Kalt, Frayne and Ramos Fuel Pack Wrestlers Over Roxbury 49-19

By David Yaskulka

West Morris Central wrestling dominated long-time nemesis Roxbury before a big home crowd at Wolfpack Night Friday 1/17. WMC went 2-1 on the week, rising to 4-5 overall.

With the Pack clinging to a 16-13 lead, co-captain Nick Kaltenhauser (160, 5-2) delivered a critical coin-toss bout 6-4 victory.

“The feeling was pure excitement,” said Kaltenhauser. “Especially in front of our amazing home crowd. We have one of the most supportive fan sections. It makes every home match twice as good.”

Freshman Henry Frayne (182, 6-10) delivered a swing match first period pin against an even-record senior. Kevin Ramos (HWT, 11-5) capped the scoring with a pin over solid fellow senior Charles Lisa.

Frayne agreed with Kalt, saying “It was awesome to just be wrestling in that atmosphere. I was especially happy to contribute to the team.”

The match was marred by four forfeits, gifting 18 points to WMC and six to Roxbury.

Co-captains Eli Shepard (138, 13-3) and Colin Loughney (170, 11-5) made quick work of their opponents with first period pins, as Robert Bohr (132, 9-3) also delivered bonus points with a major.

The Gaels impressed down low where Thomas Conselyea, Luke Stanich and Franco Mazza won the night’s three marquis lightweight matches.

Some fans wished this victory over the Gaels were in 2018, when Roxbury topped WMC in a controversial heart breaker for the Section championship.

WMC fans enjoyed seeing future stars with Long Valley Youth Wrestling on the mat for “Wolfpack Night” with scores of parents and friends in the stands.

Frayne’s advice to the young grapplers? “The same thing the coaches tell me: just keep working hard and continue to try and improve with each practice or match.”

Campanaro Major Leads Pack Over Emerson 46-30

Michael Campanaro’s (106, 15-3) dominating 11-1 victory over Emerson’s No. 32 ranked (rankwrestlers.com) 9-3 junior Kenny Brouwer inspired the Wolfpack over Emerson on 1/15.

Matt Borgia (152, 10-9) won a key swing bout vs. a 10-6 junior.

“Before I went out on the mat, Coach [Ken] Rossi told me my opponent placed third in districts,” said Borgia. “I also placed third, so I had to give it my all. When I heard the final buzzer and saw we took the lead, I knew we weren't going to lose.”

Both Bohr and Jorge Montenegro (220, 9-9) pinned solid opponents. Ramos started the night off with a quick pin, as both Eli Shepard and Frayne also decked their opponents. Kaltenhauser returned from injury to give Coach Rossi a victory and bolster the 160 lb. weight class.

“It's a great feeling to be back on the mat with the team,” said Kaltenhauser. “Just a bunch of amazing and talented people to work with, so it made it easy to miss wrestling with the guys.”

Emerson’s hammers all won, including undefeated NJSIAA finalist Nick Babin (No. 3 this season), No. 10 ranked Logan Mazzeo, and No. 14 Cassey Allen. WMC broke Emerson’s five-dual win streak, dropping them to 8-4.

Attendance Counts as Del Val Tops WMC 28-27 Despite Loughney

Despite winning seven of the 13 bouts wrestled, WMC lost a heart breaker to Delaware Valley Saturday 1/18. Each team scored 27 points, but by virtue of tie breaker “F” – fewer forfeits -- Del Val prevailed by virtue of sending 14 guys to the mat.

“It was a heart breaker,” said Loughney. “We came from behind all day, up until the last match, and still fell short.”

In the penultimate bout, Campanaro needed a major victory to give the team a chance. His dominating 10-3 victory over a 13-win senior finished one point short. Michael Ferrante (113, 8-7) nailed a first period pin, knotting the score at 27 to complete the action.

Loughney (by fall), Bohr, Eli Shepard, Kaltenhauser, Battaglino and Campanaro all topped winning-record Terriers, but only Loughney and Ferrante could deliver critical bonus points. Loughney and Campanaro bested top-100 ranked wrestlers.

Del Val’s five highest-ranked wrestlers all won, but Terrier senior Matt Zdepski’s pin in a swing bout made him a hero. Battaglino answered by winning a dramatic swing bout for the Pack, but Del Val’s two highly ranked big men parried with one-point victories.

“Losses just motivate us more to win,” reflected Loughney.

Hare, Muttart and Brian Ramos Win Championships

Michael Hare (106), Dean Muttart (113) and Brian Ramos (220) rose to the top of the podium at Sunday’s West Morris Central JV Tournament, winning gold for the Pack. Joe Goldovsky (195) brought home silver, as Ricardo Guerrero (145) and Stefano Montella (182) took fourth place.

WMC hosts one of the toughest JV tournaments in the area. Last season, Nick Kaltenhauser took gold, and is now a varsity captain. Past JV tournament champs have included future varsity state qualifiers Mike Caso and John DeVito; regional qualifiers AJ Hill and Jon Vazquez, and many more successful varsity starters.

Mat Notes

Kaltenhauser is 3-0 since returning, and his only losses have been to non-NJSIAA wrestlers from Pennridge and Blair. Following a grueling stretch of facing four straight top-12 wrestlers, Loughney went 3-0 this week. He leads the team with eight falls. Campanaro remains the team win leader.

Next Up

The team returns home for No. 6 High Point 1/21. WMC visits No. 17 Pope John 1/23. The Eastern Quad is 1/25 (team TBA). Calendars are marked for Mendham @ WMC 1/28, and the Morris County Tournament 1/31 and 2/1 at Mt. Olive. The Wolfpack visit No. 3 North Hunterdon 2/4, and Sparta 2/5.

What does NJ.com think of WMC’s losing record? They rank WMC No. 5 in Group 3 -- above Delsea (6-6), Rahway (6-1), Mendham (4-3), Wall (3-1) and Absegami (8-1).

Credits

Laura Ferrante, Susan Hill and Margaret Stefanelli. Additional reporting from Jeff Hill.