Nutley's Robert Trombetta (right) maintains control on Seton Hall Prep's Nick Polimeni on the way a victory by injury default at 120-pounds for his third straight Essex County Tournament title while also helping the Maroon Raiders to the school's first ECT team title Saturday. (Photo by Paul Rando)

Nutley's team is the 2012 ECT wrestling champion (Sideline Chatter photo)

In one of the real terrific matches in the Essex County Tournament finals, Livingston's Jason Estevez (right) had to work extremely hard to earn his third straight ECT title with a very narrow 6-5 decision over Montclair's impressive Katon Washington. (Photo by Paul Rando)

2011 state champ Brenden Calas of Seton Hall Prep (facing camera) continued to impress everyone since coming back off the injured list this past week as he pinned Paul Scully of Verona in 5:01 at 113 pounds for second straight ECT championship. (Photo by Paul Rando)

Columbia's exciting standout Khari-Elijah Jarrett, who was the county champion at 106, holds the Most Outstanding Wrestler trophy while joined by ECT wrestling co-directors Joe Piro and Ron Fazio. Jarrett posted four decisive victories en route to title. (Sideline Chatter photo)

In what was another terrific match, Verona's Frank Greco eventually managed to earn the upper hand on Seton Hall Prep's Kevin Matlon (white) in a very eventful 182-pound title bout. (Photo by Paul Rando)

Nutley Captures First Team Title
To Cap ECT Wrestling Finals
By Steve Tober
For sidelinechatter.com

WEST ORANGE- To hear Nutley’s Robert Trombetta reflect on winning a third straight title in the Essex County Wrestling Tournament after taking top honors at 120 pounds in Saturday’s final, you’d be hard pressed to hear too much about the individual achievements.

But, that’s what occurs when the word ‘team’ is emphasized in the room, as well as the importance of achieving by oneself in Districts, Regions and states.

The Maroon Raiders, who have been the top regular-season team in the Super Essex Conference this winter, put a major group achievement in the record books at Codey Arena by capturing the school’s first ECT team crown with 203 points, a pretty healthy margin in front of second place West Orange (169), third-place Seton Hall Prep (153.5) and fourth-place West Essex (150.5), who was last year’s county champs.

“The entire team is a big part of what I accomplish because each of us get better every day by being willing to work so hard as a group in that room,” said Trombetta, a junior, who won his 100th career match by injury default in the second period against Nick Polimeni of SHP, and next year can shoot to become a rare 4-time ECT champion. “Sure, wrestling is an individual sport in so many respects, but the word ‘team’ is so big for us at Nutley, and it’s great to be part of a really successful one this season!”

Nick Gaeta upset top-seeded Donte’ Bellamy, 6-0, in the 195 pound final to produce another Nutley individual champion and the points amassed for head coach Frank DiPiano’s squad with contributions such as Anthony DeLorenzo’s second place at 106; Stephen Scuttaro’s fourth at 126, Brandon Keena’s third at 160, Jordan Nochimson’s third at 182, Carlos Rosa’s fourth at 220, and Andre Hamlin’s third at 285.

“What can I say?...This is a great group of kids who have worked so hard to achieve the first county team title for Nutley wrestling,” said an emotion-filled DiPiano after the presentation of the team trophy. “We’re having a great season, but now the work simply continues because we’re gearing up for Districts (Feb.17-18) and Regions (Feb. 21; 24-25).”

Nutley (15-2) is also slated to be the fourth seed in North 2, Group 3 in the NJSIAA wrestling team tournament. The Maroon Raiders will host fifth-seeded Somerville (10-7) on Monday, Feb. 6, with the winner traveling to take on top-seeded South Plainfield (24-2) on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the sectional semifinals.

It was an eventful 2012 ECT this past Saturday with enough surprises to keep the proceedings intriguing throughout. Columbia’s Khari-Elijah Jarrett, a second seed, who pinned Nutley’s DeLorenzo in 2:26 in the 106-pound final, was named The Outstanding Wrestler.

Kudos also should be extended to the ECT seeding committee as their diligence showed forecasted results for the most part including nine No. 1 seeds winning titles to go along with one No. 2 seed, one No. 3, two No. 4's and a No. 6, which is pretty solid work.

Reigning state champion Brenden Calas of SHP, in only his first week back after recovering from a sprained elbow suffered this past New Year’s Eve against Bishop Ahr, stormed to the ECT crown at 113, recording a pin of Verona’s Paul Scully in 5:01.

“I’m 100 % now and I feel great,” said the talented Pirate junior who was a county champ at 103 last year . “I just want to get off to a faster start in my matches, but that will come and I’ll definitely pick it up in practice and wrestle better heading toward Districts.”

Belleville’s Justin Colon won his second straight county title, edging West Essex’s tough Mike Marotti, 3-1, in the 126 final.

“He gave me a real good battle and it was a tough match,” said the Buccaneers’ standout. “It feels great to earn a second title and I look forward to wrestling in other good battles in the Districts and Regions.

“There is always room for improvement because it’s in the states where it matters the most.”

Livingston’s Jason Esteves, like Nutley’s Trombetta, also copped a third straight ECT title, and truly had to earn it with a narrow 6-5 win over Montclair’s impressive Katon Washington in the 132-pound championship bout.

“I wasn’t ready for his shots, a ‘one’ and then a ‘two’ right away, but now I know what to look for if I face him again in the Districts and Regions,” said the Livingston standout. “He’s a tough opponent and I definitely had to battle hard to win this championship.”

West Orange’s Desalgne Fried, who had lost to West Essex state champ Anthony Perrotti in the 130 pound ECT final last January, enjoyed the moment of copping his first county crown with a hard-fought 6-4 win over another very tough West Essex Knight, Anthony Pompei, in the 138-pound title bout.

“I learned a lot from last year going up against a great wrestler in Perrotti, and I think working hard throughout the summer and then followed up with the terrific support of coach (Stephen) Zichella and the entire West Orange team in our practices, I’ve become a better wrestler,” said the Mountaineer standout. “This is a dream come true for me to win a county title, but I also know I have more work to do to become a District and Region champion and I’ll get back in our room and just keep working.”

Two of the finals’ more exciting matches were victories by Verona Hillbillies, Frank Greco, who edged SHP’s very solid Kevin Matlon, 6-5, in four overtimes at 182, and Joe Festa, who upset West Orange’s top-seeded Anthony Angelone, 7-5, in the 220-final.

“I’m tired, it was a long day, and it was a very tough match in the final,” said Greco, who has risen quickly in Verona mat circles, entering this year’s counties as a top seed after finishing seventh in last year’s ECT as an unseeded wrestler. “He (Mation) was strong and knew his stuff and it was hard to keep down when I was on top, but on the bottom I felt like I could do a lot more and things worked out in the end.”

Festa battled the powerful Angelone right to the end in a sensational 220-pound final.

“I just kept going and working hard because I knew he was a very tough opponent, “ said Festa, who was seeded third coming in. “Right now, I’m very happy for all our Verona wrestlers.”

The ‘Billies finished a very respectable seventh with 111 points.

Bloomfield was fifth in the final team standings (143.5) impressing with two county champs as a fourth-seeded Bengal, Nathanial Garcia, won the 145-pound title and sixth-seeded Kyle Christiansen edged West Orange’s Steven Benitiz, 10-9, for the title at 170 in another great match.

TEAMS: 1-Nutley, 203; 2-West Orange, 169; 3-Seton Hall Prep, 153.5; 4-West Essex, 150.5; 5-Bloomfield, 143.5; 6- Belleville, 118; 7-Verona, 111; 8-Columbia, 76; 9-Montclair, 75.5; 10-Cedar Grove, 73.5; 11-Livingston, 68.5; 12-Caldwell, 65; 13-Millburn, 56; 14-Irvington, 38; 15-Newark Academy, 33; 16-Barringer, 32; 17-Glen Ridge, 26; 18-Orange, 25; 19-Shabazz, 21.5; 20-East Orange Campus, 20; 21-MKA, 15; 22-West Side, 12; 23-Weequahic, 9; 24-East Side, 8.

2012 Essex County Wrestling Tournament Finals:

106: Khari-Elijah Jarrett, Columbia, pin Anthony DeLorenzo, Nutley, 2:26

113: Brenden Calas, Seton Hall Prep, pin Paul Scully, Verona, 5:01

120: Robert Trombetta, Nutley, INJ DEF, Nick Polimeni, Seton Hall Prep

126: Justin Colon, Belleville, dec. Mike Marotti, West Essex, 3-1

132: Jason Estevez, Livingston, dec. Katon Washington, Montclair, 6-5

138: Desalegne Fried, West Orange, dec. Anthony Pompei, West Essex, 6-4

145: Nathanial Garcia, Bloomfield, dec. James Avraamides, West Essex, 9-4

152: Brad Krosser, Livingston, dec. John Faugno, Glen Ridge, 6-0

160: Simon Levin, Millburn, pin Joe Anello, Belleville, 3:18

170: Kyle Christiansen, Bloomfield, dec. Steven Benitiz, West Orange, 10-9

182: Frank Greco, Verona, dec. Kevin Matlon, SHP, 6-5 in 4 OT's

195: Nick Gaeta, Nutley, dec. Donte’ Bellamy, Montclair, 6-0

220: Joe Festa, Verona, dec. Anthony Angelone, West Orange, 7-5

285: Dominic Valeriani, West Essex, dec. Adam Wooten, 3-2

West Orange's Desalegne Fried (left) went face-to-face with Anthony Pompei of West Essex in a hard-fought 138-pound ECT final where the Mountaineer managed to earn a 6-4 decision. (Photos by Paul Rando)

Verona's Joe Festa (left) managed to edge West Orange's Anthony Angelone, 7-5, in the 220-pound Essex County Tournament title bout.

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