Partial scholarship winners were Jeff Harraka, Brandon Lau, Doug Taylor (Region qualifier), Capt. Chris Nigro (5th Place Region 3), and Eldin Gashi (Region qualifier).
West Essex Wrestling had a class of eight senior wrestlers, six of whom qualified for Regionals. Three went on to the NJ State Tournament in Atlantic City.
Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay Pre Settlement Loan Funding, commented, “West Essex Wrestling has had a storied past of excellent team and individual successes for over 50 years in the state of New Jersey, and this year’s team ranks as one of the best in school history on both accounts. Wrestling is a demanding sport, and the dedication that this group of high school seniors committed to the program was impressive. Due to my own experience competing and coaching in the Junior program, it is with great pleasure to honor these fine student athletes with a scholarship to help them along their future career paths.”
West Essex lost a heartbreaker to then #19-ranked Cranford in the sectional finals, which was capped off by a win in the final match by state finalist and Rutgers commit, Jordan Chapman. They also lost a heartbreaker to their local rival Caldwell by one point a week earlier. These two losses were by a combined four points, and were the only two losses of the season for the Essex County school.
Heading into February, West Essex was 12-0 and one of only three teams in the entire state still undefeated, along with perennial powers Phillipsburg and St. Joseph’s of Montvale. West Essex finished 15-2, with quality wins over state powers such as Hillsborough, North Hunterdon, High Point, Kittatinny, Passaic County Tech, and then-ranked #16 Seton Hall Prep.
West Essex Wrestling coaches and senior wrestlers at The Grande in Totowa on 3.29.24. Pictured left to right: Coach Greg Ruggiero, Capt. Nick Janish, Capt. Ethan Kerlin, Capt. Chris Nigro, Capt. Alex Esposito, Coach Joe Velardi, Brandon Lau, Jeff Harraka, Eldin Gashi, Doug Taylor, Coach Anthony Perrotti, Head Coach Mike Markey, and Coach Joe Lospinoso.
However, the Knights saved their best for last in the post-season. Here are some of the highlights of the 2023-2024 season:
SEC Conference Champs (Tri-Champs Caldwell/Seton Hall)
District 12 Champs
Coach Markey reached 100-win plateau
Coach Markey District 12 Coach of the Year
4 Essex County Tournament Champs
8 District Champs (most in school history)
13 Region Qualifiers
1 Region Champ
5 NJ State Qualifiers
1 NJ State Place Winner
#25 Ranked Team in NJ – Coaches’ Poll
West Essex Wrestlers were represented well at Boardwalk Hall, where all five wrestlers made it to day two of the tournament and had a combined nine wins for the program. Besides the three Senior scholarship winners, underclassmen Reid Clausi (Freshman), and Carmine Masi (Junior) also qualified for the States in impressive fashion. Both were District Champs and Region Finalists in 2024. The Knights look for them to lead them next year, along with Region qualifiers Christian Bastante, Nick Bastante, Thomas Ruane, Ben Marquez, and Joe Cutruzzulo, as well as starter Dante D’Achille.
The Knights wave goodbye to their six senior Region qualifiers, but not before impressive seasons by the three Senior state qualifiers and scholarship winners.
Capt. Alex Esposito – 1st team all SEC, District 12 Champ, Region 3 Champ, 6th Place NJ State Tournament
Capt. Ethan Kerlin – 1st team all SEC, Essex County Champ, District 12 Champ, NJ State Qualifier
Capt. Nick Janish – 1st team all SEC, Essex County Champ, District 12 Champ, NJ State Qualifier
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SOURCE Legal-Bay, LLC
