Betancor Returns with Dominant Outing

Emiliano is back.

West Orange High School's star 285-pound senior Emiliano Betancor returned Monday from a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire football season to win a championship at the annual Walter Woods Memorial Tournament at Middletown South High.

Betancor, who had two surgeries during the fall to correct a torn meniscus of his left knee, had three pins on the day of 16 seconds, 1 minute and 45 seconds and 17 seconds to win the title. Junior 130-pounder Desalegne Fried also won a championship to help the Mountaineers finish third in the 17-school field.

Head coach Steve Zichella brought 10 wrestlers to the tournament with all of them advancing to the quarterfinal round with five going to the semis.  Senior 125-pounder Dawit Rutty, senior 145-pounder Zach White and senior 171-pounder Pascal Louis all placed third.

The highlight of the day was the return of Betancor, a fifth place finisher at 285 pounds in last year’s state tournament in Atlantic City.

"My head is focused and I’m looking forward to having a great season," said Betancor. 

Betancor opened the tournament — and his season — with a 16-second pin of Point Pleasant Borough's Dan Bongiovi, then followed by pinning Belleville’s Joseph Davis in 1:45 before winning by fall in 17 seconds in the final over Pompton Lake's Andrew Grosser.

"I felt pretty good," said Betancor, who also won the title at the Woods Tournament last season. Betancor added that he was headed to another workout after he returned home from Middletown.

"He definitely looked great," said Zichella, whose team won the Woods Tournament last season. "He was slick on his feet and dominant on top. He's going full speed ahead, God willing."

Fried, 13-2, bounced back from Friday night’s 7-2 loss to West Essex unbeaten senior Anthony Perrotti (12-0), with a fall and a 12-2 major decision victory before beating Jackson Liberty junior Brandon Kosheff 6-4  in the final round. Kosheff beat Fried 11-10 last season in the Woods Tournament 125-pound consolation final.

"Des looked great, he was really good on his feet," said Zichella, adding that his team had "a good, solid day."

West Orange and Betancor will wrestle Caldwell at home Wednesday night, then at Livingston Friday night before a quad meet Saturday morning at Nutley with Cliffside Park and Kearny.