SPORTS

Wrestling Notebook: Local standouts highlight early action

Joe Hofmann

We’re three weeks into the Morris County high school wrestling season, but a lot has transpired already. Here is a look at some of the highlights thus far:

Rookie of the Year (tie) – Hanover Park’s Gerard Angelo and Delbarton’s Pat Glory. The two 106-pound freshmen have faced each other twice already at the Beast of the East. Glory beat Angelo in the winner’s bracket, but Angelo beat Glory for third place. The two will be getting to know one another in the coming weeks. They are clearly the best in District 9 and possibly the best (along with South Plainfield’s Joe Heilmann) in Region 3. Angelo and Glory figure to battle it out for the Morris County Tournament title along with …

Most improved – West Morris’ Shane Metzler (106) was already a very good wrestler last year but he had some substantial road blocks standing in his way in the big tournaments. He lost in the MCT quarterfinals to Delbarton’s eventual state champion Ty Agaisse before battling back for fifth. In the District 1 finals, he lost to Phillipsburg’s Brandon Paetzell, who lost in the state finals to Agaisse. In the Region 1 wrestlebacks, Metzler lost to Morris Knolls’ Garrett O’Shea, who wound up placing sixth in the state. In the offseason, Metzler went to work and got in over 100 matches, placing sixth at the highly regarded Super 32. Metzler then defeated South Plainfield’s Joe Heilmann to win the season-opening Morris Knolls Tournament and cruised to the John Goles championship over Christmas vacation to win at Warren Hills. Metzler, Angelo and Glory make the 106-pound weight in the MCT at Mount Olive later this month very intriguing.

Most improved II – Hanover Park’s Anthony Olivieri (160) was always a good wrestler but he seems to have taken a major step upward. After a terrific season at linebacker in the fall, Olivieri finished fifth at the Beast of the East. Last year, Olivieri was fifth-sixth at Region 3, losing to Delbarton’s eventual state fourth-placer Joe Tavoso, who also beat Olivieri in the MCT semis and District 9 finals.

Impressive start I – Mendham’s Eric Friedman (138) won his weight at both the season-opening Mount Olive Tournament and then at the Linn Crawn Tournament at Kittatinny. Friedman, eighth in the state tournament last year, was Outstanding Wrestler both times. Look it up, that just doesn’t happen too often.

Impressive start II – Boonton’s Anthony Fajardo (126) was fifth-sixth at 113 pounds at Region 3 last year but has taken a major step forward. He has already beaten returning state qualifiers William Kui of DePaul in the Lakeland Tournament finals and Westfield’s John Fuller in the Roselle Park Tournament finals.

Ironman Wrestler – Hanover Park’s Austin Nash was runner-up at both the MCT and District 9 Tournaments last year and then didn’t compete at Region 3 because of an injury. But the Purdue-bound Nash made up for that lost mat time by storming to an 8-2 record at the Beast of the East and a fifth-place finish at 132.

Biggest statement victory I – If winning the Beast of the East championship is akin to winning a state championship, then Delbarton’s Travis Vasquez is well on his way. The senior, third in the state last year at 138, took first at 152 at the Beast.

Biggest statement victory II – West Morris’ Dylan Luciano (120), fourth at Region 1 at 126 last year, won the John Goles Tournament by teching Edison’s returning state qualifier Robert Cleary in the finals, 18-2 (5:06).

Biggest statement victory III – Randolph’s A.J. Vindici (126) majored Hackettstown’s Joe Renne to win the Hunterdon Central Tournament title, 15-2. In the Region 1 wrestleback semifinals last year, Vindici squeezed past Renne to win, 1-0. Vindici’s presence makes the 126-pound weight class in Morris County about as stacked as a weight class can be. (More on that below).

Biggest statement victory IV – Hanover Park’s Sean Conley, a backup 120-pounder, pinned Wayne Hills’ returning Region 1 champion Mojahed Hamdeh in 2:20 to win the Mountain Lakes Tournament championship last week. Conley is trapped behind returning state Top 12 finisher Lou Raimo in the Hornets’ stacked lineup.

Biggest statement victory V – Montville’s Anthony Fano has been to Boardwalk Hall twice but hasn’t advanced. But he showed that this could be his year to make noise in Atlantic City when he won the Morris Knolls Tournament by beating Watchung Hills’ returning state Top 12 finisher Alex Murray in the finals, 7-3.

Biggest statement victory VI – Morris Knolls’ Garrett O’Shea tecked Watchung Hills’ returning state qualifier Max Meyer to win the Morris Knolls Tournament, 17-2 (4:47).

Best Morris County weight – The 126-pound class is positively stacked. First, there is Hanover Park’s returning two-time state champion Anthony Cefolo. Then, there is Delbarton’s Nick Farro, who was sixth in the state last year and who beat Cefolo in both the District 9 and Region 3 finals last year. Then, there is Vindici, who has a seventh-place and third-place state medal to his credit. And knocking on the door is Fajardo, who has beaten two state qualifiers thus far.

Morris County Top 10

1. Delbarton

2. Hanover Park

3. Morris Knolls

4. Parsippany

5. Roxbury

6. Pequannock

7. West Morris

8. Jefferson

9. Morristown

10. Mendham