WMC Rises to 4-3 Behind LeMay, DeVito and Ferrante

by David Yaskulka. Photography by Susan Hill, Mollissa LeMay, Margaret Stefanelli and JoAnn Vazquez.

The West Morris Central High School Wolfpack ended the weekend with a winning record, rising to 4-3 despite a grueling schedule. Things won’t get easier with one state-ranked powerhouse after another on the way.

After falling to the Roxbury Gaels in an epic battle of longtime rivals Thursday, the Pack took two out of three at Saturday’s quad, defeating Paramus and host Mt. Olive. WMC fell to Southern Regional (ranked no. 17 by Wrestling Full Circle) in the finale.

Captain Justin LeMay (152, 11-3), 4-0 on the week, delivered a near-maximum 23 team points with three falls and one tech fall – though the no. 16 ranked (RankWrestlers.com) senior wasn’t really tested.

Fellow captain John DeVito (160, 12-3, no. 11 ranked), the team wins leader, was 3-1 on the week, including a victory over no. 26 Roxbury senior Anthony Rallo. Devito’s first in-state loss was to Southern’s Nicholas O’Connell (no. 3, 14-0), a favorite to be one of the last wrestlers standing in Atlantic City.

Southern Tops WMC 55-11, Despite Ferrante Pin

Michael Ferrante (106, 8-7, no. 94) had a perfect quad, including a big come-from-behind pin versus Southern.

“I was trying to figure out how I could score and tie the match,” said the freshman, who was down two going into the third period. “I ended up getting out, so I was down by one.”

The WMC faithful saw the energy shifting Ferrante’s way – and he did too.

“I shot, he went to his back, and I hit the twister to pin him,” Ferrante recapped, to the roar of the crowd.

LeMay’s two-period tech fall was the Pack’s only other victory. Brian Cherifi (195, 5-6, no. 99) nearly upset no. 33 Ben LoParo, falling 2-1. Nick Chisari (120) had a valiant 5-1 losing effort.

WMC Rallies to Top Mt. Olive, 34-27 Behind Shepard, Loughney

Down 27-15 after four straight losses, Coach Ken Rossi sent Eli Shepard (132, 8-6, no. 50) to the mat, and he delivered a critical pin.

Colin Loughney (145, 10-4, no. 29) followed, facing no. 33 Hunter Perez (13-3) in a critical coin-toss match. The WMC junior was dominant, winning 12-4 to bring the Pack within two team points of the Marauders.

LeMay delivered a pin, and DeVito a major to assure the Wolfpack win.

Senior captains A.J. Hill (170, 9-8, no. 70) and Luke Stefanelli (182, 8-2, no. 32) started the match with a pin and a 9-3 win respectively.

Jorge Montenegro (220, 9-8, no. 77) delivered a huge coin-toss win over no. 78 Christopher Cherry 11-5, and Ferrante upset no. 96 Seth Hagenson for the Pack’s early scoring.

Pack Dominates Paramus 56-15 with Eight Falls

In a blazing first half, tech fall from DeVito, pins from Hill, Stefanelli, Cherifi, Montenegro and Kevin Ramos (285, 7-6), and a Paramus forfeit, gave the Pack a 41-0 half time lead.

Paramus’ three top-50 wrestlers, and one teammate all won, but combined for just three bonus points.

Matthew Borgia (132, 8-8) won 5-3 against one of Paramus’ better wrestlers, then Loughney and LeMay ended the route with two more falls.

Gaels Upset WMC 33-30 Despite DeVito and Kern

Boisterous crowds for both sides saw a dramatic, action-packed night at the Roxbury gymnasium Thursday (1/3) as Jack Lyden (170, 4-4) bumped to 195 to start the match, delivering a huge pin against the division and sectional rival Gaels. As the intense match progressed, team scores were tied four different times. A 30-30 score set the stage for the fateful finale as Roxbury’s no. 32 Michael Corrente scored seconds shy of the buzzer to upset Stefanelli 3-1.

The Gaels prevailed by winning four out of six “coin toss” bouts (contestants within 35 rank places of each other). Dan Kern (4-3, 126) gave the Pack its only upset of the night, winning 4-1 over Kevin Stigliano.

In perhaps the Pack’s biggest pin of the week, DeVito topped no. 20 district champ Anthony Rallo 5-2 to tie the match at 30.

Roxbury brought seven top-40 wrestlers to the match. They delivered six wins (four pins), including Corrente’s deciding shot. DeVito served the group its only loss. Hill received a standing ovation from the Wolfpack faithful for holding no. 16 Evan Vazquez to a slim 6-2 victory. WMC’s four top-40 wrestlers went 2-2.

Shepard and LeMay delivered match-tying pinfalls for the Pack, and with Lyden, the team’s only bonus points. Ramos and Borgia added wins for the Pack.

Last season, WMC and Roxbury each team won on its opponent’s mat, including the controversial sectional finals at WMC. They could face each other again in this year’s playoffs.

Next Up

WMC hosts no. 6 Delbarton on Tuesday 1/8, visits Voorhees 1/11 and no. 18 Hanover Park 1/12, hosts no. 5 Pope John 1/16, and hosts a 1/19 Saturday quad with Delaware Valley, Kittatinny (no. 4 in Group I) and Westfield. Pin Cancer night is Tuesday 1/22 at Mendham.