Bryde boys victorious for WW-P North wrestling
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Even before Chris and Joe Bryde were wrestling for West Windsor-Plainsboro North, the brothers were taking on each other at home.
”We used to wrestle a lot,” said Chris, a junior with the Knights.
This is the first year that the two are on the varsity together, and they were a big part of the Knights’ 40-33 win over rival WW-P South on Thursday. Joe earned a 7-5 win over Etai Yonah at 103 pounds in a match-up of first-year varsity wrestlers while Chris earned a pin at 119 pounds. The nine points created enough of a difference for the Knights’ second win of the season.
”We went in thinking we’ll try our best,” Chris said. “We weren’t sure we’d win or not. It was a team effort and we came out on top. It was a pretty big win. We were pretty happy after that.”
Added Joe: “It means a lot. We haven’t beaten them in five years or so with the high school. To win like that was pretty good for all of us.”
WW-P South opened the match with a win from Brian Oglesby at 130 pounds, but the Knights’ Sean Tsaur moved up to earn a pin at 135 pounds and Kevin Mansfield followed with a major decision to give the Knights the lead. The Pirates’ Tom Loury captured 145 and the Knights’ Chris Brancone answered with a win at 152. Matt Persico won by pin at 160, but the Knights forfeited to Austin Scharfstein at 171 pounds. At 189, David Adlai-Gail’s pin for North was answered by Liam Kiernan’s pin at 215 for South. The Pirates’ Billy Baugher won by forfeit at heavyweight before Joe Bryde’s win. Christian Diaz won by forfeit at 112 pounds as the Knights retook the lead before Chris Bryde’s win. WW-P South’s Kory Beach won by pin, but the Knights had already wrapped up the meet.
”It was big,” said Knights head coach Bill Mealy. “It should help us a little bit, at least morale wise.
”Going into it, they hadn’t had too many bouts. I didn’t know too much about what they actually had. After weigh-ins, we started to take a look. We figured if we made a couple moves and things went our way, we’d be in it.”
One of the moves was pushing up Chris Bryde to 119. It paid off with six points with his pin.
”He’s getting better,” Mealy said. “He is growing up a little bit. As an underclassmen freshman and sophomore years, he wasn’t quite as serious. He’s starting to develop a more serious attitude, and it’s starting to develop in him. It’s going to make a difference in his record and his overall season.”
Joe is a freshman, who has gotten his career off to a strong start at 103 pounds, the same weight that Chris wrestled at his first two years with the Knights.
”I wasn’t expecting to get a whole lot of wins,” Joe said. “I know my brother didn’t get many (as a freshman). The extra two years of experience I got helped me a lot. I actually have a pretty good record.”
Said Mealy: “Joe only weighs like 90 pounds. That’s the heaviest he’s weighed all season. He’s working on it. He’s giving up a lot of weight, but wrestling tough.”
You have to when you’re the younger brother. Chris and Joe started wrestling at the same time, following their father Jim, who wrestled in New York. Joe started with the Princeton Area Wrestling Society while Chris was in middle school.
”He started a little earlier than me,” Chris said. “I think he has a head start. I think he’ll top me.”
Said Mealy: “Him being the younger brother, he’s developed a little quicker basically because of dealing with his brother.”
In the wrestling room, there is no contest. Usually Chris practices against 130-pounder Tsaur while Joe takes on Diaz, another 103-pounder. But on the occasions in which the brothers meet, it is Joe that receives the benefits while Chris only gets the satisfaction of reminding him of who’s the big brother.
”He helps me a lot,” Joe said. “In the wrestling room, he always beats me up. The only way you get better is when you lose to someone better than you.”
Against South, Joe wanted to make sure that he continued his winning ways. He had beaten Yonah, 10-5, in the Bears Invitational earlier in the season, and was hoping to do the same to help the team win.
”I just wanted to beat my kid,” Joe said. “I knew it was going to be a close match. I knew he wanted revenge since I beat him the first time.
”Pretty much similar things were working. I knew he’s a lot stronger than me. He could pick me up and throw me down.”
Joe has been countering his lighter weight than most of his opponents all season. It’s something that he has learned to overcome.
”When I go into matches, I work on my technique,” Joe said. “I know they’re going to be bigger than me.”
Chris went through the same thing his freshman and sophomore years before now filling out to 112 pounds.
”There’s not much you can do,” Chris said. “Just push through it. The nice thing is you get to eat whatever you want, whenever you want.”
Chris came into this season with two years of varsity experience. He has combined that experience with his improvements to become a more formidable opponent.
”I think I’ve gotten a lot stronger,” Chris said, “and my moves have gotten sharper.”
The Knights are thrilled to have the Bryde brothers on the same team, and even happier that they’ll be a part of the squad again next season. That’s another year together, fighting together to make WW-P North better.
”It’s real nice,” Mealy said. “It’s a luxury we haven’t had in the past with having as many lightweights as we’ve had. Chris (Diaz) is a first-year. He’s going to get his share of bumps and bruises, but he’ll be OK. With those guys on either side, he’ll develop more. They’re nice to have.”