Wrestlers Dominate in District Quarterfinals

Win and you're in. Lose and your season is over.

Nine school districts are competing in the two-day wrestling tourney to take the District 11 title at Westfield High School. Along with the Cougars, the lineup includes Westfield, Elizabeth, Linden, Brearley, Newark Central, Rahway, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Shabazz.

Cranford owns a 19-4 dual meet record. The Cougars have shown that they are a team to be reckoned with.

They got off to a good start Friday, with Joe Giaccio earning the pin at 112 against Matt McDuffie of Scotch Plains.

"The kid was all right," said Giaccio, the two-time district champion. "I was looking to get a sweat in, work hard and get ready for Saturday. That's really what it was, a preparation for Saturday. I know I have another good final, probably against Anthony Madonia again, so I'm just going to take it a match at a time and stay focused throughout the tournament."

Ian Henry came through to advance at 119, beating Devin Ausbin of Scotch Plains.

"I never want to underestimate anybody," Henry said. "I almost got taken down in the beginning, it kind of snapped me back into consciousness. I took it to him, took him down and finally pinned him."

Henry is wrestling up a weight class after battling Giaccio early on for the 112-pound class.

"You always have to think positive," he said. "I know I have a tough match Saturday against Anthony Rice of Brearley. He pinned me in the first period at counties. I'll wrestle hard. Crazier things have happened with four beating one. I was wrestling scared last time. I just want to go at him, take the nerves away and hope to wrestle my best."

Another standout was 130-pounder Kyle Markovitch, who has battled back from a broken hand to move into the district semifinals. He defeated Westfield's Keith Peterson to advance. After missing half the season, including the county tournament, he feels it's his time to shine.

"I just wanted to go out there, stick it, help the team out in points for this district," he said. "I wanted to get it done quick. I know I have two tough matches coming up, Sean Cannon (SPF) and most likely Allen Phillips (Brearley). I'm so excited to be here. I'm ready to win it."

Second-seed Matt DiGiovanni continued his sensational season, earning the victory over Jawan Gaines of SP-F in the 135-pound weight class. In this case, familiarity breeds success.

"I wrestled him twice before and beat him both times," said DiGiovanni. "I knew I just had to go out there and wrestle my match. This is where it counts the most right now. Anything can happen. I just have to go out there and wrestle good. I'm pretty pumped. Coach gave a good speech in the locker room and got us all fired up."

DiGiovanni, who took second in the districts the last two years, will face another Rahway talent in Dan Walsh and then a potential matchup with top-seed Nick Lospinoso of Brearley for the district crown.

"They're both good opponents," he said. "I just have to take it to them and wrestle my match. I'm very confident. You have to believe in yourself all the time and know you can get it done, no matter what it takes."

At 152, second-seed J.P. Christiano, who is 26-4 on the season, lived up to the billing with a victory over Ellis Opoku of Westfield.

"I think I wrestled pretty well. I've got a tough match if I make it to the finals against John Balboni (No. 1 seed from Brearley)," he said. "He beat me twice already this year, but I've been training hard and I'm looking to beat him in the final."

Last year, Christiano got upset in the semi's and then lost in the consolation, so he didn't get to regions. He's been training even harder and the results are making it worthwhile.

Senior Chris Keim was determined not to let his wrestling career end. He battled hard as the fifth-seed and upset fourth-seeded Chris Tomasso of Westfield to advance to the medal round.

"I was feeling pretty tired at the end," said Keim. "It would have been the last match of my career. I definitely had to tough it out and it turned out okay. All I was thinking was if you lose, this is it, so you have to give it 110 percent."

Keim, who improved to 14-14 overall, will have to face one of the top wrestlers in the region in Brearley's Dillon Geoghegan.

"I need to go all out again. I'm facing the number-one seed, so I'll just have to go at it."

At 189, Errol Petgrave battled long and hard before getting the best of Westfield's Luke Gibbons, getting the pin late in the match.

"I was determine to get it," Petgrave said right afterwards. "It was in my hands and I just had to do it. If I finished tonight, that would be the end of it forever. I might as well keep going and go out with a bang."

"We're real proud of Chris Keim for gutting it out," said Cranford head coach Darren Torsone. "Errol Petgrave wrestled a great match. He pinned a tough Westfield kid. And then some of the kids who didn't get to wrestle tonight will get a chance Saturday. It'll be exciting to see what happens. We're looking for everybody to either live up to their seed, or one-better their seed, that's our goal here."

Among the Cranford wrestlers to get byes were Joe Brady at 275, and Julian Campo at 215.

The semi-final round will take place Saturday February 20 at Westfield High School starting at 10 a.m. The consolation round will be at 1 p.m. and the finals will get underway at 2 p.m.