The Livingston High School wrestling team placed second in the Essex County Tournament and went on to win the Super Essex Conference title.Seven Individual WinnersThe team competed in the ECT on Wednesday, January 26. The Lancers placed second overall as a team, but the big story came in the finals when they rewrote Essex County wrestling history with seven individual champions, the most ever by a single team in the tournament.The Lancers’ gold medal winners included Aidan Carmody (106 pounds), Shaun Quirk (126 pounds), Zack Vera (150 pounds), Max Lee (165 pounds), Stratos Kantanas (175 pounds), Vinny Militello (190 pounds), and Eddie Padilla (215 pounds). The LancersThe Lancers also had two more top three finishers. Jason Quirk took second at 120 pounds and Anthony Pellegrino took third at 113 pounds.“The night was pretty special,” noted Livingston head wrestling coach Dan Brill. “We took second in the team race to a tough and well-coached West Essex team but breaking a record with seven champs is pretty cool. It is truly a testament to the hard work and focus these kids exemplify every day, both in and out of season.” It was a good night for the LancIt was a good night for the Lancers, but they had a rare opportunity in front of them: They would wrestle the West Essex Knights for the conference title the following Friday, January 28, at home.Win Conference Title“That Friday night brought in the biggest crowd of the season as more spectators were allowed in the Livingston High School fieldhouse,” coach Brill recounted. “There was an electric atmosphere in the gym when the spotlight shined, and the wrestling began. Ten Lancer victories propelled Livingston to a 44-18 win over the Knights, a win to take the conference title.”Livingston wins were earned by Anthony Pellegrino, Aidan Carmody, Jason Quirk, Shaun Quirk, Phenol Morlan, Stratos Kantanas, Vinny Militello, Eddie Padilla, and the two headline bouts, Zack Vera and Max Lee. Zack Vera took on Rick Cassidy; each had won a county title two days earlier, at 150 pounds and 144 pounds, respectively.“The year prior when these two wrestled, Cassidy bested Vera, 15-8,” said coach Brill. “This year, the story was written a little differently. In a match that was never separated by more than two points, Vera earned a take-down in the last 15 seconds, which was countered by a Cassidy escape. The final score was 6-5, with ...
