Hunterdon Central scores huge win over Phillipsburg
FLEMINGTON » Just call it one of the most impressive wins for the Hunterdon Central High School wrestling team in a very long time.
Ranked no. 1 in the Trentonian, Hunterdon Central didn’t just beat long-time nemesis Phillipsburg in front of an ecstatic full house in its field house Wednesday night.
Hunterdon Central did it with ease as it smoked Phillipsburg by the score of 38-21 to beat the Stateliners for just the eighth time in 40 meetings.
In addition to taking control of the Skyland Conference, the win re- ally set up Hunterdon Central (10-0) for a run at a very high ranking in the state.
Hunterdon Central has gone into matches before against the Liners thinking it could win, but more often than not had come up short against the perennial state powerhouse.
This most definitely was not the case Wednesday and a big part of that was Central’s ability to pile up bonus points against a team that is traditionally very stingy in that area
Hunterdon Central got off to the fast start it really wanted by pinning in the first two weights.
It also did it in dramatic style in the first bout when Lukas Bakarian was trailing Shamyr Broddes in the third period before rolling him and suddenly pinning him in seconds for a fall at the 5:08 mark at 195 pounds
Moving up a weight, Reese Young then pinned in the first period and just like that Central had a 12-0 lead.
Phillipsburg temporarily halted the charge with an overtime win at heavyweight but the balance in the Red Devil lineup continued to show through.
After central 106-pound hammer Brett Ungar improved to 14-0 with a technical fall at 106 pounds, Phillipsburg (4-1) hung around with wins in the next two weights.
It was only a reprieve as the Red Devils ripped off victories from 126 through 138, including a pin by largely unheralded Grant Bloch (3-3) at 132 pounds.
Even when Central lost, it wrestled tough. A perfect example occurred at 146 where Central’s Pasquale Vizzoni battled hard before falling to Cody Harrison (13-2) by the score of 4-3.
Another big victory for Central was turned in at 152 when Vincent Romaniello topped Jayson Zinsmeister 6-4.
All in all it was the kind of performance central fans have long been looking for and the kind of victory rarely recorded against Phillipsburg by a New Jersey team
Hunterdon Central 38, Phillipsburg 21
195-Bakarian (HC) pin Brodders (P) 5:08; 220-Young (HC) pin Cruts (P) 1:10; hvy-Sharp (P) dec. Crespo (HC) 5-1 overtime; 106-Ungar (HC) t-fall Maczko (P) 16-1; 113-Day (P) dec Washlleski 6-2 (HC); 120-Jones (P) dec Bauer (HC) 7-0; 126-Romaniello (HC) pin Hardin (P) 5:23; 132-Bloch (HC) pin Abode (P) 3:04; 138-Graf (HC) dec Tino (P) 7-4; 145-Harrison (P) dec Vizzoni (HC) 4-3; 152-V. Romanielo (HC) dec Zinsmeister (P) 6-4; 160-Meyer (P) dec. Ciresa (HC) 6-0 170-Wissing (P) by forfeit; 182-Furnatio (HC) dec. Roth (P) 5-3 OT.