County title, state playoff appearance among many firsts
By: Rudy Brandl
It was the first time for a lot of things for the Hillsborough High wrestling team this winter.
The Raiders (12-6) accomplished all their team goals in the 2001-02 campaign and became the first wrestling squad in school history to achieve many things. Their dual meet record also translates into the finest team winning percentage ever.
HHS started the season by winning the first Somerset County team title in school history. The Raiders had the championship clinched before the final round.
Hillsborough then earned a spot in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs for the first time ever. Although the Raiders dropped their first playoff match to South Brunswick, they qualified for the post-season after battling one of the most brutal schedules in the state.
The Raiders continued their tour of first-time accomplishments by appearing in the state’s top 20 list. They proved worthy of this honor by repeating as District 18 team champions for the first time.
Hillsborough crowned a school-record six district champs and sent a program-best 11 individuals to the Region 5 Tournament. The Raiders then surpassed their old standard by sending four wrestlers to the state preliminaries.
Junior 103-pounder Andrew Gewain and senior 125-pounder Randy Van Cleef moved on to Atlantic City for the state finals, while seniors Jared Wagner (135) and Dan Miller (171) saw their seasons end at the SuperRegions. Gewain put together a three-bout win streak on the boardwalk and wound up finishing sixth in the state, a solid conclusion to a landmark season.
"It’s been a year of firsts," said 11th-year head coach Steve Molinaro, who was named District 18 Coach of the Year. "It’s been very gratifying. To have all this happen in one year has been like a gift."
The Raiders dominated the local competition in tournament and dual meet action. Formidable county foes like Somerville and Bridgewater became easy pickings for the powerful Hillsborough team, which scored over 50 points in regular season routs against both schools.
"We set goals in the beginning of the season and we met all of them," Molinaro said. "It’s pretty much what we expected of them but some individuals turned it up a notch at the end of the season."
Hillsborough’s lineup was deep and balanced, capable of producing a streak of wins or pins in several spots. Since matches no longer automatically began at 103, the team’s versatility was an added bonus.
The Raiders boasted seven 20-bout winners, led by Gewain, who posted a 29-6 mark. Gewain won his third straight Somerset County and second consecutive District 18 title and ran his career mark to 71-16. Gewain is on pace to become one of the school’s all-time win leaders. He currently trails Bryan Robinovitz (105) by 34 victories.
"It’s a standard I’d love to live up to," Gewain said. "I respect Bryan Robinovitz a lot and it would be a great achievement even to be close to his record. It would be a great milestone. If I make it, I’ll probably be a state champ."
While Gewain and three other underclassmen with at least 20 wins are eligible to return, the Raiders bid farewell to some talented seniors. Van Cleef (20-11) staged another post-season rally after a rather ordinary regular campaign. The one-time Region 5 champ made his second straight trip beyond the state qualifying stage after an impressive flurry of victories on the final day of the region tourney.
Fellow co-captain Jared Wagner (27-5) met all of his personal goals for his senior season. Wagner won his first county and district titles and avenged a personal issue by dominating Bound Brook’s Brad Galeta in a Region 5 wrestleback to keep his season alive. Wagner finished third in a very competitive bracket at the regions.
"It was a great year," Wagner said. "We were a real close team, especially the seniors. We accomplished a lot and started a great wrestling tradition at Hillsborough."
Miller (23-8) navigated the same tough road through the Region 5 consolation bracket and joined his teammates in the Supers at Brick Memorial. Even after losing his match, the 171-pound senior could reflect on all his accomplishments.
"My goals this year were to win the counties and the districts and advance out of the region," Miller said. "A.C. would have been an added bonus, so I’m happy with my season."
Hillsborough’s other 20-bout winners will return. Junior heavyweight Antonio D’Amelio (20-10) and sophomore 130-pounder Mike Detsis (22-10) qualified for the regions, while sophomore 145-pounder Pat Jastrzebeski (21-8) finished fourth in a brutal District 18 weight class.
Senior 160-pounder Kristian Molloy (17-7) put together another solid year that included his second straight district crown. Molloy, who led the team in first period pins, joined his three classmates in the district champions’ circle but couldn’t advance out of the region in a loaded weight class. Molloy and his fellow seniors will be missed.
"We’re losing some key kids and they’re going to be tough to replace," Molinaro said. "Like any other high school sport, you’ve got to fill spots with some depth. We had a number of sophomores win a lot of key matches and Antonio and Andrew are juniors."
D’Amelio capped the team’s perfect performance in the district finals with a double overtime victory, one of many dramatic bouts he wrestled this year. The Raider heavyweight won another thriller in the regions before losing twice.
Although the Raiders made considerable noise in the individual post-season, they’re probably most proud of their biggest team accomplishment. Qualifying for the state playoffs after giving elite teams like Delaware Valley and North Hunterdon a serious scare gave the Raiders a major boost. HHS was also tied with Phillipsburg at 21-21 before the Stateliners won the final three bouts.
"Finally getting that monkey off our back was big," Molinaro said. "For so many years, we came so close by fractions of a point."
North Hunterdon went on to win the State Group 3 title, while P’burg and Del Val finished second in the Group 4 and 2 tourneys, respectively. The Raiders learned a lot about themselves and where the HHS program is heading in those matches.
"We have to realize we’re that close to the next level," Molinaro said. "That’s something to strive for, not only coming close to the powerhouse teams but beating them. The kids realize we’re right there."
TAKEDOWNS Sophomore Tye Wagner did a splendid job at 112 pounds, posting a record of 15-10 … sophomore 215-pounder Mark Amerman went 13-13 and finished third in the district … Kevin Herlihy (12-17 at 119) and Chris Damiano (11-12 at 140) also placed third in the district … other Raider starters eligible to return include Phil Lavoie (152) and Nick Urbano (189) … team pin leaders Van Cleef 11, D’Amelio 11, Molloy 10, Amerman 9, J. Wagner 8, Miller 7, Gewain 7, Detsis 7 … the Raiders compiled an overall bout record of 246-161 with 93 pins.