Wrestling: Woodbridge’s McLaughlin isn’t stopping

ATLANTIC CITY – Bryan McLaughlin came down to Atlantic City with a purpose and he isn’t stopping.

The Woodbridge High School sophomore won his preliminary bout in the NJSIAA Individual Wrestling Championships easily with a 10-0 major decision over Delsea’s Dom Demarco and then came from behind in a big way in his prequarterfinals bout.

McLaughlin was down 5-0 to Don Bosco junior Taylor Shay, the Region 2 champion, before turning it on in the third period in a big way to pin him in 5:52 to advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall.

“This is the last tournament of the season, this is where everything’s going to end, so I’m not stopping at all this weekend. I’m going after every match. Not stopping one bit,” McLaughlin said. “Even though I was down, it doesn’t mean I can’t stop. I’m not going to let my spirits fall just because I’m down in a match. I’m going to keep going because anything can happen. It’s Atlantic City.”

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Starting on defense he escaped for a point to trail 5-1, scored a takedown, and after Shay pulled an escape to go ahead 6-3 McLaughlin out of nowhere pinned him in six seconds left to pull off the win.

“He took me down off my own bad shots, so I knew I had to get it out of my head. He didn’t take me down. He can’t take me down,” said McLaughlin, who was 40-0 on the season before falling to Bound Brook’s Sean Glasgow in the Region 5 final for his only loss of the year. “So I rebounded, took the bottom – even though he rided me out, I took bottom. Stood up, took him down. Stood up, took him down. Did it again, pinned him. That’s how I finish matches.”

McLaughlin was the only Greater Middlesex Conference wrestler to win both preliminary round and prequarterfinal bouts as he’s one of just four GMC wrestlers who advanced to the quarterfinals, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

He will face Buena’s Jake Maxwell, who placed second at Region 8 and also won two bouts on Friday night, in the quarterfinals.

Monroe senior Sal Profaci (132), Piscataway freshman Michael Petite (160), and Sayreville junior Anthony Porcaro (285) were the three other GMC wrestlers to advance to the quarterfinals, as all three had byes during the preliminary rounds as Region champions.

Profaci won a 5-2 decision over Hanover Park’s Austin Nash in the prequarterfinals and will face Region 1 champion Maxwell Nauta in the quarterfinals, where if he wins, he would like see Summit’s Craig De La Cruz in the semifinals, who Profaci fell to in overtime last year in the semifinals at 126.

Petite scored a 7-5 decision over Kingsway’s Rory Bushby in the prequarterfinals and will face Brick Township’s Willie Scott, the Region 6 runner-up, in the quarterfinals.

As the night was winding down and the arena was emptying out, Porcaro finally got his bout as he won in a 5-2 decision over Union City’s Jonathan Beltre, a familiar opponent for Porcaro.

“I lost to that kid two times during my career and it felt good to finally beat him,” said Porcaro, who lost to Beltre in a quad last season and in the Union City Tournament this season.

“I know I could have done better than when I previously wrestled him and I just went out there with my all and I came out on top.”

Porcaro will meet Region 1 champion Andrew Pacheco of Warren Hills in the quarterfinals.

Staff writer Mike Becker: mbecker@mycentraljersey.com