Wrestling Region 1 semifinals matchups

We're underway at Wallkill Valley!

Saturday schedule: (Doors open at 7 a.m.): Semifinals, 9 a.m., immediately followed by two rounds of wrestlebacks; third-place consolations approximately 30 minutes after wrestlebacks; championships following consolations.

Returning champions (2012 weights): Jan Rosenberg, Morris Knolls (106); Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury (152); Ryan Harrington, Mendham (170).

Semifinalists by school

Phillipsburg 7; Wayne Valley 5; Kittatinny 4; Morris Knolls 4; Pequannock 4; Roxbury 4; Belvidere 3; High Point 3; Mendham 3; Warren Hills 3; Lenape Valley 2; Vernon 2; West Morris 2; DePaul 1; Hackettstown 1; Hopatcong 1; Jefferson 1; Lakeland 1; Montville 1; Mount Olive 1; Newton 1; Pompton Lakes 1; Pope John 1; Dover 0; Butler 0; Kinnelon 0; Morris Catholic 0; Morris Hills 0; North Warren 0; Randolph 0; Sparta 0; Wallkill Valley 0; Wayne Hills 0; West Milford 0.


106 pounds

1-Sr. Jan Rosenberg (32-1), Morris Knolls, d. 4-So. Bryan Damon (32-4), Jefferson, 5-0.

6-Fr. Max Nauta (28-4), Warren Hills, d. 2-So. Tyler Hyrcak (30-3), Wayne Valley, 3-2 OT3 TB.

Notes -- Nauta trails 2-1 in the second, gave up a first-period takedown and escaped in the second. Rosenberg dominating with a 5-0 lead in the second period. Hyrcak banged for stalling again, it's tied 2-2 after two periods.

Hyrcak down to start the third period. Rosenberg still up 5-0 in the third. Rosenberg heads to the finals for the second straight year. Going to overtime on the other mat. Nauta rode out in the third.

Nauta counters a shot and nearly gets two at the end of the first OT. Great scramble. Nauta down to start the first 30 seconds and gets out for a 3-2 lead. Going to the second 30 seconds and Hyrcak is down. Nauta rides him out to become the first Warren Hills freshman in the finals since Dave Richmond in 2003.

113 pounds

8-So. Devon LaFranco (23-11), Roxbury, d. 5-Jr. Vince Pallone (28-12), Mendham, 2-1.

3-Fr. David McFadden (33-2), DePaul, d. 2-Jr. Cory Fleming (27-11), West Morris, 7-2.

Notes -- LaFranco up 2-0 after one period. McFadden with an impressive win in the other semifinal. Pallone gets out in the third to make it 2-1. LaFranco hangs on for a 2-1 win. Good move bumping up from 106 for the postseason.

120 pounds

1-Sr. Joe Cruz (30-3), Hopatcong, d. 5-Jr. Andrew Kaluzny (16-13), Phillipsburg, 5-2.

3-Fr. Glenn Haines (33-5), Lenape Valley, d. 2-Fr. Mike Derin (29-4), High Point, 9-4.

Notes -- Cruz in control in the third after another takedown to make it 5-1. Kaluzny escapes, but Cruz advances to his first region final after finishing fourth two years ago. He also extended coach Eric Fajerman's streak of having one wrestler reach Atlantic City in each of his 12 seasons at the helm of the Sussex County school.

Derin gets the opening takedown in a battle of tough freshmen. Two backs makes it 4-0, but Haines reverses in the second to make it 4-2 with 32 seconds left. Haines has roared back with a five-pointer to take a 9-4 lead with 1:01 left in the third. Haines wins it, impressively.

126 pounds

5-Jr. Joe Kratochvil (21-10), Warren Hills, d. 8-So. Jake Legotte (20-17), Roxbury, 3-2.

3-Jr. Sam Tareky (32-2), Wayne Valley, md. 2-Jr. Matt Benvenuto (33-5), Lenape Valley, 11-2.

Notes -- Kratochvil, a great Cinderella story, down 2-0 after two. Kratochvil, the D1 champ, was 5-20 as a freshman. Warning for stalling on Legotte with Kratchovil on bottom in the third and Kratochvil reverses to go up 3-2 late. Kratochvil nearly gives up an escape in the final seconds, but hangs on!

Benvenuto leads 2-0 after one period, Tareky down to start the second period. Tareky ties it with a reversal and works a bar for four backs after Benvenuto calls injury time. Benvenuto goes feet to start the third. Sorry, missed some action here but Tareky moves on with an impressive win. He's looking to become the Passaic County schools's third region champ and first since Bill Cerretta in 1997.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Dylan Thorsen (36-1), Belvidere, d. 5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (27-10), Phillipsburg, 6-3.

2-Sr. R.J. DeGeorge (33-2), Pequannock, d. 6-Fr. Jason Gaccione (26-5), High Point, 5-3.

Thorsen up 4-2 in the second on Schuitema, two takedowns to none. Going to the third period, Thorsen takes neutral. Thorsen with his third takedown for a 6-2 lead. No contest on their feet. Thorsen advances to his second region final and tries to match his father, Chris, who was a region champ for Warren Hills in 1981 at 141 pounds.

Gaccione up 2-1 early in the second period. DeGeorge up 5-2 after two periods. Gaccione takes bottom to start the third. Gaccione escapes, 5-3. They finish on their feet and DeGeorge goes back to the finals looking for his first title and Pequannock's first since Dayton Frost in 2004.

138 pounds

4-Jr. Tyler Kozimor (26-10), Hackettstown, d. 1-Jr. Nick Matthews (29-5), West Morris, 3-1 OT.

Jr. Anthony Johnson (15-10), Phillipsburg, d. 3-So. Nick Romyns (26-9), Kittatinny, 4-2 OT3 TB.

Notes -- Kozimor up 1-0 in the second against Matthews. These two have split this year, Kozimor pinning Matthews in a dual and Matthews getting a decision win in the D1 finals last weekend. Matthews gets out in the third to tie it at 1. We're in OT and Kozimor gets the takedown for the win. He goes back to the finals after a second-place finish in 2010.

No score after one between Romyns and Johnson. Romyns pulled one out of the fire in their dual meeting with a four-pointer late in the third for an 8-5 win. We're in OT again at this weight class. Romyns gets out in the first 30 seconds to go up 2-1. Johnson out quickly in the second 30 seconds to tie it at 2. Johnson gets the takedown at the edge to win it! Unseeded Cinderella still dancing.

145 pounds

1-Sr. Tim Garripoli (34-0), Roxbury, d. 5-Sr. Joe Emering (25-8), Pope John, 9-2.

2-Sr. Tyler VanDyke (34-3), Pequannock, p. 6-Fr. Luke Bohn (30-6), Jefferson, 1:53.

Notes -- Garripoli up 9-1 in the third, hit a headlock for five to break it open. Garripoli reaches his first region final after a fourth-place finish in 2010 and a third-place finish in 2011.

Van Dyke sticks Bohn for his first trip to the finals. Rematch of the Morris County final here -- won by Garripoli, 4-0.

152 pounds

1-So. Dillon Artigliere (34-0), Roxbury, d. 5-Sr. V.J. Delmonico (26-12), Phillipsburg, 3-1.

2-Sr. Clarke Moynihan (32-3), Kittatinny, d. 3-Jr. Parker Meytrott (30-5), Montville, 2-0.

Notes: Barnburner between the Nos. 2 and 3 -- scoreless in the third. Moynihan gets the reversal to go up 2-0, 20 seconds left. He hangs on for his third trip to the finals after a pair of second-place finishes.

160 pounds

1-Sr. Kevin Lemengello (34-4), Pequannock, d. 4-So. Kieran Gerrity (27-8), Kittatinny, 5-1.

2-Sr. Kevin Button (34-3), Mendham, d. 3-Sr. Nathan Dow (32-5), Belvidere, 5-1.

Notes -- Lemengello gets a takedown and two backs for a 4-0 lead after one. Close to the edge on the backs and Kittatinny coach John Gill was not happy, to say the least, with referee Anthony Zullo. Gerrity out in the second period, 4-1. Lemengello down to start the third period and is out in a blink, 5-1. Lemengello just doesn't give up points, tough defense. First final and placement for him.

Dow surrenders the opening takedown and escapes to make it 2-1 in the second period. Second win in a week for Button over Dow and he goes to the finals for the first time.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Ryan Harrington (38-0), Mendham, tf. Jr. Jake Brook (23-13), Kittatinny, 17-2, 4:58.

2-Sr. Steve Secor (30-3), Lakeland, d. 3-Sr. Dan Ryan (24-8), Mount Olive, 9-2.

Notes -- The state champ in total control, 9-1, in the second period. No score in the first between Ryan and Secor. Tied at 2 between Ryan and Secor in the third, Secor down in the third. Reversal and backs for Secor and another set of backs for a 9-2 lead. That's how it ends.

182 pounds

1-Sr. Nick Dellaferra (30-4), Wayne Valley, d. 5-Jr. Michael Rettino (30-5), Morris Knolls, 8-2.

2-Jr. Evan Bray (33-3), Belvidere, d. 6-So. Kyle Stoll (27-6), High Point, 11-7.

Notes -- Dellaferra up 6-2 after two periods and nearly decks Rettino before the buzzer, 8-2 heading to the third. Wild one between Bray and Stoll, 6-5 Bray in the second. Third period, Bray down to start the final 2 minutes. Stoll turns Bray with a cradle, then gives up a reversal, 8-7 in favor of the 2 seed. Stoll cuts Bray loose, 9-7, winding down. Bray gets the takedown to ice it. Great match.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Jake Connelly (39-0), Newton, d. 4-Sr. Kyle Smith (30-4), Morris Knolls, 3-2.

7-So. Anthony Landberg (23-12), Wayne Valley, md. 3-Sr. Derek Pierson (12-9), Phillipsburg, 13-2.

Notes -- Connelly down 1-0 in the third and on bottom. He beat Smith, 3-1, in a dual. Connelly gets out with 1:26 left to tie it. Connelly uses his quickness, a great advantage at this weight, and spins behind for the takedown with 3 seconds left to win it. Connelly was fourth at 145 last year.

Landberg puts Pierson on his back for four points in the first and leads 4-0 in the second period. Pierson on bottom. Landberg up 6-1 going to to the third and takes feet. Landberg nearly has the pin in the final seconds and moves on.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Hull (33-3), Phillipsburg, p. 5-Sr. Dan Smith (26-5), Warren Hills, 1:57.

 2-Sr. Alex Trani (30-3), Wayne Valley, d. 6-Sr. Dave Tlatelpa (25-4), Vernon, 5-2.

Notes -- Third meeting between Hull and Smith -- Hull won both, 1-0, and 5-0. Hull takes Smith to his back and presses him for the fall! Trani up 5-1 after two, lets Tlatelpa up to start the third.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Mike Spencer (38-0), Pequannock, d. 5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (30-5), Pompton Lakes, 7-3.

2-Sr. Jermaine Eluemunor (30-2), Morris Knolls, d. 3-Sr. Anthony Pare (30-6), Phillipsburg, 3-2 UTB.

Notes -- No score after one between Pare and Eluemunor, who takes down and escapes to start the second. Injury time for Pare, who takes an inadvertent shot to the nose. Pare trails 1-0 and is on bottom to start the third. Pare out 19 seconds in to tie it. Going to OT.

Going to rideouts. Pare takes down to start the first. Pare out in 7 seconds, 2-1. Eluemunor down in the second 30 seconds. He's out in 3 seconds, 2-2. Eluemunor's choice in UTB, he's out 3 seconds in.

That means that District 4 has the most finalists with 10, D1 has 9; D2 has 7; and D3 has 2 in the finals. Has to be a first for D4, at least in my lifetime.