Wrestlers Vie for Season’s First Honors at WMC Tourney Saturday

West Morris Central Hosts First Wrestling Event of the Season

The West Morris Central Tournament will kick off the 2013-14 wrestling season this Saturday, 9 AM – 5 PM at WMCHS. Chatham, Manville, Mountain Lakes, Pascack Valley, Pingry, Rahway and West Essex High Schools will take on the home team Wolfpack, which topped all teams with six gold medals a year ago.

“The opening tournament is something special because you get a feel of how your season is going to be,” reflected senior captain Jesse Windt.

Classmate Aldo Cammalleri (9-19 last year) agreed, saying it “opens the gates. You strap on the headgear with loud crowds, packed bleachers and coaches on the side of the mat pushing us to stand up as the winner.”

Windt (31-9) and junior David Migliaccio (28-12) look to defend their WMC Tournament titles. Junior Thomas Stoll (6-7) took silver last year, and senior John Schade (22-13) won bronze.

 “Anyone who watches us wrestle this season will see a team making great strides after each match,” said reigning county Coach of the Year Ken Rossi. “We have a very competitive schedule that will get us ready for the post season.”

Rossi, who volunteers time to help the Long Valley Youth Wrestling program, thinks incoming ninth graders could play a major role. “Freshmen Shane Metzler, Kade Loughney, Christian Trimarchi and Taylor Parkinson-Gee can all work their way into the lineup this year. All four have a lot of experience in the youth program which will help them transition to high school.”

Upper-weight candidate Parkinson-Gee agrees with coach, saying “The freshmen wrestlers (I hope) will bring diversity, personality, experience and a hard-working mindset to further the program’s already-abundant success.”

At last year’s WMC Tournament, Northern Highlands squeaked out an overall team victory by two points over WMC. They are not scheduled to return this year.

The WMC Tourney is an Individual Modified Double Elimination Tournament, with place winners determined down to sixth place. So Rossi and assistant coaches Jim Balella, Chris Marold, John Barnett and Jeremy Adickes will have their hands full coaching on multiple mats throughout the day.

Other 2012 WMC Tournament starters from last year include Michael Oros (12-9), Ben Piraneo (4-14), and Ben Yaskulka (2-5). Lettermen Dylan Luciano (21-16) and Caleb Isemann (3-9) missed the 2012 event. Newcomers Anthony Fallick and Alex Kaltenhauser can also see action.

West Essex could bring 10 returning starters, including Anthony Scaglia (25-8 at 120 last year), Roberto LoCascio (25-11, 182), Marc McDonald (25-11, 195) and Mike Panzarino (24-10, 106).  Manville also boasts a strong returning cast, including Brian Kuhlman (26-9, 106).

Requir Van Der Merwe (33-9, 106) and John Dubose (21-14, 220) from Mountain Lakes, Devin Jefferson (27-9, 120) and Majid Abdur Rahman (21-11, 138) from Rahway, Pascack Valley’s Cameron McLearie (25-10, 113), and Dylan Mulcahy from Chatham (23-7, 138) are among the outstanding wrestlers scheduled to compete. Windt, Migliaccio and Van Der Merwe are the only returning NJ.com All-County members (all three were third team in Morris County).

Oddly for an eight team tournament, the middle weight classes do not include a single wrestler returning with 10+ wins and a winning record (based on last year’s 145, 152 and 160 weight classes). Migliaccio (126), Angelo Locham of Manville (13-10, 170) and Mountain Lakes’ John Dubose (21-14, 220) are the single such wrestlers from their respective 2012-13 weight classes.

 Next Up

 The team will compete at the John Goles Tournament Friday December 27 at Warren Hills, and will be at home the morning of New Year’s eve, December 31 versus North Hunterdon.

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