100 Wins

- Johnny Short needs 2 wins to reach

- Jordan Long needs 31 wins to reach

50 Wins

- Chris Carrillo needs 12 wins to reach

- Charlie Cook needs 12 wins to reach

- Tommy Dillon needs 14 wins to reach

- Patrick O'Donnell needs 26 wins to reach

- Andre Hodge needs 27 wins to reach

103 Birch, Cunningham, Sansone, Demarest

112 Yuksel

119 O'Donnell

125 Short

130 Dillon, Allan

135 Rust, Proto

140 Vega

145 Kozman, Salib

152 Long, Carrillo

160 Carrillo, Long

171 Cook, Ross, Crombie

189 Cross, Morenz

215 Hodge, Green

HWT Alvarez, Palumbo

Matawan Junior Johnny Short won his first region championship last week and now has finished his season with a 5th place finish in the state wrestling tournament. 

Johnny went 3-2 in the tournament and all the matches were close. 

In the first round, the pre-quarterfinals, Johnny faced Frank Acosta of Don Bosco Prep.  Acosta beat Johnny 5-3 one month ago.  This time Johnny defeated him 4-0.  A scoreless first period in which Acosta almost got a takedown with a firemans carry.  After Johnny escaped quick in the second peiod, he fought off a near takedown as the second period ended.  In the 3rd, Acosta took bottom and Johnny turned him for 3 back points and the victory. 

In the quarterfinals, Johnny faced AJ Fisher of St. Augustine Prep.  Fisher earned two takedowns in the first period to go up 4-2. 

In the second period, Johnny escaped and then threw Fisher to his back to go up 7-4.  Johnny rode him out in the 3rd period to win 7-4 and earn a spot in the semi-finals.  He was now guaranteed a spot on the Podium.

In the Semi-finals, Johnny faced Eastern's Eric Dunnett.  The score was tied 2-2  but Dunnett earned 2 takedowns to win 6-3.  Johnny now was in the wrestlebacks.

In the consolation semi-finals, Johnny faced Tyler Scotton of Willingboro.  Scotton earned two takedowns on the line in the first period to go up 4-1.  Johnny escaped to cut the score to 4-2 in the second.  Scotton took bottom in the 3rd period and stalled his way to a 4-2 win.  Johnny turned Scotton with 1 second left with an arm bar and figure four of the head.  5 more seconds in the match and Johnny would have won his match. 

Johnny was now wrestling on Sunday morning for 5th place.  He had to face AJ Fisher again.  This time, Fisher earned no takedowns and there was a scoreless first period.  Johnny escaped in the second and earned a takedown.  In the third period, Fisher escaped to cut the score to 3-1 but Johnny hit a Lateral Drop to secure the takedown, the win and 5th in the state. 

Johnny had a great season.  He tied his record for wins in a season.  He placed in the district for the third year in a row.  He won the Icebreaker, East Brunswick and Region Tournaments.  He finished the season with a 36-5  record and has 98 career wins. 

Senior Ces Antista finished his remarkable record breaking career with a school record 122 wins.  He capped off his senior year with a top 12 finish in the state tournament. 

In the first night of the state tournament, Ces had to win his first match in order to advance to Saturday.  His first Match was against Parsippany's Anthony Mariano.  Ces earned a quick takedown to a turk for a quick 5-0 lead.  Ces never looked back from there and won 16-5 to advance to the pre-quarterfinals. 

In the Pre-quarters, against region 5 champion Adam Mongelli of South River, Ces used a near side cradle to go up 5-0 and an eventual 9-3 victory.  He now advanced to the quarterfinals and had to face eventual runner-up Kodie Silvestri.  Ces fell in that bout but had to win one more to earn a spot on the podium. 

In the wrestlebacks, Ces faced JFK's Tom Hogan.  Ces took a quick 2-0 lead at the end of the first period by getting a takedown and then riding him out.  In the second period, a wild scramble ended with Hogan earning 3 back points. 

With the score now 3-2, Hogan takes bottom in the third period.  Ces lets him up halfway through the period to make the score 4-2.  Ces gets a takedown with 20 seconds left to tie the score.  He rides out Hogan to force overtime. 

In overtime, Ces was the aggressor and almost had a takedown on the line.  With about 10 seconds left, Ces tried a dump, lost his grip and Hogan spun behind for the winning takedown. 

Ces finished great senior year with an undeeated regular season, Icebreaker, East Brunswick and District Championships.  A Third place finish in the regions in which he won 3 matches on Saturday to earn his place in the State Tournament. 

Johnny Short became the first Matawan High School  Regional Champion in 12 years by defeating Long Branch's Scott Festejo 6-3 in the finals. 

Johnny had a remarkable run to the championship that included a pin in the preliminaries, a first period pin in the quarterfinals and a first period defensive pin in the semi-finals. 

In the quarterfinals, Johnny barred up Raritan's Chris VanFechtman and pinned him at 1:55.  In the semi-finals, against Jackson's BJ Young, Short won by pin.  Young got an early takedown and Short was hitting a switch.  He lifted the leg with both hands and sent Young to his back.  A defensive pin was called and Short punched his ticket to Atlantic City. 

In the finals, against Long Branch's Scott Festejo, the match was high energy.  A Scoreless first period saw many wild scrambles and at least 3 almost takedowns at the line by Johnny. 

In the second period, Johnny took bottom and escaped in two seconds.  Festejo then his a headlock, gets the takedown but no backpoints.  Short then escapes again to make it 2-2 at the end of the second period. 

The third period started strangely.  Festejo takes neutral against the advice of his coaches in a tie match.   He feared being on bottom against such a strong top wrestler.  After many scrambles and almost takedowns, including another headlock attempt, Johnny hit a lateral drop to get a takedown and a 4-2 lead.  Festejo escapes with about 10 seconds left and Johnny gets another takedown at the buzzer to win 6-3 and bring home the region championship.    

Ces Antista's undefeated season came to an end in the quarterfinals and it looked like his season would end too if he did not come back and win three matches on Saturday. Well, that is exactly what he did. 

In the quarterfinals, Ces faced Wall's Frank Labruschiano.  He lost a controversial 1-0 decision.  In the second period, Ces was down and stodd up several times and was pushed to the line.  No stalling call was made and then time ran out in the period.  An escape in the 3rd for the Wall wrestler proved to be the difference. 

Ces now had to win three matches in a row angainst tough opponents to extend his season and make it to Atlantic City. 

The first match was against Middletown South's Alex Schulman.  Schulman was a district 22 champion but Ces dominated the action to win 15-5. 

In the Wrestleback Semi-finals, Ces was wrestling Brick's Connor Brennan.  A close match became even closer when a third caution gave Brennan a point.  Eventually the match was tied after regulation, 7-7.  After a minute overtime period, Ces took bottom.  He escaped and then took Brennan down.  Brennan hurt his hip on the takedown attempt and did not continue.  Antista advances to face Justin Clarke of long Branch.

In the 3rd place match, Clarke got 2 quick takedowns for a 4-1 lead.  Clarke got in on a single and as on the verge of going up 6-2 when Ces reached down grabbed an ankle and funked his way into a single of his own and the takedown.  4-4 score.  An escape by Clarke made it 5-4 going into the third period.  Ces cut him to make it 6-4 with a minute left. 

The move of the day then happened for Antista.  He hit a pancake off of a front headlock for two takedown and then two backpoints.  8-6 Antista.  A point for Clarke's third caution made it 9-6 and that was the final and Antista fight was complete.  He won three bouts, earned third place and a trip to Atlantic City. 

http://independent.gmnews.com/news/2009/0305/sports/055.html