Lewis, Glasgow are Courier News Co-Wrestlers of the Year
They laughed as Stephan Glasgow threw playful punches packed with joy. It was minutes after the Bound Brook High School 152-pounder and his teammate Mekhi Lewis (145 pounds) won state semifinal matches. Off to the side at Boardwalk Hall, the two Crusaders had a brief celebration.
The next day, the duo captured state titles after disappointing ends to 2015.
Mekhi Lewis and Stephan Glasgow. Stephan Glasgow and Mekhi Lewis. All season they’ve been associated with one another. Fans knew them as the two stars from the same school in back-to-back weight classes. The juniors each finished 37-1 and went unbeaten against New Jersey opponents.
Now, they’re the Courier News Co-Wrestlers of the Year. Eleven others in the coverage area earned medals for placing in the Top 8 in the state. But when it was all said and done, it was Lewis and Glasgow as the only two finalists. The only two champions.
“It’s good when you’re not alone,” Bound Brook coach Shaun Cleary said. “It’s good when you have other guys who are trying to achieve the same goals that you are.”
After the tournament, the team met at the hotel with parents, alumni and fans enjoying food and recapping the season. Indeed, their final numbers were worth celebrating. Think roughly the equivalent of 300 strikeouts for a pitcher. Or 300 rushing yards per game for a running back. Or close to a 300 average for a bowler.
Lewis had 16 pins in the first period — with 11 in under a minute — and five more in the second period. Glasgow had seven first period pins with 10 more in the second.
Both were only challenged in the regular season at two prestigious December tournaments in Pennsylvania. In the state tournament two weeks ago, Lewis outscored his four opponents 23-4. Glasgow had a pin and outscored his three other opponents 37-12.
That’s dominant wrestling.
When did Cleary know the duo would be successful high school wrestlers?
“As soon as they stepped foot in the wrestling room,” he said. “They were competitive on the youth level. The expectation coming in freshman year was they would be state champs at some point.”
That’s heavy expectations. But as a freshman, Lewis beat Delbarton School senior Christian Innarella in late January. Innarella took third in the state the previous season. That was a name-maker match for Lewis, who went on to place seventh in the state.
A season later, Lewis finished 43-3 and improved to third in Atlantic City. After losing his first match in an ultimate tiebreaker, Lewis responded with six straight wins, including a sudden victory and two one-point wins.
Offseason knee surgery for a broken bone sidelined him for the spring and summer tournaments. During this year’s state tournament, Lewis battled a cold but kept quiet. No excuses. When he finally won, Lewis remained humble, congratulating his opponent and thanking his coaches and teammates.
His career record is 118-12, while Glasgow’s is 93-7. In the respected InterMat national rankings, Lewis sits at No. 15 and Glasgow is No. 8 in their weight classes. Cleary said NCAA Division I schools like Nebraska and Virginia Tech are showing interest.
Meanwhile, Glasgow’s path to superstar hit a block his freshman season. After winning the District 18 title at 120 pounds, he couldn’t make weight for the region tournament. He grew into the proper weight class and has never since had an issue on the scales, Cleary said. In 2015, he finished second at 145 pounds with a 37-5 record. His brother Sean, last year’s Courier News Wrestler of the Year, took second at 152.
Both of the current Bound Brook wrestlers are known to be fun-loving. While Lewis is more laidback, Glasgow is more energetic, always bouncing around. As Clearly notes, “I don’t know many people that don’t know Stephan. He’ll talk to everybody. I think he gets along with everybody.”
A snapshot of Glasgow’s personality: he planned out the singlets for the state tournament on the Thursday before it started. Most wrestlers just stick to the same color. Friday in the first round, Glasgow wore a red one from a few years ago. In the quarterfinal, he suited up with a gray singlet from last season. In the semis, he went back to a red one. In the finals, he put on a shiny black one. Apparently, it’s not because he’s superstitious or for good luck. No rabbit’s foot here. It’s just Glasgow having fun.
“I like to switch it up,” he said. “Just keep it all fresh.”
One thing is for sure — it doesn’t matter what uniform colors he or Lewis wears. All season, the results have been the same. Lewis and Glasgow. Glasgow and Lewis. Both joined together and now both state champs.