They’re not unfazed by it. Taking a state semifinal is as exciting as you’d think it is.
It’s just that the Southern wrestling team, No. 7 in the NJ.com statewide Top 20, has a bigger prize in mind.
If the Rams’ celebration of their 45-20 win over Passaic Tech in the Southern gym in Manahawkin seemed low-key, it was to be expected.
They’re veterans of a few championship campaigns now and they recognize it for what it is — a step in a process.
“We’re telling (their younger wrestlers) that this is just what we do,” Southern’s Nick Daddona said. “This is our program. We come here and we win. We go out to Rutgers and we win. Our goal this whole season has been Group 5 state champs. Every day in the practice room, it’s what we’re working towards.”
Now it’s within their grasp. Southern will face Old Bridge, a 37-30 winner over Bridgewater-Raritan, for the NJSIAA/IBEW Local 102 Group 5 state championship Sunday at Rutgers University.
The three-time defending champion Rams took the first six bouts in the semifinal, including a pin by Daddona, a junior, at 175 pounds. They grabbed one bonus point in four of those six bouts. Attila Vigilante (152) and 190-pounder Levi Foote scored technical falls and Vincent Esposito (165) earned a major decision.
“When we know what bout we’re starting at, that’s what we kind of look for,” Foote said. “Nick and I are always talking about trying to get a six, or at least bonus. We know our lower weights are where our strength is, so if we can get some momentum up top, we know we can cruise through the lower weights.”
Daddona scored a first-period near-fall against Muntaser Atyieh, then pinned him at 2:36.
“I got that bar and half and I stacked him,” Daddona said. “I was happy to keep the momentum going and get that for the team. It’s really big for us. It keeps our lineup going. Foote got a tech right after me. It gives us some spirit. It gives us some energy to keep going.”
Foote nearly brought his bout to an end in the second period, when he powered Hector Rodriguez over with an arm bar, but Rodriguez was able to save a point there and escaped a moment later.
An early third-period takedown ended it in the third period.
“I was trying to go bar and it was kind of slipping a little, so I decided to just stick to my neutral,” Foote said. “I could kind of mentally break him on top, but then neutral is where I shine. I worked my takedowns.”
Passaic Tech (19-12) took the next two bouts, a tech fall by Anderson Tavarez at 215 and a pin by heavyweight Jayden Paulino, but Southern grabbed its momentum back at 106, when Jonas Lusker turned Rayan Chenni with a half-nelson, then got on his chest to finish their bout in 38 seconds.
Marco Barra answered for Passaic Tech with a technical fall at 113, but the Rams answered again, this time with Cade Collins’ 4-1 decision over Muhammad Abuhadba in an anticipated bout at 120.
A pin by Southern’s Anthony Mason (126) and a major decision by Aidan Malley (132) were the finishing touches.
As juniors, Foote and Daddona have been through the state championship process a few times.
Lusker, 144-pounder Anthony Molinaro, who opened the meet with a close decision, and 157-pounder Colton Gearl, who also gutted out a close win, are all freshmen.
It’s new to them.
“Honestly, I’ll remind them it’s just a match,” Foote said. “It’s like Monday, like Wednesday and like today, it’s another dual. And no matter who we wrestle, we’re just wrestling another guy. Not a name, not a school — you’re just wrestling a guy in a singlet. I’ll tell them, just wrestle who you’re wrestling.”
That’s how you become a champ. Wrestle until they run out of guys in singlets to put in front of you.
“It’s the goal we strive for every year, to win the state title,” Southern coach Dan Roy said. “We work very hard at it and the kids are all on board. They’re great kids, who are coachable and do what we ask them to do. It’s a pleasure to coach these kids.”
Passaic Tech did the same thing for most of the season.
“I’m just proud of them coming out and doing their best,” Passaic Tech coach Eyad Abdelaziz said. “They had a great season. A lot of these kids came out and stepped up. They won the counties, the league and the sectionals, before they faced Southern, the No. 1 public school in the state. I’m proud of them.
“These guys wrestled hard.”
