WRESTLING

Morris Knolls' Drugac twins commit to Old Dominion

Joe Hofmann
Correspondent

When twin Morris Knolls wrestlers Dean and Luke Drugac began their college search last year, they had already made a verbal agreement: They would attend the same college no matter what.

Last week, they made their second verbal commitment, to Old Dominion.

"Our first decision was that we're wrestling together, no matter what," Luke Drugac said. "We had good feelings when we visited the campus. We liked the coaches (head coach Steve Martin and associate head coach Mike Dixon), and we felt it was the right place for us."

The Drugacs visited the Norfolk, Virginia-based university during a wrestling tournament in nearby Virginia Beach last summer. The school flew them down for an official visit last week, and they loved everything about it.

Both want to get into law enforcement and plan to major in criminology. Luke wants to be a police officer, and Dean would like to be an FBI agent. The Drugacs chose Old Dominion in part because of the short distance between academic and athletic facilities.

They also visited Rutgers, Clarion (Pennsylvania) and Rider.

"The wrestling room is great, and the academics office is right there," Luke said, "I can work out for an hour, go study for two hours, and go back and work out for another hour if I choose. It gives us a great opportunity to be successful in school and in wrestling, which is what we wanted."

Added Dean: "It's a great school for our major. It's a great school for internships. We both wanted to wrestle, but we were just as much concerned for our careers when wrestling is over."

Both qualified for the NJSIAA Tournament in Atlantic City as juniors last year. Luke, who will wrestle at 182 this winter, placed in the Top 12. Dean, who will compete at 195, reached the round of 12.

The Drugacs have also been vital two-way performers for the Morris Knolls football team, which is 6-1 and tied with Delbarton and Roxbury for first place in the NJAC-National.

They should help make life easier for first-year coach Joe Barchetto, a Morris Knolls graduate who coached at Morris Hills for the past three years.

"They're kids that you don't coach too often in a career," he said. "I always thought their best wrestling was ahead of them," Barchetto said. "What made it so hard for them to choose Old Dominion is that they're very loyal. They liked Rutgers and coach (Scott) Goodale, and they liked Clarion. So when they chose Old Dominion, they had a hard time telling the other schools because they liked the other coaches so much. Again, that's the kind of kids they are."