Here is the preview for the 2010 George Jockish Bergen County Coaches Association Tournament.
It is very difficult to predict this tournament because there is so much uncertainty with weight classes and seeding. We put this together with the help of many different people. The predictions are are based on the opinions of everyone involved.
We need to thank Superfan, Donny Spataro, Tbest, BergenFan99, and a few other contributors who wish to remain anonymous.
Check out weight by weight predictions by Superfan:
If we left you out, don’t be offended, prove us wrong! Good luck to everyone.
103
The most accomplished of the returning high school wrestlers this year should be Baldicanas/PC and he will likely be the top seed. Given the fact that we don’t have a lot of seeding info right now, it is hard to know when some of the top kids meet in this class more than any other weight class. So when we pick a final match, keep in mind that these guys could be the best in the class but they may meet in the earlier rounds and we could be way off.
The consensus from our staff is that Casamenti/BC and Gonzalez/BC seem to be the top wrestlers in the weight. Gonzalez has an impressive resume already, competing with some of the best wrestlers around. He is our pick to win it all with Casamenti as the next best guy. If they meet earlier than the finals, we expect the loser to take third. The medal rounds should include (as much “in order” as we could guess) Andreano/GRSB, Baldicanas/PC, Burns/NH, and Mastropietro/HHWR. Others to contend include Gerner/Ri, Demarco/LYNA, Lynch/RD, Dovlatan/NM, Rottingen/Ry, and Bezares/Gar.
112
The top seed should be Albrect/BC with Alloro/Cr, Piterski, and Reardon/DBP likely rounding out the top four seeds. Negron/B also should be seeded highly. Oliva/Ri holds a win over him this year. That won’t impact seeding, as head to head wins this year are not in the criteria, but it puts Oliva in as a medal contender.
The talk of the weight class is another freshman from North Bergen, Anthony Giraldo. He has already defeated a number of quality high school wrestlers and he needs to be included in the talk of the top guys at the weight. Albrecht has lots of big match savvy and showed us a lot in his Regional run last year. It’s hard to pick against him, but we are going to go with Giraldo getting gold. No clue where he will wind up on the bracket and that may change the order of medals in a big way. We can’t predict that, so we are going with him over Albrect in the finals.
Piterski/PV is improving in leaps and bounds and we like him finishing 3rd or better, with the top challenges coming from Reardon, Alloro, Oliva, and Negron. Others to watch are Gallo/FL, Taeschler/R, Justawitz/CP and Cardonna/BoW.
119
We know anything can happen on the mat. However it seems very hard to go against returning region champion and state placer Rottingen/Ry. He impressed us with last second heroics leading to a region title, and then again by winning tough matches in Atlantic City. Maye has been stuck behind Casper and others at BC and may be ready to be a contender here. We are going with Rottingen over Maye in the finals.
The other medals should come from a group of guys including Mangenelli/D, Guerriero/GRSB, Catone/SJR, White/PV, Montgomery/Ri, Cardona/B, Messaro/OT, Loughlin/BW, and Buonomo EPR. DiMartino from NB is out, but Rick Gonzalez/NB could medal in his place. No one can agree on what order to go with, but we are guessing it will go Loughlin, Tyson, Guerrierio, Cantone. There is a lot of parity here after Rottingen, so this weight is tough to make a call after him.
125
Gravina/NH is the returning champ who won a 5th place medal in AC last year at 103. The jump from 103 to 125 is huge, but that won’t stop us from picking him to win it. There are rumours of an injury that could keep him out of the tournament, but we are going to hope and assume he wrestles this week.
Slater/Ry is a region placer but will miss the tourney. The best of the remaining challengers to Gravina may be Schneider/EPR, and we pick him as the runner up. Albonico/SJR might pose the other big threat to reach the finals, along with Laurice/IH, who we pick to finish 3rd and 4th respectively. The other guys to watch are Carridi/RD, a tough freshman, Champy, DeFuria/B, Spangler/HH, and Jerai/P. We will go with Carridi, who has beaten Champy this year and DeFuria to find their way to the podium.
130
A lot depends on Quintero/NB, one of the top wrestlers in the tournament, and where he will go. He went 135 at the Beast of the East and dropped a close decision to Melde/BC. If Quintero goes 135 they should get a rematch in the finals, but let’s assume he goes 130.
Seeding is a little hard to predict, but we are pretty sure Maselli/EPR is the 2nd seed and Mitchell/BC the third. Jacobson/GRSB can compete with either of them, but we aren’t sure if he will be in the top or bottom bracket. Jacobson already has defeated Lightly and Miller, both Region 4 placers, which has people talking about his improvement this year. We are going with Quintero over Maselli for gold, and Jacobson over Mitchell for 3rd. Rizatello/P was a region 5-6 and we see him placing. Others to look for on the mat on day two include Albonico/SJR, Mike Valle/B, Provenano/PC and freshman Kelly/NH.
135
Melde/BC may be the best pound for pound wrestler in the tournament and would be the favorite against Quintero if he goes 135 or anyone else in the class. The best of the rest is clearly Boyle/Ruth. Other wrestlers to watch are Caufield/NH, George/H, Herbener/NVD, DeGrigorio/EPR, Rusch/OT, freshman Farinaro/DB and C.Jacobson/SBGR.
Herbener has a unique style that is difficult to defend, and it makes him a bit of a wild card. We could see him 3rd or not placing. He beat Maselli last year and stayed hot beating some quality kids in the region. Jacobson is up a weight class with his brother wrestling at 130, but is pretty tough as well. Farinaro/DBP is the freshman to watch here. Rusch is our pick from this group of guys, but it’s anybody’s guess. We will take a shot at the 3-6 medals and go with Rusch, DiGregorio, Farinaro, and Herbener.
140
Orechio/DB is the top wrestler at this class. He has shown an ability to win matches in the medal rounds of AC and should handle the jump from 119 to 140. He might not be truly challenged by anyone at this tournament, but there might be a few guys who would like to prove they can stay with him.
The top candidate is Baranello/RD and we see him in the finals. His competition will come from Silano/SJR, Suess/P (stuck behind Melon last year), Knight/M, Ressler/PV, Paul Valle/B, Mcann/OT, Bandstra, and Myers/NH. Ressler over Silano, for 3rd and Mcann over Suess for 5th.
145
This weight should be a crowd pleaser if all the top guys stay at this weight class, with many region placers and no clear cut favorite. We should see semifinal matches that include region champs Dickman/GRSB and Mastrianni/DBP as the top two seeds with tough matches from the 3-4 seeds, Paskas and Alpher. Alpher/P was 2nd in the region to Mastrianni. Paskas is a District champ and 2nd at BCCA’s.
Hard to know for sure what the seeding will be like, but we think the top four are all evenly matched. Last year Alpher edged Mastrianni early and the result was reversed in the regions. We think Mastrianni is the top guy, then Alpher, Dickman, and Paskas. All four guys have a good chance to win the tourney, so expect some great matches here.
There are a number of guys who are hoping to break through this group of top guys or at least walk away with a medal. This includes Madormo/R, Moore/SJ, Schwarz/EPR, Marrero/B, LaBatte/W, and Reynoso/RPR. We are going to guess the next two guys to step up might be Madormo and Schwarz.
152
The winner here may come from a different weight class if someone bumps up from the big four guys in the 145 class or someone comes down from 160, which is another deep class. If not, there will still be plenty for fans to enjoy here with Vecchione/EPR, Rivera/B, Silano/SJR, MacWilliams/R/, Cocheri/NH, Alberque/RPR, Seeback/PC and Levin/T all looking to make a name for themselves this weekend.
This could be a big weight class for Bergenfield if Rivera advances to the finals. The Bears already seem to have a medal contender in most weight classes, but if they are going to make the jump from a very good dual team to a very good tournament team, they need to grab some of the medal points that make the difference in team scoring at this tournament. We like Bergenfield this year, and we like Rivera to reach the finals.
We don’t know much about seeding, but if we had to pick his opponent based on who we think should advance, we go with Vecchione. This weight is more of a guess than a prediction because it is wide open. From first to sixth we are going to go with Vecchione, Rivera, Silano, MacWilliams, Jenco, and Cocheri. I should note that MacWilliams was picked to take 2nd and 3rd by two guys, but another didn’t have him placing at all. The lack of a big name at this weight should make it a very interesting one to follow.
160
Splendorio/M is the two time reigning champ. His challenges could come from Dugan/BecW, Cimiluca/GRSB, Woods/NVD, Farina/SJR, and BC frosh Sebastian. Other contenders include Seri/B, Flesche/OT, and frosh Fisco/EPR. Sebastian could be a bracket buster depending on where he gets seeded. That always makes the predictions difficult.
Dugan lost to Woods last week by fall but was winning at the time he went to his back. Woods is dangerous and can upset anyone here, but it will be hard to beat Dugan twice in two weeks. We are going with the returning champ Splendorio over Dugan for first, Woods over Farina for 3rd , and Sebastian over Fisco for 5th. Dark horse is Flesche who had a nice run at the end of last year and could easily wind up top four.
171
Another highly anticipated final would be Mattiace/DB vs McDermott/SJR. There are rumors Mattiace won’t be wrestling, but we don't know for sure, so lets assume he wrestles this week. These two would make a great final, having split matches last year, and they are the best of the class. The next guys we see competing for medals are Leer/T and Walker/M, who could have an interesting bout together on day two of the tournament. The next guys we expect to contend for medals are Iorio/BC, Regina/R, Myers/NH, and Jenkins/R.
189
This weight class will be an interesting one to watch. We think Gross/DBP will be the top seed with Murburg/PV and Pragdat/M in the bottom half. The wildcard is Carafango/SJR, a tough freshman who could really shake up the brackets, depending on where he winds up. We don’t think he will knock off any of the top three. Expect Gross in the final to take on the winner of Murberg and Pragdat. We think Pragdat may be the safer pick to win it, but we are going with Murberg in a minor upset to reach the finals in a battle of two technically sound wrestlers.
We like Murberg so much we think he will upset Gross in the finals, as long as he can stay away from the big moves from the talented sophomore. That leaves Pragdat at 3rd, beating Lowry/WMP in the consolation finals. A host of quality wrestlers will vie for the last two medals, including Klein/R, Jenco/BC, Regina/Ru, Ruffing/Ri, Seabthi/P, and Rodman/OT. We think Carafango and Regina get the nod to go 5th and 6th. This weight will be entertaining for fans to follow.
215
There aren’t too many guys with medals on the resume here, so we are really guessing a lot with this one. We like Torres/B to win it over Mecca/NH in the finals. Sherlock/FL might be the next best guy in here, and we guess he will take 3rd. It is hard to predict how well Heitman/M will do here because he is giving away some weight, but let’s go with him to take 4th, Mahmud/BecW taking 5th, and either Garcia/NB, Cottrel/PH or Bratyanski/GRSB to take 6th.
275
This weight class is similar to 215 in that there aren’t many guys returning with medals to their name. We like Mann/M the most with Blake/R next in line. After that, look for Rodriquez/Lodi, Benvenuto/DB, Gaines/Ten, Pallotta/W and Goldsack/BC to vie for the medals. We expect to see some new guys make a move and earn medals, so watch to see who steps up in this weight class.
Team Point Predictions
Team scores at the BCCA are very hard to predict because one small upset can make a huge difference on the scoreboard. Here is the best we could do. Feel free to disagree.
1. Bergen Catholic: We think they are the safest bet and it is hard to pick against them when you really look at their lineup. They do have a few freshman that we are predicting to medal, which can be a tough thing to do this early in the year. Even if a few things don't go their way, we see them as the top team this year. Melde might be the top wrestler in the county, and there are a host of others who seem ready to finish in the top three.
2. Don Bosco: A lot of this depends on whether or not Mattiace is wrestling for them. If he is, we see them as the 2nd best team, and if not, look for one or more of the next teams to take over this spot. Still, Orechio, Gross, Mastriani, and some newcomers should be able to keep the Ironmen near the top.
3. North Bergen: There is a chance that they could have three champions, and that alone puts them in the top five. Expecting two freshman to win it all is a tall order, and we know this is a bit of a risky pick. If Quintero goes 130, we do see them having three in the finals, all with a legit chance to win gold. They always do well in the wrestlebacks, so if a few more guys earn medals, this long shot pick might actually be legit.
4. Bergenfield: The Bears look to make the move from a top notch dual team to a competitive tournament team, and it is hard to see them out of the top five. They seem to have a medal contender in almost every weight class, and a few chances to reach the finals. They may or may not have a champion, but six or seven placers might not be out of the question.
5. Emerson/Park Ridge: The Record has them ranked way too low (Sorry Greg) but after this week everyone will know the Cavos are solid up and down the lineup. They are going to be experienced and talented in over half their weight classes, and they are adding some talented freshman to the mix as well. We see top three potential from Vecchione, Maselli, and Schneider and then we see four or five more with shots to make some noise.
6. Mahwah: The Tbirds will have the best lineup in the tournament from 152 and up, with possible placers in every weight. We see them with five to seven medal winners up top. If one or two guys get to the finals and win, they crack the top five.
7. Saddle Brook/Glen Rock: This team looks poised for a great year. Along with EPR and Bergenfield, they seem to have medal contenders up and down the lineup. The key for them is whether or not they can get a few guys into the finals to earn the big points.
8. St. Joseph Regional: I think SJR actually has a shot to finish higher than this, but they have a few guys that we don't know too much about. McDermott is a safe pick to reach the finals. This is another team that seems to have potential to place six wrestlers or more. They seem to have a lot of guys who will place, but we just aren't sure how high they will medal.
9. Paramus: So many new faces. So hard to tell how well they will perform. Alpher and Rizzetello will score points, but how many others will? We expect that some of the guys we don't know all that well will become placers we talk about all year, but until they prove it, we think cracking the top ten is a good step. Considering the quality of talent that has graduated, placing 8th this year would be pretty respectable.
10. Northern Highlands: This seems to be a big year for the Highlanders. The lineup looks balanced and solid at most weight classes.
A good tournament for them would be cracking the top five, and it isn't out of the question, but we don't think they have enough proven medallists to put them that high yet.
On the bubble: Pascack Valley: Murburg, Ressler, Piterski all have legit shots to be 3rd or better. We expect at least one of them to reach the finals. If one or two other guys can step up, this team could crack the top ten. Ramsey: If Slater were healthy, it would be more reasonable to put them higher. Rottingen needs some company in the medal rounds by two or three other guys to move up. Old Tappan: We still like the reigning champs, but aren't sure this is going to be a great tournament team quite yet. They should have a lot of medals, but we don't see that many beyond the 4t-6th variety. Becton/Wallington: This program is still on the rise and will be present in many ways on day two.. Rutherford: A few guys have high medal aspirations, and they have potential as a tournament team.
