Berger, Heller begin their charges for state titles
By chris kelly
Staff Writer

Chris Kelly Rumson-Fair Haven’s Bryan Heller tries to work Red Bank Catholic’s J.J. Maskowitz for nearfall points during his 130-pound quarter-final bout of the District 22 wrestling tournament last Friday night. Heller, the top seed in the weight class, not only defeated the Casey with a 3:51 pinfall, but also won the tournament at Monmouth Regional.

With all the team competitions out of the way, it’s time for wrestlers to key in on their individual goals for the season, which is exactly what the dynamic duo from Rumson-Fair Haven did when they entered the District 22 wrestling Tournament at Monmouth Regional last weekend.

The prelude for the individual state tournament in Atlantic City featured some of the top wrestlers in the Shore area, with RFH’s Patrick Berger and Bryan Heller leading the list of dominant grapplers.

Both wrestlers went into the tournament as the top seeds, with nearly 50 combined wins on the season.

Berger earned the Dawgs’ first gold of the tournament at 112 pounds, after defeating wrestlers from Raritan, Red Bank Catholic and Middletown South.

The junior’s road to the champions’ circle included a 16-3 win in the quarterfinals, a 5:50 pinfall in the semis, and a13-5 win in the finals.

Heller, 23-0 before the tournament, pinned his way out of the quarterfinals, won 10-3 in the semis, and controlled Middletown North’s George Stanley in the finals for a 17-5 win.

John McAuliffe was Rumson’s third wrestler to qualify for the finals, ending up with the silver. McAuliffe decisively defeated wrestlers from Keansburg and Red Bank Regional in the earlier rounds to earn his shot at the gold. But the junior Bulldog ran into top seed Paul Schibell (Christian Brothers Academy) in the finals, losing 4-3.

Rumson’s last medal of the tournament was earned by Greg Redman, who placed third in the 119-pound weight class. Redman defeated Keansburg’s representative 7-6 in the quarterfinals, then was sent into the consolation round behind a 3-2 defeat by the eventual champion, Mike Apicelli (Ocean). Redman dominated Jason Sagos (Raritan), 9-0, for the bronze.

Rumson finished fifth in the team standings, with 86 points, behind Middletown North (first), Ocean (second), CBA (third), and Raritan (fourth).

Meanwhile, the RBC Caseys entered only five wrestlers in the tournament, but still managed to advance a wrestler to the Region VI tournament this week at Brick Memorial.

Mark Minett, 112 pounds, was the Caseys’ lone medalist in the 2002 tournament, winning the bronze over Monmouth’s Tim Tupy. Minett, the tournament’s fifth seed, upset fourth-seeded Chris Atamian from Ocean in the quarterfinal, 12-9. The junior 112 pounder then squared off with the top seed in the weight class, Patrick Berger for Rumson-Fair Haven. Minett took Berger into the third period, but eventually gave up a 5:50 pinfall.

The Caseys battled back in the consolation round, edging out Tupy 7-6 to record a third-place victory.

Of the four remaining wrestlers from RBC, only one other recorded a victory in the tournament.

J.J. Maskowitz pinned the Golden Falcons’ Kevin Jeffries in 3:43, during a preliminary-round matchup.

Maskowitz was knocked out of the tournament when he lost to top seed Bryan Heller (RFH) by a 3:51 pinfall in the quarterfinals.