Passaic Tech wins county wrestling tournament;
Lakeland and Passaic Valley finish close behind

Passaic County Wrestling tournament finals It was a wild three-way race for the team title at the 2010 Passaic County wrestling championships. Passaic Valley surged into contention by winning three individual titles, but came up a few points short. Lakeland was right there with Passaic Tech, which got a surprise win to help keep them in the fight. In the end, it came down to the 171-pound final, and a win by PCT's Lucas Broughton clinching the team crown for the Bulldogs by a mere half-point.

Passaic Tech ended up with the most individual champions as well, with four. Nine of the other 10 weight classes were won by Jersey Sports Now-area wrestlers. Ryan Dunphy (140 pounds) led the trio of Passaic Valley winners, capturing his third county title, while Frank Crocco (145) and Jack Mulroony (152) both claimed their first title. The Hornets ended up third in the team standings, just four points behind the winners.

Lakeland's team second-place finish was highlighted by two individual champions. Scott Nichols took the top spot at 125 pounds and Zach Conklin was the champ at 189. DePaul had a pair of winners too. 215-pounder A.J. Mott became one of the few to win four county titles, while Dante Porrazzo earned the championship at 112 pounds.

Wayne Valley's Jeff Nicholls, at 119 pounds, and John Secor of Pompton Lakes at 160 were the other local wrestlers to claim individual glory. The Cardinals finished fourth in the team standings and the Indians fifth. -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now