MANVILLE: Wrestlers set for districts

DISTRICT 18 PREVIEW

by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
   The Manville High wrestling team might be a year away from making any significant noise at the District 18 Tournament, so consider this weekend’s event as a warm-up for the future.
   Manville head coach Pat Gorbatuk will send a young lineup to battle some of the area’s top wrestlers in the two-day tourney, set for Friday night and all day Saturday at Hillsborough High. Friday night’s session, which consists of preliminary and quarterfinal round bouts, begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday’s second day of action begins with the semifinals at 10 a.m. and continues with consolation finals at 1 p.m. and then the 14 championship bouts at 3 p.m.
   The top three place winners from eight weight classes at the 32 district tourneys around the state will advance to the eight region sites the following weekend, the final stop on the road to the NJSIAA Championships in Atlantic City. The Mustangs will face wrestlers from team tournament favorite Hillsborough, contenders Montgomery and Bound Brook and Somerville, Bridgewater-Raritan, Franklin, Ridge, Bernards and Pingry.
   ”It’s going to be tough at the districts,” Gorbatuk said. “Our best chances happen to be in some of the toughest weight classes. We could get a few kids out or we might not get anybody out. We’ve got some guys jammed into tough weight classes.”
   MHS sophomore 112-pounder Devin Burke (27-7), who tied the school record for wins in a season last Saturday, finds himself in very tough company again this weekend. Burke did well to finish fourth in the Somerset County Tournament behind the likes of Hillsborough champ Mackey Price, Montgomery standout Erik Biago and Somerville rival Jimmy Sutphen, who beat him twice on the same day to take third.
   Freshman 135-pounder Peter Hando (22-12) is having a great rookie year on the scholastic mat but will run into some fierce foes at the district level. Bound Brook’s Gabe Gleason, Bernards’ Arlen Mase and Ridge’s Alex Gacos will be tough to beat. Hando will have to defeat at least one of them to advance to the Region 5 Tournament in Flemington.
   Sophomore 130-pounder Nick Janner made a surprising run to the county final last month as a seventh seed. Janner upset two opponents but came up just a little short against Montgomery’s John Moyle in the final. Moyle has since lost to Hillsborough’s Michael Caver, who missed the county tourney with an injury. Janner has also suffered a few losses since the county tournament so he may have to overcome another unfavorable draw in what appears to be a wide-open weight class.
   Gorbatuk also has high hopes for sophomore 125-pounder Ernest Yakobchuk (18-14), senior 171-pounder Kevin Sellar (18-8) and sophomore 215-pounder David Castro (17-10). Yakobchuk advanced to the SCT semifinals before losing twice. Sellar sustained a separated shoulder injury in the counties but would love to finish his career on a high note and with 20 victories. Castro was pinned in the county prelims but has wrestled better recently and enters the districts on a four-bout win streak.
   Other Mustangs expected to compete this weekend include freshman 103-pounder Clint Raver (10-17), freshman 119-pounder Ian DeFalco (12-20), junior 140-pounder David Olmsted (14-19), junior 145-pounder Scott Alpizar (10-19), junior 152-pounder Eddie Yakobchuk (4-5) and freshman 160-pounder Alex Agans (7-24).
   The Mustangs certainly won’t challenge for the team title but would like to avoid the distinction of finishing last. They expect to outscore Pingry and hope to surprise somebody else on their way up the district ladder.