For Goff, 10-9 adds up to No. 1

The score of his only loss fuels MHS wrestler to county title

By: Ken Weingartner
   During the past several weeks as Monroe High heavyweight Mike Goff ran after practice, he would repeat one thing over and over in his head.
   "I would sprint and ’10-9, 10-9, 10-9′ was all I could think of," Goff said, referring to the score of his only loss of the season to Perth Amboy’s Angel Ramirez.
   Now, he can replace "10-9" with No. 1.
   Goff beat Ramirez 4-3 in the title match of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament last weekend, raising his record to 19-1. In the process, he became the Falcons’ first county champ since Jabazz Spence in the mid-1990s.
   "I’m one step closer to my goals," said Goff, who has 80 career wins and is four victories from tying the school record. "This ranks pretty high up there. Most important, I wanted revenge."
   Goff, seeded first, stormed to the GMCT final by pinning his first three opponents in the first period. In the final against the third-seeded Ramirez, he took a 2-1 lead in the first period and extended it to 4-2 in the second with a reversal.
   Ramirez scored an escape in the final period, but never was able to take down Goff in the match.
   "I knew that whoever came out of the first period winning was going to win the match," Goff said. "That was the bottom line. From there, it was just a matter of who was in shape. I’m a lot leaner this year and have more muscle. It was just who was in shape and who was better."
   Last year, Goff placed third in the GMCT. He then won the District 20 Tournament and was third in the Region 5 event, advancing to the state tourney before finishing with a 28-6 record.
   Goff will be favored to repeat in this season’s district tourney and hopes to win regionals. His ultimate goal is to be a state place-winner.
   "I can’t take anything for granted," Goff said. "Winning districts and advancing from regions, that’s all I’m thinking about now."
   Goff was among three GMCT place-winners for Monroe. Mike Tuhy was fourth at 140 and Justin Bauman was sixth at 125. Al Rotundo, who last week returned from a shoulder injury, reached the seventh-place match at 112, but had to forfeit as his ailing arm began to act up again.
   Bauman, who missed most of last season because of torn elbow ligaments, was seeded eighth at 125. A senior, Bauman (13-10) lost to undefeated J.C. Bandiero of Edison, the eventual champ, in the quarterfinals, but pinned fourth-seeded Rick Wiget of John F. Kennedy in the first round of wrestlebacks before dropping a 10-7 decision to seventh-seeded Nick Gambino of North Brunswick.
   Tuhy, also a senior, had a strong tournament. Seeded fifth, he pinned Bishop Ahr’s Anthony Nacco in the first round before beating No. 4 Jon Horning of North Brunswick 7-4 in the quarterfinals.
   He ran into undefeated two-time state place-winner Joe Bubenheimer of Woodbridge in the semifinals, and although he lost by technical fall, he hung tough into the final minute. In the match for third place, Tuhy dropped a 3-2 decision to second-seeded Pete DeAndrea of South Plainfield.
   "I think I did well," said Tuhy, who only started wrestling as a freshman. "I came out in front of where I was seeded, so I can’t complain about that. I think I could have beaten (DeAndrea). We were battling head to head the whole match. I’ve just got to pick up my pace; I have to be more aggressive."
   Tuhy came out of the GMCT with a 15-9 record and should be in good shape for the District 20 Tournament later this month. Only Old Bridge’s Mike VanderValk, who placed second at counties, finished ahead of Tuhy from the district.
   "I’m just moving on with that," said Tuhy, who was fourth at the district tourney last year. "I definitely want top two at districts. That’s all I’m looking forward to. I just want to feel the victory. That’s all. I feel this is my year to do it. I don’t want to hold back anything, just go all out."