Three South Jersey wrestlers win state titles

ATLANTIC CITY - Several dreams came true Sunday at Boardwalk Hall.

In the NJSIAA individual state wrestling championships, a three-day tournament that started on Friday, three South Jersey wrestlers won titles that had eluded them last season.

Eastern senior Rob Deutsch, Willingboro senior James Green, and Camden Catholic sophomore T.J. Miller remained undefeated as each ascended to the top step of the podium in his weight class to to receive a gold medal.

Two other area grapplers weren't so fortunate. Willingboro senior Tyler Scotton (135 pounds) and Mike Zeuli (215) of Cherokee both fell in their finals.

Deutsch, whose desire is to become a national champion at Old Dominion, beat South Plainfield sophomore Troy Heilmann, 7-4, at 119 pounds with three takedowns and an escape.

"Winning a state title is probably one of the greatest feelings that I have ever had," said Deutsch, who tied Paulsboro graduate Joe Duca as South Jersey's all-time winningest wrestler with 155 victories. "Duca is a friend of mine, and I'm sure that I'll be texting him later and saying I tied it."

The four-time state place-winner, who finished a disappointing third last year, improved to 42-0. His career record is 155-12.

Ranked second in the nation by InterMat, Deutsch had a taste of a state title in 2009, when he won the 112-pound class as a sophomore.

Willingboro's Boston University-bound Scotton had extra incentive to wrestle well against Miller at 135 pounds. The two had met nine days ago in the Region 7 final, in which Miller, a sophomore, won a 3-1 decision in overtime to hand senior Scotton his first loss of the season.

However, Miller prevailed again, this time in a second 30-second tiebreaker, in which he broke a 1-1 tie with two escapes and a last-second takedown for a 4-1 decision.

"This is the best feeling I ever had," said Miller about his first state title. "Hopefully, I can repeat next year."

Miller, who placed third in the state at 125 last year, is the 15th straight Camden Catholic wrestler to be in a state final in as many seasons.

Scotton finished with a 34-2 record, with both losses at the hands of Miller, whose mark is 43-0.

The Nebraska-bound Green fell in the final last year, and that loss motivated him all season to do his best, which translated into a 29-0 record after the 145-pound championship bout with senior Nick Alpher, the Region 2 champ from Paramus.

Ranked fourth in the nation by InterMat, Green dominated Alpher for a 16-4 major decision victory to become Willingboro's first state champion.

"I came out on fire," Green said. "I felt good; wasn't tired and kept wrestling.

"It feels good [to make school history]. I get to see my name on the wall and the books at Willingboro."

Zeuli, who is headed to Princeton to play football in the fall, wasn't given a chance to defeat 215-pound Bound Brook sensation Andrew Campolattano, a three-time state champion looking to become the second NJSIAA four-time winner.

Campolattano's career record was 174-1, the most wins in state history, entering the skirmish with Zeuli. He is now 175-1 after pinning the previously undefeated Cherokee senior in 47 seconds.

Zeuli goes home with a silver medal, a 28-1 record, and a good story to tell his offspring someday.

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