By: centraljersey.com
The Hopewell Valley High wrestling team has opened the season by taking its lumps against its usual gauntlet of outstanding non-conference foes; and administering the lumps to Colonial Valley Conference opponents.
As always, coach "Super" Mario Harpel has provided the Bulldogs with a formidable early-season schedule against state powers Delaware Valley, Hunterdon Central and Voorhees. They produced three losses by 104 points, but also provided lessons that can only be learned by wrestling tough foes.
The Bulldogs also finished fourth in the Garden State Classic at Princeton and ninth in the loaded-up Manchester Tournament.
Closer to home, Hopewell is 4-0 against CVC competition, having beaten Steinert, Nottingham, Princeton and Lawrence by 132 points. The Bulldogs appears to have established itself as one of Mercer County’s top teams, provided it can continue to progress through the next two months.
All this is being done with a team of mostly newcomers who have been waiting in the wings to show what they can do on the big stage.
"I am really proud of the team," Harpel said. "We have 10 wrestlers in the lineup with little or no varsity experience and these kids are starting to make a name for themselves.
"We have great senior and junior leaders. Our JV kids have always battled so hard and now they are getting their chance."
Harpel credits the coaches at the lower level as a reason why the newcomers are so prepared for this season.
"Our middle school program with coach (Jim) Stewart and coach (Chris) Franco has prepared the freshman so well that on any given night we have four freshmen in the starting lineup and they are doing well," said the Super one. "The youth program has taken on direction from coach (Dave) Bello and coach (Anthony) Lebbad and they continue to feed kids along as well."
Freshman Mike Markulec has burst on the season with an 11-3 record and five pins, while sophomore Eric Barbera is 10-5 with five pins. "They have stepped up very quickly," Harpel said. "They’ve been a pleasant surprise.
"And our seniors are doing great."
Those seniors include Zach Ortman (12-2, 8 pins), Christian Kalwa (8-5) and Jeff Mulford (9-4, 5 pins). Looking back on the past week, The Bulldogs got first-period pins from Brendan Murphy (112 pounds), Anthony DeClerico (130), Evan Carlton (1:52) and Ben Holcombe (171), along with falls from Barbera (145), Sean Kent (152), Markulec (215) and Ortman (Hwt) in last Wednesday’s 62-10 shellacking of Nottingham. Jackson Place (103) won by technical fall, while John deDufour (125), Mulford (135) and Kalwa (140) won by decision for HoVal.
During Saturday’s quad meet at Voorhees High School the Bulldogs defeated Lawrence, 48-20 and Princeton 44-15, and lost to Voorhees of Glen Gardner, 42-24.
In the win over Lawrence, Mulford, Kalwa an Barbera reeled off three pins in a row and Markulec also pinned; Place, deDufour and Holcombe won by major decision, Anthony DeClerico and Adam Ames won by decision and Ortman won by forfeit.
Against Princeton, Evan Carlton, Ames and Markulec pinned, Barbera won by technical fall, and Anthony DeClerico, Mulford, Kalwa, Holcombe and Ortman won by decision while Place won by forfeit.Against Voorhees, Mulford and Ortman pinned, while deDufour and Barbera won by decision and Kent won by forfeit. BOYS BASKETBALL
The Bulldogs put forth a huge fourth-quarter rally but couldn’t climb back from a 47-33 deficit in dropping a 64-61 decision to West Windsor-Plainsboro North Friday. Max Alton exploded for 28 points in the victory, while Austin Fellows and John Croak had nine apiece and Kevin Bradley added eight. GIRLS BASKETBALL
Falling victim to super sophomore Jacqui Klotz’s 34 points, Hopewell dropped a 56-53 decision to West Windsor-Plainsboro North in overtime Friday. Sarah Gronet had 17 points and sent the game into OT with a 3-pointer, while Kelly Williams added 20. ICE HOCKEY
Despite outshooting Pennington 41-16, Tyler Weidman scored Hopewell’s lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Pennington last Wednesday. Tom Litwin had 40 saves for the Red Raiders. Grant Mitchell had 15 saves for HoVal. BOYS SWIMMING
The Bulldogs rolled to a 109-61 victory over Hamilton West on Friday, taking first place in all but two events. Evan Cignarella, Chris Landis and Evan Hatke all swam on the winning 200 medley relay and 400 free relay teams, Jeffrey Franz swam on the 200 medley relay and winning 200 free relay and also won the 50 free and took second in the 100 free. Steve Millner was on the 400 free, won the 100 fly and was second in the 500 free, while Roman Kostal, Samuel Stuhler and Justin Voelzke rounded out the 200 free relay.
Hatke won the 200 IM and was second in the 100 fly, Landis took the 100 free and Cignarella won the 100 breast. Kostal was second in the 50 free, while third-place finishes came from Eric Tater (200 free, 100 back), Justin Voelzke (100 free) and Stuhler (50 free). GIRLS SWIMMING
Paige Anderson (200 IM, 100 fly, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay) Lexi Hammett (500 free, 100 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay) and Shreya Rane (200 free, 500 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay) were all quadruple winners as the Bulldogs took a 120-50 victory over Hamilton Friday. Courtney Youse (100 back, 200 free relay) was as two-time winner and was second in the 50 free, while Mimi Concannon was on the 200 medley relay and winning 400 free relay. Rounding out the 400 free relay were Hannah Solomon, Eleanor Turi and Abby Watterson.
Second-place finishes came from Turi (200 free, 100 free), Carly Bornmann (500 free), Lauren Moonan (100 back) and Katherine McCabe (100 breast), while finishing third were Victoria Buck (200 free), Joy Frederich (200 IM), Solomon (100 fly) and Anshu Sinha (100 breast).