Jarod Ostir thinks the way Jarrett Hosbach wants his Warren Hills wrestlers to think about wins and losses.
After Ostir, the Blue Streaks’ punishingly physical junior 170-pounder, picked up his 20th win of the season Friday night, with a pin of Nick Brigante in 1 minute and 29 seconds in a 43-18 thumping of host Newton a reporter asked him what his favorite win of the season was.
“I don’t have one,” he said cheerily.
That would be music to Hosbach’s ears.
“We don’t schedule so we can get 14 guys with 30 wins,” Hosbach said. “We want to get losses for these guys.”
Losses – now there’s a subject Ostir can talk about.
“My most memorable loss was to Bound Brook’s Mekhi Lewis (on Jan. 9),” said Ostir, who was tech-falled by the No. 1 ranked in the state Virginia Tech-bound Crusader senior. “I learned that I always have to keep going no matter what happens in match. He’s really good and I know how difficult that could be but I have to keep going forward. After tough losses, I have to keep coming back strong.”
Warren Hills, now 13-7 on the season, schedules a more difficult independent schedule than some of its area rivals; Mendham, Sparta, High Point, Lenape Valley, Cranford, Paramus and Middletown North appear on this year’s Blue Streak slate in addition to its killer Skyland Conference Raritan Division schedule.
No wonder Hosbach can call Ostir “battle-tested.”
The big battle for the Blue Streaks starts next week in the North 2 Group 3 sectionals. Warren Hills came within a whisker of winning North 1 Group 3 last year and advancing to Toms River for the group championship. They’d like to complete the deal this season, but with Cranford, ranked No. 4 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association poll and a 48-21 conqueror of the Blue Streaks on Jan. 28, as the top seed, the No. 2 seed Blue Streaks may face a tough road.
“We’ve learned what we have to do to be successful against Cranford when we see them again,” Ostir said. We have to eliminate bonus points and get a lot more.”
Hosbach said the Blue Streaks are healthy going into sectionals, which has been rare of late, and have been working hard to eliminate some weak spots, such as getting off the bottom against leg riders. At Newton Friday Hosbach kept calling out “No legs!” when his wrestlers were on the bottom and by and large Warren Hills avoided being ridden for lengthy stretches.
Ostir was never close to being on the bottom Friday, and the other Ostir in blue – his brother Chris, a sophomore, escaped quickly when down in a 3-2 win at 126 pounds.
“Chris has wrested really well,” Jarod Ostir said. “When he gets a little more mat experience he’ll be good. I try and help him whenever I can. I know he’ll be there for and I always there for him.”
One suspects Jarod Ostir remembers his brother’s wins better than his own – and that’s an OK attitude for a Warren Hills wrestler to have.
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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