Bonus points the difference as Rebels edge Braves
Howell earns 32-30
A North win
By tim morris
Staff Writer

Jerry Wolkowitz Howell’s Zac Cunliffe controls Scott Beckerman of Manalapan in a 119-pound bout during the Shore Conference A North Division showdown at Manalapan on Saturday.

Matt Ingrassia knew he had to do something special to get the momentum back on Howell’s side in Saturday’s Shore Conference A North Division showdown at Manalapan.

The two-time defending champion Rebels had taken an 8-0 lead after the first two matches on wins by the Cunliffe brothers: Zac (119), a 16-1 technical fall over Scott Beckerman, and Rod (125), a 7-0 decision over Tim Weber. However, after the quick start, the Rebels went straight into the teeth of Manalapan’s strength, the middleweights. The Braves would ring up five straight wins from 130-152 and seize the lead 20-8 and momentum in front of a packed Manalapan gymnasium.

As a captain, Ingrassia considered it his responsibility to turn things around for his team in his match at 160 with the Braves’ Pete White.

"At that point, I felt we needed something," he said. "I knew I had to pick my team up. We needed six points, and I thought ‘pin.’"

JERRY WOLKOWITZ Howell’s Matt Metta, Matt Ingressia and John Yard celebrate their squad’s win over Manalapan on Saturday.

Ingrassia would start a very determined comeback from the poised Rebels that would lead to a 32-30 win by registering a pin at 1:55. The match went the way both coach John Gagliano at Howell and John Verderosa at Manalapan thought it would: dead even, with each team winning seven matches.

"It came down to the bonus points, and we were fortunate to come out on top," Gagliano said. "It was a great match. They (Manalapan) are a great group and well coached. Hats off to them.

"We knew they were solid all the way through the middle," he added. "Our guys had to step up, and they did."

Verderosa also knew that the match would come down to bonus points.

"On paper, I had it 7-7," he explained. "The match very easily could have gone either way. We knew they that had an advantage in the upperweight, where they could get bonus points. We needed something extra special and didn’t get it."

It wasn’t for lack of effort. After the Cunliffes had put Howell up 8-0, the Braves bounced back with 20 straight points. It began with Sean Burns’ 8-0 major decision over Dan Sabba.

Four points in the third period, including a reversal, helped Burns turn a three-point decision to a four-point major. In this match, every point was critical. Joe Anatasio then decisioned the Rebels’ Josh Woodward, 6-1. Mike Gaeta, bumped up to 140 for this match, then put Manalapan on top 11-8 with a 21-9 major decision over Eric Nomikos. Brenden Provow then gave the home team a big bonus, pinning Howell’s Matt Metta at 5:22 to boost the lead to 17-8.

It was all going Manalapan’s way when, at 152, Dan Becker scored a takedown with just five seconds remaining to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat. Howell’s Bryan Ickles was clinging to a 5-4 lead as time was expiring, but the relentless Becker got his two-point takedown and a big 6-5 win, which extended Manalapan’s lead to 20-8.

It was now up to Ingrassia to stem the tide, and he took the mat with a definite plan against White, whom he was wrestling for the first time.

"I went out there looking for a cradle," Ingrassia pointed out. "I had a chance the first time I used it. The second time, I made sure that I had it tighter."

He did, and Howell closed Manalapan’s margin to 20-14, heading to its strength in the upperweights.

"Matt set the tone with his win," noted Gagliano.

Scott Kirk followed Ingrassia’s pin with a 10-7 decision at 171 over Dominick Lipariti. Kirk raced out to a quick 9-1 lead. Knowing the importance of his match, he took no chances from there on and picked up the three points the Rebels needed. It was now 20-17.

John Yard quickly put Howell back in the lead 23-20 when he deposited Josh Sauer’s shoulders to the mat in :50 seconds.

Momentum was now riding with the Rebels, and Greg Adams kept it going with a pin at 215 over Chris Rock in 4:10.

Adams said the Rebels were unfazed by Manalapan’s domination early in the match.

"We were all trying to work as hard as we could," he said. "We kept our heads into it. I was going to out there to try my hardest and wrestle the way I always do, hard-nosed all the time."

That produced the win that put Howell in charge, 29-20.

Heavyweight Jesse Manna was up next, and he used a reversal to get a 3-2 win that had Howell in command, 32-20. Howell had reeled off 24 unanswered points from 160 heavyweight and registered two pins. For the match, Howell had three pins and a tech fall to Manalapan’s two pins. They were extra points the Braves couldn’t overcome.

Howell was not out of the woods just yet, even with a 32-20 margin. Two matches remained, 103 and 112, and the Braves had a big edge in both. Two pins and Manalapan could still get a tie.

Points not given up can be as important as points earned, and at 103, Howell’s John Reilly did his part by staying out of trouble against Manalapan’s Nick Manochio.

The Braves earned a 13-3 major decision with a strong third period that included a reversal, takedown and back points. But Manalapan needed the six points to have a chance to tie. Reilly clinched the win for Howell.

Dan Hilt closed things out for Manalapan by pinning Jay Ucci of Howell in 4:22.

The importance placed on every point in this match was evident from the start. The draw determined that 119 would be the opening match, and the Rebels’ Zac Cunliffe picked up some big bonus points in the third period.

The Braves’ Beckerman did everything to avoid being pinned. After two periods, Cunliffe led just 7-1, but a takedown and a couple of cradles producing back points led to a 16-1 technical fall and five points for Howell instead of three.

"We have a great coaching staff," said Cunliffe. "They had us prepared well in advance for this match. We came prepared. Everyone who came off the mat tonight kept his head up and stayed into the match.

"Mentally, you have to be ready if you wrestle first or last," he added. "When I was told I was going to be first, I knew I had the chance to do something big for the team."

Saturday’s night match had more than A North Division significance. It had state ramifications, with Manalapan (now 3-1) entering the evening 17th in the state and Howell (5-0 after its win), 20th. The Rebels, no doubt, improved their stock.

Coaches and wrestlers left the match agreeing that Howell and Manalapan will likely meet again before the season is over. With the Shore Conference Tournament and Central Jersey Group IV playoffs coming up next month, the two teams could very well meet there.

If there is a second or even a third meeting, Saturday’s match in Howell will be a tough act to follow.

Howell, now in the A North driver’s seat with the win, will host Neptune today (7 p.m.) and Lincroft’s Christian Brothers Academy on Saturday (11 a.m.). Middletown North, which looms as the division’s other big threat, will visit Howell on the 16th (7 p.m.).

Manalapan hosts Middletown South tonight (7 p.m.) and on Saturday travels to Middletown North (11 a.m.). The Braves need to keep on winning and hope for a Howell slip to get a share of the A North title.