By Rich Fisher, Contributing Editor
Due to injuries, there were several holes in the St. John Vianney, Holmdel, wrestling lineup this year which led to just a six-win dual meet season. But the healthy wrestlers are living up to the SJV tradition in the post-season.
The Lancers had a tournament-best six champions at the NJSIAA District 17 tournament and put a total of eight wrestlers through to the Region 5 tournament at Franklin High School March 6-7. The top four finishers in each weight class at regions advance to the state tournament in Atlantic City.
“We competed very hard,” coach Chris Notte said. “I was very impressed with the guys’ grit to continue to keep scoring. Even when matches were basically solidified and decided there was still time on the clock and we still kept pushing the score.
“That’s what we talk about. Our goal is longevity – regionals and states. So even if the match is over you continue to score and get yourself in better shape for matches down the road.”
The district finals, held Feb. 28 at Middletown South High School, saw SJV seniors Matthew Gould (126 pounds), Abe Adu-Amoako (150) and John Saraiva (175) and juniors Riley Correal (106), Julian Zargo (120) and Ryan Gavrish (165) all win titles.
Gould became the fourth wrestler in program history to win four district titles (at four different weight classes), along with Anthony Knox, Patrick O’Keefe and Jake Zaltsman. In posting three sub-minute pins, he wrestled just a total of 1 minute, 14 second.
“This guy has been a tough kid ever since his freshman year,” Notte said. “He’s been a consistent leader through his whole career. For him to go out there and just collect pins throughout the whole tournament. I wasn’t too surprised; he’s a great wrestler.
“He told me he wanted to OW (Outstanding Wrestler award), I said for a top seed to get OW you’re gonna have to do something a little extraordinary, maybe get all pins under a minute. He did that. However, he did not get OW, but he still continues to impress me. I’m looking forward to him finishing this senior year.”
Gould, who received the Lancers lone No. 1 seed in the regions, has twice been an 8th-place medal winner in Atlantic City. His coach expects him to get there again and hopefully reach the finals. Notte pointed to his wrestler’s 4-1 win over 2025 state finalist Jonathan McGinty of St. Joe’s, Montvale – who has only lost to two New Jersey wrestlers this season – as reason for optimism.
“I think this definitely could be the year,” Notte said. “He showed a lot of promise beating that McGinty kid. When Matt Gould really wants to show up and bring it, he can compete with the best kids in the state.”
Zargo, Adu-Amoako, Gavrish and Saravia all became two-time district champs.
Like Gould, Adu-Amoako, Saraiva, Correal and Zargo were all number-one seeds who just took care of business.
“It was just being mature about the seed,” Notte said. “Not taking it for granted, always collecting points and getting the guy if you can. That’s always been our plan.”
Adu-Amoako, Zargo and Gavrish were all repeat champions, although Gavrish had to do it as a number two seed over top-seeded Ryan Willi of Middletown South. He continues to wrestle in pain due to an elbow issue that has lingered since childhood.
“It’s really easy to root for a kid like that,” Notte said. “Hopefully he stays strong throughout the course here in the post-season.”
SJV had two other wrestlers advance due to top three finishes, as fourth-seeded sophomore Anthony Scagnelli won his third-place consolation match at 138, and third-seeded senior Thomas Foley reached the 215-pound finals before falling to Keansburg’s Shawn Retta, 11-7.
“I thought Foley did not wrestle his match,” Notte said. “Foley’s gotta bring it all three periods. He came out and brought it to him the first minute of the match, took him right down. If he kept that pace going throughout the rest of the match he would have won.
“I thought Scagnelli should have been the two seed, and maybe the kid we lost to in semis (Ryan Romano of Middletown South), that match should have been the finals. That’s OK, he wrestled tough, he came back and won those two matches on the back side and just dominated.”
St. John Vianney had two state champions and five state place-winners last year. Notte would like to see similar success this season – but first his wrestlers have to get through the regions. He’s feeling optimistic.
“I’m hoping all eight get through, I really feel that way,” he said. “It just depends on which version of ourselves show up. We just gotta keep competing.”
The following day, on March 1, the NJSIAA staged its first district tournament competition. SJV freshman Cecilia Merrifield – the Lancers’ first-ever female wrestler – won the 126-pound weight class in the District 7 championship.
“A team of one making history!” exclaimed SJV coach Julia Weihs.
In District 32, Red Bank Catholic had outstanding success by advancing 10 wrestlers to wrestlers to Region 8 and putting four wrestlers on the first-place podium.
Winning titles were John Tarantino (106), Joseph “Mako” Vezzosi (120), Luken Ramos (144) and Christian Rodriguez (165), while second-place finishers were Cole DeAngelo (126), Anthony Russo (150) and Brian Garcia (190).
Third-place finishers included Robbie Fritz (138), Javier Guzman (157) and Matt Cmielewski (175).
In District 21, CBA, Lincroft, utterly dominated with 11 champions, as Santino Edgar (106), Shiloh Joyce (113), Santino DiMatteo (120), Paul Kenny (126), Robert Duffy (144), William Sakoutis (150), James Jakub (157), Brendan Boyer (165), Brock Oizerowitz (175), Jarred O’Neill (190) and Tyler Palumbo (215) all won titles. Teag Saito (132) and Cael Dutton (138) were second-place finishers as the Colts advanced 13 of 14 grapplers to Region 8.
Notre Dame, Lawrence, got two through District 21 as Ivan Yultukhovskyj (215) took second and Joey Bonko (157) was third.
