Bound Brook wrestling showing dominance at Boardwalk Hall

ATLANTIC CITY- When a Bound Brook High School wrestler steps onto a mat, they feel they have an immediate advantage regardless of the opponent.

And when the Crusaders advanced five wrestlers into the semifinals of the NJSIAA Individual Champions at Boardwalk Hall – all five wrestlers gave credit to the hardcore conditioning workouts they endure all year long.

“The bottom line is we just work really really hard,” said Robert Cleary (138), who was the first Bound Brook wrestler to advance to the semifinals on Saturday with a 3-2 decision victory against Kingway’s Trace Kinner. “The training just doesn’t help me physically but it helps me mentally. I know walking out on the mat I’m in better shape than anyone across from me.”

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Cleary was able to get out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period of the quarterfinal with an immediate takedown. For Cleary, attacking from the opening whistle to showcase his offensive skills is a strategy he uses every time he wrestles.

With a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period, Cleary won the toss and chose bottom, where he escaped immediately to take a 3-0 lead.

“That’s one of my strong suits,” Cleary said. “Nobody can ride me out, I get out like it’s nothing.”

Kinner was able to get two escapes in the final period, but Cleary was able to close out the match with smart wrestling to advance to the semifinals, where he will meet top-seeded Gerard Angelo of Bergen Catholic.

Last year, Cleary was defeated in the quarterfinals and earned a seventh-place finish, but this year the senior won’t be satisfied with just making it to the podium.

“This year my goal is to be the champ,” Cleary said. “I have high goals for myself. I’ve been to states four times and know what it’s like. I’m a veteran so this isn’t my first rodeo.”

For all five wrestlers who advanced to the semifinals, this isn’t their first rodeo at the state tournament. Junior Joe Casey qualified for the state tournament in his first two year’s wrestling for the Crusaders, but suffered a first round loss both times.

With two years of disappointing defeats under his belt, Casey was hoping the third time was a charm. In Saturday’s quarterfinals, he trailed 1-0 early in the first period, but was able to use that condition tire out his opponent. In the second period, Casey tied up the score at 1-1 with an escape and the match went into overtime, where Casey eventually earned an escape in a tiebreak to advance to the semifinals.

The third Bound Brook wrestler to advance to the semifinals was defending state champion, Stephan Glasgow. The 152-pounder earned a 15-3 major decision victory against Rutherford’s Omar Abdelhamid.

It was another dominant victory for the Rutgers University commit, who couldn’t help to recall to the first time he ever wrestled.

“I got pinned in seven seconds and wanted to quit,” Glasgow said of his first wrestling match, which took place in sixth grade.

Now, Glasgow is defending a state title as the top-seed and will meet Wall’s No. 4 Robert Kanniard. For the senior, an opportunity to end his high school career with two state titles is surreal.

“I could have never imagined this,” Glasgow said. “I didn’t even know much about wrestling, but I just used my athleticism and speed.”

Athleticism and speed was the recipe for success for senior teammate Mekhi Lewis, who also advanced to the state semifinals to defend his 160-pound state championship from last year.

Lewis was able to pin his opponent in the second period of the quarterfinals matchup against Matthew Gerrity of Lacey. With the victory, the top-seeded senior will take on Piscataway’s fourth-seeded Michael Petite in the semifinals.

Senior Geroge Walton earned Bound Brook the sweep in the state quarterfinals with a pin the final minute of regulation. Walton was able to pin Christophe Nielsen of Pinelands Regional in the final period as he was just able to control his opponent throughout and take advantage the second his opponent showed he was gassed.

“Our conditioning is something not everyone can deal with,” Walton said. “So when we go out there on the mat, we think about how no other kid is training as much as we do.”

Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s Wustefield upsets No. 1 seed

Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s Sam Wustefield had a lot of friends and family in the stands during Saturday’s state quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Shane Sosinsky of Northern Highlands.

As the ninth-seed, many of Wustefield’s supporters were just hoping he could wrestle well.

“I don’t know how much confidence they had in me,” Wustefield said with a grin on his face. “But once they saw how I was wrestling they were really excited. It was a great feeling.”

Wustefield shook up the 182-pound state bracket as he pinned the No. 1 seed in overtime. When the referee slammed his hand on the mat to confirm the pin, Wustefield leaped into his coach’s arms and looked up toward his home crowd.

“I didn’t expect to beat him but I’m really excited I did,” Wustefield said. “I didn’t see that coming but I just went out there and wrestled my best.”

After a scoreless first period, Wustefield was able to take a 1-0 lead in the second with a stand up. But Sosinsky responded with an escape of his own to start the third period to force overtime.

Wustefield was on top after the first scoreless overtime period, and was able to take advantage when his opponent opened up. Wustefield was able to put his weight on the opposite shoulder to pin his opponent for the upset victory.

Last year, the two wreslters met in the opening round of the state tournament, and Wustefield was defeated 12-6.

This year, the he just wanted to place and wrestle his best.

“It was absolutely mind blowing,” Wustefield said. “I can’t believe it.”