FRANKLIN LAKES – For most casual fans, wrestling is a sport that is bound by a large circle in the center of the gym floor for six minutes per bout.
But wrestling, particularly dual meets, is a chess match that begins days before in the coach’s office with a pile of box scores and a scale. And that never was more evident than Wednesday night.
Matt Mecca bumped up to 285 to post a first-period pin and BCCA champion Nick Gravina ended the topsy-turvy match with a 9-0 decision at 103 as Northern Highlands squeaked by Ramapo, 35-33.
"It’s all about the matchups," Highlands coach Rick Babitts said. "When I looked at this match, I thought we just didn’t match up well with them. Luckily it worked out for us tonight."
The Highlanders (5-2) played with their lineup Wednesday, weighing BCCA fourth-place finisher Dan Rehain up a weight class at 140 and pushing 160-pounder Zach Bascio up to 189 so he would be eligible to bump up to 215.
Rehain pinned Terek Molamusa in 4:32 at 140 to cut the Raiders’ lead to 15-13 after six bouts. Bascio, wrestling three classes up from his normal weight, stayed off his back, falling just 14-12 to Manny Alvarez to keep the score manageable at 33-25 for Highlanders’ aces Mecca and Gravina in the final two bouts.
"I had a lot of anxiety building up to my match," Mecca said. "But [Dan] Hurwitt was able to fight off his back at 189 [falling to Jack Bandazian, 5-2] and Bascio wrestled a tough match. So I knew if I could get the pin, we’d have our County champ in there just needing a decision, and he got the major."
"Our thought was to weigh him heavy and try to get him at the top of the lineup where we thought his speed would help us," Babitts said of Bascio, who after falling behind 5-1 early got more aggressive and fell by just two points.
The Highlanders also got a big win out of Paul Getto, who edged Joe Nacco, 7-6, in probably the most exciting bout of the night at 130, as well as a couple of big pins from Brandon Cocherl at 145 and Kyle Myers at 160.
"I thought the match turned in their favor in the Rehain match," Ramapo coach Drew Gibbs said. "As good as he is, I thought Terek could wrestle with him and he was able to get the pin. That match was the difference maker for him."
Gibbs had played with his lineup as well. But he admitted he got caught at the weigh-ins when Highlands bumped Getto up to 130 and bumped the rest of its middleweights up one as well.
"People don’t understand when you wrestle duals that the planning can start on Monday for a Wednesday match," Gibbs said.
This time, the planning worked in the Highlanders’ favor.
"It’s always the same when we wrestle Ramapo," Babitts said. "It’s always close."
