Matt DiEduardo will not leave Bridgewater-Raritan High School with a medal from the State Individual Championship Wrestling Tournament, but he will proudly move on with 100 victories.
The 17th-seeded Di Eduardo was eliminated from the state tournament when he dropped an 8-4 decision to 11th-seeded Jordan Ayyash of Jackson Liberty High School in the third round of the wrestle back consolations at 165 pounds on Friday afternoon, March 7, before a well-attended Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
DiEduardo rallied from being held scoreless and down four points after two periods to tie it early in the third period, but Ayyash scored a go-ahead escape in the final minute and sealed an 8-4 decision with a reversal in the closing seconds.
DiEduardo, a senior who had won the 165-pound Region 4 title a week ago, was dominating in his first two state tournament bouts on Friday, March 7.
He achieved his 100th career victory when he pinned ninth-seeded Colin Palumbo of Matawan Regional High School in 1:29 in the third round of wrestle backs in the morning.
Earlier in the morning, before that milestone victory, DiEduardo opened with a technical fall victory, 20-4 in 5:35, against 18th-seeded Griffin Goldmacher of Northern Burlington High School in round two of the wrestle backs.
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DiEduardo finished with a 3-2 record overall in his two days–Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7–competing in the state tournament.
His Bridgewater-Raritan teammate who also wrestled on Friday, March 7, sophomore Trent Levash, was eliminated from the state tournament in the second round of wrestle backs.
Levash, the 26th seed at 215 pounds, was defeated in a hard-fought bout, 9-6 decision in sudden victory (6:59) against ninth-seeded Elbrus Majagah of Delbarton School in the second round of wrestle backs.
Levash, a sophomore, ended up winning one match and losing two in the state tournament.
Their two Bridgewater-Raritan teammates, 132-pound Mark Marsigliano and 190-pound Lerrod Smalls, were each eliminated from the state tournament during the first round of the wrestle back constellations on Thursday evening March 6.
The four state tournament wrestlers for the Panthers contributed to a memorable season when Bridgewater-Raritan advanced to the Group 5 state championship match, the program’s first trip to a state group final. Bridgewater-Raritan fell to Southern Regional High School by a score of 58-18 in the Group 5 state final on Sunday, February 16, at Rutgers University.
Bridgewater-Raritan, under Coach Kyle Murphy, also established a school record with victories with its 21-8 finish this wrestling season.
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