Rally by Irish pins a defeat on Hermits
Camden Catholic won the final bout to take the match and the sectional wrestling crown.
Junior Will Cornely was numb with joy last night.
The grappler had just put host Camden Catholic over the top in the final bout of the evening against St. Augustine, and the Camden Catholic gym, its entrance reading "Our House," was still echoing with cheers from the home crowd.
The Irish had trailed by two points, 31-29, when Cornely pinned Andrew Baumgardner 2 minutes, 26 seconds into the 215-pound bout to seal a come-from-behind, 35-31 victory in the South Jersey Non-Public A championship.
"It's a moment to dream about," said Cornely, who put the Hermits' freshman in a half-nelson and secured the fall to clinch the Irish's third sectional title in a row.
Camden Catholic (25-6) will meet the Non-Public A North champion, either Don Bosco or Bergen Catholic, tomorrow in the state championship at 6 p.m. at the Ritacco Center in Toms River. Ranked No. 3 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, Camden Catholic is the defending state champion.
Baumgardner, in his first year of wrestling, made a rookie mistake during the decisive bout. He reached back across his body, enabling Cornely to score the takedown that led to the pin.
"I knew that I could beat the kid, if I did my job," Cornely said. "If I wrestle my best and the crowd is behind me, I do good."
Cornely handled the pressure of the final bout well, but Irish coach Pete DiPol pointed out Wayne Young's 3-2 decision of Dan Grazel in a toss-up bout at 171 was key to the Irish win. Without it, St. Augustine could have closed out the match.
"[Grazel] hit me in the Adam's apple and it took me out of my match," Young said. "I was trying to take him down to secure the match."
What Young secured was a chance for his team to win in the final bout, as his victory gave the Irish a short-lived, 29-25 lead with St. Augustine's undefeated Leon White (31-0) up next at 189. White did what he was expected to do, making short work of Steve Vandenberg, whom he pinned in 1:22 to put the Hermits (18-5) back on top, 31-29.
DiPol had heavyweight Chris Volkwine lead off the match, hoping to get momentum that would transfer to his wrestlers in the lighter weights.
Volkwine decisioned Andrew Ferraro, 4-0, to give the Irish a 3-0 lead. That's when the floor fell in on the Irish.
St. Augustine's Coley O'Brien won a decision at 103 and Brian Conley registered a pin, giving the Hermits a 15-3 lead. Camden Catholic fought back from there.
Camden Catholic crushed St. Augustine, 60-7, last year in the Non-Public South A final.
Camden Catholic 35, St. Augustine 31.
285-Chris Volkwine, CC, dec. Andrew Ferraro, 4-0; 103- Coley O'Brien, SA, dec. Matt Sausman, 3-1; 112-Brian Conley, SA, pin Matt O'Donnell, 5:00; 119-A.J. Fisher, SA, pin James Olivo, 2:21; 125-Taylor Walsh, CC, pin C.J. Conger, 2:49; 130-Trey Patacky, CC, dec. Paxton Burgin, 4-3; 135-Nick DiGalbo, SA, dec. Justin Danfield, 11-2; 140-Alan Dyer, CC, dec. Adam Schroeder, 16-4; 145-Mike DiGalbo, SA, pin Kevin Walker, 4:29; 152-Jackson Brady, CC, pin Joe Sparano, 0:45; 160-Dakota Moore, CC, dec. Matt Piotrowicz, 9-0; 171-Wayne Young, CC, dec. Dan Grazel, 3-2; 189-Leon White, SA, pin Steve Vandenberg, 1:22; 215-Will Cornely, CC, pin Andrew Baumgardner, 2:26.