Wrestling preview: Kittatinny at High Point

What: Kittatinny Cougars at High Point Wildcats.

Where: High Point Regional High School, Wantage.

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

TV: Service Electric Cable (Sparta) Channel 10 (live).

Conference: Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (non-division).

Records: Kittatinny 11-1; High Point 12-3.

Coaches: John Gill (460-142-5, 32nd season); John Gardner (244-66-2, 14th season).

Series history: High Point leads 24-11-1 dating to 1976, including a 52-16 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 27, 2011, to stretch its win streak to six in this rivalry. 'Cats, who also won six in a row from 1988-93, have won the last three meetings by an average margin of 27 points. Kittatinny's last win was, 39-18, on Jan. 22, 2005, to cap a seven-match win streak in this bitter rivalry. High Point has won 60 straight conference matches dating to that loss, its last against a Sussex County opponent, and 50 in a row against county foes.

Note: Kittatinny wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- So. Christian Silva (12-9) vs. Sr. John Torppey (13-7) or Fr. Dom Gallo (11-7).

113 -- Sr. James Elphick (4-0) or So. Nick West (6-8) vs. Jr. Collin Grimm (7-8) or Torppey.

120 -- Jr. Dave Popek (15-6) vs. Fr. Mike Derin (19-2).

126 -- So. Kevin Jelinek (1-2) vs. Jr. Connor McHugh (9-3) or So. Chris Auer (11-7).

132 -- Fr. Tom Murphy (14-8) vs. Fr. Jason Gaccione (16-4) or Sr. Jason Snider (0-0) or McHugh or Auer.

138 -- So. Nick Romyns (18-3) vs. Gaccione or Snider or Auer.

145 -- Fr. Brandon Olsen (8-13) or Sr. Clarke Moynihan (19-2) vs. Sr. Alec Alvino (16-9).

152 -- Moynihan or Olsen vs. So. Tommy Hooker (9-13).

160 -- So. Kieran Gerrity (19-2) vs. So. Antonio Porraspita (10-11).

170 -- Jr. Jake Brook (14-7) vs. Sr. Kevin Pettinger (11-8).

182 -- So. Garrett Armstrong (14-5) or So. Dylan Wunder (17-4) vs. So. Kyle Stoll (17-4).

195 -- Armstrong or Wunder vs. So. Drew Bye (9-10).

220 -- Sr. Jake Drelich (13-8) vs. So. Gunther Wassong (10-7) or So. Bobby McDonnell (10-6).

285 -- So. Tom Smith (7-9) vs. Sr. Chris Epperly (5-11) or McDonnell.

Breakdown: High Point, which clinched its third straight American Division title on Monday and its seventh straight conference title, is putting its nearly seven-year county and conference unbeaten streak on the line against its arch-nemesis. Kittatinny entered the year as the favorite, but this one should be very close. In my opinion, this one will be decided from 170 through 285. All of those bouts are tough to call. Lots of lineup questions for both also make it a tough read. Will Snider make his season debut and where will Gaccione go for the 'Cats? Will Moynihan possibly drop to 145 since the weight to make is 149? I have no reason to think Snider will wrestle, but you can't rule it out. His presence would certainly be huge for a potential High Point upset. Gaccione defeated Romyns, 3-2, at Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex. Without Snider, I think Gaccione goes 132 to try and take out Murphy, rather than run the risk of losing both 132 and 138. Same thing with Torppey at 106. Gallo beat Silva, 4-2, at HWS, but Elphick is very tough at 113 and I feel would be favored over Torppey. Dropping Moynihan to 145 would give the Cougars a chance to sweep 145 and 152, otherwise Alvino is favored over Olsen at 145. Kittatinny will be favored at 113, 132, 138, 145 or 152 (with Moynihan), 160, 182 (with Wunder) and 195 (Wunder beat Bye, 7-0, at HWS). High Point gets the nod at 106, 120, 126, 145 (Alvino-Olsen) and 285. I have 170 and 220 as tossups but leaning toward High Point in both. I have it a 7-7 split, but the Cougars have the potential for four bonus-point wins, and I think that will be the difference. I will say this is probably the toughest match to predict all season, and it would not shock me if High Point wins. 'Cats will need either 132 or 138 and both tossups to do it.

Prediction: Kittatinny, 28-24.