Region 6 wrestling: Red Bank Catholic advances 2 to quarterfinals

Here are five words you haven’t heard in the last decade or so: Red Bank Catholic advances two. It was all truth on Wednesday night, however, when Red Bank Catholic advanced two wrestlers to Friday’s quarterfinal round of the Region 6 Wrestling Championships at Brick Memorial. “This year is the first time we sent five to the regions, we’ve sent one beyond, but we’ve never advanced two to Friday night,” said Red Bank Catholic head coach Joe Gallagher, who is in his 10th season as head coach of the Caseys. Steve Cmielewski, who recovered from ankle surgery two months ahead of schedule, advanced at 195 pounds and Michael Griggs, who will play football at Colgate in the fall, moved on at 285 pounds on what may be the best night of regional wrestling for Red Bank Catholic in decades. Cmielewski, who broke his ankle and tore ligaments on the third play of Red Bank Catholic’s season-opening football game, was an 8-2 winner over Sam Gephart of Northern Burlington. Cmielewski (10-3) is matched against second-seeded Eric Quartey (31-3) of Freehold Township in the Friday quarterfinals. Quartey defeated Cmielewski, 7-4, in the District 24 final. “They told him the recovery on that injury was six months and he was back four months to the day,” Gallagher said. “He was back wrestling on Jan. 20. Griggs, the outstanding center on the RBC football team, wasn’t even going to come out for wrestling. “We talked him into it and he realized the benefit of wrestling for college football,” Gallagher said. “He’s a two-year wrestler which means he’s only really wrestled for six months.” Griggs, now 21-7, pinned sixth-seeded Christopher Mittler of Brick Memorial in 16 seconds. Griggs, the 11th seed, is now matched against No. 3 Kevin Cerruti (32-4) — a close friend — of Long Branch Friday night. “He lost to Cerruti, 3-2, in the ultimate tie-breaker, he lost to Asbury Park’s (Jaylen) Paige (the Region 6 top seed at 285), 4-2, and he lost to (Sylvester) Freeman of Nottingham (the No. 4 seed in the region), 7-6,” Gallagher said. “He’s has some good matches against some good kids. He’s learned something every time he’s wrestled. “Michael knew he was playing with house money tonight,” Gallagher said. Two other Red Bank Catholic wrestlers lost Wednesday. Aidan Meyer-McAuliffe (160) was defeated by John McTaggart of Point Pleasant Boro, 10-0, and John Columbia lost to Tommy Hill of Northern Burlington, 11-3, at 182 pounds.

REGION 6 WRESTLING: RED BANK CATHOLIC ADVANCES 2 TO QUARTERFINALS

NJ.COM

nj.com | 2/22/2018