Rebels secure A North mat title, topping CBA
SCT starts tonight
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Howell’s Josh Barnhard attempts to work CBA’s Greg Dube during their 215-pound bout on Jan. 25 in Middletown. At left, Howell’s Frank Mormino has control of CBA’s Keith Inacio.

Howell High School’s wrestling team was not in a generous, sharing mood.

The Rebels went to Christian Brothers Academy on Jan. 25 with one goal in mind, according to Josh Barnhard.

“We didn’t want to share it [Class A North Division title],” he said.

With their 40-12 win over the Colts, the undefeated Rebels (12-0) wrapped up their first A North title since 2002. A CBA win last week would have created a three-way tie for first place between the Rebels, Colts and Ocean Spartans. Howell would have none of that.

There was an added incentive for Howell besides wanting the title outright. Last year, CBA went to Howell and beat the Rebels for the first time in school history. That did not sit well with the Rebels.

“We had some unfinished business,” said Barnhard. “This team came in and beat us last year. It was a big upset, and we wanted payback.”

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The Colts, which had lost only to Ocean heading into last week’s match sported a veteran lineup from last year. What paved the way for a 40-12 drubbing this time?

“Our balance,” said Howell coach John Gagliano. “There were a bunch of close matches. They’re a tough team.

“Our kids never give up, they just keep coming,” he added.

Barnhard’s pin at 215 pounds began a run of nine straight wins that turned the match into a rout. His move up from 189 to 215 was just one of several lineup moves made by Gagliano that worked like a charm.

In the case Barnhard, the move was designed to get a fall.

“I was moved up to get a pin,” said Barnhard noting that 13 of his 14 wins last year were falls. “I went out to pin the guy, and it worked out.

“Every time I go out on the mat, I go all out,” he added.

There were a few anxious moments for Barnhard and the Rebels. He fell behind the Colts’ Greg Dube 5-2 early and was still down 9-6 in the second period when he scored on a reversal. Working Dube high around the neck and shoulders, he finally planted Dube’s shoulders on the match just as the buzzer sounded ending the second period. The Rebels had gotten the six points they were looking for.

What Barnhard called a “crazy match” gave Howell momentum it never relinquished.

The match began at 160 with Frank Mormino getting the Rebels on the scoreboard first, 4-0, with a 10-2 major decision over the Colts’ Keith Ianacioi.

CBA would take a 7-4 on a decision by Anthony Chirichello (over Pat Sheehan, 11-7) at 171 and a major decision by Ollie Ferraro (15-7 over Harry Turner) at 189.

When Dube was holding the lead over Barnhard, CBA was sensing upset again. Instead, it was the Colts who were upset when Barnhard just beat the buzzer and put Howell up 10-7. It was the first of several close matches that the Rebels pulled out.

Mike Bonfig, Howell’s 215 pounder was bumped up to heavyweight and worked out a 6-3 decision of CBA’s bigger Tyle Engelsbe.

At the bottom of the lineup, Gagliano broke up the one-two combo that he calls as good as anyone in the Shore — Joye Langel (103) and Cody Fobes (112) — by moving Fobes up to 119 and inserting Blaise Supczynski at 112. All three won as the Howell steamroller rolled on.

Langel scored a pin fall over Mike Cioffi in 1:32. Supczynski used a reversal in late in the third period to get a 7-6 win over Frank McGrall and Fobes scored a workman-like 3-1 decision over Joe Favia.

Justin Morello, displaying what Gagliano calls his wrestlers’ “never give up” approach, scored a takedown in the finals second to score a 7-6 decision over James Beshada.

Jim Bohn scored a 6-2 decision over John Menafra at 130 and Jay Ecklof pinned Steve Piscione in 3:00.

Paul Calafiore won Howell’s ninth straight match with a close call over Chris Finley, 6-5, at 140. Calafiore was holding a 6-5 lead and fighting of a takedown attempt by Finley when the buzzer sounded.

CBA (8-2) ended the match on a high noted with Dave Chirichello scoring a 4-3 win over Tom Tuminelli at 145, and Anthony DeLeo edging Billy Woodward, 2-1, at 152.

Those Colts wins say about as much about Howell’s strength as anything. Woodward, a Region champion last year and Tuminelli, District champion in ’05, are team leaders as well as outstanding wrestlers. That they could both lose close matches and Howell could still win by 28 points tells you why Howell is undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the state.

“This is great,” Barnhard said of the division title, the school’s 10th.

Howell had little time to celebrate its division title, the third of the year (the Rebels won the Battle at the Beach in Delaware and Roselle Park Invitational tournaments earlier) with the Shore Conference Tournament starting tonight.

“It’s [SCT] going to be a war,” said Gagliano. “There are a lot of good teams in the Shore.”

The SCT is a 16-team field that begins tonight with double-headers at the sites of the top four seeds. The four surviving teams advance to the semifinals and final on Saturday at Brick Memorial High School.

Howell is assured of being one of the top four seeds, probably No. 2 behind Jackson, top-rated in the Shore and No. 2 in the state.

The Rebels have never won the SCT, nor reached a final. That could all change this week.

“One thing I like about this team is that they are not just satisfied to win A North,” he said. “They want to get to the next level. They’re not looking ahead; just taking it one match at a time.”