Gateway's Mininno is South Jersey's wrestler of the year

To say Antonio Mininno had a phenomenal season on the wrestling mat is an understatement.

To say the Gateway High School junior displayed tremendous effort is underselling his determination to win.

"All season he's been on a mission," Gateway coach Jim Rutter said. "He's really been on a mission since he got here as a freshman. He gives 100 percent all the time, so he shows what hard work can do."

Mininno won the District 30 championship at 113 pounds by pinning Middle Township's Rafael Rodriguez. He earned the Region 8 crown with a 1-0 decision against Woodstown's Jack Prendergast.

To complete the trifecta, he captured the state title over Bergen Catholic's Robert Howard in a dramatic, 4-3 victory in which he refused to lose, taking the match to three overtime periods.

For his season-long dominance and ability to rise to the occasion in the last bout on the biggest stage, Mininno is the Inquirer's South Jersey wrestler of the year.

"As a coach, I never felt this feeling before in my life," Rutter said. "It makes me feel proud and happy. I still haven't come off the high."

The day before Mininno embarked on his journey to the state championship in Atlantic City, he texted Rutter saying that he never felt better in his life and felt no pressure despite being the top seed in his weight class.

"I was confident and believed in myself the entire time, even when adversity came," Mininno said. "I knew that if I took it one match at a time I could win it."

Mininno finished with a 43-1 record, the only loss coming from Paulsboro's Jacob Perez. But Mininno wasn't going to let that lone defeat define him, so he never looked back.

Two days after his stunning loss to Perez, Mininno beat defending state champion Joe Manchio of Seneca.

"It's a sin," Rutter said about Mininno's only loss. "But it made him refocus."

Mininno won District 29 and Region 8 in 2016, but lost in the second round of the state championships. His drive all season stemmed from not reaching the podium last year.

"It made me want to work harder," Mininno said. "It definitely motivated me."

Mininno credits much of his success to working with his twin, Dante, who also won the Region 8 title and finished fourth in the state at 106 pounds.

Antonio Mininno said he writes down his goals and reads them before he goes to bed at night. He said the hardest part about wrestling is mental stability. By jotting down his goals, Mininno can physically see what needs improvement.

"He's always thinking about what he has to do," Rutter said. "That's why he won a state championship. . . . He earned it."

Mininno is looking to repeat as state champion in his senior year. He has already been hitting the weight room to prepare for next season.

"The taste of how it felt makes me want it again next year," Mininno said. "I have that experience now, so I'll just take it one day at a time."

Rutter is also confident that Mininno could make another run at the title. He said that Mininno has exceptional speed, balance, and quickness that stand out.

Mininno's victory in the state finals might have been the most exciting of the 14 bouts in the center mat at Boardwalk Hall on March 6. Howard seemed on the verge of taking down Mininno and winning the bout in the first overtime period, but Mininno somehow kept the Bergen Catholic freshman phenom at bay for nearly 45 seconds.

Mininno won the bout with a reversal in the third overtime period.

"He's Superman, he's unbelievable," Rutter said after Mininno's victory. "He does that stuff every day in practice. When the Mininnos are wrestling, the circus is in town. They're both high-wire acts."

But there is more than just an athletic skill-set that makes Mininno such a top wrestler.

"He is a humble kid with a very good heart," Rutter said. "Without a doubt, with his work ethic, I think he can win the title again."

Mininno is optimistic he can win a state title again. But his humility means more.

"I want to be remembered as a great person," Mininno said, "rather than just a great wrestler."

pmulranen@phillynews.com

@patrickmulranen