Overall Record: 12-9 / Shore Conference: 6-8 / A-North: 2-5
2020 Freehold Boro Wrestling
CJG4 State Sectional Qualifiers
6th Place District 21
24th Place Shore Conference Tournament
5th Place A-North
ShoreConferenceWrestling.com Wrestler of the Year
(Sr) Nico Messina - 126
Record: 41-5
State: NJ-6th Place
Region: R6-Champion
District: D21-Champion
Shore Conference Tournament Champion
2nd Place Mustang Classic
Gator Tournament Champion
Messina ends his career with the Colonials, having rewritten the program's record book. In 2020 alone, Messina became program's first State Medalist since 1964, the first ever 3-time Region Champ, the first 4-time District Champ, the first Shore Conference Tournament Champion, and set a single season record for wins with 41. He leaves the Colonials as their all-time winningest wrestler with 143 career victories.
2020 Season Recap
Wgt | Wrestler | Record | Post-Season |
106 | (Fr) Angelo Messina | 30-9 | D21-1st / R6-3rd / NJ-WB3 |
106 | |||
113 | (Sr) Isaiah Sweeny | 13-14 | |
113 | |||
120 | (Fr) Michael Connelly | 15-10 | D21-3rd / R6-PQ |
120 | (So) Jake Turner | 4-1 | |
126 | (Sr) Nico Messina | 41-5 | D21-1st / R6-1st / NJ-6th |
126 | (Sr) Ray Whitley | 3-4 | |
132 | (Fr) Joseph Berryman | 13-14 | |
132 | |||
138 | (Sr) Dylan Ryan | 12-11 | |
138 | (So) Zion Miller | 0-1 | |
145 | (Sr) Keegan Roche | 0-2 | |
145 | (So) Brandon Smith | 14-11 | |
152 | (Sr) Maurico Hernandez-Rayes | 2-6 | |
152 | (Sr) Michael Gagliardo | 6-5 | |
152 | (Sr) Alejandro Huitzil-Romero | 1-5 | |
152 | (Sr) Carlos Baez | 0-3 | |
160 | (So) Osvaldo Baez-Aguire | 12-16 | |
170 | (Sr) Christian Cruz | 2-7 | |
170 | (Fr) Edgar Amaro | 4-16 | |
182 | (Sr) Max Murphy | 10-8 | |
182 | |||
195 | (Sr) David Leon-Rosas | 0-1 | |
195 | (So) Brian Snyder | 2-5 | |
195 | (So) Andrew Reiff | 8-8 | |
220 | (So) Albert Pontoja | 15-9 | |
Hwt | (Sr) Frank Tilton | 4-8 | |
Hwt | (So) Jonathan Johnson | 8-10 | |
| |||
| | | |
Date | Opponent | Result |
12/19 | vs Howell | L 16-47 |
12/21 | Gator Tournament | RESULTS |
12/27 | Mustang Classic | RESULTS |
1/4 | at Long Branch | L 24-54 |
Manalapan | L 29-46 | |
Marlboro | W 51-25 | |
1/8 | vs Middletown South | L 30-37 |
1/11 | at Barnegat | W 36-32 |
Pt Beach | L 31-34 | |
1/15 | at Manasquan | W 48-3 |
1/22 | at CBA | L 29-42 |
1/25 | at Wall | L 21-47 |
Robbinsville | W 55-24 | |
Nottingham | W 42-29 | |
1/29 | vs Keansburg | W 60-10 |
2/1 | Shore Conference Tournament | 24th Place |
2/5 | vs Freehold Twp | W 61-15 |
2/8 | at Pinelands | W 55-22 |
Burlington Twp | W 58-9 | |
Hightstown | L 22-51 | |
2/10 | CJG4-QF: at Jackson Memorial | L 18-41 |
2/14 | at Ewing | W 60-21 |
2/15 | at Nutley | L 25-45 |
Hillsborough | W 55-22 | |
Old Bridge | W 52-18 | |
2/22 | District 21 | 6th Place |
| | |
Nico Messina, who has basically re-written the entire Freehold Boro record book over the course of his career, added one more milestone to his career on Saturday, by finishing in 6th Place at the State Tournament to become the Colonials' first State Medalist since Carlos Fontanez in 1964. Messina also broke the single-season wins mark at Freehold Boro while down in Atlantic City, finishing the year with 41 victories; part of his program record 143 wins.
STATE AGATES
106: (Fr) Angelo Messina - (NJ-WB3)
PRELIM: Aiden Wallace (Bergen Catholic) md. Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) 15-4
WB1: Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) p. Joseph Sciarrone (Seton Hall) 3:56
WB2: Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) d. Dominic Tafuri (Cedar Grove) 15-10
WB3: Jack Zaleski (Middletown South) p. Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) 1:15
126: (Sr) Nico Messina - (NJ-6th Place)
PRELIM: Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. Drake Torrington (Robbinsville) 8-6
PQ: Andre Ruiz (Bogota/Ridgefield Park) d. Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) 7-6
WB2: Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. Chris Dalmau (Rahway) 7-2
WB3: Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. Brandon Bowles (Scotch Plains-Fanwood) 9-4
WB4: Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. Sean Rendeiro (St Peter's Prep) 12-8
WBQF: Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. Luke Hoerle (Westfield) 8-5
WBSF: Nicholas Nardone (Delbarton) d. Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) 7-3
5TH: Eddie Ventresca (Pope John) md. Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) 15-2
2/29: REGION 6 TOURNAMENT
Nico Messina became the Colonials' first ever 3-time Region Champ, and their 6th Champion overall in their history. He moves on to Atlantic City, along with his brother Angelo, who finished 3rd at 106, looking for Freehold's first State Medal since 1964.
REGION AGATES
106: (Fr) Angelo Messina - (R6-3rd Place)
QF: #7 Blake Tarnowski (Ocean Twp) d. #2 Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) 7-6
WB1: #2 Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) md. #6 Robert Fattore (Hightstown) 15-3
WB2: #2 Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) p. #4 Michael Lyristis (Colts Neck) 5:01
3RD: #2 Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) tf. #5 Lucas Toree (Pt Boro) 24-6 5:36
120: (Fr) Michael Connelly - (R6-PQ)
PQ: #3 Sabastiano Nini (CBA) p. #14 Michael Connelly (Freehold Boro) 5:45
126: (Sr) Nico Messina - (R6-CHAMPION)
QF: #1 Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) p. #8 Ethan Wisnewski (Burlington Twp) 3:57
SF: #1 Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. #4 Drake Torrington (Robbinsville) 5-2
1ST: #1 Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) d. #3 Thomas O'Keefe (Middletown North) 7-4
2/22: DISTRICT 21 TOURNAMENT
D21-6th Place / 2 Champs; 3 Medal Winners
1st: Angelo Messina (106) / Nico Messina (126)
3rd: Michael Connelly (120)
Nico Messina continues to rewrite the Colonials record book, as he became the program's first ever 4-time District Champ. Angelo Messina got his first post-season off to a great start winning the 106-pound Title, giving Freehold multiple champs for the first time since 2007.
2/15: NUTLEY QUAD
2/14: NON-CONFERENCE
Freehold Boro 60 - Ewing 21 (BOX SCORE)
2/10: CJG4 QUARTERFINALS
2/5: A-NORTH
Freehold Boro 61 - Freehold Twp 15 (BOX SCORE)
FB: N Messina (22-2); A Messina (16-4); Pontoja (10-3); Ryan (11-7)
Messina Becomes Patriots 1st SCT Champion; Colonials Finish 24th at SCT
1st: Nico Messina (126)
1/29: NON-DIVISION
1/25: WALL QUAD
Wall 47 - Freehold Boro 21 (BOX SCORE)
Freehold Boro 55 - Robbinsville 24 (BOX SCORE)
Freehold Boro 42 - Nottingham 29 (BOX SCORE)
1/15: NON-DIVISION
Freehold Boro 48 - Manasquan 3 (BOX SCORE)
FB: Connelly, Ryan, Hernandez-Rayes, Huitzil-Romero, & Tilton win by pin
1/11: BARNEGAT TRI
Pt Beach 34 - Freehold Boro 31 (BOX SCORE)
Freehold Boro 36 - Barnegat 32 (BOX SCORE)
1/4: LONG BRANCH QUAD
Long Branch 54 - Freehold Boro 24 (BOX SCORE)
Manalapan 46 - Freehold Boro 29 (BOX SCORE)
Freehold Boro 51 - Marlboro 25 (BOX SCORE)
12/27: MUSTANG CLASSIC
2nd: Nico Messina (132)
12/21: GATOR CLASSIC
1st: A Messina (106), N Messina (126) / 2nd: Sweeny (113), Gagliardo (152)
12/19: A-NORTH
Howell 47 - Freehold Boro 16 (BOX SCORE)
FB: N Messia wins by pin; A Messina wins in frosh debut
2020 Season Preview
Head Coach: Matt Shepherd (14th Season)
2019 Overall Record: 14-9 / Shore Conference: 8-7 / A-North: 3-4
Sectionals: CJG4 Quarterfinalists
5th Place District 21
Tied 4th Place A-North
21st Place Shore Conference Tournament
Down Low (106-132): Nico Messina, who is rewriting the Freehold Borough record book as he goes, is back for one final run. The 2-time Region & 3-time District Champ enters his final year needing just 9 wins to break the school record. He has made the trip to Atlantic City three times, and will be in the hunt to claim the Colonials' first State Medal since 1964. Before that, he will be the leader down in the lowerweights for Freehold. He will be joined by fellow senior Isaiah Sweeny, who is coming off a 19-win season in which he placed 3rd at Districts. Mike Lazaro is another returning senior starter down low, and the group also has two more seniors, Raymond Whitley and Dylan Ryan returning to the team after missing last season. Whitley split time as a starter in 2018, wrestling in 21 matches, while Ryan was 10-5 that same year. Those two combine with Messina, Sweeny, and Lazaro to give Freehold good veteran leadership down low as some new faces crack the lineup, including freshmen Angelo Messina, Drew Fata, Michael Connelly, and Joe Berryman.
In The Middle (138-160): The Colonials will have some good senior leadership here as well, with Keegan Roche and Michael Gagliardo. Roche placed 3rd n the Districts last year, while Gagliardo won 21 bouts in 2019, and is a 2-time District Medalist. Sophomore Ozvaldo Baez is a returning starter and is looking to take a nice step forward in 2020 with the year's experience to his credit.
Up Top (170-Hwt): There is a good senior presence in the uppwerweights also with David Leon, Justin Cardozo, Max Murphy, Frank Tilton, Tommy Hulse, and Christan Cruz. Hulse is another returning to the team after missing last season, and Cruz arrives after wrestling last season at Freehold Twp. There will be some sophomores looking to make an impact here as well in Alberto Pantoia, who went 5-2 last year, Jonathan Johnson. and Brian Snyder.
Possible Lineup in 2020
Wgt |
Wrestler |
2019 |
Post-Season |
106 |
(Fr) Angelo Messina |
||
106 |
(Fr) Drew Fata |
||
113 |
(Sr) Isaiah Sweeny |
19-12 |
D21-3rd / R6-PQ |
113/120 |
(Sr) Mike Lazaro |
3-17 |
|
113/120 |
(Sr) Raymond Whitley |
||
120 |
(Fr) Michael Connelly |
||
120 |
(Jr) Jose Mejia |
0-2 |
|
120/126 |
(So) Jake Turner |
2-1 |
|
126 |
(Sr) Nico Messina |
34-6 |
D21-1st / R6-1st / NJ-WB4 |
126 |
(Jr) Elezar Paz |
1-3 |
|
132 |
(Fr) Joe Berryman |
||
132/138 |
(Sr) Dylan Ryan |
||
138/145 |
(Sr) Keegan Roche |
10-10 |
D21-3rd / R6-PQ |
145/152 |
(Sr) Mike Gagliardo |
21-14 |
|
152 |
(So) Brandon Smith |
||
152/160 |
(Sr) Alejandro Huitzil |
||
160 |
(So) Ozvaldo Baez |
7-13 |
|
170 |
(Sr) Christian Cruz |
3-4 |
|
182 |
(Sr) Maximus Murphy |
1-8 |
|
195 |
(Sr) David Leon |
11-15 |
|
195 |
(So) Brian Snyder |
||
220 |
(Sr) Frank Tilton |
5-10 |
|
220 |
(So) Alberto Pantoja |
5-2 |
|
220 |
(So) Jonathan Johnson |
||
Hwt |
(Sr) Justin Cardozo |
4-3 |
|
Hwt |
(Sr) Tommy Hulse |
||
|
|
|
Graduated in 2019
Wgt |
Wrestler |
Record |
2019 |
126 |
Domingo Tepehua |
13-15 |
|
132 |
Javier Rodriguez |
1-6 |
|
145 |
Tony Dushku |
27-11 |
D21-2nd / R6-4th / NJ-WB1 |
152 |
Anthony Grizak |
0-6 |
|
160 |
Logan Goldstein |
10-15 |
|
170 |
Christian Miranda |
6-18 |
|
195 |
Jared Vasquiez |
8-15 |
|
Hwt |
Kevin Berrocal |
5-16 |
|
|
|
|
|
Freehold Colonials Wrestling