It was one of the best wrestling rivalries in New Jersey for an all too brief period. And, if we are lucky, it could be once again.
Well, get ready folks. High Point and Long Branch are set to renew acquaintances when the two programs meet in a rugged quad on Jan. 5 that also includes highly-regarded Don Bosco Prep and host Jackson Memorial. And it may be the first of two meetings between High Point and Long Branch as the teams could very well match up later this season at the Group 2 championships in Toms River.
"I think it's good [for wrestling]," said veteran High Point coach John Gardner. "I'm looking forward to our dual during the season, and hopefully we'll be able to be [in Toms River] at the end. There are certainly a lot of quality teams in Group 2."
It wasn't that long ago that High Point and Long Branch were battling for the state's No. 1 ranking from 2008-10. They met twice previously in absolute classic dual meets -- one at the RAC in 2009 and the other in Wantage the following season.
I covered both nail-biters, as Long Branch prevailed on most bouts won in the first meeting, a 27-27 tie on the scoreboard. In Part 2, Joe Gaccione's 6-1 win in overtime against Doug Cornell sparked the Wildcats to a 24-23 win in front of a sellout crowd at High Point. That second one was a humdinger, as only two bouts resulted in bonus points. All others were by decided by seven points or fewer.
"The were good -- both battles," Gardner said. "No matter if you rooted for High Point or Long Branch -- people came to see good matches and they certainly did."
Both of those matches featured star-studded lineups on both sides. High Point with Nick Francavilla, Drew Wagenhoffer, Ethan Orr and Billy Smith -- who all finished their careers with at least one state title -- while Long Branch featured two-time state champ Nick Visicaro and one-timer Scott Festejo.
And of course, adding more fuel to the fire, was Sectional Gate in 2009. A Phillipsburg win over Long Branch at the Easton Invitational, coupled with High Point's first and only win over Phillipsburg at The Pit and a late-season win over Eastern, had the Wildcats seeking the No. 1 ranking.
However, the opportunity for redemption never came about as High Point was banned from the sectionals when it was "discovered" that the Wildcats had not wrestled 70 percent of their dual matches against New Jersey competition. The "mole" that tipped off the NJSIAA -- later confirmed by numerous sources -- came from the Long Branch camp. Needless to say, this set off another feud between both sets of fans and the animosity between the two groups still reigns today.
Long Branch won the Group 2 title and finished as the state's No. 1 team. High Point, which would have been a heavy favorite to win its second Group 3 crown, was the top team in New Jersey the previous year.
This season, both are expected to contend for the Group 2 title. High Point won two Group 3 titles, before dropping to Group 2 last season where it lost to champion Raritan in the semifinals. Coach Dan George's Green Wave won three straight Group 2 titles from 2008-10.
George is class act and I've had the pleasure of interviewing him on several occasions. He was extremely gracious to our Channel 10 crew when we broadcast that second match live at High Point.
It will be a lot of fun to see these programs go at it once again. And it will be great for wrestling.
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