ERMA — The Red Raider wrestling team ran its record to 10-1 in January, but in the past two weeks, the Ocean City High School team lost six of its last eight matches, putting its record at 12-7. However, three of those losses came to teams ranked in the top 20 in the state.
That has kept the Red Raiders in the top five in Power Points in South Jersey Group III as the regular season is quickly coming to an end.
On Jan. 31, Ocean City fell 61-12 to Paramus Catholic and 62-14 to St. Augustine Prep. Paramus Catholic finished last week at No. 7 in state rankings and Prep was No. 16, giving the Red Raiders experience with tough opponents before heading into sectionals and districts.
On Feb. 3, Ocean City beat the Hammonton Blue Devils 45-23 before Saturday’s quad meet at Lower Cape May Regional High School.
The team lost in the opening match to LCMR, 53-18. The Caper Tigers are another top 20 team in the state, ranked 17th with a 17-3 record. LCMR’s win over Ocean City provided the 150th career coaching win for Billy Damiana, whose team went on that day to beat Cherokee 58-15 and Washington Township 39-32.
The Caper Tigers took control of Ocean City right off the mat with four straight victories.
The match started at 126 pounds as Nolan Mormello easily handled his opponent, beating Raider Ryan Kaczmarski 21-6.
Eli Glover had a tight battle with Wyatt Tolson at 132, coming away with a 1-0 decision after a full 6 minutes.
Dominic Marrero (138) picked up a first-period pin, taking down Reed Watson at the 1:40 mark, and then teammate Chase Hansen earned a technical fall, 19-3, over Randy Delgado at 144 pounds, giving the Caper Tigers a 19-0 lead.
At 150 pounds, Luke Bennett got Ocean City on the board with an 11-4 win over Billy Whitney.
Daniel Byrne (157) earned another technical fall for the Caper Tigers, winning 18-3 over Raider Logan Fearnhead.
Ocean City’s Zarian Cabalo won a 6-0 decision over Ashton Ray at 165 pounds, but LCMR’s Shane Morrell (175) put 6 more points on the board with a pin of Ethan Miura at the 2:13 mark, pushing the Caper Tiger lead to 30-6.
Teammate David Douglas, at 190, earned a technical fall with a 19-4 score over Raider Ayden Majors.
Jacob Chapman gave the Raiders 6 points with his pin of Caden Britton in a time of 3:31 in the 215-pound bout.
At 285, Caper Tiger John Hearon won by forfeit.
Red Raider Sawyer Gayeski, at 106 pounds, pinned his Caper Tiger opponent, Abraham Caballero, in 2:56 for Ocean City’s final points of the morning.
Tristan Rosemeyer (113) evened that out with a first-period pin of Bobby Drewnoski in 1:15, and teammate Bryce Paley won by forfeit at 120 pounds for the 53-18 final score.
OCHS 38, Cherokee 29
After losing a pair of major decisions at 138 and 144 pounds to start the match against Cherokee (14-13), Ocean City got on the board with Bennett’s first-period pin over Mason McCarthy in a time of 1:06.
Cherokee’s Max Milligan earned an 18-3 technical fall over Ayden Fearnhead at 157 pounds, then Ocean City reeled off three straight victories.
Logan Fearnhead at 165 and Cabalo at 175 both won by technical fall and Majors, at 190, pinned his opponent in 2:19.
Cherokee’s Greyson Sheriff beat Will Kutschera 9-3 at 215 pounds, but Raider Chapman bumped up to the 285-pound class and won by pin in 29 seconds.
Gayeski, at 106 pounds, pinned his Cherokee opponent in 1:40 to give the Red Raiders a 34-16 lead.
It was Cherokee’s turn for a run. At 113 pounds, Dominic Petulla scored a decision over Bobby Drewnowski 4-1, Christian Byrd got the forfeit at 120 and Benjamin Cole, at 126, earned a 12-4 major decision over Kaczmarski, pulling Cherokee within winning distance at 34-29.
Red Raider Tolson, at 132 pounds, made sure that didn’t happen, beating Jack Corelli by major decision, 16-3, preserving Ocean City’s 38-29 victory.
Two Red Raider wrestlers
win all three at quad meet
Ocean City’s Cabalo and Chapman finished the quad meet with three wins each even as the Red Raiders fell 53-22 to Washington Township (15-5).
Cabalo pinned Minuteman Gio Zurzolo in 1:52 in the 165-pound class and Chapman won a 13-4 major decision at 215 pounds against Jaylen Suarez.
Two other Red Raiders won against Washington Township.
Reed Watson, at 138 pounds, pinned Samuel Estrada at the 4:51 mark and Majors was faster, pinning Celistino Stanfa in 17 seconds.
The Red Raiders were at Mainland (5-18) Tuesday evening and travel to Middle Township (18-5) for a 6 p.m. match Thursday. On Saturday, they’re at a quad match at Pinelands (9-10), Toms River North (10-9) and Oakcrest (11-12).
Ocean City is fourth in Power Points in South Jersey Group III. Delsea (16-3) is No. 1, Lacey (16-4) is No. 2, Seneca (16-3) is No. 3 and Gateway (13-9) is No. 5.
– STORY AND PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
