Pascack Valley’s Tommy Chiellini stuns with a pin of 160 top seed at Region 1 by Kevin T. Czerwinski special to The Record
WEST MILFORD – There were the requisite smiles and equal amount of heartaches Saturday afternoon at West Milford High School as the NJSIAA Region 1 wrestling tournament unfolded with Pascack Valley’s Tommy Chiellini highlighting the former and the Mazzeo brothers from Emerson/Park Ridge representing the latter.
The in-between was filled by Mazzeo’s teammates, who took a pair of regional crowns, and St. Joseph, which also copped a pair of titles. There were nine titles won by teams from Bergen and Passaic counties in total, but the most special certainly seemed to belong to Chiellini, who earned 160-pound laurels with a stunning pin of top-seeded Anthony Sciuto of Northern Highlands.
The second-seeded Chiellini dropped Sciuto in 1:07 to earn Pascack Valley’s first Regional championship in 17 years. The victory meant even more to the junior after a 2016-17 season that saw him spent more time on the sidelines than on the mat. Chiellini transferred to Pascack Valley from Don Bosco prior to his sophomore season. He sat out the required 30 days and just as he was hitting his stride, he broke the middle finger on his left hand while warming up for State Sectionals, forcing him to miss the rest of the post-season.
“It was pretty disappointing last year to have the post-season stolen away from me when I was just kicking it into gear,” said Chiellini, who improved to 37-3 this season. “Stuff happens and I knew I had two more years to accomplish my goals and that’s what motivated me. This weekend has been weighing down on me for the entire season. It’s a relief to get it out of the way and go down to Atlantic City and experience that.
“Right now I’m kind of in shock. I felt real good but I expected to go all six [minutes]. And it’s nice to break the streak [of 17 years without a Regional title at PV]. I can be up there now with some of the greatest guys to walk through the halls of the school.”
Teammate Matt Beyer, who was the third seed at 138 pounds, couldn’t make it a double for the Indians, though. He dropped a major decision (11-2) to Pope John’s Joseph Aragona in the finals.
Emerson/Park Ridge had a bittersweet day as the Mazzeo brothers, Logan (113) and Luke (132) dropped title matches. Logan Mazzeo earned a semifinal victory when Pope John’s Eddie Ventresca dropped him on his head and was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Logan Mazzeo injured his neck on the fall and was awarded the victory but could not come out to face Samuel Alvarez in the final, costing him a chance at the title.
“It hurts pretty bad,” Logan Mazzeo said. “I’m having muscle spasms on the left side of my neck and down my shoulder. I felt the shock and the pain [on the hit] and I felt like I could get up but it just hurt so much.
“There was no chance I’d be able to go [in the finals] but as long as I clinched a spot that’s all that matters. I’ll go to the chiropractor, ice it and use the STIM this week and just be careful.”
Luke Mazzeo, meanwhile, lost a 5-2 decision to top-seeded Jake Rotunda of Pope John in his final to fall to 39-1.
EPR did pick up victories at 106 and 152 pounds. Nick Babin defeated Don Bosco’s Justin Bierdumpfel for the second consecutive week, this time eking out a 1-0 victory with the point coming off a second-period escape. Babin (37-0) bested Bierdumpfel in last weekend’s District 3 final after going 0-5 against him a year ago. Jonah Schechtman (152) also earned a crown for EPR with a 6-5 decision over Kittatinny’s Calvin Brook.
One of the more hotly anticipated matches was the heavyweight bout between top-seeded Drew Flynn of Pompton Lakes and No. 2 Bailey Paster of Demarest. The two behemoths didn’t disappoint as Flynn scored a 6-3 victory to run his record to 39-0.
“I used to think that going undefeated had a good ring to it but it doesn’t really matter how many wins you have,” Flynn said. “It’s just a number. I’m just going to go out and wrestle because you can lose a match to anyone. You can’t take anyone lightly. You have to have a clean mind and not be scared. I don’t like to wrestle with the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
Mahwah’s Travis Arata, the No. 3 seed at 170 pounds, also had one of the highlight matches of the day, defeating top-seeded Gabriel Robles of Northern Highlands, 10-5, after squeaking out a 12-11 victory over Westwood’s Aidan Ferndandez in the semis.
“I had already lost to him once,” Arata said. “He’s very strong and he’s the returning Regional champ so he has the confidence to back it up. I had had bad anxiety last night about this match. Once I got on the mat [today] I just went out there and had fun. I always have a lot of nervous energy but when I get my hand raised it builds up my confidence so I can keep going.”
Top-seeded Garrett Beam of St. Joseph’s won the 182-pound title with an 8-1 decision over Kittatinny’s Zach Mafaro. Don Bosco’s Pete Acciardi followed up his District 3 crown with Regional title at 220 following a major decision victory over Newton’s Luke Fischer. Westwood’s Trent Furman(126) defeated West Milford’s Trevor Fleet, 6-4, and improve to 38-0.
NJSIAA Region 1 Wrestling Semifinals
106 – Nick Babin (EPR) tech. fall Matt DiGennaro (RD), 5:43 (17-1); Justin Bierdumpfel (DB) dec. Ethan Fernandez (W), 5-0; 113 – Logan Mazzeo (EPR) by default over Eddie Ventresca (PJ); Samuel Alvarez (SJ) tech. fall Brandon LaRue (HP), 5:54 (19-4); 120 – Kaya Sement (PJ) dec. Matt Murawski (NVOT), 11-1; Will Grater (DB) maj. dec. Jordan Iannone (SJ), 14-5; 126 – Trevor Fleet (WM) pin. Mike Cetta (SJ), 1:21; Trent Furman (W) dec. Gianni Manginelli (D), 4-3; 132 – Jake Rotunda (PJ) dec. Stef Sgambellon (SJ), 8-1; Luke Mazzeo (EPR) dec. Billy Talmedge (HP), 8-1; 138 – Joe Aragona (PJ) dec. Craig Manno (SJ), 1-0; Matt Beyer (PV) dec. Shane Kobis (HP), 4-3; 145 – Rob Garcia (PJ) dec. Mike Chambers (Cress), 11-2; Wyatt McCarthy (N) dec. Matt Surich (M), 11-2; 152 – Jonah Schechtman (EPR) dec. Jon Borgognoni (N), 4-2; Calvin brook (K) pin. Rob Ferucci (J), 2:19; 160 – Anthony Sciuto (NH) pin. Adham Shawkat (PH), 2:48; Tommy Chiellini (PV) dec. Bryan Carlton (R), 13-7; 170 – Travis Arata (M) dec. Aidan Fernandez (W), 5-2; Gabriel Robles (NH) dec. John Garda (EPR), 3-2; 182 – Zach Mafaro (K) dec. Reese Muldunn (PJ), 3-2; Garrett Beam (SJ) dec. Zach Lewis (EPR), 7-1; Garret Beam (SJ) dec. Zach Lewis (EPR), 7-0; 195 – Jake Brown (PJ) dec. Luke Chakonis, 3-1 (OT); Rob Gennat (S) dec. Frank Negrini (PL), 7-0; 220 – Luke Fisher (N) pin. Mike Toranzo (SJ), 2:22; Pete Acciardi (DB) dec. Benny Dahdah (W), 5-2; 285 – Drew Flynn (PL) pin. Joe Sprague (NW), 1:34; Bailey Paster (NVD) pin. Ryan Smith (K), 2:21.
THIRD-PLACE CONSOLATIONS
106 – Shane Percelay (PJ) dec. Mike Reardon (SJ), 6-2; Devon Liebl (HP) dec. Cooper Stewart (SP), 5-1; DiGennaro pin. Liebl, 1:37; Fernandez dec. Percelay, 2-1; Fernandez dec. DiGennaro, 4-1; 113 – Spencer Stewart (S) dec. Antonio Abate (NVOT), 5-2; Ty Pfeufer (W) pin. Adam Dietrich (H), 3:22; Ventresca dec. Stewart, 3-0; LaRue dec. Pfeufer, 15-4; Ventresca maj. dec. LaRue, 12-0; 120 – Randy Wyble (B) maj. dec. JoJo LoTruglio (N), 11-1; Rob Natelli (PV) dec. Chris Castiglia (L), 3-2; Iannone pin. Wyble, 1:19; Natelli Dec. Murawski, 5-3; Natelli dec. Iannone, 4-2; 126 – Garret Stewart (S) dec. Matt Rosa (N), 5-2; Brandon Wyble (B) by forfeit; Stewart pin. Cetta, :52; Manginelli (D) dec. Wyble, 5-1; Manginelli dec. Stewart, 5-3; 132 – Mike Freda (N) dec. Zach Harris (W), 5-3; Nick Franjean Carlo San co (DB) dec. Paul Dimarco (NM), 1-0; Talmadge dec. Freda, 9-0; Sgambellon dec. Franco, 6-1; Talmadge dec. Sgambellon, 4-3; 138 – Carter Sheridan (S) dec. Mike Callahan (K), 5-3; Joe Parsons (W/MP) dec. Jean Carlo Sanjuan (DB), 5-2; Kobis dec. Sheridan, 3-1; Manno dec. Parsons, 3-1 (OT); Kobis dec. Manno, 6-4; 145 – Perry Maio (K) dec. Paul Kallensee (RD), 6-0; Jack Trevisan (R) pin. Dave DiBella (EPR), 3:20; Surich dec. Maio, 3-1 (OT); Chambers pin. Trevisan, 4:36; Surich pin. Chambers, 2:29; 152 –Trey Osborn (HP) pin. Kyle Fisher (GR), 3:21; Jack Farinaro (SJ) dec. Christian Jimenez (DB), 5-0; Osborn pin. Ferucci, 4:30; Borgognoni dec. Farinaro, 6-0; Borgnognoni dec. Osborn, 2-1; 160 – Frank Monte (SJ) dec. Rob Ortense (J), 13-11; Greg Schlett (GR) dec. Connor Hughes (EPR), 4-2; Calton pin. Monte, 1:17; Shawkat dec. Schlett, 3-2; Calton maj. dec. Shawkat, 15-5; 170 – Shane Connolly (J) dec. Jake Prusha (PV), 11-6; Joe Napoleone (SJ) pin. Josh Hiler (K), 3:05; Garda pin. Napoleone, 5:10; Connolly dec. Fernandez, 6-3; Garda dec. Connolly, 5-1; 182 – Casey Lewis (PV) dec. Gray Sabo (HP), 9-1; Joe DeLuca (N) maj. dec. Logan Mahoney (PL), 12-1; Muldunn pin. Casey Lewis, 1:43; Zach Lewis pin. DeLuca, 1:32; Zach Lewis dec. Muldunn, 10-7; 195 – Justin Randizio (J) pin. Scott Schlett (SJ), 3:40; Jackson Downey (NVOT) dec. Gunnar Nystedt (RD), 11-2; Chakonis dec. Downey, 9-0; Negrini dec. Randzio, 6-2; Chakonis pin. Negrini, :41; 220 – Pete Dellechiaie (WH) dec. Jacob Slump (GR), 1-0; Shane Carcich (EPR) dec. Jacob Mafaro (K), 5-4; Toranzo dec. Delllechiaie, 3-1; Dahdah dec. Carcich, 7-3; Dahdah dec. Toranzo, 7-2; 285 – Austin Scher (Ram) pin. Jack Swords (DB), 3:39; Brian Sidle (SJ) pin. Jake Carnevale (J), 2:44; Sidle dec. Sprague, 3-1; Smith dec. Scher, 7-5; Sidle pin. Smith, 4:12.
FIFTH-PLACE CONSOLATION
106 – Percelay SV-1 4-2 Liebl; 113 – Stewart dec. Pfeuefer, 9-2; 120 –Murawski dec. Wyble, 6-3; 126 – Cetta pin. Brandon Wyble, 3:50; 132 – Freda dec. Franco, 3-1; 138 – Sheridan dec. Parsons, 3-2; 145 – Trevisan dec. Maio, 5-3; 152- Farinaro by forfeit; 160 – Schlett pin. Monte, 1:21; 170 –Fernandez by forfeit; 182 – Casey Lewis SV-2, 2-1 DeLuca; 195 – Downey dec. Randzio, 10-5; 220 – Carcich by forfeit; 285 – Scher pin. Sprague, 4:36.
FINALS
106 — Babin dec. Bierdumpfel, 1-0; 113 – Alvarez by forfeit; 120 – Sement dec. Grater, 5-4 (OT); 126 – Furman dec. Fleet, 6-4; 132 – Rotunda dec. Luke Mazzeo, 5-2; 138 – Aragona maj. dec. Beyer, 11-2; 145 – McCarthy maj. dec. Garcia, 15-7; 152 – Schechtman dec. Brook, 6-3; 160 — Chiellini pin.Sciuto, 1:07; 170 – Arata dec. Robles, 10-5; 182 – Beam dec. Mafaro, 8-1; 195 – Brown dec. Gennat, 5-3; 220 – Acciardi maj. dec. Fisher, 14-4; 285 – Flynn dec. Paster, 6-3.