The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • B1

SECTION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, sports PISCATAWAY Rutgers was beating Northwestern so decisively in wrestling Sunday that at one point, the Wildcats actually had fewer than zero points. Northwestern eventually got back into positive numbers, but it matter, as the Scarlet Knights won, 28-6. Rutgers (12-4, 6-3 Big Ten) completed an undefeated home season with its fifth consecutive dual-meet victory at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights were 6-0 at home in dual meets this season, including a win over Princeton at High Point Solutions Stadium on Nov. 19.

The unusual scoring situation came about after John Van Brill handily defeated Ben Sullivan, 7-2 at 157 pounds. Sullivan was called for a flagrant misconduct for shoving Van Brill. That meant that Northwestern (7-8, 2-7), which was scoreless at that time, had minus-one point through five matches, while Rutgers had scored 17. That was a first for Rutgers coach Scott Goodale. never been in one of he said.

But something he often has seen is an inspired performance by senior Phil Bakuckas at 174 pounds. Although Goodale recently made redshirt sophomore Jordan Pagano the starter at that weight in place of Bakuckas, the coach decided to give Bakuckas the nod on Senior Day. And he responded with a 16-0 first-period technical fall over Braxton Cody in atime of 2:06. RUTGERS WRESTLING Bakuckas gets big win on Senior Day J.P. PELZMAN PORT ST.

LUCIE, Fla. going to be hearing alot about the upbeat vibe in the coming weeks, for reasons already committed to memory: talented, driven by unfinished business and an iron conviction that 2017 will be injury-free. see about the last point, but the optimism is otherwise legit. be unwise for the National League to take the Mets lightly. But more here than just agood-looking lineup and a starting rotation that, if healthy, might rank among the best in franchise history.

If things go well, the Mets could turn the clock back to 1986. If not, well, always 1992 to remind us how fast a season will dissolve into chaos. This is the 25th anniversary of the worst team money could buy any club historian knows how they earned the infamous nickname. The Mets were supremely talented, albeit with out-of- towners, who were supposed to roll to the World Series and make everyone stop yearning for the late The miscalculation have been DERIK HAMILTON-USA TODAY SPORTS The respect manager Terry Collins gets from his players brings stability to the Mets clubhouse. THE SENSE OF COMPETENCE Pitcher Noah Syndergaard gives Mets fans areason to be optimistic in 2017.

GETTY IMAGES Mets optimistic on 25th anniversary of underachievement BOB KLAPISCH COMMENTARY TOMS RIVER South Plainfield High wrestling team won its 10th state group title and fifth in eight years Sunday on a game plan that made it an elite program years ago. The Tigers (30-1) beat South Jersey champion Delsea 38-23 for the second straight year in the state Group III final. South Plainfield captured eight of 14 bouts four falls, a technical fall, two decisions and senior Jake tiebreaker win at 126 that capped the day. Bill Pavlak, who returned to South Plainfield this season after being head coach at Piscataway the last three years, won his third state title as Tigers coach. The philosophy of how the Tigers win whether it was under former coach Kevin McCann (now athletic director) or Pavlak changed.

minimize giving up bonus points and we get bonus points. That makes the difference and what we have done all said Pavlak, assisted by Jon Foscola, Bill Hamilton, Steve Giordano and Tyler NJSIAA WRESTLING Tigers win again using afamiliar game plan South Plainfield claims 10th NJSIAA group title HARRY FREZZA PETER PHOTOGRAPHER South Joe Heilman gets ready to celebrate after his pin clinches the NJSIAA Group III championship Sunday. TOMS RIVER The little guys saved the day with late pins in the morning semifinal. In the afternoon championship, the big fellas applied the muscle. In between, the Delaware Valley wrestlers piled up bonus points, gutted out close wins and kept losses close.

It all added up to the first NJSIAA Group II championship since 1999 and eighth overall. Sunday, Del Val beat Collingswood 34-24 in the semifinal and then defeated Hanover Park 30-28 to claim the hardware at the Pine Belt Arena. The Terriers clinched in the next-to-last match and forfeited the final bout. Delaware Valley (23-3) has a storied wrestling tradition with 17 Central Group II sectional titles, but been 18 years since a state group title. Last century.

is a whole Terriers coach Andy Fitz said. kids do not know what this feeling is like. They look at those pictures up on the wall every day in practice, they might as well be Hoosiers. They know what it is. Now, going to get, I know what it is, a 10-by-8-foot picture up on the wres- NJSIAA WRESTLING Little, big guys help Delaware Valley end its 18-season group title drought ANDY MENDLOWITZ DOUG PHOTOGRAPHER Connor Mills of Delaware Valley takes on Lou Raimo of Hanover Park on Sunday in Toms River.

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