Relishing the life of the underdog, Schalick wrestlers knock off top-seed Audubon to reach Wednesday’s SJ Group I team finals
WRESTLING
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals
At Audubon
Audubon 45, Pitman 24
Schalick 44, Haddon Twp. 36
Semifinals
Schalick 36, Audubon 31
At Paulsboro
Woodstown 61, Pennsville 16
Paulsboro 62, Palmyra 15
Semifinals
Paulsboro 38, Woodstown 37
SJ Group I Championship
Wednesday at Paulsboro
Schalick at Paulsboro
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
AUDUBON – Riley Papiano has never felt so happy to be dropped on his head before.
Papiano painfully won his match at 157 in the South Jersey Group 1 wrestling semifinals Monday night when Audubon’s Pedro Marte was disqualified for slamming the Schalick senior to the mat.
As much as it hurt in the moment, Papiano knew what it meant. The win clinched the Cougars’ 36-31 victory over the No. 1 seed sending them to the sectional final for the first time in school history.
“It was a great night,” Papiano said. “I think it was amazing for the team, the school, everybody.
“I don’t think anybody counted on us getting this far. All the newspapers were going against us and I think we’re just shocking the world. We’re showing everybody else wrong that we can compete at a higher level than anybody else thinks we can.”
The school-record setting win sends the once-beaten Cougars (24-1) to Paulsboro Wednesday – weather permitting – to face the perennial power Red Raiders for a spot in the state final four.
“I don’t think anyone thought we had a shot,” Schalick coach Joe Frassenei said. “Everyone was like, you don’t wrestle a good enough schedule. They weren’t afraid of the big situation. They just wrestled them like they were another opponent and went out and did a great job.
“I told my assistant it was like disbelief (when they clinched). We knew we had a shot, but then reality set in that we actually are going to the South Jersey final for the first time in school history.”
The Cougars had a lot of work to do to get there. Ricky Watt (175) and Evan Elliott (190) “really set the tone for the whole night” with a pin and decision in the first two weight classes to get them rolling.
The Green Wave (22-5) won the next four bouts to go up 20-9. The Cougars stormed back to retake the lead 24-20 on wins from E’Shion Underwood, Luke Silva and Ryan Miller, but Audubon took it right back on Tyler Perozzi’s tech fall at 138 to set up the end game.
Koen Martin (144) and Ayden Jenkins (150) won tight decisions to set up the Papiano-Marte match. If Marte won, the match would go down to the final bout. If Papiano won, it was over.
“I was more proud of the team (than his win),” said Papiano, who’s headed to Norwich (Vt.) University to play football. “It was a team win tonight, it wasn’t an individual. It wouldn’t have been a clinch if Ricky Watt didn’t pin in the first and Ayden Jenkins did get that tough match or Koen didn’t squeeze by and all these other matches, it wouldn’t have mattered.
“As a team I think we embrace (the underdog role) fully. We know no one believes in us and we know every time we win it just makes everybody else more mad.”
If the Cougars are able to pull it off Wednesday, Papiano said, “it would mean the world” to him. He also was part of the Schalick football team that played for South Jersey Group I title in the final.
“Two sectional final games in one year for me is amazing,” he said. “I’d love to win one.”
The Cougars got to Audubon by beating Haddon Twp. in the quarterfinals 44-36. They opened a 44-0 lead, then forfeited the last six weight classes.
Paulsboro got through its half of the bracket by beating Pitman 45-24 and Woodstown 38-37. Sawyer Cabanas pinned Thomas Lacy in 21 seconds at 157 to give Paulsboro a 13-point lead in the Woodstown match and the Red Raiders forfeited the last two weight classes to bring the final margin.
Woodstown took out Pennsville 61-16 in its first-round match.
SCHALICK 44, HADDON TWP. 36
165: Riley Papiano (S) tech fall over Damian Shepherd, 17-1 (3:25)
175: Ricky Watt (S) pinned Antonio Reyes, 5:57
190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Joseph Sum, 1:01
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) dec. Brennan Berger, 5-1
285: Julian Reid (S) pinned Willem Conniver, 1:49
106: Emma Cain (S) pinned Sok Hoy, 3:15
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Jon Rodriguez, 1:05
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit
126: Owen Ziegler (HT) won by forfeit
132: Finn Boucher (HT) won by forfeit
138: Thomas Andrews (HT) won by forfeit
144: Brady Monoid (HT) won by forfeit
150: Justin Capri (HT) won by forfeit
157: Ryan Henry (HT) won by forfeit
SCHALICK 36, AUDUBON 31
175: Ricky Watt (S) pinned Joem Gonzalez, 5:40
190: Evan Elliott (S) dec. Gabriel McCracken, 10-3
215: David Borodziuk (A) tech fall over Gerardo Felipe, 19-4 (4:55)
285: Jonah Jordan (A) dec. Julian Reid, 8-1
106: Jason Ortiz (A) pinned Emma Cain, 0:41
113: Rocco Monteferrante (A) pinned Caleb Jenkins, 0:37
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) pinned Nicholas Sassany, 1:26
126: Luke Silva (S) dec. R.J. Bauman, 9-4
132: Ryan Miller (S) pinned Brayden Ervin, 1:11
138: Tyler Perozzi (A) tech fall over Collin Bittle, 22-6 (4:27)
144: Koen Martin (S) dec. Andean Leahan, 11-9
150: Ayden Jenkins (S) dec. James McSweeney, 4-2
157: Riley Papiano (S) over Pedro Marte, DQ
165: Giovanni Patti (A) won by forfeit.
WOODSTOWN 61, PENNSVILLE 16
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) pinned Joseph Halstead, 1:28
190: Paul Banff (WO) dec. Connor Ayars, 4-0
215: Walter Carter (WO) won by forfeit
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Trevor Waddington, 0:09
106: Brett Land (P) pinned Hunter Allen, 3:35
113: Luke Woronicak (WO) pinned Erick Davalos, 3:39
120: Carson Bradway (WO) pinned Mehki Dicks, 2:10
126: Travis Balback (WO) maj. dec. Christopher Daniels, 11-2
132: Alex Torres (WO) pinned Nathaniel Mason, 4:44
138: Gave Supernavage (P) maj. dec. Louie Scholl, 10-1
144: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Angel Hernandez, 1:50
150: Brett Rowand (WO) won by forfeit
157: Thomas Lacy (WO) pinned Juan Velasquez, 1:43
165: Laitton Roberts (WO) won by forfeit
PAULSBORO 38, WOODSTOWN 37
190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Evan Holloway, 1:37
215: Walter Carter (WO) dec. Frank Damming, 7-1
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Jared Hazel, 0:48
106: Will Cruz (P) pinned Hunter Allen, 0:25
113: Antonio Chila (P) pinned Luke Woronicak, 3:16
120: Hayden Holmes (P) maj. dec. Carson Bradway, 15-4
126: Walker Battavio (WO) maj. dec. Sheena Cruz, 12-2
132: Aundre Hill (P) maj. dec. Travis Balback, 28-15
138: Julian Sosa (P) pinned Alex Torres, 3:17
144: Angel Hernandez (WO) pinned Ben Price, 3:39
150: Kyaire Harvey (P) pinned Brett Rowand, 5:27
157: Sawyer Cabanas (P) pinned Thomas Lacy, 0:21
165: Laitton Roberts (WO) won by forfeit
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) won by forfeit
GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
South: Schalick (24-1) at Paulsboro (14-7)
Central: Manville (21-5) at Delaware Valley (16-3)
North I: New Milford (15-1) at Kittatinny (12-10)
North II: Hasbrouck Heights (19-1) at Hanover Park (14-6)
Boys Bowling
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 2 TOURNAMENT
Cinnaminson 2, Salem Tech 0
Ian Jungbult rolled games of 202 and 232 to lead Cinnaminson to sweep. Aaron Dean rolled the high game (177) and high series (327) for the Chargers.
Swimming
NJSIAA GROUP C SECTIONALS
Semifinals
Seneca 91, Woodstown 79
Track
SJTCA MEET 18
At Ocean Breeze Complex, Staten Island
Salem’s Anthony Parker and Pennsville’s Megan Morris both scored top three finishes. Parker finished second in the 55 hurdles (7.61), while Morris was T-3 in the girls pole vault with Rancocas Valley’s Milena Too (9-6). Salem’s Ava Rodgers was eighth in the girls shot put (31-5.5).
Riverview Sports News 