This weekend the Bulldogs competed in the District 15 Tournament at Becton High School. Throughout the event Rutherford looked ready to display the individual talents of several key wrestlers. Despite a team dual meet record that revealed little about the character and fortitude of the team members, the Bulldogs were able to secure three champions, two consolation placements, and a third place finish as a squad.

Despite having the tournament delayed due to inclement weather on Friday, the Bulldogs came into the Becton High School gymnasium ready to take home hardware. Having had an interrupted season due to a shoulder injury sustained in December, Bryan Brown still wrestled his best considering his lack of matches coming into the tournament. He was able to finish third for the second year in a row at 125 lbs. by besting Steve Orlic of Becton by a pin with only two seconds left in the match. Additionally, senior, Jesse Kolich finished the tournament in impressive fashion as he pinned his Kennedy opponent, Mohammed Shalabi, in the first period at 135 lbs. to also garner a third place medal.

Three Bulldog seniors wrestled all the way to the finals this year and all three walked out of Becton as champions. At 130 lbs. Robert Fecanin breezed through his matches and scored a 7 to 2 decision over Clifton’s Cody Bleaken. It was Fecanin’s first championship after placing second the past two seasons. At 160 lbs. Charles DeCarlo pinned his way to the finals and was able to upend Passaic County champion Tyjon Greer of Passaic. DeCarlo also had been a second place finisher the past two seasons and this victory was a major confidence builder for the scrappy Bulldog wrestler. At 189 lbs. Nick Zurla paced himself throughout his bouts and was able to secure a pin in the finals over Passaic County Tech’s Christian Broughton. All three seniors were able to record wins, and by doing so they each helped the team surpass Clifton in the battle for the third place trophy.

On Tuesday night (after press deadline) Brown and Kolich will square off with different opponents at West Orange High School in the opening round of the Region 4 Tournament. Fecanin, DeCarlo, and Zurla will receive a bye to the next round that will begin Friday night. The top three finishers in each weight class will then move on to the New Jersey State Tournament in Atlantic City the following weekend.