On the strength of 11 pins the Golden Knights made quick work of their Demarest rivals and in the process, clinched at least a share of the league championship with Northern Highlands.

Old Tappan flexed its muscles, while sending a message to the league that the Golden Knights are a force to be reckoned with, by dominating the Norsemen 76-3.

Hard fought efforts were found on both sides, but the visiting team gained momentum early.

"We were executing our shots well and saw opposing moves to counter and put them on their backs," said Old Tappan coach Rob Ortiz. "We’re a good pinning team."

The atmosphere was different on the home bench, as many of the varsity wrestlers were sitting in sweatshirts and shorts.

"Our team is getting over a lot of illnesses and injuries, not to mention we knew it was going to be tough regardless," said Demarest coach Jeff Pandich. "The kids wrestled their hearts out though, but we’re just looking to get healthy."

In the opening match Golden Knight 119-pounder Jake Lebovich set the tone early against Charlie Woods.

Lebovich shot for control and gained an early 2-0 lead. The visiting wrestler tried various times to turn Woods over, but the Norseman held his ground to avoid a pin. After a couple of restarts Lebovich was able to assert his strength to take a 5-0 lead by the end of the first period.

From a neutral start in the second period Lebovich attacked again, driving Woods to the mat for the 7-0 lead. He applied a cradle, but the Norseman fought out of it.

In the third period Woods was able to make a late surge, but Lebovich held on for an 11-2 major decision, which gave Old Tappan a 4-0 lead.

Then came the wave of Old Tappan pins. David Demarzo, Chris Mullen, Darius Charles, Paul Vizoukis, Marc Krapels, Sean Kirchhof, Michael Magaraci, Iyi Okanlola, Anthony Ortiz, Mike Shannon and Anthony Muccio were all able to end their match early.

"We were on tonight and everyone wrestled great," said Krapels. "We practice hard every day and Demarest is our rival so we always look to come out and beat them hard."

A bright spot for Demarest came in the 112-pound match, which ended the night. Nick Adamo was the last wrestler left standing in the way of a Golden Knight shutout. It was an arduous match that went back and fourth, but Adamo was able to earn a 4-2 decision.

"It’s a great feeling to beat our rivals and get the 76-3 win," said Vizoukis. "It’s a huge rivalry and we were the better team. We just wanted it more."

Although Old Tappan wasn’t able to run the table, it didn’t take away from the triumphant victory. This win is a testament to the team’s commitment to working hard, as the Golden Knights continue to improve.

"We started out strong in the beginning of the season and worked hard on our conditioning and technique," said Ortiz. "We gradually intensified the practices."

The Golden Knight head coach added that his team has performed so well in practice it’s difficult to try and find workouts that actually challenge their abilities at this point.

"We have a balanced lineup through all of our weight classes," said Ortiz. "This win is good for the team because we’ve been through some adversity of late and a match like this keeps them sharp."

A key to Old Tappan’s success is its team chemistry, as the wrestlers are always seen laughing and joking with each other. More importantly they support and cheer each other on.

"With this win it says that we wrestle as a team," said Magaraci. "We always come together to give it a team effort. Tonight we performed well, and wrestled tough."

In the 135-pound match Mullen provided a highlight by instantly springing for Peter Vargas’s leg and driving the Norseman to the mat for the 2-0 advantage. He made quick work of the Demarest wrestler rapidly turning him over for the 50-second pin.

"We went out and did our job," said Mullen. "We were all looking for the pin and most of us got that. Next up we’re looking to challenge Bergen Catholic."

It would appear that Old Tappan has the drive and confidence to scrap with any team on the mat, including 14-6 Bergen Catholic.

E-mail: cheung@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6709