VIDEO: Packed house sees LCM get past Middle in spirited wrestling match

Posted: January 18th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Lower Cape May Regional High School wrestling team continued its tremendous season with a victory over its most local rival Wednesday evening.

Competing in front of a packed gymnasium away from home, Lower posted a 40-20 victory over Middle Township in a spirited match that saw eight of the 13 contested bouts go the distance.

“This was just a great atmosphere,” said Lower coach Billy Damiana. “The bleachers were packed. We knew exactly what we were coming into here. Everything was going to be high intensity. It’s an old gym, so the bleachers are tight and it seems like everyone is right up on top of the mat. It was the kind of match where every little movement – whether it was a mat return, a takedown near the line or some extracurriculars with kids being physical – was going to create a big reaction from the crowd. Everyone got into it. It was great.”

The team result wasn’t decided until the penultimate bout, when Billy Whitney secured the Caper Tiger victory with a 52-second win by fall at 113 pounds.

Cade Heacock (120) and Isiah Carr-Wing (190) also each won by fall for Lower, with Carr-Wing’s coming at the 5:50 mark finishing an outstanding match with Middle’s Max Adelizzi. Carr-Wing improved to 16-1 on the season with the victory.

Lower star 138-pounder Chase Hansen remained unbeaten with a 16-0 technical fall victory in the second period. Hansen, a state medal winner as a freshman, ran his record to 19-0.

Also for Lower, Connor Barikian (126) and Logan Haggerty (175) were each winners by major decision and Jahcere Harris (132), Gabe Tosto (144) and Deron Azile (165) were winners by decision.

“Middle matched up with us very, very well,” said Damiana, whose team ran its dual match record to 12-1 with the victory. “They have some tough kids throughout their lineup. Usually, we dominate in the upper weights but they have some tough guys up top, too. They wrestled us very hard.”

Middle Township (6-4) received its lone win by fall from R.J. Attenborough in 1:49 at 157 pounds.

The Panthers also won two back-to-back matches in dramatic style, as Shawn Watkins edged Quinten Hagan, 2-1, in the second tie-breaking period at 215 pounds and Maurice Matthews slipped out for an escape in the final 10 seconds to edge Ben Rue at heavyweight. Matthews improved to 21-1 with his win.

Middle also received a victory by decision from X’zavier Swinton at 150 and earned a forfeit win by Benjamin Banks at 106.

“Coming in I thought this would be a match without a lot of pins and that’s what happened,” Middle coach Matt Wolf said. “I feel like both teams have a very solid lineup, with a lot of guys with similar records going up against one another.

"Usually, in any match, there are one or two swing matches but I felt like tonight there were six or seven matches that could have gone either way. Unfortunately for us, more of those went their way than went our way. We didn’t quite get it done in the swing matches that we needed. But I think we wrestled well. The interesting thing is, we could see them again quite a few times. We could see them in team playoffs and then we could see their kids in districts, regions and even the state tournament. We just have to keep getting better.”

Wednesday’s match was televised live by Cape Atlantic Live.

Lower’s Damiana recently surpassed the 100-win mark for his coaching career at his alma mater, giving him 100 wins as both a coach and a wrestler.

Both teams are next in action Saturday. Lower competes at the Shawnee Duals while Middle hosts a quad that includes Hammonton, Clayton and Seneca.