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Timber Creek's Shade Brothers headed to state championship

EGG HARBOR TWP. - Like every wrestler competing in the Region 8 finals Saturday night, Robert Shade was nervous.

EGG HARBOR TWP. - Like every wrestler competing in the Region 8 finals Saturday night, Robert Shade was nervous.

But the Timber Creek senior wasn't worried about himself. His Region 8 title was in the bag, a year late but perhaps better than ever.

Shade had won his championship bout at 170 pounds more than an hour earlier. He had the gold medal for his 170-pound victory safely stashed away.

But individual success is never enough for Shade and his younger brother, Bryce. Just last year, Bryce Shade won a Region 8 title while his older brother fell short, and the younger sibling admitted, "I couldn't enjoy it."

Now Robert Shade was looking at the same uncomfortable possibility. He was thrilled to finally win a Region 8 title in his last opportunity. He was proud to have accomplished one of his top goals as a high school wrestler.

But if his younger brother wasn't able to follow up on last year's success and join him on the top step of the podium at Egg Harbor Township High School, Robert Shade wasn't going to be able to enjoy his moment, either.

"I was more nervous watching him than I was for my match, by a lot," Robert Shade said. "I knew how important it was for him, how important it was for us both to be able to share this, to celebrate together."

As it turned out, Robert Shade's fears were unfounded. His kid brother, a junior, came through, as he almost always does and captured the 152-pound title by ending a wild bout with St. Augustine Prep's Mark Patterson with a pin at 3 minutes, 55 seconds.

"It was exhilarating," Robert Shade said of his brother's victory. "I think I was more excited than he was. I was elated."

Bryce Shade was excited, too, but more for his brother than for himself. He said his emotions got the best of him at the end of Robert's match.

That's when he saw his brother finally win the Region title that had eluded him through his scholastic career.

"Last year when I won it, he came up short," Bryce Shade said. "I couldn't enjoy it. To see him finally win something that I knew was so important to him, that meant everything to me."

In their last season together as high school wrestlers, the Shades will finish in the same place, at the same level of competition - in the state championships that start Friday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Robert Shade said that's fitting.

"We always would kid around that we were going to win state championships together," he said. "It would be great if we could actually do that. To both win Region titles in the same year, that means so much to both of us."

Robert Shade (34-3) is the fifth seed in the top half of the 170-pound bracket. He will face David Brearley's Joey Balboni (31-5) in the pre-quarterfinals on Friday night.

Robert Shade has won 29 matches in a row. He won the Region 8 title with a 7-1 victory over Absegami's Alex Gong.

"It was a thrill for me to win, because I felt like I had a chance last year," Robert Shade said. "I knew this was my last chance and I wanted to be able to win a Region title, especially since my brother won one last year."

Bryce Shade (32-5) is the No. 3 seed in the lower half of the 152-pound bracket for the state championships. He has won 19 bouts in a row. He will face the winner of a preliminary-round match between Dillon Artigliere (34-1) of Roxbury and Dylan More of St. Joseph-Metuchen (30-6) in the pre-quarterfinals on Friday night.

Bryce Shade lost his first two matches in Atlantic City last season, but this season is different. He has his brother with him.

For the Shades, there always is strength in numbers.

"This is what we wanted," Bryce Shade said. "I'm excited to win again and to be going to Atlantic City again, but the best thing for me is that I'm going with my brother."