Wrestling: Plenty at Stake Tonight when Bergen Hosts Bosco – Preview

Bergen-Bosco.

No matter the sport, those words simply epitomize the word rivalry in Bergen County. Even when there’s nothing on the line, there’s always pride on the line.

But that won’t be the case tonight when Bergen Catholic hosts Bosco in their annual regular-season showdown, which more often than not is simply a precursor to a battle that could decide the state sectional title.

These two teams will meet tonight with the Big North United title and the No. 1 ranking in North Jersey on the line. And if Bosco can pull off the upset, their third of a state-ranked opponent in four matches, the Ironmen could even make a legitimate argument for the No. 1 ranking in the state.

Click the link below to see a full preview of the Big One along with projected lineups.

 

(2) Don Bosco (8-2, 2-0) vs. (1) Bergen Catholic (9-1, 3-0)

at Bergen Catholic, 7 p.m.

Top Wrestlers: Don Bosco – Kyle Bierdumpfel, Zack Chakonis, Sam Cali, Jeff Lombardi, Evan DeLuise, Avery Shay, Taylor Shay; Bergen Catholic – Nick Suriano, Kevin Mulligan, Joe Grello, Pete Lipari, Connor O’Brien, Brady Ford, Carmen Ferrante, Shane Griffith,  Laurien Anghelina, Dan DeLorenzi.

Key Bouts: 132 – Sam Cali vs. Shane Griffith; 138 – Kyle Bierdumpfel vs. Laurien Anghelina; 152 – Taylor Shay vs. Andrew Somple; 160 – Jesse Reiter/Joe Napoleon vs. David Brennan; 195 – Jeff Lombardi vs. Dan DeLorenzi; 220 – Eric Chakonis vs. Connor O’Brien.

Possible Matchups

Bosco vs. Bergen

106 - Tim Fyock (3-9) vs. Carmen Ferrante (19-6, Honor Roll 2)

113 - Evan DeLuise (14-3, HR 1) vs. Evan Quinn (14-8)

120 - Matt Donelion (1-7) vs. Nick Suriano (23-0, HR 1)

126 - Avery Shay (7-3, HR 5) vs. Pete Lipari (15-3, HR 1)

132 - Sam Cali (20-2, HR 1) vs. Shane Griffith (19-7, HR 2)

138 - Kyle Bierdumpfel (19-1, HR 1) vs. Laurien Anghelina (17-6, HR 2)

145 - Dominick Mandarino (5-3) vs. Brady Ford (17-6, HR 2)

152 - Taylor Shay (7-4) vs. Andrew Somple (2-1)

160 – Jesse Reiter (4-2)/Joe Napoleon (8-5) vs. David Brennan (9-9)

170 - Jesse Reiter (4-2)/Joe Napoleon (8-5) vs. Joe Grello (12-1, HR 1)

182 - Peter Accardi (12-4) vs. Kevin Mulligan (20-4, HR 1)

195 - Jeff Lombardi (11-5, HR 5)  vs. Dan DeLorenzi (14-5, HR 4)

220 - Eric Chakonis (2-3) vs. Connor O’Brien (14-6, HR 2)

285 - Zack Chakonis (14-0, HR 1) vs. Joe Caggiano (13-9)

Storyline: Like most transit lines, the only thing to stop the Bosco freight train last week was snow. The Ironmen shook off a disappointing performance at the Virginia Duals by beating  St. Peter’s, DePaul and Paramus in consecutive matches and could possibly have added a fourth win over a state-ranked opponent if their match with Bound Brook hadn’t been snowed out Saturday.

They can only hope that momentum continues after nearly a week of inactivity as they go up against a Bergen Catholic team that is looking unbeatable for the second straight year. The Crusaders themselves have not wrestled in more than a week since a victory over St. Joseph on Jan. 21.

The Crusaders, who have won the last six meetings between the two teams, including two last season, have downed nearly all comers in the state of New Jersey and all NJSIAA competition since the beginning of the 2013-14 season. Their only blemish this season is a 29-21 loss to national No. 1 Blair earlier this month in a match that went down to the second-to-last bout.

The lineup, led by two-time state champion Nick Suriano, is deep and experienced and battle tested.

Bosco has finally gotten healthy at just the right time as Eric Chakonis, who had one of the biggest wins of the week for the Ironmen with a stunning upset of DePaul’s Scott Lavelle, is back from a knee injury. Avery and Taylor Shay, who has bulked up to fill the hole at 152 for the Ironmen, Jesse Reiter and Andrew Rosensweig have also all returned to the lineup.

That depth in the middle and the four-pound weight allowance granted by the NJSIAA for matches through Sunday because of the snow could come into play by allowing the underdog Ironmen to get matchups favorable to them.

Could Bosco somehow get two-time state runner-up and national No. 1 Zack Chakonis, who is a small, quick heavyweight, matched up against BC’s Connor O’Brien at 220 and bump Eric Chakonis up to 285 to face Joe Caggiano? Who knows? But it would be interesting to see. Zack Chakonis beat O’Brien 8-2 in the regular season match last year and the Crusaders bumped him up away from Chakonis in the sectional final where he downed Bosco’s Kevin Feder.

Bergen has been going with a pretty set lineup all season long which has obviously been a successful one. But that doesn’t mean the Crusaders are averse to making moves of their own to get the matchups they want.

The Crusaders could stretch out their lineup by bumping Nick Suriano up to 126 to possibly face Bosco’s Avery Shay. That could put Pete Lipari against Bosco’s Sam Cali at 132, freshman Shane Griffith against two-time state runner-up Kyle Bierdumpfel at 138, senior Laurien Anghelina against Dominick Mandarino at 145 and Brady Ford against Taylor Shay at 152.

If the lineups stay as some have projected, spectators could be in for some tremendous rematches. Bierdumpfel, who had a huge win over fellow state placewinner Connor Burkert of St. Peter’s in Bosco’s 28-27 win on criteria last week, and Anghelina have hooked up in two pitched battles so far this season with neither wrestler coming away with a takedown. Bierdumpfel has beaten the Bergen senior twice by identical 1-0 scores, making a single escape stand up each time, in the Beast of the East and  the final of the Bergen Holiday Tournament.

Cali beat Griffith, 6-4, in the final of the Bergen Holiday Tournament. Bosco will need both those results to stand up again if they hope to have a chance of knocking off the Crusaders.

Bosco’s Jeff Lombardi and the Crusaders’ Danny DeLorenzi are also lined up for a key rematch. Lombardi pinned DeLorenzi in the third period of the 2013 Bergen Holiday Tournament final, a result that was vacated later in the season when a discrepancy was discovered in Lombardi’s weight certification.

Eric Chakonis could be a key in this match for Bosco if he is matched up against O’Brien.

Either way, this as always promises to be a mano-a-mano battle between the two biggest kids on the block.

Get there early. The joint will be jumping.