Despite losing Bradley to dislocated shoulder, Monroe places third at Neptune Classic
READ: Neptune Classic Wrestling Tournament complete results
Despite losing incumbent state tournament qualifier Kaylon Bradley to a dislocated shoulder in the semifinal round, Monroe High School rallied without one of its best wrestlers to place third in the Neptune Classic on Saturday.
Long Branch rolled to the team title with 188 points. Highland Regional (130) finished second, 3.5 points ahead of Monroe.
“We would have liked to have done better, but that’s just the way the cards fell,” said Monroe head coach Joe Eurell, who was pleased that 13 of his wrestlers placed in the 14-team event.
“It was a rough day for us as a team, but all the guys put their noses down and got the job done. We had a strong showing in the wrestlebacks.”
Andy Lombard was the lone Monroe wrestler to reach a final, falling 7-0 to North Hunterdon’s Andrew Gapas, who placed eight in the state last season.
Mikey Wilson (pin of Collingswood’s Joe Downing at 145 pounds) and Tucker Kirchberger (7-2 decision over Isaac Shohet of Long Branch at 152 pounds) also won individual titles for North Hunterdon, which placed fourth.
Bradley’s shoulder popped out during his semifinal bout. In obvious pain, he was carted out of the gymnasium on a stretcher and taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, from where he was discharged Saturday night.
A three-sport star and one of the best athletes at the high school, Bradley will be sidelined for an indefinite period.
“He’s home and doing well,” Eurell said. “I know Kaylon. He’s going to be telling me he’s ready to go in a week, which obviously isn’t the case. He could get hit by a bus and still try to come to practice the next day. That’s the type of kid he is.”
In addition to being a Home News Tribune second-team All-Area selection in football, Bradley also throws the shot put and runs on one of Monroe’s relay teams during the outdoor track season.
“He’s very talented,” Eurell said. “Wrestling is his forte. I think that’s his best sport. We have a great (athletic) training staff here at Monroe. We are going to do everything in our power to get him back to full health.”
Eurell spoke with his wrestlers after the semifinal round and had a clear message for how they were to proceed in Bradley’s absence.
“I said this is what makes good teams great,” Eurell recalled. “How do they respond and when they face adversity, what are they going to do. Hard times build character. They need to know that; not just in the sport of wrestling, but in all aspects of life.”
Lombard, who missed his sophomore season after enduring wrist surgery, started to hit his stride last season, qualifying for regions. He clearly has the potential to get to Atlantic City, where his older brother, Nick, who is now wrestling at the University of Michigan with former high school teammate Sal Profaci, placed fifth last year.
“Gapas is a really tough opponent,” Eurell said. “Andy did a nice job of wrestling him; real hard-nosed. He’s the first one in the room and the last one to leave. He’s going to get better and better as the season goes on.”
With strong senior leadership and a stellar sophomore class, Monroe hopes to contend for a Red Division and league tournament title.