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DOVER TOWNSHIP -- Four-time defending Group IV champion
Absegami was able to match its early success with a late run to win a South Jersey Group IV semifinal Tuesday night
over second-seeded Toms River North at the Ritacco Center.
In a rematch of last season's sectional final, the Braves won the first four bouts of the match, then won four
more in a row from 119 to 135 in the 39-29 victory.
"We knew we matched up well with them in that where we're strong, they're weak," said Mariners coach
Chris Madigan. "We knew starting at 145 that it could get ugly, but that we would have to fight back."
North's Rodrigo Castro held returning state placewinner Bobby Flegel to a 12-3 major decision to begin the match,
but Flegel's teammates Phil Black, Mike Isgro and J.J. Gilly all followed with pins.
Bumping up from his regular 171-pound slot, Dave Newman then started North's run with a 6-4 decision over Bryan
Braun at 189.
"I went out there thinking of bonus points, but I didn't know who I was going to have," said Newman.
"We thought we could come back and win tonight and pull another Phillipsburg."
The Mariners rallied back from an early hole to down the Stateliners in the opening match of the season.
Tuesday, on Senior Night at the Ritacco Center, North got pins from 12th-graders Jan McClintic (215), Rob Menona
(HWT) and Dan Diaz (112). Matt Oliver added a technical fall at 103 as the Mariners reeled off five straight wins.
The key bout of the match then came at 119, where Absegami bumped 112-pounder Ali Majd up to square off with North's
Anthony Morano. Morano was bothered by a knee injury sustained over the weekend, but battled gamely to a 2-0 lead
after the first period.
Despite repeatedly locking in cradles on Majd, Morano could not turn his opponent for backpoints, before giving
up a reversal in the second period. Majd got an escape and a late takedown in the third period on his way to a
5-2 win.
"(Morano) hurt his knee in our last tri-meet," said Madigan. "We gave him the option of wrestling
and he gutted it out, but Morano healthy is not losing that match. In my eyes, that's a win."
"Majd had beaten him last year, luckily the move paid off," said Absegami coach Gene Barber.
The Braves rolled up wins at 125, 130 and 135 before Joe Zito, another North senior, captured a 7-4 decision over
Zach Taylor at 140. Absegami 130-pounder Matt Weed worked a cradle on his feet and brought Rob McCombs to his back
for a six-second fall.
"It's nice to get off to a good roll like that, but we knew they had a nice team and would battle back,"
said Barber. "We've lost three tough matches in the last few weeks to some of the best teams in the state
(Paulsboro, Kittatiny and Camden Catholic) so it's nice to bounce back and get some confidence."
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STAFFORD TOWNSHIP - The Southern Regional High School wrestling
team showed why it was the top seed in South Jersey Group IV Tuesday night as it coasted to a 52-21 victory over
fourth seed Winslow Township in the NJSIAA sectional tournament semifinals. Winslow Township faced Southern after
defeating No. 5 Eastern 36-31 in the quarterfinal earlier in the evening. The Rams, ranked No. 4 in the Press Elite
11, won 10 out of 14 bouts and earned bonus points with each win.
"I thought we wrestled tough," Southern coach John Stout said. "The kids really pumped up for this
one."
Southern's only roadblock came at the start of the match in figuring out how to handle 2004 state champion Vince
Jones who had bumped up a weight class to 215 pounds to face Southern standout Tim Pringle.
"Our plan was to get away from Vince Jones," Stout said. "He's an impressive kid and we tried to
get Tim Pringle in the best position possible and the (coin toss) allowed us to do that."
Mike Thomas lost by pin to Jones and Winslow heavyweight Latwayne Galloway pinned Mike Carey to give Winslow a
12-0 lead.
But Southern quickly got down to business with the help of freshman Nick Maugeri. The 103-pounder pinned Winslow's
Andre Thompson in four minutes, 57 seconds to start off a six-match win streak for the Rams.
"Right after that heavyweight match Nick stepped onto the match and we were rolling," Sophomore Ed Broderick
said. "It was hard for them to stop us after that."
Broderick had his own moment in the sun when he defeated Khayree Conner by an 11-1 major decision at 145 pounds
to clinch the match for Southern.
"I've been working hard in the room and it seems to be paying off," Broderick said. "I can't ask
for anything more. I'm on a varsity team ranked top five in the state."
Part of Winslow's problem came from having to forfeit several bouts throughout the match. Lightweights Dan McKnight
(112) and Frank Molinaro (125) each won by forfeit and the match ended with Winslow forfeiting the 160 and 189
matches.
"We knew by watching the match against Eastern that they were going to forfeit the early ones," Stout
said. "We just weren't expecting the later ones."
As the wrestlers shook hands and prepared to roll up the mats, the crowd began chanting "We Want 'Gami,"
referring to Thursday's South Jersey Group IV championship match against defending state champion Absegami, who
defeated second-seed Toms River North in their quarterfinal match Tuesday.
Southern lost to the third-seeded Braves at Absegami earlier this season, but are hoping for a different outcome
on Thursday at Southern.
"I think we're in a position where you have two great teams wounded a little bit as far as pride goes,"
Stout said. "We'll have two teams that are going to make a statement and I think it's going to be a great
battle."
If the Rams win on Thursday it will be their first South Jersey Group IV title since 1997.
"We've never won (a South Jersey title) since I've been here," senior Sean Quinn said. "We've been
working hard for a long time and it would be great to win something."
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