NHS wrestling team wins first-ever ECT championship

Photo by Steve Ellmore.

The Nutley High School wrestling team poses after winning the team title at the Essex County Tournament.

By Joe Ragozzino
Sports editor
The Nutley High School varsity wrestling team won its first-ever Essex County Tournament team championship last Friday and Saturday Jan. 27-28 at Codey Arena in West Orange.
The Raiders, under head coach Frank DiPiano, finished first overall in the team standings with 203 points among the 24 scoring teams.
Junior Robert Trombetta won the 120-pound title for his third ECT championship to lead the Raiders. Trombetta won by injury default over Seton Hall Prep’s Nick Polimeni in the final, after Polimeni injured his shoulder in the second period. The victory was Trombetta’s 100th of his career and improved his record to 23-1 this season.
Senior Nick Gaeta won the 195-pound title for the Raiders, who had seven wrestlers finish in the top three and a total of 11 who placed overall. Gaeta upset top-seeded Donte’ Bellamy of Montclair, 6-0, in the final.
Freshman Anthony DeLorenzo took second place for the Raiders at 106, getting pinned in the final in 2:26 by Columbia’s Khari-Elijah Jarrett, who was named the ECT Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Taking third for the Raiders were junior Brandon Keena, at 160; senior Jordan Nochimson at 182 and senior Andre Hamlin at 285 heavyweight. Fourth-place finishers for NHS were sophomore Stephen Scuttaro at 126 and senior Carlos Rosa at 220.
Trombetta and Livingston’s Jason Estevez are trying to become four-time ECT champions. Estevez won his third county title after winning the 132 crown on Saturday. Seven wrestlers have won four county titles in the 35-year history of the tournament.
West Orange finished second overall with 169 points. Seton Hall Prep was third with 153.5 points and West Essex fourth with 150.5.
Last season, Trombetta finished seventh in the state tournament in Atlantic City in the 112-pound division.
The Raiders, who clinched the Super Essex Conference-American Division championship last week, have shown much focus this season. The team now is determined to make a strong showing in the upcoming state North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 tournament and District 14 tournaments.
“The team has had their mind set on winning the league, county, and district title,” DiPiano said. “Winning both the league and the county last week was a huge accomplishment. This is the first time that Nutley has ever won the Essex County Tournament and all the hard work the kids have put in have been paying off. The season is not over yet and we still have more to accomplish both as a team and individually.
“The weekend was great and to see the happiness in not only the kids but also the staff and fans that have been sticking by us all season is a special thing. We will take the weekend and enjoy what we have accomplished, but come Monday (Jan. 30) we are back in the room getting to work and looking to improve everyday. We are not looking ahead. We are taking things one day at a time and next on our radar is our match against Columbia on Wednesday (Feb. 1).”

ECT finals

106: Khari-Elijah Jarrett, Columbia, pin Anthony DeLorenzo, Nutley, 2:26

113: Brenden Calas, Seton Hall Prep, pin Paul Scully, Verona, 5:01

120: Robert Trombetta, Nutley, by injury default, over Nick Polimeni, Seton Hall Prep

126: Justin Colon, Belleville, dec. Mike Marotti, West Essex, 3-1

132: Jason Estevez, Livingston, dec. Katon Washington, Montclair, 6-5

138: Desalegne Fried, West Orange, dec. Anthony Pompei, West Essex, 6-4

145: Nathanial Garcia, Bloomfield, dec. James Avraamides, West Essex, 9-4

152: Brad Krosser, Livingston, dec. John Faugno, Glen Ridge, 6-0

160: Simon Levin, Millburn, pin Joe Anello, Belleville, 3:18

170: Kyle Christiansen, Bloomfield, dec. Steven Benitiz, West Orange, 10-9

182: Frank Greco, Verona, dec. Kevin Matlon, SHP, 6-5 in 4 OT's