Raiders have to reassess their situation this season
Coach’s return to
program clouded by
low wrestler turnout
By doug mckenzie
Staff Writer

When Mark Salge took over the North Brunswick High School wrestling team near the end of the summer, he thought he knew what he was getting himself into.

He was wrong.

Salge, who hasn’t coached at the school in two years but headed the program for 17 years before that, knew that the numbers were down a bit within the program, and that he would have to pick up the rebuilding process that Mike Vinella had established the last two years as head coach.

But when only 14 kids came out for the team, Salge was caught off guard.

"It really is the most bizarre thing I’ve come across as a coach," he said. "I’m used to having about 27 kids, or at least 20, but we’ve only got 14, and most of them are around the same weight."

And even more disappointing is the fact that four seniors who Salge was relying on to provide leadership and experience to the team have decided not to wrestle this year.

"One kid has a legitimate excuse because he has a back problem, but the other guys just don’t want to wrestle for us," he said. "It really is a bizarre situation.

"I came back after two years of not coaching because I didn’t want to see some of these kids that I coached as freshmen not have a coach this year," he added. "I really came back for them, and to not have four key guys come out for different reasons changed everything for the team. It’s tough emotionally because they kind of left me hanging.

"In the past, I would lose one or two guys over the course of the season on occasion, but to lose four kids kind of breaks your heart."

North Brunswick’s athletic director, Dave Hayes, agrees that the four seniors not wrestling has hurt the team, but insists that it is not the result of the coaching change.

"These four guys didn’t wrestle last year, but I think Mark was under the impression that they were coming back," he said. "He expected these guys to come out. and they didn’t. and that will certainly affect the numbers and the team’s leadership, but you can’t cry about it. They just have to go out there and do the best they can with what they have to work with.

"Sometimes these things happen with a coaching change, but the numbers weren’t great last year," he added. "Coach Vinella did a great job here, and he certainly didn’t leave under a cloud or anything."

Hayes said it would be inappropriate to discuss the seniors’ reasons for not wrestling, but added that it does not come as a total surprise to him.

"Kids have a lot of choices now, and wrestling is a particularly grueling sport," he said. "It’s a year-round commitment, but that’s just the nature of the beast. The guys who are here will get the best coaching we can give them, and they’ll work hard."

And that is something that Salge has seen already.

"The kids I have are working their guts out, and they’re improving," he said. "Having two coaches and just 14 kids is certainly advantageous individually."

However, the goals for this year’s team have changed.

"We know we can’t win a match, that it’s mathematically impossible," Salge said. "We’ll be 0-7, but I want four district champs. I’ve got three guys who have a good shot at it, so I need to find a fourth guy."

The three aforementioned grapplers are senior Chris Bellavia, who finished second in the district and fourth in the region last year; junior Tommy Malazzo, who won over 25 matches last year and was among the top six wrestlers in the county at 145 pounds; and sophomore John Horning, who finished third in the district at 103 pounds last year.

"All three guys are tough, hard-working kids who are determined to get better," Salge said. "I expect big things from all three of them."

Salge also said that sophomore Jay Hammond has looked good in the early going.

"The problem there is that he is approximately the same weight as two other guys," he said. "But that’s a problem we have throughout the team. Everyone’s bunched up, up to 152 pounds, and without much experience."

But despite the dire situation the program is in this year, Salge insists that things can improve at North Brunswick.

"It’s not dead, that’s for sure," he said. "A lot of schools have their numbers down this year. I’ve talked to a lot of my friends that coach all over the place, and we’re not the only ones struggling. Maybe the program will come back in a couple of years."

But Salge won’t be around to spearhead any revival. He has no plans to coach for very long at North Brunswick, and would like to see someone familiar with the Raider program take over when he leaves. He mentioned his assistant coach, Bobby Januska, as the perfect candidate for the job.

"He’s totally ready to take over," he said. "I’m sure he’d do a great job with this program. There are a number of very good wrestlers coming up through the middle school and local wrestling programs here in town, so I think things will improve."

But for now, the Raiders will have to weather the storm, and limit the types of goals they can set for themselves.

"This is a real rebuilding process," Salge said.