BY RICHARD JEROME
Staff Writer
After Tuesday night’s three-point victory over Middlesex, the Monroe Township High School wrestling team has a 6-2 record, putting the Falcons in excellent position to better last year’s 10-11 mark.
Monroe has also defeated Spotswood, South River, Woodbridge, Bishop Ahr and Colonia. The two losses were to Perth Amboy and J.F.K.
“We’re wrestling slightly above average right now,” said head coach Sal Profaci. “We have four freshmen and a rookie sophomore, and we’re looking to them for some more production. But the kids are working extremely hard and wrestling with intensity.”
One of the frosh, Brendan Hodel, has a credible 6-5 record at 103 pounds. Another freshman, Brian Mackiewicz, is 2-8 at 112, while junior Kevin Ng has won two of eight matches at 119 pounds. A senior, Justin Bauman is 7-4 in the 125-pound class, as is 130-pounder Scott Betancourt, also a senior.
“We have a returning district champ in senior Anthony Mancini at 135,” Profaci says. “He’s back from an injury and is 3-1 so far.”
Monroe also has a district champ and state qualifier in the heavyweight slot. This season, senior Mike Goff has picked up where he left off, with a sterling 10-1 ledger.
Another strong grappler, senior Mike Tuhy, has an 8-4 mark in the 140-pound division. Sophomore Danny Urbanowicz (145) is 3-6, while his junior brother, Kevin, is 2-9 at 152.
At 160, soph Nick Garibaldi is 2-5 followed by 171-pound junior Grant Herring, who has compiled eight victories in 13 tries. Senior Frank Steinhauser (1-8) wrestles 189, with 8-5 junior Justin Lupo at 215.
The Falcons, who face Sayreville tomorrow and East Brunswick on Saturday, have a new assistant coach, Alan Rushing, a former head coach in Pennsylvania.
“He’s a great addition,” said Profaci, who also has support from James Kushner, Monroe’s longtime head mat coach.
The next two matches are big ones for the Falcons, as they face two ranked foes coming off losses.
The Bombers, ranked seventh in the GMC, fell to 4-4 on Tuesday with a 31-25 loss to No. 3 Perth Amboy. This match was tight throughout, with the two teams trading victories, and was decided with Kelly Atkinson’s win at 130 pounds.
Coming so close to knocking off a top Red Division opponent like Perth Amboy only to lose by one match, the Bombers will be anxious to hit the mats against Monroe.
As for East Brunswick, the Bears fell to 3-4 with a 33-30 loss to Woodbridge on Tuesday. This was another tight match, with the sixth-ranked Barrons pulling out the match with a Jesse Welsch pin at 145 pounds.
East Brunswick, ranked 10th in the GMC, remains a dangerous team despite its sub-.500 record, and will surely give Monroe all it can handle on Saturday.