TJ Wrestling: Welcome

WE ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THE NEW "HOME " OF TJ VARSITY & JV WRESTLING!

Our new website gives us the ability to send out emails, text messages, have FaceBook integration and communicate via Twitter.  We are looking forward to an exciting 2011-2012 wrestling season and hope you enjoy the new website.  If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.  GO JAGS!!!!

TJWA Board of Directors

Mike McKown-President

Brian Newman-Vice President

Lori Marinelli- Secretary

Jackie Karwowski - Treasurer

Last season was a pretty good one for  Thomas Jefferson. The goal for this one is to be even better.

Thomas Jefferson's varsity wrestling team made it to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 21 years last season.

That's an impressive accomplishment, and an even more impressive sign of progress, but head coach Rudy Nesbitt is not happy yet.

"This year, we want to get to the playoffs and win a match," he said. 

The Jaguars fell to Peters Township, 54-18, in the first round of the Class AAA tournament a year ago.

In order to reach that goal, the local squad will count on a core of four rock-solid returning starters, plus a crew of upstart underclassmen.

The Jaguars lost nine seniors to graduation from last year's team, and that crew took a ton of experience with them.

So far, the young group is looking good, Nesbitt said. 

The coach took the team to a wrestling camp at Edinboro University this past summer, and, beginning then, was impressed with what he saw.

Thomas Jefferson finished second in a team tournament at the camp, marking the first time the Jaguars have gone to the tournament finals in the five years they have traveled to Edinboro.

There are 19 wrestlers out for Thomas Jefferson's wrestling team this year; it appears likely the team will be able to field a full lineup this season.

That's an encouraging change from recent years when the Jaguars forfeited matches because they did not have enough wrestlers to fill out a lineup.

The top grappler on the team is senior Tyler Toboz, who will start at the 145-pound weight class. 

Toboz, who had 29 wins last year, is a takedown artist with a "phenomenal" work ethic, according to Nesbitt.

"In addition to our practices, he works out on his own," Nesbitt said. "He works out at five or six in the morning; he works out in the evening."

That work ethic is rubbing off on other wrestlers, Nesbitt said.

Juniors Jason McKown (132), Greg Incardona (152) and Thor Henze (285) also are returning starters. 

Each had at least 20 wins last season.

The rest of the Thomas Jefferson lineup will be young, untested grapplers.

Freshman James Bereckman will start at 106 pounds, while sophomore Jesse Roller and freshman Nick Burkett are battling for the 113-pound spot.

It will be another freshman at 120 where Marco Marinelli is set to start. At 126, sophomore Robert Schwartz and freshman Will Clibbens are battling for starting duties.

The team's experience comes in the middle weights with McKown, Toboz and Incardona starting at their respective weight classes, with junior Steven Hess providing depth at 152.

Then, it's back to varsity newcomers with sophomores Byron Minous and Joe Falduece at 170; sophomore Anthony Rash at 195; and sophomores Angelo Sciaretti and Will Scoffel at 220.

Despite the excessive youth, Nesbitt believes some of the youngsters on the team are ready to compete at the varsity level.

"We're looking phenomenal in practice," he said. "Our youth will have to step up."