BY JOE HOFMANN
It is funny how things go. I walk into the Morris Knolls gym for the Morris Knolls Christmas Tournament and the first person I run into is Gary Mezzacappo, who runs the Ironhorse wrestling club. When I started doing wrestling for the Daily Record 22 year ago, Gary was one of the main guys who introduced me to the sport (I had been a basketball guy while growing up). Gary is very, very passionate about wrestling and he would pull me aside and give me his thoughts all of the time. Then I would repeat what Gary just told me to the next person and I’d look like a genius. Thanks for the help, Gary! …
Some of Morris Knolls wrestlers were introduced to greatness in their very first matches at the Knolls Tournament. Michael Nigro (126) lost to Watchung Hills’ state champion Mike Magaldo, Jayson Parisi (120) lost two two-time state champion Brendan Calas of Seton Hall Prep, and Luke Drugas lost to South Plainfield state champion Troy Heilman. “We told them after they lost that there will now be no pressure on them for being undefeated,” coach Larry Rizzo quipped. …
Rizzo’s son Larry, by the way, is assisting big Mike Suk at Randolph. …
One of the unfortunate things about covering high school sports is when dedicated, disciplined athletes get hurt and miss any time. Morris Knolls’ Mike Rettino, a returning Morris County champ, will miss his senior year due to a knee injury sustained during football. It’s just not fair when a good kid like Rettino gets hurt, especially when there are goofball kids who are undisciplined and could care less about their teammates – and stay healthy. Sometimes, life is not fair. …
The head table at Morris Knolls had some heavy hitters. The PA was manned by former Knolls coach Jeff Churchill, who turned out some great wrestlers at the Morris County school – and two away from the school. Church’s two sons both stood out at Newton High and now wrestle for TCNJ.
How’s this for an amazing story? Churchill reports that one of his sons lost a match at East Strousburg recently due to biting. Churchill’s opponent bit himself, showed the referee the bite makes, and Churchill was disqualified. Check for yourself online. “It’s on youtube,” Churchill said incredulously.
Former Par Hills coach Matt Ciampa, who placed several wrestlers at the states, helped Churchill with the paper work at the scorer’s table. …
It was great catching up with Knolls coach Bill Regan, who is on the Knolls season ticket plan for wrestling. While some football coaches selfishly do not want their athletes wrestling, Regan wholeheartedly endorses it. “It’s all about the one-on-one competition,” Regan said, and he is absolutely right. …
Speaking of football, let me close by saying that MSG Varsity has it all wrong with their New Jersey state football coach of the year, released late this week. The website awarded it to Elizabeth coach John Quinn, who guided the Minutemen to the Section 2, Group IV title. Quinn is a terrific coach who has also guided Roxbury and New Brunswick to championships. But Coach of the Year should be awarded to the coach of the year – and in this case, that means 2012. The award should have gone to Kinnelon coach Kevin White, whose program had not won a single playoff game until this year, when it won three in a to win Section 1, Group II.
