Bloomfield HS wrestling team hopes to pin down successful year

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield High School varsity wrestling team, under third-year head coach Ryan Smircich, hopes to have a solid season.

The returning wrestlers are senior Shamir Atkinson, 285-pound weight class; senior Jacob Febo, 120-132 class; senior Jarred Garcia, 152-160 class; senior D’Isaiah Larrea, 145 class; junior Zachary Andruchowitz, 182 class;  junior Ramin B-Razavi, 132-138; junior Dillon Jennings, a transfer from Cedar Grove, 195 class; junior Christopher Kopacz, 152 class; junior Alexander Soja, 160-170 class; sophomore Elias Escobar, 120-126 class; sophomore Ernesto Mcrae, 113 class; sophomore Raiden Pipkins, 152-160 class and sophomore Gerald Van Baelen, 120 class.

Freshman Juan Millan, 113,  and Kira Pipkins — on the female side — are the newcomers.

Febo and Andruchowitz will lead the team. At 120, Febo took fifth place at the Essex County Tournament last January and third place at the District 9 tournament to qualify for the Region 3 tournament in February. In the ECT, Andruchowitz finished fourth. Andruchowitz, at 182, took second at the district and fourth at the Region 3 tournament to reach the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Finals in Atlantic City where he went 0-2.

“We will have experienced wrestlers throughout the lineup;  the kids have a solid work ethic and like to compete,” Smircich

said of his team. The Bengals have moved up to the Super Essex Conference-American Divison, which is the top division of the conference. That’s where they want to be, Smircich said.

They also want improve in the ECT. Last January, the team finished in sixth place.

What are the keys to a successful season?

“Consistency and the practice room,” said Smircich.  “Without a solid practice room and good effort on a daily basis, you’re not going to have success.  So we need to make sure practice is upbeat, positive and beneficial.”

The assistant coaches are Al Chiaravallo, Jason Galioto and James Chauncey.

The key graduation losses are Kevin Adorno, 145; Javon Whitehead, 220 and Paul Flores, 132.

The Bengals will begin the season Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Kearny tournament.

The Bloomfield Girls Wrestling Tournament will be held Dec. 26. It is in its second year and has eight girls from Bloomfield competing, along with girls from around the state.

Schedule

Dec. 21, Kearny tournament, 9 a.m.

Dec. 27, Secaucus Patriot Invitational, 9 a.m.

Jan. 4, Home quad meet vs. Clifton, Montclair, Secaucus, 9 a.m.

Jan. 8, at Nutley, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10, Caldwell, 6 p.m.

Jan. 11, Home quad meet vs.Hackensack, Morristown, North Bergen, 9 a.m.

Jan. 14, Belleville, 6 p.m.

Jan. 16-17, Essex County Tournament, at Codey Arena, West Orange

Jan. 20, West Essex, 6 p.m.

Jan. 22, Seton Hall Prep, 6 p.m.

Jan. 24, West Orange, 6 p.m.

Jan. 25, Quad meet at Kearny, with Cliffside Park, Orange, 9 a.m.

Jan. 28, Union City, 6 p.m.

Jan. 29, at Livingston, 7 p.m.

Jan. 30, Lyndhurst, 6 p.m.

Feb. 1, Gray Cup, home, with Cedar Grove, Columbia, Verona ,11 a.m.

Feb. 3, at Garfield, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 5, at Millburn, 5 p.m.

Feb. 7, at Hackettstown, 7 p.m.

Feb. 8, Home quad meet vs. East Orange, Dwight Morrow, East Side, 9 a.m.

Feb. 15, Home quad vs. Glen Ridge, Rutherford, Union, 9 a.m.

Feb. 22, District 9 tournament, at Livingston, 9 a.m.

Feb. 26, 28-29, Region 3 tournament, at West Orange

March 5-7, State Finals, at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City