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Wrestling: Piscataway falls short in Group V semifinals

Harry Frezza
@thefrez56
Piscataway's Joesph Hatcher (right) tries to take down Edison's Peter Tomasino during their 152- pound final match at the GMC Tournament on Saturday at Piscataway High School.

TOMS RIVER – The rise of the Piscataway High School wrestling program won't be stopped by Sunday’s 45-24 loss to state champion Howell in the NJSIAA Group V semifinal.

Piscataway, which won its first-ever sectional title Friday night by beating Watchung Hills in the North 2 Group V final, looks like it might be around for awhile.The Chiefs' rebuild has been several years in the making under former coach Bill Pavlak – who returned to South Plainfield after last season – and first year coach Dan Smith, who was an assistant for three years for Pavlak.

READ: SOUTH PLAINFIELD WRESTLING CAPTURES 10TH GROUP TITLE

RELATED: DELAWARE VALLEY WINS 1ST GROUP TITLE SINCE 1999

The four wrestlers who won Sunday – sophomore Gabriel Rodriguez (20-8), sophomore Joseph Hatcher (28-0) and juniors Michael Petite (28-1) and Elijah Pitt-Goodson (14-3) will all be back next season. Rodriguez (160), Hatcher (170) and Petite (182) all won by major decision and Pitt-Goodson by fall at 195. Senior 285-pounder Samuel Rodgers (21-8) won by forfeit,

“It was a good experience to be part of the first team to win the section and good feeling Friday night and we had a good feeling coming in  this morning,” Hatcher said. “We needed everybody to come in and give 100 percent. We gave it our all, but unfortunately it didn't happen. But it  was a pretty good experience. We are actually a pretty young team, so we should be a good team the next few years."

“Our goal was to turn around program around and be more successful team wise with the dual meets, get more wins and making Piscataway wrestling more known again,” Smith said. “That's what we've been doing. Pavlak has put me in the right direction as far as showing me the way. We have good conditioning on top of kids being talented good wrestlers. It's a good combination.”

Smith said he has worked with assistant football coach Damon Pleasant to get more football players out.

“It's a tough sell because it's after football season which is a long season in itself,” Smith said. “Wrestling is another long season in itself. But the hard work will help in the end.”

Smith said the former Chiefs have come back to drill. Former longtime coach Bill Voliva and longtime recreation coach Pat Morgan have been very helpful.

“We have a great support system from the junior program and rec through middle school and high school. We want to keep it rolling,” Smith said. “South Plainfield is a wrestling town and hopefully we can make Piscataway the same way. The way it's looking it's going that way.”

Howell 45, Piscataway 24

113: Luke Rada (H) over Maximus Parra (Dec 5-3); 120: Eli Orford (H) over Erick Valentin (Fall 3:04); 126: Darby Diedrich (H) over Robert McEvoy (TF 16-1 0:00); 132: Kyle Slendorn (H) over Chris Aikens (Fall 3:23); 138: Daniel Esposito (H) over Marcus Petite (Dec 6-4); 145: Xavier Kelly (H) over Evan Okamoto (Fall 1:38); 152: Gabriel Rodrigues (P) over Nick Sulkowski (MD 14-4); 160: Joseph Hatcher (P) over Patrick Anderson (MD 10-1); 170: Michael Petite (P) over Christian Murphy (MD 18-5); 182: Shane Reitsma (H) over Nick Recine (MD 14-2); 195: Elijah Pitt-Goodson (P) over Janai Crippen (Fall 4:17); 220: Eric Keosseian (H) won by forfeit; 285: Samuel Rogers (P) won by forfeit; 106: Jesse Liptzin (H) over Daniel Mikita (Fall 0:47).