Passaic Tech Wrestling Rolls Pair of Sevens in A.C.

Bryant Lighty left Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall twice without any hardware. He wasn't going to let it happen for a third time.

The Passaic Tech senior finished in seventh-place in the 130-pound weight class Sunday at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State Wrestling Championships.

"It means a lot," Bryant said. "My first two years I didn't make it this far. To come out of here with a medal means a lot to me."

Teammate Pelal Deeb, who was making his second appearance at states, also finished in seventh-place, winning Sunday in the 145-pound weight class. Lighty was determined to leave the tournament with a medal, but he made it a challenge, rebounding from a pre-quarterfinals loss to make it to the medal round.

The Bulldogs senior won three matches, including Sunday's 9-6 victory
over Marlboro's Vinnie Leone. Lighty took a 2-1 lead after the first period, but found himself down 5-4 after two period. The senior trailed 6-4 in the third after Leone
escaped, but Lighty tied the match up with a take down and clinched the win a three-point nearfall.

In his last attempt, Lighty was able to walk away with what was for
him an elusive medal the past two years.

"The other years I was matched up with seniors, and it was their last years so they went all out," Bryant said. "That wasn't good for me, but this year I was a senior and I had to go out with a bang."

"I'm proud of him," Passaic Tech coach Luis Colon said. "He has been
here before. I told him earlier today, 'You want to walk out of here a winner. So you want this match. It's your senior year.' I know he is happy to be getting a medal."

Deeb believes he should have finished higher, and had to overcome a 6-5 loss to Willingboro's James Green, a state champion, in the quarterfinals.

"He really wanted that match," Colon said. "I told him how important it was to come back from that match, and he did. I think he tech falled the kid after that. He had three tech falls this tournament. He is a tough kid. He will be back. He's a good kid."

"I was disappointed. I thought I could beat him even though he was the
first seed," Deeb said. "After that, I just had to keep my head straight,
and not dwell on it."

The Bulldogs 145-pounder did just that with another dominating performance. The Passaic Tech junior registered his third technical fall of the tournament with a 17-2 win over East Brunswick's Jonathan Shleyfer in 5:42.

"I thought i wrestled very well," Deeb said. "All the matches I won, I won by technical fall, and the matches I lost, I lost by one point. I thought I wrestled well. In my weight class in all of New Jersey, I finished top 8."