Weight plays a large role in the lives of many people, but in wrestling, weight sometimes has a more magnified and significant role.  

The Bridgemen encountered this realization Wednesday night as two players weighed in above their desired classes, forcing head coach Alex Almeyda to shuffle his team around.

Entering the match, Fort Lee was very optimistic traveling to Northen Valley Regional High School at Demarest. All signs pointed to another close match for Fort Lee. The Bridgemen lost to Westwood by just two points last week, while the Norsemen were able to defeat the same Cardinals team by four.  

But with a few players being just tenths of a pound overweight, Almeyda had to scrap his starting lineup in favor of a new one.  

“It is a lot tougher because coach has to move everyone around on the sideline and bump some people up into weight classes that they are not used to,” said junior wrestler Demir Radoncic. “It definitely screws up the whole lineup.”

Following the changes, Fort Lee struggled to find their rhythm as Demarest recorded six consecutive pins to start the match.

Just minutes into the contest, the Norsemen already held a 36-0 advantage.

“I really didn’t think we would get a lot of pins early,” said Demarest head coach Jeff Pandich. “It’s always nice to start up 36.”

But on the other side of the mat, coach Almeyda was very upset with the results.

“The kids did not come out to wrestle tonight,” he said. “I don’t know if it was not making weight or juggling the lineup but they got to be ready.”

The Bridgemen then received a spark from senior Anatoliy Alkazov, who bumped up to 160 lbs. against former Fort Lee wrestler Ronu Thomas.

“It was strange and emotional,” Alkazov said about facing a former teammate. “I felt added pressure because he is my rival and the team needed some points to put on the board.”

Alkazov pinned Thomas 2:13 into the match, earning the first points for Fort Lee.

“When Anatoliy came out, we definitely felt the spark,” Radoncic said. “It definitely boosted the team morale. People put up a bigger fight after that.”

Radoncic also recorded a pin as he moved up to the heavyweight class at 285 lbs. wrestling against sophomore Calvin Cho, who was nearly 30 pounds heavier than him.

“You can tell he can wrestle with anybody now,” Almeyda said of Demir. “That’s what we were looking for at the beginning of the season and now it’s showing.”

Demarest would also add another one of their nine total pins late in the match, but the match would end on a pin from the other side of the mat.

Senior Jose Granados pinned junior John Manfredonia to conclude the night as many of the Fort Lee players took note.

“He surprised at the end with a headlock,” Alkazov said. “No one expected that. It didn’t look like his match but he always puts up a good fight.”

Following the match,  Almeyda was still upset with the 60-24 loss but already looking to a new rule and a new opponent next week.

“Our kids know that now we [have] a new rule,” the head coach said. “[We] have to be a pound and a half under our scale before we leave. “

The next match for Fort Lee is next Wednesday 7 p.m., when the Bridgemen travel to Leonia.