By Jeff Appelblatt
The wrestling team from Middletown High School North ended Manalapan High School’s wrestlers’ goal of winning the Shore Conference meet eventually won by Howell High School, but Manalapan coach Scott Pressman thinks his wrestlers had more positives than negatives to take away from the annual competition.
That list began with the win the Braves had over Brick Township High School before facing Middletown North.
“We told the kids they got to go out and do their jobs. And they did a great job against Brick,” Manalapan’s coach said Jan. 27, thinking back a day to the 42-22 victory over the Green Dragons.
The win was captured when nine Manalapan wrestlers pulled out victories in 14 battles with Brick Township. Soon after, the Braves had to face the hosting Lions (19-1).
The No. 3 Lions won nine matches with the Braves and held on to win the meet, 45-24.
“We ran into a Middletown North team that’s very good,” Pressman said. “A couple of things didn’t go our way. Kudos to them. Good job for them. They got us.”
However, Manalapan’s coach wasn’t going to let the loss destroy his team’s goals this year. There’s still so much more the Braves have left this season.
“Obviously, we got to finish out the season strong and then get into the state tournament,” Manalapan’s coach said. “And then we feel like we’ve got some guys that could do some things there.”
One of the wrestlers that could make noise in the state competition is 160-pound senior Ronny Ghaida (13-2), who had a strong showing last year in the 152-pound weight class.
“Ronny has come along nicely. He’s been pretty solid. He lost to the state runner-up last year from [Toms River High School East],” Pressman said. “[But] he’s been wrestling real well, and he sets a great example for us.”
Ghaida picked up a win on a forfeit against Middletown North.
Meanwhile, Alex Baran, Anthony Coposky, Matt Benedetti and Ghaida’s brother, Kareem, picked up wins in Middletown.
“Kareem has really come on his last 10-12 bouts,” Manalapan’s coach said about the younger Ghaida, who is a sophomore. “He started out a little slow, but he’s been wrestling real great. He beat two quality kids [in Middletown].”
Pressman knows that it will take strong showings from his entire team for Manalapan to keep competing as the season plays out and when the state tournament begins.
“Our two guys down low, Pauly Santomarco and A.J. Sortino, have really been table-setters for us,” Pressman said. “Alex Baran is having a really, really nice year. We have two other guys in the middle, Anthony Coposky and Matt Mustillo, that have wrestled real well.
“But we really don’t have anybody on our team with a losing record.”
The Braves showed off what they have when they hosted their most recent quad meet Jan. 28 in Manalapan. Over the course of the day, Manalapan’s wrestlers dominated each visiting team. The Braves crushed Wallkill Valley Regional High School, 62-9. They clobbered Montgomery High School, 56-15. And they finished the day with a 51-9 pounding of Nutley High School.
Pressman is proud of what his team has done, but he knows things will only get tougher when it’s playoff time.
“We’re sliding in right now, I think, as a three-seed in the state tournament. Monroe [Township High School] is ahead of us. They’re ranked eighth in the state. Hunterdon Central [Regional High School] looks like they’ll pull out the one [seed]. They’re seventh in the state,” Manalapan’s coach said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.
“[But] we’re up for the challenge. The kids are looking forward to it.”
Before the state competition begins the third week of February, Manalapan (18-3) has a bunch of meets left in the regular season. The next is slated for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Wall High School (7-7).