AC, RAIN AND RIDING

One of the things I've seen here durng the first two days of the NJSIAA Wrestling Tournament is outstanding riding skills. Whether it's legs or just body to body, wrestlers have been able to keep their opponents down and win close bouts

Both Somerville senior Jimmy Kirchner and Watchung Hills junior Brendan Ard at 125 and 171 respectively are in the semifinals in large part because of it. But they aren't alone.

"I don't know what it is, but I think guys are doing it to prepare for college,'' Kirchner said. "Leg riding is a art. But I don't particularly like legs. I'm just a guy who'll ride you hard. I don't like to give up points. I don't like to let them up. I like top. It's fun.''

Kirchner rode defending state champ Joe Trause of Bergen Catholic for the entire second period in the state quarterfinal before winning 4-2 in overtime. He also heard cries to cut Lakeland's Colton Chalkley in a state pre-quarterfinal third period as time was running out, but tilt Chalkley with six seconds to win 9-8.

"I'm confident with being on top,'' Kirchner said. ""Those two or three points down here are gonna win you some matches.""

Ard beat zenior Kyle Hess of Cinnaminson 1-0 to advance into the semifinals. Ard was third at 160 last year. He also blanked Middletown North's Justin Persico 5-0 in the state pre-quarterfinals Friday night.

Ard rode Hess out for the entire third period.

"One of my goals down here is to ride a guy out, it'll make it tough for the other guy to win,'' Ard said. "I'm tryiing to stay dominant. If I'm winning 1-0 mentally, you see a zero up there an dyou know you can shut the kid down. you have to be mentally focused, keep on moving and be confident. Hess was moretough to move, more square bodies, but anyway to win ..''

Bound Brook freshman Andrew Campolattano won a memorable 6-5 win over top seed Tyler Smith of Belvidere in the 189-pound state quarterfinals.

"I just stuck to my game plan. I told Andrew (Flanagan)I was going to wear and tear and (hand) fight for a a minute thiry and then open up with shots when there were 30 seconds left,'' said Campolattano, 41-0.

Camp scored on a double leg, then rode Smith out for the rest of the period. Smith deferred in the second period and Camp escaped to make it 3-0. He scored another takedown on the edge in the third period.

"He's really funky on bottom.I couldn't really ride him,'' Campolattano said. "I knew he had a good single and he did cradles.''