Fazzino, Garcia Spark WMC 48-27 Over Sparta Before Electric Youth Night Crowd

12/18/25
By David Yaskulka
Photos by Jen Sheppard
Special thanks to team statisticians Adriana Georgiev, Alexa Moscotello and Kaylee Viera.

With over 150 youth wrestlers forming a tunnel of the future, the present-day Wolfpack didn't disappoint Wednesday night (Dec. 17). Senior Rob Fazzino anchored a 48-27 season-opening win over Sparta, sparking an electric home crowd and proving that the WMC wrestling tradition is as strong as ever—from the varsity veterans down to the youngest Future Stars.

At halftime, WMC was down 24-16. Fazzino’s football teammate, junior John Garcia (157) turned the tide with a dominating 17-1 win by technical fall. Co-captain Kurtis Beyer (165) followed with a pin to give WMC the lead they would not relinquish.

“Winning felt amazing,” said Fazzino. “The crowd was electric, and we were happy to win as a team to give the kids and the crowd a show.

"But we know there is still work we have to put it in the room."

All of Sparta’s returning double-digit-wins wrestlers (2024-25) prevailed – except 16-win Trevor Ekeland (175) against Fazzino. The others, state qualifier Ryan Hrenenko (150), district finalist Liam Hassloch, and district medalist Patrick Bruseo (144) all won.

A Controversial Call…

With Sparta leading 18-16, and its best wrestler (Hrenenko) on deck, Bruseo vs. district champ Jacob Harrison was a feature match.

Harrison came out strong, taking Bruseo down. After an escape, Harrison took Bruseo down again for what would have been a 6-1 lead. Harrison returned Bruseo to the mat with a forceful thud, triggering an 'illegal slam' ruling from the official.

WMC coach Chris Marold leapt to his feet, and argued strenuously with the officials as Bruseo was attended to by his coaches and the trainer. The ruling stood, and Bruseo did not finish the bout. By rule, he was awarded the victory and Sparta given six points.

…Did Not Change the Outcome

Fortunately for the Wolfpack, the referee’s call did not impact the outcome of the match.

Earlier, sophomore Jacob Reed (120) put the Pack on the board with a pin, tying the score at six. Classmate Lucas Harrison (132) won 17-7, then a forfeit to Brody Neill (138) gave the Pack a temporary lead (before the disqualification call). Later, Tommy Borgia (HWT) would also receive a forfeit win – a result with which WMC 's two state medalists will likely become familiar.

Sophomore state alternate Chris Kowalik (190) delivered the night’s fastest pin, in a slick 62 seconds. Last season, his 24 pins (fourth most in WMC history) often came late, after draining his opponent’s gas tank. That included a pin at Sparta with 10 seconds to go.

In the final bout, freshman Ryan Tie (106) improved his record to 2-2 with a first period pin. That’s impressive for a novice wrestler at a weight known for underclassmen with years of wrestling experience. Tie’s moves and aggressive pace were reminiscent of Wolfpack legend Mark Montuore, with whom Tie has been training.

Freshman Van Muttart (126) made his WMC debut, critically filling a weight the team vacated at the Caldwell Tournament.

Three Tough Losses

On Wednesday, Jonathan Cabarle (150) came out strong against Hrenenko, despite still recovering from a broken arm. With the score tied 4-4, the crowd heard a loud “pop” from Cabarle’s knee. After injury time, the WMC sophomore continued, but was not the same, falling by pin.

Hassloch and Frayne (215) staged an epic battle, each forcing the other to his back, and draining his opponents’ gas tank. Sparta prevailed 11-9. Bruseo’s controversial win started the trio of tough losses.

Only three bouts went the distance all night with seven pins (four for the Pack), Garcia’s tech, two forfeits and the disqualification. Injury time kept the crowd from going home early.

Two Past Disqualifications, One Past Dual

In 2018, WMC lost the state section championship it was favored to win based on a heartbreaking disqualification call on a mat return similar to Harrison’s.

But in the March 2024 state championship in Atlantic City, the shoe was on the other foot as Neill was injured by an illegal move and awarded a podium-securing victory. Neill was unable to wrestle his next match, but returned to dominate the seventh place match for WMC history.

Last season Sparta was 6-17 in dual meets, but had enough high end talent to win the District 3 championship. WMC prevailed 48 to 29 in last season’s dual – nearly the same final score – with big wins from Montuore and Kowalik, and pins from Reed, J. Harrison and Deacon Frayne.

Unleashing the Young Wolves

WMC’s future was on full display Wednesday, as over 150 youth wrestlers bounded and bounced across the mat, low-fiving through a tunnel of varsity wrestlers.

Youth program lead Lloyd Fleming announced them class-by-class, starting with the WMC Class of 2040, and ending with the eight graders in the Class of 2030.

When this reporter’s sons were Long Valley Youth wrestlers, the coaches said to attend a high school match. The boys were inspired by the roar of the crowd, and the strength and bravery of the wrestlers.

Fleming pointed to the youth head coaches for the historic numbers and great success of the program: for King of the Mat division (KOM), Justin Lijo and former WMC coach Jeremy Adicks; for Future Stars, Fleming himself along with Jon Moroz and current WMC coach Tommy Nicolicchia; for North West, Keith Dombrowski and John Barnett; for North New Jersey (NNJ), Barnett, Dombrowski, and WMC’s very own head coach Marold.

Fleming also pointed to additional volunteers – too many to name – for the program’s success and growth.

This Weekend

While the youth program showcases the future, the varsity squad faces critical tests this weekend.

At Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday in Delaware, Brody, Jacob and Chris will have feature matches against top national competition every time they take the mat.

The 2025 Morris Knolls Tournament is Saturday (Dec. 20), with outstanding potential matchups to look forward to as well.

Last season Borgia won the Morris Knolls Tournament, with silver for Neill and Kowalik. This season WMC faces Hackettstown, Montville, Roxbury, Sayreville, Seton Hall, South Plainfield, Sparta, Warren Hills, Watchung, and the host squad.

The Road to the State Section Championship: Power Points and the North 2, Group 2 Rivalry

The race for the North 2, Group 2 state sectional title may already be narrowing to a sprint between WMC and Caldwell [here’s a cheat sheet about playoffs].

In the NJSIAA team playoff system, seeding is determined by "Power Points"—a calculation based on a squad’s nine best-scoring matches against their toughest competition.

In the preliminary PowerPoints Group Top 15, Caldwell currently holds the #5 slot (30 points), with WMC trailing by a razor-thin margin at #7 (29 points). No other school in the section currently appears in the Top 15, setting the stage for a collision.

The stakes are high. Last season, Caldwell claimed the title, and also defeated WMC in a dual. The Wolfpack’s run ended in the semifinals at the hands of a now-depleted Governor Livingston squad. However, the early returns for the 2025-26 season suggest the gap has closed. At the recent Caldwell Tournament, WMC outplaced their rivals, taking 3rd overall to Caldwell’s 4th. While the Wolfpack prevailed in eight of the 14 weight classes, Caldwell showed their "top-end" teeth, winning three individual titles to WMC’s one and taking the head-to-head match count 3-1.

Marold’s key goal is the team championship. WMC will compete against a field that includes local rivals Hackettstown, Madison, and Voorhees, but all eyes remain fixed on the Caldwell rivalry. If the early season is any indication, it will be a legendary playoff battle.

Next Up

On Dec. 20 WMC joins the Morris Knolls Holiday Tournament (with some venturing to Delaware for Beast of the East Dec. 20-21). WMC visits Hanover Park Dec. 23 for a quad including Randolph and TBA. The John Goles Tournament is Dec. 29 at Warren Hills. The new year starts at a Kittatinny quad with Del Val and Morris Knolls Jan. 3, 2026, followed by dual meets at Mount Olive Jan. 6 and High Point Jan. 7. (Schedule based on Garden State HS Wrestling calendar). The Jan. 10 Roxbury quad includes Livingston and Holmdel. Jan. 17 competition is TBA. Mark calendars for WMC hosting Mendham Jan. 20, and the Morris County Tournament at Mt. Olive Jan. 24.

About David Yaskulka

To avoid concession duty when his sons Noah and Ben joined WMC in 2012, David revived his sportswriter dream, and still covers the Pack. He’s a sustainability advocate and pet industry executive, having served as CEO of Nature’s Logic, SVP of Mid America Pet Food, and Board Chair of the Pet Sustainability Coalition and Greater Good Charities. He currently advises Love, Nala cat food, Archway 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