To be brutally honest, with the direction high school wrestling is headed, very few small schools will be able to field competitive teams.
Consider Group I, Metuchen, for example. The Bulldogs, because there are no wrestlers on the roster who weigh enough to compete in the 170-pound, 195- pound, 220-pound, and heavyweight classes, will forfeit those bouts. That’s because of the new structure adopted by the NJSIAA this season. The new classifications, of course, put Metuchen at a major disadvantage against teams that can fill those slots.
Thus, it hasn’t been surprising Metuchen is winless (and has been non-competitive) in its two matches before the winter break, a 51-18 loss to J.P. Stevens, and a 50-18 defeat at the hands of Scotch Plains.
Nick Zaneto, in his third season, understands his team’s dilemma and offers these observations. “It has been a tough change for the Group I programs,” he said. “We cannot fill those upper weights this year. At our tri-angular meet last weekend, the upper weights were the weakest I can remember. It is in the lower weights, which are more condensed with quality wrestlers, that the competition is very tough.”
Little wonder there are limited numbers of athletes at Metuchen willing to put in the hard work required to become a good wrestler. However, Zaneto is encouraged by those who have come out for the team.
“They know how to work hard,” he says. “And I have refused to lower our standards in order to entice more wrestlers to join the team.”
The lineup looks like this: freshman Kevin Coleman is at 106; sophomore Gianni Pascucci starts at 113; freshman Nate Green is at 120; sophomore Robert Marcantonio (who finished 12-12 last year) is at 126; sophomore Joe Stern starts at 132; and junior Frank Albergo (8-10 last year) is at 138.
Also, senior Dylan Messina (12-14 last season) is at 145; sophomore Ryan Verlaque is at 152; sophomore Mike Rehorn is at 160; and sophomore Jake Gordon is at 182.
Zaneto is a former Metuchen wrestler who says his approach was developed when his team won the GMC Blue Division his senior year.
“We had a good team that pushed each other day in and day out,” he said. “We were built on intense conditioning and sound technique and I have tried to carry that over to my coaching as well.”
Zaneto says Bishop Ahr is the likely favorite to win the Blue Division. South Brunswick appears to be the strongest team in the Greater Middlesex Conference after South Plainfield.
“This will be a building year for us,” said the coach. “We are setting the foundation for many years to come with a small group.”
The Bulldogs travel to Summit tonight in their first meet of 2012 and follow that with a visit to South River tomorrow. Those will be followed by a visit to Red Bank, Saturday, for an early morning 9 a.m. match.