Loughney and Metzler Win Districts as WMC Sends Five Wrestlers to Regions

Wolfpack wrestlers Kade Loughney and Shane Metzler were crowned champions at Saturday’s District 1 Tournament at Warren Hills High School. Caleb Isemann and Alex Kaltenhauser took silver, and Marco Gaita bronze for the Wolfpack. Coach Ken Rossi’s five upperclassmen punch their tickets for this week’s Region 1 Tournament at Wallkill.

Christian Trimarchi (14-15 for the season) and Michael Caso (23-9) took fourth, one place short of advancing.

Topping Phillipsburg’s Tom Kosar in the finals, Metzler (32-0) repeated as champion. He’s the seventh Wolfpack wrestler to defend a District crown, including Jesse Windt (2013-14) and Nick Matthews (2011-12). Greg Cholish is WMC’s only three-time District champion (1971-73).

Metzler, ranked #4 in NJ (Full Circle) will be the top 120 lb. seed at Region 1, and seeks to join Cholish as the school’s only repeat Region champ.

“At Regions I just want to keep scoring,” said the methodically efficient WMC co-captain. “Scoring leads to winning. I have to keep my head on straight, remain focused, and make no mistakes.”

Loughney (25-8) majored Mendham’s Chris Schlegel (22-12) 10-2 in the semi-finals. But Tyler Agans (17-17) loomed after defeating Warren Hills’ eventual bronze medal winner Zack Nauta (22-7) in the semis to force a much-anticipated finals. Last they met, Phillipsburg’s Agans scored a controversial 5-2 victory over Loughney at the Pit.

This time Loughney would not be denied, winning 7-3 for 138 lb. gold.

“It felt great winning my first District title, but it felt even better finally avenging my losses to Agans,” explained the WMC junior.

Loughney’s triumph gave WMC multiple champions for the second year in a row, and the 12th time in school history. Last year, Dylan Luciano joined Metzler with gold. In 2013, Cory Fleming topped the podium along with Windt. Twice, WMC had four champions (1965, 1990).

“I’m excited to have Kade join me as District champ,” Metzler said. “He’s worked very hard this year and wrestled so well. He deserves it.”

Seniors take silver

Kaltenhauser (20-13), who didn’t join the team until sophomore year and was 10-15 last season, had one laser-focused goal this season. “I just wanted to qualify for Regions,” he said.

Mission accomplished by the breakout WMC senior heavyweight. He defeated Warren Hills’ Taylan Zafis 7-0 to secure silver before falling in the finals to NJ #8 ranked Kyle Nothnagel.

Isemann (28-6) topped eventual bronze medal winner Anthony Roessner (24-11) in the semi-finals before losing a heart breaker in the 160 lb. finals to Mendham’s top-seeded Troy Navarino (27-7), by 4-3. Isemann placed fourth at Region 1 last year, and is focused on qualifying for States this year.

Open Mike predicts the WMC co-captain to finish fourth at Region 1 – just shy of advancing. Isemann needs to avenge narrow losses to NJ #2 ranked Roxbury’s District 2 champ Craig Roumes (28-0), or Navarino, or to defeat West Milford’s Christian Dalcais (34-2), the #8 ranked District 4 champ.

Sophomore’s roller coaster ride finishes on top

Gaita (26-8) had a roller coaster tournament, starting high with a quarter-finals pin. Then he was decked by PBurg’s red-hot Daniel Wissing (23-4). Wissing’s streak of pins – one over #7 ranked Atkinson of Clearview -- lifted PBurg to a state championship. He added three pins Saturday, decking NJ #12 ranked Anthony Duardo (30-2) in the finals.

Gaita would then face Mt. Olive’s Dominic Hink (15-8) in the win-or-go-home consolation finals. Hink looked fierce Saturday, nearly upsetting Duardo in the semi-finals. But Gaita recovered impressively to defeat Hink 5-2, and earn his second trip to Wallkill as a sophomore.

First-year starters have strong seasons

Trimarchi had the biggest moment of the quarter-finals, delivering an upset 6-2 win over Mt. Olive senior Ty Romeo (18-6).

Caso ended his breakout 23-win season with disappointing losses to the top-2 seeds. Four-seed Cody Harrison – who lost to Caso last month -- took the 106 lb. title.

Freshmen AJ Hill (8-11) and Justin LeMay (15-15), and sophomores Jonathan Vazquez (4-6) and Robert Rosen (6-12) – all first-year starters, complete very strong seasons, giving the Pack high hopes for next year. Rosen wrestled tough against Warren Hills’ 2nd seed Michael Servais, but fell 7-3.

The road to Atlantic City

Local high schools Mendham and Hackettstown had strong showings at District 1, sending six wrestlers each to Regions. They included Mendham’s 160 lb. champion Navarino, and Hackettstown’s two champions, Joe Renne (29-5) at 126 and Kyle Connelly (29-6) at 182.

The road to Atlantic City and the NJSIAA State Championships began with the eight teams competing in each of Saturday’s 32 District tournaments. The top three place winners in each weight class – including WMC’s pack of five -- advanced to eight Region championships, which in turn advance three place winners each to States.

Next up

Except for these five Region 1 qualifiers, the 2015-16 season ended for the Pack Saturday. Wednesday night at Regions, the District silver and bronze winners – including Gaita, Isemann and Kaltenhauser -- face off in Wallkill. Winners will advance to the quarter-finals to face District gold winners -- including Loughney and Metzler – on Saturday. The top three Region 1 placers at each weight punch tickets for the NJSIAA State Championships in Atlantic City’s storied Boardwalk Hall, March 4-6.

Photos

By Susan Hill, except podium photos by Jeff Metzler.