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C4 Friday, February 22, 2013 THE DAI LY JO URN AL

Q: How good areVinelands lower weights?

A: Its really good, we canalways count on three wins,at least, at 106, 113 and 120.Zach Nealis usually comesthrough too. Thats goodbecause it gets our teammotivated when we get fourstraight wins. It pumps every-one up.

Q: How does wrestling atVineland compare to wres-tling at the Prep?

A: I really dont know how toanswer that. Its definitely a

lot different. It was moretechnique over there, itsmore conditioning over here.

Q: Are you happy with theswitch?

A: Yeah, I like it. I miss my oldschool, but this is good.

Q: You just left a schoolwith uniforms andVineland just passed auniform policy. What areyour thoughts on schooluniforms?

A: I dont like uniforms. I justlike being comfy in school,wearing some sweatpantsand relaxing.

Vineland High Schools StevenBergamo had to sit out thefirst 30 days of the seasonafter transferring from St.Augustine. The sophomorehas made a big impact sincefinally joining the FightingClans roster though. The113-pounder is 11-2 and isconsidered a threat to qualify

for the state tournament inAtlantic City. He recentlyspoke with The Mat Packabout his season, transferringand some other issues.

QUESTION: What was it liketo have to sit for 30 days?

ANSWER: It really (stunk)having to sit there and watcheverybody wrestle when Icouldnt.

Q: Did you practice anydifferently while you weresitting out?

A: I practiced harder knowingI have to make my spot onthe team because they didnt

know who I was.

Q: Do you think yourefully prepared for dis-tricts?

A: Yeah. I dont have enoughmat time, but Ive been prac-ticing hard and working, so Ithink Im ready.

Q: Do you think yourebehind where you wouldhave been if you wrestledthe whole year, or do youthink youre fresh?

A: Everybody is getting tirednow and getting sick ofwrestling when Im still good.(But) theyve had more com-

petition.

THE INSIDE STUFF

Delseas Tom Carney stands in the spotlight during introductions prior to the District 31finals last year. STAFF PHOTO/CHARLES J. OLSON

Its the quintessentialhigh school wrestlingtournament.

Complete with tradi-tion, rivalries and plenty ofaction, the district champi-onships are where dreamseither begin or are dashedbefore they can even startto develop.

Of course, theres quitea bit of work behind thescenes that goes into thetournament, which allowsthe wrestlers to enjoy theirtime on the mat and, hope-fully, under the spotlight ofthe finals introductions on

Saturday.Its a lot of work, Del-sea athletic director SteveIles said.

Delsea took over host-ing duties for District 31from Buena about 15 yearsago. Since then, its becomethe model for how to runsuch a tournament.

Organized, good compe-tition and, of course, thosespotlight introductions be-fore finals, District 31 hasmany people to thank to be-coming a well-oiled ma-chine.

The booster club is a lotof help, Iles said. But Ivehad some of the same

workers since the start. Itsreally been a group efforthere from the JROTC tocheerleaders.

Its also been a benefit tothe school, namely thebooster club, which runsconcessions.

Thats one of the big-gest things, Iles said.That helps with the littlethings for the kids, thechampionship jackets andthings, the banquets theydo, even getting rooms forregions so they dont haveto drive back and forth.

Rest assured, if District31 were to leave Delsea, itwould have to be priedfrom the Crusaders handswith great force.

Our kids and commu-

nity love the fact that itsright here, Iles said.From an athletic direc-tors standpoint and a wres-tling person, I feel goodwhen things go well and

people seem to appreciateit. Kids can look back andsay they wrestled in a gooddistrict.

The NJSIAA made arule change this season al-lowing districts to be self-sufficient. In previousyears, the money fromticket sales went back tothe state, and if there wereoverages from the hostsites, they were reim-bursed. Now sites handlethe finances on their own.

The move was made tohelp cover a $35,000 loss bythe NJSIAA, which it in-curred by paying the dis-trict sites.

While Districts 31 and32 remain popular, othersites might reconsider

hosting because of finan-cial reasons.

Even with District 31spopularity, Iles still pushedit to a one-day tournamenton Saturday instead of the

standard Friday and Satur-day arrangement. District32, which has 11 teams tothe eight at District 31, isstill using a two-day for-mat.

With the fringe benefitsand home-gym advantagefor the wrestlers, youdthink schools would bechamping at the bit to host,but not every school is suit-ed to do so. The event hadoutgrown its former ven-ue, Buena.

I dont think our facili-ty would be a viable optionwith the sport growing andthe popularity, Chiefsathletic director Dave Al-bertson said. We cant ac-commodate a large crowdsuch as the one for dis-

tricts.Albertson said its a

matter of schools takingadvantage of whats attheir disposal. Buena hoststrack and field sectionals

because of the amplespace.

Facilities are a part ofit, Albertson said. Whenwe host track, we have twoof everything. We have theland.

The only other localschool to host districts wasVineland, but its unlikelyDistrict 31 would leaveDelsea any time soon. Off-hand discussions aboutmoving 32 to St. Augustinehave been held, but nothingofficial has ever comeabout.

Patrick Buganski covers high schoolwrestling for The Daily Journal. Hecan be reached at (856) 563-5255or pbuganski@thedailyjournal.com

Lots of help needed tomake districts run well

PATRICKBUGANSKI

1. Delsea 24-3

2. Shawnee 21-3

3. Camden Catholic 21-4

4. Clearview 22-6

5. Paulsboro 19-4

6. Timber Creek 16-9

7. St. Augustine 17-10

8. Millville 18-4

9. Clayton 23-2

10. Washington Twp. 17-8

11. Cherokee 21-7

12. Collingswood 25-9

13. Cinnaminson 18-2

14. Cherry Hi ll West 19-8

15. Woodstown 20-7

*Records through Wednesday.

The New Jersey Wrestling WritersAssociation Statewide Top 20.First-place votes in parenthesisfollow by total points.

1. S. Plainfield (30-0) (17) 340 Lastweek: (1)

2. Berg. Catholic (19-1) 323 (2)

3. Brick Mem. (24-2) 306 (3)

4. Don Bosco (13-5) 278 (4)

5. Bound Brook (23-3) 272 (5)

6. Toms River South (24-4) 266 (7)

7. St. Peters Prep (18-5) 228 (9)

8. Southern (13-6) 218 (12)

9. Hunterdon Central (18-2) 203 (6)

10. Phillipsburg (13-4) 183 (8)

11. High Point (20-4) 183 (14)

12. Delbarton (14-3) 146 (10)

13. Howell (26-4) 122 (16)

14. Jackson Memorial (15-7) 94 (13)

15. Hanover Park (13-6) 93 (NR)

16. Kittatinny (21-3) 88 (11)

17. Delsea (24-3) 77 (15)

18. Long Branch (19-6) 66 (NR)

19. Voorhees (23-5) 28 (17)

20. St. Joseph-Montvale (13-4) 27(NR)

Others receiving votes: Brick 16,Shawnee 10, Camden Catholic 6,Warren Hills 2, North Hunterdon 1.

Points are awarded to teams indescending order with 20 pointsgoing to the No. 1team and onepoint to No. 20.

1061. Patrick DArcy, Holy Spirit 30-3

2. Zach Firestone, Clearview 30-13. Ferdinand Mase, Eastern 30-0

4. Louis Arensberg, Audubon 29-4

5. Griffin Bonner, West Deptford 21-3

1131. Tyler McBride, Camden Catholic 24-7

2. John Amato, Timber Creek 27-2

3. Jake Forsman, Eastern 28-4

4. Mike Van Horn, Washington Twp. 28-5

5. Jimmy Goldschmidt, Cherokee 26-5

1201. John Gentile, Paulsboro 27-4

2. Tom Gattinella, St. Augustine 29-3

3. Marcus Miraglia, Delran 25-1

4. Zach Valcarce, Lower Cape May 26-4

5. Michael VanBrill, Clearview 27-4

1261. B illy War d, B ue na 24-3

2. Anthony Racobaldo, Williamstown 30-3

3. Sam Morina, Paulsboro 27-6

4. D. LaPalomento, Washington Twp. 29-2

5. Mark McCormick, Camden Catholic 26-5

1321. Ron Genti le, Paulsboro 29-1

2. Isiah DeGuzman, Timber Creek 24-5

3. Joe Lemerise, Cherokee 27-1

4. Steve Passarella, Washington Twp. 15-0

5. Connor Mul i, Shawnee 14-1

1381. Brandon Keller, Timber Creek 20-1

2. John VanBrill, Clearview 31-0

3. Sean Pryzbylkowski, New Egypt 30-2

4. Brennan Humphrey, Shawnee 28-3

5. Rian Lamanteer, Delsea 28-3

1451. T.J. Miller, Camden Catholic 29-2

2. Maaziah Bethea, Trenton Central 23-1

3. Dil lan Berghof, Buena 17-2

4. Branden Virgilio, Timber Creek 18-5

5. Patrick McCurdy, Woodstown 32-1

1521. Chad Walsh, Camden Catholic 30-1

2. Wayne Stinson, No. Burlington 32-3

3. Ed Lenkowski, Clearview 31-04. Dom Ruggerio, Timber Creek 25-3

5. John Hennelly, Delsea 29-4

1601. Connor Donahue, Clearview 30-1

2. Bryce Shade, Timber Creek 26-3

3. Cesar Balmaceda, Atlantic City 27-0

4. Kellen Whitney, Hammonton 26-3

5. Sonnieboy Blanco, Burlington City 28-3

1701. Dylan Dobzanski, Delsea 31-0

2. Austin Wetterau, Shawnee 28-3

3. Nick Elmer, Penns Grove 33-1

4. Tyler Sentman, St. Augustine 29-3

5. Christian LaFragola, St. Joseph 17-2

1821. David Williams, Hammonton 32-0

2. Brad Schwarze, New Egypt 30-0

3 . A lex Fo ley, Shawn ee 2 8-3

4. Henry Klaus, Haddonfield 21-3

5. Bil ly Leone, Kingsway 27-5

1951. Rory Bonner, West Deptford 26-02. Joey DeChristofaro, Hightstown 29-1

3. Ed Shockley, Mil lv il le 26-2

4. Cory Damiana, Lower Cape May 26-5

5. Michael Robinson, Clayton 23-1

2201. Bryan Dobzanski, Delsea 33-0

2. Mauro Correnti, Holy Cross 6-1

3. Nigel Tousssaint, Egg Harbor Twp. 26-2

4. Evan Wayns, Shawnee 26-4

5. Cylas Dorety, Woodstown 27-4

HWT1 . Roy Lucas, S t. J os ep h 3 1-0

2. Alex Thompson, Haddon Heights 28-0

3. Jeff Miller, Camden Catholic 24-3

4. James Dever, Moorestown 28-3

5 . Ray E ll is, H ol y Spi ri t 2 6-6

106

Josh P ineda, V ineland 19-3

Reid White, St. Augustine 14-5

Hector Marrero, Cumberland 12-7

Ron Hawk, Buena 9-8

113

Steven Bergamo, Vineland 11-2

Andrew DiJoseph, Cumberland 18-10

Zach Goranson, Millville 16-6

L uis R ive ra, Bu en a 19- 10

Joham Garcia, Mil lv il le 15-8

Collin Donahue, St. Augustine 19-13

To m C arney, D el sea 1 9-12

Leonard Leyva, Vineland 7-6

120

Tom Gattinella, St. Augustine 29-3

Sal Marandino, Buena 19-8Zach Goranson, Millville 16-6

Danny DeTetta, Vineland 18-13

126

Zach Nealis, V ineland 15-1

Billy Ward, Buena 24-3

J oh n Gal lo, Sch al ick 2 3-6

Ed Donahue, St. Augustine 20-12

132

Newt Richardson, Schalick 22-3

Jarred Hodges, St. Augustine 23-9

C haz B ramb le, Buena 2 1-7

J oh n P ie rs on , D el sea 2 3-8

Joe Roman, Cumberland 14-13

138

Rian Lamanteer, Delsea 28-3

Keith Mahoney, Millville 25-3

Jarett P ierotti, Buena 15-3

Nick Clark, St. Augustine 15-13

Tayron Davis , V ineland 17-13

145

Dil lan Berghof, Buena 17-2

R ico R iv era, M il lv il le 2 4-4

D eo n H en ry , Sch al ick 2 1-8

D om D eM arco, D el sea 1 2-7

D yl an Rec in to, D el sea 8 -7

152

John Hennelly, Delsea 29-4

Dylan Manno, Schal ick 19-10

Jose Tabora, St. Augustine 16-15

160

D av id Gresk , D el sea 2 7-6

Carl Hitzelberger, Schalick 12-7

J os e Soto, M il lv il le 1 4-9

170

Dylan Dobzanski, Delsea 31-0

Tyler Sentman, St. Augustine 29-3

Steffen Rodriguez, Vineland 24-6

Victor DeFrance, Delsea 24-9

J oe Py fe r, Sc hali ck 17- 9

182

Tiawahn Cosby, Vineland 25-5

C od y Rup pert , D el sea 1 5-7

Javier Colon-Rivera, Millville 20-8

E rik Por ch, De ls ea 20- 7

James Bennett, St. Augustine 13-8

195

Ed Shockley, Mil lv il le 26-2Jose Matteo, V ineland 11-10

220

Bryan Dobzanski, Delsea 33-0

O bi Ka li, Mi llvi lle 25- 4

Ty Warren, Buena 19-5

Nick Caporale, Buena 15-11

Benjamin Henderson, Vineland 21-9

Nick Crisafu ll i, Schal ick 12-7

Justin Welsh, St. Augustine 14-11

HWT

Tom Lynd, St. Augustine 25-6

Ryan Cartwright, Schalick 17-9

MaQuay Richmond, Cumberland 12-7

Fred DeMary, Mil lv il le 15-9

*Wrestlers must have a record of better than.500 and a minimum of 12 bouts.All the records and rankings are based on in-formation through Wednesday.

STEVENBERGAMOVinelandSophomore113 pounds

Trivia question:Who is Vinelands only four-time districtchampion? Answer at the end of this segment.

Holy Cross senior Mauro Correnti took the mat last Fridayfor the first time since having knee surgery in October. Correnti,who placed fifth in the state last year, had accepted threeforfeits earlier in the year. He bumped up to heavyweight forhis first true bout and beat Camden Catholics Jeff Miller, 5-1.

Paulsboro failed to win a state title for the second consec-utive season for the first time in its storied history. The programamassed a national record 25 straight titles from 1983-2007.

District 26 will likely crown its fourth different champi-on in as many years this weekend. Shawnee is the favorite towin the title, which would be its first since 1994. Eastern, Delranand Moorestown have won the last three team titles.

After capturing a fourth District 4 title in 1951, JamesReaves is the only VHS wrestler to reach the milestone.

NEWS AND NOTES

TOP TWEETS

BEST OF THE AREATop 15 local wrestlers in career wins*

1. Luke Fedechko, Delsea 142-23

2. Curt Delia, Delsea 141-20

3. Bob by Hanson , Buena 134 -5

4. Joe Esposito, St. Augustine 134-31

5. Rob Jillard, Delsea 131-31

6. Billy Ward, Buena 129-12

7. Eric Reger, Delsea 129-25

8. Mike DiGalbo, St. Augustine 128-26

9. Donnie Fisch, Delsea 127-13

10. Aaron Wilcox, Schalick 127-17

11. Joe Alexander, Delsea 126-11

12. Tom Gattinella, St. Augustine121-22

13. Tim Dougherty, Delsea 117-20-2

14. Scott Kelley, Sacred Heart 117-21

15. Justin Rivera, St. Augustine 117-30

*Only wrestlers who spent entire career at one

school are included.

ONLINE

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