CRANFORD, NJ — Michael Daly and Luke Scholz meant a great deal to the Cranford Cougars wrestling program.
“These two guys were a huge part of our success over the last four years,” Cranford High School wrestling head coach Pat Gorman said.
Daly and Scholz were consistent and, at times, spectacular in victory.
“They will be missed greatly,” Gorman said.
They were also the only two Union County wrestlers to place in last weekend’s New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, which is the final competition of the season.
Both finished eighth in their weight class; the top eight finishers received medals, with Daly going 4-3 in seven matches as the eighth seed at 120 pounds and Scholz going 3-3 in six matches as the sixth seed at 157.
Daly won his preliminary round bout and then lost a 7-5 decision to ninth-seeded Rumson–Fair Haven High School senior Eamon Fry 7-5 in the pre-quarterfinals.
Daly, who finished his senior season with an impressive record of 40-6, bounced back to win three straight wrestleback matches before falling by major decision to 10th-seeded Robert Rodriguez of St. Peter’s Prep, 15-6, in the wrestleback quarterfinals. A week earlier, Daly edged Rodriguez, 2-1, in overtime in the Region 4 final at Union High School.
In the bout for seventh place, it was 29th-seeded Cole Rebels of Mount Olive defeating Daly by fall in 4:52, with Rebels finishing seventh and Daly eighth.
Scholz, who finished his senior season with a fine 34-5 mark, was one of three Union County wrestlers to reach the quarterfinals. The other two were Arthur L. Johnson High School junior standout Matty Ortega at 113 and much-improved Plainfield High School senior Raymir Brighton at heavyweight.
After winning preliminary round and pre-quarterfinal round matches, Scholz was edged by third-seeded junior Joey Monticello of Hanover Park High School, 2-1, in a tiebreaker in the quarterfinals. Monticello went on to reach the final.
Scholz then won one wrestleback match and then lost one to put him in the seventh-place bout. There, Scholz was defeated by 11th-seeded senior James Jakub of Christian Brothers Academy, 4-2.
Daly and Scholz enjoyed a great deal of success at Union High School’s Louis J. Rettino Gymnasium. This year, they became just the 10th and 11th grapplers to capture four Union County Tournament titles at Union and then they both won Region 4 at Union championships.
Daly and Scholz joined Tom DiGiovanni, Cranford Class of 2017, as the only Cougars to win four UCT crowns.
Daly won Region 4 championships at Union as a sophomore in 2024 and as a senior in 2026. Scholz won his lone Region 4 title at Union as a senior in 2026.
In between winning at Union’s gym in the UCT and Region 4 this year, Daly and Scholz also won their matches when Cranford wrestled at Union on Friday, Jan. 23. Daly won by fall and Scholz by forfeit in Cranford’s 41-29 triumph.
That enabled Cranford to win the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division championship for a fifth straight season. Cranford is 30-0 in division competition since the start of the 2021-2022 season, going 6-0 in each of the last five seasons.
“Both Mike and Luke are four-time county champs and they helped the team win two sectional titles, four county titles and four conference titles,” Gorman said.
Daly will continue wrestling collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh and Scholz at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Union had three wrestlers, all seniors, competing in Atlantic City for the first time in a long time. The Farmers finished second in the Watchung Division this season at 5-1 and posted an overall record of 22-5. Including records of 18-9 in 2023-2024 and 19-9 in 2024-2025, Union’s record the last three seasons is 59-23. Union won the UCC’s Mountain Division title at 7-0 for the 2024-2025 season and was then elevated back up to the Watchung Division.
Ariel Azeredo at 144 and heavyweight Obreight Ingram both went 1-2 in their three matches at Atlantic City and fellow senior Nicholas Bertolotti was 0-2 at 190.
All three lost in the preliminary round.
When Azeredo, the 14th seed, won his wrestleback match against 30th-seeded senior Joseph Stanzione, of South Plainfield, by fall in 3:22, it was his 40th victory. Azeredo repeated as the UCT champ at 138 and then won his first Region 4 crown at Union, this time at 144.
Ingram’s lone wrestleback victory was also by fall in 3:32, coming against 24th-seeded senior Zane Spencer, of Lawrence High School. Ingram, the 29th seed at heavyweight in the NJSIAA Tournament, was Union’s lone District 13 champion at Millburn High School. Ingram placed third at Region 4 at Union and Bertolotti second at 190.
Union County schools produced 18 wrestlers who qualified for the NJSIAA Tournament. The drought continues as far as who the last state champion from Union County is, with the answer still being Westfield High School senior Christian Barber at 152 in 2011.
Union County has not produced a state champion now for 15 consecutive NJSIAA Tournaments, 2012 to 2026.
Union’s last state champion was senior Mike Ferroni at heavyweight in 1988.
Cranford’s last state champion was senior Pat Hogan at 171 in 2006.
Union County state champions since 2000
2001: Dan Garay, Rahway, senior, (215)
2004: Darrion Caldwell, Rahway, sophomore, (119)
2005: Ryan Wilson, Rahway, senior, (112)
2005: Darrion Caldwell, Rahway, junior, (130)
2006: Darrion Caldwell, Rahway, senior, (152)
2006: Pat Hogan, Cranford, senior, (171)
2008: Jesse Boyden, David Brearley, senior, (215)
2011: Christian Barber, Westfield, senior, (152)
The last time Union County had three state champions was 1963, when Craig Tomalo of Union won at 157, William Petties of Plainfield High School was victorious at 168 and Dave Morash of Westfield High School finished first at 178.
The first year of the NJSIAA Tournament was 1934.
Union County’s first two state champions came in the second year of the tournament in 1935, when Leon Moorman of Union won at 95 and Norman Hansen of Union won at 175.
Cranford’s first state champion was George Craft, winning at 178 in 1959.
Photos by JR Parachini
