Blue Devils’ Crowell seals win over Colts Neck
Shore squad preparing for upcoming state
playoffs
By chris kelly
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY Shore Regional’s Rich Lonnie works Colts Neck Paul Chiarelli for a reversal during a 145-pound bout on Saturday in West Long Branch. Lonnie won the bout, 8-5, while his team won the match, 38-34.

Only two wrestlers stood in the way of Colts Neck stealing a win from Shore Regional.

After 12 bouts, both Shore and the visiting Colts Neck team claimed six weight classes, with the Blue Devils claiming a slim 30-24 lead, the edge coming from bonus points.

Thanks to a flawless technical victory by junior Mike Crowell, and a decision by Eric Urban, the Blue and White claimed a 38-24 victory last Monday night.

"Colts Neck came here tonight, 9-2, and gave us a battle," said Shore’s head coach Rich Santangelo. "But my kids came out and wrestled tough all night. I can’t say enough about the way this team has turned things around this season.

"From where we were at the end of last season, I didn’t know what to expect this year," he added. "These kids have been working extremely hard from the first day we had practice, and they do their best every time they step on the mat."

The Cougars cut Shore’s lead to a slim six points, thanks to a second period pinfall at 103 pounds.

Colts Neck worked its way to 24 team points, along with the pin at 103 pounds, behind decision victories at 130, 152, 160 and 171 pounds, and another pinfall at 215 pounds.

With only two bouts remaining following Colts Neck’s win at 103 pounds, the Cougars had a chance for at least a tie if they could earn two decisions, or potentially win the match with a decision and a pin.

Their celebration was cut short at 112 pounds as Shore’s Crowell dominated Doug Thorn in less than two periods for a 16-0 technical fall.

Colts Neck’s chances were stopped after the junior lightweight scored a pair of takedowns and 12 nearfall points.

Shore began the match off on the right foot with Randy Green using a cradle for a 31-second pinfall at 125 pounds. After losing a 10-9 decision at 130 pounds, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 21-3 lead on a three-bout streak.

Tom Caruso registered a 2:32 pinfall at 135 pounds, while Brian Vieira stunned the Colts Neck crowd with a third-period pinfall against senior John Mezzasalma. Shore’s junior 140-pounder trailed 9-5, when Mezzasalma chose to begin the third period in the defensive position.

The decision proved to be a mistake as Vieira used a power half-nelson pinning combination for a surprising 5:10 pinfall.

Colts Neck would make its biggest move from 152 to 171 pounds, recording three straight decisions, cutting Shore’s lead to 21-12.

The two teams traded victories over the next four bouts with Mike Mayer posting a 1:58 pinfall at 189 pounds, and Chris Gornik recording a 3-1 decision at heavyweight.

The Cougars then put the outcome of the match into question with their pins at 215 and 103 pounds — that is, until Crowell’s technical fall at 112 pounds.

Shore hosted Manasquan yesterday, and will host the Panthers of Point Pleasant Borough on Saturday to prepare for the Central Jersey Group I State Tournament, which is set to begin at the end of next week.

"We purposely scheduled some of our tougher matches for this time of the year," said Santangelo.

"We wanted to use them as a prep for our run in the states."

This victory over Colts Neck improved Shore to a 10-5 slate.