MacKay leads parade of grapplers to A.C.
Vikings' Shelcusky wins Region V title at 189 pounds
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

When Spotswood's Drew MacKay lost to JFK-Iselin's Matt Galadyk in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament finals, he was hoping for a another shot at the Mustang grappler.

After bulldozing his way through the field at last week's Region V tournament at Hunterdon Central High School as the fifth seed, MacKay got his wish in the semifinals of the heavyweight division. MacKay dominated top-seeded Galadyk to the tune of a 4-0 decision, earning him some redemption, as well as a shot at a region title. Not bad for a guy who didn't even reach the regional tournament last year.

Once in the final, MacKay made short work of Franklin's Derrick Williams, putting him on his back at the 1:42 mark.

Now the Charger grappler has his sights set on an even larger prize, and he's heading to Atlantic City in pursuit of it.

The NJSIAA's individual tournament continues through Saturday with the finals on Sunday afternoon.

Atlantic City has been the goal and dream of every wrestler since November, when official practice started the day after Thanksgiving. And now, it is here.

As the Region V champ, MacKay (34-2) got the seventh seed in the top bracket, and will take on Rahway's Andrew Neblett (31-1), the second seed and the Region III champ, in the second round tomorrow.

Wrestling in Atlantic City begins tomorrow with first-round bouts at 5 p.m., followed by the second round at 7 p.m. Saturday's rounds include quarterfinals and wrestlebacks at 10 a.m., another round of wrestlebacks at noon, then the semifinals and wrestlebacks at 5 p.m. Sunday's round will begin with the seventh-eighth, fifth-sixth, and third-fourth consolation bouts at 10 a.m., with the finals at 2 p.m.

Bishop Ahr's Hector Gonzalez also heads to A.C. with a Region VI title under his belt. A Region V qualifier the past three seasons, Gonzalez is making his first trip to the states and is currently 36-3 at 135 pounds.

Gonzalez beat Nick Lefevre of Delaware Valley in the final, 3-1, to become Region V champion for just the fifth time in school history.

"Hector wrestled a perfect match," his coach, Nick Tonzola, said. "At no time in the match was he in danger of being scored upon. He was in control the entire match."

Gonzalez brings home a region title to Bishop Ahr for the first time since the 2004 season, when Kody Hamrah and Matt Pagan both won titles. Hamrah finished his stellar career at Bishop Ahr in 2004, finishing second in the state tournament his final two seasons. Pagan took fourth at Atlantic City in 2004 and eighth last season.

"The plan is to try to win two matches over Friday and Saturday before losing two matches," Tonzola said. "That will get Hector to Sunday and a guarantee of a top-eight finish."

Gonzalez was given the seventh seed in the bottom bracket at 135 in A.C. and will take on Southern's Luke Lanno (28-1), the second seed, in the second round tomorrow. Despite being a two seed, Lanno is considered one of the favorites to compete for the title at 135.

Other GMC grapplers who won Region V titles on Saturday include Edison's Mikey FrancoBandiero at 103 pounds and South Brunswick's Derek Shelcusky at 189.

FrancoBandiero became the first freshman from Edison to win a region crown on Saturday when he beat top-seed Anthony Lebbad of Hopewell Valley, 3-2, in the 103-pound final. The gutty frosh gave an inspiring defensive performance in beating Lebbad and earning his first trip to Atlantic City, where he'll be joined by his brother, J.C., who took third at 130.

Mikey FrancoBandiero got the second seed in the bottom bracket and will take on either Mike Quinn of Pascack Valley (15-2) or Anthony Curcio of Washington Township (34-4) in the first round.

Shelcusky took the 189-pound title by beating the top seed, Drew Ives of Bridgewater-Raritan, 5-1. The third-seeded Viking scored a takedown and three back points in the first period to cruise to the win, his first Region V title.

Shelcusky got the fifth seed in the top bracket for A.C. and will take on either Brick Memorial's Sean McCrossan (31-2) or fourth-seeded Roy Dilberto of Collingswood (35-3) tomorrow.

Among the other local grapplers who will be back in action tomorrow after advancing with top-three finishes in Region V are Sayreville's Tom Danielsen (second at 145), Eric Tsang (third at 125) and Mike Velardi (third at 171); Old Bridge's Steve Fallon (second at 119) and Andrew Goldman (third at 140); North Brunswick's Billy Belfi (second at 112); J.P. Stevens' Hamilton Cook (second at 130); JFK's Pete Simon (second at 160); and Woodbridge's Craig Batista (third at 152).

Danielsen, who lost in the Region V final to Bound Brook's Jesse Harrington, 22-7, got the seventh seed in the top bracket and will take on Absegami's Kason Jamison (19-7) in the first round tomorrow of what may be the state's most difficult weight class.

Tsang will face Paramus' Nick Herrich (30-6) in the first round tomorrow, with the winner to get top-seeded Miek Grey of Delbarton (40-1). Velardi (31-3) will face Mike Winkelspecht of Williamstown (30-3), the seventh seed in the bottom bracket at 171.

Fallon, who dropped a hard-fought 5-3 decision to Hunterdon Central's Pat Strizki in the Region VI final, got the third seed in the top bracket at 119, and will take on Scotch Plains' Sal Gano (33-6) tomorrow, while Goldman takes on Dan Adamo of Demarest (29-4), the sixth seed in the top bracket at 140, with the winner to get third-seeded Dave Gill of Camden Catholic (35-3).

Belfi is the eighth seed in the top bracket at 112, and as such will take on Hasbrouck Heights' Jose Vega (34-6) tomorrow for the right to face top-seeded Frank Perelli of Delbarton (38-3). Delaware Valley's Dan Kelly (35-1), the same Dan Kelly who beat Belfi, 15-0, in the Region V final, is the other top seed in this bracket, and is the favorite to emerge with the title.

Notes ... In other Bishop Ahr wrestling news, Kody Hamrah became the first Trojan graduate to qualify for the NCAA National Championships by winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last weekend. A 157-pound sophomore for the Wolfpack of North Carolina State, Hamrah will compete for a national title March 16-18 in Oklahoma City.

"It was a great weekend for Bishop Ahr wrestling," Tonzola said. "At about the same time Hector [Gonzalez] was wrapping up a region title, Kody's father called me from Virginia to tell me the good news. That should give Hector extra motivation as he practices this week at South Plainfield before we head down to Atlantic City on Friday."