Manville 130-pounder takes defeat in stride
By: Rudy Brandl
FLEMINGTON Kurt Tenisci entered the Hunterdon Central Fieldhouse with high hopes and big dreams for last week’s Region 5 Wrestling Tournament.
The Manville High senior 130-pounder never expected to be sent home during Saturday’s consolation wrestle-backs, but this year’s region tourney proved to be more competitive than ever. Tenisci’s fine scholastic career came to an end Saturday morning when Bishop Ahr’s Kody Hamrah registered a fall at 3:33.
It was a strange tourney for Tenisci, who wrestled much better than during the District 18 Championships when he was upset in the finals. Tenisci was involved in three pins and all three were posted by the wrestler who was trailing at the time.
"The last two matches I got caught when I was ahead by four or five points," Tenisci said moments after his season ended at 20-8. "I was behind in the first match and then I picked it up a little bit."
Saturday’s loss to Hamrah prevented Tenisci from reaching his goal of qualifying for the state tournament. He would have needed to win three bouts during Saturday’s consolation wrestle-backs under the new region system. Friday night’s quarterfinal losers still had a chance to work their way back for third place and eight wrestlers managed to complete that journey, including Hamrah.
It didn’t work out for Tenisci, who missed an early chance to deck Hamrah and paid the price in the second period. Tenisci stormed out and put the Bishop Ahr freshman to his back within 24 seconds for a 4-0 lead. Hamrah recovered quickly and reversed but Tenisci rolled through that move without allowing back points. Tenisci took a 6-5 lead into the second period after the wrestlers traded reversals.
"He was tough to pin," Tenisci said. "(North Hunterdon’s Pat) Shaddow had trouble, too. He was pretty tough fighting off his back. I heard he was sloppy but sometimes I wrestle a little too hard. I went over myself and lost balance. That’s how I got caught."
Tenisci opened the second period in the top position looking to build his lead. He turned Hamrah once for three points but couldn’t clamp down for the fall. Hamrah quickly turned the tables on a reversal with 1:12 to go in the period and recorded the fall with 27 seconds left on the clock.
"The aggressiveness is good, but I just get a little sloppy when I do that," Tenisci said. "I think I could’ve controlled myself a little bit more."
Tenisci landed in the consolation bracket after Friday night’s loss to Hunterdon Central’s Dan Eliades at 2:54. Tenisci was taken down early but escaped and used a four-point move to build a 5-2 lead. Eliades caught him midway through the second period.
"That was a heart-breaker," MHS head coach Brett Stibitz said. "Kurt had the whole tempo of the match and the momentum was his way."
Tenisci opened the tournament with an exciting comeback victory over Perth Amboy’s Esterlin Payano. Trailing 5-0 early in the match, Tenisci recovered and advanced to the quarterfinals with his 16th pin of the season at 5:40.
Stibitz felt that a hard cradle late in the second period decided the match. Although Tenisci wasn’t rewarded with points for the move, Stibitz saw the momentum shift when Payano needed an injury time-out prior to the third period.
"That broke his will," Stibitz said. "Kurt just put that cradle in and the guy crumbled. That was the whole turning point of the match. I told Kurt the match was his after that."
"Once I put that cradle on him, he knew I was a physical wrestler," Tenisci added. "I knew he was tiring out, so I just took him down and cradled him."
Tenisci still trailed 5-2 but quickly gained a neutral early in the third period. He then took Payano to the mat and turned him for the fall with 20 seconds left in the bout.
"He was gassing and I stuck him," Tenisci said.
That turned out to be Tenisci’s only region win, but it showed he could compete at this level. Tenisci never trailed again the rest of the tournament, but unfortunately he couldn’t stay off his back.
"I’m not mad at myself," he said. "I don’t wrestle all year like a lot of these guys do. I would’ve liked to go further, but it happens."