GMC WRESTLING: Preseason notebook and Top 10 rankings
Cameron Crisco and Johnny Valdez, two of Perth Amboy High School's better grapplers, will still be competing in the city, only they will be wrestling at The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School.
The fledgling Perth Amboy-based charter school, in its fifth year of existence, is fielding a varsity wrestling team this winter that features 33 student-athletes.
The school, which will apply for Greater Middlesex Conference membership in the spring with the hope of joining the league for the 2016-17 season, will compete this year in North 2 Group I and in District 19.
Crisco reached the district final at heavyweight for Perth Amboy last season, while Valdez showed promise for the Panthers as a 145-pound freshman. Both attended the charter school during the previous academic year.
They are among the leaders in the charter school's wrestling room. The charter school's head coach is former Perth Amboy assistant Danny DeJesus. Former Old Bridge wrestler Rich Korn serves as DeJesus' assistant.
With an enrollment of about 400 students, the charter school also fields junior varsity baseball, softball, boys basketball and girls basketball teams with the hope of those programs competing at the varsity level within the next two years.
"We really can't wait to get in (the GMC)," Korn said. "By that time we will have five varsity sports in the program."
The charter school, which has every weight class filled except 106 pounds, has just one GMC member (Highland Park) on its regular-season schedule. It scrimmaged Old Bridge this month.
Albert Thomas, a student at the charter school who earned third-team 2014 Home News Tribune All-Area football honors as a star on the Perth Amboy High School squad, has elected to wrestle for the charter school.
Perth Amboy head coach Mike Giordano, whose Panthers were decimated by graduation, said he believes the charter school has also taken on a toll on his program, which will begin the year forfeiting four weight classes and with just five freshmen on the roster.
"Hopefully we can keep this team together for the next couple of years so we can get back to it, but this is going to be a tough year," Giordano said.
"Right now, the only place to go is up. We're not looking for sympathy. I'm just letting you know where we are at."
Concina to Cranford
After matching the single-season school record with 30 wins at Bishop Ahr as a freshman last season, Vince Concina, who was on pace to be the winningest wrestler in school history, has transferred to Cranford.
As a 132-pounder, Concina won titles at the Nottingham, Elizabeth and District 19 tournaments. He was also the first freshman in school history to reach the GMC Tournament finals, where he dropped a 3-0 decision to Monroe's Chris Muce.
Seven of Concina's 10 losses were against state qualifiers, four of whom medaled in Atlantic City.
Ryan returns
After missing the entire football season with a broken leg, in which a metal rod was surgically implanted, South River's Doug Ryan will return to the mats.
The defending 195-pound Greater Middlesex Conference and District 20 Tournament champion will miss a season-opening tournament at Delaware Valley, but hopes to begin wrestling soon.
Ryan was medically cleared on Wednesday and is scheduled to get hydrated and certified on Friday.
"There is no timeline for him," South River coach Bobby Young said of Ryan's 2014-15 debut. "There's no reason to rush him right now."
Ryan, who weighs 206 pounds, is penciled in at 220 but could compete at 195 for the Rams.
The return of heavyweight Richie Leogrande following a one-year hiatus will also bolster the Rams.
Leogrande, who had a successful sophomore year for South River, opted to play basketball last season.
Profaci to Michigan
Monroe senior Sal Profaci, owner of a 119-12 record with 70 of his victories via fall, has committed to the University of Michigan.
Profaci caught the attention of college coaches with a sixth-place performance at the Super 32 Tournament in North Carolina two months ago.
Rutgers, Purdue, Maryland and North Carolina were among the major Division I programs recruiting Profaci, who led the Falcons with 61 takedowns and 88 bonus points last season.
Profaci said he took official visits to all the big schools that were recruiting him but that he was most impressed with Michigan's staff, wrestlers, facilities and academic reputation.
"It was a good, well-rounded fit," he said, adding that the opportunity to wrestle at a Big Ten power was also appealing.
Division realignment
The GMC has been realigned for the new two-year cycle, which begins this season.
Edison and Monroe jump from the White to the Red, while Sayreville drops from the Red to the White.
The Blue Division remains status quo.
GMC WRESTLING PRESEASON TOP 10
1. South Plainfield
2. Monroe
3. Edison
4. Old Bridge
5. Sayreville
6. Bishop Ahr
7. Woodbridge
8. Middlesex
9. J.F. Kennedy
10. East Brunswick