Cooper Stewart erased the disappointment of falling in the Blood Round last season -- a 5-0 loss to Belvidere ace Quinn Melofchik -- with his fifth-place finish at 113 pounds in the 87th New Jersey Wrestling State Championships on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall.
"[My] work ethic went through the roof," said Stewart, who joined his brothers by winning his first district title, while finishing 40-5 this season and 124-22 overall to rank third on the Spartans' all-time wins list. "I trained hard in the [practice] room with my brothers just trying to get to that next level. I think I accomplished a little more."
In all, we had 10 wrestlers from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area take home medals, including 160-pound state champion Brian Soldano of High Point. Pope John's Shane Percelay (120) and Kaya Sement (145), both two-time placewinners, were the next highest finishers with thirds, while teammate Eddie Ventresca, a state champion in 2019, earned his fourth medal (fifth at 126).
High Point's Josh Gervey (sixth at 132) and Billy Talmadge (eighth at 138) round out the Sussex County contingent, while Hunterdon Central's Colton Washleski (sixth at 145) and Norman Cella (eighth at 160) and North Hunterdon's Liam Akers (seventh at 285) were the only placewinners from Hunterdon County. Warren County, which did not have a wrestler reach the quarterfinals, did not earn a medal for the first time since 1961.
Sticking with it
Let's just say that High Point junior Josh Gervey didn't exactly have what you'd call a memorable youth career. Admittedly, it wasn't pretty. But he should get major kudos for hanging in there and carving a name for himself the past three seasons. |
| Josh Gervey (second from left) on the podium at 132. |
"I'd have family come out from Long Island to watch and I'd get pinned and lose. It was upsetting. It's a tough sport. My parents would tell me to keep staying with it, and then I started realizing that if I put in some hard work, I could win some matches. It feels good to win."
Gervey was the unlikeliest of heroes two seasons ago when High Point made its run to the Group 2 title against Raritan. After Devin Flannery went down with an elbow injury Gervey was thrust into the varsity lineup, where he went 8-9, including a wild 9-7 decision -- thanks to a four-pointer on a headlock in the third period -- over Mike Lonnay at 120 pounds. That win sparked the 'Cats to a 30-25 victory over the Rockets.
"It was definitely a big turning point when I got that opportunity to hit the varsity lineup because [Devin] Flannery had gotten injured," Gervey said. "I was getting some varsity time, but more or less just jumping in here and there. Then, I got a real shot to prove what I could do. [Group] finals is really a place to do it. I went out there and tried to do the best I can, and it ended up awesome."
"For Josh to come in and place sixth at 132, it's a credit to him, 'Cats coach John Gardner said.
Gervey (37-9), a two-time Region 1 and state qualifier, will enter his senior season at 73-29, and he will be a key figure in a lineup that could be even better next season despite the loss of three seniors, including Talmadge, who is heading to Lock Haven, and Devon Liebl, who went 101-26 the last three seasons after a 7-1 campaign as a freshman and finished a win shy of a state medal at 126.
"Every year, I look forward to next year because I realize I have a whole summer to work hard and get better," said Gervey, who went 1-2 in his first state tournament appearance last season. "I'm always excited to see what I can do next year. Next year, I think I can do really well. One last shot."
Gardner is also eager to see how his team stacks up in 2020-21.
"We had a core group of kids on the team this year that really had to do large things for the team to be successful," Gardner said. "I think we saw [in Atlantic City] what those kids were capable of -- to get on the medal stand and to get to [the Blood Round]. Obviously, those who lost, they're disappointed. The guys who have an opportunity to get back, they're going back to work shortly and hopefully be even better next year."
Mat legacy
The Stewarts continued an individual resurgence of Sparta's wrestling program, which was in danger of folding prior to coach Frank Battaglia taking the reins in 2011-12, in fine fashion.
The trio combined to win six district championships and earn two state medals, with Spencer Stewart finishing eighth at 120 in 2019. All three won Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament titles -- Cooper and Spencer joined Garrett, a two-time finalist who won in 2019, by winning this season as the first set of brothers to capture titles in the same year.
"That district title is what I think put me in a great position in the state tournament to get where I am now," said Cooper, who knocked off eventual state runner-up Kelly Dunnigan of Don Bosco Prep, 3-2, in the District 4 finals before losing decisions of 5-0 and 7-3 when they met in the Region 1 finals and state semifinals. "It just proves that all of those wins you have during the season do pay off eventually in the long run."
Garrett Stewart (42-4), a three-time district champion and two-time Region 1 third-place finisher who will continue his academic and wrestling careers at Davidson College in North Carolina, is Sparta's all-time wins leader at 147-27. Spencer (42-3), who lost a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to Jefferson's Austin Jack on a late reversal in the Blood Round at 132, will have a shot to surpass his brother next season, when he will enter at 115-19 overall. As for Cooper, whose college choices include George Mason and American University, he said that this may be it for his wrestling career.
"It's going to be cool because our names are going to be up there for a long time," said Cooper, who beat Toms River North's Ryan Rosenthal twice -- 4-3 in the quarters and 5-2 in the fifth-place bout in AC. "I was glad to do it for the coaches. The coaching staff is great, I love all of them. The whole team is like a family to me so it's great to be the one to set that legacy for them.
"[Spencer] came up short this year, but I feel like he needed it so it will make him focus a little more and get ready for next year, and hopefully be on the top [of the podium]."
Green Akers no more
North Hunterdon sophomore Liam Akers even surprised himself with a seventh-place finish at 285 pounds. The Lions enjoyed tremendous team success this season -- going unbeaten for the first time in program history at 23-0, while capturing Group 4 and District 20 team championships, as well as winning the Boresch Duals at Newton and Patriot Duals at North Warren. But even Akers would not have believed he'd be the only member to earn a state medal. |
| Liam Akers (far left) is 44-15 overall. (Photo/Chris Hrunka) |
Akers (38-6), who won his first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title in January, was 6-9 as a freshman in a limited role. How did he make that big leap this season?
"My coaches, awesome drill partners and just having the mindset that I'm going to accomplish my goals one day," said Akers, who scored a 2-0 win over Barnegat's Griffin Jackstadt with an early third-period reversal in the seventh-place bout. "It feels great. My goal next year is to see if I can place higher. That's what I hope I can do. If I train the same way I did last year, I think I can do it."
With 20 seniors in the 32-man heavyweight bracket, including six of the other seven medal winners, as St. Joseph-Montvale freshman Jim Mullen won the title, Akers should be one of the 285-pounders to beat in 2021.
"It's great that I [was] a state medalist this year," Akers said. "I'm happy with my accomplishment and I just can't wait until next year to see where I'm going to be on the podium."
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