BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ- The Gov. Livingston Highlanders saw seven different grapplers record pins as they rolled past the David Brearley High School (Kenilworth) Bears in their home opener by a final score of 64-12 Wednesday night in Berkeley Heights.
In the first match, GL freshman Jake Quandt (152) faced off against Brearley’s Kyle Lynaugh. Quandt took charge of the match with a takedown and a reversal before ultimately winning the match with a pin at the 1:43-mark of the first round, producing six team points to give the Highlanders a 6-0 lead.
Quandt credits the hard work done over the offseason as a way of helping him capture his first win as a varsity player.
“It felt really good to play on varsity and all the hard work in practice we put in, it paid off,” Quandt said.
The next match of the evening featured GL junior James Synder (160) facing off against Brearley’s John Braun. The two battled through the first round, with Synder producing three takedowns and a three-point near fall, before winning with a pin at the 2:32-mark (0:32-mark of the second round).
Sophomore Joe Scalora (170) took to the mat against Brearley’s Rick Middleton, a match that ended at the 1:03-mark of the first round, as Scalora produced a takedown on his opponent before pinning down his opponent to secure the win.
The Highlanders picked up six more points from Scalora’s win and were rewarded 12 additional points on Brearley forfeits in the 182-pound and 195-pound weight classes to take a commanding 30-0 lead.
