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WRESTLING
OCEAN 47, CBA 20

Spartans rebound from tough beginning
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/5/06

BY SCOTT CLAYTON
STAFF WRITER

OCEAN TOWNSHIP * If ever a wrestling team needed a turn of the calendar, it was
Ocean. Taking the mats in a Shore Conference Class A North match with Christian
Brothers Academy, the Spartans had the earmarks of a team that resolved to fulfill
its preseason hype.

The Spartans (1-1, 1-1) won 10 of 14 bouts, including five by fall, to roll past the
Colts (1-1, 1-1), 47-20. After earning the preseason No. 1 ranking in the Asbury Park
Press Top 10, the Spartans lived up to the billing with a strong showing at the Beast
of the East Tournament in Newark, Del., on Dec. 17-18. Then Howell stunned Ocean,
30-28, in a season-opener on Dec. 21.

Just when it appeared the Spartans had turned things around with a strong showing at
the Mustang Classic on Dec. 28, junior Jeff Siciliano, a state silver medalist,
suffered an ankle injury that could sideline him for the season. With a major
nondivisional tilt against Southern coming up on Saturday, Ocean hopes Wednesday's
win was the start of something permanent and not just a peak before another valley.

"My assistant, Doug Parisi, said it the other day: it's been an emotional roller
coaster," Ocean coach Ken Hoff said. "This team needed a win."

Starting at 152 pounds, the teams traded wins in the first four bouts with CBA taking
an 11-9 lead thanks to bonus points from an Anthony DeLeo technical fall at 152 and
an Oliver Ferraro pin at 189. Ocean's Kyle Kiss won a meeting of returning District
22 champions, taking a 5-2 decision from Anthony Chirichello at 171.

All the momentum shifted Ocean's way in a wild 215-pound bout. Trailing 10-9, Spartan
junior Joe Pemberton reversed Brian Bell and took him to his back with a
"bulldog" headlock. Pemberton pressed Bell with eight seconds left in the
second period.

"It was big," Pemberton said. "A lot of my teammates, a lot of the
seniors said I earned a lot of respect tonight. Every point counted so I wanted to
give my best for six minutes and get bonus points."

Pemberton's win was the first of four straight that lifted Ocean to a 34-11 lead.
Heavyweight Ted Konopka took a major decision followed by second-period pins from
Mike Berardesco and Zac Coulas.

"It was good so see the guys step up that aren't our experienced guys,"
Hoff said. "We just have a new philosophy, to wrestle hard for six minutes.
There's so much pressure on these kids to win, win, win. Wins will take care of
themselves. A relaxed athlete is a better athlete."

Nick Menditto, a125-pounder, who failed to make weight for the Howell match and did
not travel with the team to the Mustang Classic, was in uniform, but did not wrestle.
Fourth in the state last season at 112 pounds, Menditto weighed in at 128.8 pounds,
which Hoff said was the closest he's been to 125 since making weight at the Beast of
the East.

"We just couldn't bump everybody up today to get him in there," Hoff said.
"He tried to make it today, but I told him not to because he needed to cut too
much. He'll be down to 125 for Saturday."

After a Joe Favia decision and James Beshada pin at 119 and 125, respectively, pulled
CBA within 31-20, Ocean rolled to wins in the final four weights, including an
impressive 8-2 decision from Joey Falco over Dave Chirichello at 145.