Five South Jersey wrestlers reach state finals

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - They're back.

Willingboro's Tyler Scotton and James Green, both runners-up in the NJSIAA state individual wrestling tournament last year, have battled their way back to the finals at Boardwalk Hall.

Championship bouts are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Sunday. They will be preceded by consolation rounds, third through eighth place, beginning at 10 a.m.

Three other South Jersey wrestlers will battle for a state crown after advancing Saturday: Camden Catholic's T.J. Miller, Eastern's Rob Deutsch, and Cherokee's Mike Zeuli.

Scotton, a senior, will have plenty of incentive to bring it all in the 135-pound bout against Camden Catholic's T.J. Miller. The sophomore defeated him, 3-1, in overtime of their Region 7 finale, the only blemish on Scotton's 33-1 record.

"It's relieving," Scotton said about his return to the big dance. "They say once you've been there, it's hard to get back. I'm going to be wrestling T.J., and I'll be trying to do everything I didn't do the last time: score."

Scotton on Saturday won a 9-4 decision over Timber Creek senior Kevin Birmingham in the quarterfinals before beating Seton Hall senior Louis Mascola, 3-1, in overtime in the semifinals.

Miller, who placed third in the tournament last season, won a 3-0 decision over St. Peter's Prep junior Alexander Richards in the semifinals to advance.

"I always thought that it would be a rematch," Miller said of his date with Scotton. "I feel that I'm wrestling the best I have all year. And this is a good time to be doing it.

"It feels awesome [to get to the final]. I got beat in the semis last year. So it feels good to get through that round."

Green nipped Passaic Tech's Pelal Deeb, 6-5, in a 145-pound quarterfinal before hammering High Point senior Joe Gaccione, 9-4, in a semifinal.

"I'm glad to be in the final," said Green, who remained undefeated (27-0). ""Willingboro never had a state champion. We can possibly get two state champs."

Deutsch, a third-place finisher last season and a former state champ, is the top seed at 119, and he performed that way Saturday, beating Cranford senior Joe Giaccio, 12-2, and Buena sophomore Billy Ward, 8-3.

A four-time district and region winner, Deutsch, undefeated at 40-0, will wrestle South Plainfield sophomore Troy Heilman, 36-2.

Zeuli, who did not place in the tournament last season, improved to 28-0 when he registered a 2-1 victory in two overtimes against Absegami senior Kevin Stadtmueller.

Zeuli's on Sunday will face undefeated, 215-pound Andrew Campolattano of Bound Brook. Campolattano (43-0) is going for his fourth state title.

In the morning consolations, 25 area wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinal rounds, including three each from Camden Catholic, Haddonfield, and Paulsboro. By 1 p.m. the local field had shrunk by 11.

Miller was Camden Catholic's only survivor.

Dontay Scott was the only Paulsboro wrestler to advance to the semifinals. The senior scored a 3-1 decision over Camden Catholic senior Matt Sausman at 125, then lost in the semis.

None of Haddonfield's grapplers made it to the semis.

South Plainfield's Anthony Ashnault, one of the highest-ranked 112-pounders in the country, pinned Haddonfield senior Kyle Klaus in 5 minutes, 43 seconds. Klaus's teammate, Kris Rahn, had shoulder problems that led to two stoppages in the 215-pound bout before he lost to Delbarton's Dean Sullivan, 13-4.

Paul VI heavyweight Greg Webb, a sophomore, suffered his first loss, 3-2, in an ultimate tiebreaker with New Providence senior Zach Troutman. The loss meant that Webb, whose record slipped to 31-1, could shoot for only a third-place finish in the tournament.

SEMIFINALS

103: Luis Gonzalez, North Bergen, dec. Jan Rosenberg, Morris Knolls, 9-0; Brenden Calas, Seton Hall, dec. Cody Barbiche, Delaware Valley, 8-0.

112: Anthony Ashnault, South Plainfield, dec. Anthony Giraldo, North Bergen, 8-0; Mike Magaldo, Watchung Hills, dec. Max Rogers, Delbarton, 3-0.

119: Robert Deutsch, Eastern, dec. Billy Ward, Buena, 8-3; Troy Heilmann, South Plainfield, pinned Kevin Devoy, Burlington Township, 5:05.

125: Nicholas Francavilla, High Point, dec. Brandon Keller, Timber Creek, 5-3; Kyle Casaletto, Southern Regional, dec. Dontay Scott, Paulsboro, 5-3.

130: Bryant Clagon, Toms River South, dec. Chalie Huff, Washington Township, 2-1 (3 OT); Anthony Perrotti, West Essex, pinned Dan Pak, Delran, 5:44.

135: T.J. Miller, Camden Catholic, dec. Alex Richardson, St. Peter's Prep, 4-2; Tyler Scotton, Willingboro, dec. Lou Mascola, Seton Hall Prep, 3-1.

140: Joe Orecchio, Don Bosco Prep, dec. Eric Fajardo, Boonton, 6-3; Drew Wagenhoffer, High Point, dec. Devon Gobbo, Delbarton, 4-1.

145: James Green, Willingboro, dec. Joseph Gaccione, High Point, 9-4; Nick Alpher, Paramus, dec. C.J. Cobb, Williamstown, 1-0.

152: Devin Geoghegan, David Brearley, dec. Vincent Favia, Christian Brothers, 3-2; Christian Barber, Westfield, dec. Conor Brennan, Brick Township, 4-3.

160: Ryan Harrington, Mendham, dec. Steve Nelson, Haddon Township, 3-1; Jadaen Bernstein, Voorhees, dec. James Dugan, Becton, 3-1.

171: Ethan Orr, High Point, dec. Colin Hewitt, Franklin, 4-2 (3 OT); Tevin Shaw, Piscataway, dec. Anthony Pafumi, St. Peter's Prep, 3-2.

189: James Fox, St. Peter's Prep, dec. Brian Lussier, Cherry Hill East, 8-2; Dallas Winston, Jackson Memorial, dec. Tyler Rios, Highland Park, 5-3.

215: Andrew Campolattano, Bound Brook, dec. Dean Sullivan, Delbarton, 11-2; Michael Zeuli, Cherokee, dec. Kevin Stadtmueller, Absegami, 2-1 (3 OT).

285: Jack Delia, North Hunterdon, dec. Zach Troutman, New Providence, 5-2; William Smith, High Point, dec. Greg Velasco, Keyport, 5-0.

QUARTERFINALS

Matches involving South Jersey wrestlers only.

103: Brenden Calas, Seton Hall Prep, pinned John Gentile, Paulsboro, 1:25.

112: Anthony Ashnault, South Plainfield, pinned Kyle Klaus, Haddonfield, 5:43.

119: Robert Deutsch, Eastern, dec. Jose Giacco, Cranford, 12-2; Billy Ward, Buena, dec. Rich Lewis, Toms River East, 4-1; Troy Heilmann, South Plainfeld, dec. Chad Walsh, Camden Catholic, 6-1; Kevin Devoy, Burlington Township, pinned Mike Pongracz, Delaware Valley, 5:54.

125: Dontay Scott, Paulsboro, dec. Matt Sausman, Camden Catholic, 3-1; Kyle Casaletto, Southern Regional, pinned Joseph Eposito, St. Augustine, 0:52; Brandon Keller, Timber Creek, dec. Nick Gravina, Northern Highlands.

130: Chalie Huff, Washington Township, dec. R.J. DeGeorge, Pequannock, 6-5; Dan Pak, Delran, tech. Vinnie Leone, Marlboro, 17-2, 4:35.

135: Tyler Scotton, Willingboro, dec. Kevin Birmingham, Timber Creek, 9-4; T.J. Miller, Camden Catholic, dec. Dillion Artigliers, Roxbury, 14-3.

140: Drew Wagenhoffer, High Point, dec. Travis McDowell, Delran, 4-0.

145: C.J. Cobb, Williamstown, dec. Sal Mastriani, Don Bosco Prep, 6-5; James Green, Willingboro, dec. Pelal Deeb, Passaic Tech, 6-5.

160: James Dugan, Becton, dec. Robert Schlitt, Haddonfield, 8-4; Steve Nelson, Haddon Township, pinned J.P. Christiano, Cranford, 3:06.

171: Anthony Pafumi, St. Peter's Prep, dec. Matt Cosgrove, Paulsboro, 4-2.

189: Brian Lussier, Cherry Hill East, dec. Damian Murberg, Pascack Valley, 1-0.

215: Kevin Stadtmueller, Absegami, dec. Darren Dungee, Morristown, 8-6, OT,; Dean Sullivan, Delbarton, dec. Kristopher Rahn, Haddonfield, 13-4; Mike Zeuli, Cherokee, dec. Richis Torres, Bergenfield, 9-2.

285: William Smith, High Point, pinned Steve Schwartz, Absegami, 0:52; Zach Troutman, New Providence, dec. Greg Webb, Paul VI, 3-2, OT,.