 |
2003-2004 Phillipsburg Stateliners In The News |
|
The Express-Times ,Sunday, February 22, 2004
By MIKE WEILAMANN
Phillipsburg gets it done - Stateliners turn away Kingsway to claim their 15th state title.
TRENTON -- Phillipsburg High School's wrestling team always seems to have a
puncher's chance to pull off a victory -- regardless of the odds.
The Stateliners were considered longshots to win a second consecutive state
championship at the start of the season. It's become obvious this team isn't measured
solely by wins and losses but rather the size of its collective hearts.
Phillipsburg delivered another one for the ages Saturday -- a surprisingly easy 41-21
victory over Kingsway to claim another Group 3 championship before a crowd of 3,000
at Sovereign Bank Arena.
The Stateliners (15-5) garnered their 15th state title overall since 1982 and first under
coach Rick Thompson since winning the 1995 Group 3 crown in the final season of
his second coaching stint.
P'burg defeated North Hunterdon 31-28 in last year's final.
The Stateliners' 15 state titles ranks second only to Paulsboro, which claimed its
state-record 23rd consecutive Group 1 title earlier in the day with a 48-16 waxing
of Hanover Park.
"This is just another feather in the cap for the Phillipsburg wrestling program. It's not
about me," Thompson said just as he was about to get doused with the water bucket
by his jubilant wrestlers. "I don't really think I ever left (Phillipsburg). I've always
been around somewhere. You gotta have what Phillipsburg wrestling is
all about -- heart."
Kingsway (19-4), which won its second straight South Jersey sectional title on
Thursday, was denied in its bid for a third state crown and its first since claiming
back-to-backGroup 2 titles in 1997 and 1998.
The Dragons, now 0-3 all-time against the Stateliners, were slight favorites. As it
has done before this season, Phillipsburg found a way.
"This feels really good. It means a lot to us," said senior Jared Duffy, whose
stunning pin of Kingsway stud Nick Barber at 171 pounds was a huge blow that
devastated Kingsway's title hopes. "Our goals are the same every year. We want
to win a state championship."
Phillipsburg, 37-7 overall in group matches, was in good shape and leading 15-6
after six bouts -- thanks largely to Chris Norrell's pin at 135 and a 7-4 win from
Anthony Cronce in what was considered a tossup bout at 140 with Kingsway's
Chad Lawler. Junior Bobby Coyle added a clutch 6-4 win at 152, securing the
winning takedown with 15 seconds left in overtime to down Steve Tatum.
But Duffy did the most damage, when he decked Barber with a cement job -- his
best finishing move dubbed the "Duff Special" -- trailing 10-3 with 28 seconds gone
in the third period. Barber (23-6), a District 31 champion who placed seventh at the
Beast of the East Tournament in December, was nearly cemented in the second
period, but caught Duffy on his back for five points and a 9-2 lead after two periods.
Unbeknownst to Duffy, his opponent packed an impressive set of credentials.
Throwing caution to the wind, Duffy attempted his lethal finisher down 10-3 in
the third -- and this time it worked, much to the delight of the Phillipsburg faithful.
"I didn't even know (Barber) was any good," said Duffy, who lifted Phillipsburg
to an improbable 37-29 win over Voorhees on Jan. 14 by pinning Mike Thorsen
with a cement job in the third period down 3-0. "I have a lot of confidence in it and
I figured what's one more time since I was already down seven. It's hard with the
brace (on my injured left elbow) to get a good grip."
Now down 21-6, Kingsway came back to take the next three bouts and tie the
match at 21. Pins by Mark Waterman (189) and Josh Rhodes (275) along with
a 7-4 decision by Mike Toomey over P'burg junior Bryan Kopesky at 189
pulled the Dragons even.
But the Stateliners went ahead for good on sophomore Jon Gregory's 10-1
major at 103, which triggered a four-bout winning streak that was capped by
back-to-back pins by seniors Robert Au (119) and A.J. Varga (125).
"Unbelievable," said Thompson, now 7-5 overall in state title matches at Phillipsburg.
"You know what Duffy can do and that's what he does. Kopesky was tech-falled by
that kid (in the Mustang Classic) and loses by a point. I was just so impressed
with everybody."
Neither team struggled in the semifinals.
Phillipsburg won 10 of 14 bouts in handing North 1 champion Roxbury a 40-19
setback while Kingsway built a 34-point lead en route to a 43-27 triumph over
Central champion Ocean Township.
Varga (130) and Kopesky (189) had falls for the Stateliners, who jumped to a quick
12-0 lead after Cronce's 5-2 victory at 140. Kopesky's pin of Sean Cope at 189
stretched the lead to 28-6 with six bouts left.
The Gaels (13-5) won the next three bouts, including a fall by Mike Cancelliere at
215 and an impressive 13-1 major by John Paxos over Gregory at 103 to pull
within nine at 28-19.
Junior John Todd stopped the bleeding with a 4-2 win over Ryan Fikslin at 112.
Phillipsburg led 31-19 with two bouts remaining and in good shape with stars Au
(125) and Brandon Stillo (130) waiting in the wings.
Au scored a 10-3 win over Danny Bisson, while Stillo took a forfeit at 125 to close
out the match.
Kingsway took a commanding 22-3 lead after six bouts when Barber stuck Jeff
Siciliano in 53 seconds at 160. Toomey (215), Rhodes (275) and Justin Salvatore
(103) all had pins to give the Dragons an insurmountable 43-9 lead with three
bouts remaining.
