And why not? Though the team has endure its share of struggles overall, Melofchik is one of those wrestlers you can't help but root for in an age of all-star teams. When a talent like Melofchik opts to attend his hometown school, it gives plenty of people a reason to cheer.
"I'm happy to end on a win," said Melofchik, who became the fourth to win at least two state medals for County Seaters with a fifth-place finish at 113 pounds in the 86th State Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall.
"I would have liked to have been a state champion. To do that, you have to wrestle your best. I didn't do that. I'm happy with the way I performed and came back."
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| Billy Talmadge (second from left) gets his first state medal. |
"It's really special. Warren County is small, there aren't too many schools," Melofchik said. "There are great competitors and programs."
Perhaps more importantly, he was able to settle a score once and for all against Delbarton sophomore Nicholas Nardone, who ended Melofchik's state title hopes in the quarterfinals the last two seasons, including a 4-3 win on Friday afternoon, with a 5-3 victory in the fifth-place bout in AC.
Region 3 is where Melofchik had the upper hand on Nardone, winning their semifinal meeting in 2018 and 4-3 in sudden victory in last weekend's finals to earn the Outstanding Wrestler Award.
"He's a great competitor," Melofchik said. "We've wrestled five times in two years. I would've liked to have gotten the one before [in the quarterfinals]. I had to regroup because he was someone I wanted to beat in the rubber match."
Melofchik, a two-time district and a region champion, the school's 20th overall, joins Josh Cowley (seventh-eighth in 1994 and third in '95), Matt Tresslar (second in 1994, first in '95 and third in '96) and Tyler Smith (second in 2007 and third in '08) as the only multiple state placewinners at Belvidere.
"I couldn't be happier with my career and season," said Melofchik, the first fifth-place finisher for the Seaters. "I'm looking forward to the next step in life and attending the [Air Force Academy]."
Braves get a pair
McCarthy and Fischer were Newton's 1-2 punch all season so it seems only fitting that both capped their careers with state medals -- McCarthy earning his second after a seventh-place finish in 2018. Both were looking to end the school's long state title drought.
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| Region 1 champions Wyatt McCarthy and Luke Fischer. |
It's the first time since 1987, when Andy Iliff won his second state title and the Braves' last at 159 and Robert Coward took sixth at heavyweight, that the Braves had two placewinners in one tournament.
"It's definitely great representing Newton, we have the most state champs [82]," said Fischer, who ended his season by decking Jajuan Hayes of Bordentown-Florence in their seventh-place bout. "I was glad I could finish seventh. I didn't want to finish seventh, but it happens."
Fischer rebounded from a tough 3-2 loss in the quarters to Nicolos Colucci of St. Peter's Prep as he surrendered a crucial first takedown -- only the second one Fischer allowed all season and the first since a 7-2 win over Kittatinny's Jacob Mafaro in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament semifinals on Jan. 12.
"I put in a lot of hard work. I couldn't have done it without my family," said Fischer, who passed Gus Protogeropoulos for sixth place on the school's career wins list with that final victory to finish 107-35. "I'm a little disappointed, but it was a good season."
One to watch in 2020
Talmadge has been rock-solid in High Point's lineup for the past two seasons, icing the program's Group 2 title win over Raritan as a sophomore and capping a strong junior campaign with a fifth-place finish -- scoring an 8-5 win after nearly decking Bergen Catholic's Alex Strashinsky for his 100th career victory.
"It's a cool feeling to wrestle all the way back," said Talmadge (42-6), a two-time state qualifier who will enter his senior season at 100-26 overall. "I worked hard for it."
High Point had four other qualifiers in addition to Talmadge and Flannery, as freshman Clayton Utter (106), junior Devon Liebl (113), sophomore Josh Gervey (132) and super freshman Brian Soldano (160) made their first AC appearances. Utter was a round shy of placing, dropping the rubber match against Percelay, 6-4, while Soldano, who coach John Gardner, a state champion in 1990 and New Jersey's career wins leader upon graduation at 131-8-1, says is better than he was at this stage in high school, also fell a win short of a medal.
"I was very surprised [Soldano didn't medal]," Talmadge said. "He has a lot of success in front of him."
Talmadge does as well. High Point hasn't had a state champion since that incredible season with four in the 2011 tournament -- Nick Francavilla, Drew Wagenhoffer, Ethan Orr and Billy Smith -- but Talmadge will be a strong contender next season, most likely at 145.
"I'm going to for [the title] next year," said Talmadge, who was right there with runner-up Jacob Perez-Eli of Paulsboro in a 3-2 loss in the quarters.
He also has an additional goal with that many wins as a junior.
"I might be able to beat [assistant] coach Smith [who is tied for third on the school's list at 138-20], now," Talmadge said with a chuckle.
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