By: Ken Weingartner
The Monroe High wrestling team closed its dual-match schedule with a resounding 54-18 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro North as the Falcons tuned up for this weekend’s District 20 Tournament.
Monroe got pins from Al Rotundo (103), Kevin Rogers (130), John Jensen (135), Matt Horsch (160), Bryan Georges (171), and Mike Goff (215). Others to pick up victories were Keith Douglas (112), Jeff DeCruz (145), Greg Dennen (152), and heavyweight Chet Urbanowicz.
Next up for Monroe is the District 20 Tournament, which begins at 6 tonight at South Brunswick High School and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday with semifinal action.
The top-three finishers in each weight class advance to the Region 5 Tournament next weekend.
"I think we have a chance to do some good things," coach Sal Profaci said. "The kids got a lot of confidence from their performance at the county tournament. They showed they could wrestle with the better programs in the county. Still, we could have done better. So this is another chance to improve. I think we can get about eight kids into the top four."
At the beginning of the season, Profaci said he thought Monroe could send about six wrestlers to regions.
Monroe finished 13th out of 20 teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament and had six place-winners. Anthony Mancini (119) finished fifth while Jensen (135) and Goff (215) placed sixth. Bauman (112), Georges (171), and Urbanowicz each was seventh.
The Falcons match-ups tonight in the District 20 Tournament are:
Rotundo vs. Sean Sullivan of Sayreville, Bauman vs. Vinnie Biondo of South Brunswick, Mancini vs. John Parke of East Brunswick, Mike Tuhy vs. Carmen Corona of East Brunswick, Rogers vs. Justin Delpiano of South Brunswick, Jensen vs. Jason Lee of West Windsor-Plainsboro South, DeCruz vs. Nick Avery of WW-P South, Craig Mazor vs. Andrew Suozzo of Old Bridge, Dennen vs. Mike Lipman of South River, Horsch vs. Mike Maiello of Old Bridge, Georges vs. Josh Wagner of WW-P South, John Urbanowicz vs. John Nortesano of South Brunswick, Goff vs. Brian Campbell of East Brunswick, and Chet Urbanowicz vs. Tom Scanlon of South River.
East Brunswick won the GMCT, ending South Plainfield’s five-year run as champion.
"Our district is tough," Profaci said. "Not only do you have Old Bridge and South Brunswick, but East Brunswick had a very good year.
"I know the kids have worked hard and they are confident. We still don’t have the match experience of the kids in the better-known programs, but we’re making up ground rapidly. It will be interesting to see how far we’ve come."

