Six local wrestlers took home top honors at the Shore Conference Wrestling Tournament at Lakewood High School. Photo by Rich Chrampanis 
Middletown North’s Thomas Blewett scored a late third-period reversal to win the Shore Conference 106-pound championship. Photo by Rich Chrampanis 
Rumson-Fair Haven’s Sonny Amato is a three-time Shore Conference champion. Photo by Rich Chrampanis 
St. John Vianney’s Julian Zargo knocked off top seed Luke Johnston of Howell to win the 120-pound Shore title. Photo by Rich Chrampanis
By Rich Chrampanis
LAKEWOOD – Six wrestlers from The Two River Times area claimed Shore Conference Tournament championships Saturday, Jan. 24, at Lakewood High School, highlighted by repeat winners and three first-time champions.
Blewett Brings Title Back to
Middletown North
Thomas Blewett edged Christian Brothers Academy’s Santino Edgar 2-1 in the 106-pound final to claim Middletown North’s fifth Shore Conference championship and first since 2023. Scoreless late in the third period, Blewett delivered a 2-point reversal that gave him the victory. Blewett is now 22-0 on the season and is currently the top-ranked wrestler in New Jersey at 106 pounds.
Amato Completes Three-Peat
Rumson-Fair Haven’s Sonny Amato dominated his way to a third consecutive Shore Conference title, earning a 15-2 major decision over St. John Vianney’s Abraham Adu-Amoako at 150 pounds. The victory made Amato the first three-time SCT champion in Rumson history and the Bulldogs’ eighth overall champion. Rumson has now crowned at least one champion in six consecutive Shore Conference tournaments. Amato is now focused on getting RFH another team title and chasing his second state championship after being upset last year in Atlantic City.
“I’m sitting at the top right now, but last year I got too comfortable, so this year it’s not going to happen again,” Amato said. “I’m really excited. I’m the first three-time Shore Conference champ in my school. Now we’ve got another one to add on to the books.”
Fry Finds Success in New Home
At 157 pounds, Wyatt Fry gave RFH its second champion of the day with a 7-1 victory over Howell’s Brady Little. A transfer from national powerhouse Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania, Fry earned his first SCT medal in his first tournament appearance, marking the third consecutive year that Rumson has crowned multiple champions.
“I’m ready to make a name for myself,” Fry said. “You know, most people feel kind of stressed out and scared out there. I felt really comfortable, and I was excited to get after it.”
Zargo Claims First SCT Title
St. John Vianney’s Julian Zargo upset top-seeded Luke Johnston of Howell 4-2 in the 120-pound final, earning his first Shore Conference championship after finishing second last year.
“It’s nice to see the hard work paying off,” Zargo said. “It was a tough match. Grit came down to it. Put a lot of forward pressure on. Just tried to put the pace on him, try to get him tired and find the score.”
Looking ahead to the postseason, Zargo emphasized the importance of continuous improvement. “It’s getting to be crunch time. Nothing changes. Just keep getting better. Keep fixing things. Keep growing every day,” he said. “(We need to) keep getting better in the room. We have good partners, good coaches.”
Gould Goes Back-to-Back
At 126 pounds, Matt Gould secured his second consecutive Shore Conference title with a 4-2 victory over Colts Neck’s Ethan Michaels. Gould had a 3-point takedown in the first period and endured a wild scramble in the closing seconds during which Michaels nearly scored a last-second victory.
“It feels great. I knew the kid was tough. I just had to wrestle my match and I knew I would win,” Gould said. “These guys are my brothers. I want to see them do well. I think everybody performed pretty well tonight. I’m proud of them.”
Oizerowitz Repeats at 175
CBA’s Brock Oizerowitz defended his 175-pound title in dominant fashion, posting a 13-1 major decision over Howell’s Tyler Going. Oizerowitz missed the first month of the season and is finding his form. The Colts only entered five wrestlers in the Shore Conference, with many top wrestlers, including Paul Kenny and Bobby Duffy, not competing due to match limits from competing in national tournaments during the season.
Red Bank Catholic and state-ranked Southern Regional opted not to compete in the Shore Conference Tournament.
Shore Conference Wrestling
Local Medalists
Christian Brothers Academy
Brendan Boyer (165), second
Santino Edgar (106), second
Jimmy Jakub (157), third
Brock Oizerowitz (175), first
Colts Neck
Matthew Anderson (157), sixth
Colin Barone (132), fourth
Ethan Michaels (126), second
Holmdel
Nicholas Paulino (132), sixth
Dylan Placca (138), third
Alexander Reyes (190), second
Christian Reyes (144), fourth
Middletown North
Daniel Benbrook (175), third
Thomas Blewett (106), first
Jackson Fearon (144), sixth
Tyler Oden (138), sixth
Nicholas Wall (150), third
Middletown South
Peter Trezza (120), fourth
Ryan Willi (165), third
Red Bank Regional
Jason Huss (157), fifth
Rumson-Fair Haven
Sonny Amato (150), first
Luke Dougherty (190), fourth
Joaquin Duque (138), second
Luke Eberhard (106), fifth
Wyatt Fry (157), first
Will Keller (165), sixth
St. John Vianney
Abraham Adu-Amoako (150), second
Riley Correal (106), third
Matt Gould (126), first
Julian Zargo (120), first
The article originally appeared in the January 29 – February 4, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
