By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Ask just about anybody and they will tell you that Egg Harbor Township sophomore 195-pounder Connor Agostino is a nice guy. Wrestling coach Mike Caiazza, assistant coach Bryan Carmichael, they can’t tell you enough what a pleasure it is to coach Agostino. Even his dad, Jim, admits that Connor is a damn nice kid. But in high school wrestling, when it comes to being on the mat, nice guys finish last. Connor figured that out at the District 32 tournament when, as the top seed, he got pinned by Mainland Regional’s Kolin Roberts, the No. 5 seed, in the semifinal round. Coach Carmichael said that Jim got in Connor’s ear a little bit after that match and told his son he needed to find a mean streak if he wanted to make it to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, site of the state wrestling championships this coming weekend. Connor got the message. “I think he had a sense that he belonged here. He had a little bit of a bitter taste in his mouth after that loss last weekend (to Roberts). It’s a lot of just building your confidence. You go out there and test the waters, and you walk away thinking you’re better than that guy. It didn’t happen (at districts), and he truly felt he belonged as a district champ last weekend, and I think he had something to prove this weekend,” Carmichael said. “(Roberts) was maybe one of the hottest wrestlers in South Jersey. Our whole thing with Connor all week was, he has to be more aggressive and physical. You can’t be nice. There are guys out there wanting to win titles and they are going to take it from you. That’s what we saw (Saturday). He was focused. Sometimes Connor is maybe too nice of a kid, and that’s what we have been telling him all week. Caiazza and his father have been on him about getting physical, and that’s what you saw. He went out there and pretty much dominated the whole match.” Agostino leaps into the arms of EHT coach Mike Caiazza after winning the Region 8 championship. Agostino leaps into the arms of EHT coach Mike Caiazza after winning the Region 8 championship. Connor had plenty of help along the way in becoming a region champion as just a sophomore. Ingersoll was on hand to lend some advice, as was Connor’s older brother, 23-year-old Zach, who was a two-time region champ and now attends the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s great. (Zach) was a two-time region champ, so it was nice to see him come in and help Connor get ready. It was nice to see that bonding they had,” Jim said. “He’s a young kid, he works hard, it’s just good to see. He’s got an older brother who has been pretty successful through the years. He’s starting to come out from under his shadow a little bit, which is nice to see. “He has some family that couldn’t get down here (for regions). I said, ‘do it for them so they get a chance to come watch you wrestle next weekend.'” Jim said that once he talked to his son following his disappointing finish at the District 32 tournament, he didn’t give him any more advice. He basically told him, it’s your time. If you want it, go get it. “It comes to a point in time when these kids are out there and it’s all on them. Especially in this sport. You don’t have eight other guys to fall back on. When you go out there it’s all on you,” Jim said. “He had a rough district last week. He was lucky to get out, but then his confidence just started growing this week. He started to believe in himself, and when you believe in yourself you can accomplish a lot of things.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]