Cougars anxious for first district meet

Castronova, MHS wrestlers have high hopes

By: Bob Nuse
   Participating in the District 18 wrestling tournament will be a new experience for Montgomery High.
   It’s an experience the Cougars are anxious to be a part of. A first-year varsity program, Montgomery has exceeded the expectations of many. In recording nine regular-season wins, the team has done better than just about anyone could have imagined. Now, they get to see how they fare on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
   "It’s huge for us as a first-year varsity program," said junior heavyweight Brad Castronova. "No one expected us to be competitive and I never expected to be flirting with a .500 record. I had four or five matches that didn’t go my way. If I could have pulled some of those matches out, who knows what could have happened. I lost to the kid from Bernards in the first round of the county tournament in three overtimes, now I get to wrestle him again.
   "I think as a team we can surprise some people. Erik (Biago) got a tough draw at the county tournament and lost but then battled his way back through the wrestlebacks all the way and did well. He had a bad seed because he was a freshman and nobody knew who he was. But he has a chance to do well at districts."
   Castronova and Biago are the two highest seeds in District 18 for the Cougars. Castronova is the No. 5 seed, while Biago is seeded third at 103 pounds. The District 18 tournament will be held at Hillsborough. Princeton will compete in the District 17 tournament at Hunterdon Central, while West Windsor-Plainsboro North and WW-P South are both at South Brunswick for District 20.
   "Like all of our guys, this is his first year with the varsity," Montgomery coach Kevin Jacoutot said of Castronova. "He’s relatively new to the sport. He’s a backup lineman in football and he has really improved dramatically as a wrestler. He’s been flirting with a .500 record all season. For someone who had never wrestled before, he’s done a good job. If he wrestles well this weekend, there is no reason why he couldn’t advance.
   "I think Biago has a real good chance. Brad is a fifth seed and we have a bunch of sixth seeds. So we have guys with a chance to advance."
   Castronova will open against fourth-seeded Alex Larramendia of Bernards. The two had an epic triple-overtime battle earlier this year. Castronova already owns a win over the No. 3 seed, Christian Mackey of Somerville, so he feels like he has a chance to advance to the Region V tournament with a top three finish.
   "I’ve beaten the No. 3 seed, but I lost to the No. 4 seed," Castronova said. "It’s real close with all of us because different people have beaten other people. I was a little shocked with the seeding because I had beaten the No. 4, but overall I am happy. I beat the three seed, but not the fourth. But the three seed beat the two seed, who beat me twice. So it’s pretty close with a lot of different guys."
   Castronova is 13-15 overall this season, which is a better record than he anticipated having when the season began. But, as the season has gone on and his confidence has grown, so have his expectations.
   "I came into the year very nervous, even about my wrestle-off," Castronova said. "But then the other kid got hurt and I had the spot. Sometimes my confidence is low about things like that. I came in being very unsure about being a varsity athlete. But after my first tournament when I went 2-1, I felt a lot more confident about myself and what I could do after that. Things went more smoothly for me. At the beginning, I just didn’t want to get pinned and hoped I would be able to pick up a couple of wins.
   "I’m more surprised with what the team has done. Nine wins for a first-year program is great. Our goal coming into the season was to win 10. We got to nine, which is pretty good."
   Castronova has been a big part of that success, giving the Cougars a good bookend at the top of the lineup with Biago at the bottom.
   "Brad has a nice record and he’s actually run into some of the toughest guys in the district these last few weeks," Jacoutot said. "For the most part, he’s been right there all season. He actually beat the kid who is seeded third, Mackey from Somerville, 11-10, when they met earlier this year. He’s facing a kid from Bernards in the first round that he lost to in overtime earlier this year."
   Overall, this whole first season as a varsity program has been a learning experience for the Cougars. And, based on their success, they’ve learned a great deal.
   "It was gratifying to beat a team like Manville that has had a program for so long," Castronova said. "My uncle wrestled at Manville as a lower weight and then he went on to wrestle at Rider. They’ve had good program and we’re just in our first year and we were able to beat them, which was nice for us.
   "Our coach is such a positive influence on all of us. I could not see myself wrestling for anyone else. Most of us are in awe when he talks because he knows so much and has such a passion for the sport. That rubs off on us."
   And it should keep rubbing off for Castronova, who is already hoping for big things next year as well.
   "The good thing for me is that I am a junior," he said. "I talked to my coach about my goals for next year and I am hoping to win 24 or 25 matches. My ultimate goal is to win the county and districts. Most of the guys ahead of me are seniors this year. The kid from Bernards is back. I lost to him this year, but I feel like I can beat him."