It’s Campanaro’s Century as Pack Crowned Conference Champs

By David Yaskulka

Photos by Olivia Montuore

1/22/23

In a history-making week, the West Morris Central wrestling Wolfpack won its 10th-ever Conference championship (Jan. 18), and Michael Campanaro joined the elite Century Club with his 100th career win (Jan. 21). That celebration buoyed the Pack to sweep the Montville quad, defeating the host team, Caldwell, and Bridgewater-Raritan to raise its record to 10-4.

Campanaro, Michael Hare, Sam Rizzuto, Brandon Dean, Tommy Borgia and Henry Frayne were all undefeated for the week. Dean Muttart and Mark Montuore each went 3-1.

WMC also hosted a successful JV tournament Jan. 22, with four gold medals for the home team led by Most Outstanding Wrestler award winner Henry DeFrance.

Campanaro may have vied for the school wins record held by Shane Metzler. A covid-shortened sophomore campaign removed that chance, but also makes this achievement that much more impressive.

While a wrestler’s battles are intensely solo, Campanaro brought company to his celebration.

“Yale street wrestling club has created my style of wrestling giving me the best chance to win,” said Campanaro. “Malachi Shepard was with me for most of my high school career and was a huge part of my success. Lastly, our high school team has been my motivation to keep performing the way I can for myself and them to do so as well.”

Campanaro’s father Michael Campanaro, who has been a parent’s club president at both the youth and high school levels, shared how wrestling has helped his son in life: “It has been the discipline it has taught him. He trains all year and is disciplined with his nutrition. That’s translated to an excellent academic career as well.” The still-undefeated wrestler is a National Honor Society member.

“As parents, we are very proud of what he has accomplished on and off the mat but we also know that he has very high goals left to reach and we are behind him 100% to see him through it.”

WMC tops Roxbury for Conference Championship

Roaring back from a 24-0 deficit, WMC defeated Roxbury 48-30 Wednesday night Jan. 18 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of Long Valley youth wrestlers on Wolfpack Night.

In the last 10 bouts of the night, Vince Caruso (up at 132) took one for the team against NJ #1 ranked Luke Stanich (132, 16-0), but otherwise it was all Wolfpack, topping five highly ranked/winning record Gaels along the way to the win.

Borgia (215, 19-2) took a forfeit, then Frayne (HWT, 19-1) nabbed his 15th pin of the season. Montuore (106, 15-5) handled fellow sophomore Daniel Visha (who was formerly 10-4) by 7-2.

Jacob Fahmi (113, 9-10) and Hare (120, 18-5) also took forfeits. Campanaro (126, 21-0) pinned, then after the Stanich win, Muttart (138, 13-5) topped a talented frosh for a 33-30 Wolfpack lead with two bouts to go.

Rizzuto (144, 16-6) secured the Pack win and the championship by pinfall.

Dean (150, 20-2) finished the match with an exclamation point, pinning Roxbury’s second-highest-ranked wrestler, senior district medalist Weston Edelman (previously 14-2).

“Winning the conference championship was a goal we set early on, and it was amazing to see the whole team celebrating after the win,” said Hare.

McBride Pin, Campanaro’s 100th Highlight WMC Over Montville

Campanaro didn’t let his coaches, teammates and family wonder or worry long, pinning his opponent in just over one minute for his 100th victory. Montuore, Muttart, Dean, Rizzuto, Brandon McBride, Borgia and Frayne all joined the Pack pin party against host Montville, with an additional win contributed by Fahmi for the 51-30 victory.

If it weren’t for Campanaro’s historic pin, McBride’s gutty upset victory by pin would clearly have been the highlight of the match.

Last year Montvale escaped the Pack with a one-point victory, its third in a row over WMC. So the Roxbury and Montville wins avenged 2021-22 losses.

Hare, Muttart, Rizzuto and Borgia Pins Help Pack Defeat Caldwell

WMC bolted to a 36-0 lead against Caldwell behind four pins and two forfeits. The lead would prove insurmountable as the Pack won 48-31 in the second match of the day. Hare, Muttart, Rizzuto and Borgia all pinned winning-record wrestlers. Campanaro added his second pin of the day, and the Pack accepted three forfeits (giving up one) en route to the solid 48-31 victory. Prior, Caldwell defeated Bridgewater-Raritan, and later topped Montville.

More Pins and Barisonek’s Grit Help Pack Top Bridgewater-Raritan

Huge pins from Hare and Campanaro against some of Bridgewater-Raritan’s best wrestlers, a dramatic 9-8 victory for Rizzuto and a Dean pin gave the Wolfpack a 21-13 lead versus a young and dangerous squad that clearly came to wrestle.

After three B-R pins, WMC was down 31-21 with four bouts remaining.

Lucas Barisonek came up huge, adding significantly to the team’s win probability by hanging on for an 11-3 defeat against 79th ranked senior Steven Shimko (who was 10-5), whose team desperately wanted a pin to pressure WMC’s three remaining wrestlers into must-pin situations. Barisonek’s guttiness meant at least one remaining match could go the distance for WMC to overcome the B-R’s 14 point lead.

But few have gone the distance against WMC’s twin towers. Borgia, facing a winning-record senior, calmly delivered the pinfall early in the second. Then Frayne was fast, pinning in 35 seconds.

That left Montuore with a winner-take-all match against a talented sophomore with a winning record – but thanks to Barisonek, a pin wasn’t required. Montuore left no doubt, delivering a pinfall anyway to complete the Wolfpack comeback and a 39-35 victory.

Ranks and Stats

The WMC Century Club (not a formal organization, just an incredible achievement) was first joined by Nick Matthews in 2017. His 131 win record was broken by Shane Metzler in 2017, whose 144 win total stands highest in WMC history. Campanaro was on pace to have a chance to break it before the pandemic cancelled many matches.

Marco Gaita (124), Kade Loughney (112), Dylan Luciano (111), Brandon Carcuffe (110, the Club's second-ever member), Justin LeMay (110), David Migliaccio (107), John Sickles (105) and Michael Campanaro (now 102) round out the elite circle. Recent Wolfpack competitors Eli Shepard (97), Colin Loughney (97) and Robby Bohr (95) were close.

Campanaro is ranked #6 in New Jersey by Full Circle as of 1/22. Frayne is #10 and Dean #17. Frayne is tied for second in the entire state for most pins.

An anticipated rematch between Stanich and NJ #6 ranked Campanaro was not to be. Stanich topped Camp 6-4 on his way to the NJSIAA finals and his second state medal last season. This is at least the third time this season the Pack faced a #1 ranked wrestler. In his second day of high school wrestling, Borgia lost to #1 AJ Fricchione in the X-Calibur finals. The team forfeited to #1 Aidan Carmody against Livingston. A bevy of Delby #1s loom at the Morris County Tournament.

Home Team Dominates WMC JV Tourney behind DeFrance

Henry DeFrance won Most Outstanding Wrestler, leading a Pack of champions including Blake Parkinson-Gee, A.J. Codella, and Cooper Stetz at the West Morris Central JV Tournament Sunday. Luke Barisonek nabbed silver. DeFrance, Parkinson-Gee, Codella and Barisonek have also shown grit and determination filling in on the varsity mat when needed by the team.

Last Word from the Century Club

“My main advice to young wrestlers is to stick with the program and get to high school,” said Campanaro. “They should have fun along the way and train hard if wrestling is what they truly want. The program does a great way to develop a foundation so our high school team can be continuously good every year.”

Next Up

WMC visits rival Mt. Olive for a meet on Jan. 24, then for the Morris County Tournament Jan. 27-28. The Randolph match is rescheduled for Jan. 25. Mendham hosts the Pack Feb. 1. Friday Feb. 3 WMC hosts Eastern for Senior Night. Sectional quarterfinals and semifinals are Feb. 6, then finals are Feb. 8. Districts are Feb. 18

About David Yaskulka

David began living his sportswriter dream to avoid concession duty when his sons Noah and Ben began wrestling for the Wolfpack in 2012. His day job is Senior Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility for Mid America Pet Food, whose family of brands is led by VICTOR Super Premium Pet Food and Nature’s Logic. He also serves as Board Chair of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, and as Board Director at Greater Good Charities.