Mainland’s Bishop, Ocean City’s Demore can call themselves district champs this time around

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — Last February, Mainland Regional’s Justin Bishop and Ocean City’s Luke Demore both made it out of the District 32 tournament and into regions, but neither punched a ticket to the state championships at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. And while they advanced to regions, neither won the district title, so by the time their seasons were over, they didn’t have what they wanted to show for their efforts. It was kind of like spending $50 at the boardwalk and coming home with one small stuffed animal. Last year’s postseason left both Bishop and Demore with a bit of an empty feeling. You could see it in their eyes at Saturday’s District 32 championships that this year would be different. They weren’t going to let the moment become too big for them. “I told myself that it’s my senior year. There’s no doing it next year, it has to be now. I’ve been sick for a while and toward the end of the team season I lost a couple of matches, but I told myself that no matter what my condition is, I’m not going to let it get to my head and let it affect how I wrestle in my championship match,” said Demore, a 160-pound senior. “Last year, I was a junior and I was really nervous going into these big matches. But a lot has changed since last year. I’m ready for (regions). For somebody to beat me they are going to have to be truly better than me.” Ocean City senior Luke Demore finished second at the district tournament last year. This season, he captured the district title at 160 pounds with a win on Saturday. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) Demore lost 10-4 to St. Augustine Prep’s Jose Tabora at 170 pounds last year. This time around, at 160, the top-seeded Demore was in control from the start in a 5-0 win over third-seeded Caleb Justis of Egg Harbor Township. “He was a top seed and he knew he had that target on his back, but he came out and wrestled tough,” said Ocean City coach Dave Castellini. Demore said he drew upon his experience last year and knew he had to come out with a much more aggressive mindset against Justis, who had scored a 9-1 major decision over No. 2 Brandon Cirillo of St. Augustine in the semifinals. “I never had any big matches like that, it was all new to me. The nerves, the lights, the sounds, everybody in the stands yelling. It was just so new,” Demore said of last year’s district final. “I came in this year and I remembered last year, it was kind of like a flashback. It’s such an awesome feeling (to win). It’s a lot of pressure off my chest.” “I think there were a lot of nerves with him last year,” Castellini said. “Ever since last year, this was his goal, to be a district champ. To come out and achieve that is huge for him. He’s worked hard all season in the room this year.” Bishop advanced out of districts last year as a sophomore through an injury default in the consolation final, then lost in the second round of wrestlebacks at regions. This time around he was quick on his feet in scoring an 8-2 decision over second-seeded Kenny Kleshick, a tough wrestler from Egg Harbor Township. “My main game is neutral and I knew I could take him down. I took him down in the first 10 seconds of the match. I have to work on my top, I got a stalling call,” Bishop said. “He’s pretty tough. He’s kind of a funky wrestler. He tried to throw me at the end and I reversed him.” Mainland Regional junior Justin Bishop, left, tries to take down EHT’s Kenny Kleshick during their 138-pound final at the District 32 championships. Mainland coach Clayton Smith said Bishop has really been wrestling well lately, and gives a lot of credit for that to John DiNofrio, who made the district final at 145 pounds before falling 7-3 to top-seeded Dillon Taylor of St. Augustine Prep. Having a workout partner the caliber of DiNofrio has helped Bishop sharpen his skills, Smith said. “He’s looking really good. He just came into this year really focused and started to mature more,” Smith said. “Our 145-pounder who was also in the finals (DiNofrio), they are practice partners and beating each other up every day.” “I feel great. I’m in better shape and I was able to control the match,” Bishop said. “Before every match, I get nervous, but last year I was really nervous. This year, I’m pretty laid back.” Smith said he wouldn’t be surprised if Bishop takes home a Region 8 title next weekend at Egg Harbor Township High School. “His action on his feet right now is so hard to beat. I’m looking for big things (at regions). He’s really confident going in right now,” Smith said. “John Gallo (of Schalick) is in his weight class and he’s lost to John once this year, 1-0. I’m not going to discredit John at all, he’s a really good wrestler, but Justin is going to be hard to beat twice.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays  [adsense]