Salerno 11th 4-Time ECT Champ
While Leading SHP To Team Title

WEST ORANGE- Rocco Salerno has a formula that just keeps working, and well enough to now make the Seton Hall Prep senior 215-pound standout just the 11th 4-time champion in the Essex County Tournament.

The New York University-bound senior registered four pins all in less than 39 seconds, in a dominating performance while helping to lead the Pirates to their 12th overall ECT team championship including the ninth in the last 10 tournaments, and fourth in a row during the 50th annual event that was contested on both Wednesday and Thursday (Jan. 21-22) at the Richard J. Codey Arena.

SHP, which had five individual champions, finished with a first-place total of 289 points which was well ahead of second-place West Essex (207), which had four champions; third-place Caldwell (194.5), fourth-place Cedar Grove (171) and fifth-place Nutley (146) in the 23-team field.

Salerno (24-3), a 2-time state place-winner, was somehow not named as the 50th ECT’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, but he produced another MOW-type ECT with quick pins of :21, :15, :39 and :34, with the last fall coming as he dominated West Essex’s Danny Harraki in the 215-final.

The first 4-time ECT champion since Cedar Grove’s Anthony Clarizio in 2015-2018, had an incredible run in the county tournament as he pinned all but one of his opponents over a 4-year period, all at 215.

“Winning a fourth Essex County Tournament title is great and important to me to join that exclusive list of just 10 other wrestlers,” said Salerno, who earlier this season was the first SHP wrestler to be a finalist in the prestigious ‘Beast of the East’ tournament at the University of Delaware.

"My approach is always to treat every match the same, don’t look at the bracket in any tournament, just prepare the best you can for each different kid, because each match is different, and just look to score points because that’s what’s going to win it for you at the end of the day.

“We have a special group of guys and a tremendous brotherhood at The Prep. I’m proud to represent our great wrestling program!”

SHP senior Andre Morero (23-6) won by pin at 132 for his third ECT title, while other wrestlers earning their third ECT championship on Thursday were Caldwell senior Carmine Sipper (120) and West Essex junior Reid Clausi (175), who will have a chance to join Salerno as a 4-time ECT champ in 2027 after his dominant performance that was capped by a 11-1 major decision vs. SHP senior Brandon Papa in the 175-final.

Clausi’s talented senior teammate Christian Bastante (20-4), who earned a pulsating 3-2 decision over SHP senior Joseph Viola in a 2-overtime thriller, was selected by the coaches as the 2026 ECT's MOW.

Other SHP champs besides senior leaders Salerno and Morero were in the middle weights – a strong area of the lineup for the Pirates- with junior Tyler Yildiz (22-5) at 144 with his 4-3 decision over Caldwell sophomore Anthony Barrett, sophomore Michael Pocios (18-10) at 150 with a 1-0 decision over West Orange senior Adam Barakat, and senior August Katz at 157 with a pin of Cedar Grove senior Pierce Asfalg in 3:03.

Katz, a transfer from Columbia, had also won an ECT title last year.

Cedar Grove sophomore Rocco Caputo (25-1) was a repeat ECT champ as he earned a 7-3 decision over Caldwell freshman Michael Rankin at 106.

Caldwell’s Sipper (22-2), who placed third in the state last March and is headed to wrestle at the U.S. Naval Academy, was dominant with three pins before a sudden victory 7-0 decision vs. SHP freshman Noah Hernandez in the 120-pound final.

Sipper’s fellow Caldwell senior Solomon Soriente (23-3) was also impressive throughout and finished his mission at 138 with a win by technical fall (20-3) vs. Nutley senior Christopher Cifelli.

Another impressive performance was turned in by Livingston junior Muhammed Ardahanli, who as a 10th seed at 285 was able to roll through the field of heavyweights capped by earning a 7-2 decision over the weight class’s top seed senior Jake Saraiva of Cedar Grove.

50th Essex County Tournament Finals:
106: Rocco Caputo, CG, dec. Michael Rankin, Caldwell, 7-3
113: Joseph Fomosa, WE, dec. Narito Radomski, GR, 10-3
120: Carmine Sipper, Caldwell, dec. Noah Hernandez, SHP, 7-0
126: Christian Bastante, WE, UTB Joseph Viola, SHP, 3-2
132: Andre Morero, SHP, pin KJ Lissenden, Caldwell, 1:30
138: Solomon Soriente, Caldwell, TF Christopher Cifelli, Nutley, 20-3
144: Tyler Yildiz, SHP, dec. Anthony Barrett, Caldwell, 4-3
150: Michael Pocios, SHP, dec. Adam Barakat, West Orange, 1-0
157: August Katz, SHP, pin Pierce Asfalg, CG, 3:03
165: Aidan Rotbaum, Nut., MD Finn McKeon, SBP, 13-3
175: Reid Clausi, WE, MD Brandon Pepe, SHP, 11-1
190: Joey Cutruzzula, WE, MD Nicolas Costantini, CG, 13-3
215: Rocco Salerno, SHP, pin Danny Harraka, WE, :34
285: Muhammed Ardahanli, Livingston, dec. Jake Saraiva, CG, 7-2

TEAM FINAL POINT TOTALS: (1) SHP 289, (2) West Essex-207, (3) Caldwell 194.5; (4) Cedar Grove 171, (5) Nutley 146, (6) Livingston 114, (7) St. Benedict’s 112.5, (8) West Orange 94, (9) Bloomfield 82, (10) East Side 74.5, (11) Millburn 71.5, (12) Columbia 46 (13) Belleville 44, (14) Irvington 36, (15) Newark Collegiate 28.5, (16) East Orange Campus 27, (16) Verona 27, (18) Glen Ridge 21.5, (19) Barringer 16, (20) Montclair 12, (21) North Star Academy 11, (22) Orange 9, (23) Newark Academy (7).

Essex County Tournament 4-Time Champions:
Rocco Salerno, Seton Hall Prep, 2023-2026
Anthony Clarizio, Cedar Grove, 2015-2018
Robert Trombetta, Nutley, 2010-2013
Jason Estevez, Livingston, 2010-2013
Lou Mascola, Seton Hall Prep, 2008-2011
Filiberto Colon, Belleville, 2005-2008
Angelo DiLeo, Seton Hall Prep, 2002-2005
Pat Trabucco, Livingston, 1998-2001
Joe Dubuque, Glen Ridge, 1998-2001
Marc Lomardy, Millburn, 1990-1993
Mike Kwapniewski, Caldwell, 1988-1991