How Lacey, RBC and Manasquan wrestling made history on a wild and controversial day for the Shore
The stunning storylines and history-making performances by Shore Conference wrestling teams were piling up so fast during the NJSIAA district tournaments on Feb. 22 that it was almost impossible to keep up.
Wait, what happened with St. John Vianney down at District 25 in Collingswood?! Three-time state champion Anthony Knox might get disqualified from the tournament???!!!!
Lacey shocked Southern for its first district title in 26 years?!
RBC won its first district title in history!
Holmdel won its first district title since 1982!
Howell won District 24 by half a point over Wall after one of its top wrestlers didn’t make weight!
Manasquan sent a school-record seven wrestlers to regions!
Those were just some of the headlines on a day where Christian Brothers Academy qualified 13 of its 14 wrestlers for the Region 6 tournament, Jackson Memorial’s Ryan Wolf stunned returning state medalist Brock Oizerowitz at 175 to win the District 21 title, and wrestlers like Jackson Liberty’s Armani McCann and Pinelands’ Wyatt Pharo were inspiring winners who persevered through injuries.
Here’s a closer look at three up-and-coming programs that seized the spotlight on the opening weekend of the NJSIAA individual tournament as the Shore gets set for the Region tournaments.
You can also read more about Knox’s stunning disqualification, which was announced by the NJSIAA on Tuesday, from SSI’s Bob Badders.
RBC honors a late coach with a milestone day
Former Freehold Boro star Colin Monahan was only an assistant at Red Bank Catholic for just over a year before he died at 28 from cancer in October 2024, but his impact was profound.
“He was a head coach’s dream,” RBC coach Joe Gallagher said.
The Caseys wore special singlets this year with Monahan’s initials on them on each side of the cross. The impact went both ways, as Monahan often spoke to his family about how much RBC wrestling meant to him.
Monahan’s father, Pat, was a regular at RBC’s matches this season. He even asked Gallagher if he could join him in attending the District 27 seeding meeting 90 minutes away at Cinnaminson High School last week.
RBC’s wrestling singlets have the initials of assistant Colin Monahan, who died at 28 from cancer in October 2024. (Photo courtesy of Joe Gallagher)
“He called me up to say he wanted to go to the meeting and said, ‘I just want a view of what made Colin so happy,’” Gallagher said.
On the Saturday morning of the tournament, Gallagher nominated Monahan for District 27 Assistant Coach of the Year, unbeknownst to Monahan’s father. The whole team was emotional along with Pat Monahan when it was announced before the finals that Colin had posthumously received the award.
“He was talking to (RBC wrestlers) Michael DiBiase and (Joe) Vezzosi, and he just kind of looked like, ‘What did they just say?’” Gallagher said about Monahan’s father. “And he just starts pouring tears.”
The Caseys wrestled in Monahan’s spirit at Cinnaminson and made program history with their first district title. DiBiase became the first four-time district champion in RBC history with an 8-0 victory in the final at 113, pointing to the sky in memory of Monahan.
Vezzosi (106), Cole DeAngelo (120), Robert Connelley (157), and Frank Romeo (165) also won titles as part of a banner day in which seven wrestlers advanced to this week’s Region 7 tournament. DeAngelo is the first freshman to win a district title in RBC history.
“I told them that morning that I had nominated (Monahan) for the award, and that it was our job all day to just think about how much he would love to be here for you,” Gallagher said. “They were just having fun all day.”
Lacey stuns Southern for its first district title since 1999
Lacey head coach Justin Bonitatis had been training his team to peak at the end of the season. By the end of Saturday, they hit a peak that hadn’t been seen in Lacey wrestling in a generation.
“It was great for it to come together in a really tough environment,” Bonitatis said. “It was probably one of my best days at Lacey.”
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The Lions took down perennial juggernaut Southern on the Rams’ home mat in District 26 to win their first district title in 26 years and just their second in program history.
A pair of season-ending injuries to Southern stars Hayden Hochstrasser (3rd at 165 in 2024) and Bryce Manera (4th at 132 in 2024) left the door open for the Lions, and Lacey stormed through it to edge the Rams 232-228 to end Southern’s streak of 13 straight district titles.
“This was a wild moment for the program,” Bonitatis said. “It shows you can come to Lacey and get it done as far as bettering yourself as a young athlete. We’ll get you there.”
The Lions had 10 Region 7 qualifiers overall and three champions, led by state title contender Killian Coluccio (106), a sophomore who is in his first season at Lacey after transferring from CBA. He finished third in the state at 106 last season for the Colts.
“I think he’s the best kid in the state (at 106),” Bonitatis said. “I felt that way as soon as I met him.”
Juniors Aidan Flynn (126) and Michael Colon (175) also won titles, while seven other Lions took second. Freshman 120-pounder Ryan Leonard, the younger brother of senior Kyle Leonard (144), made it to the final as a No. 7 seed to score crucial points for the Lions in the team race, and his brother also had a runner-up finish.
Southern crowned six champions, led by four-time district champion and state title contender Wyatt Stout (157), but the Lions’ depth helped them snatch a remarkable team championship.
“It was great to see them all hit on all cylinders at the same time,” Bonitatis said. “We’re looking forward to Regions. It should be a fun weekend.”
Manasquan continues its rise with a historic day
At a school where boys and girls basketball usually command the winter headlines, Manasquan’s wrestling team has earned its own share of the spotlight.
The Warriors qualified a school-record seven wrestlers for the Region 6 tournament out of District 23 to continue their rise under fifth-year head coach Justin Barowski.
Senior Michael O’Connor, the program’s all-time wins leader, became the school’s first two-time district champion since 1980 when he took home the title at 150. JP Sanders (132) became the first freshman in program history to reach a district final, according to Barowski. Senior Kai Donahue, a first-year wrestler, reached the final at 215.
Manasquan senior Michael O’Connor is the program’s first two-time district champion since 1980. (Photo courtesy of Justin Barowski)
“Three years ago, I was the only one who made it to Regions and that was only because I took fourth and the third-place finisher injury defaulted,” O’Connor said. “Now we’re sending seven, so it’s really cool to see how far we’ve come.”
“He’s the poster child of our growth, and I don’t know if I could’ve gotten a better kid,” Barowski said about O’Connor. “What he has been able to do has really opened the doors for a lot of other kids.”
The Warriors achieved their historic day in dramatic fashion as well. Sanders was losing 10-0 in the semifinals at 132 when he locked Ocean’s Justin Farina in a cradle and pinned him to reach the championship match.
The tournament marked another building block under Barowski, a former Point Beach star who was an assistant at Point Boro before taking the Manasquan job. He had his work cut out for him when he tried to breathe life into a program that had 14 straight losing seasons before Barowski arrived.
“It was a huge culture shock,” Barowski said. “I had a good program in high school, two good programs in college, I coached at Point Boro, and then coming here it’s like, ‘What do you mean you’re practicing in the cafeteria? Where’s your wrestling room at?’”
Barowski has worked to establish a pipeline with the youth wrestling program in Manasquan’s sending district, which is starting to supply a host of young talent for the Warriors.
“Coach brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy to practice and matches, and he has us peaking at the right time,” O’Connor said. “Plus now we’re getting more wrestlers in the youth program to funnel into our program. It’s going to be really cool coming back in a couple years and seeing how the program grows.”
Scott Stump is a 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.
Contact him at [email protected]
