Rebels are the team everyone is watching
Wrestling season starts this weekend
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
The 2008-09 high school wrestling season, which begins this weekend has a tough act to follow.

JEFF GRANIT staff Manalapan's Joe Mallalello (front) and Freehold Borough's Tom Post grapple during a scrimmage on Dec. 10.

Led by Howell's state championship Joey Langel (112), the 2007-08 season was a memorable one.

Langel snapped a 43-year state championship drought at Howell when he decisioned Ocean Township's Mike Berardesco, 6-2, in the 112 final in Atlantic City. Langel went 42-1 and was named the Most OutstandingWrestler at the NJSIAA District 21 championships.

Langel's teammate Harry Turner came close to giving the Rebels two state champions. Turner's bid for an undefeated season came to an end in the state final. He was also 42-1.

Marlboro's Charlie Frankel achieved his long-sought goal of winning a District 21 title last year and he went on to place third at 103 in Atlantic City. The Mustang senior joined the 100-career-wins club before his career concluded in A.C.

Colts Neck's Jimmy Somma broke new ground for his school's program by becoming the first Region champion and first state place-winner (sixth).

Last year's NJSIAA District 21 champions were Frankel, Langel, Fobes, Ryan McGilvray, Manalapan (135), Ryan Fry, Freehold Township (152), Jarrod Burdge, Colts Neck (189), Josh Davis, Freehold Borough (215), and Turner.

Langel, Turner and Somma (135) captured Region VI titles on their way to A.C.

Langel and teammate Cody Fobes joined the 100-career win during the season, as did Frankel.

The 2008-09 scholastic wrestling season gets under way this weekend with the Neptune Classic (Friday and Saturday) and the CBA Holiday Tournament (Saturday).

Howell

John Gagliano's Rebels have become the benchmark for area teams. They know they are going to get everyone's best shot and that will be the case again this winter.

The Rebels are coming off another outstanding season in which they ranked in the top 10 in the state and were 25-4 in dual meets. They repeated as the A North Division champions and reached the Shore Conference Tournament final for the first time in 20 years.

The Rebels, though, will have to replace a ton of talent with the graduations of Langel, Fobes, Turner, Jason Ecklof and Mike Bonfig, all of whom were four-year letter-winners. Howell has absorbed losses before and reloaded. That's what they'll have to do again.

"We were hit hard by graduation," noted Gagliano. "We have good young guys who worked hard in the offseason.

"We have a good nucleus of kids, the concern is they haven't been at the varsity level," he added. "They have to make the transition from back-up or jayvee to the varsity."

Howell does have returning talent in District place-winners Joe Esposito (119) and Jesse Holzhauer (145). Brian Wilson (130/135) and Mike Shaughnessy (125/130) each won over 20 matches last year, and Matt Reed (140) and Joe Melon (189) all had winning records.

Some of the wrestlers who were in and out of the lineup last year and who are being looked upon to be starters include Drew Thomas (112), Kevin Pantaleano (130/135), Chris Albanese (119) and Dominic Carnavale (215).

"We have some kids who have been sitting back the last couple of years, they are finally getting the opportunity to shine," said Gagliano. "This is their time to shine."

That attitude in the wrestling room is what counts the most to Gagliano, and thus far, he likes what he's seen.

"The kids are working hard, they have a good attitude in the room," Gagliano remarked. "They know what they have to do. Right now we're taking small steps."

This Howell team may like stoppers like Langel, Fobes and Turner, but Gagliano believes it has the chance to be more balanced than last year's squad. Howell will take its first steps toward finding out in Frankfurt, Del., this weekend at the Battle at the Beach tournament. Howell has won it the last two years.

The Rebels begin the dual-meet season on Dec. 22 against longtime rival Manalapan.

Manalapan

At Manalapan, Scott Pressman begins has second season with the Braves with optimism.

"We could be a surprise this year," he said. "We have a lot of guys who put in a lot of work in the offseason."

Vinny Signoriello (130), Kevin McGilvray (135) and Joe Mammalello (152) are the team's cornerstones. Signoriello won 27 matches last year, Mammalello was a District runner-up and McGilvray was an 18-match winner.

"They're the guys we'll lean on," said Pressman.

Other returnees include Reggie Hodge- Grant (103), Brian Belloff (189) and Dan Cushley (215/heavyweight).

Joe Russo (135), who was 11-5 before a dislocated elbow ended his season, is expected back. His replacement, John Wilson, who is also back, went 11-3.

Two newcomers figure to bolster the lineup. They are Matt Stevenson, who is up from the jayvee (he saw limited time last year) and transfer Chris Shea, who can battle at 215 or heavyweight.

Pressman and his wrestlers are very aware of Manalapan's rich tradition, and their goal this year is to continue to put down the building blocks toward the restoration of the Mat Rats as a Shore power.

"The main goal is to start getting the winning tradition back and establish ourselves as one of the Shore's top teams," he said.

Being consistent in everything they do, Pressman pointed out, is how the Braves can go about returning to the Shore's elite.

Freehold Township

Jack Withstandley's Freehold Township Patriots reaped the benefits of a challenging schedule last winter when the Pats had the best NJSIAA District 21 showing in years, third place behind Jackson Memorial and Howell.

The Pats return District 21 place-winners Gene Accardi (125/130) and Ken Brophy (125). Accardi was the District runner-up behind Langel. He has 91 career wins entering the 2008-09 and will surely join the 100-career-wins club before the year is out. He is already the school's winningest grappler.

Anthony DiPierro (130/135) won 23 matches last year and is back along with Joe Benedict (119).

Phil Caracappa (103) Ryan Geregely (140), Kyle Kasten (160) and Joe Szesko (171) gained experience last year and will play a bigger role in '09.

Two sophomore newcomers, Mark Pivinski (152) and Paul Simms (160), will be part of the starting lineup.

"We're going to be OK," said Withstandley. "We lost a lot of key guys, but our numbers are up.

"We have a lot of guys back and they are working well," he added. "We have a good atmosphere in the room."

The Pats will be looking for someone to step up in the upper weights, but in the lower and middleweights they are very solid and have depth.

Withstandley has added former Manalapan High School star Mike Gaeta to his coaching lineup this year. Gaeta was a fourtime District 21 champion with the Braves and a state place-winner. He went on to gain All-America status four times at Springfield (Mass.) College.

Freehold Township will start its season on Saturday at the Matawan Icebreaker Tournament.

Marlboro

Slipping under the radar it seems, the Marlboro Mustangs have been establishing a pretty solid record. The Mustangs have sent a wrestler to A.C. the last seven years, and for the last four years had a place-winner. They will be looking, among other things, to keep that streak alive this year.

Frankel continued the tradition that was led by state runner-up Nick Parisi last year.

The Mustangs return five wrestlers who won more than 20 matches in '08, led by Mitch Segal (171) and Greg Doukas (152), who each placed at the District championships and wrestled in the region.

Vinny Leone (112), Matt Horner (140) and Paul Saraiva (145) were the other Mustangs with more than 20 wins.

Horner, Saraiva and Doukas are the heart of the lineup in the 140-152 slots.

"The middle of our lineup is pretty tough," said Werntz.

James Stewart (103), Adam Ramadam (119), Alex Stustosorvich (125), Ben Dingert (13), Joe Jaramillo (160), Brandon Ferrick (171) and Sean Joseph (189) round out the starters.

While the Mustangs have a lot of returnees, Werntz pointed out that sophomores dominate the lineup. But, he added, they are talented.

With their youth, the Mustangs may be a year away, but they have enough to give teams trouble this year.

Colts Neck

Look out for Colts Neck, which appears ready to take off. Coach Robert Seidel's Cougars may be young, but it has a number of starters returning from a team that registered a number of firsts last year.

The Cougars qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament for the first time in the program's history, and Jimmy Somma became the school's first Region VI champion by capturing the 135-pound crown.

Somma's win and subsequent sixth place at the state championships, another Cougar first, may have had the most impact on the young Cougars. His success, Sieidel said, has inspired the young Cougars, none, more than sophomore Tyler Fraley.

Fraley, who will wrestle at 103 again, won 28 matches last year. This summer he won a national championship in freestyle wrestling and enters this season with newfound confidence.

"He has grown up a lot," said Seidel. "He's already accomplished a lot. It's all business with him. He wants to live up to his ranking (No. 2 in his weight class in the state)."

Anthony Anzalone (112) is another sophomore who won a lot of matches in 2008. Jimmy Somma's brother, Billy Somma (189), who won 20 matches, and Mike Heyer (heavyweight), are the other important returnees.

Billy Somma, a senior on this sophomore and junior-dominated team, is being counted on for more than just victories on the mat.

"He's the team leader," said Seidel.

Alex Brown (who can wrestle 112 or 119) and middleweights Matt Pappa and Ryan, Colts Neck, give the Cougar lineup some balance.

"We're a young team with a lot of young talent," said Seidel, who was a state placewinner himself while at Wall High School. "It could be a good year.

"Last year set a good stage," he added. "It was a big thing having the first Region champion."

The Cougars begin their season Saturday at the CBA Holiday Tournament.

Freehold Borough

Freehold Borough, which had a District champion in Davis, had only two seniors in the lineup in '08 and will be looking to build onto that experience for coach Matt Shepherd.

Davis, a junior, and senior Tom Post (140) are the Colonials jewels. Davis won the District 215 crown as a sophomore and 29 matches overall, while Post was a District runner-up and won 30 matches. Post also won the Holmdel Tournament where Davis was the runner-up.

David James (215) was fourth in the District and placed at the Holmdel tournament, as did Ryan Wold (112).

Steven Bravo (103), Andrew Soufleris (125), Brian Denbeigh (130), Robby Hoyt (135), Sam Weinstock (145), Shawn Baist (152), Sean Bell (171) and Jared Mostowsky (189) were last year's underclass starters.

The Colonials will start their campaign at the Neptune Classic.

The 2009 NJSIAA District 21 Championships are again back on Manalapan and will run Feb. 20-21. This tournament is the start of the run to the state championships in Atlantic City.

Region VI will follow on Feb. 24, 27 and 28 at the Ritacco Center at Toms River North High School and the state championships are March 6-8.

This year's team state sectional championships are Feb. 9, 11 and 13.