WEST ORANGE – The West Orange High School varsity wrestling team certainly enjoyed a great Region 4 tournament this past weekend at WOHS.
Overall, WOHS head coach Stephan Zichella, who had six wrestlers make it to the tournament with four participating, said that when the dust settled, two of the WOHS wrestlers – Victor Lopez and Brian Velez – advanced to Atlantic City to compete in the state tournament, March 4-6.
“Our boys battled and I was extremely happy the effort. I am very proud of this group,” said Zichella, noting injuries prevented Noah Tandy and Julian Abraham Dada from competing.
Highlighting the event, Zichella said 285-pound senior Velez continued his legendary run with a second-place Region finish. “This is the biggest underdog story I’ve seen at this program. He’s come such a long way. He always puts the team first,” said the coach, noting Velez earned a 2-1 record at the Region. “His weekend was highlighted when he pinned the number two seed from Clifton in the semifinals.”
To understand how far Velez really has come along, Zichella said that as a junior the grappler started last year with an 0-7 record and finished with a 4-9 record overall.
“In one year, he turned it all around and became a district champion and now this second-place finish is just the crowning achievement and it was such a special moment,” said Zichella of Velez, who has a 25-10 record this year. “He is a great team member. He’s always positive and he’s proof that hard work pays off.”
Not to be outdone, Lopez, a 113-pound junior, has shined all year and has a 33-2 record, along with 99 all-time wins going into Atlantic City.
“Victor could be the first West Orange wrestler to win 100 matches prior to their senior season,” said Zichella, noting Lopez earned a 3-1 record to finish in third place in the Region to earn his second straight trip to Atlantic City.
Others who competed in the Region for WOHS were 126-pound freshman Colin Morgan, who finished in fifth/sixth; and 170-pound sophomore Sebastian Rawls, who finished in fourth place.
“Sebastian was just one win away from making it to Atlantic City, but he had a great tournament. He went 3-2. He avenged two losses from a Cedar Grove wrestler who he finally beat, and overall, this experience will serve him well next year,” said Zichella. “Morgan also had a great tournament as he went 2-2 and got two upsets. In one, he avenged a previous 15-0 loss against a West Essex wrestler earlier in the year by getting a pin this week.”
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