Princeton resident Apuzzi honored as MCT’s best
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
ROBBINSVILLE — When it comes to success on the wrestling mat, Etai Yonah has come a long way in a short time.
”I got recruited as a freshman,” recalled Yonah, now a senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High South. “They saw me in the hallways and knew I was a little, strong gymnast. I was about 89 pounds and they said I heard you’re that dude who does backflips. You want to maybe join the team. I tried it for the last two weeks that year.”
After a brief trial as a freshman, Yonah moved into the Pirates’ lineup full-time as a sophomore. After a year of learning the sport, he improved dramatically as a junior and reached the semifinals of the Mercer County Tournament. This year, Yonah has taken another step forward by winning the113-pound title at last weekend’s MCT.
”You can’t just come in here thinking you are a good athlete and you are going to win this whole tournament,” said Yonah, who defeated Joshua Magee of Nottingham, 16-9, in the championship match. “I have been working all year round. In the summer I have been running every single day at least four miles. Even when I went down the shore for vacation I went running every day and did my strength exercises on the playground.”
Yonah was the lone MCT champ from a Packet-area school at the MCT. The area did have another winner, however, as Lawrenceville School junior Matt Apuzzi, a Princeton resident, won the title at 220 pounds and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Apuzzi, the No. 3 seed, pinned top-seeded Frank Juba of Allentown just 1:55 into the opening period to win the title. He had knocked off second-seeded River Urilich of Steinert in the semifinals with a pin 3:14 into the match. Apuzzi won all three of his matches in the tournament via pin.
”The last two kids I wrestled were the top two seeds and they were tough matches,” said Apuzzi, who was second at the MCT a year ago. “I just stayed focused and tried to do the best I could. I knew they would be tough kids.
”I gained a lot from my experience in the tournament last year. The tough match in the final last year helped me get ready for the tournament this year.”
The only other finalist from the Packet area was WW-P North’s Joe Bryde, who lost in the final at 106 to top-seeded Brandon Cray of Steinert, 18-8. WW-P South freshman Nick Mayer, the No. 2 seed, finished third after falling to Bryde, 9-3, in the semifinals.
WW-P South finished the tournament with five medalists. In addition to Yonah and Mayer, Ben Schulman was fourth at 145 and Naseem Carter was fourth at heavyweight. Ryan Moshman was sixth at 126 after falling in a close match to the top seed in the semifinals.
Princeton finished with two medalists as David Klinges finished fifth at 160 and Thomas Miers was sixth at 120 pounds. The Little Tigers’ Will Harrison was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Gary Dambro Excellence Award, which goes to a wrestler who shows courage and determination throughout the wrestling season.
In addition to the second from Bryde, WW-P North’s Vinny Porreca finished fifth at 170 pounds.
South’s Yonah had been a gymnast when he was spotted in the hallways and recruited as a wrestler. He tried the two sports at the same time for a while, but eventually decided to make wrestling his focus.
”I tried going from wrestling practice to gymnastics practice, leaving a little early from wrestling, my sophomore year,” said Yonah, who is 24-2 this season and has won 19 straight matches. “But my junior year I realized it was too much and I focused on wrestling. I just want to try to keep improving.
”Hopefully I can get to Atlantic City and make some noise. Districts are right around the corner and that is what really counts. Hopefully I can get to regions and then after regions go to states.”
WW-P South coach Darren Schulmann has watched Yonah progress each year and knows it has not come by accident.
”He works really hard and deserves everything he gets,” Schulmann said. “He is a product of hard work. It didn’t come easy for him. He does everything you ask him to do. He is a pleasure to have on the team.
”I think if he wrestles well he can make some noise. He has some tough kids in the district. The top four are all equal matches.”