Rabah is Passaic Tech’s breakout star by Sean Farrell of The Record
WAYNE – The ring in Ahmad Rabah’s room is all by itself.
For now.
Seeing it every morning is his inspiration.
The 6-foot-5 senior captain is on a mission after being part of Passaic Tech’s first sectional championship team in decades. History needs an encore.
“When you wake up and you have a set of goals in your mind, you tell yourself this is exactly what I want,” Rabah said. “When you have that type of attitude, you’ll get there.”
Going up against Rabah can be daunting. Offensive linemen in North Jersey have already experienced it first-hand. Rabah was sixth in the region with 10 sacks and wants to play college football.
The focus for now is on making this season his breakout one in wrestling and getting his team another North 1, Group 5 title. His early results have been promising. Four wins, four pins.
The 195-pound wrestler defeated Joe Leszczynkski in just over a minute on Wednesday night, putting some extra oomph in No. 6 Passaic Tech’s 56-21 home victory over No. 21 Pequannock.
“The kid is fast,” coach Luis Colon said. “The kid is strong. He’s got a lot of heart. He’s one of my captains. I wish I could have more 10 more of him, at different weights.”
Getting on the mat hasn’t always been easy for Rabah. Competition is always high at Passaic Tech with 76 kids in the program and well over 3,000 kids in the school to choose from. And last season, Rabah was coming back from a shoulder injury in football. He went through physical therapy and only appeared in a few matches. Despite wearing a brace Wednesday night, he said he feels “healthier than ever”. Colon believes he still has a lot more potential, too.
“He puts in so much work right now to put him where he wants to be,” senior Cameron Bruffy said. “In the room, he’s always the first one to motivate us and talk to us.”
Upper weights should be strong for Passaic Tech this season. That’s where the Bulldogs won five straight bouts to swing the match in their favor after a relatively even start to Wednesday night. That run started with Jose Guzman’s decision at 170 and a forfeit by Pequannock in the next bout. After Rabah’s pin, John Iglesias and Tyler Markham followed suit.
“We have wrestlers that come to practice every day and work their butts off,” Rabah said. “We have wrestlers who are committed, determined to the sport. Dedicated. They put their life into it.”
Rabah hasn’t had any trouble so far this winter. He went 3-for-3 on Saturday as a champion at the Garfield Holiday Tournament, and none of his matches got past the second period.
The hunt for another ring has begun. Opponents, beware.
“We’re just getting started,” Rabah said, after beating Pequannock. “We’re going exactly where we left off. We’re winning another state title. That’s all I have to say.”