ATLANTIC CITY | Two undefeated opponents stood in the way
of state championship glory Sunday for a pair of
Express-Times area wrestlers at the NJSIAA individual
championships at Boardwalk Hall.
The fact that both are still unbeaten detracts in no way
from the accomplishments of Delaware Valley senior Bobby
Stevely and North Hunterdon junior Jack Delia.
Paulsboro senior Joe Duca handed Stevely a 9-3 loss in the
125-pound final, while Manchester Townships three-time
champion James Lawson pinned Delia in 43 seconds.
Both Duca and Lawson entered the finals as the favorites
but neither Stevely nor Delia gave an inch.
I wasnt afraid of him, Delia said.
Honestly I was just happy to be there, Stevely
said. I had nothing to lose and I went out and gave it
all I had and let it all out.
Stevely said the critical moment came with 40 seconds left
in the second period when Duca (42-0 season, 155-14 career,
three-time state medalist) scored his second takedown of the
match.
When it was 2-1, I was still in the match, said
Stevely, who said he was hoping to attend, and wrestle for,
Drexel University. But when it got to be 4-1, it was
going to be difficult to come back.
It will not be difficult for Stevely, who ended up the
season at 40-4 and his career at 123-32, to remember this
weekend.
My biggest goal all season was just to come down here
and place, and I achieved that, he said. I
didnt care what place, just to place.
I didnt have a clue thatd I would be in
the final. I was happy with my effort -- just being in the
final was great. Win, lose, I was happy either way.
Delia had said earlier in this tournament he wouldnt
be intimidated by any opponent. He came out against the
fearsome Lawson -- 141-11 on his career with three-first
period pins in this tournament -- just that way.
Coach (Tim Flynn) told me to go and do what I
normally do, said Delia, who finished his junior
season at 37-1, 71-28 on his career.
That meant being aggressive on his feet and he was -- he
took the first shot and got in further on Lawson, who would
win the Outstanding Wrestler Award (he wrestled just 3
minutes and 54 seconds in the whole tournament) -- than
anyone else had all tournament.
Jack respects people, Flynn said. But
hes never afraid. He wasnt afraid of
Lawson.
Lawson fought Delias shot off, shot in himself and
that was all he needed; the takedown came quickly, the pin
almost as fast.
The result in the final did not dampen what had been a
superb season for Delia.
I would say this was a good season, Delia said.
It was better than my freshman season, when I was
4-18.
Brad Wilson can be reached at 800-360-3601 or
bwilson@express-times.com. Talk about sports at
lehighvalleylive.com/forums

ATLANTIC CITY | Jonathan Slack could have a let a bad draw
upset him.
He could have let getting pinned in a quarterfinal knock
him off his game.
The Warren Hills senior could have lost his focus during
the tiring and lengthy consolation rounds.
Slack could have done any of that.
Instead, he finished in third place at 285 pounds Sunday
during the NJSIAA individual championships at Boardwalk
Hall.
A good friend of mine told me it takes more guts to
wrestle back and get third than it takes to win, Slack
said.
Slack pinned Emiliano Betancor of West Orange in 4 minutes
and 56 seconds in the third-place match. His only loss in
the tournament came to Manchesters three-time champion
James Lawson, who won four bouts en route to his latest
title, all by first-period fall.
Had Slack been seeded differently, he could well have made
the final.
I looked at the draw and I thought, What I can
I do about it? said Slack, who finished his senior
season 34-5. I came down here, did my wrestling, lost
to Lawson. I couldnt let it scare me.
It figures Slack would not frighten easily, being the son
of Warren Hills 1977 heavyweight state champion, Dan
Slack, though hes not a carbon copy of his very proud
dad.
He might like me to wrestle with more emotion, but
Ive seen kids wrestle with a lot of emotion and it
loses matches for them, Slack said.
He told me how happy he was for me (taking third);
that beats it all for me, hearing that from him, much more
so than winning and losing. I dont think I can fully
describe what this means for me.
Brown finishes seventh
North Warren senior Kevin Brown finished his career by
hammering Bergen Catholics Keith Switzer in the
seventh-place bout 7-0. Brown had pinned Switzer in a
pre-quarterfinal on Friday.
Brown leaves quite a legacy at North Warren -- hes
the Patriots only three-time state medalist. In fact,
hes North Warrens only state medalist, and
finished with a 124-33 career mark.
I hope North Warren can build on what I did, he
said. Weve got some pretty tough kids coming up
and a good municipal program, so I hope North Warren can
step it up in the future.
Brown was not exactly satisfied with seventh -- his body
language said it all -- but not all that dissatisfied,
either.
Theres a lot of really good kids who
didnt even place here, didnt even get to
states, he said. I am happy I got to medal
again.
Things didnt go my way, but I thought I
wrestled well. The kids that beat me didnt make any
mistakes, and I didnt catch any breaks.
Hafke places eighth
Voorhees senior Mike Hafke took home an eighth-place medal
at 171. He lost a tough 4-2 overtime decision to Egg Harbor
Townships Zach Agostino in the seventh-place match.
Hafke finished 35-5 on the season.
Three Central medalists
Hunterdon Central enjoyed a big weekend. The Red Devils
coach, Steve Gibble, was named the Region 5 coach of the
year, and his wrestlers took home three medals led by Alex
Shaffers championship at 119. Shaffer, a sophomore who
is 34-0 this year and 68-2 career, defeated Heriberto
Quintana of Perth Amboy 15-5 in the final.
Brad Wilson can be reached at 800-360-3601 or
bwilson@express-times.com. Talk about sports at
lehighvalleylive.com/forums

KANSAS CITY (March 1, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships, Everlast and The Kansas City Power & Light District announced today that they are sponsoring an open tryout that will provide a once-in-a-lifetime chance for undiscovered fighters to earn a spot in one of the promotion’s upcoming nationally televised Season 2 events.

The winner will participate in a featured fight during Bellator’s April 29th event at the Power & Light District, a state-of-the-art, open-air, mixed-use entertainment venue at the center of downtown Kansas City owned and operated by The Cordish Company. The event, like all of Bellator’s Season 2 and 3 events, will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net and during special highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo.

The tryouts–which are presented in partnership with Everlast–will take place on Saturday, March 6th at Ringside, Inc.’s John Brown Training Center in Lenexa, Kansas. Members of the media are cordially invited to attend. Fighter registration begins at 12 noon with tryouts starting at 1 p.m.

“In the spirit of Rocky Balboa, this tryout will give an undiscovered up-and-coming fighter the chance of a lifetime to be highlighted on a national stage,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We look forward to seeing a solid pool of fighters who are looking for their shot to compete at a world-class level.”

Professional Mixed Martial Arts fighters with valid Federal ID cards are encouraged to sign up. The open tryouts will be held in a cage and will include grappling and bag-striking. Competitors will be judged by Bellator Fighting Championships executives and officials. To participate, fighters must provide proof of at least two professional fights. Participants are expected to bring their Federal I.D. and their own protective gear.

The April 29th event is one of four that Bellator will be staging at the highly popular Kansas City Power & Light District. The Power & Light District encompasses multiple square blocks in the heart of Kansas City’s downtown area and features an exciting blend of restaurants, nightlife, and shopping, welcoming in excess of 6 million visitors annually.

“This tryout is the kickoff event for a spring and summer of excitement the likes of which Kansas City hasn’t seen before,” said Nick Benjamin, executive director of the Power & Light District. “It’s a great opportunity for a local talent to make his name in front of thousands of his fellow Kansas Citians in Kansas City Live!1—and the millions who’ll be watching on national TV—during the first main event on April 29.”

Tickets for the event go on sale March 6 at Tickemaster.com and at the Midland Theater box office downtown. Tickets will also be available at the tryout event and in select Power & Light District venues. Check out www.powerandlightdistrict.com for more information on ticket availability.

Dates for the Kansas City Power & Light District events are as follows:

- April 29, 2010 – Bellator XVI

- June 24, 2010 – Bellator XXIV

- August 26, 2010 – Bellator XXVII

- October 14, 2010 – Bellator XXXIV

For more information, visit www.bellator.com.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About The Cordish Company

The Cordish Company (www.cordish.com), now in its fourth generation of family ownership, is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate including one of the leading gaming, entertainment and real estate development companies in the United States. The Company has diverse development expertise with divisions focused on Entertainment & Mixed-Use, Gaming & Lodging, Sports Anchored Districts, Shopping & Lifestyle Retail, Office and Residential. The Cordish Company also owns and manages a diverse group of operating businesses, ranging from gaming, restaurants/clubs to live music promotion and film/media distribution. The company values itself on the quality of its operations, its long-term relationships, and high level of integrity in all of its endeavors.

The Cordish Company is the largest and most successful developer of entertainment districts and concepts in the United States. In particular, the company has unparalleled experience in creating and revitalizing high-profile destinations in urban core locations. Many of the Cordish Company’s projects involve public/private partnerships and are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. Prime examples are the company’s prominent role in the redevelopment of Baltimore’s world-famous Inner Harbor; Atlantic City, NJ; Hollywood, FL; Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Louisville, KY; Tampa, FL, Kansas City, MO; and Towson, MD.

The Cordish Company has received the highest possible national awards in its various areas of expertise. In real estate, the Cordish Company has received an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards of Excellence.

About the Kansas City Power & Light District

The Kansas City Power & Light District (www.power&lightdistrict.com) is a vibrant, new eight-block neighborhood in the heart of downtown Kansas City that is redefining the City from its skyline to its sidewalks. The District links together the renovated Bartle Hall Convention Center, the new Sprint Center, offices, hotels, entertainment, cultural destinations and residential developments. The $850 million mixed-use District anchors $5 billion of complimentary development efforts in downtown Kansas City. The combination of entertainment, retail, nightlife and residential with the District’s imaginative and innovative design, has revitalized and rejuvenated downtown Kansas City.

HARDYSTON TWP., N.J. | Belvidere High Schools Dylan
Thorsen has a way bringing the crowd to its feet with what
he does on a wrestling mat.
But no one knew the sophomore 119-pounder had such a flair
for the dramatic.
Thorsen got everyones attention Sunday afternoon when
he upset High Points Billy Gould in the semifinals of
the NJSIAA Region 1 Wrestling Tournament at Wallkill Valley
Regional High School.
The tournament resumes today with consolations at 6 p.m.,
followed by the finals. The top three place-winners at each
weight class qualify for the State Wrestling Championship
beginning Friday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Thorsen (23-1) trailed 3-0 in the second period when he
head-whipped Gould -- a two-time regional champ for a
takedown and stepped over for the fall in 3:15.
I usually beat kids on my feet, said Thorsen,
wholl face Hopatcongs Dan Haines (34-1) in the
final. But (Gould) is a great wrestler and hes
good on his feet.
He was controlling the tie-ups, so I chin-whipped him
real quick. And when I got my hip over, I knew I had
him.
Thorsen also gained a measure of revenge on his way to his
match-up with Gould when he defeated Mendhams Ben
Conover 3-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals.
Conover handed Thorsen his only loss of the season, 6-4, in
last weekends District 1 finals at Warren Hills.
I was really mad that I lost last week at
districts, Thorsen said. I definitely wanted to
come back and make up for that.
Thorsen was one of seven Express-Times area wrestlers to
advance to the finals.
Warren Hills has three in the finals -- top-seeded Matt
Artigliere at 160, and No. 2 seeds Matt Schuebel (130) and
Jon Slack (285) -- with Hackettstown advancing two and
Phillipsburg one.
Two other upsets featuring local wrestlers highlighted the
semifinals, including eighth-seeded heavyweight Ryan Fazzi
from Phillipsburg knocking off the No. 1 and 4 seeds on his
way to the finals.
Fazzi (24-13) picked off top-seeded Steve Giraldo of
Hackettstown, 2-1 in overtime in the quarters before pinning
No. 4 Joe Yarosz of Morris Catholic.
I worked really hard all year and one of my main
goals was to make it to states, said Fazzi,
wholl face Slack in the finals. I think I was
overlooked as the No. 8 seed, but I know I can wrestle with
these guys.
Slack (28-4) owns a pair of wins this season over Fazzi,
including 7-1 in the District 1 semis.
Its going to be a good match, Slack said.
I expect the first person to score to win -- or maybe
the guy who can score in the fourth or fifth overtime.
Well see.
Fazzis win helped the Liners avoid being
shutout of the region finals for only the third time in
history.
The Stateliners have had at least one wrestler competing
for a region title every year except for 1962 and 2007.
Phillipsburgs other entrants -- Ryan Watson (125),
John Horak (135) and Oliver Brukardt (145) -- lost on the
way to the finals.
Hackettstown freshman Tyler Kozimor got into the upset act,
winning a pair of nail-biters, including a 3-2 decision over
top-seeded Jan Rosenberg 3-2 in the semis.
No. 5 seeded Kozimor also avenged a pair of earlier losses
by knocking off Lenape Valleys Matt Benvenuto 5-3 in
overtime in the quarters.
I lost to both kids early in the year and everyone
told me I could win, Kozimor said. And I got it
done today.
Kozimor (26-10), who has gone 19-4 after a 7-6 start this
season, is joined in the finals by his older brother Corey
Kozimor, who cruised into the finals with a technical fall
and a pin at 125.
I definitely think (Tyler) winning those two matches
got me pumped, said Corey Kozimor, a two-time regional
champ who faces Wallkill Valleys Zach DiPini in the
finals
DiPini (36-3) beat Watson 13-2 in the quarterfinals.
Schuebel (26-4) scored a takedown at the buzzer to get by
Belvideres Doug Cowley 9-7 in the semis. Hell
face Kittatinnys Clarke Moynihan in the finals.
Artigliere (25-3) beat Morris Hills Joe Casale 13-7
before hanging on for a 6-5 decision over fourth-seeded
Miguel Burgos of Hopatcong in the semifinals.
Hes rewarded with High Points No. 2 seeded John
Guzzo in the 160-pound title bout.
Sticking with the upset theme, a pair of top-seeded local
entries were knocked out of the winners bracket in the
semifinals.
Brukardt dropped a 7-1 decision to fourth-seeded Chris
Burdge (31-3) from Kittatinny, and North Warrens Kevin
Brown lost for the first time this season, 7-5 to
Montvilles Mike Intile (37-1) at 152.
Both are still alive in the consolation finals with a trip
to A.C. on the line.
Brukardt (35-3) will wrestle Randolphs Rob Smith
(23-8) and Brown faces Mendhams Ryan Harrington in the
consolation finals.
Harrington (29-5) took Brown to overtime in the District 1
finals before falling 3-1.
Pburgs Horak (135), Warren Hills Anthony
Gaito (140) and Hackettstowns Khalid Zubaydi (215) are
still alive for third.
Brian Fortner can be reached at sports@express-times.com.
Talk about sports in the region at
lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

RARITAN TWP. | Voorhees senior Mike Hafke and North
Hunterdon junior Jack Delia each had a plan and stuck to it
on Saturday at Hunterdon Central High School, and now they
are Region 5 wrestling champions.
They each earned a trip to next weekends state
championships, along with five other Express-Times area
wrestlers who made it to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City as
state qualifiers the hard way, through the dreaded
wrestle-backs.
Junior Cody Barbiche, freshman Mike Pongracz, and senior
Bobby Stevely of Delaware Valley, and North Hunterdon
Lions sophomore Beau Vrancken, and junior Chris
Cancelliere, were third-place finishers in order to be state
qualifiers.
Hafke (33-2) gained his 100th career win in the semifinals
and went on to capture the 171-pound championship with a
decisive 8-0 decision over top-seeded Brendan Vercammen of
South Brunswick (also 33-2).
Basically, its my plan to get the first
takedown and then stay on top, Hafke said.
While it may be easier said than done, it has produced four
consecutive District 17 titles for him, and now he has
earned a Region 5 crown.
I cant look past anyone, but Im wrestling
with a lot of confidence now, like I can beat anybody,
Hafke said. Getting that 100th win and a spot in the
final took a lot of pressure off me. I still wanted that
championship, but I knew Id made it to Atlantic City
so I just went out there and wrestled my match.
Delia (34-0) went into a fourth overtime period to defeat
Lafayette College-bound Brad Bormann of Hunterdon Central in
a rematch of their District 17 final. Wrestling primarily on
his feet, Delia outlasted Bormann 3-2. In the quarterfinals
and semifinals, Delia won by fall in 1:25 over Chris Rossi
of Hillsborough and in 1:54 over Nadrell McMillan of New
Brunswick.
Delia does not change his style for anybody,
said first-year North Hunterdon coach Tim Flynn. He
has a plan and knows exactly what he has to do to win.
Hes a smart heavyweight.
I had to wrestle well in regions to get to the
states, Delia said. Bormann wrestles me really
hard.
Delaware Valleys three qualifiers won do-or-die bouts
after losing disappointing quarterfinal contests.
Barbiche lost to eventual 103-pound champion Gary Siriday
of Sayreville by a 10-3 score.
In the wrestle-back bracket, he won by fall in 50 seconds
with a barrel roll and cradle over Valerio LaMorte of
Bridgewater-Raritan, and then won the third-place bout by a
4-2 decision over top-seeded Luis Nunez of Perth Amboy.
I wrestled him twice before, Barbiche said of
Nunez. I lost to him last year and this year. This
time I decided to be the aggressor, on my feet, and get that
first takedown to set the pace. But, hes a good
wrestler and I had to weather the storm to get the
win.
Barbiche scored two takedowns to two escapes for Nunez, but
had to defend against several takedown attempts late in the
bout.
Pongracz scored a near fall and then pinned Michael Palomba
of South River in 3:40 with a half-nelson to win his
third-place bout at 112 pounds.
I wrestled him in the grade school states last year
and came back and pinned him with a half-nelson there, so I
knew hed have trouble defending it, Pongracz
explained.
When we had to win, we got aggressive, he said
of his Del Val teammates and himself. Ive
wrestled Cody and Bobby in practice, and theyve showed
me how to use the cradle. He won by 15-0 tech fall in
5:20 in his first wrestle-back bout over Patrick Boyle of
North Hunterdon.
Stevely lost to the eventual 125-pound champion, 26-1 Ray
Delanuez of Edison, in the quarterfinals. He then earned the
third place medal as he toughed out a 5-2 decision over Mike
Pysniak, of Bishop Ahr, and an 8-4 decision over Paul
Kirchner, of Somerville.
We had not too good a day, said third-year
Delaware Valley coach Andy Fitz, but the three lighter
weights brightened it up. They worked very hard, and were
aggressive on their feet, so were taking three to
Atlantic City and two of them are underclassmen. Stevely had
an unfortunate district loss, which gave him a tough region
seeding.
I feel bad for (Kyle) Mesce (who lost 6-2 in overtime
to Beau Vrancken of North Hunterdon in a wrestle-back bout
at 145 pounds). He gave away a match and then lost to
Vrancken, who he had beaten four times. He pinned him twice
and majored him. But, I give Vrancken credit, hes come
a long way and hes dangerous, capable of doing great
things.
After beating his nemesis Mesce, Vrancken captured third
place by fall in 4:09 over Chris Carey of Hunterdon Central.
Beau is a very strong wrestler, said Flynn,
and he wrestled one of his smartest bouts against
Mesce. He took him down and then got away. He gutted it out,
and now hes going to Atlantic City as a
sophomore.
Cancelliere was in the wrestle-backs a year ago at Region 5
and finished fourth. I didnt want that to happen
again, he said. He outpointed Garrett Cuddey of
Spotswood 5-2 in his first wrestle-back and then outlasted
Carlos Rosario 10-8 in overtime to gain third place.
It was a matter of will, as well as technique,
he observed.
In addition to Delia, the following maintained perfect
records in winning Region 5 championships: Outstanding
Wrestler Award winner Alex Shaffer (30-0) of Hunterdon
Central at 119, 35-0 Brian Bistis of host HCHS at 130, 36-0
Micah Blair of Somerville at 145 (he got his 100th career
win in the final), and the workmanlike 34-0 Jerry Somma of
the Red Devils at 160 pounds.
The Red Devils coach, Steve Gibble, was honored for
winning sectional and district titles, with the Region 5
Coach of the Year Award.

Looking back as his high school wrestling career, Voorhees
High School senior Mike Hafke will forever see a huge hole
when he gets to the portion labeled 2009 Postseason.
The Vikings senior never had a chance to complete that part
of his resume.
Hafkes junior season was cut short by an ankle injury
that forced him to pull out of the competition just after
winning the 160-pound district championship.
Hafke is fully healed and is ready and able to make up for
the lost time he suffered through a year ago.
It was really hard last year watching at the
regionals and not being able to wrestle, Hafke said.
I hate sitting around watching. I love to wrestle and
when I couldnt -- seeing guys that I knew I could beat
get to state and win medals -- it just killed me. I went to
state, but I really couldnt even watch much.
Hafke, who won his fourth District 17 title last week, will
be one of the favorites to win the 171-pound class when the
Region 5 Tournament resumes Saturday at the Hunterdon
Central Field House.
Originally scheduled for tonight, the event was moved to a
one-day event Saturday because of the impending snowstorm.
Instead, action begins 9:30 a.m. Saturday with
quarterfinals, semifinals, wrestlebacks, consolation finals
and championships to follow immediately after one another.
The top three place winners from each weight class advance
to the NJSIAA Championships on March 5-7 at Boardwalk Hall
in Atlantic City.
Hafke (31-2) placed second in the region at 130 as a
freshman and then won the 145 championship as a sophomore.
This season, Hafke has proved he belongs in the
conversation with New Jerseys best 171-pounders. His
losses this season were to Wallkill Valleys Ryan
Callahan (7-5) Tri-County Tournament final on Jan. 31 and to
Trenton Centrals Canaan Bethea (8-7) in mid-January.
Callahan is ranked No. 1 in the state by The Star-Ledger;
Bethea was ranked No. 2 at the time.
Hafke, seeded second behind South Brunswicks Brendan
Vercammen, joins teammates Michael Bush (119), Vinny Peoni
(135), and Bobby Burd (189) in the quarters.
Hunterdon Central dominates the field with 12 wrestlers in
gold-medal contention.
The Red Devils feature No. 1 seeds Spencer Parcel (125),
Brian Bistis (135) and Jerry Somma at 160. Bistis and Somma
come in with 32-0 records. Parcel earned his top seed last
weekend defeating Del Vals Bobby Stevely 7-5 in the
District 17 final.
Stevely (33-2) is seeded No. 2 and is a good bet to avenge
the loss and claim his second region championship.
Bobby had a bad match last week, Del Val coach
Andy Fitz said. Give Parcel credit, he always wrestles
Bobby tough. (Bobby) just wasnt prepared mentally. If
they meet again, I guarantee his head will be where it needs
to be.
Stevelys teammates Mike Pongracz (112) and Kyle Mesce
(145) are both second seeds, and junior 103-pounder Cody
Barbiche is seeded third. Senior Matt Knowles is seeded
sixth at 140.
Pongracz (33-3) is part of a brutal 112-pound field that
includes top-seeded Mackey Price (26-1) of Hillsborough and
Montgomery senior Erik Biago (25-6). Biago and Pongracz
split a pair of decisions this season.
Barbiche (31-4) takes on Bound Brooks Robert Murray
in the quarterfinals with returning 103-pound runner-up Gary
Siriday of Sayreville waiting in the semis.
Mesce (31-4) is seeded second behind Somervilles
unbeaten Micah Blair (33-0).
North Hunterdon has three still in action. The Lions are
led by undefeated and top-seeded junior Jack Delia at 285.
Delia (32-0) could be on course for another meeting with
Hunterdon Central senior Brad Bormann if both can reach the
final.
Delia has dealt Bormann all three of his losses this
season.
The Lions sophomore Beau Vranken (145) and junior
Chris Cancelliere (152) are both solid favorites to advance
to Atlantic City.
Brian Fortner can be reached at sports@express-times.com.
Talk about sports in the region at
lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

HARDYSTON TWP., N.J. | Short of winning a state
championship, North Warren Regional High Schools Kevin
Brown has accomplished just about everything as a high
school wrestler.
The Patriots senior is a two-time state placewinner. He has
won a pair of district championships and a regional title --
not to mention being the top-ranked 152-pounder in the state
according to The Star-Ledger.
So, why are some questioning how far Brown can go heading
into this weekends Region 1 Tournament at Wallkill
Valley Regional High School?
The only explanation is Browns close call in the
District 1 final last Saturday. Brown needed overtime to
defeat Mendhams Ryan Harrington 3-1 in the title
match.
I felt like I was pretty aggressive, Brown
said. (Harrington) wrestled a safe match and kept
himself in great position. I was confident, though. Even
when it went to overtime, I was pretty confident Id
win.
I think people saw the score of the district finals
and wondered whats wrong, said North
Warrens first-year coach Dave Thatcher. But
Harrington wrestled a smart match. Kevin knows how to win
close matches. Kevin is still at the top of his game.
Brown (31-0), North Warrens all-time leader in career
wins with a 120-30 record, will look to prove again
hes the top dog when Region 1 action begins 5 p.m.
today with quarterfinals and first-round wrestlebacks,
weather permitting.
The top three place winners at each weight advance to the
NJSIAA Championships on March 5-7 at Boardwalk Hall in
Atlantic City.
From what we see everyday in the (practice) room,
Kevin is right on track for this time of year,
Thatcher said. Weve tried to schedule the best
competition we could to benefit all of our kids -- not just
Kevin. But hes proved himself to be able to beat
anyone.
Brown, the top seed at 152, has beaten all comers this
season. That included Pequannocks Keith Lemongello,
1-0, in the Kittatinny Tournament final in December. He
could meet Lemongello (30-4) in the semifinals.
Brown is one of 20 Express-Times area quarterfinalists.
Hackettstown leads the local contingent with eight in the
quarters, including returning champion Corey Kozimor (125).
Kozimor (25-2), who won his fourth District 1 title last
week, is the top seed at 125.
Warren Hills sends five to the quarterfinals with Matt
Schuebel (130), Matt Artigliere (160), Kyle ODonnell
(215) and Jon Slack (285) joining Gaito.
Artigliere (23-3) is the top seed at 160 and will have his
hands full repeating in a loaded weight class.
Schuebel (24-4) is the No. 2 seed behind Kittatinnys
Clarke Moynihan (22-9), who beat him 10-2 in the consolation
final of the Tri-County Tournament on Jan. 31.
Rylan Watson (125), John Horak (135), Oliver Brukardt (145)
and Ryan Fazzi (285) are still in the mix for Phillipsburg.
Horak (22-11), who placed second at 125 last season, won
his fourth district title last week. Hes seeded third.
Horak has the ability and the experience,
Phillipsburg coach Jason Magditch said. He has to go
out and be aggressive and not let his opponent hang around.
He has the ability to win every match by five or six points.
He just cant let his mind take over -- just go out
wrestle his best.
Watson (23-8) was a late entry into the postseason and
almost came away with his third-straight District 1
championship medal, losing 2-0 to Corey Kozimor.
His quarterfinal opponent is Wayne Valleys Zach
DiPini, the No. 3 seed.
DiPini (32-3) defeated Watson by a point over the summer
and gutted out a close 7-5 decision at the Tri-County
Tournament.
Rylan knows (DiPini) pretty well, Magditch
said. Hes wrestled him a couple times and has
come close to beating him. So the ability is definitely
there.
Belvideres Dylan Thorsen (119) and Doug Cowley (130)
are the other local wrestlers.
Brian Fortner can be reached at sports@express-times.com.
Talk about sports in the region at
lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

RARITAN TWP. | Bobby Burd missed the first month of the
high school wrestling season. So the Voorhees High School
senior 189-pounder is determined to let it all hang out the
next two weeks.
Burd did just that Tuesday night, pinning South
Brunswicks Jeff Goldhagen in the preliminary round of
the NJSIAA Region 5 Tournament at Hunterdon Central Regional
High School Field House.
Tuesdays winners advance to the quarterfinals --
scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday -- where theyll be
seeded with the champions from Districts 17, 18, 19 and 20.
The top three regional place winners advance to the NJSIAA
State Tournament on March 5-7 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
City.
Burd (13-8), who was forced to serve a disciplinary
suspension until Jan. 13, trailed 3-2 when he head-locked
Goldhagen (26-8) for the fall in 2:55 of the second period.
Im really not a head lock kind of guy,
Burd said. But it was there and I just took it.
Its all about doing whatever to advance. Records
dont mean much here. Im going to bring out
everything I can to get to the next round.
Burd is one of 14 Express-Times region wrestlers moving on
with wins Tuesday night.
Burds teammate Michael Busch was also a winner,
pinning North Hunterdons Mike Haines in 3:40 at 119.
Busch (17-9) had beaten Haines twice already this season,
so the Vikings junior was confident hed be still alive
come Friday night.
I beat him (3-1) in the dual meet this season and I
beat him (6-2) last week at districts, Busch said.
I knew I had his number. I went out there with nothing
to lose.
Delaware Valley went 3-1 on the night, including senior
125-pounder Bobby Stevely, who wasted no time in pinning
Ewings Matt Beardon in 1:26 to move on to the
quarterfinals.
Stevely (33-2) was stunned in last weeks District 17
finals, losing to Hunterdon Centrals Spencer Parcel
7-5.
The loss may have been just what Stevely needed to get him
on track.
I wrestled a bad match last week, said Stevely,
who defeated Parcel 3-1 during the regular season. I
didnt have my head where it needed to be. I made some
mistakes and put everything to (Parcels)
advantage.
(Parcel) is no gimme at all, Del Val coach Andy
Fitz said. Bobby had a bad match. He wasnt
prepared mentally, but its better to have a bad match
in the district final than, say tonight or in Atlantic City.
But give Parcel credit, he always wrestles Bobby
tough.
Derek Zehnbauer (135) and Matt Knowles (140) also advanced
for Del Val.
Zehnbauer (19-12) defeated Ryan Kaplan from Franklin 4-0,
while Knowles scored a workman-like 7-3 decision over
Lawrences Pat Reven.
I had a rough year, so I wont get a very good
seed, said Zehnbauer, who scored a first-period
takedown, a third-period reversal and rode Kaplan the entire
second period. All I can do is keep fighting and do
whatever it takes to move to the next round.
North Hunterdon got victories from junior 112-pounder Pat
Boyle (15-14) and sophomore Beau Vranken at 145.
Boyle surrendered the initial takedown to Chris Campoine,
but reversed the J.P Stevens junior to his back with a
cradle to go ahead 5-2 -- a lead he would never relinquish.
Vranken (26-7) built an 8-0 lead on Kennedy Iselins
Brandon Simon before hitting a cement special for the fall
in 3:37.
Hunterdon Central was the big winners from the
Express-Times region winning 7 of 9 preliminary bouts.
Dave Volyn (135), Chris Carey (145), Todd Johnson (152),
Cody Lewis (171), Jake Maffucci (189), Shane Fenton (215)
and Brad Bormann (285) all advanced for the Red Devils.
Brian Fortner can be reached at sports@express-times.com.
Talk about sports in the region at
lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

Easton, Pen Argyl, Parkland and Phillipsburg all enjoy positive experiences.

Express-Times Photo | TIM WYNKOOPPhillipsburg's Mike Barna, top, controls Harwin Wong of West Orange during last Saturday's 112-pound bout in the sectional final. Barna won 7-5 and the Stateliners prevailed 48-17.

• Quick thought on Easton ... wow, what improvement the Red Rovers showed in a month. To go from losing to Northampton and three of four in one day to District 11 champions and fourth place in Pennsylvania, quite a turnaround for coach Steve Powell's team.

• Quick thought on Pen Argyl ... the Green Knights showed this weekend in the Class AA state tournament that they're a top-tier team -- and will be for a while. Coach Scott Kupec's squad bounced back from a semifinal loss to Schuylkill Valley to take third. Phil Racciato is Pen Argyl's only senior.

• Quick thought on Parkland ... District 11's most balanced team, but the Trojans lack the firepower to keep up with the best in the state -- Central Dauphin. Finished second in the state. Certainly no shame there.

• Quick thought on Phillipsburg ... can be a very good or very bad team, as coach Jason Magditch has repeated on several occasions. The Stateliners again won the section title but again were no match for Hunterdon Central, this time in New Jersey's group semifinals -- a 39-11 defeat. It'll be interesting to see how several of the team's top performers fare in the individual postseason.

• Wrestling is obviously an individual sport. But I really like the team aspect of it. Therefore, I totally enjoy the team wrestling postseason (though the 12 consecutive hours of grapplin' on Friday are a little too much). The best part is it gives some less heralded wrestlers who will never advance to Hershey or Atlantic City a chance in the spotlight. As an example, Easton's Calvin Daly made the most of his time to shine. Daly was 12-16 at 125 pounds entering the state team tourney, but went 5-0 in Hershey to play a key part in the Red Rovers' fourth-place finish. Cool stuff.

• Until next time, wrestling fans, stay off your backs!

Philadelphia is a hotbed for Combat Sports. A long-time staple within the Philly sports scene has been pro wrestling. The meteoric rise of ECW caused the then-Viking Hall to be re-named "The ECEW Arena." Now known simply as "The Arena," a new combat sports tradition will take shape when Matrix Fights invades the historic venue.

As I’ve chronicled in my previous two columns, I have been able to cross over from the world of journalism into my ultimate aspiration of working in talent relations in mixed martial arts.

Since last April, I’ve been able to be involved in a number of shows as a matchmaker but my next show on Feb. 27 at The Arena (formerly known as the ECW Arena) will hold special meaning to me due to the fact that it is in my hometown of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is portrayed as a very tough city by the national media. Some of the bad rap Philly gets is warranted (there is no excused for when Eagles fans cheered when Michael Irvin got injured) and some of it is not warranted (yes, we booed Santa Claus at an Eagles game but he was a bootleg Santa not hired by the team and he was drunk off his ass).

So Philly is indeed an edgy town which is why this city has embraced combat sports with open arms over the years. It started (and continues) with boxing as some of the “sweet science’s” most prolific punchers such as Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins call Philly home (and I can’t forget my favorite boxer of all time, Meldrick Taylor).

Pro wrestling also has a rich history in Philly. While it was before my time, the Spectrum used to be packed in the 70s when the likes of Bruno Sammartino and “Superstar” Billy Graham came to town. Growing up, I was a huge pro wrestling fan and even at a young age I followed the NWA (the wrestling promotion, not the rap group — although I thought the rap group was pretty bad ass too) and was a huge fan of Ric Flair, the Road Warriors, and the Midnight Express.

The NWA eventually morphed into World Championship Wrestling and by that point I was old enough to attend events with my younger brother. While the WWF (now WWE) did their events at the more modern Spectrum, WCW was left to do their events at the old Philadelphia Civic Center, a dirty, borderline dilapidated venue that never was past its peak because I don’t think it had one to begin with.

Despite being young, my parents allowed my brother and I to attend these events at the rough and tumble Philly Civic Center because my uncle was the timekeeper for the shows (he even got to carry Ric Flair’s robe to the back once!). Looking back, the wrestling action was pretty weak and the WCW house shows really didn’t live up to what my brother and I watched each week on TV.

Despite all the crap WCW house shows my brother and I endured, I will always remember the one time Cactus Jack Manson (aka Mick Foley) made a surprise return to WCW and had an impromptu hardcore match with Sting. It was pretty cool because just a few weeks earlier I watched an amazing brawl between Cactus Jack and Eddie Gilbert at the Pennsylvania Hall (which was adjacent to the Civic Center) at a Tri-State Wrestling Alliance event (the forerunner to what would eventually become ECW). The feud between Cactus Jack and Eddie Gilbert is legendary in Philly and the attention they generated from their matches earned both second opportunities with WCW.

As I got older I still followed wrestling but simply had other priorities as a teenager than sitting through boring house shows at the rat-infested Civic Center. But my desire to go out and attend wrestling events was renewed in the mid-90s when Tod Gordon and Paul Heyman revolutionized the wrestling industry with a new brand of extreme wrestling. Truth be told, hardcore wrestling had been done for years in the South and also in Japan with FMW but Heyman was a creative genius and the extreme nature of the product extended beyond the ring, as many of the story lines were unique and compelling.

In a lot of ways, Heyman was pro wrestling’s version of Christopher Nolan (the director of the new Batman franchise). Instead of cartoonish and unrealistic story lines, Heyman and his team featured realism and adult-themed wrestling angles. I will always remember the angle they did between Sandman and Raven in which Sandman’s real-life divorce was exposed on camera and Sandman’s young son abandoned him to join Raven’s cult.

ECW most certainly revolutionized wrestling and took its act on the road but it originated in Philadelphia. To this day, I feel the edginess that the Philadelphia crowd brought to the early ECW events really added to the promotion’s brand and helped it grow in popularity. I was not a regular at live ECW events in Philly but I made it a point to attend several shows.

ECW’s home base was formerly a Bingo Hall that had been re-named Viking Hall. However, the promotion became so iconic in Philadelphia that the venue was re-branded as the “ECW Arena” and despite less than stellar sight lines, the venue was portrayed as a “Wrigley Field” of wrestling because of its intimate feel.

There are still a lot of pro boxing and wrestling shows (such as Ring of Honor, CZW, and Chikara Pro) here in Philly but I really feel the combat sports torch has been passed to mixed martial arts. Even before The Ultimate Fighter hit the air there were several jiu-jitsu and MMA schools in Philly along with various Judo, Sambo, and Muay Thai “combat clubs” (usually a basement or garage where a bunch of people trained).

While MMA was legalized in PA just last year, many top schools in the region had emerged since the turn of the century. Schools such as Daddis Fight Camps, the Fight Factory, and Balance Studios have been existence for quite some time in various forms for the past 8-9 years. Thanks to TUF, their student levels have gone through the roof with schools such as Daddis and Balance opening multiple locations to accommodate their rapid growth.

As big as boxing and pro wrestling has been in Philadelphia, it is my sincere belief that as time goes on, MMA will be bigger in this town than both combat sports combined. It may sound like hyperbole on my part but unless you live in the area you truly do not have an understanding just how many people train BJJ, Muay Thai, or MMA in or around the city of Philadelphia. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at a bar or restaurant talking to people and when I tell them what I do for a living I hear “Oh, I have a brother who does that.”

All of the preamble I have laid out here is to try and convey just how much of a dream it has been of mine to be directly involved with a major MMA show here in this city. For Matrix, it will be our first show but we’re coming out of the gate with a bang.

The cool part about the card that we’ve put together is that in many respects I have some sort of direct connection to the fighters and fight gyms that will be involved with the show. For example, the show’s main event will feature welterweights Matt Makowski and LeVon Maynard. If you’re a longtime reader of this site, those names should be very familiar to you.

After leaving traditional martial arts in favor of taking up MMA, Daddis Fight Camps was the first school I trained at. I not only trained there, I even participated in several smokers — fighting within Philadelphia city limits long before MMA had been legalized. One of the top prospects at the school was a kid named Matt Makowski, who I believe was still just a teenager (either 18 or 19) at the time. Matt was working his way up the amateur ranks, participating in a lot of Muay Thai fights as well as amateur MMA bouts in New Jersey. It was obvious to anyone who saw him that he was destined to be a pro fighter.

Despite just being 21, Matt made his pro debut at a ShoXC event in Atlantic City several years back and would go on to fight for EliteXC three times, compiling a record of 2-1 with his most notable win coming over UFC veteran Nick Serra. The Makowski fight vs. Serra took place on the undercard of the first-ever MMA event televised on live, primetime network television and I had the honor of working on the CBS crew for the show. Even though Matt’s fight didn’t air on CBS, it did air live on ProElite.com. The bout has become infamous because Nick Serra was disqualified for repeatedly pulling guard/butt scooting. Nick’s erratic behavior was unfortunate because it really obscured the fact that the reason why he resorted to such tactics was because Matt had nearly leg kicked him into oblivion.

Fast forward to present day and both my wife and 10-year old son train at Daddis. Brad Daddis, my original MMA instructor has really supported Matrix and we will have at least three Daddis fighters featured on Feb. 27. We could possibly have a fourth Daddis fighter on the show if someone steps up and agrees to fight Brylan Van Artsdalen in Brylan’s pro debut. So if you fight at 145 lbs. and live in the area and want to get in on this card, e-mail me at SCaplan8@gmail.com. And while I am at it, we also need a amateur 145 lbs. fighter to step up and fight Ben Tichy.

Finding opponents for Brylan and Ben has been one of the only sources of stress involved with helping put the show together. Having trained, I know what it is like to prepare for a fight. But having competed only in smokers, I always knew I would have an opponent (even though I never knew who it was until just hours before fighting). For Brylan and Ben, I know they have been training hard despite the fact that multiple opponents have pulled out. They pushed themselves to the limit, altered their diet, and made many other sacrifices in preparation for their respective fights. There’s nothing than I want more right now than to make sure they have a fight come Feb. 27, so help spread the word!

With that brief interlude out of the way, let’s get back to the main event.

Matt’s opponent, LeVon, is a fighter I was first introduced to when I covered the IFL draft tryouts in New York several years back. When I arrived, I was surprised by the level of East Coast talent that had shown up in hopes of breaking into the IFL. Such names in attendance included Shane Ott, Jim Bova, Diego Jimenez, Matt Lee, Al Iaquinta, Danillo Villefort, Torrance Taylor, Tiawan Howard, and Matt Brown. Despite the familiar faces I had seen on local shows, there was a civilian contractor from the Air Force out of Virginia who I had never heard of before that was tearing up the tryouts. It was none other than LeVon.

When it came to the grappling portion of the tryouts, LeVon was tapping his opponent out right and left so I immediately branded him as a BJJ guy. That was until they sparred Muay Thai, at which point LeVon worked his opponent so hard that the two-minute sparring session was cut short. He advanced to the finals, which actually turned out to be a full-scale MMA bout — which was surreal because MMA was and still is illegal in New York. LeVon wowed the IFL judges (which included Bas Rutten) with the effort and qualified for the IFL draft.

I was so impressed with LeVon and how he came out of nowhere that he was the feature subject of the CBSSports.com story I wrote covering my experience at the tryout. LeVon never ended up competing for the IFL but did get the call to step in as a last-minute replacement to fight Rory Markham at the 2007 IFL Grand Prix Finals at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. LeVon accepted the bout and was ready to compete but the gaming commission determined that LeVon didn’t have enough experience to fight Markham. The spot went to Brett Cooper, who had turned heads at the IFL tryouts in Los Angeles.

LeVon’s frustration of not being allowed to accept his call to a major show was compounded by the fact that Cooper pulled off an upset against Markham, TKO’ing him in the second round. LeVon is a very professional and polite guy but he is also very confident in his abilities and I believe to this day he feels like that was his upset to pull off and that it was taken away from him.

I am expecting fireworks between Matt and LeVon. Both are still young and will be competing at the highest levels of MMA (UFC, Strikeforce, and or Bellator) in short order. Both are taking a major risk in fighting each other but the reality is that whoever wins this fight will be in line for a bigger and better opportunity because it will be a win that matters.

Stylistically, Matt and LeVon match up very well. Both are true mixed martial artists with good grappling skills and even better striking skills. The unique thing about this fight is that Matt and LeVon fought several years ago in an amateur Muay Thai match at the WKA championships. Matt won the fight but the rematch will be contested under MMA rules.

For me, Matt vs. LeVon is a dream matchup, as it is a fight that I’ve wanted to see for years. When I first decided my ultimate goal was to work in talent relations, I decided to volunteer for a regional promotion called Combat in the Cage so I could gain more experience. I often suggested to the promoter that he should try and make a match between LeVon and Matt. He always liked the matchup but since he was managing Matt at the time, he wanted safer fights for him.

Years later and the two are finally going to get to fight in the main event of the first-ever show I am matchmaking in my own hometown. When I first proposed the fight, I think there might have been some skepticism on the part of both camps. Knowing that I used to train at Daddis, I think some people might have felt I was setting LeVon up. On the flip side, since I have written at length about LeVon and since 5 Oz. has even sponsored him in the past, I think there was also some questions from the other side.

The reality is that I have no ulterior motive. I have no idea who is going to win the fight — which is why I wanted to put it together in the first place. My only motive here is to make sure my bosses (Jimmy Binns Jr. and Phil and Ricardo Migliarese) get a high-caliber main event that allows them to grow their fight promotion. The goal here is to give the fans paying hard earned money a fight that they will talk about for years, much in the same way local Philly wrestling and boxing fans still talk about legendary clashes that they saw at the Blue Horizon, Spectrum, Philadelphia Civic Center, or the ECW Arena.

There is so much more to talk about but this column is already too long and the average reader has already stopped reading. But I am excited that we have Matt vs. LeVon in our main event and that we were fortunate enough to land Cole Konrad’s second-ever MMA fight, as he is set to take on fellow heavyweight prospect Joel Wyatt.

While there aren’t many tickets left, you still can buy them online at MatrixFights.com or via some of the major schools that are supporting us such as Daddis, Semper-Fi MMA (which will be represented by its head instructor, former Marine Julio Rosario), and Balance Studios. If you know a fighter fighting on the show who has tickets, please try to buy it from them, as they will get a percentage of the ticket sale.

In closing, I really want to thank Jimmy and the Migliarese brothers. Matrix is their promotion but they’ve allowed me to be a big part of it and have shown a lot of confidence in me. To be able to matchmake a show in my own hometown in one of the most famous combat sports venues in the United States is simply an amazing opportunity. From a sentimental standpoint it’s such an important milestone that my son and wife are not only going to be there but my father and brother will be as well even though they aren’t MMA fans.

I really hope to see you on Feb. 27 when Matrix helps further a brand new combat sports tradition in Philadelphia. If you aren’t able to make it, don’t worry about it as Matrix is only going to get bigger and better and there will be plenty more shows for you to attend.

Enjoy the fights.