VIDEO: Heacock, Barikian win key bouts as LCM edges Middle in high-level wrestling match

Posted: January 22nd 2025

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – The Lower Cape May Regional and Middle Township high school wrestling teams came together to produce high-level performances in front of a raucous sold-out crowd Wednesday evening.

Efforts by Cade Heacock at 120 pounds and Connor Barikian at 126 pounds swung the match in the Caper Tigers’ favor. Then, in the final bout, one of the best wrestlers in the state clinched the victory for the home side.

Junior Chase Hansen, a two-time state place winner, posted an 18-3 win by technical fall in the final competition of the evening at 144 pounds to break a tie in the team scoring and give Lower a 37-32 win over its biggest rival.

“It’s not that big of a feeling on me because I expect to go out and win,” Hansen said. “I’m more happy for my team that they got it done. They put it in my hands and then I just had to do my job.”

With Lower trailing by eight points in team scoring, Heacock began the Caper Tiger comeback with an 11-8 win over Middle’s Cameron Parke at 120. Heacock blitzed to a 10-0 lead and nearly pinned Parke in the first period, but Parke rallied in the second and third periods to make the score close. Heacock had to fight off a strong takedown attempt by Parke at the buzzer of the third period to maintain his lead and earn the points.

“Cade coming through with that decision was huge,” Damiana said. “That was probably the biggest one of the night.”

In the next match, at 126, Barikian trailed Middle’s Dontae Kelly 6-2 after one period but rebounded to dominate the second period and scored a win by fall in 3:41.

“Connor coming through was big,” Damiana said. “Dontae Kelly is a really tough out. He’s a really good kid who’s had a heck of a start this season, so we knew it was going to be a tough one. But Connor was able to come up big for the team. He and Cade really swung the momentum to our side.” 

Lower’s Shane Whitney went on to win by fall at 132 pounds and Middle’s R.J. Garden did the same at 138 to deadlock the score at 32-32 going into the final bout.

There was no more drama, however, as Hansen dominated from the start at 144 pounds and finished off his technical-fall victory in the opening seconds of the second period. Hansen, who has never lost a regular-season match in his career to date and earlier this month became the first underclassmen in program history to surpass 100 career wins, improved to 22-0 for the season.

“We knew with Chase being last, we were going to be in a really good spot if it was close,” Damiana said, “and that’s how it turned out.”

Bryce Paley (113), Gabe Tosto (157) and Dave Douglass (175) also won by fall and for Lower Cape May (12-1 overall, 3-1 Cape-Atlantic American Conference).

For Middle Township (8-2 overall, 2-2 CAL American), Maurice Matthews (Hwt.) and Calvin Parke (106) each earned pins, Shawn Watkins (215) won by technical fall and Tyler King (144), Noah Nagle (165) and Max Adelizzi (190) each won by decision.

“Matches like this always come down to a few swing matches,” Middle coach Matt Wolf said. “There were some spots we could have wrestled better in. We just have to get back to work. That’s all we have to do.

“Maybe their experience helped them a little bit. They wrestled a little deeper in the state playoffs than we did last year and maybe that had something to do with it. But it was definitely an exciting atmosphere. We just needed to perform a little better.”

The teams could meet again. Lower and Middle are among the top teams in the South Jersey Group II section and could see each other in a playoff match for the second year in a row. Lower beat Middle in a semifinal match last season en route to winning the South Jersey championship for the first time in 42 years.

“I think this solidified us as the one of the top teams in (South Jersey) Group II and Middle is right there with us,” Damiana said. “I had a pit in my stomach all day before this match because Middle has been wrestling very hot and they’re a very senior laden team, especially up top (in the upper weight classes).

“If you remember back, in 2016 and 2017, we both had forfeits all over the lineup and there was virtually nobody in the gym. Now tonight, they were turning people away at the door. Matt Wolf has done his part. He’s done a really great job with their program and we feel like we’ve done a good job with ours. The atmosphere here was incredible. Everyone was right on top of one another, in our old gym. You just can’t beat it. And there’s a chance we’re going to see them again next month.”