Big wins from Neill and Garcia tee up Villanueva's heroics. Wolfpack now 11-6 as postseason month begins.
WMC Wrestling by David Yaskulka, Community Contributor
|Updated Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 2:48 pm ET
2/2/25
By David YaskulkaAmazing photos from Jen Sheppard, Sheryl Reed
The grueling back-and-forth wrestling match between West Morris Central and Immaculata Saturday (Feb. 1) came down to a winner-take-all ultimate bout. Wolfpack senior Erin Villanueva, fighting off his back and down 7-0 as the third period neared, put his opponent – and the entire WMC team – on his back for a stunning, match-winning pin.
The Wolfpack home crowd erupted and Villanueva’s teammates stormed the mat as WMC prevailed 40-32.
“It felt amazing,” he said after hearing the ref slap the mat. “I was just so glad I could win it for the team,” said Villanueva (144 lbs.). Senior captain Mark Montuore hoisted him on his shoulders as the entire team mobbed him, high fives and back slaps everywhere.
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“Energy was way up and the bench cleared,” explained Montuore. “I was holding the guys back from coming on the mat – it was an awesome moment that I’m sure he’ll remember!”
It’s the only time this season a match has come down to an ultimate battle (unless you count the forfeit Neill received against Jefferson).
“Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat,” said failed New Jersey gubernatorial candidate and late billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes. For Villanueva, a senior 0-6 going in, the epic victory was his first ever on the varsity mat. Not coincidentally, Villanueva’s previous match was his strongest, going the distance against a winning-record competitor.
In a critical swing bout, John Garcia pushed the pace to give the team a 20-8 major victory and WMC’s first points. “I used my speed on my feet, as I was much faster wrestling up a weight [at 165],” said the sophomore.
Before that, Hayden Hurst (150) saved WMC a point by staving off a pin from the Spartan’s best, #5 ranked state qualifier Nate Keller.
Garcia started a five-bout win streak for the Pack, including a dramatic buzzer-beating 4-1 victory by Deacon Frayne (175) and quick pins from Chris Kowalik (190, 0:37), Michael Borgia (215, 0:40) and Tommy Borgia (HWT, 0:19).
After Montuore’s (113) 59th career pin passed Dylan Luciano for the second-most pins in school history, Wolfpack state medalist Brody Neill (120) defeated #13 ranked Ryan Goldstein in another critical swing bout 4-1.
The Spartans then won three in a row behind state qualifiers Derek Sutphen and Mason Tettambel, and #26 ranked Landan Riddell. Critically, Jacob Harrison (132) gave Tettambel (who had reached the third round of wrestlebacks in Atlantic City, same as Tommy Borgia) all he could handle and nearly pulled off the upset 4-2.
That left WMC’s fate in Villanueva’s hands, which he used to deliver the thrilling pinfall at 3:42.
Trailing 8-1, High Point junior region qualifier Brady Conklin got the biggest upset win of his life to start the match. It was a sign of things to come as High Point, powerful up and down the lineup, pummeled the Pack 52-18 Wednesday (Jan. 29) on Senior Night.
Neill tied the score 6-6, igniting the home crowd with a first period pin over one of HP’s top grapplers. That was the closest WMC would get.
Freshman phenoms Frayne (after falling behind 5-0) and Kowalik thrilled the Wolfpack faithful, gutting out tight victories over top-60 ranked Wildcats, by 8-6 and 5-2 respectively. Frayne and Kowalik are each the #1 ranked freshman in his weight class.
Michael Borgia impressed while falling 1-0 to region qualifier Donald Weiss (20-6, ranked #27). Jonathan Cabarle (138, two points), Hurst and Kurtis Beyer (150) saved points for the team, avoiding pins against some of HP’s best.
The Wildcats sat their highest-ranked grappler, #11 HWS champ Gavin Maricle (23-2), denying the crowd a spotlight match against Tommy Borgia and giving WMC its fourth win of the night.
High Point, now 14-5, swapped places with WMC in the Daily Record Top 10, which previously had WMC fifth and HP sixth.
Sectional (team) playoffs are February 10-16 for the eight schools (out of 14) that qualify in each section.
WMC currently ranked second in Section 2, Group 2 with 34.11 PowerPoints, well behind Caldwell (38.56 PowerPoints), and ahead of third place Gov. Livingston (32.33) and fourth place Hackettstown (28.33), clearly the top-four this season.
The Group includes (in rank order) Elmwood Park, Bernards, Madison, ParHills, Parsippany, and Voorhees. If started today, playoffs would start with a WMC home match vs. #7 Madison (3-7), followed by likely hosting #3 Gov. Livingston (9-5), and then a possible finals at #1 Caldwell (13-1), which defeated WMC 47-20 on Jan. 3.
NJ.com ranks WMC #6 in Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, #17 in their North Jersey Region, and #7 in all of Group 2 (53 schools including two North Jersey sections, Central Jersey, and South Jersey). Rumson-Fair Haven is first in Group 2, followed by Caldwell, High Point, Lower Cape May, Ocean, Pascack Valley, and West Morris Central
Last season WMC was in the tougher Section 2, Group 3, where as the five-seed, it fell to #4 Passaic Valley in the first round, a loss it avenged this Jan. 18 by 42-25. Cranford defeated West Essex in last year’s finals.
Evan Pizutillo, Erin Villanueva, John Wagner, and Mark Montuore were celebrated by the home crowd their coaches and their families Wednesday night (Jan. 29) on Senior Night.
“When thinking of Pizutillo, Villanueva and Wagner, I think of their important roles on the team,” said captain Borgia. “Although they may not be the highest ranked or winningest wrestlers in the lineup, they are key to what we do at WMC. They work hard every day, and give us motivation to be our best selves. They show that even though you may not be in the starting lineup all the time, that you have a very important role on our team.”
Pizutillo, a recent convert to the sport, has been a key member of the JV squad. “I started wrestling late in high school, but I still enjoy it a ton. I wish I started earlier so that I could have been better.” He’ll no doubt translate that drive – as evidenced by his award-winning robotics accomplishments and stellar SAT scores – into great success as an aerospace engineer (his career goal).
Villanueva has seen significant varsity action this season, saving the team critical points against both Morris Knolls and St. Benedict’s prep before his epic match-winning pin over Immaculata. Last season, he decked six opponents on the JV mat, taking bronze at the WMC JV tourney.
Wagner has also seen significant time on the varsity mat, including a win by pinfall at the Morris Knolls Tournament this season, and 16 matches last season. Introduced to wrestling by a friend, Wagner says “a person who influenced me most is my grandpa. He taught me to respect everybody and do what you love.” He pictures himself leveraging his wrestling work ethic to become a heavy equipment operator journeyman.
Villanueva, Pizzutillo and Wagner all placed at the WMC JV Tournament on Jan. 19.
Montuore, the most successful dual meet wrestler in WMC history, has his eyes set on Atlantic City. He will leave a hole in WMC’s lineup that cannot be filled.
Full Circle has Brody #8, and Tommy at #11, just behind Delbarton’s Moser, whom he might see at R3. Neither appears in NJ.com 1/28 top-eight. Neill and Borgia have been utterly dominant for the Pack.
“I have been feeling good putting in the work,” said Neill. “I am focused on each match as it comes up. I want to make it to states and place higher and higher.”
In the 1/27 Daily Record Morris/Sussex Top 10, WMC remained #5, just ahead of High Point (prior to the WMC match) ,and behind Delbarton, Mt. Olive (losses for WMC), Pope John (a WMC win), and Hanover Park (L).
As of Jan29 on RankWrestlers.com:
On RankWrestlers.com as of Jan. 29, here’s where our rookies stand among freshmen in their weight class:
Of course, the upperweights is not where freshmen usually play. For example, in Atlantic City, no underclassmen placed top-six. One sophomore placed seventh, and a freshman eighth.
At 190, no freshmen placed, but two sophomores were top-eight.
*Thanks to Chris Kowalik, Sr. for suggesting I check this out.
The team visits Mendham Feb. 4, and the Randolph quad is Feb. 15 with Becton and Hillsborough.
Sectional (team) playoffs are February 10-16 for schools that qualify.
All schools’ starting wrestlers compete in the district individual championships Feb 22, with WMC in District 11 at Nutley, also facing Belleville, Glen Ridge, Governor Livingston, Kearny, Livingston, Montclair, Verona and West Orange.
D11 medalists (top-3) will compete in the Region 3 Championship Feb 28- Mar 1.
Top-four finishers from each of the eight regions advance to the NJSIAA State Championship in Atlantic City Mar. 6-8 where Wolfpack legends including (this century) Brandon Dean, Marisa Di Paolo (Girls States, twice), Colin Loughney, Justin LeMay, Marco Gaita, Shane Metzler (thrice), Nick Matthews, Dillon Landi and most recently Brody Neill climbed the podium in hallowed Boardwalk Hall.
David began living his sportswriter dream to avoid concession duty when his sons Noah and Ben began wrestling for the Wolfpack in 2012. He is a passionate sustainability advocate and pet industry executive, serves as Board Chair of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, Board Director at Greater Good Charities; and Board Advisor at Arch Pet Food, rePurpose Global plastic action platform, and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.
He invites all WMC wrestlers and their families to connect with him (and with each other!) on LinkedIn.