VIDEO: Caper Tigers to wrestle for South Jersey title after winning pair of home playoff matches

Posted: February 6th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – The Lower Cape May Regional High School wrestling program will compete for a South Jersey title for the first time in 42 years on Wednesday.

The Caper Tigers will travel to West Deptford to take on the Eagles for the South Jersey Group II championship after convincing home victories over Haddon Heights and Middle Township in quarterfinal and semifinal matches Monday.

“It’s been a long time building this to get to this moment,” Lower coach Bill Damiana said. “The fact that we got to host (the quarterfinal and semifinal matches) was great for our program. We beat two teams we had already beaten during the season and sometimes that can be difficult. The kids showed up and wrestled hard. I don’t think we wrestled particularly great, but at this stage of the game all you have to worry about is winning and advancing, winning and advancing.”

Lower, the No. 2 seed in the eight-team tournament, rolled past Haddon Heights, 63-15, in the opener, before posting a 43-18 win over No. 6 Middle Township, which had upset No. 3 Haddonfield in its opening match for its first-ever postseason victory.

The matches were held in front of a large, boisterous crowd.

Chase Hansen earned a pin against Haddon Heights and by 16-1 technical fall against Middle Township at 138 pounds to run his record to 32-0 on the season to highlight Lower’s efforts in the two playoff matches. Gabe Tosto (144), Deron Azile (165), Logan Haggerty (175) and Quinten Hagan (215) were also double winners for Lower. Conor Barikian (126), Jahcere Harris (132), Danny Byrne (157) and Isiah Carr-Wing (190) each won a match and earned a forfeit victory. Cade Heacock (120) and Dom Marerro (150) each won a match.

Lower (21-5) will face a very difficult matchup against top-seeded West Deptford (21-2) on Wednesday. The Tigers will be trying for the program’s second sectional championship. The first came back in 1982.

“We better show up because they’re really, really tough,” Damiana said. “I think we match up with them well. We can do a coupe things to manipulate the lineup to try to get us the best matchups. It’ll definitely help if we can win the toss. We’re very excited to have this shot. We have to make the most of the opportunity.”