Mountaineer Grapplers Persevered to a Solid Season

West Orange High School's wrestling team persevered this season.

The Mountaineers were without their best wrestler until mid-January, and lost a returning state tournament qualifier who didn't come out for the team.

Still, the Mountaineers were able to finish 15-4 with a second-place finish at District 13 and third in the Essex County Tournament.

The Mountaineers also reached the North Jersey, Section 1 Group IV title match for the third straight year. They beat Morris Knolls 32-31 in a memorable sectional semifinal to advance to wrestle at Phillipsburg. The Mountaineers finished with a third-place ranking behind St. Peter Prep of Jersey City and West Essex.

Coach Steve Zichella said he was proud of what the team delivered.

"We graduated seven very, very good wrestlers from the year before and we were without two more for most of the season (senior Emiliano "Emo" Betancor and junior Anthony Angelone), so you're talking about nine starters, but nonetheless it was a great year; we accomplished a lot of things," said Zichella.

Angelone, a state tournament qualifier last year at 171 pounds, didn't come out for the team. Betancor, the standout 285-pounder, didn't get on the mat until January 17 because of a knee injury that forced him to miss last football season.

Betancor, fourth in the state last year at 285, did return with an energy that sparked the team. He scored three quick falls in his first appearance back, winning the Walter Woods Tournament. He won by fall in taking Essex County, District 13 and Region IV  tournament titles. Betancor was only the second Mountaineer to ever win two region  titles. He won his 100th career bout in the region final, but reinjured his knee in a workout two days later and wasn't healthy for his return engagement at the state  tournament at Atlantic City.

He still was able to take sixth and ended the season with a 30-3 record and 103 career wins.

"At 100 percent Emo would have made a nice run (for a state title), but what are you going to do," said Zichella.

Bentacor was one of three Mountaineers to win at least 30 bouts. Junior 130-pounder Des Fried and senior 171 pounder Pascal Louis were the others. Both were second at the county and districts. Fried was beaten in both finals by West Essex senior state champion Anthony Perrotti.

"It's a big accomplishment to win 30," said Zichella.

Senior 215-pounder George Christian won the county title and senior 112 pounder, senior 125 pounder Dawit Rutty, senior 145 pounder Zach White were district runnersup while junior 135-pounder Nigel Brown, junior 152-pounder Jimmy Myers and senior 

160-pounder Matt Dunovant also qualified for the regions with third-place district finishes.

"We have a lot to look back at and be proud of," said Zichella. "We were supposed to be down, but to be as competitive as we were — it was good."