Region 7 returns to Cherry Hill East is a smashing success
CHERRY HILL – There was no need to turn up the heat in the Al DiBartolomeo Gym on Friday night.
The temperature inside the building was climbing throughout the night. And wrestlers weren’t the only ones breaking a sweat at the Region 7 tournament.
And that was a beautiful thing.
Region wrestling returned to Cherry Hill High School East and judging by the excitement that radiated throughout the gym - and the beads of sweat on many brows – it was a major success.
More:Live results from Region 7 wrestling tournament at Cherry Hill H.S. East
“This is South Jersey wrestling,” said Camden Catholic head coach Bill Heverly, who wrestled for the Irish when the Super Regions (the first two rounds of the state tournament) were wrestled at East. “The fans in there are packed to the brim. The atmosphere is just incredible. It’s just a little too hot in there, but that’s OK.”
Several schools have hosted the Region 7 tournament in recent years, including Moorestown, where the 2022 tournament was contested. East hosted the South Region during the COVID season in 2021, but it was a much more subdued atmosphere since it was limited to wrestlers, coaches and parents.
When the NJSIAA was looking for a host for this year’s tournament, East stepped up.
“We’re very fortunate to have this beautiful venue,” said Cherry Hill School District athletic director Mike Beirao. “It still has that 1960s feel to it where people are on top of you when you’re wrestling. For someone who loves wrestling as much as I do, I’m happy to have it here.
“When you’re at some of these venues, you’re pretty far away from the mat. Here at East, where it’s basketball or wrestling, the fans feel like they’re right there. And the double-decker (stands), it gives it more viewing area. And the best seats in here are up top.”
Camden Catholic’s Lazarus Joyce, who hails from Cherry Hill, said competing in front of the big crowd was “a lot of fun.”
“It feels like college wrestling out here,” the freshman 106-pounder said. “When everyone is getting into it, it’s crazy.”
The gym, with its vintage wooden bleachers and two-deck seating area, has a capacity of 2,400, but Beirao said Friday’s attendance was close to 1,800, leaving enough room for people to move round without a problem. He expected a similar number of people for Saturday’s conclusion of the tournament.
Beirao, who said he heard plenty of positive vibes from coaches about the experience, smiled when asked if East would be interested in a longer residency for regions.
“We take it one day at a time around here,” he said.
No luck needed
Camden Catholic had nine wrestlers in the quarterfinal round and eight advanced to Saturday’s semifinals, including seven in the first seven weight classes. The only wrestler to fall into wrestlebacks was Terry Terch, who wrestled tough in a tight 6-4 loss to Gloucester City’s Kaleb Wright.
Joyce delivered one of the biggest victories, posting a 5-4 decision over Haddonfield’s Michael Lamb in one of the most anticipated quarterfinal bouts of the tournament.
Joyce, who missed the early part of the season with a knee injury, improved to 11-6 and is one of the strong contenders in a deep field at 106-pound field.
“I feel amazing right now and I’m feeling very confident,” said Joyce, who set the tone early with a takedown in the first before recording a key reversal late in the second and a decisive escape in the third. “I’ve done a lot of national tournaments and those experiences have helped me prepare for this.”
Heverly said while Joyce always has a smile on his face, there’s more to the freshman’s personality that helps him on the mat.
“He’s always talking trash, but he’s also always believing he can do well out there and always believing there’s things he can always do better,” the coach said.
By the numbers
13: Wrestlers Southern sent to the quarterfinal round and those wrestlers went 12-1 in those bouts.
9: Pins Southern accumulated, a tournament-best so far, with Lacey Township and Moorestown second with four pins each.
12: Seconds Camden Catholic's Austin Craft needed to pin his quarterfinal opponent and move into the semifinal round.
2: Double-digit seed wrestlers still alive in the semifinal. Cinnaminson’s Dylan Vallone, a No. 12 seed, knocked off fifth-seeded Jaton Wellington, of Toms River East, in the opening round and 13th-seeded Lucas Lapinski, of Cherokee in the quarters.
Donovan Catholic’s Sam Rock, an 11h seed, also advance to the semifinals.
What's next
The tournament will conclude on Saturday with the top four place winners at each weight class advancing to the state level at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. The final leg of the tournament will start on March 2.
Saturday's regional action will begin at 9 a.m. with the semifinal round and consolation quarterfinals. The tournament will continue throughout the day with consolation-round action. The finals are slated for approximately 3:30-4 p.m.
Notes
Seneca's Max Borton (37-1), the top-seed and a heavy favorite at 175, withdrew from the tournament when he failed to make weight.
In the Joyce/Lamb bout, wrestling was halted for several moments in the third period for Lamb to be checked for a concussion. There was some confusion when an athletic trainer took Lamb off the mat to check the freshman for a head injury. Lamb was cleared and the bout was finished.
Haddon Township had two huge victories in the pre-quarterfinal round as Bence Bagameri knocked out the fourth-seed at 106 and Ryan Schultz (165) pinned his opponent in 46 seconds. Both Bagameri and Schultz were 13th seeds.
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: Region 7 tournament is a success in its old, familiar digs
