Hoopes brothers playing big role in resurgence of Washington Twp. wrestling
WOOLWICH – As the Washington Township High School wrestling team has reemerged as one of the elite programs in South Jersey this winter, it’s a pair of brothers with a basketball-like last name to help lead the Minutemen’s march on the mat.
And Wednesday night, it was a slam dunk for the Hoopes’ household.
Junior Jackson Hoopes delivered a buzzer-beating victory in the first bout and his freshman brother, Christian, scored a 7-3 decision over a region finalist to highlight Washington Township’s thrilling 38-32 win over Kingsway in a Tri-County Conference battle.
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The triumph was a signature win for Washington Township, which made its Tri-Co debut this season. The victory also exorcised some old demons for the Minutemen, who will leapfrog Kingsway into the No. 3-ranking in South Jersey.
“This means everything to us,” Jackson Hoopes said. “We haven’t beaten these guys our whole lives. Getting a win here was great for us.”
The victory is probably the biggest for head coach Eric Ring, who took the program over in 2017, but he knows a win in January isn’t the same as the ones in February when the team tournament rolls around.
“The first thing I’m going to say to the boys is good job and way to battle. They worked hard and I know they wanted this one, but the second thing is we’re probably going to see them in the playoffs at some point and we’re going to have to be ready. We’re going to have to keep improving.”
Jackson Hoopes played a major role in Washington Township ending a two-decade drought as district team champion last winter. A 24-bout winner, Jackson was one of five district titlists for the Minutemen.
Now, the junior is poised to take the Minutemen to even greater heights.
Hoopes scored a reversal at the buzzer for a 2-1 win over Brendan Callahan in the 132-pound bout, avenging a 3-0 loss to the Kingsway wrestler back on Dec. 28. He hasn’t lost since, winning six straight bouts to raise his record to 8-3.
“With 14 seconds left, I looked into the stands and saw all of our fans cheering me on,” Hoopes said. “I just had to fight through it and get the win.”
His little brother certainly felt the electricity of the win.
“It really hyped me up,” Christian said. “It was the first match, but it was a big turning point in the match.”
Ring added, "When Jackson wrestles his hardest and wrestles at his best, he can wrestle with anyone. He just has to believe that all the time.”
Along with Colton Hagerty and Dylan Hetzel, Christian Hoopes is part of Township’s much heralded freshman class. Hoopes (113 pounds) has started his career with an 11-3 record, including a 7-3 win over Kingsway’s Jason Meola, who finished second at Region 8 last season.
“Our team chemistry has been great,” said Christian Hoopes, who battled against Region 8 champ Carter Pack, of Holy Spirit, in a 4-1 loss at the Beast of the East. “This is what we’ve been working for. We won a couple of close matches and that’s how you close a win out.”
Hagerty continues to be as good as advertised. One of the best 106-pounders in the Garden State, he improved to 11-2 with a 44-second pin.
Hetzel earned his ninth win, a 20-5 technical fall at 120 that set the stage for Robert DuCoin’s meet-clinching win in the final bout.
“We’ve been waiting for this freshmen crew for a while,” Ring said. “I’ve told them that you aren’t freshmen. We have big goals for you guys since you were young kids. Don’t think about this being your freshman year because we’re going to count on you guys for bonus points too. And these kids want medals too.
“It’s been a great watching the seniors setting the stage and the younger guys coming in and doing what we call ‘Meeting the standard.’ ”
And that standard just got better.
Washington Township 38, Kingsway 32
132: Jackson Hoopes, WT, d. Brendan Callahan, 2-1; 138: Nathan Taylor, K, p. Troy Fink, 1:10; 144: DJ DiPietro, K, md. Tyler Lucia, 9-0; 150: Tommy DiPietro, K, p. Chaz Melton, 4:20; 157: Ben Dryden, K, p. Justin Hatton, 4:50; 165: James Henhaffer, WT, p. Joseph Leone, 4:55; 175: Dan Wilson, p. Jack Gelato, 5:10; 190: Luke Van Brill, K, p. Andrew Osborn, 5:04; 215: Christopher San Paolo, K, md. Nate Leone, 16-5; 285: John Stone, WT, forfeit; 106: Colton Hagerty, WT, p. Roman Villecco, 0:44; 113: Christian Hoopes, WT, d. Jason Meola, 7-3; 120: Dylan Hetzel, WT, tf. Tyler Capra, 20-5, 4:37; 126: Robert DuCoin, WT, d. Nathan Labonski, 10-5.
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: Washington Twp. earns upset win, Hoopes brothers help lead march
