Wrestling: Manville claims a champ at Somerset County Tournament

Manville had quite the Somerset County Tournament on Saturday.

The Mustangs returned from the depths of the county’s team standings and got their first county champ since 2000. They finished fifth in the 13-team race.

And former longtime Manville coach Paul Kolody was honored with the annual Rocky Forte Award. The Mustangs also had several place winners, something that hasn’t been the case in years.

Junior 113-pounder Brian Kuhlman became the Mustangs’ first county champ since 2000 when Drew Corsilli did it. Kuhlman scored a late takedown to beat Bound Brook’s Anthony Lopez.

Kuhlman, a runner-up lasqt year at 106, beat Bound Brook’s Anthony Lopez 4-3 for the title. Kuhlman lost to Bound Brook’s graduated standout Gonzalo Limenza last season in the count final at 106, but went on to place third at Region V and won a match in the state tournament.

“New year, new everything,” Kuhlman said. “I wanted to get this one. I really did. It was something I was working for since the summer and from last year.”

“We’re a bunch of ally cats,” said Manville coach Pat Gorbatuk, whose team should be a contender in the Skyland Conference Valley race with Belvidere.

Bound Brook won its fourth straight county title. At press time Watchung Hills and Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan were within two points of each other.

North Plainfield senior 195-pounder J.T. Valley beat Bound Brook senior Aaron Saavedra for his first county title. The two have met five times.

“It was just an awesome feeling, I wanted this for the last four years,” said Valley, who also plays baseball and football. “In the past I’ve been behind Anthony (Messner state finalist two years ago from Franklin), Normanda (Ralph state finalist last season from Franklin) and Anthony (state champ Anthony Cassar of Montgomery state champ last year). I wanted it so bad.

“Me and Aaron aren’t best of friends – definitely on the mat, but I know he wanted it really bad too,” Valley said.

Visit MyCentralJersey.com/sports for full coverage of the Somerset County Tournament.

SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT

TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Bound Brook 263, 2. Bridgewater-Raritan 118.5; 3. Ridge 116.5, 4. Watchung Hills 113, 5. Manville 101, 6. Hillsborough 99.5, 7. Montgomery 94, 8, North Plainfield 73.5, 9. Somerville 50, 10. Bernards 30, 11. Pingry 27, 12. Frnaklin l6., Rutgers Prep 11.

FINALS

CONSOLATION

FINALS

106: Miller (Watchung Hills) md. Flournoy (Ridge) 14-3; 113: Frisch (Montgomery) d. Gandalaris (Bridgewater-Raritan) 4-3; 120: Thomas Tarantino (Pingry) d. Bobby Demeter (Manville) 1-0; 126: Tyler McIntosh (Bound Brook) md. Justin Hayward (Watchung Hills) 13-1; 132: Kevin Murillo (Manville) d. Luke Prothero (Somerville) 2-1; 138: Dom Mulhearn (North Plainfield) d. Nick Fulton (Bridgewater-Raritan) 1-0; 145: Billy Schmidt (Ridge) d. T.J. Caswell (Manville) 4-3; 152: Jeremy Nurnberger (Manville) md. Kevin Faulkner (Hillsborough) 10-1; 160: Van Miller (Bridgewater-Raritan) p. Josh Mack (Franklin) :41; 170: Andrew Gombas (Bound Brook) d. Jake Bobal (Montgomery) 6-4; 182: Devin Pietz (Bridgewater-Raritan) d. Alex Doty (Montgomery) 4-0; 195: Jacob Raboy (Bridgewater-Raritan) md. Andrew Duarte (Hillsborough) 12-2; 220: Amir Sa'd (North Plainfield) p. Elvis Samaoya (Watchung Hills) 3:30; 285: Charles Thomas (North Plainfield) d. Kevin Chow (Pingry) 4-2.

SEMIFINALS

106: 1. Austin Schimel (Hillsborough) p. Matt Lisanti (Montgomery) 3:04; 5. Bo Flournoy (Ridge) d. 4. Jon Ahorrio (Manville) 1-0; 2 Joe Casey (Bound Brook) p. 7. Kenny Navas (North Plainfield):47;

113: 1. Brian Kuhlman (Manville) p. 9. Aidan Dillon (Pingry) 1:58; 5. Tyler Leeds (Somerville) d. 4. Brock Gandarillas (B-R) 5-0; 6. Anthony Lopez (Bound Brook) d. 3. Rob Saum (Watchung Hills) 4-2; 7. Anthony Donnadio (Hillsborough) d. 2. Jacob Frisch (Montgomery) 11-9 (OT)

120: 1. Terrence Rohmeyer (Montgomery) p. 8. Frank Gesualdo (Somerville) 1:29; 4. Thomas Tarantino (Pingry) d. 5. Bobby Demeter (Manville) 5-4; 3. Victor Castagno (Ridge) md. 6. Casey Hnasko (Bridgewaqter-Raritan) 12-0; 2. Brett Magliaro (Hillsborough) md. 7. Marc Larson (Watchung Hills) 11-3.

126: 1. Evan Drill (Somerville) d. 8. Tyler McIntosh (Somerville) 6-0; 4. Justin Hayward (Watchung Hills) d. 5. Kevin Gallego (Hillsborough) 6-0; 3. August Rohmeyer (Montgomery) d. 6. Shane Demeter (Manville) 3-0; 2. Jack Fleishman (Ridge) md. 7. Mike Brodsky (Bridgewater-Raritan) 11-0

132 1. Nick Accetta (Bound Brook) tf. 9. Nadir Beyah (Watchung Hills) 17-1, 4:00; 3. Kevin Murillo (Manville) p. 6. Alex Mastronardi (Bernards) 1:45; 2. Kyle Adams (Bridgewater-Raritan) md. 7. Alex Balestrieri (Franklin) 9-0.

138: 1. Mehki Lewis (Bound Brook) p. 8. Milton Teixeira (Manville) 1:25; 4. Dom Mulhearn (North Plainfield) p. 5. Kevin Minette (Somerville) 1:49; 3. Nick Fulton (Bridgewater-Raritan) p. 6. Palmer Ferarra (Watchung Hills) 1:49; 2. Jack Donnadio (Hillsborough) p. 7. Kyle Marrapodi (Montgomery) 3:11

145: 1.Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook) p. Shady Saad (Montgomery) 4:33; 4. Tanner Johnson (Hillsborough) d. 5. Tyler Bernaro (Bridgewater-Raritan) 5-0; 3. Stephen Tyls (Watchung Hills) d. 6. TJ Caswell (Watchung Hills) 1-0; 2. Billy Schmidt (Ridge) tf. 7. Victor Navas (North Plaifield 20-5, 6:00

152: Sean Glasgow (BB) p. Kevin Faulker (Hillsborough) 5:04, Alex Murray (Watchung Hills) d. Jeremy Nurnberger (Manville) 7-3;

160: George Walton (Bound Brook) won by injury default over Van Miller (Bridgewater-Raritan) at 5:05, Wilson Urguilez (Watchung Hills) d. Alex Hunt (Hillsborough) 3-1

170: Kyle Murphy (Bridgewater-Raritan) md. Jake Bobal (Montgomery) 9-1; Austin Oliver (Ridge) d. Andrew Gombas (Bound Brook) 7-5

182: Josh Ugalde (Bound Brook) md. Devin Pietz (Bridgewater-Raritan) 10-1, Ben Gomes (Watchung Hills) d. Alex Doty (Montgomery) 1-0;

195: JT Valley (North Plainfield) p. Sebastian Sanchez (Bernards) 3:05, Aaron Saavedra (Bound Brook) md. Jacob Raboy (Bridgewater-Raritan) 13-1;

220: Abe Saavedra (Bound Brook) p. Elvis Samayoa (Watchung Hills) :31, Carter Gilpin (Bernards) p. Mo Attie (Ridge) 1:47

285: Matt Auletti (Ridge) d. Ryan Galdamez (Bound Brook) 3-1 (TB-1), Dylan D’Amore (Montgomery) d. Mike Tyle (Manville) 3-2 (TB-1).