ABIS wrestlers enjoyed learning the sport

Burke led team with undefeated league record

By: Rudy Brandl
   Enthusiasm certainly ran very high during the Alexander Batcho Intermediate School wrestling season this winter. That’s a huge positive for the future of the high school program, which has lacked numbers in recent years largely due to lack of interest.
   First-year head coach George Putvinski and assistant Eddie Ferraro were thrilled to work with such an eager group of youngsters who loved to practice. Since about half of the wrestlers on the roster were new to the sport, they needed plenty of work.
   The coaches did their best to keep the workouts lively and fun while also teaching the basics and working on conditioning.
   "The kids were super excited about it," Putvinski said. "We tried to push them hard enough in practice to improve their fitness and their moves but not so much to turn them off. We played games and we played loud music. The kids were into it. They actually were upset when we had a snow day."
   ABIS wrestling is playing the part of the middleman in Manville’s wrestling resurgence. The Recreation team gives youngsters from kindergarten to fifth grade an opportunity to participate. The ABIS team, which just completed its second year, strives to prepare the wrestlers for the high school level.
   This year, much of that preparation involved teaching the fundamentals.
   "My objective was to focus on the basics," said Putvinski, a 1988 Hillsborough High graduate who wrestled some in his scholastic days. "We taught basic takedowns, basic pinning combinations and basic breakdowns. Their eyes lit up when we taught them something new."
   Putvinski was pumped when given the opportunity to coach the ABIS team. Now in his fifth year as a health and physical education teacher at ABIS, Putvinski had met former head coach Paul Kolody before he retired.
   Now, he teaches in the same building with MHS varsity assistant and former three-sport athlete Pat Gorbatuk.
   "We’re so excited about everything," Putvinski said. "Pat and Eddie went through the program and they know what it takes. We want to return the program to where it was."
   While that may not happen in a short time, Manville is headed in the right direction. MHS head coach Brett Stibitz set some concrete goals seven years ago when he became head coach.
   One of the biggest was to establish a middle school feeder program. Mission accomplished.
   "Everything is ready for the turnaround to happen," Stibitz said. "Seventh and eighth-graders are still going to tournaments. We’ve never had this many kids."
   The ABIS team posted a 2-8 record this year, a modest improvement from last season’s 1-6 mark. One more win may not be as telling as the three extra matches the team wrestled.
   Devin Burke may be the next high school star after an undefeated (9-0) regular season in league matches. Burke, an eighth-grader who wrestled at 100 pounds, finished second in the league tournament.
   Others who finished the season with winning records included eighth-grader Ernest Yakobchuk (95) and seventh-graders Alex Agans (165), Peter Hando (133) and Jake Babich (119). Agans placed third in the league tournament. Ian DeFalco (112) and Kris Grimm (105), who took fourth in the league tourney, sported .500 records.
   The rest of the ABIS squad included eighth-graders Nick Janner (100) and Josh Saultz (119) and seventh-graders Kati Breese (95), Jake Caswell (119), Jarrod Warren (140), Dan Napolillo (Hwt), Aaron Conti (105), Jonathan Rizk (85), Mike Zelmore (129) and Brian Burke (95).
   ABIS defeated Bound Brook and Bernards this season. The team also battled very hard in a 48-36 loss to Bridgewater, a match that was decided by two forfeits.
   Putvinski has already discussed the off-season program with Gorbatuk, who supervises the summer open mats workout sessions at the high school. Judging from the commitment and desire he saw this past season, Putvinski’s expecting a large turnout during those hot summer nights.
   "The kids are so motivated to practice," he said. "They’re so looking forward to next season. The enthusiasm is unbelievable."