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On Sunday night, the Bergen Catholic wrestling team gathered again in a tight huddle, chanting and cheering together in the middle of the mat, bonded forever after a successful championship crusade had commenced with a dominant (36-19) victory over CBA.  The state title capped off an amazing roller coaster ride of a weekend for everyone connected with the BC wrestling program, and cemented the team's place forever in BC history.

In on the of the most emotionally charged sporting events that I have ever witnessed in person, BC traveled to St. Peter's Prep on Friday night, and a jam packed crowed flowed inside SPP's small gymnasium awaiting a match up that was essentially for the overall Non-Public A state championship.  The Marauders were the #2 team in the state, having been the only team to defeat South Plainfield on the season, and had their sights on not only capturing their first state title but also claiming overall state bragging rights in the process as the Garden State's #1 team. With a SPP crowd seemingly out for blood against their red-clad visitors from Oradell, the Crusaders calmly stepped onto the mat to begin a night that no one would soon forget.

With each match came cheers and gasps from the crowd, as every shot was contested and every move cirtical to the overall outcome of the night.  Every stall warning was met with cheers and protests, every near fall met with a booming cacophony that covered the entire venue.  One single pinfall victory by Johnny Sebastian proved to be the difference as both teams tied 27-27 after the 14 matches had concluded.  Sebastian's pin claimed the sectional crown for the Crusaders, sent Dave Bell air-born in jubilation, and sent BC to Toms River for yet another shot at the state championship that had eluded the Crusaders since their last state title win in 2003.

The Crusaders possessed an intensity on their faces that was evident to anyone who walked inside Pine Belt Arena on Sunday night.  The warmups were precise, not a single smile was cracked, and a focus eminated throughout the entire lineup.  This opportunity would not be squandered, not after the war they went through on Friday night in Jersey City.  BC set the tone with Matt Mangini's victory to open the match, and Johnny Sebastian's dominant victory seemed to end the match before it ever began for the overmatched Colts of CBA.  The Crusaders were methodical and aggressive, getting their victories with bonus points and firing on all cylinders.  No one was going to stop the Scarlet & Gold that day.

What I witnessed over the course of three days is what is great about sports, how fans, coaches, and athletes can each experience the high and lows of raw emotion through competition.  It is a drama that cannot be fully replicated by a Hollywood script, or even fully appreciated by the spoken or printed word.  Sure, it is sweeter because of the BC championship ending, but the experience of the past three days is something that will be cherished and remembered.  A team of young men experienced a life's worth of emotions over one weekend, and became an immortalized group in BC history in the process.

DL

After an emotional (32-28) victory at home on Wednesday night against Delbarton, the Crusaders will head once again to Jersey City in the state playoffs to take on the Maruaders of St. Peter's Prep, this time with the Non-Public North A sectional championship on the line.  BC has eliminated SPP from the playoffs in the last two seasons on the road, and BC is looking to win their first sectional crown since the 2008-2009 season.

DL

ORADELL---Bergen Catholic found itself on Friday night wreslting against an arch rival, in front of another packed crowd inside Hoehl Gymansium, on BC senior night and with a league championship on the line, and despite all these pressures never blinked an eye. Troy Schaasfma's 15-0 tech fall decision at 113 pounds guaranteed BC the victory against Don Bosco Prep, and allowed the Crusaders to claim their 19th league title in program history in the process after their (35-26) win at home against the Ironmen.

Despite not being known for their pinfall victories this season, BC took full advantage of their early matches on the night, and managed to wrestle away 6 team points thanks to strong pins.  Seniors Connor Melde (132), Matt Mangini (145), and Lukas Iorio (182) each pinned their opponents, while Johnny Sebastian and Troy Schaafsma added tech falls.  Hunter Kiselick earned a win by decision at 220 pounds, while Tyler Casamenti scored a major decision at 106 pounds.

In a loud and emotional environment, BC once again proved why they are the top program in Bergen County by responding with a deep lineup that just continues to grow healthier and more confident as the year progresses.  At this point, BC looks to have clinched the #2 seed in the North Non-Public A state playoffs, which would mean that the Crusaders would host a semifinal match in Oradell in a couple of weeks.  BC continues to grow stronger as they march into the postseason.

BC (35) DBP (26)

126: Harrison Utter (L: 13-5)

132: Connor Melde (W: pin)

138: Mike Maye (L: 5-3)

145: Matt Mangini (W: pin)

152: Gianni Halluk (L: pin)

160: Johnny Sebastian (W: 23-6)

170: Alex Kruklinski (L: 13-10)

182: Lukas Iorio (W: pin)

195: Christian Jenco (L: 17-8)

220: Hunter Kiselick (W: 11-6)

285: Carmine Goldsack (L: 3-0)

106: Tyler Casamenti (W: 14-4)

113: Troy Schaafsma (W: 15-0)

120: JP Ascolese (L:6-3)

DL

ORADELL---Bergen Catholic made a statement loud and clear to the rest of the county: you all are still playing cacth up to the Crusaders.  BC defeated #2 Emerson/Park Ridge 39-19 on Friday night in Oradell, and in the process handed EPR its first loss of the season.  The Crusaders once again dominated in the upper weights, and Christian Jenco's 1-0 win at 195 lbs sealed the match for the Crusaders with 2 matches still remaining on the night.  The BC depth was just too much for EPR to handle on the night, and the Crusaders were able to pick up major bonus points throughout the dual.

BC (39) EPR (19)

106: Tyler Casamenti (W: pin)

113: Matt Rose (W: 5-3)

120: JP Ascolese (W: pin)

126: Troy Schaafsma (L: 5-1)

132: Harrison Utter (L: 9-1)

138: Michael Moore (L: pin)

145: Connor Melde (W: 6-2)

152: Matt Mangini (L: 5-2)

160: Johnny Sebastian (W: pin)

170: Alex Kruklinski (W: 9-5)

182: Lukas Iorio (W: 6-2)

195: Christian Jenco (W: 1-0)

220: Hunter Kiselick (L:4-3)

285: Carmine Goldsack (W: DQ)

ORADELL---Bergen Catholic trailed Paramus for a majority of the night at Hoehl Gymnasium, but in the second-to-last match of the night at 285 pounds, BC junior Carmine Goldsack made a triumphant return to the Crusader lineup and pinned his opponent, giving BC a lead it would never relinquish on the way to an exciting (32-30) victory on Wednesday night over Paramus.

BC (9-5) received two pins from stars Connor Melde and Johnny Sebastian earlier in the night, but Paramus had done a fine job of avoiding big loses leading up to the crucial match at 285.  With Paramus favored at 106 pounds, it was imperative that the Crusaders pick up a lot of points preceding the final match, and Goldsack started fast putting his opponent on his back, but could not find a way to get the pinfall after the first period.  In the second period, Goldsack once again was patient in waiting for his shot, and when he did, the Crusader made sure to put his opponent in a cradle and then put all his weight on him to get the pin.  The BC gym erupted in applause, as the Crusader faithful knew that Tyler Casamenti just needed to avoid a pin or a tech fall in order to win the match for his team.  The BC sophomore from Paramus would lose 6-2, but the night belonged to the #1 team in North Jersey with a dramatic (32-30) victory.

BC (32) Paramus (30)

113: Troy Schaafsma (L: 8-4)

120: JP Ascolese (W: 4-1)

126: Mike Moore (L: 15-0)

132: Harrison Utter (L: 15-4)

138: Connor Melde (W: pin)

145: Aidan Burgoyne (L: pin)

152: David Brennan (L: injury default)

160: Johnny Sebastian (W: pin)

170: Alex Kruklinski (L: 5-4)

182: Lukas Iorio (W: 14-0)

195: Christian Jenco (W: 8-6)

220: Hunter Kiselick (W: 14-5)

285: Carmine Godsack (W: pin)

106: Tyler Casamenti (L: 6-2)

DL

ORADELL---Bergen Catholic picked up its first win of the season, and at the same time were able to work in several young Crusaders into the varsity lineup for the first time in their careers.  Paramus Catholic won the first match of the night, but the Crusaders won the last 13 matches, and a majority by pin fall.

BC will hit the road on Friday night traveling to Old Tappan before embarking on an important quad this weekend at Southern Regional as the Crusaders will take on some of the top programs in the state in High Point, Brick Memorial, and the host, Southern Regional.

BC (73) Paramus Catholic (3)

132: Michael Moore lost (3-2)

138: Corey Dobel (pin)

145: David Brennan (pin)

152: Roberto Morgenstern won (17-3)

160: Johnny Sebastian (pin)

170: Alex Kruklinski (pin)

182: Lukas Iorio (won by forfeit)

195: Christian Jenco (pin)

220: Hunter Kiselick (9-5)

285: Carmine Goldsack (pin)

106: Tyler Casamenti (pin)

113: Matt Rose (won by forfeit)

126: JP Ascolese (won by forfeit)

DL

ORADELL---Bergen Catholic raced out to a 24-0 lead on Thursday night after winning the first 7 matches of the night, and BC had to like their chances when the 132 pound match came around and their best wrestler stepped onto the mat.  But when Connor Melde, 6th all-time in wins in school history was unable to continue his match due to a concussion he sustained after being thrown down to the mat, BC's dreams of a top ranking in the state went out the window.  South Plainfield finished the night strong, and claimed a 34-24 victory at Hoehl Gymnasium.

The night began with BC's Johnny Sebastian claiming an 18-5 major decision at 160 pounds.  Alex Kurklinski followed with a 14-5 major decision at 170 pounds, and BC led 8-0 after the first two matches of the evening.  Lukas Iorio won 8-1 at 182 pounds to give BC an 11-0 lead on the scoreboard, but already there was a concern that the Crusaders were not picking up enough bonus points for later on in the match.

BC won the next three matches in even closer fashion, with the Scarlet & Gold getting a 6-3 win from Christian Jenco at 195 pounds, a 3-2 win by Hunter Kiselick at 220 pounds, and a 5-1 win by Carmine Goldsack at 285 pounds. After Tyler Casamenti claimed a 17-7 major victory at 106 pounds, the Crusaders led 24-0 and the home crowd was rocking in Oradell.  But South Plainfield was about to enter into the heart of their lineup.

Matt Rose lost his match at 113 pounds by a 14-4 major decision, and then JP Ascolese was pinned at 120 pounds, allowing South Plainfield to pull within 24-10.  Harrison Utter avoided a pin, and lost a tech fall decision at 17-2 at 126 pounds, making the score 24-15 in favor of BC with their best wrestler in Connor Melde awaiting at 132 pounds.

Melde was favored to win at 132 pounds, but certainly not expected to win by pin or any other major decision based on his recent history against his South Plainfield opponent.  With the score tied 2-2 in the final seconds of the 1st period, Melde was in the grasp of Scott DelVecchio, who had his arms tied around Melde's waist, and from behind lifted the Crusader up and threw him down and ruled out-of-bounds for near 2 point takedown.  Melde stayed down on the mat, was attended to by BC's trainer Bill Walsh, who after administering a host of concussion tests determined a visibly qoozy Melde unfit for returning to his match. The once silent South Plainfield crowd erupted in joy, knowing that the night was essentially theirs after that shocking turn of events in the 132 pound match.

BC would lose the remaining matches of the night, seeing Mike Moore pinned at 138 pounds, Mike Maye lose 7-2 at 145 pounds, and Matt Mangini fall 13-0 at 152 pounds.  The Melde match was certainly a huge turning point in the overall match, but the deciding factor really was BC's inability to generate enough bonus points at the beginning of the night to give them an even bigger cushion before SP's heart of the order came up.  The biggest concern now will be Connor Melde's overall health, and his future with this BC team.  BC will next be in action at the BCCA Tournament next week, where as the defending Bergen County champions, the Crusaders will be looking for their 17th championship in school history.

BC 24 South Plainfield 34

160 Johnny Sebasatian (W 18-5)

170 Alex Kruklinski (W 14-5)

182 Lukas Iorio (W 8-1)

195 Christian Jenco (W 6-3)

220 Hunter Kiselick (W 3-2)

285 Carmine Goldsack (W 5-1)

106 Tyler Casamenti (W 17-7)

113 Matt Rose ( L 4-14)

120 JP Ascolese ( L pin)

126 Harrison Utter (L 2-17)

132 Connor Melde (L injury default)

138 Mike Moore (L pin)

145 Mike Maye (L 2-7)

152 Matt Mangini (L 0-13)

DL

Bergen Catholic will take part in their most important regular season match in recent years, as the Crusaders host state power South Plainfield at 7 pm on Thursday night at Hoehl Gymnasium in Oradell.  Many experts in the wrestling community believe that the winner of Thursday night's match will end up as the top team in the state before the New Year.

Last season South Plainfield easily dispatched the Crusaders (50-17) at home, and eventually lost in the Group III sectional final to High Point. BC comes off their best finish ever at The Beast of the East Tournament, which saw the Crusaders finish tied for 10th place in the 95 team field, and had Connor Melde place 4th at 132 lbs and Johnny Sebastian finish 2nd at 160 lbs.

DL

ORADELL--Bergen Catholic's wrestling team eliminated the defending state champion Don Bosco Prep Ironmen in the 2011 North Non Public A quarterfinals by a score of 37-20.  BC won 9 of the 14 matches on the night, and enacted revenge on their rivals who beat them in Hoel Gymnasium last February for the North Non Public A Sectional Championship. 

                                                                                                                           BC will now advance to take on St. Peter's Prep on Wednesday night for the second consecutive season in the semifinal round of the state playoffs in Jersey City. 

                                                                                                                           DL

Bergen Catholic will begin its playoff journey tonight as the #3 seed in the North Non-Public A playoffs at Hoel Gymnasium as the Crusaders match up against arch rival Don Bosco Prep, the #6 seed in the playoffs.  BC was upset by the Ironmen last February at home in the sectional final and had to watch DBP win their first ever state title the follwoing day.  The Red & Gold already doubled up Bosco 42-21 in their regular season meeting a couple of weeks ago, and now they will look to eliminate the Ironmen from the playoffs in the quarterfinal round.  In that loss, Bosco managed to only win 5 of the 14 total matches. 

                                                                                                                           BC is led by their outstanding junior wrestler Connor Melde, who just earned his 100th career victory last Friday night.  The winner tonight will take on St. Peter's Prep on Wednesday night in the semifinals.

                                                                                                                            DL