Sports

Sports & Recreation

Belleville wrestling excels at Kearny Tournament, crowns four individual champs

Photo by Jason Bernstein

The Belleville wrestling team poses for a group shot after taking 2nd place at the Kearny Holiday Tournament.

By Jason Bernstein

jason@theobserver.com

Before the season, Joe Pizzi told his Belleville wrestling team that it had the talent to be the best group he’s had in his eight years as the program’s head coach. Saturday’s season opener was a major first step towards achieving that.

Competing in the annual Kearny Holiday Tournament, Belleville had its best showing ever, finishing second to only Cranford in the team portion of the event. Individually, four Bucs - Jakob Ferrer at 106 pounds, Leon Tiankee at 120, Rocco Negron at 132 and Fernando Collado at 165 - all took home gold in their respective weight classes, also a record for the program.

“In the Kearny Tournament, it’s definitely the best one we’ve ever had. I think we came in third a couple of times in previous years, I don’t think we’ve ever come in second place,” Pizzi said. “The four champions, that was great. That’s the most we’ve ever had. I’ve told my kids often early on this season that I think we have the potential to be one of my most talented teams, depending on their output in the practice room and their discipline during the season.”

Pizzi has seen a definite uptick and morale now that the team is able to practice at the brand new Belleville Indoor Training Facility that is located a couple of minutes away from the high school. Previously, they had to use the high school cafeteria as a makeshift practice venue.

Unlike other seasons, Pizzi sees a roster deep and balanced enough that they should be able to field a full lineup for dual matches.

Success in those duals will be largely dependent on getting bonus points from those lower weights that are the strength of the team.

“They’re definitely our more experienced, higher caliber wrestlers. I feel like that just goes unspoken,” said Pizzi. “Everybody has their highs and lows through their lineup, but I feel like this is one of our more promising lineups all the way through. We’ve always had great kids, but we never had solid kids all the way through.”

Ferrer, a junior and one of three captains, led the team in wins last year, going 33-5 in a season that took him within one victory of qualifying for the state tournament in Atlantic City at 106 pounds. In a weight class usually dominated by underclassmen, the experience Ferrer has should work in his favor.

“It’s definitely an advantage,” Pizzi said. “He’s strong, he’s aggressive and he’s a very technical wrestler. He’s one of our higher-caliber wrestlers.”

Freshman Rocco Russomanno is set to compete at 113 pounds.

At 120 pounds is Tiankee, who went 22-9 last season and has the ability to make a run in the individual tournaments at the end of the season.

“He doesn’t really say much, he’s not a vocal leader, but he definitely shows it on the mat with how hard he works,” said Pizzi.

Sophomore Aiden Carrasquillo is a first year wrestler competing at 126.

At 132 pounds is Negron, the lone Buc to qualify for the state tournament in Atlantic City last March. The junior, who went 25-6 last season, finished fifth at the Kearny

Kearny boys hoops team starts the season on the right foot

By Jason Bernstein

jason@theobserver.com

With no returning starters and very few players who have even played meaningful minutes, Kearny boys basketball coach Bill Mullins could easily bemoan the lack of certainty within his roster.

Instead the message has been that with such uncertainty comes opportunity for his players to seize a prominent spot.

“This is an opportunity, it’s their time,” said Mullins. “This is their time to step up.”

That initial opportunity came on Thursday for the Kardinals and it was one several made the most of, with a 55-28 victory over BelovED Charter of Jersey City. Six different players recorded six or more points in the win and, in total, eight players scored as Kearny aims to improve upon last season’s 7-14 record.

“It’s always nice to win on opening day, especially with a young group. It builds up their confidence,” Mullins said. “For a young and inexperienced group we did a really good job in the scrimmages and we’re playing hard. We’ve been practicing hard and we’re trying to get better everyday.”

Leading the way for Kearny on opening night was junior Matheus Mullins, who scored 14 points and made four 3-pointers.

With older brother William, the top scorer and rebounder from last year out of the season due to illness, the younger Matheus is the team’s tallest player at 6-foot6 and will have to shoulder a lot of the load that is left by William’s absence.

“They each have their own style,” Bill Mullins said about his two sons. “Matheus had a nice opening day, he’s got a pretty good outside shot. They always played together, but now Matheus is going to have to step up to the plate. And he’s capable of it.”

Despite his stature, Matheus Mullins has played primarily on the perimeter. The same could be said for the rest of the roster as Bill Mullins views his roster as one entirely composed of guards.

“We’re trying to develop the overall talent on the team,” Bill Mullins said. “I want them all to become basketball players that can play any position on the floor.

“We have to all play and all have to run. We have to be able to dribble the ball, shoot the ball. They’re players, more so than positions. We do not have much size, but we hope that our quickness and playing fast will help us.”

Helping with that fast pace is starting point guard Shamar Bailey, a 5-foot-11 senior who had eight points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in the opener. Sophomore Kevin McKenna, who sank two 3-pointers on Thursday, can also play the point.

Senior Melvin Castro is a guard who is strong to the basket and used that to put up nine points with six rebounds in the win over BelovED Charter. Another sophomore, Luis Rodriguez will see extensive time in the back court, along with senior Brian Argudo and junior Jonah Menendez

Senior Jose Escalante (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) is the strongest player on the team and will usually draw the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s best big