VIDEO: Top-seeded Caper Tigers leave no doubt in checking into sectional title match

Posted: February 17th 2026

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – The Lower Cape May Regional High School wrestling team was rated as the top Group II team in the state in terms of power points heading into the NJSIAA playoffs.

The Caper Tigers wrestled like it when the South Jersey Group II Tournament opened Monday evening.

Lower barely broke a sweat in the quarterfinal in eliminating No. 8 Haddon Heights, 72-5, before earning a convincing 47-20 victory over No. 5 Middle Township.

The results send Lower (20-3) to the South Jersey Group II title match for the fourth straight year. The Tigers will face No. 2 Collingswood Wednesday at 7 p.m. in their own Jay Craven Memorial Gymnasium in an effort to win their second sectional title in three seasons. The match will be streamed live by CapeAtlanticLive.com on its YouTube channel.

The victory over Middle was Lower’s second of the season against its local rival. The Tigers beat the Panthers by 58-12 on Jan. 23.

“We knew we had to wrestle when we had to go against Middle again,” Lower coach Billy Damiana said. “They made some moves and give credit to them because they’re well coached and their kids showed up and wrestled hard. They forced us not to get bonus points in some matches where we thought we’d get them.

“From our standpoint, we knew we were in for a dogfight. I was happy with how we kept our composure. Sometimes it’s tough to beat a team twice in the same season. But we came in with the right mindset and got the job done.”

Lower won 10 of the 14 bouts against Middle, five of which came via pin. Winning by fall for the Caper Tigers were Eli Glover (132), Chase Hansen (138) David Douglass (215), Tristan Rosemeyer (113) and Bryce Paley (120). All were in the first period.

Gabe Tosto (157) and Jake Hearon (Hwt.) won by major decision and Danny Byrne (165), Shane Morrell (190) and Nolan Mormello (126) won by decision for Lower.

Middle (20-5) had won 11 straight dual matches before being defeated by Lower, tying the program record for wins in a season set last year. The Panthers got their points through pins by Tyler King (150) and Calvin Parke (106) and major decisions by R.J. Garden (144) and Noah Nagle (175).

Middle reached the semifinal by pulling off a seed upset of Haddonfield, The No. 5 Panthers beating the No. 4 Bulldogs, 34-32. Benjamin Banks gave Middle the victory with a 10-1 major decision in the final bout at 120 pounds.

“It was tough to turn around and wrestle Lower after an emotional win like that,” Middle coach Matt Wolf said. “To have that tough of a match and then have to get right up for a big one again is difficult.

“We were hoping to be wrestling in a sectional final. But we didn’t wrestle well enough.

“I’m very proud of this team. We’ve come a long way and we’ve grown along the way. Anyone who saw our first match against them and then this one can see that. I think we have improved dramatically over the course of the season.”

(photos courtesy Heidi Ray)

Lower Cape May's Danny Byrne (left) and Middle Township's R.J. Attenborough shake hands at the start of the 165-pound bout. Byrne won a 5-3 decision in one of the match's most competitive bouts.