Loughney, Campanaro, Ferrante and Shepard Golden at Goles Tourney

By David Yaskulka

Colin Loughney (6-1, 170 lbs.) successfully defended his John Goles Tournament crown Friday, as fellow senior captain Eli Shepard (6-1, 145), freshman Michael Campanaro (9-1, 106) and sophomore Michael Ferrante (4-2, 113) joined him as tournament champions.

Campanaro is the first West Morris Central freshman to win Goles in recent history. He topped North Hunterdon freshman Logan Wadle (#42 in NJ, according to rankwrestlers.com) in the finals.

“The key for me was getting the first takedown in every match,” reflected Campanaro. “Winning [the championship] felt good, but I know work still has to be done.”

Robert Bohr (2-1, 138) placed second, and Malachi Shepard (6-4, 126) third to help lead WMC to second.

Top-10 powerhouse North Hunterdon won convincingly, as WMC topped Warren Hills, Del Val and five other squads for second. North scored a staggering 256 team points, the highest in Goles’ storied history.

“The coaches thought we had a quality performance,” said WMC head coach Ken Rossi. We are pleased, but not satisfied. The boys are in good shape and wrestling competitively, but we have a lot of technique to work on.”

Breakout Stars

Breakout performers were freshman Henry Frayne (3-4, 182) and first-time senior wrestler Mike Battaglino (3-4, 195). They both placed fourth, along with senior Matt Borgia (6-4, 152). Michael Hare (4-4, 106), Dean Muttart (3-5, 113), Jorge Montenegro (5-4, 220) and Kevin Ramos (5-3, HWT) all placed sixth.

“By far the coolest move of the tournament,” according to Loughney, “was Nick Chisari’s (120) throw in the first round. It’s something we practice, and he was able to transition that into a match,” pinning his opponent. It was one of two wins for the junior contributing to the Wolfpack’s points.

Ferrante led the tournament in team points, with 26. He topped fellow sophomore Robert Groogan (#67) in the finals, where Ferrante said “my opponent was dominating me on top for the first whole period. After the first period he chose down and I wanted to give him the same pressure and riding time as he did with me the period before. And as he tried to escape, I caught him and ended the match.”

“Winning my first high school tournament was a great feeling and a self-esteem boost. I know I can do more and go further this year,” said Ferrante, who did not place at Goles last year. “To win it this year just proves I’ve been working hard.”

Senior Leadership

Eli Shepard topped previously-undefeated North senior Evan Klimas (#18), a two-time Region qualifier, in the finals. Now, Eli is #17.

“It feels good to be a two-time Goles champ,” said Loughney, who pinned North junior James Holder (#39) for the crown. “It was one of my many goals for the season.” Wrestling Full Circle ranks Loughney #8 in NJ, #11 at RankWrestlers.com.

Bohr lost in the finals to the highest-ranked wrestler in the tournament, junior JoJo Lotruglio (#13), a two-time District finalist for Newton.

In all, there were 10 champions not seeded #1 – including Campanaro (seeded #4) and Ferrante (#2 seed). North Hunterdon crowned five champions, WMC four, Newton and Warren Hills two, and Del Val one.

“We are a young team with a lot of potential,” said Loughney, an NYU commit. “We just need to focus on staying in good position and making smart decisions on the mat.”

Rossi agreed, saying, “Wrestling good competition exposes areas of concern individually and as a team and we are going to be addressing those areas the next few practices before the dual meet season begins. So far, our older wrestlers have been wrestling tough and it is nice to see the younger guys stepping it up as well. We will need some young wrestlers and some inexperienced wrestlers to step up if we are going to succeed as a team.”

Dynamic Duo

Winning Goles gold at 106 and 113, Rossi’s light weight “Michaels” can be a dynamic duo at the start of the lineup.

“Michael Campanaro and I met at a wrestling tournament when we were little, little kids,” said Ferrante. “Our parents also became great friends and over the years we all became closer and closer and wrestling was a big part of it. As we got older we knew we wanted to be on the same team and be there for each other throughout high school.

“Seeing us in the finals was a great experience for the both of us and a great way to start off our season together.”

Goles History

"This tournament, started in 1958 by [Washington and Warren Hills coach] John Goles, is the second oldest holiday tournament in New Jersey," according to the event web site.

Last year, Luke Stefanelli, John DeVito and Loughney won gold, as WMC took silver behind 12 medalists. Montenegro and Malachi took fourth.

In 2017, Marco Gaita became a 3-peat champ, as Eli Shepard took home silver. WMC won bronze.

In 2016, Gaita, Shane Metzler and Kade Loughney repeated as champions, as Mike Caso wonhis first to pace the team to bronze. Colin Loughney was the first freshman in memory to win silver.

In 2015, WMC won five gold medals and the team placed third. Metzler, Kade Loughney, Caleb Isemann and Alex Kaltenhauser topped the podium, along with Gaita. In 2014, WMC placed second, with Metzler and Dylan Luciano gaining gold. In 2013, Jesse Windt gained gold for the Pack. At 2012 Goles, Nick Matthews and John Sickles were champs.

Next Up

The team wrestles Southern, Paramus and home team Mt. Olive 1/4/20, visits Montville 1/7 and powerhouse Delbarton 1/9. The home opener is 1/11 vs. state ranked Hanover Park, then the team travels to Emerson 1/15, Roxbury 1/17, the Del Val tri 1/18, and returns home for High Point 1/21.