Paulsboro powers past Delsea, 31-18

Niko Savaiinaea said the secret to Paulsboro's wrestling success is simple.

"If everyone takes care of their job, everything will work out," Savaiinaea said. "That's our philosophy."

On a night when its most accomplished wrestler, 138-pounder Ronnie Gentile, was a mysterious no-show for a highly anticipated match against a powerful rival, Paulsboro never blinked.

Savaiinaea set the tone with a dramatic win at 220 pounds in the second bout and Paulsboro rolled to a 31-18 victory over Delsea in a clash of Top 5 teams before a near-capacity crowd in the Red Raiders' gymnasium on Friday night.

"We were more aggressive than them," said Paulsboro coach Paul Morina, who won his 603d career match. "We never stopped wrestling."

Morina leaped in the air in celebration when his son Mike, a senior, won a 3-1 decision in overtime at 126 pounds - the Red Raiders' seventh straight victory to open the match.

"He didn't stop wrestling," Morina said of Mike Morina, who tied the bout with Delsea's Tom Carney at 1-1 with two seconds left in regulation when Carney was hit with a one-point penalty for locked hands.

One highlight for Delsea (13-3), the No. 4 team in The Inquirer rankings, was Lorenzo Ruggiero's 4-2 victory over Mick Croce in a featured bout at 152 pounds.

Ruggerio, a state place-winner in 2014, was wrestling in his second match for Delsea since transferring from Timber Creek.

Delsea wrestled without freshman standout Billy Janzer, a light middleweight who is battling a skin condition, according to Crusaders coach Greg Sawyer.

Sawyer said his team was "out-toughed" by Paulsboro.

"No doubt," Sawyer said. "But that's an easy thing to fix - toughness. It's how you approach the (practice) room and the way we'll approach some things. We'll get that toughness edge back."

No. 1 Paulsboro (14-0) won nine of 14 bouts, with Savaiinaea, Mike Morina and Zach Richards (170 pounds) scoring points late in the third period to register dramatic victories.

Senior Sam Morina, also the coach's son, scored the Red Raiders' lone pin at 138 pounds while junior Nick Duca picked up the only other bonus points with a major decision at 113 pounds.

"We left some bonus points out there," Paul Morina said.

The victory was particularly impressive given the absence of Paulsboro senior Gentile, who won the state championship last season at 138 pounds.

Gentile has been battling a shoulder ailment but wrestled for the Red Raiders in Wednesday's victory over West Deptford.

Paul Morina said he had "no explanation" for Gentile's absence.

"He's going through some things," Morina said. "I have no explanation for where he is. He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to wrestle."

Morina, who also is the school's principal, said he saw Gentile on Friday morning.

"I thought he was going to be here," Morina said. "I don't know where he is. That's all I can say."

Morina was proud of how the Red Raiders' reacted to the Gentile situation.

Savaiinaea said the team treated the absence of their star wrestler as adversity to overcome.

"That's the type of team we are," Savaiinaea said. "We just keep plugging away."

PAULSBORO 31, DELSEA 18

195: Tyler Biernacki, P, dec. Jake Hughes, 7-3; 220: Niko Savaiinaea, P, dec. Joe Fabrizio, 5-3; 285: Davontae Randall, P, dec. Mark Chaney, 5-0; 106: Nick Duca, P, dec. Chris Recinto, 10-2; 113: Nick Duca, p, dec. Edison Echevarria, 11-5; 120: Joey Perez, P, dec. John Hassett, 10-3; 126: Mike Morina, P, dec. Tom Carney, 3-1 OT; 132: Dustin Zeisloft, D, dec. Sam Giordano, 4-3; 138: Sam Morina, P, pin Mason Maxwell, 4:48; 145: Seth Summers, D, dec. Brian Richards, 9-7; 152: Lorenzo Ruggiero, dec. Mick Croce, 4-2; 160: Dom DeMarco, D, dec. Anthony King, 2-1; 170: Zach Richard, P, dec. Brad Dobzanski, 5-2; 182: Jake Hallowell, D, pin Josh Bailey, 4:53.

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