Montclair High School wrestling 2022-23 wrapup: Hopes pinned on strong finish
The Montclair High School wrestling team hopes that the last couple of dual meets this past season will be a foreshadowing of what’s to come.
The Mounties won two of their three dual-meet victories at the end of their season. On Feb. 1 they defeated Newark Academy, 48-30, and they downed Paterson Kennedy, 54-30, on Feb. 3.
"We finished the season by winning our last two duals, and the majority of the team showed vast improvement towards the end of the season," head coach Ryan Corbosiero said. "We have a lot of returning starters, and they all seem committed to get better for next year."
The other team victory came Jan. 4 against Cedar Grove, where the Mounties won 39-37. The squad finished 3-16.
"We had some really good individual matches and got upsets when we needed them and guys fighting to not give up bonus points when we needed them," Corbosiero said.
"Cedar Grove had some really good wins this year, so the fact we were able to beat a team like that shows the potential this team has."
There were only three seniors on the team, Nelson Clermont, Shemar Harper and Milo Sedarat.
Clermont went out with a bang, although a trip to the state finals in Atlantic City would have put a cherry on top, but he fell short. He won the District 12 state individual tournament title at 285 and also came in third in the Essex County Tournament.
"Nelson has been one of our best wrestlers and leaders of the team," the coach said. "He was strong, fast, athletic and had a mean blast double."
Clermont collected All Super Essex Conference Liberty Division first-team honors.
Though the team loses him to graduation, the rest of those who received All SEC honors will be back: junior Jordan Brown-Davis (190), sophomore Jayden Lee (126), junior Jack Nastri (138) and junior K.J. Powell (113).
Along with Clermont, Brown-Davis won All SEC Liberty first-team honors. Lee was placed on the All Liberty second team, while Nastri and Powell received honorable mention.
Brown-Davis improved from the start of the season in December but could not wrestle in the state individual tournament.
"What really stood out was his county tournament," Corbosiero said. "He beat (Ammar) Mahmoud from Nutley, who Jordan lost to by tech fall only a few weeks earlier in the Belleville Tournament. Unfortunately, his season was cut short, and he was unable to continue to wrestle on the postseason."
Along with his mat work Lee showed leadership and was named one of the captains.
"It is very rare for someone who is only a sophomore and pretty much a first-year wrestler to show the kind of character Jayden has," the coach said. "He was always a gamer and came up biggest when we needed him most."
Nastri was one of the first-year wrestlers on the team and has great upside for 2023-24. "He has shown a ton of potential," Corbosiero said. "He was one of the kids on the team that really took all the technique that was taught to him, and he utilized it to be successful on the mat. Also, he was one of the hardest-working guys on the team."
Along with Nastri, Powell is expected to make a big leap next season.
"K.J. has been part of the program for quite some time, including with the rec team, and he finally is starting to take off," Corbosiero said.