The Montclair Recreation Wrestling program completed its best season ever, bringing home a boatload of hardware and team titles.
The team, for the first time, was the co-champion of the Suburban Wrestling League with a 9-1 record. The team also placed first last month at the year-end tournament at Verona High School.
Montclair defeated four teams that it lost to last year, including Maplewood, Verona, Livingston, and Bloomfield.
It handed Verona its only loss of the season, a close 45-43 win, and won a nailbiter at West Orange, coming out on top 47-43. The season ended with the team’s only loss to Nutley. Montclair held a 22-21 lead before Nutley pulled away with their more experienced upper weights.
Scott White, former coach of the Montclair High School wrestling team and 1997 state champion Israel Cronk, began the team in 2005 with future state place winners Ottis Wright (now Omar Abdullah), a two-time state place winner and who has the most wins (143) in Montclair history, and Katon Washington, who recently passed away. White coaches the novices and is joined on the staff by Jason Hernandez, a Bergen Catholic standout, head coach and Montclair Police Officer (a former Montclair High School wrestler who won an Essex County title), Pierre Falaise (who was coached 33 years ago by Coach White), and former Montclair Recreational wrestler as well as a district and regional place winner while wrestling at Montclair High School.
In addition, there is Donte Bellamy who coaches the varsity team and is a Montclair Township employee. Sara Kate (“Skate”) Cepedes, one of the parents, is the team manager and handles all logistics for the team.
The Recreational wrestling program also participates in the North Jersey Junior Wrestling League with its novice (first and second year) wrestlers. They participate in weekend jamborees run by War Zone. More than 40 different Montclair wrestlers have participated this season, a strong sign for the program’s future.
White credits the teams’ success to the amazing competitive team coaches Bellamy and Hernandez.
“They bring an unparalleled level of dedication, pride, and experience to the team,” said White. “The entire coaching staff spans three generations with a 30-year age gap. They combine youthful exuberance with long experience. Coach Bellamy has particular talents in improving wrestling skills, character, pride, dedication, and work ethic.”
Perhaps the most unusual thing about the success of the team is the success of the first- and second-year wrestlers, something quite unusual in the Suburban League.
Nine different first-year wrestlers have wrestled on the competitive team, including Mazen Aboushi (7-2, regular season mark), and Arthur Eva (7-1). Second-year wrestlers include Cole Harrison (7-2), Niall Mcleod (7-1), Elon Schneider (7-2) and Quincy Meskill (7-2).
The Montclair girls have been an integral part of the team. Olivia Monderoy has wrestled for the varsity team and Megan Hernandez (daughter of coach Hernandez), Mia Silvera, Lexi and Layza Winful, and Michelle Huerta have all participated this year.
The team is losing 13 eighth graders to graduation so Montclair will need many new wrestlers in the over 100-pound weight classes to fill the gap. Wrestling is a great complementary sport for sports such as football, lacrosse, and soccer.
Montclair Recreation Wrestling Individual Highlights
— First-year wrestler Aiden Silvera, who is in first grade, was 2-4 with a pin at 60 pounds and placed eighth in the end of the year tournament.
— At 65 pounds, first-year wrestler Mazen Aboushi, was an impressive 7-2 with six pins and placed third.
— At 70 pounds, returning second-year wrestler Niall Mcleod was 7-1 with five pins and was fifth.
— Nate Hernandez, at 75 pounds, was 5-2 and placed fifth.
— Another first-year wrestler, Ahyan Howard, is 3-5 at 80 pounds, and placed fourth.
— Dhiren Perle, 4-3, wrestles at 85 pounds and placed fourth.
— At 90, Quincy Meskill is 7-3 with 4 pins and was fourth.
— Fifth-year wrestler Michael Kowal is undefeated at 9-0 with six pins and was second in the tournament.
— At 95, second-year wrestler, Mason Lin was 5-4 at 105 pounds and placed fourth.
— First-year wrestler Cole Harrison was an impressive 5-2 at 105 pounds, taking second in the tournament.
— Elon Schneider finished 6-2 at 112 pounds and placed third.
— First-year wrestlers Brad Webb (5-3) and Olivia Monderoy (1-1) split wrestling at 119 pounds with Monderoy placing fourth.
— Another impressive first-year wrestler, Arthur Eva, was 7-1 at 126 pounds and placed second in the tournament.
— Anthony Diogene was 4-5 at 135 pounds, placing third in the tournament.
— Marcus Miller, at 1-1 at 145 pounds was Montclair’s only team champion.
— Fifth-year wrestler, Joaquin Cespedes, had a fine season at heavyweight at 5-4 with four pins and placed fifth.
— Jordan Rodriguez was undefeated at super heavyweight and placed second.
The Montclair Recreation wrestling program will increase its numbers and grades from kindergarten through eighth grade for next season. In previous seasons the wrestling program was mainly third through eighth graders with a few first and second graders.
For more information on registration click on the link or call the Montclair Recreation Department at 973-509-4915.