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2004-2005 Phillipsburg Stateliners In The News | |
Absegami captures final four bouts to extend unbeaten streak to 95 matches.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
By BRIAN FORTNERThe Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG -- After winning back-to-back Group 3 team wrestling titles the past two seasons, the Phillipsburg Stateliners made the move back to Group 4 in search of a third straight championship.
Monday afternoon, P'burg got a glimpse of one of the obstacles standing in its way.
Absegami, the four-time defending Group 4 state champ, won the final four bouts to overcome an 11-point deficit and lock down a 36-28 victory in an independent battle of perennial Garden State powers before a crowd of 1,200 at the Pit.
"The Phillipsburg tradition has nothing to do with feeling good about losing," Phillipsburg coach Rick Thompson said. "We gave (Absegami) a battle and we can take some positives from the match, but it's still a loss."
P'burg led 28-17 after 10 bouts, but bonus-point wins by Matt Weed at 135, Jimmy Stevens (140), state placewinner Bobby Flegel (145) and Phil Black at 152 led the Braves to their sixth straight win over the 'Liners.
"This was a good test for us, opening the dual-meet season with Phillipsburg," Absegami coach Gene Barber said. "They came to wrestle like always."
Absegami (1-0), which extended its dual-meet unbeaten streak to 94-0-1, was coming off a disappointing 27th-place finish at the Beast of The East Tournament in Delaware last weekend to open the season.
The two teams have become fierce rivals since the Braves ended P'burg's run of four straight Group 4 championships in 2001.
Since then, the series has been lopsided in Absegami's favor.
Until Monday, that is.
Phillipsburg (2-2) built a 28-17 lead on the strength of falls by John Todd at 119 and Jon Stillo at 125, and a key decision by Brandon Stillo over Mike Dempsey at 130.
The Braves answered by not losing a bout the rest of the way.
Black iced the win with a 13-4 major decision over Anthony Cronce at 152, but not before struggling with the P'burg senior.
The bout was scoreless until the heavily-favored Black scored a reversal with 11 seconds left in the second period.
It was all Black from there.
"Anthony wrestled well for 4 minutes," Thompson said "That's what concerns me. That reflects conditioning and that's all on me. Maybe I'm becoming too soft."
The Braves took the early lead on J.J. Gilly's 4-1 decision over Bobby Coyle at 160.
Mike Isgro followed by majoring P'burg's Zach Crouse 14-6 at 171 to make it 7-0.
Senior 189-pounder Bryan Kopesky cut the Absegami lead to 7-6 by pinning Ryan Campbell with a cradle in 2:28.
The two teams traded major decisions at 215 and 275 to make the team score 11-10.
The Stateliners then juggled their lower weights, flip-flopping 103- and 112-pounders Jon Gregory and Luke Grassi.
Grassi, who was at 112 the first week of the season, gave the 'Liners a 13-11 lead with an 8-2 decision over David Foulke at 103.
Gregory led Ali Madj 3-2 at 112 before being pinned by him in 3:04
The P'burg junior took the bottom position to start the second period.
Midway through the period, Gregory stood. Majd countered with a standing hazard, bringing Gregory to his back, and shifting to a half-nelson and body press for the fall.
"We knew (P'burg) was weighing in to beat us," Barber said. "If they win both 103 and 112 with that move, they just might. We would have been happy with just a decision there."
"We showed a lot of spunk today, but we simply don't have 14 solid winners to put on the mat just yet," Thompson said. "If we wrestle well the rest of way and get in the sectionals, we could get another shot at them."
ABSEGAMI 36, PHILLIPSBURG 28
160 -- Sr. J.J. Gilly (3-2), A, d. Sr. Bobby Coyle (2-2), 4-1.
171 -- Sr. Mike Isgro (3-2), A, md. Sr. Zach Crouse (1-3), 14-6.
189 -- Sr. Bryan Kopesky (4-0), P, p. So. Ryan Campbell (0-1), 2:28.
215 -- Jr. Brian Braun (1-0), A, md. Sr. Shane Ostoyic (1-3), 17-7.
275 -- Sr. Walt Pierson (3-1), P, md. Jr. Ryan Grace (0-1), 9-0.
103 -- Fr. Luke Grassi (3-1), P, d. Fr. David Foulke (1-3), 8-2.
112 -- Jr. Ali Majd (4-2), A, p. Jr. Jon Gregory (2-2), 3:04.
119 -- Sr. John Todd (4-0), P, p. Fr. Dillon Hammond (0-1), 1:32.
125 -- Jr. Jon Stillo (4-0), P, Jr. Anthony Casale (0-2), 3:52.
130 -- Sr. Brandon Stillo (4-0), P, d. Sr. Mike Dempsey (2-3), 5-2.
135 -- Jr. Matt Weed (2-3), A, p. Fr. Brian Norrell (1-3), 0:42.
140 -- Sr. Jimmy Stevens (4-2), A, tf. Jr. Nick Simon (0-3), 16-1, 4:02.
145 -- Sr. Bobby Flegel (4-2), A, md. Jr. Chris Norrell (2-2), 13-3.
152 -- Jr. Phil Black (6-3), A, md. Sr. Anthony Cronce (3-1), 13-4.
Records -- Absegami 1-0; Phillipsburg 2-2.
Referee -- Chip Castner.
