Mustang Magic: Ludington, Napolitano spark Brick Memorial’s epic comeback win over Cranford in Group 3 semifinals

BRICK TOWNSHIP — There’s magic in those singlets. There has to be.

With 19 sectional titles and nine NJSIAA state championships, Brick Memorial is one of New Jersey’s most tradition-rich wrestling programs. But it’s how the Mustangs have won so many of these high-stakes matches over the years that has secured their place in Shore Conference lore.

It happened again on Friday night with a trip to the Group 3 state championship on the line.

Trailing by 24 points with five bouts remaining, the Mustangs staged an epic rally that begin with senior Harvey Ludington’s one-point win over Jordan Chapman at 190 pounds and concluded with junior Mikey Napolitano locking in a cradle for a walk-off pin at 113 as Brick Memorial battled back to take down Cranford, 36-35, in an all-time classic in the NJSIAA Group 3 semifinals.

After a pin at 175 pounds gave Cranford a 35-11 lead, Brick Memorial needed to win the remaining five bouts and pile up bonus points along the way. Fortunately for the Mustangs, they had five of their best on deck waiting for their chance to send Brick Memorial back to Rutgers. After Ludington’s tremendous 9-8 comeback win off a takedown with 12 seconds left, junior Trey Tallmadge and senior Ben Szuba each won by technical fall at 215 and heavyweight. Sophomore Sonny DiMatteo followed with a win by fall at 106 pounds to set up Napolitano for the dramatic match-clinching pin in the final bout.

Brick Memorial will face Delsea in the NJSIAA Group 3 state final at noon on Sunday at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena.

“Me and Sonny looked at each other and we knew what our jobs were,” Napolitano said. ““Everyone stepped up. We have one of the best upperweights and lowerweights down low, so it’s hard to beat us.”

“It was an unbelievable team effort tonight,” Brick Memorial head coach Mike Kiley said. “I am blown away by this team’s ability to adapt and overcome obstacles throughout the match. I am so proud of these boys.”

 

Clash of the Titans

Down by 24 points with just five bouts left, Brick Memorial had zero margin for error from 190 through 113 pounds. Even with the nation’s No. 1-ranked 190-pounder ready to take the mat, the next bout was no given.

In Cranford’s Chapman, Ludington was facing a top-10 175-pounder in the nation who is committed to Rutgers and is a two-time state tournament top-three finisher, including the 165-pound state runner-up last season. They tangled earlier this season when Ludington scored a 16-6 major decision during a decisive Brick Memorial dual-meet victory.

This time it was much different. For most of their bout, Chapman was in control and was able to neutralize Ludington’s high-octane offense. He took Ludington down early in the first period for a quick 3-0 advantage – the second time he has scored on Ludington from neutral this season. Prior to this year, Ludington had not been scored on since his 2023 state finals loss to Delbarton’s Simon Ruiz. The two-time state champion and University of Iowa signee escaped and then scored a takedown of his own along the edge of the mat, lifting Chapman with a double-leg near the edge of the circle, to take a 4-3 lead. Chapman escaped to tie the match 4-4 and then went ahead 5-4 when Ludington was whistled for fleeing the mat as he tried to avoid a takedown attempt.

The second period is where things really began to shift. Ludington chose defense and Chapman went to work on a relentless ride that had Ludington glued to the mat. He could not get out and was banged for stalling twice to give Chapman another point and extend the Cougars’ senior’s lead to 6-4 entering the third period.

Chapman chose defense to begin the third period and quickly hit a reversal to take an 8-4 lead and get back on top where he dominated during the second period. Ludington estimated it was the first time he has trailed by four points since middle school. It was starting to get uneasy on the Brick Memorial side of the gym.

“I was getting nervous there but he kept telling my, ‘I’m alright, coach’,” Kiley said.

Ludington continued to attempt to work free from Chapman’s grasp and was able to force two stalling calls near the edge of the circle, the second of which added a point to Ludington’s ledger and cut Chapman’s lead to 8-5 with under 45 seconds left in the third period.

Off the restart, Ludington got back to his feet to make it 8-6 with 25 seconds remaining. Now, it was go time. He immediately pressed forward and lunged in to snare Chapman’s right leg before dumping him to the mat while transitioning to a double-leg. The right hand of referee Kurt Karcich went up with 12 seconds on the clock. THREE!. The comeback was complete. Ludington 9, Chapman 8 in an incredible battle between two of the nation’s best.

“I knew in that moment if I just kept my head in it I could win,” Ludington said. “Did I want it to be that close? No, but he’s an amazing opponent. He’s very tough on top and that ride of his is just insane. All credit to him, I don’t know how anybody gets out from under him.”

Ludington is a two-time state champion and three-time finalist who has won almost every big tournament around the country. Friday’s win was one of his best ever.

“It’s pretty big because it’s my last home dual,” Ludington said. “It ranks pretty high for me, personally.”

“I was losing my cool and (Harvey) kept saying, ‘I’m good’,” Kiley said. “I don’t know what he felt to say that but then he goes and does that. That’s a special kid.”

 

Down the Stretch they Come

With Ludington’s must-have victory over Chapman pulling Brick Memorial to within 35-14 with four bouts left, the path was clear even though it was daunting. The Mustangs needed 21 out of a possible 24 points in the next four bouts in order to win. With Cranford getting a team point deducted at the conclusion of the 138-pound bout, Brick Memorial would win on criteria if the match was tied after all 14 bouts.

The rally continued with Tallmadge opening up a 12-0 lead in the first period on his way to a 15-0 technical fall over Jake Ulicki at 215. Szuba followed with a 20-5 technical fall over Louis Kruk at heavyweight. Two down, two to go.

The Mustangs were favored at the final two weights but needed at least one pin. DiMatteo, a returning state qualifier and this season’s Shore Conference champion, took care of that with a second-period fall over Declan McKittrick at 106 pounds. The stage was now set. Cranford 35, Brick Memorial 30 with one bout left. It was Napolitano’s chance to shine.

“I was just trying to calm myself and let it fly,” Napolitano said. “I tell myself every match to have fun and let it fly.”

A technical fall would have won Brick Memorial the match on criteria, but even as the Mustangs’ coaches pleaded with him to cut DJ Torsone loose and work for more takedowns, Napolitano had what legendary former Brick Memorial head coach Tony Caravella calls “cradle confidence”. Napolitano is not a pinner, having won by fall in just two of his 21 wins prior to Friday night, but he knew he had it in him to deliver six points.

“I did hear them yelling to cut him but I knew I could stick him with the cradle,” Napolitano said. “As soon as I got it locked I knew he was done.”

Napolitano was a state qualifier as a freshman but did not advance past the Region 6 Tournament last season. This year he got down to 113 pounds during the second week of January and has put together arguably his best stretch of wrestling since 2023.

“This is the best I’ve been feeling in my high school career,” Napolitano said.

“It’s been up and down for him but he’s finding himself, and what better time than now,” Kiley said.

 

Unsung Heroes

With all the fireworks that occurred in the final five bouts it would be easy to overlook the massive pin by sophomore Jack Marotta at 157 pounds. Without his clutch bonus-point victory, Brick Memorial’s season is over.

The middle of Brick Memorial’s lineup is where the Mustangs are not as strong and simply try to piece it together. With Ludington, Tallmadge, Szuba, DiMatteo, Napolitano, and senior Gavin Martin (126) good for victories almost every match, Marotta has been the buoy in the middle to get them that seventh win. None have been bigger than Friday night.

With the bout tied 3-3 early in the second period, Marotta fought off a single-leg attempt by Owen Woodruff and quickly latched on a cradle near the edge of the circle. As he put Woodruff to his back, Marotta had to be mindful of his positioning to stay in bounds. The new college-style out-of-bounds rules state that a wrestler needs only one point of contact inside the circle to remain in bounds. Marotta’s left foot was the initial point of contact, and as he shifted for the pin he was able to post his head on the mat to stay in bounds before finishing off the fall at the 3:44 mark.

“Posted on his head!”, Kiley said. “Jack Marotta has come up big in this state run so far. We’re looking to get him the match he can win because you know where we’re going to get points in our lineup. He’s that next guy.”

Brick Memorial was also able to save three critical points in losses at 138, 150, and 165 where Logan Cromen, Frank Bongiovanni, and Malachi Saint-Vil surrendered technical falls against their pin-minded opponents. At 138, Cranford was deducted a team point when Brandon DiPaolo was called for unnecessary roughness after he drove his shoulder into Cromen’s lower back on the final takedown that secured the tech fall. The Mustangs had to weather the storm between 120 and 190 where their only wins came from Martin’s tech fall at 126 and Marotta’s pin. They did it, but just barely.

 

One more to go

The final challenge for Brick Memorial comes in the form of Delsea, which steamrolled its way back to Rutgers with a 69-6 win over Lacey for its 14th straight sectional title before a 50-21 win over Wayne Valley in the Group 3 semifinals.

It will be a tall order for the Mustangs in a dual where everything will have to go their way. But as they’ve proven time and time again and once more on Friday night, nothing is impossible when wearing that green and gold singlet.

 

Box Score

Brick Memorial 36, Cranford 35

*Cranford deducted one team point for unnecessary roughness at 138

120: Michael Daly (C) p. Kson Young, 3:13

126: Gavi Martin (BM) tf. Liam Gonzalez, 2:15 (16-1)

132: Ryder Connors (C) d. Hank Mulligan, 5-4

138: Brandon DPaolo (C) tf. Logan Cromen, 5:00 (17-1)

144: Eoghan O’Hara (C) p. Michael Alaimo, 0:38

150: Luke Scholz (C) tf. Frank Bongiovanni, 4:26 (16-1)

157: Jack Marotta (BM) p. Owen Woodruff, 3:44

165: Dylan Jones (C) tf. Malachi Saint-Vil, 5:02 (20-5)

175: Joey Acinapura (C) p. Caleb Szuba, 1:41

190: Harvey Ludington (BM) d. Jordan Chapman, 9-8

215: Trey Tallmdge (BM) tf. Jake Ulicki, 2:40 (15-0)

Hwt: Ben Szuba (BM) tf. Louis Kruk, 5:29 (20-5)

106: Sonny DiMatteo (BM) p. Declan McKittrick, 3:17

113: Mikey Napolitano (BM) p. DJ Torsone, 1:24

Record: at Brick Memorial (14-4); Cranford (20-4)