BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer

The Sayreville High School wrestling team, coming off a fine 17-7 campaign, is looking to do even better this winter.

A year ago the Bombers finished second in the Greater Middlesex Conference’s (GMC) White Division while setting a team record for wins. The team also captured the NJSIAA District 20 championship. Coach John Denuto has his sights set on winning the division, reaching the 20-win mark and successfully defending the District crown.

“We were aiming for 20 wins last year and we fell a little short, but the team still had a great season,” the coach said. “This year we have a lot of guys with good skills and varsity experience, so we’re aiming high.”

Eric Tsang at 125 pounds and Scott Poore at 152 pounds are among Sayreville’s top guns, and the two are both within range of Tom Danielson’s career victory mark of 96. Tsang was 31-8 a year ago and captured the District 20 title in his weight class for the second straight season. He enters the campaign with 72 career wins. Poore went 29-8 and also won a district championship for the second time. He has 71 career victories on the mats.

Other key competitors include sophomores Dan Bergfeldt (112 pounds), 8-9 last winter, and Ramon Santiago (130), 19-11; juniors Nick Boulton (119), 8-11, Mike DeLuco (145), 19-9, Mike Knight (160), 15-5 and Robert Borzerelli (215), 11-17. Santiago and Borzerelli both took third in the District 20 competition, while Bergfeldt and DeLuco were fourth-place finishers.

Junior John Boulton (135), who posted 30 wins for the junior varsity, joins the big team, along with Joe LaRocca (140), Rhett Fischer (171), Liam Brereton (189) and heavyweight Bryan Miksiewicz also moving up after strong JV campaigns.

Fischer, who was 3-2 in varsity competition last year, has impressed enough to be named one of the Bombers’ captains, along with Tsang and fellow juniors Knight and DeLuco.

“It’s a little different having three junior captains,” Denuto said. “But the reason we can do it is because of our seniors. They’ve accepted the juniors and they let them do their jobs.”

PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Scott Poore (above) and Eric Tsang (l) are two of the top returning wrestlers this year for a Sayreville High School team that should be among the very best teams in the area. Sayreville will have a busy early-season schedule, starting on Saturday with a quad meet against Piscataway, South River and New Brunswick. Next Wednesday the Bombers visit St. John Vianney and will host another quad on Dec. 23 against Manasquan, Cranford and Red Bank Catholic. Denuto’s team will compete in the Brearley Christmas Tournament during the holiday break.

“I want our guys to get as much experience early on as possible, and that’s especially important for our new guys as they adapt to facing varsity competition,” the coach explained. “At the end of the day, we’ll only go as far as those younger guys can take us.”

Denuto noted his extensive and mostly volunteer coaching staff has benefited his team. The staff includes Heimer Capati, Wayne van Deroff, former Bombers mentor Lenny Zaleski, Griffin Banod, who competed for Edison, and Tom Martinez, a former Bomber standout. Martinez holds down second place, along with Mike Velardi, in career victories at Sayreville, with 84 triumphs.

“Our guys are ready to go,” Denuto added.

“They’ve worked hard in the offseason. They know that hard work and commitment equals champions. That’s our motto for this season.”