By: Ken Weingartner
Joe Dougherty isn’t the type of coach to make excuses. He also isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.
So when Dougherty points to the dwindling numbers of wrestlers at South Brunswick High, he isn’t trying to justify the Vikings’ struggles in dual meets this season. He is simply stating facts.
And it’s difficult to win duals when a team is forfeiting three to four weight classes a match, such as South Brunswick did in losses last week to Woodbridge, Toms River North and Lawrence. The Vikings had five wrestlers post victories in each of the setbacks.
"I only have one kid in a lot of weights and realistically they should be on the jayvee team, and they’re not; they’re wrestling varsity," Dougherty said. "No kid likes to go out there and lose more often than not. My concern now is that because they’re not as successful as they probably would like, they’re getting discouraged. If I had enough kids and there are eight kids in the high school with varsity experience not on the team maybe some of these kids would be able to wrestle jayvee.
"You hone your skills that way. Right now, they’re being overmatched. It’s hard to foster your skills that way. They’re being outmuscled as well because they haven’t developed that mature body structure yet. I’m not looking for an excuse; it is what it is. But I’m worried about their psyche. I’m wondering if that has anything to do with it with the exodus."
South Brunswick has 19 wrestlers, about half the number needed to give Dougherty flexibility within the program.
"For whatever reason, they just decide they don’t want to compete in wrestling anymore," Dougherty said. "Is it me? Most of them don’t even know me when they get here. I don’t know what the reason is. Maybe there are too many other opportunities for them."
As for the action on the mat last weekend, sophomore Ryan Smith won three matches, two by major decisions and one by pin, at 135 pounds. Kyle Wadiak, wrestling at 160 and 171, also won three bouts, two by fall.
Derek Shelcusky won matches at 189 and 215, both by pins, while Justin DelPiano won by pin and decision at 152, as did Manny Ortiz at 130. Cody Shelcusky (125) won by technical fall, Anthony DelPiano (140) won a decision, and Evan Nathanson (189) won by pin to round out the Vikings’ victors.
Dougherty said a number of South Brunswick standouts started their careers by learning at the jayvee level and taking some lumps with the varsity before becoming top performers. He pointed to recent graduates such as Brady Shelcusky, Mike Valentino and Jad Duca as examples. He hopes the current Vikings are willing to stay the course until help arrives.
"Hopefully, they don’t give up and just keep plugging," Dougherty said. "It’s easy to quit, and it seems the easiest road is the one most traveled. But wrestling is a sport that you get out of it what you put it. If you don’t put in a lot, don’t expect a lot. Ryan Smith and Kyle Wadiak wrestled all summer and now they’re reaping the rewards. It’s not a secret. But it’s a hard road.
"Kids need to know they have to take that hard road sometimes. It makes them a stronger person and builds character, and that’s what this is about. Anyone can give up. The hard part is persevering."
Just to tell it like it is.
