By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Mackey Price hadn’t forgotten about last year’s Region 5 loss to Bound Brook’s Jeison Arias when the two squared in the Somerset County Tournament final at 132 pounds.
This time, the Hillsborough High School senior started fast and was steady throughout to pick up a 7-5 decision Saturday at HHS for his third county title of his career. He finished second last year.
”It’s a little different this year,” Price said. “I got to redeem one of my big losses from last year. It feels pretty good.”
Price’s efforts earned him the meet’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, believed to be the first such honor for a Raider wrestler since Bryan Robinowitz in 1997.
”There are a lot of good wrestlers in the tournament and a lot of kids just as deserving as me,” Price said. “For the coaches to select me, it does mean a lot to me.”
Price opened the final with back-to-back takedowns around an Arias escape for a 4-1 lead. He never let Arias establish control.
”He had no hesitation,” said Hillsborough head coach Steve Molinaro. “He knew he had to set the tone right away. He took him down in the very beginning of the match. He hiked him up on a double and the kid was set back. That gave him a big mental edge. Arias did a real good job coming back, but it wasn’t enough. Mackey set the margin right away. He wrestled his match.”
Price was fueled by the chance to depart a three-time champion in his senior year along with the opportunity to avenge a loss last year to cost him a better seed for the Tournament of Champions.
”In regions, I was winning 2-1 with like 10 seconds left and I was out of breath and gassed and he got me,” Price said. “I wanted to be able to control the pace and not be out of breath like last time.
”Last year, during regions, I kind of let him push the pace more. I had my own mindset going in. My only mindset was to go six minutes hard. It seemed to make a difference. I controlled the match more. I was able to get on top early.”
Price’s win helped the Raiders finish fifth in the team standings. Bound Brook topped Franklin for the championship.
”Given the way everything panned out, with the youth we have in the lineup, I think they all competed pretty diligently,” Molinaro said, adding of the experience gained at the SCT, “It gives us a pretty good gauge. We have some dual meets coming up with some teams in that tournament. We have our hands full with some of them, from Franklin, Watchung Hills, right on down to Somerville. With our less balanced lineup this year, we’re facing a challenge dual meet wise. It’s one of those years.”
Price was a big highlight in the biggest tournament to date for the Raiders. He was one of three finalists from HHS. Rhys Weinberger lost, 5-3, to Paul Kirchner of Somerville at 138 pounds. At 220 pounds, Andrew Roessner fell by pin to Franklin’s Anthony Messner.
”Mackey stepped up and beat a good kid that beat him in the region,” Molinaro said. “Rhys wrestled a good match against Kirchner. He went 5-3 with him and he’s starting to peak a little. Andrew Roessner, he’s come so far in the past couple years. Just being in the finals, everything else was gravy with him. Messner has been doing it a lot longer than him. I’m pretty happy with the guys that made finals.
”Rhys was in the district final before. Last year, I think he took fourth in the county. Rhys is a guy that’s climbing and expecting to be in the finals of most tournaments.”
Adam La Bracio was third at 106 pounds, Deric Winston was third at 112 pounds and Tyler Workman finished third at 145 pounds. Jack Donnadio took fourth at 120.
Weinberger, a junior, and Price are regular training partners in the Raiders wrestling room. They’ve been able to push each other to successful starts. Price’s county win over Arias was preceded by a win over Somerville’s Frankie Lazauskas, another state qualifier from a year ago. They are just the latest of Price’s victims.
”Last week, when we wrestled Belvidere, I beat Dylan Thorsen, who’s ranked seventh in the state,” Price said. “It was what I was going by the whole year. I needed to wrestle an established wrestler. It made me realize I’m at a good point in my year. And beating Arias is also a good indication of where I am, and I’m in a good spot.”
Price has been encouraged by his 16-2 start to the season.
”Mackey has been beating some pretty accomplished kids,” Molinaro said. “Mackey is the kind of kid who doesn’t care what type of kid he’s wrestling. He beat the second ranked kid in Pennsylvania and there are guys in Jersey that he’s beaten along the way. You can’t coach that. Someone that thrives on that, you harness it and run with it.
”I think he’s realizing it’s his senior year. He’s a multi-sport kid. Wrestling isn’t with him year-round and he knows other kids have that. He’s doing everything to counter that. His mindset now seems pretty good.”
Price has won his last 14 straight matches going into Wednesday’s scheduled match against Hunterdon Central. His last win earned him the final county title of his stellar career.
”It definitely takes a little off my chest,” Price said. “Winning counties was one of my goals. I can focus on one of my further goals, like getting to states and doing some damage there for once. I want to keep moving at the pace I’m at and stay on track and keep working hard.”
On top of his wrestling, this year Price is a captain. It’s a new challenge for him, particularly with a larger group of inexperienced wrestlers than the Raiders have had in recent seasons.
”The most different aspect is having to now lead the team, by example, which is kind of a big burden, but also one that I feel needs to be done,” Price said. “The kids look up to me, and I need to lead by example. In the past, it’s been similar, but this year, it’s different because of all the inexperience.
”The inexperienced kids, they work hard. It takes a lot off me having to tell them to work hard. They want to work hard and improve. It’s a group of kids that really show they care about the sport. It’s not as hard as it may seem because of the group of good kids we have.”
Price was impressed by some of their wins at the county tournament, and he and the Raiders were proud of their showing that was highlighted by his third gold medal.
