By: Kyle Moylan Sports Editor
The Bordentown High School wrestling team won all four of its matches in dominating fashion on the way to the championship of the 4th Annual Patriot Duals this past Friday and Saturday.
Bordentown defeated Barnegat, 55-24, in the title match on Saturday afternoon. The win improved Bordentown to 4-0 on the season.
“This was a great way to start our season,” noted Bordentown Coach Joe Sprague. “It was a total team effort and all of our wrestlers contributed.”
Jason Cassidy was the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, winning three matches by pin and another by decision over a district champion from last season.
“Jason Cassidy was named Outstanding Wrestler for beating returning district champ Tyler Orfe from Bishop Eustace, but the (Outstanding Wrestler) award could have truly gone to many wrestlers on the team,” Sprague noted. “Andrew Davis recorded four first-period pins. Drew Pedersen, Shawn Gavin, Cassidy, Davis, Khalid Shakir, Brett Pedersen, Max Bohannan, Matt Bauer and Thomas Lee all went 4-0 on the weekend.”
The break down of the title match was interesting as Barnegat won at the lowest weight class (103 pounds) and the two highest (215 and 285). In between, Bordentown won nine out of 10 weight classes.
Ryan Lawrence (112), Drew Pedersen (119), Cassidy (130), Andrew Davis (135) and Bret Pedersen (152) all managed pins in the first period. Max Bohannan (160) and Matt Bauer (171) also won by pin.
Shawn Gavin (125) won by a major decision. Khalid Shakir (140) won by decision. Thomas Lee won by forfeit.
The host Bordentown team reached the finals by defeating Bishop Eustace, 64-9, on Saturday morning.
Austin Kruger (103), Gavin (125), Davis (135), Shakir (140), Chris O’Leary (215) and Donald Taylor (285) won by pin.
Drew Pedersen (119), Bohannan (160) and Bauer (171) won by forfeit.
Cassidy won by a 6-2 decision over Tyler Orfe. This may have been the win of the match as Orfe was a district champion last season.
Lee (189) won by a major decision. Bret Pedersen (152) won by a decision.
Bordentown got off to a great start in the Patriot Duals by winning both of its matches this past Friday.
Bordentown defeated Cumberland, 63-18, in its first match.
After a loss at 103 pounds, Bordentown recorded 11 wins in a row, including several quick pins. Lawrence needed only 43 seconds to pin David Jones at 112. Cassidy needed only 45 seconds to pin Mike Shipman at 130 pounds. The 45-second mark was matched by Evan Gibson in his pin over Mike Alverez at 145. Davis (135) needed only 1:27 to take care of Rich Morris. Shakir (140) needed only 1:37.
Drew Pedersen got his pin at 119 in 3:03. Gavin pinned at 2:27 at 125 pounds.
After Pedersen’s 4-3 win over Robert Elliot at 152, Bordentown was back to quick pins again. Max Bohannan (160), Bauer (171) and Lee (189) recorded pins in a combined time of less than two normal periods. Bohannan pinned in 1:49, Bauer in 0:32 and Lee in 0:56.
Bordentown improved to 2-0 with a 58-13 win over Burlington City.
Cassidy (130), Davis (135) and Shakir (140) all managed pins in the first period. Gibson (145) also had a pin.
Lawrence (112), Pedersen (119) and Lee (189) all won by forfeit. Pedersen (152) and Bauer (171) had major decisions. Bohannan (160) won by decision. Gavin (125) managed a 17-2 technical fall over Scott Monroe.
Bordentown was schedule to wrestle against St. John Vianney this past Tuesday. It will take part in the Collingswood Tournament Saturday. On Tuesday Bordentown will wrestle at Holy Spirit in an 11 a.m. start.
“ I am proud of the way that the team was prepared to wrestle and now we move onto our next goal,” Sprague said.
