SJ Sports: HS Wrestling

This weekend will provide plenty of drama for South Jersey wrestlers. Last season a record nine South Jersey wrestlers won state title, a truly impressive figure considering that there are 14 weight classes.

Winning a title one year sure doesn’t ensure that it will happen again. That was proven at last week’s Region 8 wrestling tournament where two defending state champions were knocked off in the Region 8 championships.

Pitman’s Jared Mercado beat Absegami’s Ryan Bridge, 12-6 to win the 130-pound Region 8 title. Bridge is the defending state champion at 125-pounds. Then Absegami’s Jordan Alcoba scored a 7-2 decision over defending state champion Brandon Becker of Kingsway in the Region 8 145-pound final.

Since the top three finishers in each of the state’s eight regions advance to this weekend’s state tournament at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, both Bridge and Becker will get a chance at redemption.

That’s the beauty of wrestling.Somebody could be decisively beaten one week and come back to win the next. Just look at Rancocas Valley’s Eric Richardson for example. He lost in the District 25 final at 152-pounds to Pemberton’s Antoine Ketler, 14-7 after also falling to Ketler, 16-3 in the regular season.

Then came last week’s Region 7 championships at Eastern and Richardson looked like a wrestler with new life. He beat Ketler, 10-8 to win the 152-pound championship and the Most Valuable Wrestler award.

"I was just hoping to stay close to him and make a run at the end," Richardson said. "As the match went on, I began getting more confidence."

Ketler shouldn’t be counted out. Last year he finished sixth in the state at 140 pounds and he will no doubt use his Region 7 final match as a means of motivation.

One wrestler who needs no motivation is Ed Giosa, Camden Catholic’s 125-pound senior. Giosa has been second in the state at 119 in each of the previous two years. Over the weekend he and Holy Cross heavyweight Adam Cooney won their fourth Regiona 7 titles.

Entering the Regional finals, only 10 wrestlers in South Jersey history had won four regional titles.

"I know it hasn’t been done much in South Jersey, and I’m proud to accomplish it, but I’m focused on winning a state title," Giosa said. "I have come so close and this is my last chance."

Other South Jersey wrestlers looking to defend their state titles are Sterling’s Ivan Wiggins Absegami’s Jeff Black, Holy Cross’s Cooney and Delsea’s Don Fisch. Fisch won the 135-pound Region 8 title and is the defending state 130-pound champion.

Wiggins won at 112 last year and has moved up to 130. That should be an interesting weight class because the Sterling senior will likely have to face Bridge and/or Mercado.

Black, the defending state champ at 189, edged Paulsboro’s Zach Garren, 2-1, to win the Region 8 title at that weight. It was the second win this year by Black over Garren and the two should meet a third time this weekend.

Cooney won at 215 last year and is now competing at heavyweight. While South Jersey may be hard-pressed to match last year’s total of nine state champions, there should be at least seven from the area. Considering that there are four sections of the state – South, Central North I and North II, that would be an exceptional total for one of the best wrestling areas in the country.

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Author: Marc Narducci