West Wrestling Sweeps Quad Meet, Eyes Playoffs

Since the moment the 2011-12 wrestling season came to a close, the wrestlers at Cherry Hill West were united under one common goal: To make sure the next season would include the first playoff appearance in school history.

With a superb effort on Saturday, the Lions assured themselves that the goal will be accomplished in convincing fashion.

West dominated cross-town rival Cherry Hill East, Paul VI and Lenape in a quad meet, locking up a playoff berth and putting themselves in position to host a first-round playoff match. West entered the week 4^th in South Jersey Group 3 in power points and Saturday’s haul will only improve their standing.

“It’s awesome,” senior Mike Marini said. “The whole team is completely satisfied. We are happy with everything we did. We wrestled great when we wrestled Audubon (a 47-19 win on Monday) and even against Washington Township, who we lost to (35-30, Wednesday). We have been working really, really hard in the room. Every single day we are in there sweating and getting beat up. It’s really a family victory.”

On Saturday, the Lions won each meet by over 35 points, including a 62-13 win over East.

“Anytime you win three in a row, it’s a great day,” said West coach Zach Semar. “We were fortunate to come out here and wrestle hard and give ourselves a shot at hosting a playoff match.”

Semar said the West’s ability to finally reach the playoffs was achieved through the dedication the wrestlers put in from the very beginning of the offseason.

“It started last spring, summer and into the fall,” Semar said. “It took a lot of work in the offseason and a lot of guys being committed to obtaining not only individual goals, but team goals. We have been working hard for about a year now to put ourselves in that position to make it.”

West (17-7) has been blessed with great talent and depth this season. Unlike years past, there is no weak spot in the lineup and each wrestler heads on to the mat confident he will return with a win.

“We have kids that are still learning,” junior Mark Papaneri said. “We have two kids that this is their first year, and they broke the lineup because of their hard work in the summer. Everybody’s intensity is up. Since we have a chance to be in the playoffs, everybody is grateful and is working their butts off so that, for the first time in West history, we can make it.”

The Lions were particularly pleased with their victory over the Cougars, who will likely finish on the outside of the Group 4 playoff picture.

“It’s always a big matchup and this year I think we wrestled especially well against them,” Marini said. “Every single kid, from our freshman down at 113 and our senior at 106, to the top of the lineup wrestled great and we blew them out of the water.”

Emotions were high throughout the match, even as West began to pull away. Semar said he expected nothing less.

“It’s always one that the wrestlers circle because some of them went to school with (East wrestlers) and they know them from wrestling clubs, so they really wanted to come out here and wrestled them as good as they could,” Semar said. “I was really pleased with their effort and their performance.”

West should find out its playoff seed and opponent early in the week, with a shot at a home match in the first round. While they wait, the Lions can soak in all they achieved.

Said Marini: “It was a great day all around; beating a cross-town rival and looking good heading into the playoffs.”