By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
FLEMINGTON — A funny thing happened to Mark Tyson on his way to staying in shape for football.
He became a state wrestling qualifier.
Not being able to go to his left or create his own shot off the dribble helped a little too.
”I started wrestling in ninth grade,” said the 189-pounder after finishing second in Saturday’s Region 5 Tournament and gaining a berth in this weekend’s states. “I got cut from the basketball team, and the coach was telling me if I get cut from the basketball team he wanted me to wrestle.
”So I got cut and wrestled. After that, I started getting in good workouts, so I did it to try and prepare for football and get stronger for football.”
Wouldn’t you know it, he actually got stronger in wrestling too.
The Monroe Township High School junior won the District 20 title and earned a second seed at the regions. Tyson made his seed hold up as he reached the finals before suffering a first-period pin to Bound Brook’s Andrew Campolattano.
And if anyone thinks there’s dishonor in that, consider that Campolattano is the defending state champion and is currently ranked No. 1 in the state with a 42-0 record that includes 30 pins.
”I was pretty hyped up, I wanted to go against him,” said Tyson, who is ranked No. 9 in the state at 32-6 with 15 pins. “I went in pretty pumped up. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance.”
Tyson, who wrestled at 215 most of the year, felt his strength got used against him.
”It wasn’t about the power,” he said. “I thought I was stronger than him but when he caught my leg with a crab he caught me on my back.”
When it was over, Tyson’s own disgust was misinterpreted by Campolattano, and tempers flared for a brief moment.
”I wasn’t even mad at him,” Tyson said. “I didn’t know I got pinned, so when I was pinned I was upset and I just happened to hit him by mistake. I told him I was sorry.”
Allen Rushing, who coaches the Falcons along with Sal Profaci, figures that by Tyson already having wrestled the state’s best, it can only help in Atlantic City.
”I just told him he lost to the best kid in the state here, and there’s no shame in that,” Rushing said. “There’s honor, he wrestled well, he almost took the kid down. He woke the crowd up, woke the kid up. If that’s the only kid who can beat him in the states, we’ll see what we can do with the rest of them.”
And while it would have been nice to spring an upset and win the title, Tyson’s key bout of the day came in the semifinals, where his 9-7 win over Hopewell’s Matt Barnabei guaranteed him a state berth.
But for a while, it looked like Tyson might have to take his chances in the consolations as Barnabei stormed to a 6-2 lead. Late in the match, however, Tyson pulled a five-point move to win it.
”The whole time I was thinking about coming back,” Tyson said. “He caught me with that crab to put me behind. But I was going at him hard to try to get into the finals.
”I set up my double and took it at the edge and got that (takedown). That was the start of it. And then I caught him with another double. When I got it, I went for the half.”
That put Barnabei on his back for what appeared to be long enough for the pin. As it was, Tyson got three backpoints.
”I thought I had him,” he said. “But that’s OK. I knew I had the points and that I would be going to the finals.”
The comeback was reminiscent of Tyson’s effort in the district semifinals, when he used a takedown with three seconds left to take a 9-8 win over South Brunswick’s Jeff Goldhagen.
”I just want to keep going after guys,” he said. “I don’t like to stop. I just keep going to try and get the win.”
”He doesn’t quit,” Rushing agreed. “He’s got great mat awareness, he knows where he’s at in the match, and that’s actually amazing considering he’s only wrestled for a couple of years. He’s paid attention, he’s listened well, he’s learned well.”
What’s even more amazing is that everything Tyson has done in wrestling has been in-season. He has yet to attend clinics or camps, but says he might enter some tournaments this summer to keep his skills sharp.
While it would be tempting to think how good Tyson could be if he had started earlier in life, Rushing doesn’t like thinking about “what ifs?”
”They don’t always have to start early,” he said. “Mark’s a tough kid, a good athlete, and he’s picked it up.
”About halfway through this year I saw him really starting to pay attention a little more and realize he could do something special with this. He’s made great stride in two years.”
Those strides will take him down the Atlantic City Expressway straight to Boardwalk Convention Hall, where Tyson will meet St. Peter’s Prep’s Juan Velasquez in a preliminary bout. The unseeded Velasquez is 31-8 with 11 pins and was third in his region, while Tyson is seeded T7.
”I heard it’s like a great vibe down there when you walk into the door,” Tyson said. “They say it’s awesome. I just want to be a part of that.”
So he will be.
And, oh yeah, he’s in pretty good shape for football too.

