By Wayne Witkowski
Allentown High School’s wrestling team hopes to recapture the excitement of last season as it prepares to hits the mats this winter.
Allentown comes off a 15-8 season, during which the team won its first division championship since 2007, had two wrestlers advance to the state championships, went 12-1 in Mercer County dual meets for the first time in memory and reached the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section II, Group III sectionals, where it lost to Cranford High School.
The Redbirds look to take it even farther this season.
“We absolutely can have a better season,” coach Mitch Nock said.
Allentown opens its season Dec. 17 in the Icebreaker Tournament at Old Bridge High School.
“We’re trying to get back-to-back [Colonial Valley Conference Patriot] division titles,” Nock said. “[Last season] really made them believe what they were capable of; some people thought they were not really able to do this. We have to inject the newcomers with the veterans. The quicker that happens, the better we’ll be.”
Allentown begins its dual meets Dec. 20 at Colts Neck High School and hosts Hightstown High School the following day.
Two-time state qualifiers Zach Turner, a Region VI champion who finished 36-4 at 182 pounds, and Jordan Rugo, a region runner-up who was 28-3 at 152 pounds, graduated. They marked the first time Allentown had two region finalists in the same season. Ross Scheuerman was the only other region champion in 2011.
Rugo went 2-2 following in the footsteps of older brother, Alex, who also reached the state championships at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall for Allentown, and Turner was 1-2.
Sebastian Rizzo also graduated after finishing fourth at 126 pounds in District 25.
They were instrumental in Allentown finishing in a three-way tie for the division championship with Hopewell Valley Central High School and Robbinsville High School. The Redbirds turned around the previous season, when they were 4-9 against Mercer County teams and 8-17 overall.
Allentown looms strongest going into the season at middle weights, where Drew Romein finished fourth in District 25 as a freshman and Isaiah Saiz was fifth in the county tournament. They’ll wrestle either at 130 or 136. Nolan Pecci, who finished fifth in the county meet, and John Kuchar are vying for starts at 152, and one may be dropped to 145.
Nock said there still is much to be decided in the weight classes over the next week.
In the lower weights, freshman Joe Zamparelli brings a lot of potential to the 106-pound bracket. Connor Meyers provides senior leadership at 120 pounds, and freshman Matt Puglia is lining up a start at 126 pounds.
Liam McDermott, a junior, leads the returnees in the upper weights at 170 pounds, and sophomore Nick Campbell performed well as a freshman in a .500 season. McDermott reached the quarterfinals of the region when he was sidelined by an arm injury. While the starters at 182 and 197 are wide open, heavyweight David Fisher looks to raise his profile to bolster a weak part of the lineup.
Nock said he was pleased to see the offseason commitment in the weight room as a sign that this group is driven to make another realistic run for glory.
Ice hockey
Josh Rosenbaum scored for a 4-3 lead for the Robbinsville/Allentown Ravens co-op ice hockey team before Lawrence High School closed the second period with three unanswered goals on its way to a 7-5 victory Dec. 7 at Mercer County Park in Hamilton.
Shawn Camisa pulled Allentown to 6-5 in the third period before Lawrence put in an empty-net goal. Rosenbaum finished with four goals. Nick Koch and Justin Cooper shared time in goal for the Ravens (4-2). Lawrence is 3-1.
Allentown had come off a 10-1 victory over Nottingham High School, as Liam Hartmann had two goals and two assists and Noah Duggar and Brian Eiler each scored twice.
