Bound Brook Wrestling: Welcome

Murray, Rob Murray Wins Old Tappan Tournament

      Rob Murray is on the clock, tick, tick tick... In other words, Rob graduates from eighth grade this week and his high school wrestling career has officially started, and started successfully on Saturday as he won the 103 weight class in the high school division of the Old Tappan Tournament.

      In his first match Rob used a few key tilts in the second period to defeat his opponent from Old Tappan by a 5-2 score. In the Semis he defended his opponent's funk attempts and ended the match with a pin in the second period which put him in the Finals.

      In the Finals Rob faced a 103 who placed 4th in the Districts this year and gave up a quick first period takedown. But he escaped and trailed by a 2-1 score at the end of the first. In the second period Rob rode out his opponent getting quite a few one counts on his tilt attempts. Then in the final stanza Rob reversed his opponent with a key hip heist and then rode him out for the last minute for the 3-2 win.

     A great job in all by Rob as he has worked hard this Spring and the results have now started to show!

 Seniors Announce Their College Choices

Bound Brook wrestling's class of 2009 have all announced their college choices, and as usual they have done themselves proud! Here are this year's seniors and their matriculation plans: 

OLEEM O'GARRO- Has been award a New Jersey STARS scholarship which means he will start at Raritan Valley College, and once he obtains his associates degree he is entitled to five tuition-free semesters  at Rutgers University to obtain his bachelor's degree. Congratulations Oleem!

HENRY SHAPIRO- Henry was admitted to Rutgers and SUNY-Binghamton and has chosen to matriculate at Binghamton. Come this time next year Henry will be well versed in what a spedie is and how delicious they are, of course he's already been exposed to spedies by wrestling at the 1000 Island Duals.

BEN BENTIVIGNA- Ben is going to continue his college education a Middlesex County College where he may wrestle. All as I can say is that if I was able to double my career win total in one year, I would give myself another year to see if I could keep improving like that.

GABE GLEASON- Has been admitted to NYU and will attend their next year. From what I understand the clincher for Gabe was that he could wrestle for a team whose nickname is the the Violets. That's one mean mascot! But seriously, Gabe was directly admitted to the program he wishes to major in and decided to forgo other scholarships to pursue his first choice of schools.

NESTOR TAFFUR- Has accepted a full scholarship to Boston University. He hopes to pursue a pre-medical based major in Boston and will join Andrew Flanagan as one of two Bound Brook Division I wrestlers in the City of Boston. Nestor is the fourth Crusader in the last five years to accept a Division I wrestling scholarship and the first year value of his package is over $52,000.00, once again proving that student who concentrates on academics and athletics can be justly rewarded. He shows that it pays to forget that part-time job and make your high school academics, and other endeavors whether they be music, engineering or other school activities your full-time job. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR SENIORS, YOU STUCK IT OUT AND NOW COME THE SPOILS! 

CAMP THE TWO TIME CHAMP

TAFFUR PLACES FOURTH

      It wasn't easy, but Andrew Campolattano still sports a perfect high school wrestling career as he won his second State Championship on Sunday in Atlantic City. However, he was not the only Crusader to place at the 2009 State Championships, as Nestor Taffur placed 4th to cap a great wrestling career at Bound Brook. Gabe Gleason also finished his career at the State tournament with a loss on Friday night.

      Andrew showed the State what he had early and often in the tournament when he defeated Watchung Hill's Evan Dill by fall on Friday night. Then on Saturday morning he faced St. Augustine's Leon White who is a very good athlete. However, Camp's top game was far too good as he tech falled White 15-0 in the second period.

     That when set up a huge semi-final as Andrew was to face the wrestler he defeated in last year's State finals was waiting... Jonathan Becker from Bergen Catholic. To say Becker is tough is understatement and Andrew knew Becker would bring a great hand fight to the game. But Andrew found a nice double leg in the first period and was able to do a good job riding Jon for the next two periods. Unfortunately, in the third period Becker had to default to Andrew which gave Camp his second trip to the State final.

      After a nap up to the 152 match, Andrew arose for his final against 2007 State Champion Mac Mancuso. Andrew said his legs were a little fatigued going into the match but that didn't stop him from carrying the offense on his feet. Approximately one minute into the first period Andrew got a nice inside single on Mancuso and finished it with a sharp foot sweep. But as they went to the mat Andrew immediately threw his hips under Mancuso for a tilt attempt, however, Mancuso showed his mettle as he hip heisted through the tilt a put Andrew on his back for a two count. Andrew was undautnted though as he quickly reversed Mancuso and rode him out for the rest of period.

     Mancuso chose bottom for the second period and reversed Andrew and put the ride on him, but Andrew was able to gain a neutral and go into the third period trailing for the first time in his career at the end of a period by a 6-5 score.

      In the third period Andrew chose bottom and escaped with about a minute left, he then immediately went on the offensive and took Mancuso down to take a 8-6 lead. Then he let Mancuso up again and took him down again to finish the match with a 10-7 lead and a second State Title. He finished the year with a staggering 46-0 record and improved his career record to 89-0. For his efforts of beating a State runner-up Champion he was given the honor of being the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. The last wrestler to win that award for Bound Brook was Joe Zelasney in the 1960 State Tournament.

TAFFUR FINISHES FOURTH IN THE STATE

      Nestor Taffur had a losing record his freshman year in high school.... how things change as on Sunday he placed fourth in the New Jersey State Wrestling tournament, the sixty-eighth Bound Brook State wrestling place winner.

      Nest's tournament started on Friday with a tough Ethan Orr from High Point, but Nest was up to the challenge as he used his tough top game to decision Orr 9-3. Then  on Saturday morning Nest had his Twilight Zone moment as he led Woodstown's CJ Cobb with four seconds left by 4-2 score. Instead of fleeing on the whistle, Nest stood still and was taken down with no time left. In overtime he failed to finish the winning shot physically and Cobb funked him for the two and the 6-4 win.

      That match was enough to break anyone's spirit, but Nest showed real heart as he came back with a couple of great wins including starting with a 14-3 major decision over Frank Crocco of Passaic Valley, a fall in 3:24 over Cody Spatz of Burlington Township and a 11-3 major decision against his nemisis Colin Hewitt of Franklin. Those wins put Nestor in the third place match against Jon Robertson of Long Branch, but Nest couldn't find his take-down offense or top game and lost off a bad shot in overtime by a 3-1 score.

      However, for a kid who finished his freshman year with a 15-19 record you cannot be upset as he really grew this past year and proved his mettle with a 45-3 record and a career record of 130-35, which makes him the third winningest wrestler in the history of Bound Brook.

      Great Job Nest, your character was on display this weekend numerous times and you showed yourself to be a fighter and class act. It's been a honor to coach you and best of luck in the future wherever you choose to go to school.

GLEASON FINISHES CAREER WITH LOSS AT STATES

      Years ago Rod Stewart had a song which was titled "Some Guys Have all the Luck", that song was not written with Gabe Gleason who was eliminated from the State Tournament on Friday by losing 6-0 to Tyler Forbeck of High Point. While Gabe came into the season expecting better, the kid just couldn't buy a break.... Wait, actually he did as right before the start of the season he broke his hip and then during the season had two bouts with sickness which severly affect his ability to perform.

      Gabe finished his season on Friday with a 33-3 record and a career record of  127-32 which ties him with Jesse Harrington for fourth on the Crusader all time win list.

      Was it the season Gabe hoped for, heck no but he showed he was tough and he stuck it out, and despite all his set-backs qualified for the State tournament and even if it didn't go as planned. In the end,  he showed everyone that the music group The Cure was right when they wrote the song "Boys Don't Cry!"