Roxbury wrestling tops Hanover Park

EAST HANOVER  -- The Roxbury wrestling team prides itself on its conditioning. Thursday night, they beat Hanover Park in a battle of Morris County powerhouses because of it.

Michael Roumes won a decisive bout to end the match and the Gaels won two bouts with bonus points to beat the Hornets, 31-30.

"We believe we're the best conditioned team around," Roumes said. "It paid off tonight."

Roumes was the hero of the night by virtue of his 3-1 victory over Marco Zecca at 152 in the night's final weight class. Roumes rode Zecca for the entire second period and then Zecca cut Roumes to start the third period. Roumes then had a third-period takedown to ice the victory for himself and for his team.

"He was in the lineup as a freshman and he's come a long way for us," coach Jim Dolan said. "Going out there and winning the way he did with the match on the line ... that's not easy. He really stepped up for us."

It was the first time in Roumes' career that the outcome of his match depended on him winning. Needless to say, he passed the test.

"I was a little nervous at first," he said. "But I knew if I wrestled hard, good things would happen. My teammates told me that (Zecca) was a throw guy so I watched for the throws."

The Gaels' ability to capture late bonus points put Roumes in condition to seal the victory.

At 113, Roxbury's Scott Jarosz reversed Dom DiFrancescantonio to tie the match with 30 seconds left in regulation and then, in the second overtime, Jarosz scored two back points to win, 4-2.

Then at 120, Gaels teammate Evan Vasquez came up with a huge effort in a 9-1 major over Michael Rubin when he took Rubin down with six seconds left to get the major.

"Those extra points here and there ... you see what that did for us tonight," Dolan said. "Roumes did a great job tonight, but those other kids came up with the bonus points or did very well late in their match to put us in condition to win."

Yet another hero for Roxbury was 138-pound Ricky Riemers, who majored Hanover Park's Sean Conley -- a defending Region 3 champion -- with a takedown with just 18 seconds left to win, 10-2.

Roxbury stormed out to an 8-0 lead when Tommy Miller (160) beat Matt Santos to begin the match, 7-5. Craig Roumes -- Michael's senior brother -- went on to win by technical fall over Sam Sorce, 17-2 (5:30).

The rest of the match was a seesaw battle.

Hanover Park's Anthony Olivieri (182) pinned Jacob Bartek in 1:21 before Hornets teammate Rory DeLuca beat Michael Andrejcisk, 7-3, giving Hanover Park a 9-8 lead.

Roxbury's Todd Eckert pinned Daniel Jimenez in 38 seconds for a 14-9 Gaels lead before Hanover Park's Pat Julich (285) flattened Tyler Ketch in 1:06, for a 15-14 Hanover Park lead.

The Gaels then won the next three weights with John Tesoriero (106) beating Pat Ferriera, 7-0, setting the stage for Jarosz's and Vasquez's victories and giving Roxbury a 24-15 lead.

Those three wins were important because some of Hanover Park's heaviest hitters in the lower weights were coming up.

Roxbury decided to forfeit to Hanover Park's 120-pound state contender Nick Raimo at 126 and Lou Raimo, Nick's junior brother, brought the house down when he pinned Roxbury's returning state fifth-placer Troy Stanich in 45 seconds for a 27-24 Hanover Park lead at 132.

But the Gaels depth prevailed as they won two of the final three weight classes.

Riemers won to put the Gaels up, 28-27. After Hanover Park's Matt Liberato beat Dom LaRusso, 8-3, Roumes sent the Gaels home victorious.

106-John Tesoriero (R) dec. Pat Ferriera, 7-0.

113-Scott Jarosz (R) dec. Dom DiFrancescantonio, 4-2 (OT).

120-Evan Vasquez (R) maj.dec. Michael Rubin, 9-1.

126-Nick Raimo (H) won by forfeit.

132-Lou Raimo (H) pin. Troy Stanich, :45.

138-Rickey Riemers (R) maj. dec. Sean Conley, 10-2.

145-Matt Liberato (H) dec. Dom LaRusso, 8-3.

152-Michael Roumes (R) dec. Marco Zecca, 3-1.

160-Tommy Miller (R) dec. Matt Santos, 7-5.

170-Craig Roumes (R) tech. fall Sam Sorce, 17-2 (5:30).

182-Anthony Olivieri (H) pin. Jacob Bartek, 1:21.

195-Rory DeLuca (H) Michael Andrejcisk, 7-3.

220-Todd Eckert (R) pin. Daniel Jimenez, :38.

285-Pat Julich (H) pin. Tyler Ketch, 1:06.