HIGH SCHOOL

Wrestling: Phillipsburg makes Bound Brook's first trip to "The Pit'' a losing one

Harry Frezza
@thefrez56

PHILLIPSBURG - Bound Brook found what many others have over the decades when they have visited Phillipsburg's "The Pit.'' No matter you're resume, no matter the billing, if you don't wrestle your best, you are going to lose – ugly – most likely in front of a big and knowledgeable crowd that will let you have it, especially if you come in as a supposed favorite.

All of that happened to the Crusaders Wednesday night.

No. 5 Phillipsburg won eight of 14 bouts in beating the No. 2-ranked Crusaders 30-18 in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division match. The Liners (8-1, 4-0) most likely won the division title. The Crusaders fell to 9-2 overall and 1-1 in division.

"It's not about trying not to lose or trying not to pin, it's about going out there and getting a win whether its bonus or not we need wins and tonight we didn't wrestle as a team,'' said Bound Brook senior 170-pounder Josh Ugalde.

Ugalde capped the night with a 3-1 win over Jimmy Schuitema (21-3), but the Liners had wrapped up the victory before Ugalde hit the mat. Columbia-bound senior Max Elling clinched the victory when he beat Bound Brook senior Sean Glasgow 9-3 at 160.

The Liners wrested momentum away early as 195-pounder Andrew Horun (17-5) and 220-pounder Robert Melise (20-4) won tight bouts respectively over brothers Aaron and Abe Saavedra. Those results were considered upsets. Bound Brook sophomore George Walton had opened the match with a 7-1 win over Yann Ondele, ,but with the Crusaders forfeiting bouts at 106 and 120, those two losses at 195 and 220 hurt - a lot.

"We had to win three of the first four, '' P'Burg coach David Post.

"We didn't wrestle well, we didn't do what we were supposed to do and they did period,'' said Bound Brook coach Shaun Cleary.

The Brook got something of a victory at 285 when senior Ryan Galdamez limited promising junior newcomer Kyle Nothnagel to a 1-0 victory. But Bound Brook trailed 15-3 after forfeiting 106 pound since freshman Somerset County champ 106-pounder Joe Casey was ill. Sophomore 113-pounder Anthony Lopez who has made much improvement since last year, beat Kyle Markus 4-0 and Bound Brook trailed 15-6.

Bound Brook's deficit became 21-6 when it forfeited 120 -- a weight the Somerset County Tournament champions have given up all season. After Brian Meyer beat Bound Brook sophomore Tyler McIntosh the Crusaders won won three straight as Nick Accetta (132), Mehki Lewis (138) and Stephan Glasgow (145). But all three won by decisions and didn't provide the bonus points the Crusaders desperately needed. After the three straight they still trailed 24-15 and when Corey Zinsmeister beat Andrew Gombas at 152 and Columbia-bound senior Max Elling beat Sean Glasgow 9-3 at 160 the Crusaders were officially 0-1 at "The Pit'' and against Phillipsburg.