Through their first eight dual meets, the Westfield High wrestling team was 2-6. A slow start wasn't entirely a surprise for coach Glen Kurz, who figured that it take some for the young team to settle in.
He knew his team.
The Blue Devils, who will play host to the District 11 Tournament Friday and Saturday, beat Monroe and Ewing last Saturday, losing to Somerville in a triangular meet to finish the season at 9-8.
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"We got better as the season went on,'' said Kurz, in his 10th season. "At the beginning of the season we had kids who clearly weren't ready to wrestle varsity. But at the end they came on.''
Senior 145-pounder Brian Henry had the big win Saturday, rallying from a 5-0 first-period deficit to Monroe's Mike Billitz to win 8-6 with a big third period. Westfield won the match 37-34.
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"Brian Henry was taken down and put to his back in the first period, but he grinded out the second period and wore the guy down in the third and came back,'' Kurz said."It was a typical Brian Henry match.''
A likely turning point for the team came Jan. 29 after a 42-22 loss to Cranford. Kurz wasn't happy with the Blue Devils' effort. The next day was much better. The Blue Devils swept Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Elizabeth and Linden. That was the day the team earned the program its 500th victory and Kurz his 100 as head coach.
"The Monroe win was a good win, and I think Piscataway (a 43-25 win Feb. 2) was the best we wrestled as a team,'' Kurz said. "But I think it was the Elizabeth quad. We went 3-0. But we could have gone 1-2 or 0-3. We didn't have to beat Elizabeth and Linden. But we did.''
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