News Flash

Phillipsburg 45, TOMS RIVER NORTH 25.

Young P'burg squad, with 10 underclassmen, impressive in opener

Sunday, December 18, 205
By NICK FIERRO The Express-Times

TOMS RIVER, N.J. * They didn't finish their 2004-05 season the way they wanted to at
the Ritacco Center last February, but the Phillipsburg Stateliners were able to
return to the scene Saturday and open this season with a much better result.

Sporting a lineup that featured four freshmen and six sophomores, they spanked Toms
River North 45-25 in a nonleague match to avenge a 35-33 home setback to the Mariners
last season. They also walked away from the arena as winners 10 months after
suffering a 30-25 loss here to Southern Regional in the NJSIAA Group 4 final.

This squad, however, bears little resemblance to the one that made it to the state
final.

"Our goal is to be back here again (for the state group finals)," said
coach Rick Thompson, who last week was named The Express-Times Cross Country Coach of
the Year. "It's going to be a long road, though. You saw how young we are, you
see the holes we have. But that's OK, that's what we have teammates for.

"I'm proud of what we did today, but I know we've got a long road. We're a team
that's maybe a couple years away. But we're not going to belly-up, we're going to
keep on fighting, we're going to do what we can and that's all I can ask for."

Still, one of those Phillipsburg freshmen made an impact almost immediately as Nick
Pare followed a match-opening pin by senior teammate Jon Stillo with a nerve-wracking
7-4 decision over senior Marcos Flores at 135 pounds. That gave the Stateliners a 9-0
lead and they never looked back.

Pare took Flores down early in the first period and rode him the rest of the way as
well as for the entire second period. But after escaping in the third for a 3-0
advantage, he was taken down twice, the second time with a headlock that would have
scored back points if not for tumbling out of bounds.

"I was pretty close (to being pinned), but we were out of bounds," Pare
said. "I was able to get back to the center, get a fresh start."

Pare had been waiting for this moment since he was in fifth grade.

"I thought I had a shot (at cracking the lineup)," Pare said, "but you
never really know until you get in the room."

Four of Phillipsburg's six sophomores also won their bouts Saturday, starting with
Brian Norrell's 8-6 decision over Chris Kau at 160. Norrell trailed 4-2 entering the
third period. He took defense, scored the escape and then hit Kau with a five-point
move. He gave up a late reversal but hung on for the win.

At 275, 190-pound Brian Gruhler went six exhausting minutes with 243-pound Matt
Schick and emerged with a 7-3 win due in large part to superior conditioning.

"I was gassed, too," Gruhler admitted. "He was just pushing me around
(early). He was heavier and stronger than me. He kind of had a little bit of
advantage, but * you've got to have a lot of courage, a big heart and a set of, uh,
you know what."

Luke Grassi, a district champ as a freshman last season, later clinched the match for
the Stateliners by wrapping up Dan Shemrock with a cradle and pinning him in the
second period of their bout at 119.

Classmate Nick Bullock finished the match by pinning Nic Song at 125.

'LINER LINES: Senior Jon Gregory won with a 36-second pin at 112 and Chris Norrell
picked up a forfeit victory at 152 for Phillipsburg. * The Mariners won the takedown
battle, 24-19.