Haddonfield quintet reaches Region 7 semifinals

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. - Haddonfield's Kyle Klaus led the largest contingent of area wrestlers into the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Region 7 tournament Friday night. Five of the nine Bulldogs advanced to the semifinal round scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at Robbinsville High.

Klaus, the top seed at 112 pounds, made short work of eighth-seeded Austin Wright of Lenape, pinning him with a cradle in 27 seconds to improve to 33-2.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to get to the semifinals," said Klaus, a three-time district winner who is after his first region title after placing second the last two years. "It would be ideal for all [nine] of us to get to the semis."

Some of the other Haddonfield grapplers weren't so fortunate. Asher Weinstein had the misfortune to be the eighth seed at 119, drawing probably the best wrestler at that weight in the state: Eastern's Rob Deutsch. Deutsch defeated Weinstein by technical fall in 5 minutes, 46 seconds to send him to the consolation wrestlebacks Saturday.

Whitten Oswald (140), Logan Vielehr (152), and Kevin Gregorio (125) joined Weinstein in the consolations. Will Dengler (145), Rob Schlitt (160), Carson Stack (189), and Kris Rahn (215) joined Klaus in the semifinals.

Matt Sausman and T.J. Miller, second seeds at 125 and 135, respectively, led a half-dozen Camden Catholic wrestlers into the quarterfinals. Sausman pinned New Egypt's Sean Pryzblkowski in 1:06, and Miller registered a fall over Eastern's Kris Castagnola with a quarter-nelson in 1 minute, 41 seconds to advance.

"I have to prepare like it's another match [Saturday] and wrestle six minutes," said Miller, who won the Region 7 and District 27 titles last season at 125 as a freshman and placed third at states.

Camden Catholic's John Amato (103) and Aaron Lambert (130), were involved in toss-up bouts at 103 and 130, respectively. Lambert advanced to the semifinals; Amato went to wrestlebacks.

Camden Catholic's Chad Walsh (119) advanced to the semifinals by pinning Cherokee's D.J. Mele with a cradle in 2:38.

"It was a tough match," Walsh said. "I couldn't score in the beginning, and then I got him with my move."

Walsh is in a highly competitive weight class, which features top-seeded the undefeated Deutsch and Burlington Township's Kevin Devoy.

"If I beat Devoy [in the semifinals], then I have Deutsch," Walsh said. "He beat me by major decision the last time we met."

Tony Giancola was Collingswood's only top seed and made the most of the opportunity by scoring a major decision over Bordentown's Robert DiPierro, 11-1.

"I didn't wrestle the best I could," Giancola said. "I should have beaten him by more. But it feels good to get to the semis. Last year, I didn't place at regions after I won District 28."

Steve Nelson, the top seed at 160, didn't disappoint the fans from Haddon Township. The junior won by technical fall over Cinnaminson's Josh Kaighn in 4:14. Kaighn didn't score a point.

Audubon's Brian Flacco advanced to the semifinals at 189 after winning a 6-2 decision over New Egypt's Rigo Morfin.

"Physically I feel great," Flacco said. "There are always nervous jitters before a match, though.

"I wrestled the third seed [Lenape's John DiBiase] in the last match of the regular season, and it was close. I beat him, 3-2."

Flacco said he will wrestle DiBiase in the semifinals.

Paul VI sophomore heavyweight Greg Webb (28-0), who placed third in the region last year, advanced to the semifinals after pinning Steinert's Andrew Donnell in 50 seconds.

103: Tony Giancola, Collingswood, dec. Robert DiPierro, Bordentown, 11-1; Matt Carr, New Egypt, pin John Amato, Camden Catholic, 1:49; James Mottram, Allentown, dec. Joe Ansbro, Maple Shade, 7-5; Connor Muli, Shawnee, dec. Christopher Tan, Robbinsville, 6-4.

112: Kyle Klaus, Haddonfield, pin Austin Wright, Lenape, 0:27; Jared Staub, Hamilton West, dec. Sean LeBlanc, Hightstown, 6-0; Collin Mitchell, Eastern, pin Sebastian Arroyo, Burlington Township, 0:22; Joe Michel, Steinert, dec. James Moody, Shawnee, 9-1.

119: Robert Deutsch, Eastern, tech. Asher Weinstein, Haddonfield, 25-10, 5:46; Maaziah Bethea, Trenton Central, dec. D.J. Mele, Cherokee, 2-0; Chad Walsh, Camden Catholic, pin Nick Cecala, Hamilton West, 2:38; Kevin Devoy, Burlington Township, dec. Justin McTamney, Bordentown, 14-2.

125: Jason Gallagher, Bishop Eustace, dec. Evan Million, Northern Burlington, 13-2; Tyler Mullarkey, Holy Cross, dec. Kevin Gregorio, Haddonfield, 11-8; Josh Medina, Hamilton West, pin Isiah DeGuzman, Pennsauken, 5:31; Matt Sausman, Camden Catholic, pin Sean Pryzbylkowski, New Egypt, 1:06.

130: Dan Pak, Delran won by forfeit; Aaron Lambert, Camden Catholic, dec. Kyle ONeill, Seneca, 15-8; Ron Hoover, Haddon Twp., dec. Tommy Appleman, Cherry Hill East, 11-2; David Bossie, Robbinsville, dec. Kit Creager, New Egypt, 9-3.

135: Tyler Scotton, Willingboro, won by forfeit; Jim Hatzell, Collingswood, dec. Burak Ekiz, Palmyra, 7-2; Christian Stackhouse, Riverside, pin Anthony Pagan, Rancocas Valley, 2:42; T.J. Miller, Camden Catholic, pin Jordan Peoples, Seneca, 1:41.

140: Wayne Stinson, Northern Burlington, dec. Frank Varallo, Camden Catholic, 13-6; Shawn Gavin, Bordentown, dec. Whitten Oswald, Haddonfield, 6-3; Travis McDowell, Delran, dec. Austin Wetterau, Shawnee, 4-0; Eric Hamrick, Collingswood, dec. Samuel Shonk, Allentown, 8-1.

145: James Green, Willingboro, tech. Thomas Dalton, Burlington Township, 25-10, 3:36; Jamie Calhoun, Paul VI, dec. Mark Denny, Delran, 7-3; William Dengler, Haddonfield, dec. Brandon Bush, Seneca, 16-2; Ray Bethea, Trenton Central, dec. Tyler Layton, Cherry Hill West, 7-4.

152: Khalid Shakir, Bordentown, pin Logan Vielehr, Haddonfield, 1:25; Harley Palyok, Northern Burlington, pin Ryan Badey, Sterling, 3:26; Tyler Orfe, Bishop Eustace, pin Brad Schwarze, New Egypt, 1:59; Codie Spatz, Burlington Township, pin Andrew Reca, Robbinsville, 0:24.

160: Steve Nelson, Haddon Twp., tech. Josh Kaighn, Cinnaminson, 16-0, 4:14; Jim Plianthos, Collingswood, dec. Tyler Miller, New Egypt, 1-0; Robert Schlitt, Haddonfield, dec. Nick Moore, Seneca, 13-10; Benjamin Fanjoy, Cherokee, dec. Patrick Lodge, Delran, 16-5.

171: Ross Scheuerman, Allentown, tech. Shaquille Lawrence, Delran, 16-0, 2:21; Declan Deveney, Seneca, dec. Conor Wasson, Lenape, 3-2; Taylor Venanzi, Collingswood, dec. Paul Sims, Cherokee, 12-0; Byron Rozier, Pennsauken, dec. Chase Potocny, Northern Burlington, 8-5.

189: Brian Lussier, Cherry Hill East, tech. Thomas Forline, Moorestown, 21-5, 5:32; Carson Stack, Haddonfield, pin Padric Lynch, Haddon Heights, 1:48; John DiBiase, Lenape, dec. Rick Undercuffler, Pemberton, 13-6; Brian Flacco, Audubon, dec. Rigo Morfin, New Egypt, 6-2.

215: Michael Zeuli, Cherokee, dec. Alex Thompson, Haddon Heights, 14-3; Matt Bauer, Bordentown, dec. Conan Clark, Rancocas Valley, 8-6; Mauro Correnti, Holy Cross, pin Brandon Bennett, Willingboro, 4:09; Kristopher Rahn, Haddonfield, pin Dustin Smith, Haddon Twp., 1:30.

Hwt.: Greg Webb, Paul VI, pin Andrew Donnell, Steinert, 0:50; Marquis Jackson, Delran, pin Brian Smolsky, Cherry Hill West, 1:43; Timothy Swanson, Cherokee, dec. Davonte Jones, Burlington City, 3-2; Cody Melton, Northern Burlington, dec. Sam Ekwonike, Cinnaminson, 2-1.