LaFevre,Hafke,Hampton, Kirchner..

Most unheralded Region 5 champs Saturday?

Voorhees second-seeded 145-pound sophomore Mike Hafke, second last year at 130, beat Bishop Ahr's top seeded Joe McAuley 6-2. Bridgewater-Raritan second-seeded senior Wayne Hampton, second last year at 152, won the 160-pound title by beating Perth Amboy top seed Craig Battista. Battista had two first period falls to advance to the final, while Hampton beat Old Bridge junior Trevor Haughney 2-1 in the semifinal.

McAuley, a Dunellen resident, placed seventh in the state last year after having been the Region 5 outstanding wrestler.

""I saw Joe at states last year and I was impressed with him, he's really good, but I watched his style more and more and I picked out some flaws,'' Hafke said. ""I've had so much support. My whole family and friends never stopped supporting me."

Hafke had some shoulder injuries early on. He said last year's experience in the region final helped me.

"It gave me a lot of confidence and experience, going into the regions last year and being in the finals, I was kind of nervous, but this year I was more relaxed and used to the surroundings,'' Hafke said.

By the way, Hafke joins an esteemed group of Voorhees wrestlers who won region titles as sophomores. Only four have done it. The others were Dan Moody, Glenn Hall and Eric Hall. Moody and Glenn Hall were state champs and Eric was a runnerup.

The top seeded Kirchner, whose uncle Jim Lopa was formidable wrestler at Bound Brook, placed third two times at the region before winning the 125-pound title Saturday. He blanked South River junior Adam Mongelli 5-0.

"I'm escatic right now, I'm just so happy. I feel like a million bucks. I had so much fun. It's the best time in my life,'' Kirchner said. "In the beginning (of the match) I was feeling the kid out, once you get that first shot, once you get those first points -- that was big.

Kirchner had a takedown at the edge to seal the win in the third period.

"Right when I had that single, I stepped back at first to see if he'd come back in,'' he said. "He wouldn't come back in, so I dove for that and I got it. I wasn't sure at first if I got it, but I did. I had his one leg and brought him back in to see if he wanted to come back in. He wouldn't come back in, so I just dove."

Like Hafke, Kirchner relied on the experience of having been here before.

"Being somewhere before and coming here three straight years makes it like like second nature,'' Kirchner said.

LaFevre, a top seed at 140, was beasten in the region semifnals last year, then didn't qualify as he placed fourth. This year, he made it by beating Sayreville's Ramon Santiago 4-1.

""Whoever I have to wrestle it doesn't matter, when I go in there I'm going to give it all I have,'' LeFevre said. "I'm feeling extremely confident in what I'm doing right now. I'm feeling better and better.''