Jackson Memorial High School and Howell High School have been rivals on the wrestling mat since the 1970s.
On Feb. 23, the state powers will continue their rivalry at the final team championship of the high school season, the NJSIAA District 21 Tournament hosted by Manalapan High School.
The Jaguars and Rebels have owned this tournament since 1998, when the Jaguars won the first of 11 straight titles. Howell has won two of the last four tournaments, including last year.
The Rebels and Jaguars have been ranked in the top 20 all season by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association (Jackson Memorial is 13th and Howell 16th in the most recent poll). The schools met in Jackson on Feb. 13 in the semifinals of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tournament, with the Rebels scoring a 27- 25 triumph in a great high school match. The Jaguars will be seeking some payback in Manalapan.
Jackson Liberty High School finished third behind the Rebels and Jaguars last year and is clearly the up-and-coming team. It could be poised to legitimately challenge the top dogs this year. The Liberty Lions won the Shore Conference B North Division for the first time this winter and made the state playoffs. Certainly no team has three undefeated wrestlers like the Lions have, but they probably lack the depth to seriously challenge the front-runners. Upsets are known to happen, though.
St. John Vianney High School, Non- Public division champions and state playoff participant, and host Manalapan, which advanced to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals, are the other contending teams.
Scott Preston, whose Braves host the tournament, believes that this year’s tournament field is as good as ever and that more teams will be in play for the team title.
“It’s always loaded,” he said. “It’s one of the toughest [districts] in the state, top to bottom.
“Some weight classes are seven-deep,” he added.
The Braves have one of the state’s best wrestlers in heavyweight John Appice. He’s been ranked first or second in his weight class for much of the season. He was a state place-winner last year and is one of many returning District 21 champions.
As impressive as the teams competing on Feb. 23 are, the individual talent is even greater. Many of the wrestlers who will be in action in Manalapan will also be seen in Atlantic City next month at the NJSIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. The Districts are the first step toward the state championships. The top three finishers in each weight class will advance to the Region VI Championships at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River on Feb. 27 and from March 1-2. The top three from there go on to Atlantic City.
The state championships are March 8-10 at Boardwalk Hall.
There are 10 returning champions from last year, led by state place-winners Brian Hamann, Jackson Memorial (138 pounds), Nick Zak, Jackson Liberty (182 pounds) and Appice. Zak became the first Liberty Lions wrestler to medal at the state championships last year when he took sixth place.
Jackson Liberty’s Mike Russo (106 pounds), Howell’s Ben Esposito (132 pounds), St. John Vianney’s Matt Caracappa (132 pounds), Howell’s Ashanti Maurice (145 pounds), Jackson Liberty’s T.J. Liquori (152 pounds), St. John Vianney’s Anthony Ferraro (160) and Jackson Memorial’s Ken Bradley (195 pounds) are also looking for repeat victories. Ferraro is seeking to become a three-time champion.
Making the field even stronger are three champions from 2011 — Jackson Memorial’s Alec Huxford (106 pounds) and Spencer Young (125 pounds), as well as Matawan Regional High School’s Glenn Cross (171 pounds).
Along with all the returning champions, many of whom have been ranked among the first eight in their weight classes during the season, other wrestlers who are contenders include Howell’s Anthony Gagliano (106 pounds), Howell’s Jimmy Slendorn (113 pounds), Colts Neck High School’s Nick Ottaviano (113 pounds), Freehold Township High School’s Nick DePierro (113 pounds), Jackson Liberty’s Matt Russo (120 pounds), Colts Neck’s Peter Ottaviano (120 pounds), Howell’s Kris Lindemann (126 pounds), Marlboro High School’s Pete Powell (126 pounds), Marlboro’s Dan Saraiva (138 pounds), Manalapan’s Ed Chandler (138 pounds), Manalapan’s Mike Aronson (145 pounds), St. John Vianney’s Terrence Davis (145 pounds), Matawan’s Chris Hartigan (152 pounds), Howell’s Joey Schultz (160 pounds). Jackson Memorial’s Connor Bohringer (160 pounds), Manalapan’s Anthony Benedetti (170 pounds), Howell’s Nate Litowsky (182 pounds), Manalapan’s Ben Aquilina (195 pounds), Holmdel High School’s Anthony Fernicola (heavyweight) Freehold Township’s Max Mondello (heavyweight).
There will some very good wrestlers who will not advance out of the District because of the quality.
Mike Russo, Liquori and Zak will all bring undefeated records with them. Esposito came up one match short of a trip to Atlantic City in 2012 and he’s doing everything this year to make sure he gets there and achieves more by “working hard every day and wrestling with intensity.”
Part of Esposito’s regiment is nutrition, which includes watching his diet and eating the right foods, he pointed out. So far, everything has worked for the Rebels’ senior, who picked up his 100th career win earlier this year.
This year’s tournament will be held over one day. Action begins at 9 a.m. with the preliminaries, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, wrestle-backs and finals. The finals are scheduled to begin between 5-5:30 p.m.