2/18/2013 - Wildcats Bounce Back To Win State Title
High Point’s wrestling team was at a crossroads.
The Wildcats had just come off a 35-18 thumping to archrival Kittatinny on Jan. 4 and one of its top wrestlers had just left the team.
Things didn’t look too bright for the Wildcats as a huge quad awaited them the next morning loaded with state powers.
But these Cats proved to be a resilient bunch as less than 24 hours after losing to Kittatinny they traveled to Bergen County and topped Long Branch 36-25, a top contender in Group 2, Non-Public power Don Bosco 41-33 and fell to state power Jackson 30-24 all within a whirlwind weekend of wrestling.
A lot of teams would have folded its tents after a devastating loss to its archrivals. The Wildcats had plenty of excuses, but veteran High Point coach John Gardner loaded up the bus in the early morning hours of Jan. 5 and went down to Bergen County and did what the Wildcats do best—wrestle hard and win.
Flash forward six weeks later to the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River and the resiliency that High Point showed in January, and the whole season for that matter, was on display at the Group 2 championships as the Wildcats pinned their way to their third state title in six seasons.
High Point (20-4) capped its team season with impressive wins over Delsea 37-28, and old nemesis Long Branch 33-30 to walk away with the crown in, despite the cliché, a total team effort.
“To be able to leave here with a win, it feels great,” said Gardner, who has guided the Cats to the three state crowns and is High Point as it gets being a former state champ for the Wildcats back in 1990.
He added it didn’t matter what group the Cats were in, winning a state championship is a great accomplishment for his kids and the program.
And he should know. Prior to the state title in 2008 in Group 3, the Wildcats were runner-ups seven times losing to storied programs like Warren Hills, P-Burg and South Plainfield along the way.
So for those who are new to the High Point wrestling, these state crowns have become almost the norm. But for those who have followed the Cats since the days of Butch Anspach, state titles have been tough to come by and are cherished.
That is why it is so special for me to see longtime assistant coach and Sussex County Hall-of-Famer Mickey Thomas enjoy these titles. Thomas has seen it all as a High Point wrestler and as an assistant to Jeff Hull, Jan Michaels and Gardner.
Thomas has felt the heart break of losing in the finals and listening to the rabid wrestling fans in the state say High Point can’t win the big one.
That is all in the past.
There is no doubt that dropping to Group 2 and not having to face South Plainfield in Group 3 helped the Cats chances of winning a state crown. But Gardner’s non-league schedule is testament to the fact that High Point will not shy away from anyone.
The Wildcats can’t control what group they are in, but Gardner can control who the Wildcats face in the regular season. Besides that powerhouse quad in January, High Point also wrestled and beat Warren Hills and Timber Creek, lost to the No. 2 team in the state Bergen Catholic and fell to Howell on criteria.
Those tough matches prepared High Point for the finals as the Wildcats prevailed despite having some holes in ther lineup.
When High Point won its crowns in 2008 and 2011 the Cats were a well-oiled machine and big-time favorites to win.
This High Point group may have not had the talent but they had the will to win and more importantly the will not to get pinned. The Cats may have saved as many points as they earned this season by not giving up too many bonus points.
That is a testament to their will and the coaching staff.
After topping the top team from South Jersey, Delsea, in the semifinals, High Point trailed 15-0 to Long Branch.
But junior Kyle Stoll posted a huge pin at 195 to get the Wildcats going. And after trailing 21-6, the High Point hammers went to work as Dom Gallo (106), freshman phenom Jared Kobis (120), Connor McHugh (126), and Mike Derin (132) recorded pins to make it 30-27 High Point.
Long Branch didn’t know what hit it.
Derin’s win was sweet due to the fact he had left the team prior to the Kittatinny defeat to take some time off to regroup. Wrestling is a grueling and unkind sport and everyone treats the grind differently.
But Gardner and the rest of the Wildcats welcomed him back because that is what families do and High Point wrestling is a family with a family tree that has deep and prideful roots.
Then in the biggest match of the night, Chris Auer was fantastic as he topped a very good Nick Menkin 9-2 to make it a six-point match with one to go.
Many felt that Auer needed not to give up any bonus points and allow Jason Gaccione to seal the deal with a win over the very tough Jake George at 145.
No need for that as Auer took care of business himself and almost decked Menkin in the process in a victory that illustrated the entire High Point season---team first and you better be ready to wrestle for six minutes when you take the mat against a Wildcat.
With a 33-27 lead Gaccione played it safe and smart and lost to George 3-0, but it didn’t matter, the Wildcats were state champs.
Although I know there is a big part of Gaccione that felt, “Hey coach, let me go at him, I can beat him.” But he followed the game plan and now he shares a state championship legacy with his older brother Joe who won titles in 08 and 11.
So High Point has come a long way since that cold January morning when things looked bleak and the future uncertain.
But you should never corner a Wildcat that is when it is most dangerous. Just ask Long Branch.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
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