By Justin Feil, Packet Media Group
Austin Schimmel and Anthony DelGuercio will wrestle in their final team match for the Hillsborough High School on Saturday, but that’s hardly the end.
Two of the Raiders senior captains are planning to extend their season into March, starting when the District 18 tournament starts Feb. 19.
“Knowing it’s my last season, I want to go out with a bang and obviously I’m going to do my best,” said Schimmel, who wrestles at 126 pounds. “Being a captain, I know the younger freshmen and sophomores are looking up to me. I’m pushing our team in the right direction hopefully.”
The sixth-seeded Raiders dropped a 39-20 decision at third-seeded Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 tournament opener Monday. They will compete Saturday in a quad against Colonia, Perth Amboy and Ramapo before turning their sights to districts. This weekend provides one final tune-up before the individual tournament begins.
“We definitely have the potential to get a lot of guys out of the district,” DelGuercio said. “I’m hoping to see at least five or six head over to Hunterdon Central (for the Region 5 tournament).”
The Raiders have been tested throughout the season, and they have come on strong down the stretch, highlighted by big wins over sectional qualifiers Governor Livingston and Manville. They were competitive but couldn’t pull the upset at Old Bridge.
“I thought we wrestled well,” DelGuercio said. “We do have a few gaps in the lineup. I felt like as a team we performed well. It’s definitely showing signs of improvement. In the years to come, I think we should be pretty solid.”
DelGuercio may wrestle at the Division III or club level in college next year, but this is his last chance with the Raiders. He reached the regions last year, and his experience and determination showed through again Monday in a last-second win at Old Bridge. Josh Escalante had a one-point lead with 12 seconds to go before DelGuercio delivered a thriller at 182 pounds.
“I was able to get a takedown and win, 5-4,” DelGuercio said. “It goes to show you how much a little extra work helps.
“A few matches here and there, I felt I could have wrestled better, but as a whole, I’m happy with how I’ve been wrestling. I’m excited for the postseason.”
Schimmel comes off a more convincing win. He earned major points with a 16-1 technical fall.
“I went into my match thinking it was going to be a tough match for our whole team,” Schimmel said. “We were trying to get bonus points across the board. We knew if we wanted to win the match, that’s what we needed. I was going for the pin, but I got the technical points.”
Fellow senior Kevin Gallego was a 2-1 winner at 132 pounds while another senior Tanner Johnson won, 6-2, at 145 pounds. Kevin Faulkner bumped up to 160 pounds and picked up a pin. Emilio Guerrero Nieto was a hard-luck victim in sudden victory at 195 pounds. Guerrero Nieto, Nick Pezza and Michael Dooley, who missed the Old Bridge match with an injury, are three of DelGuercio’s practice partners.
“Nick is 220 and Emilio is 195,” DelGuercio said. “I get to work on my speed with them, and my technique more when I wrestle with Mike.”
DelGuercio has improved the most at the top position, but his year-long work has benefitted him in all positions. Schimmel has dealt with a big adjustment. After three years at 106 pounds, he jumped three weight classes.
“Instead of wrestling strength-wise, I have to be more agile and quicker on my feet to beat my stronger opponents,” Schimmel said. “I’ve been adjusting well. It’s been tough to adjust.”
Schimmel thought he’d be wrestling at 120 pounds this year, but moved up to help pave the way for a more complete lineup. Anthony Donnadio wrestles at 120 pounds and Joshua Villa slides in at 113 pounds. Schimmel doesn’t have to worry about cutting any weight, just his wrestling. He has won four of his last five matches, and he is hoping he can have the sort of run that allowed him to place second at districts, third at regions to advance to Atlantic City for the state finals.
“Last year’s success helped,” Schimmel said. “I’m wrestling a lot better because of how far I made it and the kind of competition I was able to wrestle down in Atlantic City. I’m optimistic for the rest of the season.”
Schimmel doesn’t expect to be alone in advancing beyond districts. He sees a group that is committed to the challenges ahead and looking forward to the chance to show its improvement.
“Overall, we’ve been wrestling really well lately,” Schimmel said. “We came across Manville and Governor Livingston and we expected some tough matches and we came out on top by quite a few points. A few of us got upsets. We’re wrestling well as a team.”
The less experienced Raiders can look to the likes of Schimmel and DelGuercio. They are happy to take the lead.
“Really having that experience under the spotlight, when it gets down to it, it’s nerve-wracking especially the first time,” DelGuercio said. “As you progress and the more you do it, it gets less and less nerve-wracking and it’s more natural. It doesn’t faze you as much.”
DelGuercio has moved beyond that point. He is singularly focused on the task ahead. He’d like to get by regions for the first time in his final year at Hillsborough.
“It really pushes me to strive to get to the state tournament down in Atlantic City,” DelGuercio said. “Knowing it’s my last year, I have to give it my all to get down there.”
The seniors know what it takes to get beyond districts. They are motivated and confident that they can do so after an encouraging end to the team season.
“I just know on my feet I have to get at it more,” Schimmel said. “I have to get at it more the first period. In terms of districts, I have to knock off one or two higher seeded guys in order to advance, which is for sure possible.
“I’m very motivated coming up on districts,” he added. “Our team has been working hard. Everybody has been pulling through. We’re all ready for what the state tournament has to offer.”
