When DougWithstandley took over as head coach of the JacksonMemorial High School wrestling program this season, he marked a few key matches on the Jaguars’ schedule. Last Friday night’s match against visiting Paulsboro, one of the premier programs in the state, was one of them.
PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Above: Jackson’s Devin Biscaha (left) has control of Paulsboro’s Brandon Samuel during their 140-pound bout in Jackson. Biscaha went on to win by technical fall. Below left: Jackson’s Tyler Wilton (right) controls Paulsboro’s Matt Cosgrove during their 145-pound bout in Jackson. Wilton went on to pin Cosgrove, as his team defeated Paulsboro, 48-18 in a match that featured two of the top teams in New Jersey. “This match is always a test for us,” Withstandley said. “There are a few matches that you look forward to each year because you just know that it is going to be very competitive.”
Jackson, however, met little resistance in knocking off Paulsboro: the Jaguars got solid performances up and down the lineup to roll to a resounding 48-18 win in front of a packed house.
“They have such a rich tradition at their school,” Withstandley said. “The plan was for us to come in here and dominate. We weren’t sure what to expect, but as the match went on, it was clear that we were prepared for this challenge. We wanted to make sure that we were ready to wrestle from the bottom, top and neutral positions.”
The win improves the Jaguars’ overall record to 13-2. Withstandley is pleased with the team’s quick start, although he admits that making the transition from assistant to head coach was challenging.
“This season is real different being the main guy in charge,” Withstandley said. “Last year I did a lot of working out with the kids, and I was more behind the scenes. This year my role has change drastically. I’m responsible for a lot more. So far it has been a lot of fun.”
Paulsboro darted to a 12-0 lead at the start after winning a pair of bouts to open the match. But Jackson remained poised and responded by dominating from that point on.
“I have a lot of confidence in our guys’ work ethic and ability,”Withstandley said. “We were never nervous, even when they did get off to a fast start.”
Withstandley cited a pair of victories by a couple of underclassmen as the key to getting his club on track. Freshman Doug Hamman (135 pounds) and sophomore Devon Biscaha (140) both emerged winners, knocking off grapplers who have much more experience.
Hamman scored a 2-0 victory, and that was followed by Biscaha registering a technical fall. Biscaha jumped to an early 7-1 lead in the opening minutes and cruised from there.
“Both guys were extremely impressive,” Withstandley said. “For being so young, they are wrestling at an incredibly high level. Biscaha just asserted himself on his opponent. He dominated him from the opening. Hamman wrestled a tough opponent but managed to get a takedown and then hold on for the win.
“Those wins are going to help both of those guys more than they know. Just from a confidence level, scoring those wins will come into play sometime in the future this season.”
Jackson squared off against Toms River EastWednesday and is scheduled to host Camden Catholic at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s a big week for us,” Withstandley said. “We’re looking forward to both of these matches. If we can stay healthy, we should be in good shape for the second half of the season and then into the postseason.”