Governor Livingston wrestling makes believers out of everyone with upset over Raritan
HAZLET - It had been assumed since the start of the scholastic wrestling season that Raritan was going to repeat as NJSIAA Group 2 champions.
A scrappy, tough-minded and hard-working Governor Livingston team had other ideas Friday night in a Group 2 semifinal at Raritan's raucous "Launch Pad'' - which included a large and enthusiastic contingent of Governor Livingston fans along with the usual loud Raritan crowd.
The Highlanders won the last five contested bouts, rallied from a 12-point deficit with six bouts remaining and recorded a 37-30 win.
"Our coach (Rick Ortega) said, 'The only ones who believe we can do this is us and those people out in red - our families and our family,' and he was right,'' said junior 175-pounder James Daoulabani, whose pin put the Highlanders in commanding position with two bouts left.
"People called us Cinderella and called us soft and called them (Raritan) tough and gritty. We're pretty tough and gritty, too.''
Governor Livingston (17-3) outwrestled Raritan (22-6) in most facets. It was better on the mat in both the top and bottom positions and better, when it had to be on, on the feet.
"They wrestled tough,'' Raritan coach Rob Nucci said. "They're doing a hell of a job there.''
WHAT IT MEANS
Governor Livingston, which on Wednesday night won a sectional championship for the first time since 1981, advanced to a group championship match for the first time.
The Highlanders will meet six-time group champion and traditional state power High Point (11-9) Sunday at 11 a.m. at Rutgers University's Jersey Mike's Arena in the Group 2 championship match.
It has been a gradual building process by Ortega and his coaching staff to get to this point.
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"This is 10 years in the making,'' Ortega said. "It starts with our PAL program. When I got there, there were 11 kids in the PAL program and we built it up from there with Mr. Faxon (Bill Faxon, the father of sophomore 190-pounder Nate Faxon, who clinched the match with a pin in the final bout) and his coaching staff. They built this program from the ground up. We put in the middle school program five years ago. It's all those guys hard work.''
KEY BOUTS
There were several key moments.
The first came at 113 pounds when Highlanders' sophomore Brandon Rayback pinned Aidan Davis with 52 seconds remaining in a bout that was tied 2-2.
The pin came after some confusion between Davis and Nucci over what position Davis should take at the start of the third period. Davis wound up in the down position. He had had trouble on bottom after he had been reversed in the second period.
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Rayback rode Davis and then put him to his back to give Governor Livingston a 12-6 lead.
"I wanted to signal down or neutral,'' Nucci said. "But, he only saw the down signal,'' Nucci said.
"We're pretty tough on top,'' Ortega said. "A lot of people don't go down (against them).''
Then, at 138, in the middle of the heart of Raritan's lineup from 126-144 that features three returning state qualifiers and 28-2 sophomore 132-pounder Alexander Delaurier, Governor Livingston senior 138-pounder Allan Batista gave his team a spark.
Trailing returning state qualifier Zach Reilley 15-3 in the second period, on the verge of losing by technical fall and one stall call away from being disqualified for stalling and give up six points, Watson rallied against a tiring Reilly to hold it to a 16-10 decision.
"That's a senior who came out as a freshman and really never got any varsity time,'' Ortega said. "He's a bull. He doesn't stop. His motor keeps going. He always wins stuff in the third period.''
But, the key moment came at 175 as Raritan bumped Jack Devaney from 157 to 165 and Robert Mulligan from 165 to 175 in moves to get away from the Highlanders' returning region fifth-place finisher Jake Kreisberg at 157.
Daoulabani, after being ridden by Mulligan the entire second period but avoiding getting cradled by Mulligan, reversed Mulligan after Mulligan had reversed and then put him to his back to make it 31-24 and send the Governor Livingston fans into a celebratory mode.
"I have no words to explain what was going through my mind,'' Daoulabani said. "I was out there, 'saying, I've got this'.''
"We moved a guy up 10 pounds, and that might have been too much,'' Nucci said. "But, I think that was our best option to win. If we win that bout, I think we would have been in decent shape.''
Governor Livingston was then able to forfeit to Kieran Falzon before Faxon clinched the match with his pin.
"This team has got the grit that everybody is looking for,'' Ortega said. "We wrestle with a little bit of an edge.''
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON 37, RARITAN 30
HWT: Tom Jeleniewski (R) p. Patrick Sheehan 3:14.
106: Christian Sabatino (GL) d. Nicholas Sheldrick 7-2.
113: Brandon Rayack (GL) p. Aidan Davis 5:08
120: Henriue Ribeiro (GL) d. Matt Erven 8-2.
126: Ryan Mansueto (R) p. Vincent Capone 2:21
132: Alexander Delaurier (R) p. Jack Huss 2:55.
138: Zach Reilley (R) d. Allan Batista 16-10
144: Braden Kmak (R) d. Cristian Gioia 9-4
150: Dante Gioia (GL) md. Logan Acevedo 14-4.
157: Jake Kreisberg (GL) p. Logan Dennehy :27
165: Joseph Dasti (GL) d. Jack Devaney 5-0.
175: James Daoulabani (GL) p. Robert Mulligan 4:51.
190: Kieran Falzon (R) by forfeit.
215: Nate Faxon (GL) p. Riyan Bhutto :28
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ Wrestling: Governor Livingston shows grit in upset over Raritan
