Somerville banking on strong wrestling roots to help turnaround

In a small office in the Somerville High School gymnasium, four former standout wrestlers, all hoping to assist the Pioneers back to their place as an outstanding program are swapping old stories.

Somerville first-year coach and Pioneer Hall of Famer Rodney VanNess (SHS 1993), athletic director Kyle Franey (Bridgewater-Raritan '93) and middle school coaches Frazee Sutphen (SHS '91) and Frankie Arcidiacono (Hillsborough '92) revisited their days of competing — against each other.

Franey shared a story about losing to Sutphen in the District 18 tournament final as a freshman 119-pounder in 1990, getting pinned on a Peterson. The move was the same one that Sutphen used to beat Franey twice earlier in that season. Arcidiacono talked about being 0-for-10 in his career against VanNess, Van Ness countering that they met six times.

“Those matches were like wars,” a visitor says.

“Maybe not for him, but for me,” said Arcidiacono

Now they are all on the same roster.

VanNess, a third-place state tournament place-winner as a senior, who went on to win more than 100 bouts at Rutgers, has taken over for longtime coach Brett McGuinness. He and Chris Baldino are co-head coaches. Sutphen and Arcidancono are assistants for Nick Petronko, head coach of the Somerville middle school team. Scott Becker, an outstanding wrestler for the Pioneers, and 1984 SHS grad, went on to wrestle and coach at Middlesex County College. Now he's back as an assistant to Baldino and VanNess.

“We're all family,” said VanNess, who is an in law of Sutphen, who is an in law of Franey’s.

Van Ness was talking about the heritage of Somerville wrestling, which also includes Arcidiacono’s late father, Frank Sr., a state champion at 115 pounds for the Pioneers in 1961.

CN PRE SEASON TOP 10

1.Bound Brook

2. North Hunterdon

3. South Plainfield

4. Bridgewater-Raritan

5. Hunterdon Central

6. Westfield

7. Delaware Valley

8. Voorhees

9. Watchung Hills

10. Hillsborough