Sports
Dodger Wrestlers Cop Patch Team of the Year Award
Conference crown highlighted exhilarating 2011 campaign.
While possibly unexpected to those outside of the Dodger wrestling room, the squad took home a share of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference-Independence Division title for the first time in five years as they put together an impressive 15-5 record, and sent an impressive six wrestlers to the Region 3 Tournament.
That success earned them selection as Madison Patch's Winter Team of the Year.
Led by head coach Steve Healey and assistant coaches Kevin Carroll, Mike Goodwin, Frankie Davis, Dan Hilt and Brendon Griffin, Madison was loaded with experience, boasting six district titles and seven region top-three finishes from the coaching staff alone.
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That experience, coupled with the senior leadership of captains Mike Boardman (285 pounds), Jack Anzul (189) and Ed Carr (160), heading up a group of 10 returning starters from a 2010 season that saw the Dodgers reach the state sectional finals, helped start the 2011 season with high expectations.
After a tough 0-2 start, Healey and his staff did some shuffling of the line-up, and immediately, a dominant Dodger group began to emerge.
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Madison won 11 straight, then shocked rival Pequannock, 36-32, to set up a conference title match against Parsippany.
The Dodgers continued to flaunt their grit and passion as they worked to an exhilarating 36-34 win in a see-saw affair, sealing their first title in five years with a Carr pin in the night's final match.
Madison’s Independence Division title is impressive on its own, but what makes it even more special is the way the Dodgers bounced back from a tough state sectional loss to Bound Brook just weeks prior to facing Parsippany.
Regular season title in hand, the Dodgers started the individual portion of the schedule by sending six wrestlers to the Region 3 Tournament at Union High School including Boardman, Anzul, Carr, Patsy Davis (119), Matt Allen (140) and Peter Willis (145).
Boardman went on to represent Madison with a trip to the state championship tournament in Atlantic City.
