By paul salus
Staff Writer

This is the time of year that most wrestlers prepare for all season. With the team portion of the state tournament out of the way, the focus turns to individual competition, with the district tournaments getting under way today.

Local teams are gearing up for their respective tournaments with anticipation, as the team competition in at least one of the local districts appears to be up for grabs.

Two local teams, Long Branch and Shore Regional, will take part in what should be a wide-open competition in District 23, which will be held at Long Branch High School.

The anticipation for this year’s tournament is at a feverish pitch, as Brick Memorial enters the competition as anything but the favorite, despite having won the district title for the last 11 years. The Mustangs will be without top grappler Kasey Stahlin (out with an injury); Brian Karatz, who has left the team; and a third wrestler who is in the process of being questioned regarding his residency.

That leaves the field wide open for a number of other teams, all of whom have a legitimate shot at claiming the team title. Among the competition expected to battle it out for the crown are Point Pleasant Borough, Wall, Brick, and Point Beach.

As for Long Branch, head coach Dan George is hoping for an inspired effort from his squad, which has enjoyed a stellar season, posting an 11-6 mark.

"We’re looking to our seniors to lead the way, just like they have all season. They have all been doing really well. They carried us to a B-North title, and that’s an impressive accomplishment," he said. "We’re just really concentrating on each other, and focusing on everybody individually. We want to put the pressure on the individual effort, get these guys pumped up for their matches, and obviously the team left standing will benefit from that."

Seniors Pat Tedeschi (22-1 at 145), Chuck Ferrara (15-5 at 189), Mike Stanno (17-8 at 130) and Romeo Elcano (13-6 at 152) lead the way for the Green Wave as they look to advance upwards of seven wrestlers to next week’s regional competition.

"These four are very talented and all have the ability to move on," George said. "They won us a division title and now it’s their time to shine as individuals."

Sophomore Manny Navaro, who took second in the district last year at 215 pounds, is 18-2 this season as a heavyweight and expects to make a run at the overall title.

"Manny has also had a solid season," George said. "It’s his second year in the program and he has a solid shot at making some noise beyond this weekend."

George added that sophomore Nick Greoger (19-3 at 112) and junior Don Conover (8-6 at 215) have also been solid contributors, and he expects them to do well this weekend, as well as sophomore Rudy Hernandez (9-5 at 125), sophomore Anthony Loring (10-8 at 140) and junior Joe Miscia (11-9 at 160).

Long Branch finished in fifth place at least year’s 10-team tournament and is hoping for a better finish this time around.

The Shore Regional Blue Devils finished in seventh place last year, and could also make some noise at this year’s competition.

Head coach Rich Santangelo is realistic about his team’s chances, but his hopes are high for his powerhouse seniors.

"Our district is one of the tougher ones in the state and our chances as a team are limited," he said. "This one (competition) is just for the kids to showcase their individual skills."

Santangelo is confident his two best wrestlers, seniors Geoff Embry (12-7 at 135) and Andrew Vocalo (160), can step up their efforts and come away with medals.

"Vocalo is 17-8 this year but has lost two district matches this past week," Santangelo said. "He was in both of them, but he just fell a bit short. At best, he’s only going to pull a four seed, which will make his task a very tough one. Also, 160 is one of the more competitive weight classes, and there are some great wrestlers out there."

Santangelo is also expecting some good things from freshman Adam Scherella at 215 pounds.

"Adam has also done really well in his division matches this year. He’s a strong kid, and has some key wins. With some luck, he should pull a four or five seed," the coach said. Other than that, Santangelo is not sure what to expect from his guys.

"I have a lot of guys right on the bubble right now," he said. "For them, it would be nice to get a first-round win and end their season above the .500 mark.

"How well my guys will do depends a lot on how they are seeded. Let’s hope it works in their favor," Santangelo added.

The District 23 tournament is scheduled to start tonight at 6 in Long Branch with the first and second rounds. The competition will continue tomorrow with the semifinals at noon, followed by the consolation round and the finals. The finals are scheduled for 6 p.m.

District 22

Middletown North is the defending champion in District 22 after having nine wrestlers medal in last year’s competition, where they topped Ocean 188-159. While North remains one of the favorites in District 22, a handful of new contenders should make their presence felt this year. Ocean is strong once again but not as well-rounded as CBA (a team that is hungry for the gold medal after taking third last year) and Rumson-Fair Haven.

The Spartans are led by senior Mike Apicelli, who enters the tournament at 19-2 at 119 pounds. Apicelli will face some tough competition in a very good weight class.

Ocean has a number of other wrestlers who could contend for medals, including senior Derek Opoku-Darko (18-5 at 135) and junior Greg Soto (16-5 at 160).

Rumson-Fair Haven is also battling for the team title this year. The Bulldogs have one of the deepest teams in the competition. Headed by state title contenders Bryan Heller (135) and Patrick Berger (119), both of whom are undefeated this season, the Bulldogs are dominant in the lower-to-middle weights and could steal the team title with some strong showings from some of their less heralded wrestlers.

Among the grapplers to watch from Rumson are junior David Ruthenbeck (18-7 at 103); senior Greg Redman (20-5); freshman J.C. Clark (17-7); senior Chris Schrank (13-7); sophomore Sterling McAuliffe (16-6); and senior John McAuliffe (23-2). Senior Joe Scofi also seems to be 100 percent, finally, and could be a threat at 215 where he is 15-5 on the year.

Rumson may be the sleeper pick in this district, although a strong Raritan High School team could surprise the field.

Red Bank Catholic, Monmouth Regional and Red Bank Regional will also be in the District 22 field, although they are not expected to compete for the team title.For the Bucs, senior Brandon Scott will be looking to win his second consecutive district title. Scott won the 145-pound title last year (Red Bank’s only medal), and will be looking to add a 152-pound gold to his collection. In addition, the Bucs should get strong efforts from 112-pound junior Zack Lenz (18-3 on the year), senior Mike McDonald (16-5 at 140 pounds), and junior heavyweight Anthony Lawrence (13-4).

Monmouth Regional has had a great season, recording its first winning season in history at 11-10. It got its first district title last year when Tom Hayes won at 135 pounds, and are expecting some solid showings this time around from a handful of grapplers, including juniors Joe Silva (17-6 at 119), Aimon Meshal (19-6 at 140) and Luke Panizzi (21-4 at 215). With some strong performances from some of the younger wrestlers, the Golden Falcons could improve on last year’s eighth-place finish.

RBC senior Mark Minett will look to advance past the district tournament for the second year in a row after taking third last year at 112 pounds.

The District 22 tournament will be held at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls beginning Friday at 6 p.m. The semifinals, consolations and finals will be held on Saturday starting at 10 a.m., with the finals tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m.

— Doug McKenzie contributed to this story