Langel brings state wrestling title to Howell
Rebels' Turner, second, Mustangs' Frankel, third, at Atlantic City finals
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Move over Carlos Fontanez. After 43 years, Howell High School's previous state wrestling champion finally has some company.

JEFF GRANIT staff Marlboro High School's Charlie Frankel tries to escape during his 103-pound third place bout against Dave Della Torre of River Dell High School in Oradell during the NJSIAA state wrestling tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Frankel won the match by a score of 2-0.

Joey Langel became the second Howell wrestler to claima state crown onMarch 11 at the NJSIAA State Championships in Atlantic City. The Rutgers University-bound Langel defeatedOcean Township'sMike Berardesco, 6-2, in the 112-pound final to capture the school's first state title since Fontanez won his crown in 1965.

"This was good for the town and the program," Rebels' Coach John Gagliano said. "The community deserves to have a state champion."

Langel admitted that the magnitude of his accomplishment hadn't quite set in.

"It really hasn't hit me yet, but it's great," he said after his victory.

Langel made it to the state tournament in Atlantic City the past two years, but came up one match short of the medal round both times. Gagliano said those close calls motivated Langel this season.

"I had an idea that I could go out and at least place, but winning states was like a big goal," said Langel. "I guess I aimed for that, but expecting it once you get down there is a whole different thing."

From the first day of the season Langel has talked about maintaining his work ethic and focus. Neither left him throughout his remarkable campaign.

It was his decisive win against 2007 state champion Frank Cagina of Queen of Peace in the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Invitational that made everyone stand up and take notice of him. It was then, Gagliano noted, that the words "Langel" and "state champion" were first mentioned in the same breath. After winning the District 21 and Region VI crowns, Langel was the top seed at 112 pounds in the state tournament.

"We knew he had the ability to do it, but it came down to his ability to handle the pressure of being the top seed," said Gagliano.

Langel handled it like someone who had been there before, in other words, very well.

In the final he was up against a familiar opponent in Berardesco.Although they had not wrestled against each other during the dual meet season, they had scrapped many a time and knew each other's game.

"He showed me basically what I expected," Langel said. "I mean, we've been wrestling each other since middle school. We both go to Shore Thing [wrestling club], so we knew each other like the back of our hands."

Langel's goal was to get on the scoreboard first and wrestle with the lead. He accomplished that with a first-period takedown. He extended the lead with a reversal in the second period and closed out the 6-2 triumph with a takedown in the third period.

To get to the final, Langel beat Zach Dipini of Wallkill Valley, 5-0, in the first round. He decisioned Peter Terezza of New Providence, 8-3, in the quarterfinals and got by Paulsboro's Joe Duca, 3-2, in the semifinals.

Besides Langel's strong work ethic and desire, Gagliano said the grappler's greatest asset were his hips.

"He has the most amazing hips," said the Rebels' coach. "Kids just couldn't catch him, they couldn't finish against him. He's difficult to score against."

Just before Langel took the mat for his title bout, his teammate Harry Turner was trying to become Howell's first state champion since Fontanez. The championship round began by a coin flip with the 189-pound bout.

Turner was 42-0 entering the final and he was up against Manchester's James Lawson. Turner had stamped himself as a serious state contender when he pinned Lawson at the Coaches Invitational.

In the rematch on March 11, Lawson drew first blood with a takedown in the first period countering a Turner shoot. Lawson wrestled conservatively with the lead and held off repeated takedown attempts

by Turner in the final moments of the match to hold on for a 4-3 victory.

"Harry was devastated," Gagliano said of Turner's loss.

Gagliano said he will use Turner as a role model in the future because of the way his career played out.

"Harry was an incredible story," the coach pointed out. "He was 0-5 as a freshman and a second string substitute as a sophomore. He was third in the district tournament as a junior, and this year he got all the way to the state final. He progressed so much because of all his hard work and dedication."

Turner and Langel each finished the season with identical 42-1 records, sharing the school record for wins in a season.

"To have two kids in the finals was amazing," Gagliano said.

Howell's Jason Ecklof (160) won his first match at Atlantic City and finished in the top 16 for the Rebels.

Marlboro's Charlie Frankel improved on his 2007 placing (seventh) by winning his third-place consolation match at 103 pounds. TheMarlboro senior won a 2-0 decision over Dave Della Torre of River Dell. He joined his former teammate Nick Parisi as the only two-time state placewinners inMarlboro history. Earlier in the season, the 2008 District 21 champion captured his 100th career victory.

Frankel was pleased he got to end his career by winning his last match.

"I knew it was my last match ever," he said of his consolation match. "I just wanted to end up with a win. It's sad that it's all over now, but it's been a good run."

When he won the Region VI championship, Colts Neck's Jimmy Somma created a new category on the Cougars' young Wall of Champions.

In Atlantic City, Somma continued to write school history, becoming the first Cougar to place at the state championships. He lost the fifth-sixth consolation match to Anthony Dattolo of Roxbury by pin and settled for sixth place. The Cougars can now add state place-winners on their Wall of Fame with Somma on the top as the first.

Doug McKenzie contributed to this story