Wrestling preview: South Plainfield looks to build on winning tradition
South Plainfield High School boasts one of the best wrestling programs in the state of New Jersey, and despite a (somewhat) new head coach this season, the Tigers have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
Last season after winning the NJSIAA Group III title, a state-record 32nd consecutive District 12 title, its 23rd-straight Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship and advancing 11 wrestlers to the Region 3 Tournament, coach Kevin McCann stepped down to take over as the athletic director at South Plainfield.
Enter former head coach Bill Pavlak, who had coached at Piscataway since 2012 after coaching at South Plainfield from 1994-2002.
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"I teach here in the district, it’s my home district, and I hate to leave Piscataway, I had a good thing going there," said Pavlak, who officially took over at South Plainfield in September. "I’m familiar with the program, I was with the program for 17 years. It’s a great opportunity to come back to a great program, I’m very fortunate to be offered the job and that they wanted me back, so I decided to come home."
In his first stint with South Plainfield, Pavlak, a New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association State Coach of the Year, led the Tigers to a 110-14-3 record. He will take over a program that went 28-2 last season, won its ninth state title and will return a number of wrestlers from last year's squad that had plenty of experience in big matches.
South Plainfield also saw a lot of action over the summer as the team participated in the Madison Duals, won the Old Bridge Summer Duals for the first time in two years, wrestled at a camp at Rutgers and partook in the Pennsylvania Duals.
"The four events they did, when you do that many events during the summer and get the team going and working together, it makes a big difference," Pavlak said. "It prepares you and gives you a good feeling for when you start the real season."
South Plainfield, which moved from District 12 to District 14 and from Region 3 to Region 4 this year, started the season strong, winning the Morris Knolls Tournament on opening weekend with 182.5 points, then defeated East Brunswick 52-16 on Wednesday night for the program's 700th win.
"Traditionally they win at Knolls, it was a little tougher since some teams joined late, it’s a good sign," Pavlak said. "The goal I know, since I’ve come back, the team goals were to win the county and sectional championships, and they’ve set their sights on the group championship. They set their sights high, they’ve won seven times so they set their goals to go all the way and hopefully we’ll put them in a place where that can be accomplished."
South Plainfield will return a few wrestlers who will be able to help make those goals a real possibility. Junior Joe Heilmann, who will wrestle at 120 pounds, returns after placing first at the GMC Tournament last season, as well as taking first at Region 3, first at District 12 and finished fifth at the state tournament.
Sophomore Zach DelVecchio (220 pounds) also swept the trifecta last season, taking first place at the GMC Tournament, Region 3 and District 12, and finished seventh at the state tournament.
"The team is balanced, we have Joe Heilmann and Zach DelVecchio," Pavlak said. "We have some stars and adding to those we have seniors who are going to make a big impact, so it should be a good season."
Those seniors include Jake Giordano (126 pounds), who took first at the GMC Tournament, first at District 12 and third at Region 3), Jacob Painton (132 pounds), who was sixth at the GMCT and fourth at Districts, Kyle Bythell (145 pounds) who swept first place finishes at the GMCT, Regions and Districts, Ben Lundy (160 pounds) who went 8-6 last year at 170, Ryan Marston (182 pounds), who finished fifth at the GMCT, second in the District and fourth at Regions, and Julio Gonzalez (285 pounds), who finished fourth at Districts last year.
The Tigers lost 11 wrestlers to graduation last year, so Pavlak is expecting his wrestlers to step up and fill the holes left behind.
Despite the losses and a number of fresh faces, there are seven freshmen looking to crack the lineup as well as sophomore Tommy Fierro who transferred back from St. Benedict's, the Tigers are still aiming high this season, and are looking to win the Red Division and add yet another GMC Tournament trophy.
Up next for South Plainfield is a quad meet with North Plainfield and Seton Hall Prep at Woodbridge on Dec. 28.
"What I'm most excited for, me personally, is coming back and coaching in front of a crowd again," Pavlak said. It's good to be back and just feel the excitement. The other thing is what we have in the practice room, we have a lot of experience and a different skill level at practice, so seeing that higher level of skill."
Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego
COURIER NEWS AREA WRESTLING TOP 10
1. South Plainfield (28-2)
2. Bound Brook (8-7)
3. Hunterdon Central (18-4)
4. Delaware Valley (19-5)
5. Bridgewater-Raritan (12-6)
6. North Hunterdon (9-10)
7. Watchung Hills (12-5)
8. Montgomery (16-8)
9. Hillsborough (17-8)
10. Pingry (13-6)
GMC WRESTLING TOP 10
1. South Plainfield (28-2)
2. Old Bridge (16-4)
3. Woodbridge (23-5)
4. Monroe (16-5)
5. Middlesex (19-7)
6. Piscataway (17-6)
7. Perth Amboy (14-9)
8. East Brunswick (9-10)
9. Edison (8-12)
10. Colonia (12-9)
Last season's records in parenthesis.