Three Bengals Head for Semifinals in Region IV

For the majority of wrestlers, Saturday is sudden death.

Win and continue on, perhaps earn a berth in the NJSIAA State Wrestling Tournament next weekend at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. But lose, and prepare for the spring.

Bloomfield High School’s wrestling team will have three alive in the semifinal round Saturday morning at the Region IV Tournament at West Orange High School.

Semifinals and wrestleback quarterfinals begin at 9 a.m., followed by another round of wrestle backs, the consolation finals and finals at about 2 p.m.

The top three in each weight class earn the trip to Atlantic City.

Bloomfield seniors Chris Rosetti (112), Cavan Penberthy (152) and Joe Finkler (189) will get to the region a final and guarantee a state tournament trip with a victory in the semifinals. But a loss drops them into the wrestleback round where they’d have to place third to keep their seasons alive.

Third-seeded Finkler beat Caldwell senior Windsor Guzman 3-2 and will meet No. 2 seed James Fox (36-0) of St. Peter Prep. FInkler said he knows Fox very well since the two were summer drilling partners.

Senior 112-pounder Chris Rosetti beat Passaic Valley freshman Thomas Dunphy for the third time this season with a 7-2 semifinal victory. Rosetti beat Dunphy by technical fall and major victory earlier in the season, but Rosetti said the main goal now is to just win, no matter the score.

He will face West Essex sophomore Carlos Zazzara in the semifinal round. Rosetti beat Zazzara 5-1 in the Essex County Tournament Jan. 28.  Rosetti beat Zazzara 9-4 in the 103-pound region consolation final last year to qualify for the state tournament.

“I heard he’s been taping my matches, but you still have to go out there and wrestle,’’ said Rosetti.

Senior 152 pounder Cavan Penberthy beat Nutley’s fourth seeded junior Brandon Keena 4-3 and will face top seeded Frank Marotti of West Essex in the semifinals. Penberthy has lost by decision and fall to Marotti during the season.

St. Peter Prep junior 145-pounder Brian Merkel beat Bengals’ junior Ian Chauncey in the quarterfinals. Chauncey will face West Orange senior Zach White in the wrestleback quarterfinals Junior 119-pounder Michael John Costantino was beaten 4-0 by Livingston senior Keith Arlotta and will face Mohammad Abdelaziz of Passaic Tech in a wrestleback round.