Luke and LeMay lock up Wolfpack wrestling win over High Point, 31-28

(12/22/2016, High Point, NJ) The High Point wrestling Wildcats, two-time recent state champions, jumped to an early 10-3 lead over West Morris Central. With WMC planning to forfeit three bouts, it felt like 28-3 – kind of like being at the bottom of the state’s highest mountain.

CLIMBING BACK
But from that low point on, Wolfpack wrestlers climbed back – and wouldn’t give up another team point.

Despite an impressive performance by Billy Talmadge, WMC captain Shane Metzler (6-1) bumped up to 132 and started the ball rolling with a 4-2 victory.

John DeVito (3-3) won 12-6 at 138, a match that on paper, could easily have gone the other way.

Wildcat regional qualifier Shane Kobis faced Justin LeMay (6-3) next at 145 -- with an opportunity to kick WMC off its ascent. Instead, it was LeMay who would dominate, bringing back bonus points with an impressive 10-2 victory.

Senior captains Kade Loughney (6-1) and Christian Trimarchi (6-2) won critical matches to keep Wolfpack hopes alive. Loughney scored the night’s only pin at 3:12, and Trimarchi, bumping up a weight class to 170, gutted out a must-have 4-2 victory.

It all came down to sophomore Luke Stefanelli (3-2) at 195, taking on High Point senior Matthew McDonnell. With the final two Wolfpack forfeits looming, the bout was winner take all.

Perhaps proving that off-season sacrifice yields in-season success, Stefanelli triumphed 4-2, securing the 31-28 team victory and 2-0 start to the Wolfpack season.

Earlier, Mike Caso had secured the Pack’s first points with a 9-3 win at 113, and junior captain Marco Gaita (7-1) contributed six by taking a forfeit at 182. Gaita is the team’s win leader in the early going.

Eli Shephard (2-3) at 120 and Jonathan Vazquez (2-3) at 126 contributed significantly, as neither gave up the bonus points High Point needed from its regional qualifiers Devin Flannery and Maverick Liebl respectively.

ROSSI'S STRATEGIC MOVES
Once again, Coach Ken Rossi’s legendary match-management skills were instrumental. Just as he did Tuesday in Montville, Rossi pulled all the right strings – bumping up wrestlers here, strategically forfeiting there -- to put the team in a position to win.

METZLER'S HISTORY-MAKING (continued)
Metzler’s win was the 111th of his storied career, tying Dylan Luciano for second most in school history. Only current NYU wrestler Nick Matthews has more wins for the Pack, at 131.

Full Circle ranks Metzler #2 in New Jersey. InterMat agrees, ranking him #17 nationally, second best in NJ. Hanover Park’s Nick Raimo – who could face Metzler at the Morris County Tournament -- is ranked #1 in NJ and #5 nationally at 126.

Earlier in the week, the Wolfpack triumphed over Montville 37-30with big wins from Vazquez, Loughney, Trimarchi and Shepard.

NEXT UP

WMC travels to Warren Hills for the John Goles Tournament 12/28 and Voorhees 12/30. Home opener is 1/4/17 vs. North 1 Group 4 champion Roxbury.

PHOTOS

Credits: Margaret Stefanelli, Joanne Vazquez.