Cougars wrestle at No. 3 Belleville
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Norm James always wanted to play on a Montgomery High School football team in the state tournament and got his chance when the Cougars made their first trip there last fall.
This winter, he’s added the icing to the cake by helping the MHS wrestling team also reach its first state tournament. The Cougars are seeded sixth in North Jersey 2, Group III and will wrestle at No. 3 Belleville on Monday.
”It’s been a really good year,” said the MHS senior. “I’ve always played football since I was like 5. It’s always been my dream to get there for football. Wrestling, it’s a good thing too. I’m close with both teams.”
James, a defensive tackle who hopes to play football in college next year, has been a reliable force at 189 pounds, where he improved to 16-7 with a 5-0 win over Anthony Chiarello that propelled Montgomery to a 51-19 win over Franklin on Wednesday. Recording pins for MHS were Erik Biago, Tyler Bobal and Matthias Cassar. The Cougars improved to 14-6 overall.
”I had a good match,” James said. “I was happy we got the win. After last year we got the loss. They whooped us pretty bad last year. We were taking it to them.”
The win over Franklin was another sign of the turnaround from MHS’s first year as a varsity program, which was also James’ first year wrestling.
”My dad wrestled,” he said. “It’s always been around me. I knew when Montgomery got a wrestling team, I’d be on it. I’ve been going to the Mayo Clinic. (Football and wrestling) help each other. If you’re quick on your feet, it helps out.”
James missed the first half of last year with an injury before coming on to go 7-5. This year, he has been even steadier and helped propel the Cougars to the state tournament.
”He’s a second-year wrestler,” said MHS head coach Kevin Jacoutot. “Alex Balthaser and he won big matches at Bridgewater that sealed the deal for our state playoffs. That win pushed us in. We didn’t have our heavyweight after Hopewell Valley and they came through. Everyone on this team has contributed as some point.”
The win over Bridgewater-Raritan was another one in which the Cougars reversed their fortunes of a year ago. James started to feel confident the Cougars would reach the state tournament when he saw how often the team was avenging last year’s losses.
”Our goals have been getting bigger and bigger,” James said. “Last year, it was 10 wins. We didn’t get that, but now we’ve got that. And we’re in states.”
With strong lower weights, topping Belleville could come down to the upper weights’ performances. Having had experiences like the Bridgewater is something that James can lean on Monday.
”I had to bump up to 215,” James recalled. “I had to win it to lock it up. I know what the pressure feels like.”
And unlike the pressure on the football field, in which 10 other guys are helping to earn the win, wrestling is a one-on-one battle each match for the team. James can appreciate the differences.
”They’re totally different,” he said. “I like it. I like how it’s very competitive, how it’s all on you. I always love football and everything that comes with that.
”I go in and wrestle the best I can and try to win for the team,” he added. “I let everyone else do their part. You have to go into it looking to win.”
MHS, which has 20-win wrestlers on its roster, will be looking to win Monday in its first state tournament appearance. The Cougars will have a difficult tune-up when they host a tri-meet with talented Watchung Hills and North Plainfield on Saturday.
”We’ve had a tough schedule,” Jacoutot said. “A lot of the guys we wrestle made the state tournament. New Egypt made it in. Hopewell. Watchung Hills, they made it in. There are five or six teams that made state playoffs or our on the verge. We had a legitimate schedule. It helps when you go into pressure cookers that we’ve had them against Hopewell Valley, Ridge and Bridgewater. It’ll be the same way Monday. It’s going to come down to a couple matches. They’ve been down that road.”
James is wrestling with a full year under his belt. Last year, he didn’t get the full season’s experience. It didn’t take him long to catch up.
”I was looking to get better and I’ve been doing well,” James said. “I’m happy with how I’m doing.”
He is looking forward to continuing the good times in the remaining matches this season. It will be his final season of wrestling and he is going out with a state appearance, the first for a Cougars program in its second season of varsity status.
”It’s a team that deserves to be there,” Jacoutot said. “They want to be there. We’re keeping momentum beating Franklin and these other teams. Hopefully we keep it up this weekend and meet them head on Monday.”
Added James of the program’s first trip: “Our coaches prepare us for everything. It’s not like we’ll be a deer in headlights.”
James is happy he added wrestling to his athletic endeavors last year. Now, he’s one of the MHS seniors looking to make his final year a special one, beginning Monday with the Cougars’ first trip to the state tournament.
”We’re going into it with the mentality to go in to win it,” James said, “not just be satisfied with getting there.”