MENDHAM – Mendham High School’s Rafe Fonte qualified for the state tournament in Atlantic
City last winter – and Minutemen coach Steve Baig hopes Fonte can build on last year’s success.
Fonte placed fourth at Region 3 in a very difficult weight and then and was pinned in the first
round at Boardwalk Hall by Mount Olive’s Tyeler Hagensen. Fonte then went to the
wrestlebacks and was pinned by Gov. Livingston’s Brandon Rayack in 5:58.
Fonte picked it up and wrestled at his best at the big tournaments at the end of the season.
He won his 113-pound weight class at District 12 when he beat Warren Hills’ Charlie Piccione, 7-
4 and was then seeded second at the regions. Fonte pinned Columbia’s Jared Van Allen in the
quarterfinals in 1:41 but was then sent to the wrestlebacks by Piccione in the semifinals in 1:09.
Fonte qualified for the states in the wrestleback semifinals with a clutch 5-3 victory over
Phillipsburg’s Dawson McWilliams.
Fonte put in a lot of time on the mats in the offseason and appears ready to return to Atlantic
City and win some matches.
“Rafe Fonte was a state qualifier as a sophomore and has over 50 career wins already,” Baig
said. “He upped his game this offseason by competing in Fargo and the Super 32’s.”
Fonte looks to be the team leader of a Mendham squad that finished 9-15 last year.
Aidan Reilly is another Mendham wrestler to watch. He was 23-11 last year but finished fourth
in the districts, ending his season.
Reilly beat Secaucus’ Santino Leon, 6-4, but lost in the semifinals to North Bergen’s David
Vazquez by a fall in 4:17. Reilly was then decked in the district consolation match for third by
Warren Hills’ Augie Szamreta by fall in 3:31. Top three in the districts advance to the regions at
West Orange High School.
Reilly and the Minutemen hope he can break through this year the same way Fonte did last
year.
In addition, Mendham should get quite a boost from twin brothers
Pravith (126) and Nelith Siriwardhana (132), the team’s two most improved wrestlers.
Pravith lost his first district match to Caldwell’s Solomon Soriente, 11-4, ending his season.
Nelith, meanwhile, was pinned by Randolph’s John Shadwell in 39 seconds in the first round of
the districts.
But the twins put in a lot of time on the mats in the offseason and look to come into 2023-24
much improved.
“They wrestled club all off season and attended several tournaments in state and out,” said
Baig, who is assisted by Vince O’Brien, Dan Percelay, Aaron Flitcroft, and Bill O’Brien.
Mendham will compete in the NJAC-National along with Morris Knolls, Morristown, Randolph,
and Sparta.
The Minutemen will open up their season at the Mountain Lakes Christmas Tournament on
Saturday, Dec. 16. The rest of the field includes Boonton, Butler, Columbia, Hanover Park,
Kinnelon, Livingston, Madison, Newton, Parsippany, Parsippany Hills, Pequannock, Ridgewood,
Wayne Valley, Whippany Park and host Mountain Lakes.
“We are a young squad with 15 freshmen and only two seniors,” Baig said. “We are hopeful that
we will be competitive within our division and qualify for the state sectional tournament this
season.”
The team will compete in District 12 along with Barringer, Hanover Park
Irvington, Lyndhurst-North Arlington, Madison, Newark Collegiate Orange, St. Mary’s-
Rutherford and West Essex.
Projected Starting Lineup
106- Knox Cossman, Aidan Reilly
113- Jacobo Tautiva
120- Rafe Fonte, Eduardo Bollera
126- Pravith Siriwardhana
132- Angel Carrera, Nelith Siriwardhana, Dominic Mathews
138- Jacob Fehnel, Hudson Loures
144- PJ Rooney, Austin Jedziniak, Matt King
150- Owen Lieberwirth, Brad Jedziniak
157- Oliver Griffiths
165- Isaac Mejia
175- Paul LeBow
190- Estaban Jimenez, Ralph Langone, Joe Pacheco, Brayden Yocum
215- Chris Montana, Andy Villani
285- Open