damage. Trovato is the second seed in the bottom bracket and could avenge his only loss of the season in the semifinals against Burkert. But first he would have to get past Kui, a freshman who won in tough Region 1, in the quarterfinals. Oliva is in the top bracket and would likely face Gentile if he gets past his two bouts Friday night. Anghelina, looking to erase a disappointing two-and-out performance last season, could make a run to the semifinals if he gets past Wolf in the pre-quarterfinals Friday night.

Prediction: Schutta – Gentile; Giuffra – Gentile.

 

145

Local qualifiers: Matt Zovistoski, St. Joseph; Sean Kelly, Northern Highlands; Danny Lynch, River Dell; Dave McFadden, DePaul; Manny Dominguez, North Bergen.

Returning medalists: McFadden, 6^th, 2^nd; Carl Buttita, Kennedy-Iselin, 2^nd (2012), 5^th (2011); Jason Gaccione, High Point, 4^th; John VanBrill, Clearview, 5^th (2011); Ryan Burkert, St. Peter’s, 8^th; Zach Wilhelm, Southern, 8^th.

Outlook: This could be McFadden’s year to take home the gold wrestling out of the bottom bracket while many of last season’s medal winners are up top. The junior, whose only loss came in the Beast of the East Tournament, could face Zovistoski in the quarterfinals with any one of VanBrill, Wilhelm or South Plainfield senior Ray Jazikoff waiting in the semifinals. Buttita, by contrast has a tougher road that could include Burkert, Delbarton’s Dan Reed and Gaccione. Kelly would face Reed Friday night if he gets past his first-round bout and Lynch could see Burkert in the pre-quarterfinals and then Buttita in the quarters.

Prediction: Schutta – McFadden; Giuffra – McFadden.

 

152

Local qualifiers: Joe Grello, Bergen Catholic; Tyler Mullen, Old Tappan; Tyler Kallensee, River Dell; Patrick DePasque, Clifton.

Returning medalists: Gary Dinmore, Hunterdon Central, 2^nd, 2^nd; Maaziah Bethea, Trenton Central, 7^th, 5^th.

Outlook: Dinmore, looking to finally reach the top of the podium in his final year, and Bethea look like the class at this weight, but don’t count out once-beaten Ed Lenkowski of Clearview and St. Augustine’s Jack Clark, a prep school placewinner who is 20-0 in his first season with St. Augustine. Grello is the second seed in the bottom bracket and could see Clark in the quarterfinals Saturday with Bethea likely waiting in the semis. That’s a pretty tough bracket. Grello was injured when BC downed St. Augustine in the Non-Public A state final. Mullen, the third seed in the top bracket, could face DePasque in the pre-quarterfinals Friday night with the winner likely having to go through Lenkowski and Dinmore to reach the finals. Kallensee has a tough road in the top bracket with South Plainfield’s Inan Sikel in the first round followed by Kittatinny’s Nick Romyna in the pre-quarterfinals and Dinmore in the quarters.

Prediction: Schutta – Clark; Giuffra – Clark.

 

160

Local qualifiers: Jordan Pagano, Bergen Catholic; Cenzo Cariddi, River Dell; Chris Jacobson, Glen Rock/Saddle Brook; Dan Kilroy, Wayne Hills; Nick Carey, DePaul; Roy Forys, Becton/Wallington; James Sonzogni, Clifton.

Returning medalists: Jonathan Schliefer, East Brunswick, 2^nd, 3^rd, 8^th; Josh Ugalde, Bound Brook, 6^th.

Outlook: With three trips to the podium, the unbeaten Schliefer is poised to climb to the top for the first time. He is the top seed in the top bracket with a win over Dinmore, the top seed at 152, this season. Pagano, whose last loss came in overtime against Ugalde last month, got the fourth seed in the top bracket, forcing him to have to go through Schliefer in the quarterfinals. Ugalde, who lost to Schliefer in the region final, is the top seed in the bottom bracket with a relatively smooth road to the semifinals. Forys and Cariddi can meet in the pre-quarterfinals Friday night in a rematch of their Bergen Holiday Tournament semifinal won by Cariddi, 4-3. Sonzogni faces Ugalde in the first round Friday night, and Jacobson could get him in the pre-quarterfinals with a win in his first round bout.

Prediction: Schutta – Schliefer; Giuffra – Schliefer.

 

170

Local qualifiers: Luke Farinaro, Don Bosco; Kevin Mulligan, Bergen Catholic; Dennis Kolenovic, Bogota/Wallington; Sean Roesing, Secaucus; Nathan Bueno, Becton/Wallington.

Returning medalists: Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury, 1^st, 5^th; Farinaro, 5^th; JosefCQ Johnson, Delbarton, 7^th.

Outlook: The unbeaten Artigliere has been barrelling through opponents all season and is the odds-on favorite to win this weight class. Farinaro, who has seen his title hopes dashed by superstar wrestlers before, is the top seed in the bottom bracket ahead of Johnson. Farinaro beat Johnson, 5-0, in the Beast of the East Tournament. Bueno could get the first crack at Farinaro in the quarterfinals if he wins his first two bouts Friday night. Mulligan is the second seed on top and Roesing the fourth, possibly pitting Roesing against Artigliere in the quarterfinals. Mulligan, who has won one of four meetings against Farinaro this season, may not get challenged until the quarterfinals against either Mike Fagg-Daves of Franklin or Dean Sherry of Brick Township before seeing Artigliere in the semifinals.

Prediction: Schutta – Artigliere; Giuffra – Artigliere.

 

182

Local qualifiers: Johnny Sebastian, Bergen Catholic; Vinnie Mainiero, St. Joseph; Jeff Lombardi, Don Bosco; Nick DePalma, DePaul; Jan Castellanos, Secaucus.

Returning medalists: Sebastian, 1^st, 1^st, 5^th; Joey Balboni, Brearley, 3^rd; Nick Costa, Brick Memorial, 7^th.

Outlook: The only person who can beat two-time champ Johnny Sebastian here is probably Johnny Sebastian. A senior who lives for pressure, Sebastian already has a major decision over Balboni, the top seed in the bottom bracket, in the Beast of the East final. Sam Button of West Morris Mendham could be a tough battle in the quarterfinals followed by Bound Brook’s Isaiah Soto, who has a loss to BC’s Mulligan already this year, in the semis. Lombardi and DePalma will meet in the first round with the winner taking on Chris Morgan of West Orange, who handed Castellanos his first loss of the season. That winner could make a dent in the bracket in the quarterfnals Saturday against Balboni. Mainiero has been wrestling well since becoming eligible but could face Costa in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Prediction: Schutta – Sebastian; Giuffra – Sebastian.

 

195

Local qualifiers: Robbie Maggiulli, Emerson/Park Ridge; Dominic Carfagno, St. Joseph; Danny DeLorenzi, Bergen Catholic; Anthony Landberg, Wayne Valley; Mauro Altamura, Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge.

Returning medalists: Ralph Normandia, Franklin, 3^rd; Kyle Stoll, High Point, 6^th; Dominic Carfagno, St. Joseph, 6^th (2012); Maggiulli, 7^th; Landberg, Wayne Valley, 7^th; Matt Correnti, Holy Cross, 8^th.

Outlook: This is going to be a very competitive weight class with any one of six guys having a legitimate shot at winning. Landberg, back at 195, and the unbeaten Maggiulli, who was at 220 last season, got the second and third seed in the top bracket behind Correnti, who placed at 182 last season, and could meet in a tremendous quarterfinal matchup Saturday morning. The two had a possible showdown snowed out earlier this season. First-time qualifier Anthony Cassar of Montgomery, who beat Normandia three times this season, could be a bracket buster out of the eighth seed in the top bracket. He will face Correnti in the pre-quarterfinals. Carfagno is the second seed on the bottom behind Normandia, but his prospects all rest on how well his knee holds up with two bouts on Friday night. The bottom bracket is pretty packed with Normandia, Stoll, Carfagno, CBA’s Mike Oxley, who beat Stoll, and Christian Colucci of St. Peter’s.

Prediction: Schutta – Maggiulli; Giuffra – Normandia.

 

220

Local qualifiers: Zack Chakonis, Don Bosco; Christian Jenco, Bergen Catholic; Shaun Stanley, Pascack Hills; Justin Walker, Wayne Valley; Justin Gomez, North Bergen.

Returning medalists: Bryan Dobzanski, Delsea, 1^st, 3^rd; Chakonis, 2^nd, 6^th; Mike Markulec, Hopewell Valley, 5^th; Jordan Fox, St. Peter’s, 6^th; Tyreek Smith, Moorestown, 8^th.

Outlook: This is shaping up as a rematch of last year’s final between Dobzanski and Chakonis. Dobzanski, who has only had three bouts go the distance on him this season, beat Chakonis, 5-4, in last year’s final. They are the top seeds in the top and bottom brackets respectively. The only loss for Chakonis, who won’t see a region champ until the semifinals, came in the final of the Beast of the East Tournament and he has two wins over Fox, who is the fourth seed in the top bracket. The battle here might be for third between Fox, Smith and Bergen Catholic’s Christian Jenco. Jenco has just four losses in New Jersey, three at 220 and all to Chakonis. He has a win over Bound Brook’s Ronald Picado, who he can see in the quarterfinals. Fox and Smith will face off Friday for the right to battle Dobzanski in the quarterfinals Saturday. Walker and Stanley will face off in the first round Friday.

Prediction: Schutta – Chakonis; Giuffra – Dobzanski.

 

285

Local qualifiers: Kevin Wilkins, St. Joseph; Zac Suarez, New Milford; Kevin Feder, Don Bosco; Emmanuel Soriano, Passaic Tech; Tarek Awad, Clifton.

Returning medalists: Wilkins, 4^th; Michael Johnson, Bound Brook, 5^th.

Outlook: As has been the case in recent years, this weight class is again wide open. Wilkins and Johnson are the top two returning medalists. But they’re also 1-2 in the bottom bracket, setting them up for a possible semifinal showdown Saturday night. Wilkins beat Johnson, 6-4 in the wrestlebacks last season. That bracket also includes Soriano, who missed out on last year’s tournament with an injury and whose only loss this season came by injury default in the region final, and once-beaten Noa Merritt of Pope John. Soriano and Meritt could meet in the pre-quarterfinals Friday night with the winner posing a major roadblock for Wilkins in the quarters Saturday. Armond Cox of St. Peter’s, whose only loss in the state has come against Johnson, is the top seed in the top bracket, along with Andrew Pacheco of WarrenHills, who handed Wilkins his only in-state loss. Suarez could face Cox in the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Schutta – Wilkins; Giuffra – Cox.

 

 

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