SCT Wrestling: St. John Vianney rolls to team title with six individual champions

LAKEWOOD — With its lineup mostly intact following two crushing dual-meet defeats where it was shorthanded, St. John Vianney served up a reminder of how dangerous it can be at full strength.

Led by Most Outstanding Wrestler Anthony Knox and fellow returning state champion Rocco Dellagatta, the Lancers had six individual champions crowned and 11 total medalists when it rolled to the team title at Saturday’s Shore Conference Tournament at Lakewood High School.

Knox, a three-time defending NJSIAA champion and the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the nation at 126 pounds, was predictably dominant in becoming the first wrestler to win three individual SCT titles (there was no individual tournament his freshman year). Senior Patrick O’Keefe, a three-time state medalist, won his second SCT title by taking the 132-pound bracket. Senior heavyweight Rocco Dellagatta, the defending state champion in his first and only year at SJV after transferring from St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, was untouchable en route to his first SCT title. Junior Matt Gould (120) and senior Jake Zaltsman (144) won their first SCT championships while sophomore Ryan “Bubba” Gavrish became the only wrestler not seeded No. 1 to emerge victorious when he won the 157-pound bracket.

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“After such a tasteless and tough loss, the cure is getting that next win, so we came here with 99 percent of a full team and it felt great to get the camaraderie back, get the wins coming back, and get the smiles going again,” St. John Vianney head coach Chris Notte said. “It was very refreshing.”

The Lancers were ranked No. 1 in the Shore and coming off a win over Southern Regional before consecutive final-bout losses to Christian Brothers Academy and Rumson-Fair Haven. Against CBA, Vianney was without Gould and senior 165-pounder Cole Stangle. Against Rumson, Stangle and O’Keefe were out sick. The results are the results regardless of which wrestlers took the mat, but the Lancers were eager to show how those matches could have ended if they were whole.

“It’s very relieving to see that we can really put our foot down on the Shore Conference,” Notte said. “Our last two losses have asterisks if you ask me. Today gives you a real idea of what the landscape looks like in the Shore Conference.”

“It felt good having mostly a full team and really showing how good we are,” O’Keefe said.

Rounding out the medalists for St. John Vianney were runners-up Julian Zargo (106), Dezmond Lenaghan (150), and Stangle (165), third-place finisher John Saraiva (157) and fourth-place finisher Abraham Adu-Amoako (138).

Gould defeated Toms River East’s Ricky DeLorenzo II, 4-1, with a late takedown in the 120-pound final. Knox won by technical fall in all four tournament bouts, including a 21-6 victory in 1:55 over Jackson Liberty junior Tucker Pazinko in the championship bout. At 132 pounds, O’Keefe scored a 6-2 decision over Point Boro senior three-time state qualifier Frankie Burgio.

Zaltsman was impressive in his run to the 144-pound title with a 4-3 win over CBA’s Will Sakoutis in the semifinals before pinning Ocean’s Boomer Volek in 2:27 in the championship bout.

No. 1 seeds won every weight class except 157 where Gavrish knocked off Raritan senior two-time state qualifier Alex Delaurier with a 7-2 decision.

“When you have the big guys like Knox and Rocco it’s very easy for the fan to forget about a guy like Ryan Gavrish,” Notte said. “But he’s been nothing but strong for us and is a big piece of our team. If you look at it, when he’s rolling we’re rolling as a team.”

The most impressive victory of all came from Dellagatta at heavyweight where he needed just 39 seconds to pin Toms River East senior James Lynch, one of his top challengers and a returning state seventh-place finisher. Dellagatta, who is a consensus top-five heavyweight in the country, has not been challenged all season. He is 17-0 with eight pins, two technical falls and seven wins by forfeit.

“I want someone to give me a run for my money this year. I want that competition,” Dellagatta said. “I’m calling all you heavyweights out to bring it to me because at this pace I’m going to walk to a state title. I want a six-minute match, but I’m not just going to let someone wrestle me for six minutes. I want someone to bring it to me.”

St. John Vianney finished with 261.5 points to roll to the title over second-place Rumson-Fair Haven (181.5) and third-place CBA (127.5). Standouts Paul Kenny, AJ Falcone, Bobby Duffy, and Sean Kenny did not compete in the SCT for CBA because of bout limits. Brick Memorial and Lacey rounded out the top five teams.

 

Ice-Cold Clayton

One of most anticipated finals was at 165 pounds where Point Boro sophomore Jake Clayton faced St. John Vianney senior Cole Stangle. Clayton placed eighth in the state at 157 pounds last season while Stangle is a three-time state qualifier who had his progress halted in the blood round each of the last two seasons.

Neither wrestler gave any ground during the regulation periods and the bout went to sudden victory tied 1-1. There was no scoring through sudden victory or through the first rideout period where Clayton held Stangle down for all 30 seconds. Clayton was able to escape in the second rideout period and hold off a takedown attempt by Stangle off a scramble to win 2-1 and earn his second straight SCT championship.

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“I thought I was going to open up a little more but I was kind of hesitant,” Clayton said. “As soon as the third period hit and we weren’t doing much I knew we were probably going to overtime and I had to get my mind right for it.”

Clayton’s poise late in big matches was on display once again in both the semifinals and the championship bout. In the semifinals against Rumson-Fair Haven standout senior Cole Pangborn, Clayton secured a takedown in the final 30 seconds to win 4-2.

“I think that’s where I trust my ability,” Clayton said. “I know where I stand on the wrestling mat and I’m comfortable in every position.”

A skilled three-sport athlete who was a Shore Sports Insider First Team All-Shore football selection this fall and is also a standout baseball player, Clayton’s best asset might be his ability to stay cool under pressure. After losing in the round of 16 to eventual state champion Matt Henrich (Southern) at last season’s state tournament, Clayton won three straight bouts in the unforgiving wrestlebacks to clinch a state medal.

“I don’t let that stuff get in my head,” Clayton said. “I know I have a target on my back (as a state medalist) but I let it fly. I don’t get nervous before matches. and I don’t care who I’m wrestling. I go out there and have fun.”

 

State champions Ludington & Amato claim second SCT titles

Brick Memorial senior Harvey Ludington and Rumson-Fair Haven sophomore Sonny Amato earned their second Shore Conference Tournament titles to continue their outstanding seasons.

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Ludington, a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist who is signed to Iowa, defeated Howell sophomore Tanner Hodgins, 7-3, to win the 190-pound championship. Hodgins, who was sixth in the state at 165 pounds last season, pushed Ludington better than anyone has this year in becoming the first wrestler to hold him to a decision. Ludington eventually scored the bout’s first takedown in the second period and added another in the third to extend his lead.

Amato burst onto the scene last season to win the 144-pound state title as a freshman. He was ferocious in the SCT with three pins before a 16-1 technical fall in 3:46 over St. John Vianney’s Dezmond Lenaghan in the final. Amato is 25-1 this season with his only defeat coming in the Beast of the East final.

 

Five more first-time champions

In addition to the St. John Vianney quartet of Gould, Zaltsman, Gavrish, and Dellagatta, five wrestlers won their first SCT championships.

Brick Memorial sophomore Sonny DiMatteo placed first at 106 pounds with a 4-1 victory over St. John Vianney sophomore Julian Zargo. DiMatteo’s third-period takedown broke a 1-1 tie.

Lacey sophomore Killian Coluccio won 5-3 over Rumson-Fair Haven junior Eamon Fry in the 113-pound final. Coluccio was third in the state at 106 pounds last season when he attended CBA.

Howell senior Xavier Ortega defeated Rumson-Fair Haven sophomore Mario Del Vecchio 6-3 to take home the 138-pound championship.

At 175 pounds, CBA sophomore Brock Oizerowitz, last season’s state eighth-place finisher at the same weight, eked out a 1-0 decision over familiar foe Tornick Kajaia of Long Branch.

Rumson-Fair Haven senior Conor Delaney had an eventful afternoon, picking up his 100th career win in the semifinals and then defeating CBA junior Tyler Palumbo, 7-4, to win the 215-pound championship.

 

Milestones

Delaney, Stangle and Monmouth Regional’s Ryan Walsh all picked up their 100th career victories during the SCT. Walsh is the third wrestler in program history to reach 100 wins and is within striking distance of the program record of 108 held by Anthony Bongarzone.

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