Fazzino’s Return, Cabarle, Vazquez Pins Lead WMC Over Mendham 53-23

2/9/25

By David Yaskulka
Photos from Jen Sheppard, Sheryl Reed

West Morris Central wrestlers dominated Mendham and Montclair this week as the team preps for hosting Elmwood Park and Governor Livingston at Monday’s (Feb. 10) Section (team) playoffs. WMC is the two-seed with a 13-6 record.

Junior Robert Fazzino (165 lb. weight class) returned from injury to provide two pins this week.

“My shoulder is getting better day by day,” said Fazzino. "It feels great to be back with my teammates, performing on the mat the way I should be.”

Captains Mark Montuore (113) and Tommy Borgia (HWT) also had two pins each as they continued chasing – and catching – school history. Climbing the West Morris Central all-time leader boards, they’re now 10th and 12th respectively in wins, and 2nd and 4th in pins – with lots of wrestling left.

“We are super excited to get into this playoff run,” said Borgia. “We have young guys on the team going into a new experience with the postseason.”

Freshman Infusion

WMC’s four freshman starters – Jacob Reed (106), Jonathan Cabarle (138), Deacon Frayne (175) and Chris Kowalik (190 ) -- went 6-1 on the week with six pins. Freshmen have provided 66 victories for Coach Chris Marold. In all, underclassmen have 135 wins, and upperclassmen 84.

“It's our job as upperclassmen to show them how it all works,” continued Borgia. “It all starts in the practice room, getting our last minute preparations in and our game plan set in stone.”

It helps that the young bucks have come through the Long Valley Youth Wrestling program together.

“I’ve spent my whole middle school and elementary years with these guys,” said Kowalik, the #1 ranked 190 pound freshman in NJ. “This team is only going to get better.”

Cabarle and Vazquez Lead Pinfall Parade in 53-23 Mashing at Mendham

The 14-6 Mendham Minutemen home crowd bellowed with hope, but Fazzino's return, and key pins from Cabarle and Mason Vazquez (126) led the Wolfpack to a 53-23 crowd hushing performance Tuesday night (Feb. 4).

The feature match was first, pitting Mendham's Morris County champion Rafe Fonte (132) against fellow medalist Jacob Harrison. The Wolfpack faithful saw Harrison earn the upset, but the refs and home crowd saw it differently as Fonte squeaked by 13-10.

It was the first of five consecutive swing bouts critical to the night's outcome between rivals united wearing Pin Cancer singlets.

Cabarle fell behind to Mendham 15-win senior Matthew King, but nailed a Peterson for the pinfall, quieting the raucous Mendham cheer section.

After a Jacob Fehnel (144) pin for Mendham, Kurtis Beyer’s (150) tech fall gave WMC the lead, which an Owen Lieberwirth (157) pin took back as every match was delayed with blood time.

Shoulder-brace-donning Fazzino turned a swing bout into a mismatch with a pin at 2:30. His return bolsters WMC for the playoffs.

Fazzino's pin marked the fifth lead change of the electric match at 17-15. This lead WMC would not relinquish, winning seven of the last nine.

As the rowdy gym began clearing before the last bout, sophomore Vazquez put the finishing touches on a dominant win with a third period pin.

In between, Frayne, Kowalik, Borgia and Montuore all pinned for the Pack.

Mendham's winningest wrestlers – Aidan Reilly, Fonte and Ralph Langone – all won. But none pinned, and only Reilly delivered bonus points for the Minutemen. Reed stayed tough to deny Reilly a pin, and Michael Borgia (215) came within a heartbeat of upsetting county bronze medalist Langone.

West Morris had seven pins, and received one forfeit to avoid another. Mendham pinned twice.

WMC is now 4-0 vs. Mendham under coach Chris Marold after losing four in a row. Coach Ken Rossi’s squad won eight in a row against Mendham from 2009 - 2015. WMC is 32-12-1 all-time in the rivalry.

Harrison, Reed and Wagner Lead WMC to 66-10 Win Over Montclair

In its final tune up before Sectional (team) playoffs, the Pack made quick work of Montclair Thursday night (Feb. 6), winning 66-10.

Senior JB Wagner (175) impressed in the first bout, nabbing an 11-5 victory filling in for Frayne.

Then it was off to the races with six Pack pins in a row, starting with Kowalik decking senior region qualifier Leo Silverstein in the first period. It was the freshman’s third consecutive pin and 15th this season).

The Borgia brothers and Reed all nabbed pins in under a minute, with Reed decking Mustang Invitational champ Michael Kowal.

For Tommy Borgia, it was his 56th career pin, and 97th win.

Montuore pinned for his 105th career win, and 61st pin.

Brody Neill then won his 15th bout in a row, with 14 of them by fall, forfeit or tech.

In the night’s only bout pitting top-100 wrestlers against each other, Harrison battled senior Mustang champ Jayden Lee (21-8) to a tie, and gutted out a victory in the third overtime.

After Harrison rode Lee in the second overtime to keep the score tied, Lee let Harrison up in the third, conceding he would not be able to win on top. But Harrison kept the score right there for the 5-4 win. It was the second time this week Harrison faced the opponent’s best wrestler.

Cabarle pinned for the second time this week, followed by pins from WMC’s Immaculata hero Erin Villanueva (144) again fighting off his back before the pin, and Kurtis Beyer (150), ending his opponent’s night early for the second time this week. Fazzino wrapped up the night with his second straight pin.

Dean Commits to NDSU

Former Wolfpack wrestler Brandon Dean, now in Colorado Springs, committed to wrestle at D1 Pac 12 school North Dakota State University. Dean placed sixth in New Jersey his sophomore year at WMC. He is a Fargo Greco champ and currently ranked #2 in Colorado at 157 (#1 in 4A division).

Captains Chasing History

For Tommy Borgia, just a junior, Montclair was his 56th career pin, moving him into fourth all-time for WMC behind Henry Frayne, Montuore, and Dylan Luciano (58). He passed Robby Bohr (55) and Brandon Dean (54). It was also his 97th win, passing Bohr (95) and Jesse Windt (94), and tying fellow sibling starters Colin Loughney and Eli Shepard for 12th (like Tommy with Michael, their brothers Kade Loughney and Malachi Shepard excelled for the Pack).

Montuore’s Montclair pin was his 105th career win, tying John Sickles for 10th most in school history. He’s the second WMC athlete to ever achieve 60 pins (he has 61 now, just two shy of Henry Frayne for the school record). Earlier in the season Montuore soared past Shane Metzler’s previous all-time mark for team points.

Borgia leads all New Jersey heavyweights in wins with 27, and is tied for 3rd across all weights in pins, with 21. Montuore (16), Kowalik and Frayne (15) aren’t far behind.

Sectional Playoffs

Monday (Feb. 10) WMC hosts two rounds of the Section 2, Group 2 team playoffs. The second-seeded Pack will face seven-seed Elmwood Park in quarterfinals.

WMC is the favorite, with higher-ranked wrestlers in 10 of 14 weights, and in eight of them, much higher. There would only be one likely clash of top-100 wrestlers, with Michael Borgia against #68 Joseph Alejo.

Three-seed Governor Livingston will be the strong favorite versus six-seed Bernards.

A semi final match between the winners will immediately follow. If seeds hold, WMC would face a tough Gov. Livingston squad, coached by Matt Liberato, who was a standout freshman wrestler for the Pack before transferring to Hanover Park.

The featured clash could include Neill vs. #50 Eduardo Ribeiro. This looks like a contest that could be won by scoring or limiting bonus points – something WMC has excelled in all season.

Monday night’s semi final winner would advance to the section finals Wednesday (Feb. 12) where the opponent is widely predicted to be top-seed Caldwell, which bested WMC by 48-20 this season.

Last season WMC was in the tougher Section 2, Group 3, where as the five-seed, it fell to #4 Passaic Valley in the first round, a loss it avenged this Jan. 18 by 42-25. Cranford defeated West Essex in last year’s finals.

Next Up

The Randolph quad is Feb. 15 with Becton and Hillsborough.

All schools’ starting wrestlers compete in the district individual championships Feb 22, with WMC in District 11 at Nutley, also facing Belleville, Glen Ridge, Governor Livingston, Kearny, Livingston, Montclair, Verona and West Orange.

An early prediction is that more than half of the D11 final bouts could feature Wolfpack wrestlers.

D11 medalists (top-3) will compete in the Region 3 Championship Feb 28- Mar 1.

Top-four finishers from each of the eight regions advance to the NJSIAA State Championship in Atlantic City Mar. 6-8 where Wolfpack legends including (this century) Brandon Dean, Marisa Di Paolo (Girls States, twice), Colin Loughney, Justin LeMay, Marco Gaita, Shane Metzler (thrice), Nick Matthews, Dillon Landi and most recently Brody Neill climbed the podium in hallowed Boardwalk Hall.

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