George Rhodes seeded first at R8
Absegami junior George Rhodes is the top seed at 175 pounds in this coming weekend’s big Region 8 tournament at EHT. Rhodes, a two-time district champion, is 31-3 and will wrestle Buena’s Nick Wiker (25-5) in Friday night’s quarterfinals. Rhodes did not wrestle Wiker in the teams’ dual meet this season. It would seem, by virtue of seeding and reality, that Rhodes’ main adversary in the region is Delsea’s second-seeded Jared Schoppe (33-1). Schoppe beat Rhodes 8-2 in a dual meet on January 8. Later, in the South Jersey Group III team quarterfinals, Rhodes beat Schoppe 6-4 in the sudden victory period of overtime.
Braves’ junior Sean Cowan is the number two seed at 157. He is 29-5 and is a district champion. Friday night Cowan will wrestle the winner of the Nick Melchiore (St. Joe), William Way (Hammonton) match. Cowan could face local rival Charley Cossaboone of Ocean City in the region semifinals Saturday. Cowan is 2-0 versus Cossaboone this season but Cossaboone still cannot be overlooked even though top seed Dakota Morris of Kingsway (29-3) is likely already on Cowan’s mind.
The rest of the Braves are in for some very tough matches to survive Friday night’s win-or-go-home pre-quarterfinals. The double elimination format of the tournament does not kick in until you are in the quarterfinals. Bhavya Rama (14-15) must face Isiah Shafer of Paul VI at 132. Shafer is 28-2. Frank Gargione (24-10) will wrestle Clayton/Glassboro’s Christian Rode (23-5) in the pre-quarters at 138. Should he win he will face top-seeded Gavin Haegele of Eastern (26-1) in Friday’s quarters. The good news is if Gargione wrestles Haegele and loses that also means he has another chance via Saturday’s wrestlebacks. A win vaults him into the semis.
Braydon Wright (12-10) will meet David DePietro of Kingsway (14-4) in Friday’s 144 pre-quarters. If Wright wins he will likely face Delsea’s Marius Fennal (19-15) in the quarters. Fennal pinned Gargione on January 8 in the teams’ dual meet. Sophomore Julian Rivera (19-9) will wrestle Eastern’s Nikita Alcoba (13-7) in the pre-quarters at 150. A win puts Rivera in against Washington Township’s fourth-seeded Ethan Wilson (31-5). Nadhim Drinkard, the Braves’ lone senior to advance to Region 8, has a tough pre-quarterfinal match at 215. Drinkard (11-14) will meet Gateway/Woodbury’s Joey Toner (24-4). A win would move him into the quarterfinals against Sterling’s Jeremiah Davis (23-2).