RKA squad is one step closer to a perfect season

By Stephen Caruso

The David A. Stein Riverdale/ Kingsbridge Academy, MS/HS 141, wrestling squad took its next big step on its quest to finish the regular season undefeated when it toppled both Truman and Edison last week to improve to 6-0 overall.

The Tigers' 48-36 victory over Truman on Jan. 8 served as the biggest hurdle for RKA to climb so far this season. Truman is arguably the toughest competitor RKA will face this year and their match was one that head coach Dave Bloom circled on the schedule from day one.

The Tigers followed up that victory with a 60-30 win over Edison on Jan. 9, the very next day. Edison was the only team that defeated the Tigers during their 7-1 developmental season a year ago, but weren't up to the task this year.

Bloom cited the team's continued success to the strong efforts of his "Fab Five," consisting of seniors Alex Neris, Alberto Aquino, Christian Rivera, Haram Singh and David Selsey.

During each of RKA's six matches, the quintet has yet to have worse than a combined mark of 4-1 in their five matches.

"It's pretty much when one of them has lost, the others have picked him up," said Bloom. "I tell them every day, how they go, we go. And they've been holding up their end of the bargain."

With the Truman match hanging in the balance - a match that saw the score flip-flop to the tune of seven lead changes early on - Singh, a member of Bloom's "Fab Five," came through with the biggest victory of the day.

Singh, who wrestles in the 189-pound weight class, pinned his Truman opponent Jeffrey Narh in the first period of their match in just 1:07.

Singh's pin earned RKA six points, giving them a 42-30 lead and clinching the victory as the next two matches were split six points apiece due to forfeits on each side.

Along with their senior core, the Tigers have seen marked improvement from several newcomers, including sophomore Garret Wellens and junior Ethan Olavarria.

"The young kids are starting to step up too and starting to get better," explained Bloom. "We're really rounding into shape as a team."

In their match-up with Edison, the Tigers avenged last season's loss by opening up an early 42-12 lead before coasting to victory. RKA won seven of the 15 matches by pin, and claimed another three matches by forfeit en route to the win.

"If my seniors continue to have days that they've been having, I feel pretty confident in what we can do the rest of the season," said Bloom.

With four regular season matches remaining, the Tigers were scheduled to square off with Stuyvesant (4-2) on the road on Tuesday, before traveling to take on Lincoln (2-3) today, Thursday, Jan. 17, at 4:30 p.m.