Delsea wrestling advances to state Group 3 final with landside victory
FRANKLIN TWP. – Greg Sawyer wasn’t taking any chances.
To make sure his Delsea Regional High School wrestling team wasn’t looking ahead at the ultimate goal, the head coach left a little reminder from one of the toughest moments in the program’s history.
Sawyer scattered copies of press clippings throughout the Delsea locker room, reports from South Plainfield’s 27-25 win in the state final in 2016 against a Crusaders’ squad considered by some as the best in its history.
“We respect their program and their wrestlers, that’s great, but I wanted to make sure we came to play (Friday night),” Sawyer said. "And we did."
The extra incentive wasn’t needed.
It was just another night at the office for the Crusaders, who checked into Sunday’s state Group 3 championship with a 52-6 thrashing of South Plainfield.
“There were some newspaper clippings about South Plainfield embarrassing us in the state final (in 2016). We don’t like to be embarrassed,” senior Jared Schoppe said. "It was a message for us, just to keep our heads on straight and stay focused.”
Senior Austin Boos said, “Coach Sawyer has been really fired up for this match. That really showed us how much he wanted us to be fired up too.”
Dominant performance
Delsea won 12 bouts, including consecutive pins by Rocco Bennett (285), Gage Summers (106), Blaise Verdino (113).
The Crusaders didn’t allow a point in a bout until the seventh bout. They didn’t trail in a bout until 144 – the 11th match.
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What’s next?
Delsea (25-1) will face off against a familiar opponent in Sunday’s state final as the Crusaders match up against Warren Hills (18-3). The Crusaders knocked off the Blue Streaks in last year’s championship with a 28-27 decision.
Delsea boasts three state titles in its history, but has never won back-to-back state crowns.
And don’t be surprised if there are more pieces of incentive for the Crusaders to read before the meet.
“I’m sure there will be something about Warren Hills in the locker room on Saturday,” Schoppe said.
Sawyer agreed.
“It will be all over the mat Sunday, too,” Sawyer said. “I told them, I read an article about Warren Hills the other day about them wanting revenge. Well, it’s on for Sunday. Lets see if they can get it.”
More:Let the party begin, Haddonfield celebrates long-awaited sectional title
On a roll
Delsea has won 11 straight since a 64-6 loss to Delbarton, the state’s top-ranked team, in the finals of the Jack Welch Duals on Jan. 20.
“It seems like it’s always the same progression: We start off slow, but we are not slow right now, these kids are ready to roll,” Sawyer said. “They’ve done all the right things to get to this point. They’re a good group of kids with great parents and they have the support of this community. It’s been good to see them progress like they have."
Three team state finals
For several Delsea wrestlers, this will be their third state final in 12 months. The football team played in the first-ever state Group 3 final in December.
“At Delsea, we love winning,” said Schoppe, who also wrestled in the 175-pound state final in the individual tournament. “Our coaches always put us in these great positions to succeed. We do all the right things, lift weights and work hard. When you do those things, success often follows.”
Austin Boos, who delivered a stunning and meet-changing pin in last year’s wrestling final, played a pivotal role on the football field. Despite being an undersized defensive end, Boos, who wrestles at 138 pounds, recorded eight sacks (according to MaxPreps) in the fall. He has won 12 of his last 14 bouts on the mat this season.
Delsea 52, South Plainfield 6
175: Jared Schoppe, D, d. Adam Bowles, 4-0; 190: Danny DiGiovacchino, D, forfeit; 215: Luke Maxwell, D, forfeit; 285: Rocco Bennett, D, p. Aaron Everitt, 0:36; 106: Gage Summers, D, p. Joseph Stanzione, 1:48; 113: Blaise Verdino, D, p. Justin Culver, 1:29; 120: Ramone Alfonso-Arroyo, D, d. Nicholas Irizarry, 8-5; 126: Alex Zimmermann, D, d. Aldo Pigna, 6-3; 132: Michael Stokes, D, d. Daniel Gonzalez-Ross, 10-5; 138: Austin Boos, D, d. Nolan Hook, 6-1; 144: J.J. Giordano, SP, d. Jamar Dixon Jr., 4-3; 150: Nicholas Campagna, SP, d. Riley Boos, 7-3; 157: Salvatore Marchese, D, md. Bobby White, 16-5; 165: Tyson Derenberger, D, d. Justus Niemeyer, 5-3.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor 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: Delsea earns another berth in state Group 3 state championship
