Willingboro wrestler closer to payback

Willingboro's Tyler Scotton was one of several wrestlers with an extraordinary desire to win last night at the Region 7 tournament at Moorestown High School.

The winners would advance to the quarterfinals Friday night. The losers would go home. The semifinals and finals take place Saturday at Moorestown.

Scotton and others who suffered gut-wrenching losses in the district finals saw this tournament as a stepping-stone to self-redemption as well as a possible regional crown.

"I am looking forward to wrestling [Eric Dunnet] again, but I have to take it a match at a time," Scotton said, referring to the Eastern senior who defeated him, 3-1, in the 125-pound District 26 final on Saturday.

Scotton rolled to a 12-4 major decision over Haddonfield's Chris Dengler to up his season record to 35-1 last night, but couldn't shake that loss.

"It's depressing to go through the whole season undefeated and then take that first loss," Scotton said.

Teammates Aaron Pryor (112 pounds) and Jahlil Beacham (140) also advanced to the quarterfinals. Beacham, whose record is 22-4, lost to the toughest 140-pounder in the state, Anthony Baldosaro of Eastern, in the district final.

"I'm coming after [Baldosaro]," Beacham said after he pinned Sterling's Ryan Badey in 1 minute, 32 seconds last night.

James Green (130) and Drew Harris (215), who drew first-round byes, will rejoin Scotton, Beacham and Pryor, whose record is 27-7, in the quarterfinals.

"We have five guys in the regional tournament, and we're excited," Willingboro coach Mark Cuniglio said. "Hopefully, Beacham will get another shot" at Baldosaro.

Delran's Anthony Saulle could empathize with Scotton. Saulle, the No. 1 seed in District 26 at 160 pounds, was upset by Eastern's Preston Keiffer, 4-3, in overtime in the district final. Saulle had won 15 consecutive bouts.

"I am very angry that I lost in the district finals," Saulle said after he defeated Collingswood's Will Heinel by a technical fall in 5 minutes, 53 seconds in the preliminaries last night.

"I would like to meet up with Preston Keiffer again," he said. "I'll just go at him with everything I've got, an all-out attack."

In addition to Dunnet and Keiffer, Eastern had five other first-round byes: Rob Deutsch (112), Mike Crowley (135), Dave Newcomer (145), Baldosaro, and Jackson Brady (152).

Daymein Scott will join them. Scott decisioned Palmyra's Andrew Mackiewicz, 10-5, last night.

Eastern's Cal Stack (119) and John Daddario (285) lost.