By GIUSEPPE UNGARO
Staff Writer
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Egg Harbor Township’s Jason Kaenzig had a feeling that his bout was going to decide his team’s fate on Wednesday night.
He was right.
Kaenzig’s 3-0 win at 145 pounds not only clinched the 31-29 victory over St. Augustine, but also gave the Eagles their first Cape-Atlantic League American Conference championship since 2012.
Behind key wins by Hunter Thomas (126) and Cody Dix (132), the Eagles, who are 17-2, handed the Hermits (14-3) their first conference loss in five years, ending a run of 50 straight wins.
“I live for moments like that,” Kaenzig said. “I was ready for it. I knew it was going to come down to one of the last matches. Once I knew we started at 160, I knew it was going to come down to me and I got the job done.”
Kaenzig stepped on the mat to take on Sal Manera with the Eagles ahead 28-19. The Eagles junior registered a first period takedown, and then kept Manera in the down position for the entire second period.
After choosing down in the third period, Kaenzig escaped with 1:14 left and held on for a 3-0 win. Seconds later, he was being lifted up by his teammates in celebration.
Egg Harbor Township piled up the wins and points between 113 and 145 pounds, winning five of the six bouts, including Kaenzig’s win. Christian Smith (113) started the run, recording a 16-0 technical fall in 5:28 to tie the score, 19-19.
The Eagles’ Terrell Coleman topped George Coleman, 8-2, at 120, and Thomas and Dix followed win wins of their own. Thomas edged Prep’s Conner Kraus, 4-2, despite giving up both points on stalling calls. Dix followed with a key 3-2 victory over Robert Woodcock. Dix escaped with 42 seconds left for the deciding point.
What makes the Eagles’ win even more impressive is that they overcame a rare loss from Connor Agostino, their top wrestler. In what was the most anticipated individual bout of the night, the Hermits’ Sean Lenzsch, who recently became eligible after transferring from Mainland and sitting out the required 30 days to start the season, pinned Agostino with 10 seconds remaining at 195 pounds.
“It shows character,” EHT coach Mike Caiazza said. “I preach to these guys that every good team, every good wrestler, every good athlete has some kind of character to able to come back from adversity. That was a big shocker in our match and we rallied the troops.”
Agostino led 3-2 after the first period and 5-4 after the second, but Lenzsch, a Somers Point resident, took control in the final two minutes. Lenzsch led 9-6 before putting Agostino to his back.
“It certainly was a disappointing (team) loss, but for my match against Agostino, I came in thinking that it was going to be a tough match,” Lenzsch said. “And it certainly was. I did my best, I took whatever I could take. I tried muscling him and it ended up working out. I ended up on top, came on cross and happened to get the pin with 10 seconds left.”
He added: “I came out to prove that I’m still a contender in this league. Hopefully, I continue to do what I just did and make it to states.”
The Eagles’ began the night with two major decision wins, as Mark Woods (160) and Matt Moreno (170) gave Egg Harbor Township an 8-0 lead. EHT heavyweight Paul Valian won by forfeit.
The Hermits’ Ryan Lynd (220) won by pin, teammates Danny Martini (106) and Brett Bodnar won by major decision, Connor Murray (182) won by decision, and Dillon Taylor (152) won a forfeit after the Eagles’ had already clinched.
Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu