WEST ORANGE, NJ — Six wrestlers from the Seton Hall Prep wrestling team traveled to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall to compete in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state individual championships on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 3, 4 and 5.
Five of the six wrestlers won at least one bout, with senior Joseph Sciarrone, making his third appearance in the state finals, finishing in fourth place in the 113-pound weight class.
“Joe has always set high goals for himself, and he is one of the hardest workers in the room,” said SHP head coach Lou Mascola. “He battled all the way back and had to win six matches in the wrestleback portion of the tournament, including five in a row, to make it to the third-place bout.”
While waiting to receive his fourth-place medal on Saturday afternoon, Sciarrone was asked how he felt to medal in Atlantic City. “It has been a dream of mine since I started wrestling when I was 5 years old. Last year I fell short of my goal, and I was determined to get back here as a senior to achieve my goal on the biggest stage. I will remember this the rest of my life.”
Two of Sciarrone’s victories in the wrestleback rounds were against opponents that had earlier this season defeated him. The first one was against Dylan Ross, of Paramus Catholic, who defeated Sciarrone on Feb. 2 by a 2-1 score at Frank J. Tracey Gymnasium at Seton Hall Prep. The other one was when he was defeated by defending state champion Daniel Jones, of Delbarton, by a 9-5 score in the Region 3 final at West Orange High School on Feb. 26. Sciarrone added, “Those two victories against wrestlers that defeated me earlier this season shows how determined I was to reach the podium and place as high as I could.”
Sciarrone, the No. 8 seed, pinned No. 25 seed Adam Albino, of Bogota/Ridgefield Park, in 3:34 in the first round before losing by pin to No. 9 seed Logan Roman, of Old Bridge, in 2:41 in the second round on Friday.
On Saturday, Sciarrone had an amazing run in the wrestleback rounds. He decisioned No. 23 seed Frankie Burgio, of Point Pleasant Boro, 6-0, in the first-round wrestlebacks; decisioned No. 18 seed Dezmond Lenaghan, of Donovan Catholic, 5-2, in the second-round wrestlebacks; decisioned No. 6 seed Malik Asfour, of Lodi, 8-3, in the third-round wrestlebacks; and decisioned No. 7 seed Ross, 3-1, in the fourth-round wrestlebacks. In the consolation semifinals, Sciarrone decisioned No. 1 seed Jones, 4-3. In the third/fourth-place match, Sciarrone lost to No. 5 seed Kaden Naame, of St. Augustine, 5-1, in sudden victory.
Sophomore Logan Brzozowski finished in the top 12 in the 106-pound weight class.
Brzozowski was the No. 7 seed. In the first round, he major-decisioned No. 26 seed Joseph DeAngelo, of Point Pleasant Boro, 13-3, but lost to No. 10 Benjamin Marchetto, of West Milford, by a 3-2 score in the second round. Brzozowski then decisioned No. 24 seed Marco Alarcon, of Don Bosco Prep, 10-5, in the first-round wrestlebacks and decisioned No. 16 seed Carter Pack, of Holy Spirit, 6-3, in the second-round wrestlebacks before losing to No. 5 seed Kurt Wehner, of Donovan Catholic, 10-5, in the third-round wrestlebacks.
Sophomore Carlo Vanvolkenburgh was the No. 28 seed in the 120-pound weight class. He lost by pin to No. 5 seed Luke Stanich, of Roxbury, in 3:47 in the first round. Vanvolkenburgh then decisioned No. 21 seed Chase Bish, of Paulsboro, 5-0, in the first-round wrestlebacks before getting pinned by No. 11 seed John Hildebrandt, of Williamstown, in 2:06 in the second-round wrestlebacks.
Sophomore Brandon Bauer was the No. 26 seed in the 138-pound weight class. He lost to No. 7 seed Alessio Perentin, of Delbarton, 11-6, in the first round. Bauer pinned No. 23 seed Massimo Mancini, of Hanover Park, in 5:30 in the first-round wrestlebacks before dropping an 8-1 decision to No. 8 seed Joe Innamorato, of Phillipsburg, in the second-round wrestlebacks.
Junior Stephen O’Neil Jr. was the No. 25 seed in the 157-pound weight class. He dropped a 13-4 major decision to No. 8 seed Tyler Sagi, of Old Bridge, in the first round. O’Neil decisioned No. 24 seed Roger Diaz, of St. Peter’s Prep, 7-3, in the first-round wrestlebacks before losing to No. 7 seed Eric Broadie, of Bergen Catholic, 7-1, in the second-round wrestlebacks.
Sophomore Jack Tierney was the No. 32 seed in the 285-pound heavyweight class. He lost to top-seeded and eventual champion Jimmy Mullen, of St. Joseph of Montvale, by pin in 51 seconds in the first round and was pinned by No. 17 seed Justin Evans-Jenkins, of Irvington, in 3:23 in the first-round wrestlebacks.
Photo Courtesy of Rich Morris/SHP
Seton Hall Prep wrestlers impress at state finals in Atlantic City added by Jeff Goldberg on
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