Brearley wrestlers grab hold of 7th straight sectional championship; Host Bears hold on to defeat GL to capture North 2, Group 2 for the 5th consecutive year

Brearley advances to Sunday's Group 2 semifinals at Toms River North

GL concludes one of its finest seasons ever with an outstanding 19-3 record

By JR Parachini
Union County Sports Editor
KENILWORTH – While Brearley managed just one more victory than visiting Governor Livingston, it was the manner in which the Bears garnered their wins and tempered their losses which proved quite beneficial in the long run.
Brearley produced three wins by major decision and two by fall, while limiting GL to only one win by major decision and just one victory by fall en route to hanging on for a hard-fought 30-28 win in Friday night’s North 2, Group 2 final.
“Not giving up bonus points was big,” said Brearley senior 145-pounder Nick Lospinoso, who scored his team’s first six points when he defeated GL junior Jeremy Klein by fall in 1:02. “We were hoping to get GL at home and get another shot at them, so this is very satisfying.”
While Brearley (9-5) captured a seventh straight sectional championship, a fifth in a row in North 2, Group 2 and will head back to Toms River North Sunday as the defending Group 2 state champions for the first time, GL finished one of its greatest seasons in program history, concluding with an outstanding 19-3 record.
“We graduated seven seniors, but won the conference this year and took Brearley all the way down to the wire here tonight,” 11th-year GL head coach Rick Iacono said. “This team overachieved the entire season. When we got down tonight we didn’t quit and gave everything we had.
“I’m very proud of the way we competed. We’ve pulled out close matches all year, including our win at Voorhees (in the sectional semifinals).”
“We didn’t have a full lineup for half the season,” second-year Brearley head coach Scot Weaver said. “We graduated eight of 14 kids and have been without (junior) Anthony Rice for the whole season.”
GL - which defeated Brearley 31-29 at Brearley on Jan. 5 - came back to pull to within 30-25 going into the final bout at 132. The Highlanders won by decision at 113 and 126 and in between at 120 were awarded six points by forfeit.
GL sophomore Ryan Hoy had to defeat Brearley senior Mike Disko at 132 by fall to give his team the victory. A major decision would not have been enough and a win by technical fall would have only tied the match.
Hoy jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a takedown 20 seconds in before Disko came back with a point. Hoy led 4-1 at the end of the first period and then 5-1 at the conclusion of the second.
Hoy, working Disko’s left leg, managed another takedown for a 7-1 lead with 1:09 to go. In an effort to try to get Disko on his back for a match-clinching fall, Hoy was overtaken by Disko, who managed one takedown with 46 seconds left and a final one with 29 ticks to go for the final 7-5, three-point win by Hoy.
Disko preventing Hoy from winning by fall was just as important as any of Brearley’s seven victories. Hoy defeated Disko 8-4 in the regular season match, with each team winning seven bouts in that matchup as well.
Brearley lost to GL, Roselle Park and Westfield in regular season matches that were all decided in the 14th and final bout. That was the case again Friday night, but this time Brearley was on the winning end.
“We didn’t have Joey Balboni and Andrew Scarillo the first time we wrestled GL and tonight they both had big victories,” Weaver said.
Joey Balboni, a sophomore, won a 24-11 major decision over GL junior Ryan Dobbs at 170, which was two matches after Scarillo, a junior, defeated GL senior Victor Orozco 8-4 at 152.
“I thought 152 was pivotal,” Weaver said.
Scarillo led 4-3 after the first period, with all the scoring in the first two minutes coming at the very end. Scarillo then scored another takedown late in the second period for a 6-3 lead. He went ahead 8-3 with 1:23 to go in the third.
“Andrew has been up and down all year and a little unlucky lately,” Weaver said. “I think GL thought it was going to win there, so to me that’s the match.”
Weaver also pointed to junior John Balboni defeating GL junior Shane Haddad 10-3 at 160 as a big win for the Bears. In the regular season match, Balboni defeated Dobbs by fall in 1:41 at 160, while Haddad- at 170 - scored a 17-5 major decision victory over Brearley senior Anthony Scorese.
“That was a high profile match between Balboni and Haddad and they both went after it,” Weaver said. “John was sick all week, but he came through with two big wins for us, including Wednesday night vs. Becton.”
Two GL grapplers who won bouts after losing in the regular season match against Brearley were seniors Willy O’Sullivan and Tony Manganiello. With the match starting at 138, Sullivan gave the Highlanders their only lead at 3-0 when he won an exciting 4-2 overtime decision over Brearley’s Owen Savonna. O’Sullivan scored a bout-winning takedown with 10.59 seconds left in the one-minute overtime period.
On Jan. 5, O’Sullivan was defeated by Brearley’s Eoghan Savonna 8-3 at 138. Eoghan Savonna also wrestled at 138 Wednesday night vs. Becton.
Manganiello was defeated by Brearley senior Mike Christian by fall in 1:27 a month ago before he came back to beat him 3-1 Friday night. Christian led 1-0 after the first and second periods and then Manganiello tied the bout at 1-1 with 1:35 to go in the third.
Christian shoved Manganiello off the mat late in the third period, but the score remained tied 1-1, much to the chagrin of the GL fans in attendance who thought a point should have been awarded to Manganiello for poor sportsmanship on the part of Christian.
That only seemed to motivate the Lehigh (for football)-bound Manganiello. When the wrestlers resumed Manganiello was able to take down Christian with 3.3 seconds left for a 3-1 triumph.
“Willy did a fine job and so did Tony,” Iacono said. “Tony missed a month with an injury.”
GL was 9-0 vs. Union County teams before Friday night and was the only Union County school not to lose to a Union County squad before falling to the Bears in the sectional final.
“All you can do is what you’re capable of doing,” Iacono said. “That’s a very good team over there, Brearley. We don’t look back.
“Like I said, we gave it everything we had and we have a lot to be proud of.”
“Hats off to GL, who has good, tough kids and is well-coached,” Weaver said.

GROUP 2 SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS:

North 1 - High Point

North 2 - Brearley

Central Jersey - Raritan

South Jersey – Delsea

Sunday’s schedule at Pine Belt Arena includes Brearley vs. Raritan and High Point vs. Delsea at 12:30 p.m., with the winners to tangle for the championship at 6 p.m.
On Jan. 28 in a tri-meet at Brearley, the host Bears defeated High Point 36-34 and lost to Raritan 42-25.
For a change, Brearley will head south with a state championship under its belt, no state ranking and less pressure to succeed.
“Although we may not be viewed the same way as in years past, we did beat High Point not long ago,” Weaver said. “We’ll get down there and, hopefully, wrestle to the best of our ability.”

NORTH 2, GROUP 2 CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AT BREARLEY
Brearley 30, Governor Livingston 28

138: Willy O’Sullivan, GL, dec. Owen Savonna, Brearley, 4-2 (OT).
GL leads 3-0.

145: Nick Lospinoso, Brearley, pin Jeremy Klein, GL, 1:02.
Brearley leads 6-3.

152: Andrew Scarillo, Brearley, dec. Victor Orozco, GL, 8-4.
Brearley leads 9-3.

160: John Balboni, Brearley, dec. Shane Haddad, GL, 10-3.
Brearley leads 12-3.

170: Joey Balboni, Brearley, maj. dec. Ryan Dobbs, GL, 24-11.
Brearley leads 16-3.

182: Zach Heissler, GL, maj.. dec. Anthony Scorese, Brearley, 9-0.
Brearley leads 16-7.

195: Anthony Tancs, Brearley, maj. dec. Vinny Bennett, GL, 19-7.
Brearley leads 20-7.

220: Jeff Velez, Brearley, maj. dec. DJ McHugh, GL, 11-0.
Brearley leads 24-7.

HWT: Tony Manganiello, GL, dec. Mike Christian, Brearley, 3-1.
Brearley leads 24-10.

106: Nick DeMarco, Brearley, pin Joe Colder, GL, 5:18.
Brearley leads 30-10.

113: Jon Mele, GL, pin Frank Chessa, Brearley, 1:43.
Brearley leads 30-16.

120: Ryne Morrison, GL, wins by forfeit.
Brearley leads 30-22.

126: John Bohrer, GL, dec. Dylan Oliva, Brearley, 5-0.
Brearley leads 30-25.

132: Ryan Hoy, GL, dec. Mike Disko, Brearley, 7-5.
Brearley wins 30-28.

Team records: Governor Livingston 19-3, Brearley 9-5.

PHOTOS BY JR PARACHINI:

TOP - GL senior John Bohrer, top, defeated Brearley's Dylan Oliva 5-0 at 126.

MIDDLE - GL sophomore Ryan Hoy,left. defeated Brearley senior Mike Disko 7-5 at 132.

BOTTOM - The Governor Livingston wrestling team produced one of its finest seasons, finishing 19-3.