Pelal Deeb was a takedown away from upending returning state champion James Green of Willingboro on Saturday in the NJSIAA Wrestling State Championships.
Instead the Passaic Tech junior was sent to the wrestlebacks where he will battle for seventh-place in the state at 145 pounds against East Brunswick’s Jonathan Shleyfer on Sunday in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
Fellow Bulldog Bryant Lighty will also wrestle for seventh-place, taking on Marlboro’s Vinnie Leone.
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Deeb met Green, who won his crown at 140-pounds in 2010, in the quarterfinals, and led 5-4 after registering a takedown with 20 seconds remaining in the second period.
Green, one of the favorites to repeat as champion, used his strength to record an escape with eight seconds remaining in the second period to tie the score at 5. An escape by Green in the third period was the winning point.
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Deeb shook off the close loss to dominate his first wrestleback match, topping Cranford’s Matt DiGiovanni, 16-2. However, the night came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Don Bosco Prep’s Sal Mastriani.
Lighty, who lost in the pre-quarterfinals on Friday, started Saturday off quickly, pinning Mike Fagg-Daves of Franklin in 16 seconds.
The Bulldogs defeated Phillipsburg’s Matt Lane before falling to Haddon Township’s Ron Hoover, 13-2. Passaic Tech senior Vedet Kukul dropped his opening round match on Friday, losing to Somerville's Paul Kirchner by technical fall, 18-2, in 2:59.
