Brady, Giaccio Capture Region Championships

The goal of every high school wrestler in New Jersey is to take a trip to Atlantic City, not for a vacation, but to perform in front of thousands of fans in their quest for the coveted state championship.

Two Cranford wrestlers will have the chance to do just that next weekend thanks to victories in Saturday's Region 3 championships in front of a packed house at the Lou Rettino Gymnasium in Union.

Senior heavyweight Joe Brady, now 36-1 on the season, earned a 5-3 decision over South Plainfield's Bobby Sacks to take the crown, while junior Joe Giaccio (32-2) stamped his ticket to AC at 112 pounds to advance after he defeated Jorge Lopez of Delbarton 6-3. It was a close match, but Giaccio's takedown with time running out sealed the deal.

Both wrestlers had a year to focus and prepare for yesterday's regions after losing last year, Giaccio in the semifinals and Brady in the final bout.

"Going to AC's a great thing," Brady said. "Two years in a row. I might get seeded top-eight in the state like I was earlier in the year. As for AC, there are no scrubs down there. Going back is a great feeling. Last year, I didn't know what to do. Wrestling down there is unbelievable. You think there's a lot of people here. Quadruple it down there. It's pretty nuts."

"The beginning of the year I had a goal list," Giaccio said. "So far, I've met every goal and I have one more left, and that's to place in states. The year's going great. I mean, sacrifice, cutting weight, everything's paying off."

Giaccio said he felt more pressure going into the semifinal than the final.

"It's a lot of pressure going into that match. It's all or nothing. The season's on the line. You just want to win."

Three other Cougars went into the day with high hopes, but fell just short with fourth-place finishes.

Matt DiGiovanni and Kyle Markovitch both entered their final bout at 2-1, meaning a victory would send them to the state championships. But both lost, leaving the junior wrestlers to begin focusing on next year.

Before the match, DiGiovanni, the district champion at 135, was excited to have the chance to capture a medal.

"It pumps me up," he said. It's so cool to have the chance do that. It's the farthest I made it in the regions. The two kids I beat to get here, one was revenge for him beating me in the counties, and one I beat in the districts."

DiGiovanni defeated Brearley's Nick Lospinoso twice in one week, never an easy chore. He won by decision 8-5, before losing to David Gabbo of Delbarton in the third-place match.

"My goal is by senior year is to place in the states," DiGiovanni said. "I knew I had to end up in this position and I knew this week, looking at the stackup, I knew I could get to the top four."

Markovitch came in as the 130-pound district champion, but lost his first match of the day. It takes a tough mentality to know you can come back because there's no room for error.

He defeated Mike Stepien of Governor Livingston 4-2 in the wrestleback before losing to Scott Delvecchio of South Plainfield in the quarters. Markovitch finished the long day with two wins and two losses.

"The trick to these tournaments is just bouncing back and being able to wrestle a tough match after you lose like that," said Markovitch. "But coming back and winning that match meant a lot to me."

Senior Julian Campo, who had a sensational season as the 215-pound district champ, lost his first two bouts to put him out of the running for a medal.

Brady and Giaccio will carry the Cougar banner next weekend. State action will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Atlantic City Convention Center.