Porcaros and Sayreville shine at GMC Wrestling Tournament
Anthony Porcaro, one of the best two-sport athletes in the Greater Middlesex Conference, used his time away from the football field at Sayreville as an opportunity to prepare for the wrestling season.
The defending heavyweight champion, who pinned his opponent in the league tournament pre-quarterfinals at Piscataway High School on Friday night, is one of nine Bombers who will return for Saturday's action.
The quarterfinals begin at 10 a.m., the semifinals and consolation quarterfinals start at noon, the consolation semifinals commence at 2 p.m., the consolation finals will be wrestled at 3:30 p.m. and the championship bouts are slated for 6 p.m.
Porcaro epitomizes the type of student-athlete – specifically football players – head coach Marcus Ivy wants to recruit for his resurgent program.
Only South Plainfield, which has won 10 of the last 11 team championships – losing only in 2008 to Sayreville during that stretch – advanced more wrestlers (12) to the quarterfinals.
The Tigers, fueled by No. 15 seed C.J. Maszczak's pin of No. 2 seed Kevin Coleman (Metuchen) at 152 pounds, pace the 22-team field with 60 points. Monroe (43), Old Bridge (40.5), East Brunswick (39.5) and Sayreville (39.5) are in pursuit.
"I can't do anything about the seeds," said Maszczak, who entered the tournament with a deceptive 8-12 record, a byproduct of wrestling tough state and national competition. "All I can do is wrestle the match and do the right things and then good things will come. I know my conditioning is good. I work hard in practice every day. I used (conditioning) and wore him down and just went for the pin."
Maszczak and Coleman entered the third period 1-1. With the wrestlers on their feet, Maszczak scored a takedown and transitioned right into a bar, putting Colemam flat on his belly before turning him to his back for a 5:40 pin.
Sayreville's Maddux Mason, a No. 13 seed at 138 pounds, posted the night's second biggest upset, as far as seeds go, pinning No. 4 seed Brandon Pacheco (South River), who he defeated earlier this season. Mason, who Ivy considers, pound-for-pound, to be one of the league's strongest wrestlers, received a low seed because he was upset earlier in the year.
Porcaro and his brother, Michael, a 220-pounder who also advanced, are both star two-way linemen for Sayreville's storied gridiron program, whose season was cancelled last September after seven of their teammates were charged in connection with the hazing and sexual assault of four freshmen players inside the Bombers' locker room.
In the same locker room where the alleged incidents occurred, Ivy has posted a six-page list of NFL players who wrestled in college or high school, which he hopes will inspire gridiron stars at Sayreville to participate on the mat.
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"The football players haven't seen it yet," said Ivy, noting he is pleased the football program was reinstated earlier this month. "I'm going to keep it up there when they are in there for their summer workouts. They are going to walk in there and see six pieces of paper with hundreds and hundreds of names of all the NFL players that have wrestled in high school or college, and I'm hoping they will look at it and be interested."
Ivy said his wrestlers were excited to contribute to the school's athletics success, and have thus far done so, achieving one of three goals by winning the White Division championship. The Bombers also want to place top five in this weekend's conference tournament and top three in the district tournament.
"We knew we were going to have a good wrestling season," Ivy said. "We knew we had a chance to win the division. We thought it would be great for wrestling to do well in the school. We are excited for the football team to be back next year. I want all those guys thinking about coming out next year. Anthony and his brother are both having success. I've got a few other football players wrestling. I want freshmen coming out thinking football players are supposed to wrestle, as well."
Anthony Porcaro (17-1) can literally walk the entire length of a basketball court on his hands. His brother can run a six-minute mile. Both big men, who Ivy describes as respectful young men who "would never talk back to an adult" use athleticism to their advantage in weight classes that are not always loaded with agile wrestlers.
"I'm able to move more quickly and do more stuff than most heavyweights," said Anthony Porcaro, noting the time off the gridiron enabled him to focus on strength and conditioning and wrestling.
"I had to work out outside of school because I couldn't go to football practice or anything. I went to more wrestling things and that helped me."