this was an old Home New clipping
Victorious Vercammen
Brendan Vercammen became South Brunswick's third
medalist in as many years with a 3-2 victory over
Plainfield junior Dawud Hicks, the reigning Union
County Tournament champion, in the 171 fifth-
place final.
"I wanted to place Top 8 and I got fifth," Vercammen
said. "In all the state rankings I wasn't ranked. I
wasn't predicted to place, so it feels good."
In their only previous meeting, Hicks pinned
Vercammen during a summer tournament. The duo
train together at the same club, The Edge.
Vercammen familiarized himself with Hicks' style
even further by watching Hicks closely in a 6-4
wrestleback round win over Voorhees' Mike Hafke.
"I watched him wrestle Hafke and Hafke would take
shots and Dawud countered him and got the
takedowns, so I was kind of anxious to shoot,"
Vercammen said.
"I'm smart in the way I wrestle. I'll be aggressive, but
I know (when) a guy is good at countering shots, I'll
try to take it on the mat and go upper body."
HNT Wrestling Notebook:
Monroe's Emburgia finally
gets nemesis
By GREG TUFARO • STAFF WRITER • March 7,
2010
ATLANTIC CITY — A three-time region champion
and four-time state qualifier, Sam Emburgia had
little to show for his repeated trips to Atlantic City
until Sunday.
The Monroe High School senior pinned nemesis
Nick Heilmann of South Plainfield to place third in
the 135-pound weight class at Boardwalk Hall.
Emburgia, who lost to Heilmann in three previous
meetings, two of which came in the Greater
Middlesex Conference Tournament finals, finally
exorcised more than one demon.
In three prior trips to Boardwalk Hall, Emburgia won
just one state tournament bout.
"I didn't understand what was going on," Emburgia
said of his prior track record. "I didn't know why I
kept not doing as good as I should. It's just a matter
of peaking at the right time.
"That kid (Heilmann) has beaten me every time —
over and over and over again. Wrestlebacks are
tough. I just got on a roll and I was just beating
everybody. It feels so good."
Heilmann actually appeared to be in control of the
match with a near-side cradle when Emburgia
quickly turned the tide.
"He went to finish a cradle and as he hit (it), I got his
leg up in a Fireman's," Emburgia explained. "I
backhooked his arm and caught his wrist and just
stacked him up on his shoulders."
Oh Brother!
The consolation finals proved bittersweet for the
Heilmann brothers as senior Nick and freshman
Troy, wrestling for the last time together as
members of the South Plainfield program, each lost
their respective bouts.
Monroe's Sam Emburgia pinned Nick in the 135
third-place final, while Troy dropped a 4-3 decision
in the 112 fifth-place final to Bloomfield's Chris
Lantz.
Teammate Ryan Sacco, one of five Tigers to medal,
placed seventh at 145 with a 7-2 decision of
Rahway's Diego Chavez.
The older Heilmann, who had defeated Emburgia in
three prior meetings, earned his third medal. Nick
warmed up with Troy prior to the younger's
Heilmann's bout.
"It was real special warming up with him," Troy said.
"It was a real nice experience, especially throughout
the year, winning a state championship on arguably
the best team in South Plainfield history. "I thought I
had a good tournament, but I wanted to finish on a
good note. I came close, but I couldn't finish a
couple of those shots at the end (of the match with
Lantz).
"My coaches told me I should be proud because I
got to accomplish this my freshman year. A lot of
kids don't get to accomplish it until they are seniors
or maybe ever."
Unlike his older brother, a team captain who holds
South Plainfield's prestigious school record for
career victories, Troy will return next season.
"I'll use this as motivation," Troy said of the loss.
Advertisement
"I'm probably going to come back next year at the
same weight and shoot for a state championship."
Troy said he will work out with Nick during the
summer before the older Heilmann heads off to
college.
"We'll probably be training during the offseason and
I'm sure we will be able to look back on this one day
and it will be real nice."
Unfitting End
A third trip to the state tournament ended in injury
for Perth Amboy senior Joel Perez, whose ailing
knees prevented him from competing in the
consolation finals.
Perez forfeited his seventh-place bout at 215 to
Wall's Andrew Marr. Perez, who missed two weeks of
the season with ailing knees, ends his career with
95 wins.
He suffered a 3-2 loss to Paulsboro's Zach
Greenwald, who advanced to the state finals, in the
quarterfinal round.
"I just wish that Joel was healthy," Perth Amboy
coach Mike Giordano said. "This is as far as his
knees could take him. I think a healthy Joel could be
in the finals."
Tyson Places 5th
Monroe's Marc Tyson, a senior who only started
wrestling four years ago, placed fifth at 215 with a
5-1 win over DePaul Catholic's A.J. Mott
"This was awesome. I had to go out there with the
most energy," Tyson said. "I left it all out there on
the mat and it came out in my favor.
"I'm very satisfied. Last year I was upset. I lost in the
first round. I've been working hard all year and
training for this. I wanted to end my season with a
win."
Rough Round
Three area wrestlers came up just short in the
consolation finals with each enduring one-point
losses.
Old Bridge teammates Conor Hayes (140) and Nick
Orak (189) each placed sixth, while Franklin's Colin H
ewitt (152) medaled for the third straight year,
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103070335
Victorious Vercammen
Brendan Vercammen became South Brunswick's third
medalist in as many years with a 3-2 victory over
Plainfield junior Dawud Hicks, the reigning Union
County Tournament champion, in the 171 fifth-
place final.
"I wanted to place Top 8 and I got fifth," Vercammen
said. "In all the state rankings I wasn't ranked. I
wasn't predicted to place, so it feels good."
In their only previous meeting, Hicks pinned
Vercammen during a summer tournament. The duo
train together at the same club, The Edge.
Vercammen familiarized himself with Hicks' style
even further by watching Hicks closely in a 6-4
wrestleback round win over Voorhees' Mike Hafke.
"I watched him wrestle Hafke and Hafke would take
shots and Dawud countered him and got the
takedowns, so I was kind of anxious to shoot,"
Vercammen said.
"I'm smart in the way I wrestle. I'll be aggressive, but
I know (when) a guy is good at countering shots, I'll
try to take it on the mat and go upper body."
HNT Wrestling Notebook:
Monroe's Emburgia finally
gets nemesis
By GREG TUFARO • STAFF WRITER • March 7,
2010
ATLANTIC CITY — A three-time region champion
and four-time state qualifier, Sam Emburgia had
little to show for his repeated trips to Atlantic City
until Sunday.
The Monroe High School senior pinned nemesis
Nick Heilmann of South Plainfield to place third in
the 135-pound weight class at Boardwalk Hall.
Emburgia, who lost to Heilmann in three previous
meetings, two of which came in the Greater
Middlesex Conference Tournament finals, finally
exorcised more than one demon.
In three prior trips to Boardwalk Hall, Emburgia won
just one state tournament bout.
"I didn't understand what was going on," Emburgia
said of his prior track record. "I didn't know why I
kept not doing as good as I should. It's just a matter
of peaking at the right time.
"That kid (Heilmann) has beaten me every time —
over and over and over again. Wrestlebacks are
tough. I just got on a roll and I was just beating
everybody. It feels so good."
Heilmann actually appeared to be in control of the
match with a near-side cradle when Emburgia
quickly turned the tide.
"He went to finish a cradle and as he hit (it), I got his
leg up in a Fireman's," Emburgia explained. "I
backhooked his arm and caught his wrist and just
stacked him up on his shoulders."
Oh Brother!
The consolation finals proved bittersweet for the
Heilmann brothers as senior Nick and freshman
Troy, wrestling for the last time together as
members of the South Plainfield program, each lost
their respective bouts.
Monroe's Sam Emburgia pinned Nick in the 135
third-place final, while Troy dropped a 4-3 decision
in the 112 fifth-place final to Bloomfield's Chris
Lantz.
Teammate Ryan Sacco, one of five Tigers to medal,
placed seventh at 145 with a 7-2 decision of
Rahway's Diego Chavez.
The older Heilmann, who had defeated Emburgia in
three prior meetings, earned his third medal. Nick
warmed up with Troy prior to the younger's
Heilmann's bout.
"It was real special warming up with him," Troy said.
"It was a real nice experience, especially throughout
the year, winning a state championship on arguably
the best team in South Plainfield history. "I thought I
had a good tournament, but I wanted to finish on a
good note. I came close, but I couldn't finish a
couple of those shots at the end (of the match with
Lantz).
"My coaches told me I should be proud because I
got to accomplish this my freshman year. A lot of
kids don't get to accomplish it until they are seniors
or maybe ever."
Unlike his older brother, a team captain who holds
South Plainfield's prestigious school record for
career victories, Troy will return next season.
"I'll use this as motivation," Troy said of the loss.
Advertisement
"I'm probably going to come back next year at the
same weight and shoot for a state championship."
Troy said he will work out with Nick during the
summer before the older Heilmann heads off to
college.
"We'll probably be training during the offseason and
I'm sure we will be able to look back on this one day
and it will be real nice."
Unfitting End
A third trip to the state tournament ended in injury
for Perth Amboy senior Joel Perez, whose ailing
knees prevented him from competing in the
consolation finals.
Perez forfeited his seventh-place bout at 215 to
Wall's Andrew Marr. Perez, who missed two weeks of
the season with ailing knees, ends his career with
95 wins.
He suffered a 3-2 loss to Paulsboro's Zach
Greenwald, who advanced to the state finals, in the
quarterfinal round.
"I just wish that Joel was healthy," Perth Amboy
coach Mike Giordano said. "This is as far as his
knees could take him. I think a healthy Joel could be
in the finals."
Tyson Places 5th
Monroe's Marc Tyson, a senior who only started
wrestling four years ago, placed fifth at 215 with a
5-1 win over DePaul Catholic's A.J. Mott
"This was awesome. I had to go out there with the
most energy," Tyson said. "I left it all out there on
the mat and it came out in my favor.
"I'm very satisfied. Last year I was upset. I lost in the
first round. I've been working hard all year and
training for this. I wanted to end my season with a
win."
Rough Round
Three area wrestlers came up just short in the
consolation finals with each enduring one-point
losses.
Old Bridge teammates Conor Hayes (140) and Nick
Orak (189) each placed sixth, while Franklin's Colin H
ewitt (152) medaled for the third straight year,
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103070335
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