CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Although there is a longstanding rivalry between Middle Township and Lower Cape May Regional high schools’ wrestling programs, for the Caper Tigers on Jan. 13, it was just another match on the march for a much bigger prize.
That in spite of the fact the two teams tangled in an impossibly close Group II sectional championship that the Panthers won last year.
The Caper Tigers are 11-0 this season after adding that 58-12 win over the Panthers last week. They made short work of every team, winning by a minimum 22-point margin and often by far more.
In a packed and noisy MTHS gym, Panther Abraham Caballero won the opening 106-pound match with a third-period pin over Reed Milstead, then nine Caper Tigers in a row had their hand raised.
Tristan Rosemeyer won by major decision at 113 pounds; Bryce Paley (120) and Ryan Morgan (126) by technical fall; Eli Glover (132), Chase Hansen (138) and Dom Marrero (144) by pin; Gabe Tosto (150) by decision; Daniel Byrne (157) by technical fall; and Ashton Ray (165) by technical fall, providing an insurmountable lead.
Panther Noah Nagle (175) defeated Caper Tiger Shane Morrell 2-1, and then Lower’s David Douglass pinned his opponent at 190. To wrap up the evening, Panther Robert Hodges (215) scored a decision on Caper Tiger Caden Britton before LCMR’s John Hearon finished the match with a pin in the 285-pound class.
The Caper Tiger wrestlers said facing Middle Township (3-3) didn’t have special meaning.
“I think it’s just another win on our way to the Group II state championship — that’s our real goal,” Byrne said. “I went in there thinking I wanted to dominate for my team and get bonus points, so that’s what I did.”
However, he didn’t discount the importance of another victory.
“I think it’s definitely a big win and it’s motivating us to keep winning and keep going,” Byrne said.
He and others said they’re looking forward to the challenges of other tough teams and Escape the Rock, a nationally ranked tournament that was coming up last weekend.
Marrero didn’t want to spend a lot of time on the mat Wednesday evening.
“I just had to come in, get it done, go out and get a quick six (points) for the team,” he said. He pinned his opponent in less than 90 seconds.
To him, the Middle match was “just another one of the way.”
“I’m looking more forward to Escape the Rock this weekend,” Marrero said. “I think we’re ready. We’re definitely a very stacked team and we’re all ready.”
He added he was going to continue to work as hard as he can.
Tosto did feel a bit of the rivalry.
“It was a nice, tough match,” he said of the 8-5 decision win that took up the full 6 minutes.
“I just love to have this type of match. Honestly, it’s a little bit of a rivalry. Ever since elementary, it’s always been Lower versus Middle. And they got us last year in the finals at the sectionals,” Tosto said. “And it just feels good to go back in here and know that (last year) was just a fluke and we truly are a better team.”
He added that he doesn’t like to look too far ahead.
“I try to keep myself one match at a time, just always stay in the moment,” Tosto said. “Escape the Rock is next up in my docket, so that’s the next up in my mind.”
“We were trying to treat this as just a match. We want to try to eliminate any emotion that is within it,” head coach Billy Damiana said. “The biggest thing that you have with rivalries is sometimes kids get too emotional and adults in the community make it a little too emotional.
“We try to eliminate that emotion, just focus on the job at hand,” he said.
They were headed to the Escape the Rock, “building off the momentum we had last weekend,” Damiana said of taking three victories at the Cinnaminson Duals on Jan. 10, winning the opening round, semifinals and the championship finals.
“Everything worked out great tonight for us. I think Escape the Rock is probably up there as just as tough as, if not maybe a little bit tougher than the state tournament,” Damiana said.
He said his wrestlers would be facing competition from some of the toughest Pennsylvania schools’ wrestling programs and that New Jersey is sending at least seven of the top 20 wrestling teams.
“This tournament’s loaded so we’re excited for the opportunity to see where we’re at right now,” he said.
To that point, he added, “I’m happy where everybody’s weight is. I’m happy with their health, knock on wood, but we feel like we’’re trending in the right direction, especially after the Williamstown Duals (three wins Jan. 3), Cinnaminson Duals and then tonight.
“We’re going to be moving forward and we just want to put in our best effort.”
LCMR 58, Middle Twp. 12
106: Reed Milstead Middle p. Abraham Caballero (5:06)
113: Tristan Rosemeyer LCMR md. Calvin Parke 8-0
120: Bryce Paley LCMR tf. Ben Banks 18-3 (3:50)
126: Ryan Morgan LCMR tf. Mike Layer 20-4 (2:45)
132: Eli Glover LCMR p. Carlos Herrera (0:57)
138: Chase Hansen LCMR p. RJ Garden (0:57)
144: Dom Marrero LCMR p. Maddox Boyd (1:24)
150: Gabe Tosto LCMR d. Tyler King 8-5
157: Daniel Byrne LCMR tf. Colin Prokson 19-4 (1:43).
165: Ashton Ray LCMR p. RJ Attenborough (1:59)
175: Noah Nagle Middle d. Shane Morrell 2-1
190: David Douglass LCMR p. Connor Hagan (1:55)
215: Robert Hodges Middle d. Caden Britton 7-3
285: John Hearon LCMR p. Shaun Tangree (2:58)
By DAVID NAHAN/Cape May Star and Wave
