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Health & Wellness Directory
“Matias is in only his second season on the mat and he has shown us how important work ethic is as a wrestler,” Pizzi said. “He has lost about 40 pounds over the last year and has become an extremely versatile young man.”
Fernando Collado is a 152-pound sophomore.
“Fernando has come a long way from his freshman year,” Pizzi said. “He is a tough wrestler who leaves it all on the mat. He wrestles with controlled aggression and has become an important piece in our lineup.”
Junior Diego Viera is the team’s answer at 160 pounds.
“Diego came to us with no experience at all,” Pizzi said. “He has shown major growth over the last two years. He’s a quiet young man who leads by example both on and off the mat.”
Junior Christian Vitale, who also plays football and baseball for the Buccaneers, got some varsity time at 160 pounds.
“Christian is a raw competitor,” Pizzi said. “He’s an extremely athletic kid and we’re happy to have him contributing in a variety of ways.”
Junior Ethan Lopez answers the call at 170.
The team’s inspiration is 220-pound sophomore Angelo Dorainvil.
“Angelo was originally a football player who came to us with an open mind and a big heart,” Pizzi said. “He has really taken to the sport of wrestling and is excelling as a 2nd year wrestler. We have high hopes for Angelo and it is truly a joy to coach him. He is always asking questions and looking to make improvements racking his brain to perfect his craft.”
Matt Amante is one of the team’s lone seniors. He’s also the team’s heavyweight.
“Matt is a quiet leader and does all the right things,” Pizzi said. “He is a true teammate and will do anything for his brothers and sisters on and off the mat. He excels in the classroom and well and has done a tremendous job for both football and wrestling in his years with us.”
Needless to say, it’s been a dramatic turnaround for Pizzi and the Bucs as the season winds down.
The great author Oscar Wilde once wrote, “You can’t put a price tag on experience.”
North Arlington High School head baseball coach Paul Marcantuono knows what Wilde was talking about better than anyone.
That’s because Marcantuono welcomes back seven seniors this season, even after the entire program was shut down a year ago – like everyone else who participated in spring sports – due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There aren’t many local teams that can boast with such a veteran roster, even with North Arlington being a small Group I school in terms of enrollment.
“We have a bunch of kids who played a lot as freshmen and sophomores,” Marcantuono said. “With the kids having varsity experience, it made the early practices easier. We also have some kids that are new, but the veteran kids are leading the younger ones well. They came ready to work from the first day. They’re all excited to be back.”
Marcantuono likes the attitude of his veteran group.
“They’re all smiling and happy to be out there,” Marcantuono said. “It got taken away from them last year. Most of these kids have been together since grade school. They’re used to each other. It definitely helps having these seniors with experience.”
The core of the Vikings’ roster were all on a North Arlington Recreation team that went to the Senior Little League state championships
Veteran Vikings poised to make a difference in ‘21
By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com
See VIKINGS, Page 15
HEALTH&WELLNESS&WELLNESS DIRECTORY
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