Seton Hall Prep’s T.J. Calas recorded his 100th career victory on Saturday, Jan. 14. Photos by Rich Morris/courtesy of SHP.
WEST ORANGE, NJ – The SHP wrestling team is the hottest team in New Jersey as the Pirates won four dual meets last week, including defeating the No. 9 team in state, Don Bosco Prep, to raise their record to 18-1 on the season.
On Wednesday, Jan. 11, they hosted Cedar Grove and defeated them 46-17. They won seven bouts plus three forfeits. On Friday, Jan. 13, they hosted Verona and defeated them, 51-24. They had six pins in their victory.
On Saturday, Jan. 14, they traveled to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey to take on Old Tappan and Don Bosco Prep in a tri-meet. In the morning they defeated Old Tappan, 59-15, and had five pins during the match. It was also an historic event when at the 152-pound bout TJ Calas defeated Declan Ward, 3-0, for his 100th career victory. He became the ninth wrestler in Seton Hall Prep wrestling history to win 100 matches. Aidan Monteverdi, his teammate, became the eighth wrestler to win 100 matches last week in Pennsylvania. at the Harry S. Truman dual meet Tournament. SHP then faced Don Bosco Prep and defeated them, 38-31, in a very exciting match. The lead changed hands four times in the final five bouts. Following the match, eighth-year head coach Jack Decker said, “Coming into the season, I thought we would be good and when we have a full team we can be state-ranked. When I scheduled this match last year I expected to win it and we did as our kids wrestled great. I am extremely confident in all our kids. Even in matches that we lost we won because we only gave up three points, not five or six as Don Bosco Prep was thinking they could get.”
SHP was scheduled to host St. Benedict’s Prep on Jan. 16 and will compete in the Essex County Tournament on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 19-20. The Pirates are the defending ECT champions.
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