CVC grapplers could make history in AC
With the year-ending Slammies as well as The Trentonian’s All-Area and All-Colonial Valley Conference teams now just a week away, it’s truly the home stretch of the high school wrestling season.
The very big positive from a local perspective is this weekend in Atlantic City has the potential to surpass anything that has come before.
When all was said and finished Saturday night, the CVC had tied its alltime record for region champs in one year with five standing atop the podium. While it’s true this stat is a bit misleading in that two of them (Princeton’s Chloe Ayres and Allentown’s Jasmine Aizley) came out of the first-year girls regions the week before, the bottom line is a host of locals appear primed to possibly make a big splash at this week’s state tournament.
With the seeding for the boys state tournament due out Tuesday, look for Robbinsville’s Garrett Bilgrav (170), Princeton’s Alec Bobchin (138) and Allentown’s Joe Lamparelli (113) all to be in a position to make major noise in their brackets.
Ranked third in the state, Bilgrav could very well receive the No. 3 seed behind Howell’s Shane Reitsma and Paulsboro’s Brandon Green. Bilgrav has not yet wrestled Green, but he did drop a close decision to Reitsma two years ago. And that was after the Columbia Universitybound Bilgrav bumped up a weight.
A two-time region champion along with Bilgav and ranked second in the state, Bobchin will also receive a high seed after finishing eighth in Atlantic City last year. His only two losses were at the Beast of the East and Bobchin will attempt to top Princeton’s all-time highest finish at states that was turned in by Ian Reddy in 1993 when he took a fourth.
Winning it all, of course, will be difficult for Bobchin because he’s in the same weight as Pope John’s Joe Aragona, who is ranked No. 1 in the country and is headed for Rutgers. Still, you can be sure the Rider-bound Princeton senior will give it his best shot.
“It’s not like we have to beat Aragona nine out of 10 times,” said Princeton coach Rashone Johnson. “You just have to beat him once.”
Also a two-time region champion, Lamparelli will head to AC with just one loss and is also capable of a deep run in one of the tougher weights in the state. His only loss was to Region VII champion Vin Santaniello of Brick Memorial by the score of 3-2.
In addition to the CVC wrestlers, the greater area is headed up by Hunterdon Central’s topranked Brett Ungar (106), Delran’s undefeated Bryan Miraglia (132) and Voorhees’ defending heavyweight state champion Lewis Fernandes.
Ungar goes in a weight that includes a very capable Tyler Klinsky (39-0) of Middletown North. As for Fernandes, he has become an absolute wrecking machine. A Cornell University recruit, the Voorhees wrestler just pinned his way through the region, including a first-period fall of Bound Brook’s Jervey Sistrunk. Earlier this year Fernandes pinned a Hopatcong wrestler in three, count them, three seconds.
As for the girls, Aizley is the No. 2 seed at 100 and in a bracket headed up by Parsiappany’s formidable Sydney Petzinger, who reportedly has enjoyed considerable success on the summer national circuit.
Ayres is also a second seed in a 105-pound bracket that includes Trenton’s Johnae Drumright. And Mercer also has two capable wrestlers at 118 with Ewing’s Devon Kueny and Notre Dame’s Angelina Romero.