High school wrestlers ready to hit the boardwalk

Five Brick wrestlers qualified for the NJSIAA championships at the Atlantic City Convention Center this week. For three of them - Karon Reid and Steve Santos of Brick Memorial and John Battista of Brick Township - it's a return trip.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above: Brick Township's John Battista tries to muscle Middletown North's Mike Fish for backpoints during their 189-pound quarterfinal bout at the NJSIAA Region VI Tournament held at the Ritacco Center in Toms River on February 29. Below: Brick Memorial's Chris Giannos works a cradle on Neptune's Dan Staples during their 152-pound quarterfinal match. Two other BrickMemorial wrestlers- Mike Morales and Kevin Docherty - also advanced after reaching the championship finals and losing, giving the Mustangs four qualifiers. It is the crowning achievement for a team that won the NJSIAA Group IV championship and another District 23 title and reached the Shore Conference tournament semifinals before losing to Long Branch.

"I don't think you can ask for anything else in the sport of wrestling. It's extremely satisfying to reach these heights," said coach Dan O'Cone, whose team is ranked No. 3 in the state. "There are guys coaching for 30 years who could not get to these heights, and I reached it in 11 years of coaching."

And in only two seasons at Brick Memorial after a successful stint at Point Pleasant Borough.

Reid repeated as Region VI champion. He was No. 3 in the state last year and carries the team's highest hopes with a 32-5 record at 140. He did it avenging two losses to Long Branch's Jon Robertson by winning a 7-2 decision after trailing 2-0 early.

Reid said afterward that he was "relaxed. I didn't freak out when he got the first takedown."

"He finished his shots and put two together [at a time]," said O'Cone.

Santos, who is 38-2 at 145, did not place last year but earned a return trip by reaching the region finals, where he suffered a 1-0 loss to Jackson Memorial's Sean Byrnes on an escape point midway through the second period.

Brick Township's Battista lost, 7-3, to Brian Newman of Colts Neck in the 189- pound finals. Battista (28-5) did not place in the state finals last year.

Also advancing for Brick Memorial were Morales, who lost in overtime at 119 pounds, 3-1, when Vin DelleFave of Toms River East scored a takedown with :06 left. Morales is 33-3.

"I'm excited for him this week," said O'Cone. "It's a nice vindication and justification to his wrestling."

Another who excited O'Cone was 215- pounder Docherty despite a 17-6 loss to Southern's Glenn Carson.

"You don't see No. 7 seeds making it to the state finals like that," said O'Cone. "He wrestled his butt off."

O'Conewas pleasedwith all 11wrestlers fromhis teamwho, he said, "wrestled tough. The younger guys are getting an understanding of what they need to do to win and to wrestle in the region tournament. They have to come prepared."

No Brick wrestler finished in third place as a consolation winner for the final state championship qualifying spots.

Perhaps the one disappointment was Brick Memorial's Chris Giannios falling short in a 32-6 season of the state finals at 152 pounds. Giannios, a senior, was the Outstanding Wrestler of the district the previous weekend.

"He's the ultimate team player," said O'Cone. "He did an awesome job for us."

Anything that happens from here will be a bonus for the BrickMemorial team in one of its most memorable seasons ever.