News Flash

JACKSON'S THREE-PEAT

Individual vindication was the theme in the Shore Conference Tournament final, in which Jackson, No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, defeated Southern Regional, 28-24, to earn its third successive title Saturday in Manahawkin.

First, Luke Lanno of Southern avenged a 4-3 loss suffered to Jackson's Matt Bradley in a season-opening dual meet. Lanno (16-1) came out the aggressor in the 135-pound final, building a 4-1 lead in the second period and getting a late escape to fend off Bradley, 7-6.

Lanno's teammate Keith Dillard then settled a score with Dave Concepcion at 152 pounds, getting a single-leg takedown in overtime for a 3-1 victory. Concepcion won the wrestlers' other meeting, 5-4.

Despite those turnaround victories from a 29-17 setback to Jackson on Dec. 21, Southern couldn't pull out the victory because Jackson's Dan Hopkins and Derrick Russell also gained some revenge against their opponents.

Hopkins won, 8-5, at 171 pounds over Josh Cippolla, who had defeated Hopkins by the same score in December. Russell battled to a 3-2 victory at 103 pounds against Jason Walters, who pinned Russell in a
middle-school match a year ago.

Hopkins said he wasn't mat ready in his first meeting with Cippolla, which came soon after Hopkins helped Jackson to the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 football title.

"We just won the state championship in football and my head wasn't really into wrestling yet," Hopkins said. "This time I was in a lot better shape. I'm now in wrestling shape instead of football shape."