The Garden State Scrap, a preseason wrestling showcase that brought some of the best wrestlers in the state together in January prior to the delayed 2021 season, is back.
The second event will be the same as the first in a sense that many of the top wrestlers in the state will be competing as a precursor to the wrestling season, but there are many differences - including the venue shifting from Dave Cordoba’s wrestling club to the Prudential Center in Newark as part of the Garden State Grapple, which includes No. 15 Rutgers, No. 14 North Carolina, Wisconsin and Hofstra each wrestling two dual meets.
While the first event was almost entirely boys high school wrestlers, Saturday’s event will be a mix of boys and girls with an undercard of a K-8 Girls National Showcase and two middle school matches.
Some of the girls matches in the Scrap are among the most intriguing - including a main event which pits Delran two-time state champion Emma Matera against Lakewood state champion Jayla Hahn.
“I think the girls might steal the show,” said Cordoba, who is running the event. “There’s some great matches in the K-8 showcase, we have the best girls coming in from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania to participate.”
The K-8 Girls Showcase will take place at 5:30 with the Garden State Scrap following at 7:15. Rutgers will face Hofstra at 5:30 and North Carolina at 7:30, while Wisconsin also takes on North Carolina and Hofstra in reverse order.
There isn’t as much firepower on the boys side as the first Garden State Scrap - Cordoba said the fact many upper weights are still playing or just finished football season was a factor - but there’s still some intriguing bouts.
Cordoba said he was originally planning to hold the event at a New Jersey high school in early-or-mid-November but with COVID-19 still a concern, it was challenging to find a location where he could bring in wrestlers from all over, including out-of-state.
“When I found out Rutgers was wrestling at the Prudential Center, I thought what’s it hurt to ask?” said Cordoba. “I reached out to (Rutgers coach Scott) Goodale and said ‘Do you mind if we do the Scrap next your matches?’
“He said ‘Yeah of course, more people in the room, more talent.’ It’s a win-win. He was all about it. He hooked me up with the VP at Prudential Center and it mutated from there. We didn’t want to push it to the spring and not let the ball roll, though we’re looking to maybe do one in April too. The kids wanted to wrestle. Some of the youger kids took this match real quick to get their name out there.
“We’ve got some young, fresh faces and we’re all excited. There’s going to be some action-packed matches.”
Two-time state champion Brian Soldano of High Point, the NJ.com Wrestler of the Year and a Rutgers commit, will face incoming freshman Vincenzo LaValle of Hanover Park. Lavalle is the son of former three-time state champion James LaValle.
Two-time girls state champion Kira Pipkins of Bloomfield will face Kinnelon’s Kalya Vazquez, a third-place finisher last year.
Another intriguing matchup is a 145-pound match between New Jersey’s Joey Monticello and Pennsylvania’s Cael Weidemoyer, who Cordoba says are the top two middle school wrestlers at the weight in the country.
The opening match includes one of St. John Vianney’s outstanding incoming freshmen Patrick O’Keefe taking on Livingston 106-pound placewinner Aidan Carmody.
Two other St. John Vianney wrestlers are on the card as incoming freshman Jake Zaltsman takes on Paramus Catholic’s state qualifier Dylan Ross and Jasiah Queen, a transfer from Elizabeth who was a state qualifier, battles Bound Brook’s Alex Martinez.
Cordoba is hoping to provide a livestream of the event on YouTube for those who can’t make it to the Prudential Center.
High school practices officially begin on Monday.
K-8 Girls National Showcase, 5:30
- 1. 45: Lexy Beers (PA) vs Sophia Uccellini (NY)
- 2. 54: Rylee Carreira (NJ) vs Murienn Bagnell (PA)
- 3. 66: Evelyn Jaynes (NJ) vs Isabella Rogers (PA)
- 4. 71: Jane Rodrigues (NJ) vs Madison Healey (PA)
- 5. 84: Elle Changaris (NJ) vs Marie Sharp (NJ)
- 6. 91: Lucia Ranieri (NJ) vs Kylee Trostle (PA)
- 7. 93: Lilliana Massenzio (NJ) vs Emily Kivler (PA)
- 8. 106: Abigail Naddeo (NJ) vs Molly Brangan (PA)
- 9. 124: Ella Poalillo (NJ) vs Julissa Ortiz (PA)
- 10. 118: Kylie Gudewitz (NJ)vs Samiyah Rhaming (PA)
- 11. 105: Paige Weiss (NJ) vs Ava Guilmette (CT)
- 12. 110: Victoria Carbonaro (NJ) vs Aubre Krazer (PA)
- 13. 101: Charlie Wylie (NY) vs Kayla Batres (CT)
Middle School Matches
- 1. 111: Joey Monticello (NJ) vs Cael Weidemoyer (PA)
- 2. 104: Anthony Curlo (NJ) vs Eric Bocanegra (NY)
The Garden State Scrap, 7:15 PM
- 111: Patrick O’Keefe (St. John Vianney) vs Aidan Carmody (Livingston)
- 104: Olivia Klein (Paramus) vs Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Newton)
- 118: Dylan Ross (Paramus Catholic) vs Jake Zaltsman (St. John Vianney)
- 112: Ahsia Torres (Perth Amboy) vs Ava Rose (Princeton)
- 120: Kaden Naame (St.Augustine) vs Jackson Young (Camden Catholic)
- 115: Liliana Ramos (Kittatinny) vs Riley Lerner (Cedar Creek)
- 120: Santino Danise (Hanover Park) vs Tyeler Hangensen (Mount Olive)
- 125: Kira Pipkins (Bloomfield) vs Kayla Vazquez (Kinnelon)
- 134: Katrina Kling (Warren Hills) vs Julia Fongaro (Boonton)
- 145: Chris Bacchioni (Bergen Catholic) vs Richie Grungo (St.Augustine)
- 138: Amanda Connors (Northern Highlands) vs Jayla Hahn (Lakewood)
- 192: Brian Soldano (High Point) vs Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park)
- 155: Laith Hamdeh (Passaic County Tech) vs Tanner Peake (Hunterdon Central)
- 134: Julia Fongaro (Boonton) vs Chloe Lawler (Jackson)
- 157: Jasiah Queen (St. John Vianney) vs Alex Martinez (Bound Brook)
- 143: Samira Kupa (Boonton) vs Skyelar Smith (Jackson Memorial)
- 170: Brock Zurawski (Lower Cape May) vs Jack Martin (Pingry)
- 150: Jodi Holder (North Hunterdon) vs Jenna Filieri (Immaculate Conception)
- 195: Alex Uryniak (North Hunterdon) vs Nicholas Olivieri (Delbarton)
- 140: Jayla Hahn (Lakewood) vs Emma Matera (Delran)
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