Colt Stampede: A.J. Falcone leads a school-record 9 champions for CBA in Region 6

JACKSON – Christian Brothers Academy senior A.J. Falcone entered Saturday’s NJSIAA Region 6 final as one of the top 165-pound wrestlers in the state, but he sure didn’t feel that way.

“I think I’m definitely kind of disrespected,” he said. “I’ve been my whole career. It’s just time for me to prove myself right. Not prove anybody else wrong necessarily, but prove myself right.”

Falcone (26-5) proved that he can beat the best when he pulled out a 2-1 thriller in rideouts against previously unbeaten Point Boro star Jake Clayton (35-1) in a showdown of two of the top contenders in the state.

After a scoreless overtime with the bout tied 1-1, Falcone rode Clayton out for 30 seconds. When it was his turn on bottom, he escaped Clayton’s grasp with one second left to pull out a win that had him leaping in the air and pumping his fist.

Falcone, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, was able to get out from bottom off a restart with just six seconds remaining against a wrestler who placed eighth in the state at 157 last year as a freshman. It was the first time the two have wrestled in high school.

165 final: CBA’s AJ Falcone escapes with one second left in rideouts to win a 2-1 thriller over Pt Boro’s Jake Clayton . Two of the best in the state pic.twitter.com/gAgoiQb6aT

— Scott Stump (@Scott_Stump) March 1, 2025

“(Clayton) was having trouble holding me the whole overtime,” Falcone said. “I knew I could get out in that six seconds even though it was a short amount of time. The mindset was just hustle. It was get up, attack a hand, get out.

“Obviously he’s a great wrestler, he placed in the state last year. Being able to wrestle someone who has the same style as me like that, it’s going to be a dogfight no matter what. It’s whoever wanted it more.”

The region title was the second of Falcone’s career in his third straight appearance in a region final. He is now hoping to make the podium at the NJSIAA Individual Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City for the first time. The win over Clayton may have unofficially grabbed him the No. 2 seed at Boardwalk Hall behind heavy favorite Alessio Perentin of Delbarton.

If Falcone nabs the No. 2 seed and Clayton gets the No. 3 seed, they could potentially see each other again in the semifinals.

“Confidence-wise, AJ winning a match like that is big for him,” CBA head coach Billy Ashnault said. “He trains really hard, and this is his last year to give it his all and reach his goal of being a state champ. This is a great stepping stone to that.”

A Colts stampede to the podium

Falcone’s win was part of a parade to the top of the podium by CBA, which crowned a school-record nine Region champions, qualified 11 for the state championships and went 9-0 in the finals. The Colts won five straight finals on the mat at Jackson Liberty at one point.

“It’s obviously awesome,” Ashnault said. “The end goal is to get to Atlantic City and get a title, so this is a step in the right direction for the guys individually.”

Joining Falcone among the CBA champions are freshman Sean Kenny (106); sophomore Paul Kenny (120); junior Bobby Duffy (138); junior Will Sakoutis (144); junior Jimmy Jakub (150); junior Brendan Boyer (157); sophomore Brock Oizerowitz (175); and junior Tyler Palumbo (215).

While all the others were the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in their respective brackets, Jakub rolled to his title as the No. 8 seed. Heavyweight Jacob Howland is also headed to Atlantic City after taking third, and junior Jarred O’Neill punched his ticket by finishing fourth at 190.

It was the second Region title for Paul Kenny, Falcone, Oizerowitz and Duffy, and the first for the other five champions.

After watching his brother win his first Region title with a 4-2 win over Brick Memorial’s Sonny DiMatteo at 106, Paul Kenny endured a wild first period against Brick Memorial’s Kson Young to pin him in 3:07 at 120.

The elder Kenny was winning 3-1 when Young took him down for a 4-3 lead, which Kenny promptly remedied with an escape and a takedown for a 7-4 advantage heading into the second period. He then took Young down and worked his way to a pin after locking in a cradle.

120 final: CBA’s Paul Kenny follows his brother with a Region title of his own by pinning Brick Mem’s Kson Young at 3:07 pic.twitter.com/BQMqK1MWGh

— Scott Stump (@Scott_Stump) March 1, 2025

“He came out firing,” Kenny said. “I’ve wrestled probably a thousand matches in my life, so I’ve given up takedowns. Everybody gives up points, the best guys in the country, the worst guys in the country, so just keep wrestling.”

Kenny, who was a world champion as a youth wrestler, is considered the top 120-pounder in the state heading into Atlantic City. He finished third in the state at 113 as a freshman as he faced the pressure of expectations from his decorated youth career.

“Last year I didn’t achieve my goal of being a state champ, so I’m still chasing it this year,” he said. “I just got to get it done. Everybody can say ‘I think I’m gonna win,’ but I have to go out there on the mat and do what I do best. I’ve been just training for a year straight to be a state champ.”

The most thrilling of the CBA wins came from Sakoutis, who trailed Ocean’s top-seeded Boomer Volek 7-0 in the first period after being taken down to his back and rallied to win 12-9. He closed the gap to 7-6 heading into the third period and then cut Volek to make it 8-6 and get back to neutral. He took Volek down, and then Volek escaped with 1:16 remaining to tie the bout 9-9.

Sakoutis then hit a single-leg takedown with 48 seconds remaining for the improbable victory.

“He’s a workhorse, day in and day out,” Ashnault said. “Him going down 7-0, we were like ‘OK, that’s Will. Back up to your feet and get the next point.’”

“He’s a dog,” Falcone said. “That’s all those extra workouts showing.”

Oizerowitz, who was a state place-winner as a freshman, also bounced back from a tough loss to Jackson Memorial’s Ryan Wolf in the District 21 final to capture his second Region title.

He beat Long Branch’s Tornick Kajaia 4-1 thanks to a first-period takedown for his second championship win of the season over Kajaia, whom he beat 1-0 in the Shore Conference Tournament final. Wolf took third after losing to Kajaia in the semifinals.

More Region 6 winners

Colts Neck’s Ethan Michaels became just the second two-time Region champion in Cougars history when he beat top-seeded Michael Napolitano of Brick Memorial 7-3 at 113.

There were two other first-time Region champions in Point Boro’s Joey DeAngelo (126) and Jackson Liberty’s Armani McCann (138), who gave the host Lions a region champ for the second straight season.

Brick Memorial’s Ben Szuba won his second Region title at heavyweight, while his senior teammate Harvey Ludington became one of just 11 wrestlers in Shore Conference history to win four Region titles. He decisioned Howell’s Tanner Hodgins 7-3 in a matchup of nationally ranked wrestlers.

Long Branch’s Billy George, who led the Green Wave to a sectional title this season, was named the Region 6 Coach of the Year.

Finals

106: 2-Sean Kenny (CBA) d. 1-Sonny DiMatteo (Brick Memorial), 4-2

113: 2-Ethan Michaels (Colts Neck) d. 1-Michael Napolitano (Brick Memorial), 7-3

120: 1-Paul Kenny (CBA) p. 3-Kson Young (Brick Memorial), 3:07

126: 1-Joey DeAngelo (Point Boro) d. 2-Tucker Pazinko (Jackson Liberty), 8-2

132: 1-Bobby Duffy (CBA) md. 2-Frankie Burgio (Point Boro), 14-0

138: 1-Armani McCann (Jackson Liberty) d. 3-Dominic Volek (Ocean), 11-5

144: 2-Will Sakoutis (CBA) d. 1-Boomer Volek (Ocean), 12-9

150: 8-Jimmy Jakub (CBA) tf. 6-Logan Kahrs (Burlington Township), 3:00 (17-1)

157: 1-Brendan Boyer (CBA) md. 7-Garrett Weiland (Point Boro), 11-1

165: 2-AJ Falcone (CBA) d. 1-Jake Clayton (Point Boro), 2-1 in rideouts

175: 1-Brock Oizerowitz (CBA) d. 2-Tornick Kajaia (Long Branch), 4-1

190: 1-Harvey Ludington (Brick Memorial) d. 2-Tanner Hodgins (Howell), 7-3

215: 1-Tyler Palumbo (CBA) by medical forfeit over  2-Trey Tallmdge (Brick Memorial)

Hwt: 1-Ben Szuba (Brick Memorial) tf. 3-Caden Sternlieb (St. Thomas Aquinas), 2:43 (16-0)

Scott Stump is a freelance reporter, newsletter writer and editor who first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, wrestling, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

You can contact him at [email protected]