Falcon Wrestlers Cannot Overcome Pins in Title Loss

The Jefferson wrestling team will look back fondly at their 2010-11 dual meet season in the next few days to a week or so.

Almost all of the high school wrestling teams would take an 18-3 dual meet record and make the state sectional team finals. But for the Falcons Friday night hurt pretty badly. Jefferson would fall 37-19 to West Essex to drop the Group 2 North 1 state sectional title.

This was the second year in a row that the Falcons lost the state sectional championship. Last season it was a 39-29 defeat to the Knights in Jefferson.

"It was a good season," said Jefferson head coach Matt Moscatello. "I know almost every team ends it with a loss, but you don't want to end it that way."

Jefferson did get some solace out of the match as both seniors Mike Monarque and Pat Healy hit the century marks in wins as they collected their 100th wins of their high school careers on Friday night.

"If there is one bright spot it is that," said Moscatello. "They are both four-year starters and have worked hard all four years."

Monarque defeated West Essex's Frank Marotti, 7-5, at 160 pounds and then Healy defeated Knights brother Mike Marotti, 3-0, at 119 pounds.

Despite winning six of the 14 bouts, the difference came at 125, 130 and 135 where West Essex registered pins and the Falcons saw themselves down 30-16 at that point and could not respond.

"Between 125 and 135 pounds that was what killed us," said Moscatello. "They were really able to put the hammer down."

The Knights received pins from Jimmy Ciampi over Ryan Higgins (1:59 at 125), Anthony Perrotti over Pat Ferguson (4:14 at 130) and Anthony Pompei over Adam Riley (2:41 at 135).

Like many of the dual meets, the coin flip before the match was key which determines which team gets their choice to send out their wrestler first and the other team responds.

"We lost the coins toss so we did not get the match ups that we wanted," said Moscatello.

At one point Jefferson led 103 and 13-6, but the Knights were just too strong with the pins.

The Falcons also received victories from Anthony Vasile at 171, 18-7 over Joe Velardi along with Ryan Boucher over West Essex's Grant McGuire, 6-1, at 215.

In addition Bryan Damon dispatched West Essex's Chris Caputo, 12-5 at 103 and Brandon Coveney defeated Knights' Nick George, 12-6, at 152.

Jefferson heads to next weekend’s District 3 state individual tournament that starts Friday at Kittatinny High School.

Group 2 North 1 State Sectional Final

North Caldwell

West Essex 37 Jefferson 19


160, 3-0, Jefferson, Mike Monarque, Jefferson, defeated Frank Marotti, West Essex, 7-5

171, 7-0, Anthony Vasile, Jefferson, major decision, Joe Velardi, West Essex, 18-7

189, 7-3, Paul Cafone, West Essex, defeated Steve Dallicardillo, Jefferson, 13-6

215, 10-3, Ryan Boucher, Jefferson, defeated Grant McGuire, West Essex, 6-1

Heavyweight, 10-6, Domenic Valeriani, West Essex, defeated Mo Fouad, Jefferson, 4-3, overtime

103, 13-6, Bryan Damon, Jefferson, defeated Chris Caputo, West Essex, 12-5

112, 13-12, Carlo Zazzara, West Essex pins Jayson Kohut, Jefferson, 3:23

119, 16-12, Pat Healy, Jefferson, defeated Mike Marotti, West Essex, 3-0

125, 18-16, West Essex, Jimmy Ciampi, West Essex, pinned Ryan Higgins, 1:59

130, 24-16, Anthony Perrotti, West Essex, pinned Pat Ferguson, Jefferson, 4:14

135, 30-16, Anthony Pompei, West Essex, pinned Adam Riley, Jefferson, 2:41

140, 33-16, James Avraamides, West Essex, defeated Kellan Moran, Jefferson, 5-0

145, 37-16, Mark Dipsey, West Essex, defeated Nick Monteverdi, Jefferson, 13-2

152, 37-19, Brandon Coveney, Jefferson, defeated Nick George, West Essex, 12-6