Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Wrestling: Fleszar elected to Region 1 Hall of Fame

Former Kittatinny great Roman Fleszar will be inducted into the Region 1 Hall of Fame prior to the championship round in 2013.

Fleszar, who will become the 15th member of the Hall of Fame, was the only nominee to earn the required 75 percent -- he received 80 percent -- of the votes by coaches and selected media members. Fleszar was a three-time district and region champion from 1994-96 and a three-time state finalist during those years. He won the 103-pound state title in 1994 and the 119-pound crown in '96.

Fleszar, who compiled a four-year mark of 113-8, also had a successful collegiate career at Hofstra University, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American. He is the second Kittatinny wrestler to be elected, joining Steve Dalling, who was inducted with the inaugural class in 2006.

Former state champions, Andy Iliff of Newton, and Gary Cholish of West Morris, were recently inducted into the Hall of Fame as the Class of 2012.

Here are the other nominees and their voting totals. They all will remain on the ballot for 2014.

Mike Rossetti (68 percent) -- Former two-time state runner-up and two-time region champion in 1973-74 for Phillipsburg. He also won a Division III national title at Trenton State. The highly-successful coach won a combined seven Group state championships during stints at Jefferson and Phillipsburg.

Brent Conly (52 percent) -- Two-time state champion and fourth-place state finisher for Delaware Valley. He won three district and three region championships from 1991-93 and posted a career mark of 89-6-1.

Carmine and Sam Rossi (44 percent) -- Carmine was the first state champion for Morris County in 1958 and coached two state champions at Dover High School. Sam was a two-time region runner-up and the head coach at Roxbury, which was voted the No. 1 team in the state in 1974. Both were co-head coaches of the Jefferson Youth program.

Chris Skretkowicz (32 percent) -- Three-time district, two-time region champion and three-time state placewinner at Wallkill Valley, where he compiled a mark of 124-13. He was a two-time state finalist, winning the 171-pound title in 2000. Skretkowicz, now an assistant coach at Virginia Military Institute, was a two-time All-American at Hofstra University.

Brett Raimondo (20 percent) -- Two-time district and three-time region champion -- one of only 32 to win three titles in this region -- and the 1988 state champion at 112 pounds. He's the only Mendham wrestler to win three region championships and compiled a career mark of 105-14-1.

Ryan Brennan (8 percent) -- Three-time district and two-time region champion at Randolph. The four-time state qualifier finished fourth in 1998. He compiled a career mark of 120-19.

Todd Sheaffer (1 percent) -- Considered one of the greatest wrestlers in Sparta history, Sheaffer was a four-time district and three-time region champion for the Sussex County school.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Wrestling: South Plainfield named NJ's top team

The Coaches Poll designating the top 25 wrestling teams in New Jersey was released on Sunday. No surprise that South Plainfield was named the No. 1 team for a second time overall and second time in the last three years.

Phillipsburg, the Group 4 champion, finished second in the voting. Among the other Open Mike area teams to be recognized were North Hunterdon at No. 17, High Point at No. 19 and Delaware Valley at No. 21.

Here is the complete list:

1. South Plainfield (31-2)
2. Phillipsburg (16-3)
3. Brick Memorial (18-4)
4. Bergen Catholic (16-5)
5. St. Peter's Prep (15-3)
6. Jackson Memorial (19-1)
7. Timber Creek (21-3)
8. Southern (11-3)
9. Delbarton (16-5)
10. Bound Brook (20-4)
11. Howell (22-4)
12. Camden Catholic (23-4)
13. Ocean Township (22-2)
14. Raritan (24-6)
15. Delsea (22-2)
16. Watchung Hills (20-4)
17. North Hunterdon (17-5)
18. Toms River South (19-6)
19. High Point (16-6)
20. Hanover Park (13-6)
21. Delaware Valley (14-4)
22. Morris Knolls (17-2)
23. Christian Brothers Academy (19-6)
24. Nutley (19-4)
25. Paramus (18-4)

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Wrestling: Region 1 rundown, stats, tidbits

Well, another Region 1 Tournament is in the books, and  in my opinion, this one was among the best I've witnessed since my first in 1982. There were so many storylines it's hard to single out only one. Here's a few high on my list:

District 4 made its own region history by crowning a tournament-best five champions, the first time that district has ever produced the most winners. District 1 had four champs, District 2 had three and District 3 had two champs.

District 3 managed only two finalists, but two champs in Kittatinny's Clarke Moynihan and Newton's Jake Connelly. Moynihan stunning previously-unbeaten Dillon Artigliere, 5-1, at 152 pounds to earn Outstanding Wrestler honors. Connelly improving to 40-0 by beating Wayne Valley's Anthony Landberg, 3-2, to win his first title at 195.

Phillipsburg which had the gym jumping by picking up four third-place medals in the consolation finals to send a tournament-high six wrestlers to Atlantic City. It also cemented the Coach of the Year award for Dave Post, who guided the Stateliners to the Group 4 title a few weeks ago. Brandon Hull looks more and more to me like the 220-pound state champ as he earned a 5-3 win over Wayne Valley's Alex Trani to become the 112th region champ for the Warren County school. Hull converted a takedown with 53 seconds left and nearly pancaked Trani later in the period as they tumbled out-of-bounds.

It was a tough couple of days for the Sussex County contingent as only nine wrestlers made it out to Atlantic City. High Point, which did not have a finalist for the first time since 2003, did get two third-place finishers in freshman Mike Derin (120) and sophomore Kyle Stoll (182). The future is bright, though, as both High Point and Kittatinny had very young squads. Kittatinny bested all Sussex teams with four qualifiers, as James Elphick (113), Kieran Gerrity (160) and Jake Brook (170) all finished third. Hopatcong's Joe Cruz decked Lenape Valley freshman Glenn Haines in the 120-pound final.

Even with 17 of the top four seeds going down in Friday's quarterfinals, the new seeding system proved to be extremely accurate. In all, 11 No. 1s made the finals (eight champs) and eight No. 2s reached the championship round. There was a No. 5, a No. 6, a No. 7 and a No. 8, plus one unseeded wrestler, Phillipsburg's Anthony Johnson, in the finals.

Among the District 4 winners were three from Pequannock -- all winning their first titles as R.J. DeGeorge (132), Keith Lemengello (160) and Mike Spencer (285) grabbed golds. It was the first time for the Panthers to win three in a tournament and their first champs since Dayton Frost and Scott Van Peenen in 2004. J.W. Bykowski and O.J. DeChristofano won in 2002. Pequannock's other champs are Brian May ('03), Greg Gingeleskie ('95), Dave Brancato ('84), Don Budd ('71, '72), Blair Ludemann ('71) and Tom Burklow ('72). Wayne Valley got its third region champ as Sam Tareky beat Warren Hills' Joe Kratochvil, 6-0, at 126. Rich Morris (1984) and Bill Cerretta (1997) are the only other champs for the Passaic County school.

Morris County, which produced six champs, saw Randolph not have a semifinalist for only the third time since 1986 and the first since 2006. Freshman A.J. Vindici was the Rams' lone state qualifier, finishing third at 106. Morris Knolls senior Jan Rosenberg (106), Roxbury's Tim Garripoli (145) and Mendham's Ryan Harrington (170) were the county's other champs in addition to the Pequannock trio. Rosenberg and Harrington each won their second gold medals.

Warren Hills freshman Max Nauta was his school's first ninth-grader in the finals since Dave Richmond made the first of four finals appearances in 2003. Nauta (28-5) needs one more win to break the school wins mark for a freshman. Nauta had a great run, knocking off the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, before losing by technical fall to Rosenberg, the state favorite at 106.

Wrestling: Region 1 consolation finals

Winners make the trip to Atlantic City for the state tournament next weekend at Boardwalk Hall.

106 pounds

3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (35-4), Randolph, d. 2-So. Tyler Hyrcak (31-4), Wayne Valley, 6-5.


113 pounds

7-Sr. James Elphick (18-2), Kittatinny, d. 2-Jr. Cory Fleming (28-12), West Morris, 7-3.

120 pounds

2-Fr. Mike Derin (31-4), High Point, p. 5-Jr. Andrew Kaluzny (17-14), Phillipsburg, :52.

126 pounds

6-Fr. Max Elling (25-11), Phillipsburg, md. 2-Jr. Matt Benvenuto (34-6), Lenape Valley, 13-4.

132 pounds

5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (29-10), Phillipsburg, p. 4-So. Jonathan Patane (21-11), Roxbury, 1:54.

138 pounds

1-Jr. Nick Matthews (31-5), West Morris, d. 3-So. Nick Romyns (27-10), Kittatinny, 6-4 OT3 TB.

145 pounds

4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (30-8), Mount Olive, p. 7-Sr. Brett Secor (32-12), Pompton Lakes, 5:53.

152 pounds

5-Sr. V.J. Delmonico (28-12), Phillipsburg, d. 4-Jr. Patrick VanDuyne (27-7), West Milford, 5-4.

160 pounds

4-So. Kieran Gerrity (29-8), Kittatinny, d. 3-Sr Nathan Dow (33-6), Belvidere, 5-3.

170 pounds

 Jr. Jake Brook (25-13), Kittatinny, d. 3-Sr. Daniel Ryan (25-9), Mount Olive, 4-2 OT3 TB.

182 pounds

6-So. Kyle Stoll (29-6), High Point, d. 5-Jr. Michael Rettino (31-6), Morris Knolls, 4-2.

195 pounds

4-Sr. Kyle Smith (32-4), Morris Knolls, d. 3-Sr. Derek Pierson (13-10), Phillipsburg, 10-5.

220 pounds

4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (33-6), Belvidere, p. 7-Sr. Robert Levine (23-5), Wayne Hills, 3:43.

285 pounds

3-Sr. Anthony Pare (32-6), Phillipsburg, d. 5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (31-6), Pompton Lakes, 3-2.

Wrestling: Region 1 wrestleback semifinals

106 pounds

2-So. Tyler Hyrcak (31-3), Wayne Valley, p. 8-Fr. Dylan Luciano (28-10), West Morris, 3:06.

3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (34-4), Randolph, d. 4-So. Bryan Damon (32-5), Jefferson, 6-2.


113 pounds

2-Jr. Cory Fleming (28-11), West Morris, p. 4-Sr. Dylan Crupi (18-17), Randolph, 1:38.

 7-Sr. James Elphick (17-2), Kittatinny, d. 5-Jr. Vince Pallone (28-13), Mendham, 9-3.

120 pounds

2-Fr. Mike Derin (30-4), High Point, p. 4-Jr. Dave Popek (22-15), Kittatinny, 1:21.

5-Jr. Andrew Kaluzny (17-13), Phillipsburg, md. 6-So. Lou Carusillo (20-14), DePaul, 11-3.

126 pounds

2-Jr. Matt Benvenuto (34-5), Lenape Valley, p. 1-Sr. Steven Churchill (35-2), Newton, 3:17.

6-Fr. Max Elling (24-11), Phillipsburg, p. 8-So. Jake Legotte (20-18), Roxbury, 5:04.

132 pounds

4-So. Jonathan Patane (21-10), Roxbury, d. 6-Fr. Jason Gaccione (26-6), High Point, 4-3.

5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (28-10), Phillipsburg, tf. 7-Fr. Tom Murphy (21-17), Kittatinny, 18-2, 5:52.

138 pounds

3-So. Nick Romyns (27-9), Kittatinny, d. 5-Sr. Ryan Higgins (30-8), Jefferson, 2-1 OT3 TB.

1-Jr. Nick Matthews (30-5), West Morris, d. 6-Jr. Joe Hocking (23-11), Wallkill Valley, 4-3.

145 pounds

4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (29-8), Mount Olive, p. 6-Fr. Luke Bohn (30-7), Jefferson, 5:43.

7-Sr. Brett Secor (32-11), Pompton Lakes, p. 5-Sr. Joe Emering (25-9), Pope John, 10-5.

152 pounds

4-Jr. Patrick VanDuyne (27-6), West Milford, p. 3-Jr. Parker Meytrott (30-6), Montville, 3:24.

5-Sr. V.J. Delmonico (27-12), Phillipsburg, d. 6-Sr. Michael Staufenberger (27-9), North Warren, 2-1.

160 pounds

3-Sr Nathan Dow (33-5), Belvidere, md. 5-Sr. Joe Moyer (20-18), Phillipsburg, 12-1.

4-So. Kieran Gerrity (28-8), Kittatinny, md. 6-Sr. John Malazinsky (25-8), Morris Knolls, 10-1.

170 pounds

3-Sr. Daniel Ryan (25-8), Mount Olive, d. 5-Jr. Richard DiZenzo (24-8), West Milford, 11-5.

 Jr. Jake Brook (24-13), Kittatinny, d. 7-Sr. Andrew LaBell (31-10), Lenape Valley, 4-3.

182 pounds

6-So. Kyle Stoll (28-6), High Point, d. 4-Jr. Stephen Arthur III (21-10), Roxbury, 11-4.

5-Jr. Michael Rettino (31-5), Morris Knolls, p. 3-Jr. Luke Foukas (27-9), Pequannock, 3:14.

195 pounds

3-Sr. Derek Pierson (13-9), Phillipsburg, md. Sr. Joel Albarran (18-9), Morris Catholic, 9-1.

4-Sr. Kyle Smith (31-4), Morris Knolls, md. 2-Sr. Dan Hauck (24-7), North Warren, 12-4.

220 pounds

4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (32-6), Belvidere, d. 6-Sr. Dave Tlatelpa (25-5), Vernon, 2-1.

7-Sr. Robert Levine (23-4), Wayne Hills, md. 5-Sr. Dan Smith (26-6), Warren Hills, 12-4.

285 pounds

 3-Sr. Anthony Pare (31-6), Phillipsburg, p. 8-Jr. Ryan Appleby (31-9), Belvidere, 5:48.

5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (31-5), Pompton Lakes, p. 6-Sr. Jon Gemeinhardt (29-4), Vernon, 5:26.

Wrestling: Region 1 wrestlebacks

106 pounds

8-Fr. Dylan Luciano (28-9), West Morris, d. 5-Sr. John Torppey (20-13), High Point, 10-4.

3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (33-4), Randolph, d. 7-Fr. Steve Friedman (21-16), Phillipsburg, 5-1.


113 pounds

4-Sr. Dylan Crupi (18-16), Randolph, medical forfeit over 1-Jr. Zach Fisher (28-10), Phillipsburg.

 7-Sr. James Elphick (16-2), Kittatinny, p. 6-Sr. Michael Spadola (22-14), Wayne Valley, 3:45.

120 pounds

4-Jr. Dave Popek (22-14), Kittatinny, d. 8-So. Matt Vozzo (25-8), Randolph, 2-0 SV.

6-So. Lou Carusillo (20-13), DePaul, d. 7-Sr. Dillon Guarino (22-12), West Milford, 6-0.

126 pounds

1-Sr. Steven Churchill (35-1), Newton, p. Fr. David Zeppetelli (13-19), West Milford, 1:49.

6-Fr. Max Elling (23-11), Phillipsburg, p. Sr. Kevin Gocklin (24-7), Vernon, 3:19.

132 pounds

4-So. Jonathan Patane (20-10), Roxbury, d. 8-Sr. C.J. Sarao (13-10), Pope John, 6-2.

7-Fr. Tom Murphy (21-16), Kittatinny, d. 3-Sr. James Rivera (26-8), Mount Olive, 10-9.

138 pounds

5-Sr. Ryan Higgins (30-7), Jefferson, p. 8-Jr. Sal Castiglia (18-11), Wayne Valley, 4:19.

6-Jr. Joe Hocking (23-10), Wallkill Valley, medical forfeit over 2-Sr. Steve McKowen (29-4), Morris Knolls.

145 pounds

4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (28-8), Mount Olive, d. Sr. Ryan Schaible (19-9), Dover, 1-0.

7-Sr. Brett Secor (31-11), Pompton Lakes, p. 3-Sr. Jacob Aloia (27-12), Mendham, 1:42.

152 pounds

4-Jr. Patrick VanDuyne (26-6), West Milford, md. 8-Sr. Johnny Berry (25-7), Lakeland, 13-3.

6-Sr. Michael Staufenberger (27-8), North Warren, d. 7-So. Sam Button (30-9), Mendham, 9-4.

160 pounds

5-Sr. Joe Moyer (20-17), Phillipsburg, d. Fr. Nick DePalma (24-12), DePaul, 10-5.

6-Sr. John Malazinsky (25-7), Morris Knolls, d. 7-Sr. D.J. Wagner (29-9), Morris Hills, 10-3.

170 pounds

5-Jr. Richard DiZenzo (24-7), West Milford, d. 8-Sr. Kevin Pettenger (19-12), High Point, 6-4.

7-Sr. Andrew LaBell (31-9), Lenape Valley, p. 6-Jr. Michael Burns (18-9), Morris Knolls, 5:58.

182 pounds

4-Jr. Stephen Arthur III (21-9), Roxbury, d. Sr. Ryker Kern (15-11), Warren Hills, 4-2.

3-Jr. Luke Foukas (27-8), Pequannock, d. 7-Sr. Zack Levy (22-11), Vernon, 10-6.

195 pounds

Sr. Joel Albarran (18-8), Morris Catholic, d. 5-So. Dylan Wunder (27-9), Kittatinny, 12-10 SV.

2-Sr. Dan Hauck (24-6), North Warren, d. 6-Jr. Dan Marmilo (24-14), Pequannock, 7-0.

220 pounds

4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (31-6), Belvidere, p. 8-Sr. Billy Medve (23-12), Randolph, 1:47.

7-Sr. Robert Levine (22-4), Wayne Hills, p. 3-Jr. Jack Baumgaertel (32-10), Pompton Lakes, :20.

285 pounds

8-Jr. Ryan Appleby (31-8), Belvidere, d. So. Noah Merritt (16-15), Pope John, 3-1.

6-Sr. Jon Gemeinhardt (29-3), Vernon, p. 7-Jr. Brendon Narbone (25-5), Lakeland, 3:56.

Wrestling: Region 1 finals, qualifiers

Qualifiers by school

Phillipsburg 1+1+4=6; Kittatinny 1+0+3=4; Pequannock 3+1+0=4; Wayne Valley 1+3+0=4; Belvidere 1+1+1=3; Morris Knolls 1+1+1=3; Roxbury 1+2+0=3; High Point 0+0+2=2; Mendham 1+1+0=2; Warren Hills 0+2+0=2; Lenape Valley 0+1+0=1; DePaul 1+0+0=1; Hackettstown 1+0+0=1; Hopatcong 1+0+0=1; Lakeland 0+1+0=1; Mount Olive 0+0+1=1; Newton 1+0+0=1; Randolph 0+0+1=1; West Morris 0+0+1=1; Dover 0; Butler 0; Jefferson 0; Kinnelon 0; Montville 0; Morris Catholic 0; Morris Hills 0; North Warren 0; Pompton Lakes 0; Pope John 0; Sparta 0; Vernon 0; Wallkill Valley 0; Wayne Hills 0; West Milford 0.

152 pounds

2-Sr. Clarke Moynihan (33-3), Kittatinny, d. 1-So. Dillon Artigliere (34-1), Roxbury, 5-1.

160 pounds

1-Sr. Kevin Lemengello (35-4), Pequannock, d. 2-Sr. Kevin Button (34-4), Mendham, 3-2.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Ryan Harrington (39-0), Mendham, md. 2-Sr. Steve Secor (30-4), Lakeland, 15-5.

182 pounds

2-Jr. Evan Bray (34-3), Belvidere, d. 1-Sr. Nick Dellaferra (30-5), Wayne Valley, 7-6.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Jake Connelly (40-0), Newton, d. 7-So. Anthony Landberg (23-13), Wayne Valley, 3-2.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Hull (34-3), Phillipsburg, d. 2-Sr. Alex Trani (30-4), Wayne Valley, 5-3.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Mike Spencer (39-0), Pequannock, p. 2-Sr. Jermaine Eluemunor (30-3), Morris Knolls, 2:53.

106 pounds


1-Sr. Jan Rosenberg (33-1), Morris Knolls, tf. 6-Fr. Max Nauta (28-5), Warren Hills, 18-3, 5:05.

113 pounds

3-Fr. David McFadden (34-2), DePaul, md. 8-So. Devon LaFranco (23-12), Roxbury, 10-1.

120 pounds

1-Sr. Joe Cruz (31-3), Hopatcong, p. 3-Fr. Glenn Haines (33-6), Lenape Valley, 3:50.

126 pounds

3-Jr. Sam Tareky (33-2), Wayne Valley, d. 5-Jr. Joe Kratochvil (21-11), Warren Hills, 6-0.

132 pounds

2-Sr. R.J. DeGeorge (34-2), Pequannock, d. 1-Sr. Dylan Thorsen (36-2), Belvidere, 2-1 OT3 TB.

138 pounds

4-Jr. Tyler Kozimor (27-10), Hackettstown, d. Jr. Anthony Johnson (15-11), Phillipsburg, 4-2.

145 pounds

1-Sr. Tim Garripoli (35-0), Roxbury, d. 2-Sr. Tyler VanDyke (34-4), Pequannock, 4-2.

Outstanding Wrestler -- Clarke Moynihan, Kittatinny.

Coach of the Year -- Dave Post, Phillipsburg.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Wrestling: Region 1 was 'one' for the ages

In the interest of full disclosure, I was not in attendance for Friday's quarterfinal session at Wallkill Valley Regional High School. Probably only the third or fourth round I've missed since the tournament moved here in 1983.

And man am I sorry to have missed this one. "Upset City" is the only way to describe the evening's proceedings. A total of 17 wrestlers among the top four seeds went down in the quarters, which should make for some very interesting wrestling in Saturday's wrestleback rounds.

Among the casualties was previously-unbeaten Steven Churchill of Newton, the No. 1 seed at 126 pounds who entered the night at 34-0. He lost, 13-5, to No. 8 Jake Legotte of Roxbury. Legotte came in with a mark of 19-16. Churchill will now have a tough road on the way to third, most likely having to beat either Wayne Valley's Sam Tareky or Lenape Valley's Matt Benvenuto just to get to the bronze medal match. Benvenuto beat Churchill twice last season.

No one was safe on this night.

Here are some other notables:

1. Unfortunately, we probably won't see a rematch between Zach Fisher of Phillipsburg and James Elphick of Kittatinny, who both suffered quarterfinal losses in the rugged 113-pound class. Fisher reportedly injured his left hand in practice this week and may require surgery. I doubt he takes the mat on Saturday. It's a real shame because Fisher, the hero of P'burg's run to the Group 4 title, is a great kid and worked his tail off to get this far after an injury-riddled season a year ago.

2. District 1 has established itself as the dominate force this season with a tourney-best 20 wrestlers in the semifinal round. Districts 2, 3 and 4 each have a total of 12 wrestlers in the winners' bracket. At 138, three of the four remaining wrestlers are from D1 -- Nick Matthews of West Morris, Tyler Kozimor of Hackettstown and unseeeded Anthony Johnson of P'burg, who continued his Cinderella run with a stunning pin of Morris Knolls senior Steve McKowen, the No. 2 seed. Johnson knocked off No. 7 Ray Timpani of Randolph in Wednesday's opening round.

3. Speaking of the Stateliners, coach Dave Post's team has the most wrestlers alive in the semis with seven -- including returning champion Brandon Hull at 220, who needed only 39 seconds to dispose of Randolph's Billy Medve in the quarters. Wayne Valley is next with five wrestlers in the semis, while Kittatinny, Morris Knolls, Pequannock and Roxbury each have four still going for the gold.

4. Imagine if there were no wrestlebacks in this region, like so many years ago. Only the 160-pound class held true to the seeds as Nos. 1 through 4 made it safely through the brackets. There are three weights where only the No. 4 failed to make it (120, 152 and 285). Check out two of the first-round matchups in Saturday's consolation round:

At 106 -- 3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (32-4), Randolph, vs. 7-Fr. Steve Friedman (21-15), Phillipsburg.

At 132 -- 3-Sr. James Rivera (26-7), Mount Olive, vs. 7-Fr. Tom Murphy (20-16), Kittatinny.

5. The top 10 teams in Region 1 will be announced on Saturday. Here's the list, an Open Mike exclusive:

1. Phillipsburg; 2. High Point; 3. Morris Knolls; 4. Warren Hills; 5. Kittatinny; 6. Wayne Valley; 7. Pequannock; 8. West Morris; 9. (tie) Jefferson and Pompton Lakes; 10. (tie) Belvidere and Mount Olive.

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.

Wrestling: Region 1 quarterfinals results


106 pounds

1-Sr. Jan Rosenberg (31-1), Morris Knolls, p. 8-Fr. Dylan Luciano (27-9), West Morris, 1:10.

4-So. Bryan Damon (32-3), Jefferson, d. 5-Sr. John Torppey (20-12), High Point, 8-4.

6-Fr. Max Nauta (27-4), Warren Hills, md. 3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (32-4), Randolph, 12-3.

2-So. Tyler Hyrcak (30-2), Wayne Valley, d. 7-Fr. Steve Friedman (21-15), Phillipsburg, 8-5.


113 pounds

8-So. Devon LaFranco (22-11), Roxbury, default over 1-Jr. Zach Fisher (28-10), Phillipsburg, 5:30.

5-Jr. Vince Pallone (28-11), Mendham, d. 4-Sr. Dylan Crupi (17-16), Randolph, 2-0.

3-Fr. David McFadden (32-2), DePaul, d. 6-Sr. Michael Spadola (22-13), Wayne Valley, 4-2 SV.

2-Jr. Cory Fleming (27-10), West Morris, d. 7-Sr. James Elphick (15-2), Kittatinny, 13-10.

120 pounds

1-Sr. Joe Cruz (29-3), Hopatcong, d. 8-So. Matt Vozzo (25-7), Randolph, 6-0.

5-Jr. Andrew Kaluzny (16-12), Phillipsburg, d. 4-Jr. Dave Popek (21-14), Kittatinny, 3-1 SV.

3-Fr. Glenn Haines (32-5), Lenape Valley, p. 6-So. Lou Carusillo (19-13), DePaul, 5:19.

2-Fr. Mike Derin (29-3), High Point, d. 7-Sr. Dillon Guarino (22-11), West Milford, 10-3.

126 pounds

8-So. Jake Legotte (20-16), Roxbury, md. 1-Sr. Steven Churchill (34-1), Newton, 13-5.

5-Jr. Joe Kratochvil (20-10), Warren Hills, md. Fr. David Zeppetelli (13-18), West Milford, 16-2.

3-Jr. Sam Tareky (31-2), Wayne Valley, md. 6-Fr. Max Elling (22-11), Phillipsburg, 12-2.

2-Jr. Matt Benvenuto (33-4), Lenape Valley, md. Sr. Kevin Gocklin (24-6), Vernon, 17-7.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Dylan Thorsen (35-1), Belvidere, d. 8-Sr. C.J. Sarao (13-9), Pope John, 7-2.

5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (27-9), Phillipsburg, p. 4-So. Jonathan Patane (19-10), Roxbury, 3:40.

6-Fr. Jason Gaccione (26-4), High Point, d. 3-Sr. James Rivera (26-7), Mount Olive, 3-0.

 2-Sr. R.J. DeGeorge (32-2), Pequannock, d. 7-Fr. Tom Murphy (20-16), Kittatinny, 3-2.

138 pounds

1-Jr. Nick Matthews (29-4), West Morris, d. 8-Jr. Sal Castiglia (18-10), Wayne Valley, 6-3.

4-Jr. Tyler Kozimor (25-10), Hackettstown, d. 5-Sr. Ryan Higgins (29-7), Jefferson, 6-1.

3-So. Nick Romyns (26-8), Kittatinny, d. 6-Jr. Joe Hocking (22-10), Wallkill Valley, 9-6.

Jr. Anthony Johnson (14-10), Phillipsburg, p. 2-Sr. Steve McKowen (29-4), Morris Knolls, 3:47.

145 pounds

1-Sr. Tim Garripoli (33-0), Roxbury, md. Sr. Ryan Schaible (19-8), Dover, 11-3.

5-Sr. Joe Emering (25-7), Pope John, d. 4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (27-8), Mount Olive, 5-3.

6-Fr. Luke Bohn (30-5), Jefferson, d. 3-Sr. Jacob Aloia (27-11), Mendham, 7-1.

2-Sr. Tyler VanDyke (33-3), Pequannock, d. 7-Sr. Brett Secor (30-11), Pompton Lakes, 5-3 SV.

152 pounds

1-So. Dillon Artigliere (33-0), Roxbury, p. 8-Sr. Johnny Berry (25-6), Lakeland, :57.

5-Sr. V.J. Delmonico (26-11), Phillipsburg, d. 4-Jr. Patrick VanDuyne (25-6), West Milford, 6-4.

3-Jr. Parker Meytrott (30-4), Montville, md. 6-Sr. Michael Staufenberger (26-8), North Warren, 10-1.

2-Sr. Clarke Moynihan (31-3), Kittatinny, md. 7-So. Sam Button (30-8), Mendham, 8-0.

160 pounds

1-Sr. Kevin Lemengello (33-4), Pequannock, d. Fr. Nick DePalma (24-11), DePaul, 12-5.

4-So. Kieran Gerrity (27-7), Kittatinny, d. 5-Sr. Joe Moyer (19-17), Phillipsburg, 7-1.

3-Sr. Nathan Dow (32-4), Belvidere, d. 6-Sr. John Malazinsky (24-7), Morris Knolls, 6-1.

2-Sr. Kevin Button (33-3), Mendham, d. 7-Sr. D.J. Wagner (29-8), Morris Hills, 6-0.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Ryan Harrington (37-0), Mendham, p. 8-Sr. Kevin Pettenger (19-11), High Point, 1:47.

Jr. Jake Brook (23-12), Kittatinny, p. 5-Jr. Richard DiZenzo (23-7), West Milford, 4:30.

3-Sr. Dan Ryan (24-7), Mount Olive, d. 6-Jr. Michael Burns (18-8), Morris Knolls, 6-4 SV.

2-Sr. Steve Secor (29-3), Lakeland, d. 7-Sr. Andrew LaBell (31-8), Lenape Valley, 5-3.

182 pounds

1-Sr. Nick Dellaferra (29-4), Wayne Valley, p. Sr. Ryker Kern (15-10), Warren Hills, 1:26.

5-Jr. Michael Rettino (30-4), Morris Knolls, d. 4-Jr. Stephen Arthur III (20-9), Roxbury, 3-2.

6-So. Kyle Stoll (27-5), High Point, d. 3-Jr. Luke Foukas (26-8), Pequannock, 4-1.

2-Jr. Evan Bray (32-3), Belvidere, tf. 7-Sr. Zack Levy (22-10), Vernon, 26-11, 5:14.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Jake Connelly (38-0), Newton, p. Sr. Joel Albarran (17-8), Morris Catholic, 5:07.

4-Sr. Kyle Smith (30-3), Morris Knolls, d. 5-So. Dylan Wunder (27-8), Kittatinny, 8-4.

3-Sr. Derek Pierson (12-8), Phillipsburg, p. 6-Jr. Dan Marmilo (24-13), Pequannock, 4:52.

7-So. Anthony Landberg (22-12), Wayne Valley, d. 2-Sr. Dan Hauck (23-6), North Warren, 6-0.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Hull (32-3), Phillipsburg, p. 8-Sr. Billy Medve (23-11), Randolph, :39.

5-Sr. Dan Smith (26-4), Warren Hills, d. 4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (30-6), Belvidere, 8-3.

6-Sr. Dave Tlatelpa (25-3), Vernon, d. 3-Jr. Jack Baumgaertel (32-9), Pompton Lakes, 5-3 SV.

2-Sr. Alex Trani (29-3), Wayne Valley, d. 7-Sr. Robert Levine (21-4), Wayne Hills, 9-3.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Mike Spencer (37-0), Pequannock, p. 8-Jr. Ryan Appleby (30-8), Belvidere, 1:22.

5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (30-4), Pompton Lakes, p. So. Noah Merritt (16-14), Pope John, 5:48.

3-Sr. Anthony Pare (30-5), Phillipsburg, d. 6-Sr. Jon Gemeinhardt (28-3), Vernon, 4-0.

2-Sr. Jermaine Eluemunor (29-2), Morris Knolls, d. 7-Jr. Brendon Narbone (25-4), Lakeland, 9-4.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Wrestling: 'District-gate 2' almost topped the original

If history has a funny way of repeating itself, you ain't seen nothing like what could have happened -- again -- at Hunterdon Central Field House.

You can't make up the following two stories, folks:

Remember "District-gate" at Hunterdon Central a year ago? For those who need a refresher course, Hunterdon Central was incorrectly awarded the team championship due to a computer error that failed to calculate the correct number of advancement points. Yours truly discovered that error the following day and alerted the powers that be at the NJSIAA. That same day, North Hunterdon was rightfully declared the team champion and was recognized as such on opening night at Region 5.

You can read the full story by clicking here:

Well, hold onto your hats because we very nearly had "District-gate 2," last weekend. Only this time, in an ironic twist, North Hunterdon would have incorrectly been declared the winner instead of host Hunterdon Central.

Heading into the championship round, erroneous team scores were announced and North Hunterdon coaches calculated from those misleading point totals exactly what it needed to do in order to pull off a second straight championship. Problem was, Central was never credited with two additional points for Dylan Nace, who received a first-round bye at 113. Byes in districts are scored as forfeits and carry an additional two team points. The bracket was never changed from bye to forfeit, as you can see here on Escape Sports.

There were two other such cases involving Will Van Doren of Delaware Valley and Nick Gillette of Princeton, at 170 and 220, respectively, who also should have earned an addition pair of points for their teams because of first-round byes (forfeits).

Hunterdon Central beat North Hunterdon, 161 to 158, for the title. Central actually amassed 163 points, with Nace's forfeit win, for a five-point margin of victory. North coach Tim Flynn confirmed to Open Mike on Thursday that his staff was under the impression, based on the announced scores, that they merely needed a decision win in the 195-pound final to secure a second straight team championship. Had Dan Pepe obliged, the Lions would have been declared, incorrectly, the champions by one point. Pepe, who lost, 3-2, to Notre Dame's Josh Simon, would have needed a win by technical fall or pin in order to deliver the team title.

How could this almost happen again after last year's fiasco? Another source confirmed that wrong team scores were being announced all day long. It's really hard to fathom that this miscarriage of justice could occur once, let alone twice. Thankfully it did not, but let's hope the third time is the charm for Central to actually get one of these things right next year.

Seeding on his Merritt

There was even more irony at Region 1 on Tuesday, when Pope John heavyweight Noah Merritt upset No. 4 seed Zach Krulan of West Morris, 6-4, in OT. This was far more than your typical upset.

You see, Merritt almost never made it to Wallkill Valley after both he and Newton's Brandon Grant got into an exchange following their District 3 semifinal bout at Kittatinny last Saturday. After the match ended, Merritt, who lost, spiked his headgear in the center of the mat and the two wrestlers began challenging each other. Merritt also got into it with some fans after leaving the mat.

Merritt's actions did cost Pope John one team point, but he was allowed to continue on and place third by beating High Point's Chris Epperly for the bronze medal. As it turned out, High Point lost the team race to Kittatinny by one-half point. If Merritt was tossed, Epperly takes third and the Wildcats win the trophy.

Here's another kicker to that story.

During Monday's Region 1 seeding meeting, an error discovered during the process of building the 285-pound brackets prevented Belvidere's Ryan Appleby from wrestling Krulan on Tuesday, and instead matched the County Seater with Grant in the preliminary round. The original pairings did not factor in a head-to-head win for Appleby over Merritt, thus the change.

Instead, Merritt wrestled Krulan and advanced, while Appleby ended Grant's season with a 3-2 win.

You just can't make this stuff up, folks.

Wrestling: Region 1 quarterfinal matchups

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals, 4 p.m. (Doors open at 2 p.m.)

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).

Quarterfinalists by school

Phillipsburg 11; Kittatinny 8; Morris Knolls 7; Wayne Valley 7; Pequannock 6; Roxbury 6; Belvidere 5; High Point 5; Mendham 5; Randolph 4; Vernon 4; Warren Hills 4; West Milford 4; DePaul 3; Jefferson 3; Lakeland 3; Lenape Valley 3; Mount Olive 3; Pompton Lakes 3; Pope John 3; West Morris 3; Newton 2; North Warren 2; Dover 1; Hackettstown 1; Hopatcong 1; Montville 1; Morris Catholic 1; Morris Hills 1; Wallkill Valley 1; Wayne Hills 1; Butler 0; Kinnelon 0; Sparta 0.

106 pounds

1-Sr. Jan Rosenberg (30-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 8-Fr. Dylan Luciano (27-8), West Morris.

5-Sr. John Torppey (20-11), High Point, vs. 4-So. Bryan Damon (31-3), Jefferson.

3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (32-3), Randolph, vs. 6-Fr. Max Nauta (26-4), Warren Hills.

2-So. Tyler Hyrcak (29-2), Wayne Valley, vs. 7-Fr. Steve Friedman (21-14), Phillipsburg.


113 pounds

1-Jr. Zach Fisher (28-9), Phillipsburg, vs. 8-So. Devon LaFranco (21-11), Roxbury.

5-Jr. Vince Pallone (27-11), Mendham, vs. 4-Sr. Dylan Crupi (17-15), Randolph.

3-Fr. David McFadden (31-2), DePaul, vs. 6-Sr. Michael Spadola (22-12), Wayne Valley.

2-Jr. Cory Fleming (26-10), West Morris, vs. 7-Sr. James Elphick (15-1), Kittatinny.

120 pounds

1-Sr. Joe Cruz (28-3), Hopatcong, vs. 8-So. Matt Vozzo (25-6), Randolph.

4-Jr. Dave Popek (21-13), Kittatinny, vs. 5-Jr. Andrew Kaluzny (15-12), Phillipsburg.

3-Fr. Glenn Haines (31-5), Lenape Valley, vs. 6-So. Lou Carusillo (19-12), DePaul.

2-Fr. Mike Derin (28-3), High Point, vs. 7-Sr. Dillon Guarino (22-10), West Milford.

126 pounds

1-Sr. Steven Churchill (34-0), Newton, vs. 8-So. Jake Legotte (19-16), Roxbury.

Fr. David Zeppetelli (13-17), West Milford, vs. 5-Jr. Joe Kratochvil (19-10), Warren Hills.

3-Jr. Sam Tareky (30-2), Wayne Valley, vs. 6-Fr. Max Elling (22-10), Phillipsburg.

2-Jr. Matt Benvenuto (32-4), Lenape Valley, vs. Sr. Kevin Gocklin (24-5), Vernon.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Dylan Thorsen (34-1), Belvidere, vs. 8-Sr. C.J. Sarao (13-8), Pope John.

5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (26-9), Phillipsburg, vs. 4-So. Jonathan Patane (19-9), Roxbury.

3-Sr. James Rivera (26-6), Mount Olive, vs. 6-Fr. Jason Gaccione (25-4), High Point.

 2-Sr. R.J. DeGeorge (31-2), Pequannock, vs. 7-Fr. Tom Murphy (20-15), Kittatinny.

138 pounds

1-Jr. Nick Matthews (28-4), West Morris, vs. 8-Jr. Sal Castiglia (18-9), Wayne Valley.

5-Sr. Ryan Higgins (29-6), Jefferson, vs. 4-Jr. Tyler Kozimor (24-10), Hackettstown.

3-So. Nick Romyns (25-8), Kittatinny, vs. 6-Jr. Joe Hocking (22-9), Wallkill Valley.

2-Sr. Steve McKowen (29-3), Morris Knolls, vs. Jr. Anthony Johnson (13-10), Phillipsburg.

145 pounds

1-Sr. Tim Garripoli (32-0), Roxbury, vs. Sr. Ryan Schaible (19-7), Dover.

4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (27-7), Mount Olive, vs. 5-Sr. Joe Emering (24-7), Pope John.

6-Fr. Luke Bohn (29-5), Jefferson, vs. 3-Sr. Jacob Aloia (27-10), Mendham.

2-Sr. Tyler VanDyke (32-3), Pequannock, vs. 7-Sr. Brett Secor (30-10), Pompton Lakes.

152 pounds

1-So. Dillon Artigliere (32-0), Roxbury, vs. 8-Sr. Johnny Berry (25-5), Lakeland.

5-Sr. V.J. Delmonico (25-11), Phillipsburg, vs. 4-Jr. Patrick VanDuyne (25-5), West Milford.

3-Jr. Parker Meytrott (29-4), Montville, vs. 6-Sr. Michael Staufenberger (26-7), North Warren.

2-Sr. Clarke Moynihan (30-3), Kittatinny, vs. 7-So. Sam Button (30-7), Mendham.

160 pounds

1-Sr. Kevin Lemengello (32-4), Pequannock, vs. Fr. Nick DePalma (24-10), DePaul.

5-Sr. Joe Moyer (19-16), Phillipsburg, vs. 4-So. Kieran Gerrity (26-7), Kittatinny.

3-Sr. Nathan Dow (31-4), Belvidere, vs. 6-Sr. John Malazinsky (24-6), Morris Knolls.

2-Sr. Kevin Button (32-3), Mendham, vs. 7-Sr. D.J. Wagner (29-7), Morris Hills.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Ryan Harrington (36-0), Mendham, vs. 8-Sr. Kevin Pettenger (19-10), High Point.

5-Jr. Richard DiZenzo (23-6), West Milford, vs. Jr. Jake Brook (22-12), Kittatinny.

3-Sr. Dan Ryan (23-7), Mount Olive, vs. 6-Jr. Michael Burns (18-7), Morris Knolls.

2-Sr. Steve Secor (28-3), Lakeland, vs. 7-Sr. Andrew LaBell (31-7), Lenape Valley.

182 pounds

1-Sr. Nick Dellaferra (28-4), Wayne Valley, vs. Sr. Ryker Kern (15-9), Warren Hills.

5-Jr. Michael Rettino (29-4), Morris Knolls, vs. 4-Jr. Stephen Arthur III (20-8), Roxbury.

3-Jr. Luke Foukas (26-7), Pequannock, vs. 6-So. Kyle Stoll (26-5), High Point.

2-Jr. Evan Bray (31-3), Belvidere, vs. 7-Sr. Zack Levy (22-9), Vernon.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Jake Connelly (37-0), Newton, vs. Sr. Joel Albarran (17-7), Morris Catholic.

5-So. Dylan Wunder (27-7), Kittatinny, vs. 4-Sr. Kyle Smith (29-3), Morris Knolls.

3-Sr. Derek Pierson (11-8), Phillipsburg, vs. 6-Jr. Dan Marmilo (24-12), Pequannock.

2-Sr. Dan Hauck (23-5), North Warren, vs. 7-So. Anthony Landberg (21-12), Wayne Valley.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Hull (31-3), Phillipsburg, vs. 8-Sr. Billy Medve (23-10), Randolph.

5-Sr. Dan Smith (25-4), Warren Hills, vs. 4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (30-5), Belvidere.

3-Jr. Jack Baumgaertel (32-8), Pompton Lakes, vs. 6-Sr. Dave Tlatelpa (24-3), Vernon.

2-Sr. Alex Trani (28-3), Wayne Valley, vs. 7-Sr. Robert Levine (21-3), Wayne Hills.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Mike Spencer (36-0), Pequannock, vs. 8-Jr. Ryan Appleby (30-7), Belvidere.

5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (29-4), Pompton Lakes, vs. So. Noah Merritt (16-13), Pope John.

3-Sr. Anthony Pare (29-5), Phillipsburg, vs. 6-Sr. Jon Gemeinhardt (28-2), Vernon.

2-Sr. Jermaine Eluemunor (28-2), Morris Knolls, vs. 7-Jr. Brendon Narbone (25-3), Lakeland.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Wrestling: Region 1 opening night recap, tidbits

It's all a blur now, but here's a little synopsis of what we saw on Wednesday at Wallkill Valley Regional High School:

1. For what I believe is the first time in my region years dating to 1982 when this tournament was held for the final time at Phillipsburg High School, District 4 advanced more wrestlers through to the quarterfinals than Districts 2 and 3. District 4 pushed a total of 13 wrestlers through, while District 3 advanced 12. District 2 was last with 11. District 1, as expected, was the big winner with 20.

2. The seeds held pretty true to form under the new system used this year. In all, eight seeds fell in the preliminaries, including three No. 4s, four No. 8s and one No. 7. West Morris saw a pair of 4s fall, as John Sickles (170) and Zach Krulan (285) were eliminated. The other No. 4 was Wayne Hills' Jake Struble. Saving the best for last was No. 7 Brendon Narbone of Lakeland, who trailed 9-4 against Morris Hills' Chuck Foster before rolling him for a stunning pin in 4:58 in the final bout of the night at 285.

3. No one will believe me now, but as I scanned the brackets on Monday for potential upsets, the 138-pound class caught my eye. Sure enough, Phillipsburg's Anthony Johnson delivered with a 3-2 win over No. 7 seed Ray Timpani of Randolph. It's not a bad thing to go with Stateliners in those types of matches, although it looked like Timpani had at least an escape at the end of the period that would've forced overtime. P'burg, which qualified a tournament-high 12 wrestlers, went 5-1 on Wednesday, losing only Shaun Maloy at 182.

4. High Point senior John Torppey kept his season going and in the process set up a rematch of the District 3 final against Jefferson's Bryan Damon in the quarterfinals. Torppey, who lost 11-6 to Damon on Saturday, decked Roxbury's Stephen Caserta in 2:13. Damon trailed, 5-2, in the first period of the district final before hitting a four-pointer off a reversal in the final 6 seconds to take a 6-5 lead into the second period. Damon led 7-6 in the third before adding a takedown and two backs to cap the scoring. Should be a dandy on Friday.

5. Kevin Gocklin and Zack Levy of Vernon kept their senior seasons going as well. Gocklin earned career win No. 74 with a 3-2 decision over Mendham freshman and No. 7 seed Eric Friedman at 126. Levy scored a mild upset, though not according to seeds, by decking Kittatinny's Garrett Armstrong in 5:50 at 182.

6. Dover and Morris Catholic, which haven't had many wrestlers get here in recent years, both had wrestlers  advance on opening night. Dover's Ryan Schaible moved on with a 2-1 win over Randolph's Rick Levens at 145. Morris Catholic's Joel Albarran got to the quarters by rallying to deck Randolph's Zac Kazaba in 3:29 at 195. Sparta freshman Ian Burke, who was the first from his school to qualify since 2008, wasn't as fortunate in his prelim, as he was pinned by Wayne Valley's Michael Spadola at 113.

7. Matchups of wrestlers in the same district also played a part in advancement numbers. District 1 had only one head-to-head matchup at 195, where Phillipsburg's Derek Pierson beat Warren Hills' Ryan Witner for the third time this season (11-1). Districts 2 and 4 went head-to-head four times, while District 3 had a pair of inter-district meetings. At 195, all four prelims involved wrestlers from the same district.

8. Pope John's Noah Merritt scored one of the night's upsets at 285, where he beat Krulan in OT. Merritt was involved in some controversy at District 3, where he lost his composure and a team point for the Lions after a semifinal loss to Newton's Brandon Grant. Some, including myself, thought Merritt warranted an ejection from the tournament which would have prevented him from wrestling on Wednesday. Strange some times how things work out. Meanwhile, Grant lost, 3-2, in his opener against Belvidere's Ryan Appleby. Adding to this was the fact that a head-to-head win for Appleby over Merritt was originally missed at the seeding meeting. Before it was re-seeded, Appleby was slated to face Krulan in the first round. You can't make this stuff up.

9. To me, P'burg coach Dave Post further cemented his claim to the Region 1 Coach of the Year award as 11 Stateliners will take the mat in the quarterfinals. Post, who won the award in District 1, was a two-time Region 1 champ for P'burg in 2002 and '03. He's always been a fan favorite and the P'burg faithful went crazy at Mount Olive when he won that award. Expect them to do so again on Saturday if he does indeed get it.

10. Warren Hills' Max Nauta is among 14 freshmen in the quarterfinals after his 12-2 major of Pope John's Austin Sisco at 106. Lenape Valley's Glenn Haines (120) and P'burg's Max Elling (126) both pinned their way into the quarters. They are among the many talented ninth-graders in this tournament. Do yourself a favor and watch these and other future stars this weekend.

Wrestling: Region 1 preliminaries


106 pounds

8-Fr. Dylan Luciano (27-8), West Morris, p. Fr. William Kui (28-9), DePaul, 2:26.

5-Sr. John Torppey (20-11), High Point, p. Jr. Stephen Caserta (22-12), Roxbury, 2:13.

3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (32-3), Randolph, tf. Fr. Dan Kee (15-15), Lakeland, 15-0, 3:44.

6-Fr. Max Nauta (26-4), Warren Hills, md. So. Austin Sisco (17-17), Pope John, 12-2.

113 pounds

8-So. Devon LaFranco (21-11), Roxbury d. Jr. Joey Spaziani (22-11), Hopatcong, 2-1 OT TB.

5-Jr. Vince Pallone (27-11), Mendham, d. Jr. Collin Grimm (10-11), High Point, 3-1.

6-Sr. Michael Spadola (22-12), Wayne Valley, p. Fr. Ian Burke (25-8), 1:46.

2-Jr. Cory Fleming (26-10), West Morris, tf. Sr. Mike Szucs (18-18), Pequannock, 20-5, 5:43.

120 pounds

8-So. Matt Vozzo (25-6), Randolph, d. Fr. David Migliaccio (21-13), West Morris, 3-0.

4-Jr. Dave Popek (21-13), Kittatinny, d. Fr. John Fluck (8-7), Warren Hills, 9-3.

3-Fr. Glenn Haines (31-5), Lenape Valley, p. Fr. Bobby Gallipoli (6-6), Pequannock, :35.

7-Sr. Dillon Guarino (22-10), West Milford, d. Jr. Nils Holley (19-15), Jefferson, 9-4.

126 pounds

8-So. Jake Legotte (19-16), Roxbury, d. Sr. Pat Ferguson (20-12), Jefferson, 8-2.

Fr. David Zeppetelli (13-17), West Milford, d. 4-Jr. Jake Struble (27-8), Wayne Hills, 9-8.

6-Fr. Max Elling (22-10), Phillipsburg, p. Sr. Steven Wulff (18-15), Morris Hills, 2:16.

Sr. Kevin Gocklin (24-5), Vernon, d. 7-Fr. Eric Friedman (24-12), Mendham, 3-2.

132 pounds

8-Sr. C.J. Sarao (13-8), Pope John, d. Jr. Ryan Inglett (22-11), Wayne Hills, 4-0.

5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (26-9), Phillipsburg, d. Jr. Adam Fano (22-12), Montville, 7-3.

3-Sr. James Rivera (26-6), Mount Olive, d. So. Vincent Rigoglioso (6-10), Wayne Valley, 6-1.

7-Fr. Tom Murphy (20-15), Kittatinny, d. Sr. Brian Chaparro (12-12), Dover, 7-0.

138 pounds

5-Sr. Ryan Higgins (29-6), Jefferson, p. Sr. Matt DeLallo (16-14), DePaul, 1:19.

4-Jr. Tyler Kozimor (24-10), Hackettstown, md. Jr. Jordan Marks (17-15), Montville, 11-2.

6-Jr. Joe Hocking (22-9), Wallkill Valley, md. Sr. Andrew Gundlah (26-13), Pompton Lakes, 16-2.

Jr. Anthony Johnson (13-10), Phillipsburg, d. 7-Sr. Ray Timpani (27-8), Randolph, 3-2.

145 pounds

Sr. Ryan Schaible (19-7), Dover, d. 8-Sr. Rick Levens (22-12), Randolph, 2-1.

4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (27-7), Mount Olive, d. Jr. Jim Lodema (18-10), Wallkill Valley, 3-1 OT.

6-Fr. Luke Bohn (29-5), Jefferson, p. Jr. Ryan Secor (20-13), Lakeland, 1:08.

7-Sr. Brett Secor (30-10), Pompton Lakes, d. Jr. Greg Wallace (15-14), West Morris, 7-5.

Notes -- Halfway through, District 1 has advanced a tourney-best 10 wrestlers in the round. District 3 is next with 8, District 2 has 6 winners and District 4 has 4 through to the quarterfinals.

152 pounds

8-Sr. Johnny Berry (25-5), Lakeland, d. Sr. Sean Mullin (14-7), Butler, 15-9.

6-Sr. Michael Staufenberger (26-7), North Warren, d. Jr. Ryan Ward (22-10), Vernon, 5-0.

3-Jr. Parker Meytrott (29-4), Montville, p. Jr. Sean Rodgers (22-6), Randolph, 3:02.

7-So. Sam Button (30-7), Mendham, tf. So. Niko Grello (20-19), Newton, 15-0, 5:36.

160 pounds

Fr. Nick DePalma (24-10), DePaul, d. 8-Sr. Chris Olivo (15-9), Lenape Valley, 10-4.

5-Sr. Joe Moyer (19-16), Phillipsburg, d. Sr. Ben Mendiburu (10-5), High Point, 10-3.

3-Sr. Nathan Dow (31-4), Belvidere, p. Sr. Brandon Ross (12-20), Wayne Valley, 3:52.

7-Sr. D.J. Wagner (29-7), Morris Hills, d. Sr. Nick Monteverdi (17-7), Jefferson, 13-8.

170 pounds

5-Jr. Richard DiZenzo (23-6), West Milford, p. Fr. Deriam Guridy (10-9), Pope John, 2:46.

Jr. Jake Brook (22-12), Kittatinny, d. 4-Jr. John Sickles (26-11), West Morris, 4-3.

3-Sr. Dan Ryan (23-7), Mount Olive, d. So. Peter Sutton (14-17), Roxbury, 7-2.

7-Sr. Andrew LaBell (31-7), Lenape Valley, d. Jr. Keith Lopez (26-13), Pompton Lakes, 9-2.

182 pounds

Sr. Ryker Kern (15-9), Warren Hills, p. 8-Sr. Austin Huelsenbeck (14-13), Morris Hills, :55.

5-Jr. Michael Rettino (29-4), Morris Knolls, d. Sr. Shaun Maloy (22-12), Phillipsburg, 10-6.

3-Jr. Luke Foukas (26-7), Pequannock, d. Sr. Jimmy Van Kluyve (24-8), Wayne Hills, 4-1.

7-Sr. Zack Levy (22-9), Vernon, p. So. Garrett Armstrong (20-12), Kittatinny, 5:50.

195 pounds

Sr. Joel Albarran (17-7), Morris Catholic, p. 8-Jr. Zac Kazaba (12-19), Randolph, 3:29.

5-So. Dylan Wunder (27-7), Kittatinny, p. So. Nicholas James-McLean (14-14), Wallkill Valley, 3:25.

3-Sr. Derek Pierson (11-8), Phillipsburg, md. So. Ryan Witner (10-16), Warren Hills, 11-1.

7-So. Anthony Landberg (21-12), Wayne Valley, d. Jr. Jon Fazio (24-7), Lakeland, 5-0.

220 pounds

5-Sr. Dan Smith (25-4), Warren Hills, d. Sr. Jake Drelich (22-12), Kittatinny, 4-0.

4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (30-5), Belvidere, p. So. Carlos Morales (15-10), Dover, 2:45.

3-Jr. Jack Baumgaertel (32-8), Pompton Lakes, p. So. Isaiah Bryant (1-6), Jefferson, 1:20.

7-Sr. Robert Levine (21-3), Wayne Hills, p. Sr. Michael Clifford (28-8), Morris Hills, 3:58.

285 pounds

8-Jr. Ryan Appleby (30-7), Belvidere, d. Sr. Brandon Grant (21-17), Newton, 3-2.

5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (29-4), Pompton Lakes, p. Jr. Bobby Sperling (11-8), Lenape Valley, 1:05.

So. Noah Merritt (16-13), Pope John, d. 4-Sr. Zach Krulan (27-5), West Morris, 6-4 OT.

7-Jr. Brendon Narbone (25-3), Lakeland, p. Sr. Chuck Foster (18-10), Morris Hills, 4:58

Wrestling: Region 1 preview, predictions

Where: Wallkill Valley Regional High School, Hardyston.

When: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries, 5 p.m. (Doors open at 3 p.m.).

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals, 4 p.m. (Doors open at 2 p.m.)

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).

Qualifiers by school

Phillipsburg 12; Kittatinny 10; Wayne Valley 9; High Point 8; Pequannock 8; Randolph 8; Roxbury 8; Morris Knolls 7; West Morris 7; Jefferson 6; Lakeland 6; Mendham 6; Warren Hills 6; Belvidere 5; DePaul 5; Lenape Valley 5; Morris Hills 5; Pompton Lakes 5; Pope John 5; Vernon 5; Newton 4; Wayne Hills 4; West Milford 4; Dover 3; Montville 3; Mount Olive 3; Wallkill Valley 3; Hopatcong 2; North Warren 2; Butler 1; Hackettstown 1; Morris Catholic 1; Sparta 1; Kinnelon 0.

Individual picks:

106 -- 1. Jan Rosenberg, Morris Knolls; 2. Tyler Hyrcak, Wayne Valley; 3. A.J. Vindici, Randolph; 4. Bryan Damon, Jefferson.

Notes: After Rosenberg, the state favorite at this weight, it gets tough to handicap. I think there are six others here that are all capable of placing. It's my job to narrow it down to only two. Nauta owns two convincing wins over Friedman, who turned the tables on him in the District 1 finals. Hyrcak finished fourth at this weight last season and has some impressive wins this season. Vindici has two losses to Rosenberg and beat Damon in ultimate tiebreaker earlier this season. Very deep and solid class.

113 -- 1. David McFadden, DePaul; 2. Zach Fisher, Phillipsburg; 3. James Elphick, Kittatinny; 4. Cory Fleming, West Morris.

Notes: Super freshman McFadden has been impressive all season, particularly in a win over Hunterdon Central's Dylan Nace at the All-Star Invitational. But do yourself a favor and watch Fisher, Elphick and Fleming this week. All three are outstanding mat wrestlers and worth the price of admission. Fisher-Elphick in the dual meet was a war and ended with Fisher decking the Cougar, who was fourth in the PIAA District 11 Class AA Tournament last year at Pen Argyl. Fleming narrowly lost to Fisher in the D1 final.

120 -- 1. Joe Cruz, Hopatcong; 2. Mike Derin, High Point, 3. Glenn Haines, Lenape Valley; 4. David Popek, Kittatinny.

Notes: Derin, a freshman, has talent beyond his years but must win the rematch with Cruz in order to become only the third ninth-grader in school history to win a region title (joining John Gardner and Nick Francavilla). Cruz dominated their Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex final and later went up a weight to knock off Matt Benvenuto, the No. 2 seed at 126, in a dual. Cruz, who is unbeaten at 120, is looking for his first final after finishing fourth in 2010. Haines is another solid freshman. Popek is on a roll of late and owns two wins over P'burg junior Andrew Kaluzny and lost a tight, 1-0, decision to Haines.

126 -- 1. Steven Churchill, Newton; 2. Matt Benvenuto, Lenape Valley; 3. Sam Tareky, Wayne Valley; 4. Joe Kratochvil, Warren Hills.

Notes: Churchill has to be itching to avenge a pair of close and controversial losses to Benvenuto last season. Churchill, a huge 132-pounder who dropped to 126 late in the season, has really gotten good on his feet and has always been a strong mat wrestler. Benvenuto has looked sharp all season and will be a tough out. Tareky poses a problem for Benvenuto in the bottom half of the draw. Kratochvil has beaten Phillipsburg's Max Elling two out of three this season and can't be overlooked here either the way he's been wrestling of late.

132 -- 1. Dylan Thorsen, Belvidere; 2. R.J. DeGeorge, Pequannock, 3. Jason Gaccione, High Point; 4. James Rivera, Mount Olive.

Notes: Just an absolutely insane weight class. Studs everywhere you look in the brackets. Thorsen, third last year, is looking for his second trip to the finals after a runner-up finish in 2010. He's beaten Murphy twice and beat Mount Olive's James Rivera, 5-3, in the D1 finals. Rivera scored an impressive 4-0 win over tough P'burg freshman Jimmy Schuitema, who beat Murphy, 5-2 in a dual, in the D1 semis. DeGeorge, second at 130 last year, owns two wins over Murphy, who has a pair of close losses to Gaccione.

138 -- 1. Nick Matthews, West Morris; 2. Steve McKowen, Morris Knolls; 3. Nick Romyns, Kittatinny; 4. Tyler Kozimor, Hackettstown.

Notes: Another tough one to call here. Matthews is the D1 champ, avenging a loss by pin to Kozimor. Romyns owns wins over Kozimor, 3-2, and Randolph's Ray Timpani, as well as two victories over Jefferson's Ryan Higgins. The Kittatinny sophomore seems to be coming on and will be a dangerous opponent. McKowen, who placed third last year, has split of a pair of close decisions against Matthews, winning, 3-1, and losing the rematch, 7-6.

145 -- 1. Tim Garripoli, Roxbury; 2. Tyler VanDyke, Pequannock; 3. Jacob Aloia, Mendham; 4. Dylan Offerding, Mount Olive.

Notes: Rock-solid choice here with the unbeaten Garripoli, who beat VanDyke, 4-0, in the Morris County finals. He also has an 8-3 win over Aloia, the D1 champ, earlier this season. Both Aloia and VanDyke beat Offerding this season. Keep an eye on Pope John's Joe Emering and Jefferson's Luke Bohn, a freshman who will make some noise in the coming years.

152 -- 1. Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury; 2. Clarke Moynihan, Kittatinny; 3. Parker Meytrott, Montville; 4. V.J. Delmonico, Phillipsburg.

Notes: Artigliere going for his second title in as many tournaments and was impressive in a 4-1 win over Moynihan back in late December. Moynihan, a two-time runner-up, is the next best here. Could be quite a battle for that third spot. Meytrott was a third-place finisher a year ago, while Delmonico has the ability to keep it close with most opponents.

160 -- 1. Nathan Dow, Belvidere; 2. Keith Lemengello, Pequannock; 3. Kevin Button, Mendham; 4. Kieran Gerrity, Kittatinny.

Notes: Good group here. Wallkill Valley has been a House of Horrors for Lemengello, who hasn't wrestled particularly well in this tournament. He's never placed despite a solid career. He's one of the best defensive wrestlers here and managed to get off his back in the D3 finals against DePaul freshman Nick DePalma. Dow lost to Gerrity in December and pinned Moyer, who knocked off Gerrity in a dual meet. Dow was up 5-0 on Button in the D1 finals before getting lateral-dropped for five points in an eventual 10-5 loss. I think he turns the tables in this one.

170 -- 1. Ryan Harrington, Mendham; 2. Steve Secor, Lakeland; 3. Kevin Pettenger, High Point; 4. Michael Burns, Morris Knolls.

Notes: The easiest choice to make here as Harrington, a returning state champion, is the class of this field. Secor lost, 5-2, to Wayne Valley's Nick Dellaferra, the top seed at 182. Pettenger looked very good in the D3 finals and really got a bum draw as the No. 8 seed. He'll see Harrington in Friday's quarterfinals, but will have plenty of time to regroup for Saturday's wrestlebacks.

182 -- 1. Nick Dellaferra, Wayne Valley; 2. Evan Bray, Belvidere; 3. Michael Rettino, Morris Knolls; 4. Kyle Stoll, High Point.

Notes: Dellaferra, who finished fourth last year, has been ranked No. 1 all season at this weight class by Open Mike. Bray, who won his first D1 title, lasted 17 seconds against Dellaferra when they met in early December. This one will be a lot longer. Rettino lost, 4-1, to Dellaferra in late December. Stoll won the D3 title and bears watching. His father, Joe, was the heavyweight champ in this region for Vernon in 1984.

195 -- 1. Jake Connelly, Newton; 2. Dan Hauck, North Warren; 3. Kyle Smith, Morris Knolls; 4. Dylan Wunder, Kittatinny.

Notes: Connelly has been a heavy favorite to win here all season after a fourth-place finish at 145, that's right, last season. He beat Smith, the No. 5 seed, 3-1, earlier this season. Smith will likely tangle with Wunder, who's lost three times to Connelly, in the quarters. I feel the three best kids are all in the upper half of the draw. Bottom bracket is up for grabs.

220 -- 1. Brandon Hull, Phillipsburg; 2. Alex Trani, Wayne Valley; 3. Dan Smith, Warren Hills; 4. J.B. Lawson, Belvidere.

Notes: Hull, second in the region and eighth in the state at 215 last season, is the one to beat. He's beaten Smith twice and Lawson, who avenged a loss to Smith in the D1 semifinals. It gets a little tricky after Hull. Jack Baumgaertel of Pompton Lakes, the No. 3 seed, should get a rematch against Vernon's Dave Tlatelpa in the quarters. Baumgaertel, who beat Lawson in a close one, won the first meeting, 4-3, in ultimate tiebreaker. Tlatelpa was beaten by both Lawson and Smith in the HWS Tournament in January. Wayne Hills' Robert Levine, who split with Trani, also lurks in the bottom half.

285 -- 1. Anthony Pare, Phillipsburg; 2. Mike Spencer, Pequannock; 3. Jermaine Eluemunor, Morris Knolls; 4. Zach Krulan, West Morris.

Notes: I've become a big believer in Pare over the last few weeks. He's quick and that gives him a big edge in the this land of giants. Spencer (36-0), the top seed, and Andrew Grosser of Pompton Lakes are every bit of 285, in fact they both cut to make the limit. Spencer has 23 pins and nine forfeit wins. Eluemunor, who lost, 2-1, to Spencer in the MCT finals, has had several tight battles with Morris Hills' Chuck Foster this season, must be a style thing. Then there's Vernon senior Jon Gemeinhardt, last year's fourth-place finisher, who has been pinned by Grosser and Pare this season.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Wrestling: South Plainfield deserving of No. 1

There really is no debate. South Plainfield should be and likely will be named New Jersey's No. 1 wrestling team as we await the official word from the Coaches Association at the end of the week.

Even the biggest, or should I say knowledgeable, Phillipsburg fans know this to be true. There really wasn't ever a question in my mind and all of the talk speculating which team would earn the top spot was really quite amusing. The loss to Franklin for P'burg, which was a win for South Plainfield, ended any claim for the Warren County school.

Let me break it down further:

Both teams lost to St. Peter's Prep -- South Plainfield, 29-28, and Phillipsburg, 30-26. Even a closer loss for the Tigers.

Using common opponents even further demonstrates that South Plainfield is more deserving:

Franklin -- South Plainfield won, 48-12, while Phillipsburg lost, 30-28.

Hunterdon Central -- South Plainfield won, 59-3. P'burg won, 46-14.

Warren Hills -- South Plainfield won, 64-9. P'burg won, 50-7.

Hillsborough -- This one goes to P'burg, a 55-6 winner. South Plainfield won, 53-17.

Both teams had outstanding seasons: South Plainfield winning the Group 3 title and Phillipsburg's thrilling run to the Group 4 crown.

But this a case closed in my estimation.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Wrestling: Region 1 seeds, pairings

Wrestling begins at 5 p.m. on Wednesday with the preliminaries involving seconds and thirds from Districts 1 through 4. District champions still receive first-round byes and will not compete until Friday.

Check my blog for a complete schedule and all information for the upcoming tournament here at Wallkill. Athletic director Todd Van Orden and his staff do an outstanding job of hosting this great event.

106 pounds

8-Fr. Dylan Luciano (26-8), West Morris, vs. Fr. William Kui (28-8), DePaul, winner to meet 1-Sr. Jan Rosenberg (30-1), Morris Knolls.

5-Sr. John Torppey (19-11), High Point, vs. Jr. Stephen Caserta (22-11), Roxbury, winner to meet 4-So. Bryan Damon (31-3), Jefferson.

3-Fr. A.J. Vindici (31-3), Randolph, vs. Fr. Dan Kee (15-14), Lakeland.

6-Fr. Max Nauta (25-4), Warren Hills, vs. So. Austin Sisco (17-16), Pope John.

7-Fr. Steve Friedman (21-14), Phillipsburg, bye.

2-So. Tyler Hyrcak (29-2), Wayne Valley, bye.

113 pounds

8-So. Devon LaFranco (20-11), Roxbury vs. Jr. Joey Spaziani (22-10), Hopatcong, winner to meet 1-Jr. Zach Fisher (28-9), Phillipsburg.

5-Jr. Vince Pallone (26-11), Mendham, vs. Jr. Collin Grimm (10-10), High Point, winner to meet 4-Sr. Dylan Crupi (17-15), Randolph.

6-Sr. Michael Spadola (21-12), Wayne Valley, vs. Fr. Ian Burke (25-7), winner to meet 3-Fr. David McFadden (31-2), DePaul.

2-Jr. Cory Fleming (25-10), West Morris, vs. Sr. Mike Szucs (18-17), Pequannock, winner to meet 7-Sr. James Elphick (15-1), Kittatinny.

120 pounds

8-So. Matt Vozzo (24-6), Randolph, vs. Fr. David Migliaccio (21-12), West Morris, winner to meet 1-Sr. Joe Cruz (28-3), Hopatcong.

4-Jr. Dave Popek (20-13), Kittatinny, vs. Fr. John Fluck (8-6), Warren Hills, winner to meet 5-Jr. Andrew Kaluzny (15-12), Phillipsburg.

3-Fr. Glenn Haines (30-5), Lenape Valley, vs. Fr. Bobby Gallipoli (6-5), Pequannock, winner to meet 6-So. Lou Carusillo (19-12), DePaul.

7-Sr. Dillon Guarino (21-10), West Milford, vs. Jr. Nils Holley (19-14), Jefferson, winner to meet 2-Fr. Mike Derin (28-3), High Point.

126 pounds

8-So. Jake Legotte (18-16), Roxbury, vs. Sr. Pat Ferguson (20-11), Jefferson, winner to meet 1-Sr. Steven Churchill (34-0), Newton.

4-Jr. Jake Struble (27-7), Wayne Hills, vs. Fr. David Zeppetelli (12-17), West Milford, winner to meet 5-Jr. Joe Kratochvil (19-10), Warren Hills.

6-Fr. Max Elling (21-10), Phillipsburg, vs. Sr. Steven Wulff (18-14), Morris Hills, winner to meet 3-Jr. Sam Tareky (30-2), Wayne Valley.

7-Fr. Eric Friedman (24-11), Mendham, vs. Sr. Kevin Gocklin (23-5), Vernon, vs. 2-Jr. Matt Benvenuto (32-4), Lenape Valley.

132 pounds

8-Sr. C.J. Sarao (12-8), Pope John, vs. Jr. Ryan Inglett (22-10), Wayne Hills, winner to meet 1-Sr. Dylan Thorsen (34-1), Belvidere.

5-Fr. Jimmy Schuitema (25-9), Phillipsburg, vs. Jr. Adam Fano (22-11), Montville, winner to meet 4-So. Jonathan Patane (19-9), Roxbury.

3-Sr. James Rivera (25-6), Mount Olive, vs. So. Vincent Rigoglioso (6-9), Wayne Valley, winner to meet  6-Fr. Jason Gaccione (25-4), High Point.

7-Fr. Tom Murphy (19-15), Kittatinny, vs. Sr. Brian Chaparro (12-11), Dover, winner to meet 2-Sr. R.J. DeGeorge (31-2), Pequannock.

138 pounds

1-Jr. Nick Matthews (28-4), West Morris, bye.

8-Jr. Sal Castiglia (18-9), Wayne Valley, bye.

5-Sr. Ryan Higgins (28-6), Jefferson, vs. Sr. Matt DeLallo (16-13), DePaul.

4-Jr. Tyler Kozimor (23-10), Hackettstown, vs. Jr. Jordan Marks (17-14), Montville.

6-Jr. Joe Hocking (21-9), Wallkill Valley, vs. Sr. Andrew Gundlah (26-12), Pompton Lakes, winner to meet 3-So. Nick Romyns (25-8), Kittatinny.

7-Sr. Ray Timpani (27-7), Randolph, vs. Jr. Anthony Johnson (12-10), Phillipsburg, winner to meet 2-Sr. Steve McKowen (29-3), Morris Knolls.

145 pounds

8-Sr. Rick Levens (22-11), Randolph, vs. Sr. Ryan Schaible (18-7), Dover, winner to meet 1-Sr. Tim Garripoli (32-0), Roxbury.

4-Sr. Dylan Offerding (26-7), Mount Olive, vs. Jr. Jim Lodema (18-9), Wallkill Valley, winner to meet 5-Sr. Joe Emering (24-7), Pope John.

6-Fr. Luke Bohn (28-5), Jefferson, vs. Jr. Ryan Secor (20-12), Lakeland, winner to meet 3-Sr. Jacob Aloia (27-10), Mendham.

7-Sr. Brett Secor (29-10), Pompton Lakes, vs. Jr. Greg Wallace (15-13), West Morris, winner to meet 2-Sr. Tyler VanDyke (32-3), Pequannock.

152 pounds

8-Sr. Johnny Berry (24-5), Lakeland, vs. Sr. Sean Mullin (14-6), Butler, winner to meet 1-So. Dillon Artigliere (32-0), Roxbury.

5-Sr. V.J. Delmonico (25-11), Phillipsburg, bye.

4-Jr. Patrick VanDuyne (25-5), West Milford, bye.

6-Sr. Michael Staufenberger (25-7), North Warren, vs. Jr. Ryan Ward (22-9), Vernon.

3-Jr. Parker Meytrott (28-4), Montville, vs. Jr. Sean Rodgers (22-5), Randolph.

7-So. Sam Button (29-7), Mendham, vs. So. Niko Grello (20-18), Newton, winner to meet 2-Sr. Clarke Moynihan (30-3), Kittatinny.

160 pounds

8-Sr. Chris Olivo (15-8), Lenape Valley, vs. Fr. Nick DePalma (23-10), DePaul, winner to meet 1-Sr. Kevin Lemengello (32-4), Pequannock.

5-Sr. Joe Moyer (18-16), Phillipsburg, vs. Sr. Ben Mendiburu (10-4), High Point, winner to meet 4-So. Kieran Gerrity (26-7), Kittatinny.

3-Sr. Nathan Dow (30-4), Belvidere, vs. Sr. Brandon Ross (12-19), Wayne Valley, winner to meet 6-Sr. John Malazinsky (24-6), Morris Knolls.

7-Sr. D.J. Wagner (28-7), Morris Hills, vs. Sr. Nick Monteverdi (17-6), Jefferson, winner to meet 2-Sr. Kevin Button (32-3), Mendham.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Ryan Harrington (36-0), Mendham, bye.

8-Sr. Kevin Pettenger (19-10), High Point, bye.

5-Jr. Richard DiZenzo (22-6), West Milford, vs. Fr. Deriam Guridy (10-8), Pope John.

4-Jr. John Sickles (26-10), West Morris, vs. Jr. Jake Brook (21-12), Kittatinny.

3-Sr. Dan Ryan (22-7), Mount Olive, vs. So. Peter Sutton (14-16), Roxbury, winner to meet 6-Jr. Michael Burns (18-7), Morris Knolls.

7-Sr. Andrew LaBell (30-7), Lenape Valley, vs. Jr. Keith Lopez (26-12), Pompton Lakes, winner to meet 2-Sr. Steve Secor (28-3), Lakeland.

182 pounds

8-Sr. Austin Huelsenbeck (14-12), Morris Hills, vs. Sr. Ryker Kern (14-9), Warren Hills, winner to meet 1-Sr. Nick Dellaferra (28-4), Wayne Valley.

5-Jr. Michael Rettino (28-4), Morris Knolls, vs. Sr. Shaun Maloy (22-11), Phillipsburg, winner to meet 4-Jr. Stephen Arthur III (20-8), Roxbury.

3-Jr. Luke Foukas (25-7), Pequannock, vs. Sr. Jimmy Van Kluyve (24-7), Wayne Hills, winner to meet 6-So. Kyle Stoll (26-5), High Point.

7-Sr. Zack Levy (21-9), Vernon, vs. So. Garrett Armstrong (20-11), Kittatinny, winner to meet 2-Jr. Evan Bray (31-3), Belvidere.

195 pounds

8-Jr. Zac Kazaba (12-18), Randolph, vs. Sr. Joel Albarran (16-7), Morris Catholic, winner to meet 1-Sr. Jake Connelly (37-0), Newton.

5-So. Dylan Wunder (26-7), Kittatinny, vs. So. Nicholas James-McLean (14-13), Wallkill Valley, winner to meet 4-Sr. Kyle Smith (29-3), Morris Knolls.

3-Sr. Derek Pierson (10-8), Phillipsburg, vs. So. Ryan Witner (10-15), Warren Hills, winner to meet 6-Jr. Dan Marmilo (24-12), Pequannock.

7-So. Anthony Landberg (20-12), Wayne Valley, vs. Jr. Jon Fazio (24-6), Lakeland, winner to meet 2-Sr. Dan Hauck (23-5), North Warren.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Hull (31-3), Phillipsburg, bye.

8-Sr. Billy Medve (23-10), Randolph, bye.

5-Sr. Dan Smith (24-4), Warren Hills, vs. Sr. Jake Drelich (22-11), Kittatinny.

4-Jr. J.B. Lawson (29-5), Belvidere, vs. So. Gunther Wassong (15-11), High Point.

3-Jr. Jack Baumgaertel (31-8), Pompton Lakes, vs. So. Carlos Morales (15-9), Dover, winner to meet 6-Sr. Dave Tlatelpa (24-3), Vernon.

7-Sr. Robert Levine (20-3), Wayne Hills, vs. Sr. Michael Clifford (28-7), Morris Hills, winner to meet 2-Sr. Alex Trani (28-3), Wayne Valley.

285 pounds

8-Jr. Ryan Appleby (29-7), Belvidere, vs. Sr. Brandon Grant (21-16), Newton, winner to meet 1-Sr. Mike Spencer (36-0), Pequannock.

5-Sr. Andrew Grosser (28-4), Pompton Lakes, vs. Jr. Bobby Sperling (11-7), Lenape Valley.

4-Sr. Zach Krulan (27-4), West Morris, vs. So. Noah Merritt (15-13), Pope John.

3-Sr. Anthony Pare (29-5), Phillipsburg, bye.

6-Sr. Jon Gemeinhardt (28-2), Vernon, bye.

7-Jr. Brendon Narbone (24-3), Lakeland, vs. Sr. Chuck Foster (18-9), Morris Hills, winner to meet 2-Sr. Jermaine Eluemunor (28-2), Morris Knolls.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Wrestling: Region 1 schedule, information

Where: Wallkill Valley Regional High School, Hardyston.

When: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Competing teams: Belvidere, Butler, DePaul, Dover, Hackettstown, High Point, Hopatcong, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Kittatinny, Lakeland, Lenape Valley, Mendham, Montville, Morris Catholic, Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Mount Olive, Newton, North Warren, Pequannock, Phillipsburg, Pompton Lakes, Pope John, Randolph, Roxbury, Sparta, Vernon, Wallkill Valley, Warren Hills, Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, West Milford, West Morris.

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

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries, 5 p.m. (Doors open at 3 p.m.).

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals, 4 p.m. (Doors open at 2 p.m.)

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.

Ticket prices: Wednesday and Friday, $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens. Saturday, $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens or an all-day session pass is $10 and $6.

Alternative schedule: If Wednesday is postponed, the tournament will start on Thursday. If Friday's session is postponed, three sessions will take place on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. If Saturday's schedule is wiped out, the same schedule will apply to Sunday.

Wrestling: Region 1 qualifiers by weight class

Here are the qualifiers from Districts 1-4 for the Region 1 Tournament that begins on Wednesday at Wallkill Valley Regional High School in Hardyston. Pairings and seeds will be determined on Monday.

Wednesday's preliminary rounds pitting district seconds and thirds begins at 5 p.m. The tournament resumes with the quarterfinals on Friday at 4 p.m. and concludes on Saturday with semifinals at 9 a.m., followed by two rounds of wrestlebacks. Third-place consolations are slated for 4 p.m. with the championships in all 14 weight classes to follow.

The top three finishers at each weight class advance to the State Wrestling Championships held March 2-4 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Qualifiers by school

Phillipsburg 12
Kittatinny 10
Wayne Valley 9
High Point 8
Pequannock 8
Randolph 8
Roxbury 8
Morris Knolls 7
West Morris 7
Jefferson 6
Lakeland 6
Mendham 6
Warren Hills 6
Belvidere 5
DePaul 5
Lenape Valley 5
Morris Hills 5
Pompton Lakes 5
Pope John 5
Vernon 5
Newton 4
Wayne Hills 4
West Milford 4
Dover 3
Montville 3
Mount Olive 3
Wallkill Valley 3
Hopatcong 2
North Warren 2
Butler 1
Hackettstown 1
Morris Catholic 1
Sparta 1
Kinnelon 0

106
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Steve Friedman
Phillipsburg
9
(21-14)
1
Max Nauta
Warren Hills
9
(25-4)
1
Dylan Luciano
West Morris
9
(26-8)
1
Jan Rosenberg
Mo. Knolls
12
(30-1)
2
A.J. Vindici
Randolph
9
(31-3)
2
Stephen Caserta
Roxbury
11
(22-11)
2
Bryan Damon
Jefferson
10
(31-2)
3
John Torppey
High Point
12
(19-11)
3
Austin Sisco
Pope John
10
(17-16)
3
Tyler Hyrcak
Wayne Val.
10
(29-2)
4
William Kui
DePaul
9
(28-8)
4
Dan Kee
Lakeland
9
(15-14)
4


   113
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Zach Fisher
Phillipsburg
11
(28-9)
1
Cory Fleming
West Morris
11
(25-10)
1
Vince Pallone
Mendham
11
(26-11)
1
Dylan Crupi
Randolph
12
(17-15)
2
Joey Spaziani
Hopatcong
11
(22-10)
2
Devon LaFranco
Roxbury
10
(21-11)
2
James Elphick
Kittatinny
12
(15-1)
3
Collin Grimm
High Point
11
(10-10)
3
Ian Burke
Sparta
9
(25-7)
3
David McFadden
DePaul
9
(31-2)
4
Michael Spadola
Wayne Valley
12
(21-12)
4
Mike Szucs
Pequannock
12
(18-17)
4

   120
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Andrew Kaluzny
Phillipsburg
11
(15-12)
1
David Migliaccio
West Morris
9
(21-12)
1
John Fluck
Warren Hills
9
(8-6)
1
Joe Cruz
Hopatcong
12
(28-3)
2
Glenn Haines
Lenape Valley
9
(30-5)
2
Matt Vozzo
Randolph
10
(24-6)
2
Mike Derin
High Point
9
(28-3)
3
Dave Popek
Kittatinny
11
(20-13)
3
Nils Holley
Jefferson
11
(19-14)
3
Lou Carusillo
DePaul
10
(19-12)
4
Dillon Guarino
West Milford
12
(21-10)
4
Bobby Gallipoli
Pequannock
9
(6-5)
4

   126
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Joe Kratochvil
Warren Hills
11
(19-10)
1
Max Elling
Phillipsburg
9
(21-10)
1
Eric Friedman
Mendham
9
(24-11)
1
Matt Benvenuto
Lenape Valley
11
(32-4)
2
Jake Legotte
Roxbury
10
(18-17)
2
Steven Wulff
Morris Hills
12
(18-14)
2
Steven Churchill
Newton
12
(34-0)
3
Kevin Gocklin
Vernon
12
(23-5)
3
Pat Ferguson
Jefferson
11
(20-11)
3
Sam Tareky
Wayne Valley
11
(30-2)
4
Jake Struble
Wayne Hills
11
(27-7)
4
David Zeppetelli
West Milford
9
(12-17)
4

   132
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Dylan Thorsen
Belvidere
12
(34-1)
1
James Rivera
Mount Olive
12
(25-6)
1
Jimmy Schuitema
Phillipsburg
9
(25-9)
1
Jonathan Patane
Roxbury
10
(20-9)
2
Adam Fano
Montville
11
(22-11)
2
Brian Chaparro
Dover
12
(12-11)
2
Jason Gaccione
High Point
9
(25-4)
3
Tom Murphy
Kittatinny
9
(19-15)
3
C.J. Sarao
Pope John
12
(12-8)
3
R.J. DeGeorge
Pequannock
12
(31-2)
4
Ryan Inglett
Wayne Hills
11
(22-10)
4
Vincent Rigoglioso
Wayne Valley
10
(6-9)
4

   138
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Nick Matthews
West Morris
11
(28-4)
1
Tyler Kozimor
Hackettstown
11
(23-10)
1
Anthony Johnson
Phillipsburg
11
(12-10)
1
Steve McKowen
Morris Knolls
12
(29-3)
2
Ray Timpani
Randolph
12
(27-7)
2
Jordan Marks
Montville
11
(17-14)
2
Nick Romyns
Kittatinny
10
(25-8)
3
Ryan Higgins
Jefferson
12
(27-6)
3
Joe Hocking
Wallkill Valley
11
(21-9)
3
Sal Castiglia
Wayne Valley
11
(18-9)
4
Andrew Gundlah
Pompton Lakes
12
(26-12)
4
Matt DeLallo
DePaul
12
(16-13)
4

   145
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Jacob Aloia
Mendham
12
(27-10)
1
Dylan Offerding
Mount Olive
12
(26-7)
1
Greg Wallace
West Morris
11
(15-13)
1
Tim Garripoli
Roxbury
12
(33-0)
2
Rick Levens
Randolph
12
(22-11)
2
Ryan Schaible
Dover
12
(18-7)
2
Joe Emering
Pope John
12
(24-7)
3
Luke Bohn
Jefferson
9
(28-5)
3
Jim Lodema
Wallkill Valley
11
(18-9)
3
Tyler VanDyke
Pequannock
12
(32-3)
4
Brett Secor
Pompton Lakes
12
(29-10)
4
Ryan Secor
Lakeland
11
(20-12)
4

   152
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
V.J. Delmonico
Phillipsburg
12
(25-11)
1
Sam Button
Mendham
10
(29-7)
1
Michael Staufenberger
North Warren
12
(25-7)
1
Dillon Artigliere
Roxbury
10
(33-0)
2
Parker Meytrott
Montville
11
(28-4)
2
Sean Rodgers
Randolph
11
(22-5)
2
Clarke Moynihan
Kittatinny
12
(30-3)
3
Ryan Ward
Vernon
11
(22-9)
3
Niko Grello
Newton
10
(20-18)
3
Patrick VanDuyne
West Milford
11
(25-5)
4
Johnny Berry
Lakeland
12
(24-5)
4
Sean Mullin
Butler
12
(14-6)
4

   160
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Kevin Button
Mendham
12
(32-3)
1
Nathan Dow
Belvidere
12
(30-4)
1
Joe Moyer
Phillipsburg
12
(18-16)
1
John Malazinsky
Morris Knolls
12
(24-6)
2
D.J. Wagner
Morris Hills
12
(28-7)
2
Chris Olivo
Lenape Valley
12
(15-8)
2
Kieran Gerrity
Kittatinny
10
(26-7)
3
Ben Mendiburu
High Point
12
(10-4)
3
Nick Monteverdi
Jefferson
12
(17-6)
3
Keith Lemengello
Pequannock
12
(32-4)
4
Nick DePalma
DePaul
9
(23-10)
4
Brandon Ross
Wayne Valley
12
(12-19)
4

   170
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Ryan Harrington
Mendham
12
(37-0)
1
Dan Ryan
Mount Olive
12
(22-7)
1
John Sickles
West Morris
11
(26-10)
1
Michael Burns
Morris Knolls
11
(18-7)
2
Andrew LaBell
Lenape Valley
12
(30-7)
2
Peter Sutton
Roxbury
10
(14-16)
2
Kevin Pettenger
High Point
12
(19-10)
3
Jake Brook
Kittatinny
11
(21-12)
3
Deriam Guridy
Pope John
9
(10-8)
3
Steve Secor
Lakeland
12
(28-3)
4
Richard DiZenzo
West Milford
11
(22-6)
4
Keith Lopez
Pompton Lakes
11
(26-12)
4

   182
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Evan Bray
Belvidere
11
(31-3)
1
Shaun Maloy
Phillipsburg
12
(22-11)
1
Ryker Kern
Warren Hills
12
(14-9)
1
Stephen Arthur III
Roxbury
11
(20-8)
2
Austin Huelsenbeck
Morris Hills
12
(14-12)
2
Michael Rettino
Morris Knolls
11
(28-4)
2
Kyle Stoll
High Point
10
(26-5)
3
Zack Levy
Vernon
12
(21-9)
3
Garrett Armstrong
Kittatinny
10
(20-11)
3
Nick Dellaferra
Wayne Valley
12
(28-4)
4
Luke Foukas
Pequannock
11
(25-7)
4
Jimmy VanKluyve
Wayne Hills
12
(24-7)
4

   195
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Dan Hauck
North Warren
12
(23-5)
1
Derek Pierson
Phillipsburg
12
(10-8)
1
Ryan Witner
Warren Hills
10
(10-15)
1
Kyle Smith
Morris Knolls
12
(29-3)
2
Zac Kazaba
Randolph
11
(12-18)
2
Joel Albarran
Morris Catholic
12
(16-7)
2
Jake Connelly
Newton
12
(37-0)
3
Dylan Wunder
Kittatinny
10
(26-7)
3
Nicholas James-McLean
Wallkill Valley
10
(14-13)
3
Dan Marmilo
Pequannock
11
(24-12)
4
Anthony Landberg
Wayne Valley
10
(20-12)
4
Jon Fazio
Lakeland
11
(24-6)
4

   220
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Brandon Hull
Phillipsburg
12
(31-3)
1
J.B. Lawson
Belvidere
11
(29-5)
1
Dan Smith
Warren Hills
12
(24-4)
1
Billy Medve
Randolph
12
(23-10)
2
Michael Clifford
Morris Hills
12
(28-7)
2
Carlos Morales
Dover
10
(15-9)
2
Dave Tlatelpa
Vernon
12
(24-3)
3
Jake Drelich
Kittatinny
12
(22-11)
3
Gunther Wassong
High Point
10
(15-11)
3
Alex Trani
Wayne Valley
12
(28-3)
4
Jack Baumgaertel
Pompton Lakes
11
(31-8)
4
Robert Levine
Wayne Hills
12
(20-3)
4

   285
Wrestler
School
Year
Record
District
Anthony Pare
Phillipsburg
12
(29-5)
1
Zach Krulan
West Morris
12
(27-4)
1
Ryan Appleby
Belvidere
11
(29-6)
1
Jermaine Eluemunor
Morris Knolls
12
(28-2)
2
Chuck Foster
Morris Hills
12
(18-9)
2
Bobby Sperling
Lenape Valley
11
(11-7)
2
Jon Gemeinhardt
Vernon
12
(28-2)
3
Brandon Grant
Newton
12
(21-16)
3
Noah Merritt
Pope John
10
(15-13)
3
Mike Spencer
Pequannock
12
(36-0)
4
Andrew Grosser
Pompton L.
12
(28-4)
4
Brendon Narbone
Lakeland
11
(24-3)
4