The fearsome foursome: 4 Shore Conference wrestlers win boys state titles

ATLANTIC CITY - Sonny Amato is fearless.

That quality showed Saturday at Boardwalk Hall, when the ultra-talented Rumson-Fair Haven freshman dominated Christian Brothers Academy senior, four-time state medalist and Rutgers University-recruit Alex Nini in an 11-5 win in the NJSIAA 144-pound championship bout.

"It's essential for wrestling success in all tournaments,'' Amato said. "You have to have that same mentality going into every match, treat like it is life and death.''

Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Eleazar DeLuca said he could see what happened Saturday coming all season. DeLuca, who was an NCAA qualifier when he was at Rutgers, said he has wrestled against Amato for years, but this year, he could see a difference

"He was giving me a fit, trouble in the room,'' DeLuca said. "I said, 'Hey, Sonny, none of these guys are going to be as tough as I am wrestling you. You're there. Go out and take it'.''

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Amato not only became Rumson-Fair Haven's second state champion after Hudson Skove won at 215 last season. He was also voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

"I told you guys (the media) a while ago: We agreed that I might be humbled,'' Amato said. "Honestly, that moment has not come and I don't plan on it happening any time soon.''

Amato was one of four Shore Conference boys wrestlers to win state titles Saturday.

The others were St. John Vianney junior Anthony Knox (120), who became the state's 32nd boys three-time state champion and ninth - boy or girl - from the Shore Conference to win three state titles with a 15-8 win over Donovan Catholic's Kurt Wehner; Brick Memorial junior Harvey Ludington (190), who became the fourth two-time state champion in Brick Memorial's history, with an 11-3 win over Hanover Park's Vincenzo LaValle and Southern senior Matt Henrich (157), who became the second two-time state champion in Southern's history with a 2-1 win over Camden Catholic's Kage Jones.

Shore Conference wrestlers who were defeated in finals were Skove (215) who was beaten 3-1 in sudden victory by Delbarton's Vincent Lee and Southern sophomore Anthony Mason (106), who was majored 9-1 by Delbarton freshman Cameron Sontz.

Amato does not lack for confidence

There is no question Amato believes in himself. However, that outward confidence is not a show of arrogance.

"I have a great coaching staff behind me and fan base to support me to help me gain my confidence,'' Amato said. "There's going to be much more of me to come.''

"That comes from the work,'' DeLuca said. "He works very hard. He's been very disciplined since he was an 8-year old kid and it shows. His dad has kept him on a path, put him around good people and trained him well.''

Amato took command of the bout against No. 1 seed Nini immediately, He got two quick takedowns and then three back points to build a 7-1 lead after the first period.

"I planned on waiting until the second or third period to really turn it up,'' Amato said. "He was more fearless than I was.''

And the one thing anybody who is wrestling against Amato does not want to get into is a scramble that is how Amato collected the back points off what he calls a "The Jonesy Tilt''

"Once he's deep in there, that arm is either breaking or he's rolling over. You saw he rolled over. It worked out perfectly.''

Even a scrambled egg would have problems outscrambling Amato.

"I love to scramble,'' Amato said.

"He wrestles through every position,'' DeLuca said.

The countdown to four has officially begun

Knox, who has made a non-binding oral commitment to Cornell, will try next year, assuming he stays healthy, to join the most exclusive club in New Jersey wrestling - the four state champion club.

It is a club Knox has studied. It's members are current Cornell head coach Mike Grey (2003-2006) of Delbarton; Andrew Campolattano of Bound Brook (2008-2011); Anthony Ashnault of South Plainfield (2010-2013) and Nick Suriano of Bergen Catholic (2013-2016).

"I've thought about since I've been in the fifth grade,'' Knox said. "I remember being in the fifth grade and not being very good and walking into the wrestling club one day (Rhino Wrestling Club) just writing four-time state champ on the wall. It's been there ever since. It's been painted over, but it's still there.''

Knox said the training to become a four-time state champion begins Sunday.

"I've said it a million times: The job's not finished yet,'' Knox said. "Three hundred sixty five days and I guarantee I'll be working my rear end off.''

Knox conducted a takedown drill against Wehner, who was Donovan Catholic's first state finalist. He recorded seven takedowns.

However, he was not perfect. Wehner did record a takedown in the third period.

"It's upsetting, but I'm not too mad at it,'' Knox said. "I'm happy that next year I get work for my ultimate goal.''

Ludington makes up for a bitter memory

Ludington, who won the 175-pound championship in 2022, walked off the Boardwalk Hall mat in bitter disappointment after a 3-2 defeat to Delbarton's Simon Ruiz in the 175-pound final.

"That was a killer. Absolutely killer,'' Ludington said. "I didn't come out of my room for a week.''

Ludington, who is a Arizona State recruit and finished the season 35-0, said the night he lost last year's state final, he told himself that feeling will never happen again.

"It took me a month to snap out of it. It was rough, but it really helped me get that killer mentality, more attack style,'' Ludington said.

Ludington joins Nick Angen (1994 and 1996), Evan Tallmadge (2021 and 2022) and Anthony Santaniello (2021 and 2023) as two-time state champions in the illustrous history of the Brick Memorial program.

"Now, the next goal is to be a three-timer and the first one for Brick Memorial,'' Ludington said. "I can be happy for a day or two and then it's back to grinding for the next one.''

Henrich knows how to grind them out

Henrich, who won the 150-pound title last season, was able to neutralize Jones' unorthrodox style to record the win.

He reversed Jones in the second period and then rode him out in the third.

"I feel like I'm really comfortable there (with grinding),'' Henrich said. "That kid is very funky, very awkward to wrestle.

Henrich was able to ride Jones even though he had a stalling warning. If he was assessed a second stalling call, it would have enabled Jones to tie the bout.

"I believe that's all mental right there,'' Henrich said. "I believe I could ride him out that entire third period.''

Henrich, a Virginia Tech recruit, won his last three bouts in the tournament, 1-0, 3-1 and 2-1.

He now joins current Arizona State assistant coach Frank Molinaro as Southern's only multiple state champions. Molinaro won three straight titles from 2005-2007. He also won a national championship for Penn State in 2012 and was in the Summer Olympics in 2016.

"It's awesome,'' Henrich said.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ wrestling: 4 Shore Conference wrestlers crowned boys state champions