H.S. wrestling: Delsea smells sweet success, dominates at Region 8
EGG HARBOR TWP. – Jared Schoppe caught himself and, much like he does on the mat, quickly recovered.
Asked what he thought of the Delsea Regional High School wrestling team’s performance at this weekend’s Region 8 tournament, the junior 175-pounder said, “Baddest team in South Jersey. No, make that the baddest team in the state.”
Few could disagree after the Crusaders put on a show at Egg Harbor Township, sending five wrestlers to the finals, winning four crowns and advancing eight wrestlers to next weekend’s state tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
“We might not have been right in the early season, but our coaches know how to prepare us for the end of the season and it showed again here,” said Schoppe, who earned his second regional title with a 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker victory over Absegami’s George Rhodes. “We got a team state title, and now we’re all working to push each other in that room for our individual goals.”
More: Region 7 semifinals
Delsea head coach Greg Sawyer had plenty to celebrate as a smile rarely left his face during the tournament.
“It’s probably one of the best performances we’ve ever had in our history (at regions),” Sawyer said. “We didn’t win everything, but every kid on our team wrestled tough this entire weekend, and you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Delsea’s upper weights shined again as Schoppe, juniors Danny DiGiovacchino (190) and Luke Maxwell (215) and Rocco Bennett (285) advanced to the finals with DiGiovacchino and Bennett joining Schoppe atop the podium.
“You saw them do some things, no one really thought they would do,” Sawyer said. “They had that poise and the confidence from grinding all year, they were battled tested.”
DiGiovacchino polished off his final two opponents by fall to claim the 190 title, helping to erase bitter memories of his first two regional appearances.
“I’ve been dreaming of this title since I’ve been in middle school,” DiGiovacchino said. “Freshman year, I was winning then I got pinned. Last year, I kinda fell apart. This time I was ready to come here and win. I felt like I belonged here and I did.”
Bennett questioned the 13th seed he was labeled with, but responded with three tight decisions by a combined seven points en route to the 285 title.
“I felt like the bracket was messed up, I shouldn’t have been there,” said Bennett, who improved to 29-4. “But whatever number is in front of your name, you can’t let it mess you up. That’s the way I look at any tournament I’m in.”
The mohawked Bennett credits his upper weight teammates and coaches, who work out in the room, which he admits can be a nasty place.
“It’s 110 degrees in there and it smells like crap,” Bennett said.
However, the work refined in that room produced the sweet smell of success for the Crusaders this season.
Fantastic frosh
Delsea’s Jamar Dixon doesn’t look like your typical freshman, nor does he wrestle like one.
That wasn’t the case back in December when he looked ever bit of a rookie trying to quickly adjust to life on the varsity squad.
Fast forward to February and the transformation has been astounding.
He looks completely different. He looks like a region champion.
Dixon, the sixth seed at 132, captured the regional title with a 3-2 win over Oakcrest senior Hunter Horsey, who led the region in pins (27) coming into the tournament.
“He’s not even close to being the same wrestler he was in the beginning of the year,” Sawyer said. “A lot of that comes from getting adjusted to this level and that’s what he did, he made all the right adjustments.
“He’s improved upon his positioning, but he’s it’s his confidence that has really grown. He’s that good of a wrestler and now he’s understanding that. He can score when he wants to, he can get out when he wants to and his toughness has just gone through the roof now. He’s turned that corner with his mental toughness.”
That comes with the daily grind in the room with Delsea grad and Division I wrestler Rob Jillard, who wrestled at Northern Illinois.
“He’s taught me some new stuff, but he also showed what hard work I had to put in,” Dixon said. “I was nervous in the beginning of the season and the first couple of practices, I wasn’t working as hard as I should have. When that changed, everything changed.”
Schoppe knows exactly what Dixon was going through earlier in the season.
“He had that freshman fluke, it was caught in his head,” Schoppe said. “When I was a freshman I was the same way, but my coaches told me once I got to states, let it fly. That’s exactly what Coach Sawyer told Jamar before this tournament. When he believes in himself, he can beat anybody.”
Dixon took out the top seed by setting the tone with a first-period takedown and took a 3-0 lead into the third period. He held off a late charge for the title.
“This feels great, but I still have a lot more work to do,” said Dixon, who improved to 32-8. “I want to place (at states) this year.”
Viking champion
Eastern’s Jared Brunner became his school’s first Region 8 champion since Mark Kelly won in 1985. The Vikings have competed in Region 7 for the last three decades.
Brunner, who finished runner-up at last year’s South Region, scored a workmanlike 3-0 decision over defending region champ Kaden Naame, of St. Augustine.
The Brown-bound Brunner, who improved to 112-23 for his career, earned the crown that eluded him in his first two trips to regions.
“Finding breaking through it feels great, but the job isn’t done yet,” Brunner said. “It’s a good stepping stone to get some momentum going into next weekend.
“I was ready to have some fun at this tournament. I knew it was my last chance to get a region title, but I tried not to stress about it. I had a tough opponent, he’s a friend of mine, but I wrestled tough and got the win.”
Brunner will be looking for more next weekend when he should be among the strong challengers for a state title at 113.
Back points
Kingsway’s Dakota Morris earned the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler award with a dominating performance en route to the 157-pound title. The senior racked up a pin and two technical falls, including one in the final over Ocean City’s Charley Cossaboone.
Clearview’s Ty Whalen, a defending state champion, and Morris each won their third regional title. Kingsway’s Nathan Taylor won his second region crown.
Delsea’s Greg Sawyer was named the region’s Coach of the Year while Delsea’s Tom Maxwell was named the Assistant Coach of the Year.
State group 3 champion Delsea advanced the most wrestlers (eight) to next weekend’s state tournament while Kingsway and St. Augustine advanced seven apiece.
Holy Spirit's Carter Pack became the lightest region champion since Sean Boylan won the 103-pound title in 2007. Pack knocked off the top-seed Jason Meola 7-3 to win the 106 title.
St. Augustine’s Jake Slotnick celebrated his 17th birthday in style, earning the 150-pound title with a 3-2 win over top-seeded Josh Palmucci, of Kingsway.
Lower Cape May’s Brock Zurawski earned the 165-pound title with a 6-2 decision over former teammate Dennis Virelli, of St. Augustine. Zurawski, a junior, attended St. Augustine his first two years.
“It’s cool wrestling a former teammate, but when you’re on the mat there’s nothing there, It’s just another opponent,” the Rider-bound Zurawski said. “I was really confidence coming into this tournament and that’s how I wrestled.”
Zurawski became the first Lower Cape May regional champ since Chaz Lear won the heavyweight title in 2010.
Washington Township’s Dom Petracci won the 215-pound title, becoming the first regional champion for the Minutemen since Chalie Huff in 2011.
Finals
106: Carter Pack, Holy Spirit, d. Jason Meola, Kingsway, 7-3; 113: Jared Brunner, Eastern, d. Kaden Naame, St. Augustine, 3-0; 120: John HIldebrandt, Williamstown, d. Cameron Morgan, Pennsville, 5-3 (SV);126: Nathan Taylor, Kingsway, d. D'Amani Almodovar, St. Augustine, 3-2; 132: Jamar Dixon, Delsea, d. Hunter Horsey, Oakcrest, 3-2; 138: Joey Miranda, Kingsway, d. Gavin Haegele, Eastern, 9-6; 144: Ty Whalen, Clearview, md. Ken Sherman, Holy Spirit, 17-6.
150: Jake Slotnick, St. Augustine, d. Josh Palmucci, Kingsway, 3-2; 157: Dakota Morris, Kingsway, tech fall Charley Cossaboone, Ocean City, 16-1, 2:37; 165: Brock Zurawski, Lower Cape May, d. Dennis Virelli, St. Augustine, 6-2; 175: Jared Schoppe, Delsea, d. George Rhodes, Absegami, 3-2 (UTB); 190: Danny DiGiovacchino, Delsea, p. David Giulian, Middle Twp., 3:37; 215: Dom Petracci, Washington Twp., d. Luke Maxwell, Delsea, 6-0; 285: Rocco Bennett, Delsea, d. John Stone, Washington Twp., 3-1.
3rd-place consolation
106: Gage Summers, Delsea, d. Tyler Hildebrandt, Williamstown, 8-0; 113: Max Elton, Holy Spirit, md. Zavier Stokes, Delsea, 10-1; 120: Sean Dever, Egg Harbor Twp., d. Bryce Manera, Holy Spirit, 12-5; 126: Hogan Horsey, Oakcrest, d. Mason Livio, Pinelands, 7-0; 132: Isaiah Shafer, Paul VI, d. Kevin Stubbs, Sterling, 3-2 (TB-2); 138: Branden Palcko, Paul VI, injury default Ryan Datz, Pitman, 1:15; 144: Richie Grungo, St. Augustine, p. DJ DiPietro, Kingsway, 1:25.
150: Ethan Wilson, Washington Twp., p. Andres Cortes, Gateway/Woodbury, 2:54; 157: Sean Cowan, Absegami, d. Aidan Dick, Clearview, 9-4; 165: Tyson Derenberger, Delsea, d. Nicholas Sindoni, Clearview, 3-1; 175: Trey McLeer, St. Augustine, d. Braydon Castillo, Lower Cape May, 5-0; 190: Alex Marshall, St. Augustine, tech fall Sam Williams, Ocean City, 16-0, 1:36; 215: Marcus Hebron, Lower Cape May, d. Jeremiah Davis, Sterling, 8-1; 285: Anthony Evangelista, Hammonton, p. Ike Sholders, Gateway/Woodbury, 2:32.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: H.S. wrestling: Delsea smells sweet success, dominates at Region 8
