Cody Harrison and his Phillipsburg teammates rode a wave they started in Toms River all the way to the District 9 team championship Saturday.
“Winning the state team championship gives us a big boost coming into the individual postseason,” said the Stateliner sophomore 126-pounder after Phillipsburg had crowned five champions and gotten past Mendham for the D-9 team title. “Our confidence is high. We came off a big win and we just have to keep it going.”
Harrison certainly did his part to keep the garnet-and-gray wave rolling at the district tournament at Phillipsburg. His 8-1 decision over Mendham’s Alex Schlegel in Saturday’s final followed two pins in a combined 1:39 in his first two matches.
Harrison, who has not lost in a month, is not usually the world’s most expressive wrestler, But in the NJSIAA Group 4 final last Sunday, a photographer caught Harrison with his tongue extended a la Michael Jordan during his pin of Mendham’s Scott Zwillner.
“I didn’t even realize I’d done that,” Harrison said. “I guess I was just really happy.”
The way he is wrestling right now, Harrison has reasons to be happy. Now 20-4 on the season, he looks more dialed-in and intense than earlier in the year.
“I feel like I am wrestling pretty well right now,” Harrison said. “This is the perfect time to be peaking. Winning the district was a partial goal for me but my main goal is to place in Atlantic City (at states).”
That goal has become more realistic for Harrison as he boosts his performance in a key position.
“I have definitely gotten better on top,” he said. “I wasn’t able to score points on top in the beginning of the year but I feel I am improving a lot. I also feel now if I get taken down I know I can score points on the mat if I have to. And in the individual postseason, wrestling for yourself more you can try things you can’t if you are wrestling team for the team and you can’t get headlocked.”
With more weapons, Harrison, a state qualifier for Warren Hills as a freshman, is set to chase his goal but will have to get through a brutal Region 3 at West Orange which includes the top two wrestlers at 126 in the state in Hanover Park’s Nick Raimo and West Morris Central’s Shane Metzler (Raimo defeated Metzler 10-5 in overtime in the District 11 final Saturday).
“I just have to push the pace and keep scoring points,” Harrison said.
If Cody Harrison does that at Region that, that wave he’s riding may well carry him to Boardwalk Hall’s medal stand.
Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.
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