Bulldogs prepare for districts

Wrestling

By: Mike Molaro
   The Hopewell Valley Central High School wrestling team last week completed one season while beginning to prepare for another.
   After back-to-back losses to Princeton (48-18 on Feb. 19) and Nottingham (70-8) on Friday ended their regular season, the Bulldogs (2-14 overall, 1-11 in the Colonial Valley Conference) began focusing on this weekend’s District 17 action at Hunterdon Central.
   In the single-elimination district tournament, wrestlers must win Friday to advance to Saturday’s semifinal action. The consolation and championship bouts also will be held Saturday.
   The top three finishers in each individual weight class advance to Region V competition, which begins Tuesday at Hunterdon Central. Region V is comprised of Districts 17, 18, 19 and 20.
   Bulldogs coach Bob Crognale is taking seven wrestlers to District 17, with senior 275-pounder Mike Williams having the best chance to move on. Williams (23-0), the Mercer County heavyweight champion, finished third in District 17 and fourth in Region V last year.
   Although Crognale believes Williams should be the top seed, he knows nothing is certain until the seedings are announced late Wednesday evening.
   "Based on his record and who he has beaten, Mike (Williams) deserves the No. 1 seed," Crognale said. "You never know what will happen at the seeding meeting. The seedings are based on head-to-head competition and then common opponents. The top three heavyweights should be Mike, Mike Grant of Notre Dame and Keys from Hunterdon Central.
   "I don’t want to jinx Mike, but I don’t see anybody else as the number one seed."
   According to Crognale, senior 215-pounder Greg Roman (13-3) could be seeded anywhere from four to six.
   "Greg (Roman) had a key loss to Adam Oliszewski of Lawrence, and that might cost him a good seeding," Crognale said. "This (215) is a pretty solid weight class."
   Other Bulldogs competing Friday include sophomore Brett Williams at 140, senior Cory Agin at 145, junior Eric Brathole at 152, sophomore Mike Yaros at 160 and senior Aaron Vergason at 189.
   Since District 17 is loaded with CVC rivals Lawrence, Ewing, Notre Dame, and Princeton, as well as Hunterdon County powerhouses, the Bulldogs don’t figure to finish in the battle for the team championship.
   "We will have our hands full," Crognale said. "But you can never tell. There are always surprises at the districts."