Jags keep the streak going in District 21
Jackson wins again; Howell's Langel outstanding wrestler
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Jackson Memorial High School's wrestling team didn't need any reminders about what was at stake at Saturday NJSIAADistrict 21 Tournament.

"Between Scott [Winston] and me, we didn't want to be remembered for being the team that lost all the streaks," said Sean Byrnes. "We still had one thing left."

That was the District tournament hosted by Manalapan High School, a tournament Jackson had won the last 10 years running.

In a campaign in which the Jaguars lost their top ranking in the state along with the Shore Conference Tournament, Central Jersey Group IV and State Group IV championship they seemedmore vulnerable than ever. They had lost that aura of invincibility and their rivals,Howell, had knocked them out of the SCT, giving the Rebels confidence.

But, with Winston and Byrnes playing their part, the Jaguars were up to the challenge on Saturday and easily defended their championship piling up 227½ points while runner-up Howell had 179½. The team did not go down in school history as the one that had lost all the streaks. It's 11 and counting in District 21.

Winston, who ran his career record to 130-0, won his third consecutive District title with an impressive win over a very formidable opponent,Howell's Jason Eckolf, in the 160 final.Winston scored 12 takedowns on his way to a 24-8 tech fall win. He's 29-0 in 2007-08.

Byrnes won his first District title after two runners-up, nipping Howell's Jesse Holzhauer, 1-0, in the 145 final. The score didn'tmatter to Byrnes, who just wanted to get to the top step of the podium.

"I wrestled conservatively," said Byrnes. "If it was dual meet, I probably would have been more aggressive."

Also winning District gold for the Jaguars were: B.J.Young (119), an 8-0 winner over Freehold Township's Mike Tabasco; Derrick Russell (125), who major decisioned Matawan's Cesare Antista, 9-1; and Tyler Wilton (140), an 8-3 winner over Tom Post of Freehold Township. It was the second District title for Russell.

The Jags also had three wrestlers finish second, Tyler Biscaha (103), Joe Mammalello (152) Justin Georgiano (215) and Ryan Byrnes (heavyweight).

Jackson Memorial began this winning streak in 1998 when coach DougWithstandley was a freshman. The team continued the streak during his scholastic career. When he returned to the program (after an outstanding collegiate career at Purdue University), he was pleased to see that that streak was still going.

Withstandley, who won a state title for the Jaguars, had the most difficult job in the state this winter replacing Scott Goodale, who led the Jags to back-to-back Group IV state titles and the No. 1 ranking in the state. They Jags had a great year winning the Shore Conference A South Division title again, but fell short in the SCT and state sectional.

Jackson, though, kept its District 21 streak alive with another dominating performance putting eight wrestlers through to the finals with five winners and having three others finish third.

"They wrestled tomy expectations," said Withstandley. "I'mextremely proud of them all."

Howell's Joey Langel was the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. He routed a very competitive weight class, at 112, winning his first two matches by pin and then scoring a technical fall win over returning state place-winner Gene Accardi of Freehold Township, 18-3.

"I was happy with the way I wrestled," said Langel. "I went out to wrestle my match.

"From here on out you have to go as hard as you can," he said in running his record on '08 to 35-1.

Langel is now a two-time District champion having won as a sophomore. Teammate Cody Fobes joined Winston as a three-time District 21 winner. Fobes was very impressive himself in winning the 130 crown.He won by tech fall over ColtsNeck's Chris Fraley, 18-3.

"Winning a District title gives your confidence a boost," said the 2007 state runnerup. "There is still a lot of work to do done."

Fobes is 29-2.

The Rebels' Harry Turner moved up to heavyweight (he won a wrestle-off from Mike Bonfig) and didn't miss a beat. He remained undefeated on the season running his record to 36-0 scoring a major decision, 9-0, over defending champion Byrnes of Jackson.

Turner, who wrestled at 215 formuch of the dual-meet season, said that hemade up his mind to go heavyweight when he won his match at the weight class at the New Jersey Coaches All-Star Classic.

"I think my quickness gives me a bit of an edge," he said.

It certainly looked that way in hismarch through the division on his way to his first District title.

The happiest wrestler at Saturday's tournament was Marlboro's Charlie Frankel. When he won his quarterfinal match, he picked up his 100th career victory. In the final, he won his first District 21 championship by gaining a measure of revenge fromJackson's top-seed Biscaha,who had beaten him at the All-Star Classic.

Biscaha appeared headed for another win holding a 3-1 lead in the third period, but, Frankel was not going to settle for anything less than a victory. He would tie the match at 3-3 on a takedown with 40 seconds left and scored the winning points as time expired when he put Biscaha in a cra- dle and onto his back

"It was heart," said Frankel, who is 32- 2. "I just wanted it. I couldn't let himgo 2-0 on me.

"I went for a low singled and was able to turn it into a double," he added.

Frankel's cousin is Accardi. Like last year, both, advanced to this weekend's Region VI Tournament in Toms River.

While wrestlers like Winston, Langel and Fobes had fond memories of previous District tournaments, Freehold Borough sophomore Josh Davis, used an unpleasant memory from last year as his motivation.

"I didn't get by Friday night [quarterfinals] last year," said Davis. "I was determined it wouldn't happen this year. I put so much work into the off season.

"I told myself in the last two weeks that I was going to win this," he added.

And, he did beating Jackson's Georgiano, 3-0, in the 215 final. He raised his record to 28-3.He has the look of a potential multiple District champion.

Manalapan's Ryan McGilvray gave the home fans something to cheer about. He won an exciting 6-5 decision over returning champion Jimmy Somma of Colts Neck. The winning point came on an escape early in the third period. His is 30-1.

Freehold Township's Ryan Fry beat Mammalello, 9-0, in the 152 final to win his first championship. He improved to 20-11.

Colts Neck's Jarrod Burdge picked up his first District title beating Matawan's Robert Rivera, 5-2, in the 189 final. Burdge, a senior, is 25-8.

St. John Vianney's Mike Kevlin and Howell's Matt Woodward went to overtime in the 171 final. Kevlin broke the 1-1 tie with a takedown. He's 31-3.

Howell's John Gagliano, who led the Rebels to three titles including a third straight A North Division championship and, a berth in the SCT final, was named by his peers as the 2008 District 21 Coach of the Year.