Nick Giannaci SPF Wrestling 2005

For Scotch Plains Fanwood senior Nick Giannaci less meant more in the football season
as a slimmed down physique gave him the increased speed to lead the Raiders in tackles and Giannaci is hoping to use the same formula for the upcoming wrestling season.

Being lighter in wrestling has an immediate benefit, as Giannaci will no longer be giving away ten or fifteen pounds per match as were the case last year when he wrestled at 215. Instead, he will wrestle in the 189-pound class when he and teammates Pat Mineo and Sal Gano will be competing in the prestigious “Beast of the East” tournament at the University of Delaware beginning tomorrow.

Giannaci was no slouch last year, placing third in the UCT, second in the district tournament and finished with a 23-10 record but his coach is expecting much bigger things from his “smaller” wrestler.

“He’s trimmed down. to 189 which is a great weight for him,” said Wrestling Coach John Scholz.

“Last year was a little tough giving up weights for a lot of matches,” added Giannaci.

“Also I feel I could have been in better shape and a bit quicker. In August this year coming into football camp I was lighter and I saw a noticeable difference in the way I moved and reacted. I hope that the differences that I saw in football will carry on into the wrestling season as far as speed goes.”

Although he weighs less, Giannaci has increased his strength considerably.

“Some people including myself thought that losing the weight would be detrimental to my strength but it has proven to be the opposite thanks to a great weight-training program at the school. “

The Raider wrestling team will need a big year from Giannaci, Mineo, Gano, a number of other returnees as the schedule has been upgraded this year with Delaware Valley, Seton Hall Prep, Hanover Park, Randolph, and Toms River North added.

Giannaci was one of the standouts in a disappointing 3-7 season for the football team, saving his best performances for some of the toughest opposition. Giannaci had an astounding 19 tackles in a two-point loss to Irvington and on a cold gloomy Thanksgiving loss to Elizabeth, he recorded 14 tackles from his linebacker position. Giannaci was also an outstanding blocker at fullback for leading rusher and wrestling teammate Rashawn Strong.

“His motor never stopped running. Nick does not know the meaning of the word quit. He was a great leader and role model for the rest of the team,” said Raider Coach Steve Ciccotelli, who also coached Nick’s older brother Mark, a 2004 graduate.

The younger Giannaci credits much of his toughness from his older brother and friends.


“Mark could not have executed his job as an older brother better. His job like most other older brothers’ jobs was to make me tough and teach me pretty much how to take a beating,” said Giannaci with a chuckle.

“Of course he took full advantage of this right along with two of his friends who deserve some credit, Andrew Silber and Chuck Bachi. When I got into high school with Mark I could tell that he started to see me in a different way, he started seeing me for the athlete that I am rather than just the annoying little brother that I always was.

“Mark and I always competed when we were younger and to this day, but the most important thing is that we never compare each other and accept that we play different positions or on a larger scale, we are two totally different people just with common interests.”

Marc, 2005 graduate Marc Fabiano, also a star football player and wrestler also get major kudos from Giannaci.

“Wrestling practices with Fabiano last year were the most intense workout I have ever been through in my life,” said Giannaci.

“There isn’t any meaning to the word stop in his head and his motor is always running. Watching Fabs wrestle in Atlantic City (state finals) last year was great because I got to see everything that he does in practice come to life and he did really well. I looked up to him a lot last year in both football and wrestling and he was a great teacher and mentor for me over the past few years. “

Giannaci finds it hard to choose which sport he likes more.

“I love certain things about each sport and the funny thing is that what I love about one is the opposite of what I love in the other. With football I love the teamwork aspect,” said Giannaci.

“In wrestling I love the fact that although it is a team sport, you are out there on your own and the spotlight is on you to do your job for the team. I guess I like the change from the football teamwork attitude to the wrestling individual attitude.”

Giannaci prefers to throw away the 2005 football team’s record and look at the intangibles.
“I am very proud of the heart of our team as a whole and we were in some games and just couldn’t pull it off, but that’s just how it goes.”