For the past three years, Voorhees junior Lewis Fernandes has a poster on his wall -- a self-designed original crafted with a Sharpie pen -- with his goal of winning a state title. This year's version reads "Two-time champion.
Fernandes and Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer took the next big step on the road to their dream of winning a state gold medal with victories in the semifinal round of the 85th State Wrestling Championships on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall.
"My freshman year it said, 'Four-time champion, last year when I put it up [on the wall] it was three," said Fernandes, who scored a 3-0 decision over Manville senior Michael Tyle at 285 pounds to become Voorhees' 10th state finalist overall and its first since two-time runner-up Jadaen Bernstein (170 pounds in 2013). The Hunterdon County school's fourth and last champ was John Brienza in 1998.
"I really want to win it for my coaches more than myself. They've done so much for me. They deserve it."
Fernandes will take on Pennsville senior Kody Wood in battle of wrestlers with 42-0 records in Sunday's championship finals slates for 3 p.m.
Meyer (39-2), who improved on his third-place finish of a year ago, converted a takedown with 38 seconds left in sudden-victory overtime for a wild 7-5 win over three-time Bound Brook state placewinner Joe Casey at 152.
"I came so far to come up short here again," said Meyer, who is Phillipsburg's 60th finalist overall and its fifth since 2012, when Brandon Hull, its 33rd and last champ, ended the Warren County school's 22-year title drought by winning at 220 pounds. "I just have to put it all on the line [in the final]. It's my last high school match."
Meyer will face Toms River South senior Cole Corrigan (39-0), a seventh-place finisher in 2016, in the 152-pound final.
In all, seven wrestlers from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area advanced to the semifinals after victories in the morning's quarterfinal round.
Falling in the semifinals were Joe Aragona (138) and Jake Brown (195) of Pope John, along with North Hunterdon senior Andrew Gapas (138), Kittatinny junior Zach Mafaro (182) and Sparta senior Robert Gennat (195).
No small 'feet'
Fernandes, who pinned Tyle earlier this season in a dual meet, never got a chance to get on top in the rematch. That was by design, as Tyle opted to take neutral after a scoreless first period. In the third, Fernandes chose bottom and Tyle immediately gave up the escape -- a costly mistake in a bout that went 5 1/2 minutes on their feet until Fernandes converted a takedown in the closing seconds.
"It was 9-2 when I pinned him in the first period," said Fernandes, who gave up a takedown in that first meeting. "That was more dual-meet style and tournament style is more defense. I weigh [220.3] -- about two-tenths over the minimum to wrestle heavyweight. This is the heaviest I've been all year. I can't get in bad position. "
Voorhees coach Eric Hall, a state runner-up for the Vikes in 1996, expected this one to be more of a neutral match.
"[Fernandes] did everything he needed to do to win the match," Hall said. "Shortly after that first match is when he decided to go 285 [for the postseason]. It was 100 percent his and the family's decision. He has wanted this from the day he stepped into our practice room. If he wins multiple titles ... wonderful. That's his goal. It's his dream and vision. We just have to help him and guide him. He's a driven and motivated kid, and wonderful to coach."
Winning by a nose
But Casey hit a Granby roll seven seconds later for the go-ahead reversal. With time ticking down, Meyer escaped with six seconds left to tie it at 5. In OT, Meyer hit a slide-by -- which he normally uses to set up his shots -- and dropped to an ankle for the winning points.
"I knew I was going to get the takedown," said Meyer, now 131-34 overall. "I hit two or maybe three [slide-by] attempts this year, but not in that caliber of match. I felt him hanging on my neck, so I did the slide-by."
Working out in practice with coach Dave Post and senior Lance Wissing, who came up a win shy of earning a medal at 170, helped with coming out on top in the scrambles, though he did give up a takedown off a scramble when his feet crossed in the second period.
"We wanted to keep things at a high pace and wear [Casey] out in the third period, but the breaks [due to Meyer's bloody nose] changed things," Post said. "We just had to believe we were better than he is. Thankfully, we had 27 seconds left [to get the tying escape]."
Meyer, who already etched is place in the school's record books as the all-time wins leader, joins a select group of finalists for the Stateliners, despite a possible broken nose sustained right off the second-period whistle.
"It's a great feeling. I'm just thankful for the opportunity," the Lehigh recruit said. "I have the best coaches, workout partners and support."
Medal count
Phillipsburg junior Travis Jones (120) and Cody Harrison (138) were among the winners in the Blood Round -- giving the 'Liners three placewinners in back-to-back years for the first time since getting five in 1998 and three in '99. Jones earned his first, while Harrison, who will face Gapas in the consolation semis at 10 a.m. on Sunday, finished eighth as a sophomore. Post noted that all six of his qualifiers won at least one bout this weekend, including senior Cullen Day, who came up a round shy at 113 to close out his solid career.
High Point junior Brandon LaRue (113) and senior Shane Kobis (138) secured their first state medals -- giving the 'Cats multiple placewinners for the first time since 2013 --Jason Gaccione (fourth), Kyle Stoll (sixth) and Mike Derin (eighth).
"I was in a [good] spot [in the draw] where I could win a couple of matches," said LaRue, who can still finish as high as third despite entering as a No. 25 seed. He dropped a 5-0 decision to Delbarton state champ Anthony Clark in the quarterfinals and bounced back with wins over Emerson-Park Ridge sophomore Logan Mazzeo (4-3) and Kingsway sophomore McKenzie Bell (pin in 5:59) after going 2-0 on Friday night.
"Not placing last year [at 106] motivated me and made me work even harder," said LaRue, who will face Gateway-Woodbury senior Dante Mininno in the consolation semifinals.
Kobis earned some bragging rights with the first state medal in his family -- one-upping older brother Jared, who is widely considered the best High Point wrestler to not place at states in a stellar career riddled with injuries. The brothers, in addition to being quality wrestlers, are two of the most respectful young men on and off the mat.
"I spoke with him and I said, 'I guess I'm the better one,'" Shane said with a huge smile after a 1-0 loss dropped him into the seventh-place bout against Princeton junior Alec Bobchin, who was pinned with a cradle in his consolation bout against Harrison. "He agreed."
When reminded that Jared was on two state championship teams to his one (the Group 2 title winner this season), Shane Kobis backed off a little on his claim of being the better Kobis wrestler.
"I guess we're pretty even," Shane said.
Belvidere junior Quinn Melofchik (106), Hunterdon Central freshman Brett Ungar (106), Hackettstown senior Alex Carida (145) and Wyatt McCarthy (145) also earned their first state medals, while Eddie Ventresca (113), Jake Rotunda (132) and Reece Muldoon (182), in addition to Aragona and Brown, gave Pope John a program-record five medalists.
Semifinal results
106 -- Joey Olivieri (Hanover Park) d. Nicholas Nardone (Delbarton), 3-1 SV; Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney) d. CJ Composto (Westfield), 3-1.
113 -- Anthony Clark (Delbarton) d. Kyle Kaiser (Paramus), 3-0; Samuel Alverez (St. Joseph-Montvale) d. Dante Mininno (Gateway/Woodbury), 1-0.
120 -- Mitchell Polito (East Brunswick) d. Joe Manchio (Seneca), 7-3; Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic) d. Antonio Mininno (Gateway/Woodbury), 3-1 SV.
126 -- Patrick Glory (Delbarton) tf. Colin Wickramaratna (Cherokee), 19-2, 4:28; Joe Heilmann (South Plainfield) d. Michael Kelly (St. Peter’s Prep), 5-1.
132 -- Lucas Revano (Camden Catholic) d. Nick Raimo (Hanover Park), 3-2; Kyle Slendorn (Howell) d. Anthony Clarizio (Cedar Grove), 6-1.
138 -- Quinn Kinner (Kingsway) p. Andrew Gapas (North Hunterdon), 4:21; Jake Benner (Ocean Twp.) d. Joseph Aragona (Pope John), 4-1.
145 -- Ricky Cabanillas (DePaul) d. Travis Tavoso (Delbarton), 6-4; Nick Bennett (Delsea) d. Luke Gauthier (Lacey), 8-6, SV.
152 -- Cole Corrigan (Toms River South) d. Lavinsky Collins (Ewing), 3-0; Brian Meyer (Phillipsburg) d. Joe Casey (Bound Brook), 7-5, SV.
160 -- Shane Griffith (Bergen Catholic) d. Michael Petite (Piscataway), 7-3; Robert Kanniard (Wall) d. Matthew Dallara (Hasbrouck Heights), 9-5.
170 -- Michael O`Malley (Hasbrouck Heights) tf. Nick Addison (Rumson-Fair Haven), 15-0, 2:32; Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic) md. Nicholas Caracappa (St. John Vianney), 10-2.
182 -- Bill Janzer (Delsea) d. Zach Mafaro (Kittatinny), 14-7; Josh McKenzie (Bergen Catholic) d. Santino Morina (Paulsboro), 3-1.
195 -- Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic) tf. Robert Gennat (Sparta), 16-0, 3:56; Sam Wustefeld (Scotch Plains-Fanwood) d. Jake Brown (Pope John), 3-1.
220 -- Peter Acciardi (Don Bosco) md. Tyreke Brown (Penns Grove), 21-10; Liridon Leka (Montville) d. Sage Mosco (Bergen Catholic), 3-2.
285 -- Kody Wood (Pennsville) d. Lamar Price (Sterling), 2-0; Lewis Fernandes (Voorhees) d. Michael Tyle (Manville), 3-0.
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