By: Ken Weingartner
The results from the South Brunswick High wrestling team’s season-opening performance in an eight-team dual-match tournament show the Vikings lost two matches Saturday.
Coach Joe Dougherty said the losses, particularly a 47-16 setback to Freehold Borough in the third match of the day, were the result of much-earlier performances by his wrestlers.
"I’ve been talking to them about their work ethic in the practice room for weeks," Dougherty said. "We didn’t lose that match because this kid lost to that kid, we lost that match in the practice room. The first match, they did some good stuff. Then it got progressively worse.
"In the second match, they made a lot of mistakes. The last match, they didn’t perform well at all. It was almost like they didn’t want to be there. That was disheartening. Instead of bouncing back, they mailed it in. Their performance was not acceptable."
South Brunswick won its opener, beating West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 55-16. Joe Biondo (112), Darren White (125), Justin DelPiano (152), Kyle Wadiak (171), Evan Nathanson (189) and heavyweight Derek Shelcusky had pins. Kevin Wadiak (119), Cody Shelcusky (130), Ryan Smith (135), and David Amrhein (215) won decisions while Malcolm McQueen (160) won by forfeit.
In the second match, a 37-30 loss to eventual tourney runner-up Timber Creek, Smith, Anthony DelPiano, Justin DelPiano and Derek Shelcusky had pins. McQueen and Amrhein won decisions.
Derek Shelcusky had the only pin in the loss to Freehold. Kevin Wadiak, Smith and Kyle Wadiak won decisions.
"If you don’t run hard and wrestle hard all the time, it’s going to come out when it matters most. And it did," Dougherty said. "Our defense in neutral was poor. We got taken down too many times.
"The point becomes it’s a team. If I’m in there busting my butt every day to be ready to try to help the team win when the time comes, and others aren’t, if I’m on that team, I’m going to be annoyed. And that doesn’t happen. Kids think, ‘I won. I did my part.’ Maybe they didn’t. Maybe they should be pushing their teammates in practice."
Dougherty added, however, "They’re young, too. They don’t know all those things." The Vikings entered the season with only three seniors Justin DelPiano, Kyle Wadiak and Derek Shelcusky and three sophomores White, Smith and Amrhein with significant varsity experience.
The performance by Derek Shelcusky, who registered his three pins while wrestling up in weight class, was one of the tournament’s highlights.
"I put him at heavyweight and they had some big kids in there," Dougherty said. "He knew that he couldn’t get under them; he wrestled with intelligence."
Both Wadiaks also wrestled up a weight class and picked up two victories apiece.
South Brunswick was scheduled to wrestle East Brunswick last night. The Vikings will participate in the Mustang Classic Tournament at Brick Memorial the week following Christmas.

