SJV’s Castro continuing to build an impressive résumé
Sophomore’s state
tournament run
hampered by
fractured elbow
By Warren Rappleyea
Staff Writer
With 59 wins in just two seasons, Anthony Castro is well on his way to becoming one of the top wrestlers to compete for St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel.
The 125-pound sophomore went 32-4 with 13 pins this year and finished second in the District 21 competition and third in Region 6. That qualified him for the NJSIAA Wrestling Tournament in Atlantic City, where he won one of three matches despite an arm injury that he found out afterward was a fractured elbow.
"Anthony is aggressive and tenacious; he just doesn’t let up," Lancers coach Jack Shepherd said. "We knew something was wrong with his arm. We didn’t know it was fractured, yet he battled through it."
One of Castro’s goals was to place at the state tourney, though the injury hampered that, but he still had quite a year. Along the way he won his weight class at the Holmdel Christmas Tournament and the Colt Classic, for the second year in each, and was named outstanding wrestler in each for the second straight year.
Castro is particularly good on his feet, uses his legs well, and owns an effective cradle, Shepherd said. A solid work ethic and top-notch conditioning (he trains year round) enable him to go the full six minutes when necessary.
"I try to work hard in practice and I run and lift," Castro said. "I really want to be ready when I get on the mat."
Castro began wrestling in the Matawan Mat Rat program at the urging of his father, Ozzie. The youngster was just 7 at the time, and he developed an immediate love of the sport.
He continued to compete and improve through middle school before arriving at Vianney last year, where he quickly made an impact, going 27-5 and finishing second in the district and region events, while also establishing himself in the classroom.
Now his goal is to establish himself as one of the top wrestlers in the state.
"I definitely want to place in the state tournament next year," he said. "That’s something I’ll be working toward as I prepare for the season. But I also want the team to do well. We had a pretty good year (14-5), but I’d like to see us do even better."
"Anthony is a very team-oriented person," Shepherd said. "He knows his role on the team, and he worked to make some of our guys better. Having a guy like him at St. John is the kind of thing that will put our program back on the map."
The Lancers have themselves an established leader for the next two seasons. And with 59 wins in just two seasons, chances are, we’ll be hearing a lot more from the soft-spoken Castro over the next two years.