Howell Two wrestlers from Howell High School, Cole Cameron (138) and Zack Bohm (160), will be competing at this week’s NJSIAA state tournament in Atlantic City.
Action at the state tournament will take place March 2-4.
Cameron and Bohm earned their trips to the state tournament based on their performances at the Region VI tournament held at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
Cameron was not favored to advance past the district tournament on Feb. 17-18, but he proved the seeding committee wrong by not only advancing to the region tournament, but winning the District 21 title.
At the Region VI event on Feb. 24-25, Cameron (27-6) got off to a shaky start.
Cameron, who said he “wrestles to pin,” saw his 138-pound quarterfinal match go to overtime. Cameron outscored Pinelands Regional’s Abdullah Abdelaziz 4-0 in overtime to win, 5-1.
In the semifinals, Cameron defeated Brick Memorial’s Cliff Ruggiero, 10-4. He lost the championship bout to Toms River South’s B.J. Clagon, 15-5. Bohm punched his ticket to Atlantic City by finishing third at 160 pounds. As a District 21 runnerup, Bohm had to wrestle in the Feb. 22 region preliminaries, and he advanced with a 1-0 win over Manalapan’s Ben Aquilina.
In the quarterfinals, Bohm defeated Red Bank Regional’s Dillon Stambaugh, 6-0. Bohm then lost his semifinal, 7-2, to the eventual champion, Vin Favia of Christian Brothers Academy.
In the wrestlebacks, Bohm stayed alive with a 1-0 win over Brick Memorial’s Joe Beverly. That victory put him in the thirdplace consolation bout, where a win would send him to Atlantic City.
His opponent in the consolation bout was none other that St. John Vianney’s Anthony Ferraro, the same wrestler who beat him in the District 21 final. Bohm (30-6) gained a measure of revenge by pinning Ferraro at 5:59.