Point Pleasant Borough wrestling overcomes adversity to advance to sectional final

HAZLET - Monday night could not have started off any worse for the Point Pleasant Borough High School wrestling team at Raritan High School's "Launch Pad.''

The Panthers fell into a 21-point hole against Holmdel after four bouts in a NJSIAA Central Group 2 quarterfinal and had one of its best wrestlers - junior 126-pounder Frankie Burgio - injury default.

However, it turned out to be a night where a young team grew up. Point Borough rallied from the early hole and advanced to the Central Group 2 championship match. The Panthers defeated Raritan 37-31 in the semifinal after they had defeated Holmdel 38-29.

Burgio, a two-time state qualifier, was winning his bout against Holmdel 9-6 when he injury defaulted. He did not wrestle against Raritan.

"Our senior leadership showed these young guys, you're never out of it, keep fighting, keep battling and believe in each other,'' Point Borough coach Pat Brady said. "Coming back to when two is awesome.''

What it means

Point Borough (14-3) advanced to the Central Group 2 championship match for the second straight season. It will wrestle at No. 1 seed Rumson-Fair Haven (15-1) Wednesday night.

The win over Raritan (17-9) also avenged a loss in last year's sectional final.

The defeat was the final home match for Raritan's highly successful head coach Rob Nucci. Nucci is resigning at the end of the season and will coach the Hazlet Middle School Team next season, He concludes the dual-meet portion of his career with 474 wins - 456 in his 23 seasons at Raritan - two Group 2 championships and five sectional titles.

Tanner Hynes applies the hammer

Tanner Hynes, who bumped up to 215 to pin against Holmdel, was trailing Ryan Settle (bumped up from 175) 4-0 when he reversed Settle and eventually rolled him over to his back for the pin with one second left in the second period. The pin gave Point Borough a 25-16 with five bouts remaining

Before he reversed Settle, Hynes had difficulty getting out from bottom in both the first and second periods. He fought off his back early in the second period and was close to being on his back several other times.

"I had a really tough loss to Princeton (on Jan. 22) when the kid was riding boots,'' Hynes said. "Every day, in the room, I'd always just take a couple of minutes to work on the boots. I knew I was going to get out. I believed in my training 100 percent of the time.

"I knew it was coming and once I had the hammer on his back, I knew he was done and it was six (a pin). ''

Brady said Hynes is the type of wrestler good teams need to have to win big matches.

"He's a tough, throwback Point Borough kid,'' Brady said. "He's blue-collar, comes from a great family and has a never quit, never die attitude. He's going to work his rear end off to get to where he is.''

Hynes' pin was the middle of a three straight pin sequence that enabled the Panthers to build a 31-16 lead headed into the final four bouts. Senior Ryan Acquisto began the sequance by bumping up to 175 and senior Ryan Jankowski concluded the run at 215.

The Panthers won five straight bouts from 157-215 to erase a 16-6 deficit.

A pin by two-time state qualifier Joey DeAngelo (113) in the next-to-last bout clinched the match.

Key wins to start the match

Senior Jared Drewes (126) and sophomore Jack Barger (132) began the match by grinding out decisions in tossup bouts to compenstate for the absence of Burgio.

"Everybody loves Jared Drewes. He's a program kid. He was able to have his moment tonight,'' Brady said.

"That gave us a lot of momentum,'' Hynes said. "Those two kids (Drewes and Barger) are probably the two nicest kids. They're always working their rear ends off every single day. They delivered and they won us this match.''

How Point Borough rallied against Holmdel

Consecutive pins by freshman Jake Clayton (157), sophomore James Bradley (165) and Acquisto (175) pulled the Panthers within 23-21. Hynes' pin made it 29-27 and offset a pin by Holmdel sophomore Alex Reyes. Wins by sophomores George Walsh (heavyweight), Michael DeAngelo (106) and a technical fall by Joey DeAngelo (113) closed out the match.

Point Pleasant Borough 37, Raritan 31

126: Jared Drewes (PBo) d. Owen Brackett 8-4.

132: Jack Barger (PBo) d. Matt Askander 3-2.

138: Aidan Davis (R) md. Luke Renna 15-4.

144: Zach Reilley (R) p. Jack Watson :51.

150: Alex Delaurier (R) p. Brayden Clark 1:43.

157: Jake Clayton (PBo) d. Logan Acevedo 9-4.

165: James Bradley (PBo) md. Giacobe Manon 13-3.

175: Ryan Acquisto (PBo) p, Anthony Gin 2:34.

190: Tanner Hynes (PBo) p. Ryan Settle 3:59.

215: Ryan Jankowski (PBo) p. Nate Pereita 2:13.

HWT: Jonathan Gazerwitz (R) d. George Walsh 6-5.

106: Nicholas Sheldrick (R) p. Michael DeAngelo :36.

113: Joey DeAngelo (PBo) p. Justin Card 3:35.

120: Charles Geoghan (R) by forfeit.

Point Pleasant Borough 38, Holmdel 29

120: Nicholas Paulino (H) p. West Matta 3:50.

126: Airan Fernandez (H) by injury default over Frankie Burgio.

132: Anthony Paulino (H) p. Jared Drewes 3:45.

138: Shahood Khan (H) d. Luke Renna 5-1.

144: Brayden Clark (PBo) d. James Vanderham 3-1.

NOTE: Holmdel deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike-conduct.

150: Michael Todisco (H) d. Braden Pratt 6-4.

157: Jake Clayton (PBo) p. Jack Cleary :53.

165: James Bradley (PBo) p. Asher Martinez 5:31.

175: Ryan Acquisto (PBo) p. Alexander Todisco 5:25.

190: Alex Reyes (H) p. Aiden Wilson 2:44.

215: Tanner Hynes (PBo) Hamsa Elmesei 3:55.

HWT: George Walsh (PBo) d. John Gann 3-0.

106: Michael DeAngelo (PBo) d. Rowen Blackmore 8-3.

113: Joey DeAngelo (PBo) tf. Dylan Placca 5:26 (19-4).

Wednesday's NJSIAA Sectional Championship Matches

For Shore Conference teams

Central Group 4

2. Brick Memorial at 1. Colts Neck, 5:30 p.m.

Central Group 3

3. Ocean at 1. Hopewell Valley

Central Group 2

3. Point Pleasant Borough at 1. Rumson-Fair Haven

Central Group 1

2. Point Pleasant Beach at 1. Delaware Valley

South Group 5

3. Kingsway at 1. Southern, 6 p.m.

Monday's NJSIAA Tournament Scores

For Shore Conference teams

Public School Sectional Semifinals

North 2 Group 4

2. North Hunterdon 41, 3. Middletown North 18

Central Group 5

1. Hunterdon Central 45, 4. Howell 27

Central Group 4

1. Colts Neck 53, 4. Hightstown 11

2. Brick Memorial 40, 6. Jackson Memorial 22

Central Group 3

3. Ocean 48, 2. Robbinsville 28

Central Group 2

1. Rumson-Fair Haven 54, 5. Cinnaminson 21

3. Point Pleasant Borough 37, 2. Raritan 31

Central Group 1

2. Point Pleasant Beach 44, 6. Keansburg 33

South Group 5

1. Southern 65, 4. Highland 12

South Group 3

1. Delsea 64, 4. Jackson Liberty 6

3. Ocean 36, 2. Lacey 28

Public School Sectional Quarterfinals

North 2 Group 4

3. Middletown North 40, 6. Middletown South 35

Central Group 5

1. Hunterdon Centra 75l, 8. Marlboro 0

4. Howel 44 5. Old Bridge 30

Central Group 4

1. Colts Neck 55, 8. Bordentown 18

2. Brick Memorial 71, 7. Hamilton East 0

6. Jackson Memoria 40, 3. Manalapan 27

Central Group 3

3. Ocean 51, 6. Somerville 27

Central Group 2

1. Rumson-Fair Haven 54, 8. Delran 21

5. Cinnaminson 38, 4. Wall 37

NOTE: Cinnaminson wins on criteria, least amount of forfeits (0-1).

3. Point Pleasant Borough 38, 6. Holmdel 29

2. Raritan 51, 7. Manasquan 27

Central Group 1

1. Delaware Valley 72, 8. Asbury Park 6

2. Point Pleasant Beach 54 7, Shore 24

6. Keansburg 49, 3. Metuchen 22

South Group 5

1. Southern 74, 8. Eastern 6

South Group 4

2. Hammonton 48, 7. Toms River East 18

South Group 3

4. Jackson Liberty 38, 5. Seneca 36

2. Lacey 46, 7. Timber Creek 29

South Group 2

4. Collingswood 45, 5. Barnegat 33

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Point Pleasant Borough wrestling overcomes adversity to advance to sectional final