BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
JEFFGRANIT staff Marlboro’s Nick Parisi will graduate as one of the Freehold District’s greatest wrestlers, and once again leads this year’s All-District Wrestling Team. Howell High School and Marlboro’s Nick Parisi combined to make the 2005-06 wrestling season one of the greatest ever in the Freehold Regional District.
Parisi took his place alongside the best wrestlers the District has ever produced. He went 37-1 this winter, joined the exclusive 100-win club, finishing with 128 victories (second ever behind Howell’s Zac Cunliffe with 138), won his and the school’s first Region title and finished his career by placing second at the state championships at 189 pounds.
By no accident, Marlboro enjoyed its winningest seasons with Parisi as the team’s hub. He left a giant imprint at the school and the District.
John Gagliano’s Rebels put together the school’s best season and ranked among the top 10 teams in the state. Balanced, top-to-bottom, Howell started the season strongly traveling to Delaware and winning the team title at the Battle at the Beach. They followed that up with a repeat at the Roselle Park Invitation. The Rebels upset then No. 3-ranked Ocean at the start of the dual-meet season and carried that to the Shore Conference A North Division title.
SCOTT PILLING staff Howell’s Billy Woodward put plenty of people on their backs this winter, earning himself a spot on the All-District Wrestling Team once again. Howell would not lose a match during the regular season, picking up a major win at Phillipsburg along the way. The Rebels reached the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals and, for the first time in school history, advanced to the Central Jersey Group IV championship. They brought back memories of the vintage Howell-Jackson matches of the 1970s in that final, falling to the eventual state champion Jaguars.
Howell finished the year at 20-2, led by senior Billy Woodward (152), who finished sixth at the state championships.
Manalapan saw Dave Grippo replace John Verderosa as the head coach, and the Braves wrestled their way into the postseason once again.
Freehold Borough continued on the upward curve under Scott Pressman winning a school record 18 matches, as well as the Holmdel Tournament title. They made the state playoffs for a second straight year.
Colts Neck is another program on the way up, and new coach Bob Seidel had the Cougars back in the state sectional tournament.
Led by Parisi and Woodward, it was an equally outstanding year for the individuals who make up the News Transcript’s 2006 All-Freehold Regional District Team. Joining the state placewinners are: Joey Langel, Howell (103); Cody Fobes, Howell (112), Vinny Lynch, Manalapan (119), Justin Morello, Howell (125), Eric Stoffer, Marlboro (130), Jason Ecklof, Howell (135), Tom Tuminelli, Howell (140), Andrew Rock, Freehold Borough (145), Frank Mormino, Howell (160), Steve Pellicione, Marlboro (171), Anthony Panzarino, Freehold Borough (215) and Brian Tiscia, Marlboro (heavyweight).
What else is there to be said about Parisi, who took his place among the area’s greatest ever on the mat.
He joined the exclusive club of four-time NJSIAA District 21 champions back in February and earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors there. He went on to claim his first Region VI crown after finishing second the last two years. That was another first for Marlboro wrestling. He went to Atlantic City, and the state championships, focused on becoming Marlboro’s first state champion. He wrestled well in A.C. and reached the final, where Lodi’s Keith Dobish put an end to his season-long quest with a 3-1 victory, but not his impact on the sport in the District.
Parisi, who will be wrestling for West Point Prep this time next year, finished his career with a 128-13 record, including his 37-1 mark this year.
Woodward meant as much to Howell as a leader than for what he did on the mat, which was considerable. The senior fulfilled his two goals for the season, to be a state place-winner and reach 100 career wins. With a 35-7 record, he finished his career with 101 wins, second in school history to Cunliffe. He was also the first Rebel to place at the states since Cunliffe in ’03.
Woodward was a three-time Holiday Tournament champion, two-time District winner, Region champion and state place-winner during his four years.
Gagliano considered Langel and Fobes, both sophomores, as the best one-two punch in the Shore at their respective weight classes, and they backed it with an unquestioned rsum.
Langel, sick at last year’s District tournament, put that behind him by winning it all this year. He went on to finish second at the Region and went 2-2 in A.C. and finished in the top 12. He was 33-5.
Fobes was a District runner-up in ’05 and took it all this year with a very determined effort in the final against Jackson’s Kyle Kinchen. A knee injury forced him out of the Region in the semifinals. He still finished the season 25-4 mark. He and Langel are headed toward the 100 wins club.
Langel, Fobes and Woodward were all victorious at the Battle of the Beach, helping Howell win that tournament championship back in December.
Lynch was Manalapan’s lone representative in the District finals this year, falling to Jackson’s top-seeded Rob Swan in the final. He was the area’s best throughout the season and finished with a record of 16-12.
Morello enjoyed an undefeated regular season for the Rebels and was a big reason they claimed the A North crown. The junior won at Roselle Park, was second in the District and fourth in the Region. He was 30-4, one of three Rebels to pile up 30 wins this year.
Marlboro had its best ever finish at the NJSIAA District 21 Tournament, placing third behind champion Jackson and Howell. Stoeffer, a junior, was one of the Mustangs who picked up his level of wrestling come tourney time. He placed second in the District and was 24-12 on the season.
Ecklof, another of Howell’s outstanding sophomores, pulled off an upset in the finals at the District, beating top-seed Sean Byrnes of Jackson, 4-2, in overtime. He was a steady winner throughout the campaign and went 27-7 this year.
Howell was solid in the middle weights with Tuminelli sandwiched between Ecklof and Woodward. The junior won at Roselle Park, and although he surrendered his District title in the final, he rebounded to finish second in the Region and advance to AC. He was 29-8.
Rock, one of the few seniors on the Colonials team, put together a career season this winter. He won the Holmdel Invitational, and was third in the District and fourth in the Region while going 32-5.
Mormino fit right in with Ecklof, Tuminelli and Woodward, giving Howell balance in the middle of the lineup. The senior saved his best wrestling for the tournaments, where from the No. 3 seed he advanced to the District final. He then finished third at the Region to go to A.C. for the first time in his career. He went 21-9.
Pellicione was one of the four Mustangs to reach the District 21 final. He surprised No. 2 seed Josh Lamb of Freehold Borough in the semifinals before losing by one point to Jackson’s Dan Hopkins, 4-3, in the final. Pellicione went 24-9.
Panzarino, a junior, is quickly becoming a prolific winner for the Colonials, improving to 29 wins this year (29-7). He lost 3-2 to Joe Cella in the District 21 final as the defending champion. He’ll have the chance to regain the title next year.
After watching his teammate Parisi win tournament after tournament, heavyweight Brian Tiscia decided it was about time that he joined him. The Mustang senior did just that capturing his first District 21 title this year with a gutty 3-2 win in overtime over Jackson’s Kevin Solomon. Tiscia was a big winner during the dual-meet season. Headed for Monmouth University next fall to play football, Tiscia went out with a 27-5 senior season that included the District title.
Second Team All-District honors fell to: Charlie Frankel, Marlboro, third in the District (103); Mitch Berger, Freehold Township, third in the District and 30-9 (112); Mike Tobasco, Freehold Township, third in the District and 23-15 (119); Jeremy Gaines, Colts Neck, third in the District and 26-6 (125); Ryan McGilvray, Manalapan, third in the District (130); Miguel Arroyo, Freehold Borough, fourth in the District (135); Tom Coughlin, Manalapan (140); Paul Calafiore, Howell, fourth in the District and 22-7 (145); Rob Manney, Colts Neck, third in the District and 26-6 (152); Ben Ostner, Freehold Borough, third in the District and 20-5 (160); Pat Sheehan, Howell, third in the District and 21-11 (171); Ben Shappee, Manalapan, third in the District and 20-12 (189); Mike Bonfig, Howell, third in the District and 27-7 (215); and Harry Turner, Howell, third in the District (heavyweight).
2006 All-Freehold Regional District Wrestling Team
103Joey LangelHowellsoph.District 21 champion and Region VI runner-up
112Cody FobesHowellsoph.District 21 champion
119Vinny LynchManalapanseniorDistrict 21 runner-up
125Justin MorelloHowelljuniorDistrict 21 runner-up
130Eric StofferMarlborojuniorDistrict 21 runner-up
135Jason EcklofHowellsoph.District 21 champion
140Tom TuminelliHowelljuniorDistrict 21 and Region VI runner-up
145Andrew RockFreehold Boro.senior3rd place District 21
152Billy WoodwardHowellseniorDistrict 21 champion, third place Region VI and 6th place state championships
160Frank MorminoHowellseniorDistrict 21 runner-up and
3rd place Region VI
171Steve PellicioneMarlboroseniorDistrict 21 runner-up
189Nick ParisiMarlboroseniorDistrict 21 & Region VI champion, runner-upstate championships
215Anthony PanzarinoFreehold BorojuniorDistrict 21 runner-up
HWTBrian TisciaMarlboroseniorDistrict 21 champion