BLOOMFIELD, NJ – There’s an old expression in sports that says “The road to success is always under construction.”
That could very well be the philosophy for the new head wrestling coach at Bloomfield High School, Ryan Smircich. During most of Sam Fusaro’s time at the school, the Bengals had one of the most competitive programs in the state. But Bloomfield has slipped a bit in recent years, and next winter, the squad will be very young. Smircich, who was a top grappler for Hopatcong in the late 1990s, knows it might take a couple of years to put the Bengals back on top.
“Coach Fusaro did a great job here and I learned a lot from him as an assistant coach,” said Smircich, who also played football at Hopatcong. “Our best wrestlers from the 2016-17 season graduated in June, so the kids coming up will have a lot of work to do for the upcoming season.”
Smircich, who is an English teacher at BHS, feels the strong tradition that Bloomfield has in the sport, will help the kids who will be competing during the 2017-18 campaign.
“You have to begin with small goals,” said Smircich, who is a graduate of Kutztown. “Heck, we’re now competing in a very tough district (District 9). We have to contend with powerhouse teams like Phillipsburg and Hackettstown, when that competition rolls around in February.”
In 2017, the highlight of the year for the Bengals came in that district, when senior Barak Pipkins earned a championship at 170 pounds. Pipkins and Adam Lutick, who vied at 220, were the standouts for BHS this past winter.
“We had a nice tradition in the sport at Hopatcong,” said Smircich, “and I want to continue along that road at Bloomfield. The kids have to work hard, just like they did for Coach Fusaro.”
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