St. Augustine Prep's Tom Gattinella, top, wrestles Egg Harbor Township's Shane Morgan on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO/CODY GLENN J ake Kientz is 0-6 for his career, but the Del- sea Regional High School freshman 113-poun- der is still responsible for one of Delsea’s biggest wins of the year. Kientz is the perfect ex- ample of how wrestling embodies the ideals of a team sport better than any other on the scholastic landscape. He stepped on the mat against Clear- view‘s Ronald Mestichelli on Saturday with one in- struction — don’t get pinned. The freshman lis- tened as he wrestled con- servative and didn’t put himself in too much danger of being put to his back. Kientz lost, 8-3, but since he didn’t give up the pin, he was the hero. “I was excited to not get pinned,” Kientz said. “I was kind of happy about los- ing.” Because all 14 bouts count equally, each wres- tler has a chance to be re- sponsible for a victory as the next. That means an ac- complished senior like Curt Delia is as important as an inexperienced fresh- man. In any given match, all 14 wrestlers have a chance to be a hero in any number of ways. “I never thought I would be in that kind of position, especially now, I’m not a senior or anything,” Kientz said. “I thought it was awe- some.” Every bout represents the possibility of a 12-point swing. If a kid who gets pinned simply pins his op- ponent, it changes the out- come by 12 points. “It’s not just one person, it’s 14 weight classes,” St. Augustine junior Tom Gat- tinella said. “It comes down to every wrestler on the team.” Gattinella has been on the wrong side of wres- tling’s ability to make a winner out of the loser of a bout. During last year’s match with Buena, he need- ed to win by more than a major decision in the final bout, but couldn’t turn the Chiefs’ Sal Marandino. Ga- tinella won12-0, but Maran- dino and Buena celebrated. “I’d rather have a team win than a personal win,” Gattinella said. “I just wanted that feeling. The whole gym was going nuts, I wanted that to be on our side. I dominated the match, but the kid did what the coach told him to do, he did his job.” There are no other sports where losing can benefit the team so much. “If you do your job and you do the best that you can do, that helps your team,” Millville coach Scott Stay said. “If you strike out in baseball, that doesn’t help your team. If you throw four interceptions in foot- ball, that doesn’t help your team. But if you go out and you lose 10-0, that could really help your team.” Losing a certain way isn’t just a quirky note in the occasional box score ei- ther, it’s discussed at prac- tice and during matches. “That’s the sacrifice good teams are prepared to make,” Delsea coach Greg Sawyer said. “Sometimes you know you’re out of the match and your goal is to do what you can for the team. So you’re sacrificing your pride for the good of the team and wrestling tough for the team still.” Since wrestling is a one- on-one combat sport, most outsiders or newcomers don’t realize the role the team aspect plays. “I thought it was a lot more individual,” Kientz said. “Last year (in middle school), we just went to a lot of tournaments and stuff.” The fact that anyone in any match can be the rea- son a team is victorious is the signature trait of wres- tling, it’s what sets the sport apart from others and helps build the passion that often remains through the years. Everyone has a story about an upset, a nar- row victory or a pin that shouldn’t have happened from a kid who probably never accomplished much, but for that one night, he was the hero, even if they lost. “I can’t say there’s any- thing like it,” Stay said. “It’s great when you have a whole team effort and you win, or you have somebody who fights off their back and doesn’t get pinned, or you have somebody who sticks somebody they weren’t supposed to beat.” Losing to win makes wrestling the ultimate team sport PATRICK BUGANSKI C6 Friday, January 13, 2012 THE DAILY JOURNAL A: It was a big letdown for us. We thought we would be able to put points on the board. We just didn’t come out there to wrestle the way we should have. Q: What does coach Scott Stay bring to the team? A: He brings a lot of good technique, like new moves we need to learn, and he’s very ob- servant on the mat. He’s a real aggressive coach. Q: Between football and wrestling, which team was closer with each other? A: Our wrestling team is pretty close, but like bond-wise, our football team is closer because because all through the year we’re building that bond, building that bond. Q: Which of your team- mates would do the best on American Idol? A: Probably (junior 152-poun- der) Rico (Rivera), he’s real out- going and he’s always singing and stuff. — Patrick Buganski Millville sophomore standout Ed Shockley enjoyed a successful freshman campaign, in part because he was still unknown. Now his name is familiar to many because he’s a returning region qualifier. The 160-pounder, who moved to Mill- ville from Lower Cape May before his freshman year, is also a member of the Thunderbolts’ football squad that completed an 11-1 season, complete with a trip to the state final. He recently spoke with The Mat Pack about wrestling, the Vineland/Millville rivalry and a little more. Question: How is it different to wrestle this year now that you’re more known? Answer: It’s not really different, usually now teams will bump their harder kid up to me, gives me a harder match usually, but it hasn’t really changed much, you still have to go out there and wrestle like every other match. Q: Is it more difficult? A: At my weight class it’s a little tougher, trying to make the weight and having more kids bump up. This year is harder than last year. Q: What does the Vineland/ Millville rivalry mean to you, having only lived here for a couple of years. A: It actually means a lot, just because I’m not going out there to wrestle for myself, I’m wrestling for the town and the people. The same thing with football, it’s one of the biggest rivalries in the state. Q: So how tough was it to lose to Vineland, despite win- ning the bouts 10-4? THE INSIDE STUFF ED SHOCKLEY Millville 160 :: Sophomore 1. Timber Creek 6-0 2. Camden Catholic 11-1 3. Delsea 11-1 4. West Deptford 5-0 5. Pennsville 6-3 6. Paulsboro 6-3 7. Clearview 6-4 8. Absegami 5-6 9. Egg Harbor Township 7-3 10. St. Augustine 6-6 11. Haddonfield 5-3 12. Buena 3-3 13. Cherokee 6-2 14. Shawnee 7-3 15. Hammonton 7-4 » Senior heavyweight Tom Rementer, a four-year starter for Clayton, wanted the opportunity to wrestle just once at his home school. He got that chance Monday night. Rementer attends Glassboro, but took the mat in the Bulldogs gymnasium for the first time during the Clippers’ 62-6 win over Riverside. The heavyweight earned a 4-1 decision, raising his record to 11-0. Glassboro disbanded its wrestling program after the 2007-08 season because of low numbers. The school formed a combined team with Clayton the following year. Clayton has been one of the big surprises so far this season, accumulating a 9-1 record with the lone loss a 30-29 decision to Penns- ville. » South Plainfield’s An- thony Ashnault became the third wrestler in New Jersey history to reach 100 career wins without a loss. Ashnault, a junior and two-time state champion, won his milestone match on Monday with a 15-4 major decision over Franklin’s Jake Balestrieri. Jackson’s Scott Winston went 137-0 en route to three state titles and Bound Brook’s Andrew Campolattano went 175-1 with four state titles. No wrestler in N.J. history has won four state titles and gone undefeated. 106 1. John Gentile, Paulsboro 15-1 2. Tyler McBride, Camden Catholic 11-3 3. Patrick D’Arcy, Holy Spirit 11-0 4. Jesse Swope, Cumberland 7-1 5. Joey Rocks, Egg Harbor Township 12-1 113 1. Anthony Racobaldo, Williamstown 11-0 2. Sam Morina, Paulsboro 15-1 3. Tom Gattinella, St. Augustine 14-3 4. Zach Valcarce, Lower Cape May 7-3 5. Ronray Harris, Middle Township 7-2 120 1. Billy Ward, Buena 12-1 2. Ricky Carter, Timber Creek 9-5 3. Collin Mitchell, Eastern 10-1 4. Juan Rivera, Paulsboro 13-2 5. Connor Muli, Shawnee 12-3 126 1. Kevin Devoy, Burlington Township 8-0 2. Ron Gentile, Paulsboro 14-1 3. John VanBrill, Clearview 10-1 4. Mike Jiampetti, Absegami 14-3 5. D.J. Mele, Cherokee 6-1 132 1. Brandon Keller, Timber Creek 11-2 2. Maaziah Bethea, Trenton Central 9-0 3. Joe Lemerise, Cherokee 14-1 4. Will Elliott, Cumberland 11-1 5. Connor Bestwick, Woodstown 8-1 138 1. Chad Walsh, Camden Catholic 12-1 2. Joe Esposito, St. Augustine 15-1 3. Ed Lenkowski, Clearview 11-0 4. Nick Knauer, Paulsboro 10-5 5. John Hennelly, Delsea 12-4 145 1. T.J. Miller, Camden Catholic 14-1 2. Curt Delia, Delsea 15-1 3. Dillan Berghof, Buena 12-1 4. Dom Ruggiero, Timber Creek 6-3 5. Antonio Mancella, Oakcrest 11-1 152 1. Raamiah Bethea, Trenton Central 10-0 2. Wayne Stinson, Northern Burlington 13-3 3. Monty Krough, Pennsville 14-1 4. Mark Patterson, St. Augustine 17-1 5. Bryce Shade, Timber Creek 11-3 160 1. Phil Bakuckas, Hammonton 11-0 2. Robert Schlitt, Haddonfield 5-0 3. Dylan Dobzanski, Delsea 15-2 4. Connor Donahue, Clearview 12-0 5. Austin Wetterau, Shawnee 13-3 170 1. Steve Nelson, Haddon Township 11-0 2. Robert Shade, Timber Creek 10-3 3. Alex Gong, Absegami 12-3 4. Nick Elmer, Penns Grove 11-0 5. Nick Moore, Seneca 12-1 182 1. Rory Bonner, West Deptford 10-0 2. David Williams, Hammonton 9-3 3. Tyler Miller, New Egypt 11-2 4. Thomas Forline, Moorestown 11-2 5. John Benard, Oakcrest 9-3 195 1. Carson Stack, Haddonfield 8-0 2. Bryan Dobzanski, Delsea 13-1 3. Anthony DeVito, Pennsville 14-4 4. Padric Lynch, Haddon Heights 8-2 5. Chris Lail, Kingsway 10-1 220 1. Mauro Correnti, Holy Cross 8-2 2. Marquis Jackson, Delran 11-0 3. Nick Pustizzi, Schalick 10-1 4. Brandon Belger, Middle Township 11-2 5. Roy Lucas, St. Joseph 8-1 HWT 1. Greg Webb, Timber Creek 1-0 2. Cody Melton, Northern Burlington 6-2 3. Tom Rementer, Clayton 12-0 4. Alex Thompson, Haddon Heights 12-1 5. Tre Porch, Delsea 13-2 SOUTH JERSEY MEAN15 NEWS & NOTES LOCAL RECORDS 106 Zach Goranson, Millville 12-2 Steven Bergamo, St. Augustine 13-5 Jesse Swope, Cumberland 7-1 Joshua Pineda, Vineland 11-4 Tom Carney, Delsea 7-7 113 Tom Gattinella, St. Augustine 14-3 Zach Nealis, Vineland 12-2 John Gallo, Schalick 9-3 Chad Kahn, Millville 8-5 Sal Marandino, Buena 8-5 120 Billy Ward, Buena 12-1 Newt Richardson, Schalick 11-1 Danny DeTetta, Vineland 11-4 Connor Palmieri, Bunea 8-3 John Borelli, Delsea 6-6 126 John Rizzo, Vineland 4-3 132 Will Elliott, Cumberland 11-1 Elias Garcia, Millville 7-4 Jarred Hodges, St. Augustine 9-6 138 Joe Esposito, St. Augustine 15-1 Zach Nealis, Vineland 12-4 Jarett Pierotti, Buena 9-6 Cruz Flores, Cumberland 7-5 145 Curt Delia, Delsea 15-1 Dillan Berghof, Buena 12-1 Richard Morris, Cumberland 10-4 Rico Rivera, Millville 7-5 Dylan Manno, Schalick 6-5 Victor DeFrance, Delsea 4-4 152 Mark Patterson, St. Augustine 17-1 Ed Shockley, Millville 11-3 Justin Pierotti, Buena 9-4 160 Dylan Dobzanski, Delsea 14-2 Tyler Sentman, St. Augustine 14-4 Zach Rahl, Schalick 9-3 Derrick DeWoody, Delsea 6-6 170 James Bennett, St. Augustine 12-4 182 Steffen Rodriguez, Vineland 12-2 Marshall Brooks, Delsea 9-3 Michael Coombs, Cumberland 5-3 Dylan Wargo, Schalick 6-4 Cory Pietrzyk, St. Augustine 9-7 195 Bryan Dobzanski, Delsea 13-1 Sean Redden, Delsea 12-3 Taiwahn Cosby, Vineland 12-3 220 Nick Pustizzi, Schalick 11-1 Noah Repko, Buena 10-2 Obie Kali, Millville 5-5 HWT Tre Porch, Delsea 14-2 Eugene Maisonave, Vineland 9-6 Jacob Paul, Cumberland 7-4 Jake Broom, Schalick 5-3 Fred DeMary, Millville 7-5 *Wrestlers must have at least a .500 record and a minimum of seven bouts. All the records and rankings are based on information through Wednesday. Q&A ACCOMPLISHMENTS State: 2nd, Region: 1st District: 1st ACCOMPLISHMENTS State: 2nd, 3rd; Region: 1st, 2nd; District: 1st ACCOMPLISHMENTS State: 2nd, 3rd, 3rd; Region: 1st four times; District: 1st four times ACCOMPLISHMENTS State: 1st, Region: 1st twice; District: 1st Each week we will feature a fantasy matchup between two of the best wrestlers from greater Cumberland County since 1985. Vote for the winner at thedailyjournal.com/matpack. Check back next week for winners and a new matchup. MATCHUP NO. 1 MATCHUP NO. 2 SCOTT KELLEY KARL HAYWOOD BOBBY HANSON LARRY SMASHEY Class of 2008 Class of 1995 Class of 1995 Class of 1998 RECORD: 117-21 RECORD: 109-15 Winner faces No. 1 seed Joe Alexander (Delsea class of ‘98) Winner faces No. 2 seed Mark Saul (Millville class of ‘96) RECORD: 134-5 RECORD: 104-21 FANTASY WRESTLING TOURNAMENT THE DAILY JOURNAL’S REGION 7 & 8 RANKINGS MAT PACK THE online BLOG South Jersey wrestling news, notes, rankings and more TWITTER Updates, links and commentary on South Jersey wrestling thedailyjournal.com/matpack @TheMatPack Curt Delia PACK BLOG High school wrestling news and notes blogs.thedailyjournal. com/matpack MAT THE