Anthony Lizama competes for the Bengals in a match last season.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield High School boys and girls wrestling teams have a solid group this season, much to the delight of head coach Ryan Smircich.
“We are pleased with our depth,” Smircich said. “We are happy with the kids right now. We have a great group of kids who just want to come in and work.”
The Bengals will host its annual girls tournament on Sunday, Dec. 22. They also are bringing back their annual boys tournament on Saturday, Dec. 28.
On the boys’ side, the top wrestlers for Bloomfield are seniors Anthony Lizama, Alejandro Valencia and Gabriel McCulloch; and juniors Matthew Miller and Tyler Frantantoni.
Lizama, who competed at 132 pounds last year, and Frantantoni, who competed at 175, are returnees and team captains.
McCulloch has twice reached Atlantic City, site of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state individual championships, both times in the 285-pound heavyweight division. Last season, he took second place in the NJSIAA’s state District 10 tournament, losing to Nutley’s Brandon Toranzo in the final, and then took third place in the NJSIAA’s state Region 3 tournament to qualify for the state championships. Toranzo eventually won the bronze medal at Atlantic City.
Valencia placed third at the district tournament at 215 last season.
The other seniors on the roster are Spencer Crawley, Show-Gbah Jean Jaques, Cristian Silva, Joey Testa, Angelo Huiracoccha, Thomas Haverick, Malik Nelson and Daniel Mejia.
The other juniors are Nick Kopacz, who returns at 106; Charles Semler, Cristian Batista, Zachary Kraft (138), Joseph Venezia, Anthony Villanueva, Isaac Chavez (144), Micah Holt-Virgil (165), Kevin Clifford, Terrence Taylor (190), Ayden Fox (215) and Zachary Plonski.
The sophomores are Dean Gutierrez-Sanchez, James Haverick (106), Holden Laikowski, Carlos Cassanovas (120), Derek Rodriguez, Josue Cruz, Isaac Zeas, Christopher Flores, Zayden Sanchez, Alex Watson (165), Jayden Morales (165), Antonio Cordero and Jakob Rivera.
On the girls’ side, the Bengals are looking to continue their dominance on the county and state levels.
Leanna Noel and Saharia Quamina, both juniors, each finished in fifth place at the state girls individual championships at Atlantic City last year at 138 and heavyweight, respectively.
Returning sophomore Lesly Sanchez, at 185, has shown promise.
Senior Madelyn McLaughlin is a two-time state girls individual championships qualifier. She won the state North Jersey, Section 2 region title last year at 126.
Senor Reno Prochillo is back with the team after being injured last season. As a sophomore, she took eighth place in the state championships at 165.
The Bengals were scheduled to visit St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark) in the season-opener on Wednesday, Dec. 18, after press time.
Schedule
Dec. 19: East Orange Campus, 6 p.m.
Dec. 20: at Nutley, 1 p.m.
Dec. 21: at Kearny quad meet, 9 a.m.
Dec. 22: Bloomfield girls tournament, 9 a.m.
Dec. 23: Secaucus, 10 a.m.
Dec. 27-28: Sam Cali Invitational, at Morristown National Guard Armory.
Dec. 28: Bloomfield Holiday tournament, 9 a.m.
Dec. 30: girls at North Brunswick, 9 a.m.
Jan. 3: Livingston, 6 p.m.
Jan. 4: Home quad meet vs. West Orange, Westfield, Teaneck, 10 a.m.
Jan. 5: Elizabeth girls tournament, 9 a.m.
Jan. 8: Caldwell, 6 p.m.
Jan. 10: Cedar Grove, 6 p.m.
Jan. 11: at North Bergen quad meet, 9 a.m.
Jan. 14: Union City, 6 p.m.
Jan. 15: at Irvington, time to be determined.
Jan. 17: Clifton, 6 p.m.
Jan. 18: at Belleville quad meet, 9 a.m.
Jan. 18: Passaic girls tournament, 9 a.m.
Jan. 22-23: Essex County Tournament, at Richard J. Codey Arena, in West Orange, 5 p.m. both days.
Jan. 25: Home tri meet vs. Elmwood Park and Ramsey, 10 a.m.
Jan. 28: Lyndhurst, 6 p.m.
Jan. 29: at Montclair, time tbd.
Jan. 31: Glen Ridge, 6 p.m.
Feb. 5: at Hackettstown, 6 p.m.
Feb. 6: Delaware Valley, 6 p.m.
Feb. 8: girls Lady Rebel Invitational, at Howell
Feb 13: girls Lady Kards Invitational, at Kearny
Feb. 14: Pascack Hills, 6 p.m.
Feb. 15: Home quad meet vs. Rutherford, Union, Belvidere, 10 a.m..
Feb. 22: state district tournament, at Nutley.
Feb. 28-March 1: state region tournament, at West Orange.
March 6-8: state championships, at Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City.
Photos Courtesy of Jerry Simon
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