Borgia, Montuore, Rizzuto, DeFrance, Neill, Codella & Team Honored

3/25/24

By David Yaskulka
Photos from Jen Sheppard, Anthony Codella and the WMC Parents Club

The West Morris Central wrestling family celebrated a resurgent 2023-24 season Wednesday night Mar. 20 at the posh Black Oak Golf Club, where Tommy Borgia, Mark Montuore, Sam Rizzuto, Henry DeFrance, Brody Neill and AJ Codella came home with the top awards.

Coach Chris Marold, who was again named District 11 Coach of the Year, and Parents Club President Mark Montuore, Sr. mastered the ceremony. They recounted a season that began 2-9, but ended with 12 wins in the final 13 matches and a 14-10 record, good for 4th place in the grueling NJAC American Conference.

“I'm proud of our brotherhood, and how scrappy we are competing with high level teams with an all around young lineup,” said co-captain Montuore, Jr. The team was champion of the Morris Knolls Tournament, placed third at the John Goles Tournament, third in the County (public schools), and second at District 11.

Marold, Montuore Sr. and the wrestlers themselves thanked a long list of contributors to WMC’s wrestling family, including coaches Tom Borgia, Tommy Nicolicchia and John DeVito; Athletic Director Matt Moscatello, administrators, parents, statisticians, community members, spouses, and more.

The gala also highlighted varsity letter winners, and the careers of seniors Rizzuto, DeFrance, Lucas Barisonek, Vince Caruso, and Brendon McBride with a moving slideshow.

Awards

Borgia was named Outstanding Wrestler after his second explosive year. He was 36-7, winning the Knolls tournament, Goles and County tournament silver, winning District and Region championships, and finishing top-16 in NJ. Brandon Dean won the award last season.

Montuore won the prestigious Coaches Award. He was 31-10, winning Knolls silver, Goles fourth, County fifth, District bronze and Region fifth. He was a beast for the Pack in dual meets, nabbing maximum team points 19 times. Henry Frayne was last year’s award winner.

Montoure said the greatest lesson he's learned from wrestling is “Great leadership, and helping others, makes a well-oiled machine."

Rizzuto won the Long Valley Achievement Award. He was 23-11, winning Knolls and Goles silver, County and District bronze. The Pack co-captain won 70 times in his outstanding high school career, good for #33 all-time, despite a covid-shortened season. Michael Campanaro was last year’s award winner.

Neill was predictably named Rookie of the Year after the most successful freshman season in school history. He was 38-8, winning Knolls and Goles championships; County, District and Region bronze; and 7th place in the NJSIAA State Championship. Borgia was last year’s winner.

DeFrance (13-16) received the Blue/Grey Award in his senior year. He came up huge for the Pack in numerous duals, and took fourth at Districts. Michael Hare won Blue-Grey last season.

Codella (24-14) was named Most Improved Wrestler for a breakout sophomore year culminating in a District Championship. He also placed second at Knolls, and fifth in the County.

One Tough Letter

Marold bestowed the most prestigious varsity letter in sports to Rizzuto for the fourth time, and to Brendan McBride (6-12), DeFrance and Montuore for the third time.

Jacob Fahmi (12-20, now a two-time Region qualifier), Vincent Caruso (8-20), Mike Borgia (8-17 as a sophomore big man, taking fourth at Knolls and Goles), Tommy Borgia, Robert Fazzino (23-12 in an outstanding first year with the Pack, taking Knolls bronze and District fourth) and Luke Barisonek (6-24) won their second letters.

Jacob Harrison (20-19 with District silver, a worthy Rookie of the Year winner if not for Neill’s historic season), Mason Vasquez (5-13, and bronze at Goles), Kurt Beyer (1-8), JD Wagner (2-14), Codella, and Neill won their first letters.

In advance of senior year, Montuoure reflected, “the most pride I get is watching the improvement of all the new wrestlers and their passion growing for the sport.”

John Garcia was honored by the assistant coaches with the Future Star Award after a dominant 11-3 JV season that included a WMC Tournament championship and four varsity appearances.

All Conference

Area coaches voted on All Conference honors, and the Wolfpack shined despite now residing in the star studded NJAC American Conference with Delbarton, Mt. Olive and Pope John.

Neill was named first team All-Conference, the only honoree not from those three schools. Montuore, Rizzuto, and Tommy Borgia (second team) and Codella (honorable mention) were also honored.

Harrison, Fahmi, Fazzino and DeFrance might well have been honored too if WMC were still in the all-public National division.

Neill and Borgia were recognized on Donald Brower’s (GardenStateHSwrestling.com) All-Morris second team, and Rizzuto on the third. Delbarton wrestlers from outside Morris County dominated the Morris County team.

Looking to 2024-25

The Pack can look forward to five more combined seasons from its two returning States competitors Neill and Borgia, who will return as Marold’s hammers, along with Region qualifiers Montuore, Codella, Fahmi and Harrison, and near-qualifier (but for illness) Fazzino.

Among the most interesting 2023-24 weight class challenges for Coach Marold will be finding a slot for Vasquez, who had a very solid freshman year before being bumped to JV by Montuore’s weight descent. With Caruso and Rizzuto graduating at 132 and 138 respectively, ideally Vasquez can slot in as Montuore, Harrison and Fahmi grow.

In addition, graduation is leaving holes at 144 (McBride), 157 (DeFrance), and 175 (Barisonek).

Potentially the most heart wrenching weight will be up top, where Marold has two extremely talented big men in Borgia and Codella, a full HWT. It remains to be seen if Borgia can safely continue at 215 into his upperclass years. Uniquely, if you’re over 215, there’s only one slot, so Marold could be forced to bench one of his most talented wrestlers.

Marold will be able to pull from a large JV squad that this year included Future Star Award winner Garcia, Robert Sulpizi, Ashton Babinec, Erin Villanueva (who won WMC tourney bronze), Hayden Hurst, Andrew Domingues (who won Knolls bronze), Eddy Velasco, Jack Sheppard, Zane Pershaud, and Evan Pizzutillo.

WMC’s next freshman class also looks strong, including Erik Forsbrey, Lucas Harrison, Jonathan Cabarle, Jake Reed, Brennan Taylor, Nicholas Galvin, Liam Ryan, Grant Baker, Payton Andrich-Carbon, Deacon Frayne (brother of Pack legend Henry Frayne), and Steven Paris.

2023-24 Season Greatness

Tommy Borgia led the team in tech falls, majors, forfeits received, take downs, and take down +/-. His 36 wins tied for 13th most in school history. His 20 pins were 12th all time.

Neill tied the team’s all-time pin record set last year by Henry Frayne with 26, led the team in wins at 38 – tied for the seventh most ever, and the most ever by a WMC freshman.

Rizzuto led the team in near fall points, and reversals. Montuore’s 31 wins were tied for 32nd most in school history, but his dual meet points were fourth all-time, behind Marco Gaita 2017, Henry Frayne 2023, and Dean 2022. Harrison’s 36 escapes were 10th most ever.

WMC All-Time Greatness

Montuore rose to #20 on the all-time wins list, with a strong possibility of ending up on the team’s victory Mt. Rushmore. He’s also #12 in near fall points. His career dual meet points are already seventh all-time, putting him on pace to surpass Shane Metzler for the career record.

Rizzuto finishes #33 all time in wins, and tied for 12th in reversals.

Amazingly, Borgia is tied for 33rd in wins, and projects to challenge Metzler for the most wins in school history. His winning percentage trails only Dean and Metzler.

Free Agency

Dean moved to Colorado midway through this season, his third, but he is well represented in WMC's all-time record books. He is 18th all time in wins in less than 2.5 years, with the team’s highest winning percentage ever. His 2023 season was third all-time in dual meet points, tied for third in pins, and fifth in near fall points. In his brief career here he was fourth in career pins.

Previously, Matt Liberato may have been the most accomplished wrestler transfer out of WMC, later advancing to States for Hanover Park. Wrestlers who transferred in include all time great Dillon Landi, who placed fourth on the Atlantic City podium, and this year’s sophomore starter Fazzino.

Grappler Gratitude

Master of Ceremonies Montuore, Sr., whose entire family showed extraordinary service to this team, expressed gratitude that matched his devotion as he thanked, “in no particular order," the following people:

"Matt Moscatello for his support and giving me the ability to go to him whenever I needed.
Melvin Travis for being our announcer and filling in as referee for the JV Tournament.
Jessica Jackson for taking care of our athletes.

“David Yaskulka for being our biggest fan and columnist. Patty and Bob Marold for giving us our apparel and our Coach. Jen Sheppard and Olivia Montuore for being our outstanding photographers.

“Violet Caruso, Alyssa Neill, and Alex Campanaro for serving as our Statisticians.

“Our Parents: Despite being a small group they always do whatever I ask of them in order to provide everything our wrestlers and coaches need to focus on wrestling and have a successful season.

“Senior Parents: I just want to express how much we are going to miss them especially the DeFrance's, Rizzuto's, and Caruso's. They have all been a huge part of LV/WMC wrestling for the last 10+ years. They will be hard shoes to fill!

“Seniors: Going to miss them, especially Sam, Henry, and Vincent since I have had the unique pleasure of both coaching them and enjoying watching them develop as wrestlers and men.

“Our Coaches: Not enough words to say about how much they give of themselves to help our wrestlers excel. We have such a great working relationship and that means a lot in having a successful program.

“Bob Fahmi: He is our Treasurer but more importantly he is my right hand and I couldn't do this without him.

“Lisa Montuore: Last but not least is my wife. Without her supporting my insane devotion to this sport that has consumed not only my life but my family's for the last 12 plus years I would not be standing here!”

Next Up

For top wrestlers, or wrestlers who want to be, the 2024-25 season began the day after their final 2023-24 match. Only two wrestlers in WMC history have experienced standing on top of the Atlantic City podium, the Super Bowl trophy of NJ wrestling. Only one current wrestler (Neill) has stood on any of its steps. So to quote NFL great Walter Payton, “During the off-season when you see other people playing in the Super Bowl, you wonder, and you say to yourself, 'Are you ever gonna get there and see what it feels like?' And it pushes you a little bit harder during that off-season to work to try to get there the following year.”

About David Yaskulka

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, pet industry consultant and executive, serves as Board Chair of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, as Board Director at Greater Good Charities, and Board Advisor at Arch Pet Food.