BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer
Brick Memorial’s wrestling team, ranked No. 10 in the state, dropped two matches last week to teams rated among the top five, but coach Dean Albanese came away pleased with his team’s prospects.
Facing what Albanese regarded as a crossroads situation, the Mustangs on Saturday evening lost to No. 4-ranked Absegami, 36-26, at Brick. Earlier last week, the team fell to No. 5 Southern, 30-27, in a Shore Conference A South match, also at Brick.
“I thought we wrestled pretty well,” said Albanese after the Absegami meet as his team evened its record to 2-2. “That team [Absegami] has won 19 matches in a row and we lost two overtime matches which, if we won, we would’ve tied the meet.”
It was a better tone than Albanese had after the Southern loss, when he said his team was in a “make or break” situation.
“This is a turning point where we either put down our heads or bounce back,” he said.
Those two wrestlers losing in overtime against Absegami were John Guzzi at 112 and heavyweight Scott Lindsey, both pleasantly surprising newcomers to the veteran lineup that won a 19th straight district championship last season. Lindsey, in fact, has six victories.
Another pleasantly surprising newcomer — freshman Don Miller at 119 pounds — won on a technical fall in that meet. Mike Elshamy continued his winning ways, while recently moving up to 215 pounds, with a pin, and Nick Davis also pinned his opponent at 103, while Mike Hudak at 189 and John Barrett at 145 won by decision.
“We were outwrestled, but I was pretty happy because we’re still beat up and have guys with problems making weight,” said Albanese
Matt Slater is out for the time being with a cracked rib at 135, while Jim Davis likely is gone for the season at 103 with a broken hand.
But the biggest absence against Absegami was Sean McCrossen, dealt a two-match suspension with Brick Township’s John Battista after they started throwing punches during their bout at 171 pounds as the benches cleared in a meet earlier on Saturday that Brick Memorial won, 44-13. He’s also sitting out Tuesday’s match against Toms River South.
“I thought the refs could’ve controlled it a little bit better so it wouldn’t come to that,” said Albanese. “Not having him [against Absegami] hurt. We could’ve won the match. We could move people around [in weight] with him in there.”
John Havens, who had just returned to the lineup last week from an injury, filled in that weight class, dropping a tough 3-1 decision.
Highly regarded Dave Kiley also lost a tough 6-4 decision at 152 to Bill Black, a state qualifier last year. One poll has Kiley ranked No. 10 in the state and Elshamy is No. 12.
Against Southern, Albanese was disappointed late in that meet when Kiley and John Barrett at 145 won decisions.
“We needed pins from them to win that meet, and they didn’t do it,” he said.
Elshamy also lost a 3-2 decision to Tim Pringle in his debut at 215 after finishing as district and region champ at 189 last season. Both split a pair of meetings last season.
Jim Davis reinjured his fractured wrist that was in a cast for that meet while wining in overtime on a double-leg takedown.
Against Brick Township, Elshamy, Lindsey and Kiley had pins, while Guzzi, Miller, Mike Shevlino (130), Jay Rosenthal (140), Barrett, Kyle Heilbroun (160) and Hudak also won. Brick Township’s Kevin Senkarik had an impressive victory at 135 pounds.