By Rich Chrampanis
PISCATAWAY – Last year, Rumson-Fair Haven made history winning its first state wrestling championship. The Bulldogs didn’t have to wait long for the second. The Bulldogs are back-to-back Group 2 state champions after a 40-28 win over Caldwell at Rutgers University.
The Bulldogs opened the match with Joaquin Duque scoring a 17-2 technical fall at 126 pounds to take a 5-0 lead. After Caldwell scored back-to-back tech falls at 132 and 138, RFH took control of the match with a Sonny Amato pin at 144 pounds. Amato is the defending state champion at 144 and will now turn his focus to returning to Atlantic City and defend his title.
Amato’s win sparked four straight Bulldog wins to build a 23-10 lead. Luke Dougherty’s win at 190 pounds gave Rumson five more points but the Bulldogs forfeited at 215 with Conor Delaney, a state championship contender was not available. Matt Smith got a huge pin at 285 pounds to put Rumson in front 34-19 with three matches to go.
Caldwell got a pin at 106 and a 7-4 decision by Carmine Sipper to give the Chiefs a chance heading into the final match. Rumson’s Elijah Bayne knew that his team was in front by six points and needed to just avoid getting pinned to force a 34-34 tie and the state title would be decided by criteria.
Bayne took away any of those dramatics with a pin of Yankee Mabee in the second period to secure the state championship. The RFH Dawgpound student section made the trip to Rutgers and celebrated by running up and down the stairs of Jersey Mike’s Arena. Bayne was in a high-pressure spot and came through to clinch it.
“At first it felt like a lot of pressure, but I went out there and I set my mind to what I wanted to do and I got it done,” Bayne said. “It feels amazing.”
Rutgers has left many fond memories for the Rumson-Fair Haven athletic program this school year. Matt Smith got to experience the thrill of winning a football state title in the fall at SHI Stadium and then held a state championship wrestling trophy a few months later at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
“I’m glad that I’m part of this year and last year and I can’t wait for the team to do more,” Smith said. “I mean it’s a big honor to our whole program, our whole community for both the football program and the wrestling program. For the wrestling program especially, we’re the first, we’re the first sectional champs, we’re the first group champs. We really want to keep this thing going, get the youth program up and really cement our legacy here.”
Group 2 State Championship – Rutgers University
Rumson-Fair Haven 40, Caldwell 28
126 pounds: Joaquin Duque (RFH) tech falls Dom Holler, 17-2
132 pounds: Anthony Barrett (Caldwell) tech falls Henry Marshall, 19-3
138 pounds: Solomon Soriente (Caldwell) tech falls Andrew Newell, 20-5
144 pounds: Sonny Amato (RFH) pins Rocco Conforti, 2:28
150 pounds: Mario Del Vecchio (RFH) def. Nicco Capaldo, 9-4
157 pounds: Walker Skove (RFH) def. Ben Lattimer, 6-0
165 pounds: Cole Pangborn (RFH) wins by forfeit
175 pounds: Andrew Fonseca (Caldwell) def. Ryder Izzo, 9-2
190 pounds : Luke Dougherty (RFH) tech falls Jake Simone, 19-3
215 pounds: Michael Mignone (Caldwell) wins by forfeit
Hwt: Matt Smith (RFH) pins Qays Rabah, 0:57
106 pounds: Matt Ruane (Caldwell) pins Luke Eberhard, 4:48
113 pounds: Carmine Sipper (Calwell) def. Eamon Fry, 7-4
120 pounds: Elijah Bayne (RFH) pins. Yankee Mabee, 2:41
The article originally appeared in the February 20 – 26, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
