South Plainfield wrestling captures 10th Group III title

TOMS RIVER – South Plainfield High School’s wrestling team won its 10th state group title and fifth in eight years Sunday on a game plan that made it an elite program years ago.

The Tigers (30-1) beat South Jersey champion Delsea 38-23 for the second straight year in the state Group III final. South Plainfield captured  eight of 14 bouts – four falls, a technical fall, two decisions and senior Jake Giordano’s tiebreaker win at 126 that capped the day.

READ: PISCATAWAY WRESTLING FALLS SHORT IN GROUP V SEMIFINALS

RELATED: SOUTH PLAINFIELD WRESTLING WINS 10TH GROUP TITLE

Bill Pavlak, who returned to South Plainfield this season after being head coach at Piscataway the last three years, won his third state title as Tigers coach. The philosophy of how the Tigers win – whether it was under former coach Kevin McCann (now athletic director) or Pavlak hasn't changed.

“We minimize giving up bonus points and we get bonus points. That makes the difference and that's what we have done all year,” said Pavlak, assisted by Jon Foscola, Bill Hamilton, Steve Giordano and Tyler Hunt.

Only Paulsboro, Phillipsburg, Camden Catholic and Bergen Catholic have won more state titles and South Plainfield’s crowd reflected the spirit of their program. The Tigers, who didn’t win their first state title until 2000 under Pavlak, pledge to keep winning crowns.

“It's like old times,” more than one Tigers fan said.

Senior 145-pounder Kyle Bythell had one of those throwback performances savored by the Tigers faithful. Bythell, whose pin in last year’s state final sealed the victory, served a different yet vital role once again this year. Bythell (30-5) rallied from nearly being decked by junior Nick Bennett (24-10) to win 8-7 in the third bout. That gave South Plainfield a 15-0 lead. South Plainfield had taken a 12-0 lead as senior Jacob Painton (132, 16-19) and sophomore Joe Sacco (138, 31-3) opened the match with first period falls.

Bythell led 5-1, but Bennett had him on his back for about 20 seconds in the second period. He was able to tie the bout at 6-6 and Bennett escaped to begin the third, but Bythell’s takedown with 45 seconds to go was the difference

“Six (points and pin by Bennett) there changes the whole complexity of the match,” Pavlak said.

“I just thought of my team and how much I wanted to win for my team and I just fought off my back and came back and won the match,” Bythell said. “I just kept my mentality and just kept wrestling. Experience helps.”

Painton and senior 285-pounder Julio Gonzalez said Bythell is very strong, but is enhanced with a great workout ethic shared by the Tigers.

“That took a lot of heart, that was really important, that could have like changed the momentum either way,” Painton said. “That's real tough right there. Conditioning. It's about being part of a team. We can't let each other down. He definitely gave it all he had today.”

“Hard work and dedication in the room pays off, it shows how hard we push each other to the best of our abilities,” Gonzalez said.

Delsea got decision wins by senior Seth Summers (152, 27-8) and junior Mason Maxwell (160, 27-8) and a technical fall from junior Billy Janzer (170, 33-2). But seniors Jake Hoffman (11-10) and Ben Lundy (25-10) limited the damage to regular decision losses at 152 and 160 respectively and sophomore Brenden Hedden avoided being pinned by Janzer at 170 to save a point. Vince DeGeorge beat Ryan Marston 5-3 in sudden victory at 182 for another Delsea win. But it wasn't the  bonus points that Delsea really needed. It all added up.

South’s  Luke Niemeyer broke the run with a 3-2 victory at 195. Delsea took its only lead at 20-18 when Brad Dobzanski took a forfeit at 220. But 285-pounder Zachary DelVecchio put South Plainfield up for good at 23-20 with a technical fall. Sophomore Thomas Fierro (16-3) had a fall at 106 to give the Tigers a 29-20 lead.

John Patterson spoiled the Tigers chance to celebrate with a  4-2 win at 113 over sophomore Alex Amato. But senior 120-pounder Joe Heilmann (34-0) – a fifth placed state tournament placer last year – ended the suspense with a 33-second fall and insurmountable 35-23 Tigers' lead. That was followed by Giordano’s 5-4 tiebreak win over Edison Echevarria that began another full fledged celebration of the green.

South Plainfield 38, Delsea 23

132: Jacob Painton (SP) over Tim Spatola (Fall 2:36); 138: Joe Sacco (SP) over Vito Genna (Fall 0:33); 145: Kyle Bythell (SP) over Nick Bennett (Dec 8-7); 152: Seth Summers (D) over Jake Hoffman (Dec 8-2); 160: Mason Maxwell (D) over Ben Lundy (Dec 7-3); 170: Bill Janzer (D) over Brenden Hedden (TF 26-11 4:21); 182: Vince Degeorge (D) over Ryan Marston (SV-1 5-3); 195: Luke Niemeyer (SP) over Tommy Maxwell (Dec 3-2); 220: Bradley Dobzanski (D) won by forfeit; 285: Zach DelVecchio (SP) over Jake Hallowell (TF 21-6 5:52); 106: Thomas Fierro (SP) over Justin Dougherty (Fall 2:59); 113: John Patterson (D) over Alex Amato (Dec 4-2); 120: Joe Heilmann (SP) over Travis Griffith (Fall 0:32); 126: Jake Giordano (SP) over Edison Echevarria (TB-1 5-4).

South Plainfield 44, Sparta 15

126: Jake Giordano (SP) over Cassius Battaglia (Fall 2:12); 132: Garrett Stewart (S) over Jacob Painton (Dec 6-0); 138: Joe Sacco (SP) over Carter Sheridan (MD 10-2); 145: Kyle Bythell (SP) over Kevin Berlin (Fall 3:05); 152: Jake Hoffman (SP) over Sean McHugh (Dec 5-2); 160: Ben Lundy (SP) over Sean Finnegan (Dec 4-2); 170: Paddy Finnegan (S) over Brenden Hedden (Dec 1-0); 182: Ryan Marston (SP) over Mike Freeman (Fall 4:35); 195: Robert Gennat (S) over Luke Niemeyer (Dec 5-3); 220: Zach DelVecchio (SP) over William Loewen (MD 18-7); 285: Zach Herbert (S) won by forfeit; 106: Thomas Fierro (SP) over Cooper Stewart (Dec 5-3); 113: Alex Amato (SP) over Christopher Hwang (Dec 7-4); 120: Joe Heilmann (SP) over Rocco Gigantelli (Fall 0:38).