Shore Conference (NJ) Wrestling Postseason Pods
The Shore Conference has announced the pods and matchups for its 2021 postseason mini-tournaments.
A total of 32 teams were placed into four-team pods and will compete in two matches each between Monday, April 5 and Thursday, April 9. The teams were placed in pods based on strength and to separate teams that have already wrestled each other.
However, five teams ranked in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 will not participate in the postseason pods. No. 1 Southern, No. 3 Christian Brothers Academy, No. 4 Howell and No. 5 Ocean opted out of the postseason in order to focus on the individual postseason and attempt to prevent possible COVID-19 exposure within the two weeks prior to the NJSIAA region tournaments, which begins on April 17.
No. 6 Rumson-Fair Haven was originally set to be the top seed in Pod 1 but RFH Athletic Director Chris Lanzalotto announced on Wednesday that the Bulldogs are shut down for two weeks due to COVID-19 protocols and will not be able to wrestle in the pods.
There is a real possibility the teams that compete in the pods choose to hold out their top wrestlers. Brick Memorial, ranked No. 2 in the SSN Top 10, is one of them. The Mustangs will rest many of their starters, including state championship contenders Vincent Santaniello, David Szuba, Anthony Santaniello and Evan Tallmadge. All four are ranked No. 1 in the SSN individual rankings at their respective weight classes.
The winners of the first-round matches will wrestle each other in the championship match and the losing teams will wrestle for third place.
Pods 1, 3, 5 and 7 will wrestle on Monday and Wednesday and Pods 2, 4, 6 and 8 will wrestle on Tuesday and Thursday. The higher seed will be the host school.
The NJSIAA Super Region Tournaments will be held on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18. The Shore Conference has teams in the Central Super Region, which will be held at Hunterdon Central High School, and the South Super Region, which will be held at Cherry Hill East High School.
The NJSIAA Championships will be held on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 at Phillipsburg High School.
Shore Conference Wrestling Postseason Pods
Pod 1
3-Colts Neck at 2-Middletown South, winner at 4-Jackson Memorial
Pod 2
4-Marlboro at 1-Lacey
3-Toms River Eat at 2-Matawan
Pod 3
4-Manchester at 1-Point Boro
3-Shore at 2-Raritan
Pod 4
4-Middletown North at 1-Manalapan
3-Wall at 2-Brick Memorial
Pod 5
4-Brick at 1-Freehold Township
3-Manasquan at 2-Pinelands
Pod 6
4-Jackson Liberty at 1-St. John Vianney
3-Central at 2-Freehold
Pod 7
4-Red Bank at 1-Long Branch
3-Point Beach at 2-Lakewood
Pod 8
4-Monmouth at 1-Holmdel
3-Neptune at 2-Toms River South
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