How Passaic Valley wrestling took control of its destiny and beat an archrival
WANAQUE – Every match is a bit of a mystery for Richie Breitweiser.
The Passaic Valley sophomore never knows if he'll get a chance to wrestle or at what weight.
It can be a blessing and a curse to be in a lineup as deep and as flexible as the one coach Joe Wassel has assembled.
"He says go in and I'm ready to go get the win," Breitweiser said. "I kind of had a feeling that I was going to go in tonight, but I don't know for sure until he says it."
The starter-turned-backup took advantage on Wednesday night when he was called into action in a battle for first place. Breitweiser picked up a quick pin at 190 pounds and the eighth-ranked Hornets stormed past No. 14 Lakeland, 47-27, in Wanaque.
Last year, Passaic Valley needed every last point to beat its rivals on criteria.
This time, the upper-weights made the math much simpler.
The Hornets managed to win nine bouts, even while expediting the trip back to Little Falls with forfeits in the last two weights.
"Honestly, it could have gone either way," senior Brandon Veneziano said. "We came in here expecting a fight. It always is. It just shows that all our guys in the room are constantly working and constantly getting better. When you put the work in, that's what happens."
Passaic Valley came into the season with a nice set of chess pieces after winning its third straight Big North Independence title last year.
Wassel was still a little apprehensive after losing the flip against Lakeland and starting the match with a pair of swing bouts.
Both went in Passaic Valley's favor with Jayden Chin getting a pin at 144 and Kaden Matari scoring a 7-3 decision in a battle between 150's with winning records.
"Jayden Chin stepped up on the mat," Wassel said. "He's a backup who lost a wrestle-off early in the year. For us to have a guy like that to go out and not only get us a win, but a pin is huge. It's huge for him and huge for us. I can't say enough about the way we started."
What it means
Passaic Valley (6-1) controls its own destiny in the division race with matches still to go against Wayne Hills and Fair Lawn. The Hornets will also be in the running for the Passaic County title in a little over a week.
Bringing back a state qualifier in Frankie Martino and 10 total starters has been a recipe for success.
"A lot of them played football, so these kids are used to winning," said Wassel, whose brother Max coaches the Hornets' football team. "They don't like to lose. They treat it that way every day in the room. There's a winner's mentality that we're going to out-work you."
Inside the match
The match could not have started much better for the Hornets, who won seven of the first eight bouts and held Passaic County champion Sean Walker to a three-point decision.
William Capizzi (165), Dante Benvenuti (175) and Breitweiser (190) all won by fall to put the Hornets in command.
Breitweiser won 16 matches as a freshman despite missing about a month with a sprained ankle.
"He's not an ego guy," Wassel said. "He's ready to do whatever it takes to help the team win. That's what he did."
His entry into the lineup was crucial as it allowed Martino to move up to 215 for a forfeit and Veneziano to bump up to heavyweight in the most dramatic bout. Veneziano traded escapes with Cooper Struble in regulation, nearly got a takedown in sudden victory but won anyway with Struble called for fleeing the mat to avoid giving up two.
At that point, the Hornets were well on their way to victory with a 36-3 lead.
"I'm super, super happy and impressed," Wassel said. "These kids work extremely hard and they earned this one."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Passaic Valley wrestling took control of its destiny over its rival
