Wins SCT wrestling at 145
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
There have only been seven four-time individual wrestling champions in the 35-year history of the Somerset County Tournament.
Hillsborough High School senior T.J. Guidice became the sixth when he won a 12-2 major decision over Bound Brook’s Ricky Ash in the 145-pound championship Saturday. Later, Bound Brook’s Andrew Campolattano became the seventh in meet history with four titles.
”It’s an incredible honor when you look back at all the great wrestlers in Somerset County who got three or two,” said Guidice, who improved to 15-1 this season with the win. “To have my name with (Bound Brook’s Andrew) Flanagan and (Nick) Murray and those people that are four-time champs is incredible.”
Flanagan, whom Guidice has tried to pattern his wrestling after, is the only other wrestler to have won the four titles at four different weights. Guidice won at 112 as a freshman, 119 as a sophomore, 135 last year and now 145. He is also only the second four-time champion from Hillsborough, joining Andrew Gwain.
”It definitely feels good,” Guidice said. “The only other Hillsborough guy to do it was Andrew Gwain. I definitely feel it’s an accomplishment to do it at four different weights. It’s a challenge to do it at all, but I’m happy to do it at four different weights.”
Guidice did it in typical fashion, allowing the only points to an opponent on a reversal by Ash in the final. He also surrendered only two points last year, also on a reversal in the finals. Other than that, no one has scored on him in a county match.
”It was a nice accomplishment for TJ,” said Hillsborough head coach Steve Molinaro. “It’s a little more challenging to do it that way. Returning at the same class, staying lighter, you might be more experienced than the guys in it. You would think the odds of doing it at four different ones is a little more difficult than not.”
Guidice wasn’t the only county champion for the Raiders Saturday. Deric Winston won the 103-pound final over Brett Smith of Franklin. It’s the first county championship for the sophomore, who was seeded first.
”Deric’s been wrestling really well and being consistent,” Molinaro said. “And he’s a lot more composed. That was the outcome.
”We knew Deric was in the race,” he added. “He wrestled Smith before last year twice and beat him. We knew he’d probably be the closest in contention with him.”
Senior Brian Campanale was runner-up at 171 pounds, and defending champion Joey DiCarlo placed second at 119. Mike Caver was second at 130, and Mackey Price took second at 135 pounds. Adam Labracio was third at 112, and Tom Cellemare was third at 189. Rhys Weinberger was fourth at 140.
Franklin dethroned the defending champion Raiders. Franklin finished with 189½ points to Hillsborough’s 158.
”It’s better to win the race, but we were in the race,” Molinaro said. “Franklin was tough to catch. Having a couple inexperienced weight classes made it tough. Overall, we have to be happy with the effort.
”There were a couple mistakes in the finals that hurt us. The kids are that good. When you make a mistake with a kid that good, they make you pay. Luckily we have a county tournament that’s early in the year so we can gauge what we need to work on. We have a couple things we can work on. Overall, it was a good effort from the wrestle backs on up.”
Guidice won to live up to his top seeding, but he felt the weight of the accomplishment he was chasing.
”There was definitely some nerves,” he said. “I do a lot of visualization stuff and I know I was focused. I knew I put the work in. I knew I just had to go in and everything else would happen the way I wanted it to.
”Coming into high school, that was definitely one of my main goals,” he added. “I wanted to be a four-time county champ, and I wanted to be four-time district champ. I’m not going to be able to do the second one, but it’s good to see all my hard work is paying off and if I keep working hard, that will hopefully continue to pay off.”
Molinaro has seen Guidice grow through the years, progressing up through the weight classes, and year after year winning a county title. But the long-time coach sees a subtle improvement that has Guidice primed for a big finale this season.
”I see a lot of the same stuff, but he’s more physically mature,” Molinaro said. “He’s stronger and seems to be wrestling a lot more confident. He’s a lot more focused this year with the maturity level and knowing it’s his senior year and his last run.”
Said Guidice: “I’ve just been working way harder, taking the time in the room more seriously. I’ve cut down on the unimportant things. I’ve concentrated on my feet. I’ve focused on not giving up points. I feel like if I don’t give up points, it’s very hard for someone to beat me.”
Four years of county opponents can attest to it, though Guidice can remember when his county streak started and compare it to how he approaches matches now.
”It’s completely different,” Guidice said. “I was thinking about it the other day. As a freshman, I remember being beside myself. I remember how nervous I was with everyone watching me. This time, I was just thinking, I’ve been there three times before. I took care of business.”
Guidice is hoping that it is a springboard to bigger things by year’s end.
”I started off a little slow,” Guidice said. “I kept working and still making some changes and taking every practice one day at a time. I’m still focusing on the big goal of the state tournament at the end of the season.”
And he’s focusing on helping the Raiders continue to progress. As one of the veterans, he has to help bring along the less experienced Hillsborough wrestlers that are just beginning to gain confidence.
”I try to take some time before and after practice to help some of the younger guys, like Deric and Adam Labracio,” Guidice said. “They’ve been working so hard. The entire team has been working out constantly hard. With the holes we have, everyone has to step up. I try to get them to step up and get them to realize they’re as good as they really are.
”We have a very young team, other than the core people we have,” he added. “And we have a couple holes where we have young kids. Considering that, I thought it was impressive how we finished second in the county. A lot of people stepped up. I think at districts, we can focus and try to get first place.”
Guidice will go in as one of the favorites, particularly after adding a fourth county crown to his resume to join some pretty elite company.
”There was a sense of relief,” Guidice said. “I was just happy. It felt good to see one of my goals accomplished and my hard work pay off.”

