Head coach Wayne Stinson instructed his Northern Burlington wrestling team not to look at their record.
Forget about the four losses in the first six dual meets to start the season. Dismiss the tri-match sweeps on consecutive weekends last month. Forget about the three match-losing streak which ended January and started February.
The way Stinson sees it, the 15-12 record — that was last season. The start of the NJSIAA/IBEW Local 102 team tournament is a new season.
After the first two rounds of the South Jersey Group 4 sectional on Monday night, the Greyhounds are 2-0 in the new campaign after bouncing top-seeded Central Regional in the sectional semifinal, 48-29, in Bayville. In the quarterfinal, NBC outlasted Williamstown, 42-32.
The two victories advanced the Greyhounds to Wednesday’s South 4 final at Toms River East. Toms River East (17-9) advanced with a 34-33 win over Clearview in its quarterfinal and then a resounding 54-17 win over crosstown rival and defending SJ4 champ Toms River South, 54-17 in the semifinals.
“Everybody starts (the sectionals) 0-0,” Stinson said. “What matters is what we do in this tournament not what we’ve done before it.”
“Now it’s down to one match,” said NBC senior Logan Berck, who had a key victory after he bumped up to 190 pounds. “It all comes down to match-ups.”
For the first time since the start of the season, the Greyhounds were at full strength. Stinson rattled off the list of calamities that beset his team from concussions to suspensions and weight issues.
“When you’re missing guys, people get moved up or into weird positions in the lineup,” Berck said.
“This is the best we’ve been all season,” Stinson added.
Northern Burlington wrestled like a different team.
The match started at 120 pounds and the two teams split the first two bouts. That’s when the Greyhounds strung together four consecutive victories and opened up a 27-6 advantage.
Three of the four wins were by pins — Rocco Giangeruso (132), Justin Marcello (144) and Nathan Hyman (150) recorded first-period falls.
The fourth win was a 7-6 victory by Michael Mayhew at 138.
Central Regional (17-11), however, followed with wins in the next three bouts.
Christian Ardiles (157) won by technical fall, Joseph Dunne (165) by pin and Alexander Setaro (175) by forfeit.
The forfeit at 175 allowed Stinson to elevate Berck to 190 at a pivotal point in the match.
“The kids were all asking why are we forfeiting at 175,” Stinson said. “I told them to trust me.
“We saw (Central’s Deklan) McLaughlin had been weighed in at 181 pounds. Berck was at 172. We thought moving Berck up gave us the best opportunity.”
In the third period, McLaughlin took Berck down with a high single for a 4-3 lead.
“I snapped a little bit after that takedown,” Berck said.
“After I escaped I went to the double (leg takedown). I tried snapping him in the first period without success. So, I threw caution into the wind and went to the double and that sealed the deal.
Berck’s win, which was followed by a Kody Phillips pin, gave NBC a 38-23 lead.
Central stayed alive with a Mason Medina fall at 285, but NBC’s Maddox Milan clinched the victory with a pin at 106 pounds.