By: Ken Weingartner
Joe Dougherty is impressed with the potential he sees in his young wrestlers and there are plenty of them on South Brunswick High team.
What that means in actual matches, however, remains to be seen. Potential, after all, indicates that they haven’t done anything yet.
For a second straight season, youngsters will dominate Dougherty’s lineup. There are only three seniors with varsity experience Justin DelPiano, Kyle Wadiak and Derek Shelcusky.
Beyond that trio, there is a group of returning sophomores Darren White, Ryan Smith and David Amrhein that saw significant action last season. Beyond that, there are question marks.
"I’m impressed with what the younger kids are bringing to the table in terms of potential talent, but they should be in a ninth-grade wrestling room," said Dougherty, whose squad went 10-6 last season and finished second in the District 20 Tournament with a lineup that featured six freshmen.
"But they’re in my wrestling room, and my expectations are high. It’s tough to come from a middle school environment and be expected to perform. They’re not being as responsive as they probably should be, but I understand that. It’s my job to get them on board. They have to understand it’s not OK to just work hard two days a week and not the other three days.
"Once we start competing, that will change. I don’t want them to like losing. Hopefully, they’ll respond. I don’t care if they win; it’s about performance. But I’m impressed with what they’ve brought in and what the program has developed in them. They’re coming in with a core knowledge that I’m impressed with. That’s a credit to the middle school and PAL programs."
Dougherty will look to his seniors to lead the way. Shelcusky, at 215 pounds, won a second straight district title and finished 23-8 last season. DelPiano (152) won a district crown at 145 and was also 23-8 while Wadiak (160) was district runner-up and finished 21-9.
"I need the three of them to demonstrate some positive leadership," Dougherty said. "I don’t see that yet. They talk the leadership game, but they don’t demonstrate the leadership game. If we get those three guys on board with it, and they’re leadership guys by their actions, it will make a world of difference for us. I need them to step up and be leaders in every aspect.
"Derek has been working with Kyle, and it’s good to see that. Kyle did a lot of wrestling over the summer. Kyle’s attitude, and the way he’s wrestling in practice, I’m pretty impressed. He’s more a technical kid and Derek is more of a brawler, so they’re just going to make each other better if they keep doing what they’re doing now."
Smith (135) was a regional qualifier at 125 last season and went 16-14. White (125) finished 11-10 at 112 while Amrhein (189) was 17-11 at heavyweight. Both came within a win of reaching the regional tourney.
Other than those six wrestlers, only sophomores Joe Biondo (112) and Evan Nathanson (189) picked up wins for the Vikings last season and saw action in at least a dozen varsity matches.
Dougherty will open the season without a 103-pounder (so if you’re around 100 pounds and want to earn a varsity letter, see him) while freshmen Kevin Wadiak and Colin Preacher will join Biondo in filling the 112 and 119 weight classes.
Josh Weinstein joins White at 125 while rookies Jordon Boulware, Dan Lazare, Cody Shelcusky and Manny Ortiz are at 130. Sophomore Anthony DelPiano, freshman Edmund Jasabe and newcomers Farid Eid and Vinnie Gagliano will see action at 140.
Sophomore Brett Griffin will be at 145 while freshman Aaron Ketofsky is at 189 and first-year wrestler Sam Conaway, a senior, is at 215. Dougherty is without wrestlers at heavyweight, although Joe Mecca might step in, and 171, which means he will probably juggle his lineup around during the campaign.
The Vikings opens at home Saturday in an eight-team dual-match tournament that guarantees them at least three matches. Other teams in the event are Livingston, St. John Vianney, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, Freehold Borough, Cinnaminson, Timber Creek and Middlesex.

