Alumni, youth join Old Bridge in Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual against South Plainfield

South Plainfield faces the daunting task of going up against the past, present and future of the Old Bridge High School wrestling program during the seventh annual Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual on Friday night.

Members of the township’s recreation and middle school programs have been invited to attend the match, during which Old Bridge will also celebrate the 1990 Cedar Ridge sectional championship team.

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Donations collected at the door will benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which assists pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

“This match is their Youth Night and Alumni Night and obviously supports a great cause as the Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual,” South Plainfield head coach Steve Johnston said. “It should be a packed house. Our guys need to wrestle in those types of environments to prepare themselves for what they are going to see down the road. It should be a good night of wrestling. Old Bridge is a solid team this year and we are gearing up and ready to give our best effort.”

In last year’s meeting, resurgent Old Bridge defeated South Plainfield for the first time in more than two decades.

Old Bridge, which graduated the bulk of its starters from last season’s senior-laden squad, features just two upperclassmen including incumbent state champion Logan Roman (120).

Despite its youth, Old Bridge owns a 5-3 record. The team’s losses are to Phillipsburg and Cranford, both of which the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association ranks in its Top 20, and Monroe (11-1).

Old Bridge may be a year or two away from returning to the precipice of prominence it enjoyed last season when it broke into the state rankings and placed second in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

Jake Tenebruso, who took third at the Sam Cali Invitational and reached the finals of the Ron Mazzola Memorial Tournament, joins JoJo Nalewajko (106) and upperweights Dominick Paulino and Zack Florio as program cornerstones.

Freshman Gavin Young (113), the son of former South River head coach Bobby Young, is a promising newcomer who reflects Old Bridge’s promise.

“We have some good young wrestlers right now and we’re figuring things out,” Old Bridge head coach John Post said.

The Knights opened the year with a nine-point loss to Monroe with a much different lineup than that which they expect to showcase during the NJSIAA District Tournament, where Old Bridge will see the Falcons again.

Old Bridge’s tough remaining schedule includes duals with Southern Regional, widely regarded as New Jersey’s best public-school team, state-ranked Saint Joseph of Metuchen and Rumson-Fair Haven, as well as perennial power Howell.

The Knights, however, are not looking past South Plainfield, which enters the Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual with an uncharacteristic 2-9 record. The Tigers, too, have faced stiff competition, are relatively young (four seniors), and were decimated by graduation.

Despite having to replace eight starters from a team that won an eighth consecutive sectional title last season, South Plainfield continues to wrestle a challenging slate including another annual appearance in last weekend’s Boresch Duals.

Incumbent region qualifiers Nolan Hook (138), a senior captain, Jose Rodriguez (150) and Ryan Balent (144), both juniors, anchor the lineup along with sophomore Anthony Matteo (132).

South Plainfield won’t only be wrestling against Old Bridge’s varsity squad. The Tigers, in a way, will be taking on the future. Members of the Old Bridge Mat Rats and wrestlers from the township’s Salk and Sandburg middle schools will pose for a photo on the mat with the Knights after the dual. In addition, South Plainfield will be battling history, as former letterwinners and coaches from Old Bridge, Madison Central (including its 1990 sectional championship squad) and Cedar Ridge will be in attendance.

The theme of “One Team, One Town” will resonate throughout the gymnasium as a program steeped in tradition looks to connect the future with the present through the past.

“It’s really great to recognize the history but I also like to meet face-to-face with a lot of the kids who are going to be here in the coming years and show them what they can be a part of,” said Post, who credits former Old Bridge head coach Bryan Garnett with reuniting the wrestling program’s alumni.

“We like to get the kids in the feeder system accustomed to setting goals to wrestle at the high school. We expect to get a lot of people here. It’s a rivalry match and it benefits The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which we should be able to help in a big way.”

Since its inception six years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to fulfill its mission.

The nonprofit has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies, school supplies, and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value.

In addition, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $29,500 in academic scholarships to exceptional Middlesex County high school seniors who support its mission through community service and volunteerism.

“When it comes down to it, wrestling is a huge sport in both towns, but when we are getting together for an event like this, it goes beyond wrestling,” said Johnston, whose program is among New Jersey’s most successful with 12 state championships, 27 conference tournament crowns, and a state-record 37 consecutive district tournament titles.

“Both teams want to come away with a win and perform well. We are giving back and continuing to show the state that while wrestling is very big in New Jersey, there are a lot greater causes and bigger things going on that we should continue to honor and pay tribute to.”

Over the past six years, the Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual has raised nearly $30,000 for the nonprofit bearing its namesake’s moniker.

Marisa is the daughter of former Home News Tribune, Courier News, and MyCentralJersey.com sportswriter Greg Tufaro and longtime Edison Township Public Schools educator Cyndi Tufaro.

Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing to a rare form of cancer in 2017 following a valiant battle. She was just 13 years old.

Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctors’ appointments, Marisa was an honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ wrestling: South Plainfield meets Old Bridge in charity dual