The top 32 wrestlers in 14 weight classes arrived at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Thursday to compete in the three-day NJSIAA Individual State Wrestling Tournament. The wrestlers bid for the most prestigious honor the state has to offer and battled valiantly in hard-fought matches, but in the end, only one wrestler in each weight class could call himself the champion. Representing Westfield were three senior wrestlers, Brandon Ribeiro, Ethan Composto and Michael Murphy. Competing in the 126, 138, and 165-pound weight classes, respectively, the three captains of the team were eager to put a capstone on some of the most accomplished careers in school history.
After a weekend of immensely competitive wrestling from some of the best athletes the state has to offer, Ribeiro and Composto failed to place while Murphy came in 5th place.
On Thursday, each wrestler competed twice and hoped to set the tone for the rest of the tournament. In Westfield’s first match, No. 29 seed Ribeiro faced No. 4 seed Luke Stanich of Roxbury, in what many expected to be an uphill battle. Stanich controlled a majority of the match and won 18-2 by technical fall, however this loss would age nicely as Stanich went on to become the state champion at this weight class.
Composto began his final state tournament campaign in dominant fashion. No. 10 seed Composto outclassed No. 23 seed Ryan Schimpf of Cherry Hill West with his pace and aggression. These two attributes would become a theme of Composto’s matches throughout this tournament, as he would dictate where the match was going and limit the offense that his opponents could muster with his relentless attack. Composto secured the pin in the second period to advance to the next round, where he would face his toughest test of the tournament, No. 7 seed Joey Giordano of Long Branch.
Giordano posed some unique challenges for Composto as he had wrestled at 144 lbs for much of the season, with his only loss at 138 lbs coming earlier in the year to No. 1 seed Alex Nini. As the match began, it was clear that although he may not have been as technically sound as Composto, Giordano’s larger frame allowed him to control the match. After going down early, Composto struggled to mount his own offense and eventually suffered a 13-1 major decision loss. This result, while disappointing at the time, would be the turning point for Composto’s tournament. In this tournament’s format, wrestlers have the chance to fight their way through a consolation bracket to reach all the way up to third place, a process called wrestlebacks. Composto wasn’t done yet.
Murphy, the team’s highest-ranked wrestler and most touted individual, looked to avenge his disappointing seventh place finish at last year’s individual state championship. While many may have been satisfied with this result, Murphy knew there were bigger things in store for his senior season. Thursday was a day of dominance for the No. 4 seed Murphy as he pioneered his quest for a state title with a pin over No. 29 seed Gavin Gomes just 38 seconds into the second period. He followed up this win with an impressive 8-0 major decision victory over No. 13 seed Kaleb Wright of Gloucester. WHS aficionados could be heard screaming “two” for much of the duration of this match, the point value for each of Murphy’s takedowns. This performance reminded fans of what they already previously knew. Murphy was a force to be reckoned with.
Friday began with a tough match for Ribeiro as he faced No. 13 seed Noah Kochman of Bergen Catholic in the first round of wrestlebacks. This level of competition is unusual at this stage in the tournament, but after suffering a first round upset, Kochman was looking for revenge. Kochman used an early takedown to spark an 11-1 major decision win, ending an efficacious career for Ribeiro.
“Wrestling for Westfield has been one of the best times of my life,” said Ribeiro. He added, “I am very grateful to have wrestled with my best friends and couldn’t have been asked to be coached by better people. It helped me in every aspect, in and out of wrestling season.”
Composto bounced back from his defeat Thursday evening with a successful day of wrestleback matches on Friday. He began the day with a match against No. 25 seed William Cella of Hunterdon Central, a match that would be a good warmup for competitive matches to come. Despite controlling the pace, Composto and Cella were gridlocked at 0-0 after the first period, and Composto knew it was time to put his foot on the gas. Composto easily escaped bottom position in the second period and secured a takedown of his own to take a 3-0 lead heading into the second period. He finished the match up 5-0 and made a statement heading into the next round, where he would face No. 15 seed Justin Holly of Pope John.
Holly and Composto were evenly matched technically and therefore it would come down to intensity and execution to determine the winner of this match. Similarly to Composto’s previous match, the score was even at 0-0 after one period, with both wrestlers taking their time to feel each other out before calculating their next move. Like a prisoner on a jailbreak, Composto began the second period with a beautiful escape, and was rewarded one point. He would hold on to this 1-0 lead for the remainder of the match while using exquisite control on top position to prevent the escape from Holly late in the third period.
The final match on Friday for Composto was the fourth round of wrestlebacks, with a chance to place on the line. As someone who has never placed at the state tournament, Composto knew this was his chance to fully cement his legacy. Trailing 3-1 late in the third period against No. 20 seed Joey Canova of Bergen Catholic, Composto shot for a late takedown in hopes of getting the two-point takedown to even the score. Despite his valorous efforts, it wouldn’t be enough for the member of the 100-win club at WHS. Although this match would define the agony of defeat and bring tears to the wrestler, there was nothing for Composto to hang his head about. An elite performance from an elite wrestler.
The only WHS wrestler left was Murphy, the weight of the town on his shoulders, only getting better with the mounting pressure. He took on No. 5 seed Garrett Tettemer of Delaware Valley with the chance to advance to the semifinals and secure a top-six finish on the line. Last weekend, Murphy defeated Tettemer in the Region 4 finals, 5-3, giving him all the confidence he would need ahead of his quarterfinal matchup.
After one period of wrestling, the score was knotted at 3-3 with each wrestler securing a takedown. It wasn’t until the second period where Murphy would establish himself as the superior athlete. He used his strength and speed to secure an early escape before another thrashing takedown back to the mat. He had done it. He had made it further than he ever had before.
Murphy noted that he “wrestled hard” but was “still hoping for more” at his final state tournament. Standing between him and a bid at the state championship was who many considered to be the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the state, No. 1 seed Louis Cerchio of Delbarton.
From the beginning, it was clear that Cerchio was Murphy’s toughest opponent of the year, and likely his entire career. Murphy suffered an apparent knee injury after a first-period takedown, and that only hindered an already compromised athlete. Murphy fought hard until the final horn and made Cerchio work for every point but suffered a 5-0 loss in the end.
This sent Murphy to the wrestlebacks on Saturday, where he would compete in the final two matches of his high school career. Wearing a leg brace on his right leg and a knee brace on his left, Murphy entered Boardwalk Hall for one last dance. In his match against No. 7 seed Daniel Rella, the unthinkable happened. Midway through the second period, Murphy had been hit with a spladle, an unconventional wrestling move that left the Blue Devil logo on his back pressed against the mat. For the first time in his high school career, the wrestler known as “Murph” had been pinned.
It would have been easy for Murphy to quit there, one win shy of tying the Westfield single-season record, and forfeit like many other injured wrestlers had done that same day. That is not the cloth from which Murphy is cut. He persevered and battled No. 8 seed Jake Slotnick of St. Augustine in the fifth-place match. Here, Murphy put on a dominant victory, securing takedowns and controlling top position with whatever strength he had left in his knee. A 6-0 major decision victory was the way one of the greatest wrestlers in school history went out. “As far as my last state tournament went, I didn’t finish quite as high as I wanted. However, I wrestled hard and I’m glad I got to go out on a win. I have no regrets,” said Murphy.
When asked about what his last four years wrestling at WHS meant to him, Murphy reflected and came to realize that what he had learned went far beyond the mat. He said, “These past four years have been a crazy journey. I started out as a kid who had no concept of hard work or real mental toughness. My freshman year I even wanted to quit. Over time, in a large part to my great support system and coaches, I matured into the wrestler I am today. I wouldn’t trade the memories I made these past four years for anything.”
They had done it. While there may not be a single state championship for the three senior captains to hang their hat on, they had something far more valuable than that. They had learned the lessons of what it means to be disciplined, what it means to be courageous, what it means to battle through adversity, what it means to wrestle for the Blue Devils.
