Saturday,
February 1, 2014
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Mike Andreano and Glen Rock/Saddle Brook were able to keep the league title race wide open as they kept Lodi from locking up the outright title with a 41-21 win on Friday night in Lodi. |
LODI – Glen Rock/Saddle Brook’s Nick Pallino remembers the feeling. He remembers facing off against fellow heavyweight Rafael Polanco and getting pinned as Lodi eventually earned a share of the NJIC Division 1 title along with Glen Rock/Saddle Brook and Becton/Wallington. With a win over Becton/Wallington on Wednesday, Lodi was looking to secure its first outright league title since 2008 in front of a packed house.
However, Pallino did not want to see Lodi celebrate again at his team’s expense. While his heavyweight match was supposed to swing the momentum in Lodi’s direction to set up an exciting finish, Pallino had other ideas.
Pallino got Polanco to the ground then used a headlock for a first-period pin that all but sealed Glen Rock/Saddle Brook's 41-21 triumph over Lodi on Friday night at Lodi High School.
“We had all the momentum going for us and I didn’t want to be the one to give it back,” added Pallino. “The match last year against (Polanco) did not go in my favor. I felt terrible after that match. I wanted to show that I’m not the same wrestler that I was last year. It was important that I went on the offensive right from the beginning. We were all really pumped up and getting a win over a good team like them in their gym was just icing on the cake.”
Lodi’s Tommy DeOlivera scored a 4-0 decision at 145 pounds in the third match of the night to give the Rams an early 7-3 lead. That lead would be their last as Glen Rock/Saddle Brook responded with a huge run.
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Dom Salvatore won a major decision for Lodi. |
Andrew Camilleri answered back with a 35-second pin at 152 to put the Panthers ahead, 9-7. At 170, Chris Jacobson notched a pin in the final second of the first period to double their lead from 6 to 12, 19-7.
Lodi’s strengths are in the lower weights. But with what we were supposed to be a pair of swing matches that could go either way, a pair of pins all but sealed the Rams’ fate.
Trailing 1-0 to start the second period to Lodi’s Cainan Wallace, Glen Rock/Saddle Brook’s Jeremy Lipsky was able to turn Wallace and score the pin 30 seconds into the second stanza. Pallino followed suit by getting Polanco off of his feet. After both wrestlers went to the ground, Pallino quickly gained control with a headlock and put both shoulders to the mat for a pin, which was the 7th win in a row with four pins during that span as Glen Rock/Saddle Brook grabbed a nearly insurmountable 34-13 lead with four bouts left.
“I knew my match was a big match, I just wrestled as hard as I could,” said Pallino.
Ryan Cosgriff’s 6-3 decision at 112 pounds clinched the match for Glen Rock/Saddle Brook (13-3). They also got wins from Aidan Burgoyne and Zack Hunko. Dom Salvatore and Frank Paparozzi each won by major decision for Lodi (11-3).
Glen Rock/Saddle Brook still has one league meet left with Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge. A win there would clinch a three-way tie for the NJIC Division 1 title for the second straight year. But with the districts right around the corner, the Panthers feel this is a tipping point towards hopefully even more success down the road.
“We’re very happy with the way we competed tonight,” said Glen Rock/Saddle Brook co-head coach Wayne Rogers. “We’ve had some tough close losses (Becton/Wallington by 2, Randolph by 1). There were five swing matches that could have gone either way. Getting three pins and a major out of those matches was huge. We saved team points and earned bonus points in crucial matches. Definitely our best win of the year from top to bottom.”
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