Wrestling: HWS championship finals

We've reached the final round after a long day here at Hopatcong High School. Athletic director Tom Vara and his staff have done a great job with this event.

Phillipsburg has clinched its third team title in four years. We do not have the official totals as of yet.

Finalists by team

Phillipsburg 6; North Hunterdon 4; Kittatinny 3; Warren Hills 3; Hunterdon Central 2; Lenape Valley 2; High Point 2; Belvidere 2; Delaware Valley 2; Voorhees 1; Newton 1; Sparta 0; Hackettstown 0; Pope John 0; Hopatcong 0; Vernon 0; North Warren 0; Wallkill Valley 0.

Final team standings: 1. Phillipsburg 269; 2. North Hunterdon 204.5; 3. Warren Hills 191; 4. High Point 186.5; 5. Voorhees 184; 6. Kittatinny 172.5; 7. Hunterdon Central 159; 8. Delaware Valley 153; 9. Belvidere 141.5; 10. Lenape Valley 139; 11. Hopatcong 86; 12. Sparta 84; 13. Hackettstown 73; 14. Newton 63; 15. Pope John 50; 16. (tie) North Warren and Vernon 47; 18. Wallkill Valley 39.

Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Mike Pongracz, Delaware Valley (also won it in 2012).

106 pounds

5-Fr. Brandon Paetzell (15-5), Phillipsburg, md. 6-So. Paul Robinson (10-5), North Hunterdon, 13-5.

1-Takedown for Paetzell, escape for Robinson -- 2-1. Another takedown for Paetzell, 4-1. He gets a turn for two backs, then neutral -- Paetzell leads, 6-2 after one.

2-Paetzell down to start the second. Escape and takedown gives the 'Liner a 9-2 advantage. Paetzell pinned Robinson in the dual meet. An escape for Robinson and another takedown makes it 11-3 with 20 seconds to go.

3-Robinson down to start the third. Paetzell lets him up, 11-4. Another takedown makes it 13-4, under a minute to go. Robinson escapes, trails 13-5. Paetzell very impressive, keep an eye on this young man.

113 pounds

1-So. Max Nauta (12-4), Warren Hills, md. 2-Sr. Zach Fisher (14-5), Phillipsburg, 16-2.

1-Nauta with the takedown 19 seconds in. Nauta riding with a leg in, gets a one count with a power half.  Near cradle gets two backs, Nauta leads, 4-0, after one.

2-Fisher takes bottom to start the second. Another turn with the power half, Nauta leads, 7-0. Dominating on top. Another set of two backs, 9-0, as we go to the third.

3-Nauta on top to start the third. Another half for two, 11-0. Nauta gets three more backs, Fisher reversal. Nauta up 14-2. Nauta gets a reversal with 2 seconds left. Wow, that was impressive!

120 pounds

1-So. Ryan Pomrinca (16-1), North Hunterdon, d. 3-Fr. Jared Kobis (20-1), High Point, 3-2 UTB.

1-Scoreless first.

2-Kobis down to start the second. Kobis out, 1-0.

3-Pomrinca down to start the third. He's out early to tie it, 1-1.

SV-Nothing here.

OT2-Kobis down. He's out quickly, 2-1.

OT3-Pomrinca down. He's out with 5 seconds left, 2-2.

UTB-Pomrinca rides him out for the win. High Point wanted a locked hands call on Pomrinca, he had a bear hug.

126 pounds

3-Sr. Joe Kratochvil (16-1), Warren Hills, d. 1-Jr. Dylan Nace (9-6), Hunterdon Central, 2-1 SV. 

1-Scoreless after one period.

2-Nace down to start the second. He's out for a 1-0 lead. Stall warning on Nace with 35 seconds left.

3-Kratochvil down to start the third. He's out 40 seconds in, 1-1. Kratochvil in deep with 7 seconds left but can't finish.

SV-Stall warning on Nace with 29 seconds left -- that's it.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Mike Pongracz (11-0), Delaware Valley, p. 2-So. Glenn Haines (9-5), Lenape Valley, :39.

1-Takedown and half deep, PIN in :39. Pongracz repeats as HWS champion.

138 pounds

1-Jr. Gary Dinmore (13-0), Hunterdon Central, md. 2-Sr. Matt Benvenuto (10-2), Lenape Valley, 11-3.

1-Dinmore with the opening takedown, 2-0. Benvenuto escapes with 40 seconds, trails, 2-1. Takedown and two backs gives Dinmore a 6-1 lead as he seeks his first HWS title.

2-Benvenuto out in the second, 6-2. Dinmore with another takedown, 8-2.

3-Dinmore down to start the third. Escapes, leads, 9-2. Takedown with 35 seconds left makes it 11-2. Benvenuto escapes, 11-3.

145 pounds

6-Sr. Jesse Thorsen (16-0), Belvidere, d. 5-Sr. Andrew Kaluzny (13-7), Phillipsburg, 3-1. 

1-Scoreless first.

2-Thorsen out to start the second, 1-0.

3-Kaluzny down to start the third. Thorsen lets him up, 1-1. Thorsen nearly hits a headlock at the edge with 1:23 to go. Thorsen hits a nice duck under with 28 seconds left, 3-1.

152 pounds

1-Jr. Mike Ciavarro (16-2), North Hunterdon, won by forfeit over 2-So. Jimmy Schuitema (14-3), Phillipsburg.

1-Not sure what happened to Schuitema. Hurt his shoulder, holding him out as a precaution.

160 pounds

4-Jr. Jake Kocsis (13-5), Phillipsburg, d. 3-Jr. Kody Eichlin (10-2), Delaware Valley, 4-3.

1-Eichlin with the opening takedown. Escape for Kocsis, 2-1.

2-Kocsis on bottom. Escape, 2-2. Takedown with 24 seconds left, gives Kocsis a 4-2 lead.

3-Eichlin on bottom. Stall warning on Kocsis, prompts coach Dave Post to make a trip to the head table. Escape makes it, 4-3.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Jadaen Bernstein (20-0), Voorhees, d. 3-Jr. Kieran Gerrity (18-2), Kittatinny, 12-5.

1-Bernstein snatches a single for the opening takedown. Lets Gerrity up, 2-1. Another takedown late, makes it 4-1.

2-Neutral as Bernstein lets Gerrity up. Takedown and another escape, Bernstein leads, 6-3. Bernstein spins behind for another takedown with 18 seconds left, leads, 8-3.

3-Bernstein takes neutral to start. Two more takedowns and Bernstein making it look easy, 12-4 with 26 seconds left. Gerrity escapes to cap the scoring. Cougar gets his second loss to a Hunterdon County wrestler.

182 pounds

5-Sr. Josh Sibblies (16-2), Newton, d. 3-Sr. Jake Brook (17-3), Kittatinny, 1-0.

1-Sibblies nearly had two late in the period, but they're scoreless after one.

2-Brook down to start the second. Wow, he nearly had a reversal at the buzzer. Sibblies rode strong for nearly 2 minutes -- still, 0-0.

3-Sibblies on bottom. Escape with one minute left. Sibblies warned for stalling with 13 seconds -- bizarre since Brook hasn't taken one shot.

195 pounds

2-Jr. Kyle Stoll (16-3), High Point, d. 1-Sr. Dan Pepe (10-5), North Hunterdon, 3-1. 

1-Scoreless after one.

2-Pepe on bottom, escapes 34 seconds in. Stoll with the takedown, leads, 2-1.

3-Stoll down, Pepe lets him go -- 3-1.

220 pounds

2-Sr. J.B. Lawson (13-3), Belvidere, d. Jr. Garrett Armstrong (16-3), Kittatinny, 3-2 OT (rideout). 

1-Armstrong won their first meeting, 2-0, on Dec. 27 at the Cougar Classic. Scoreless first period here.

2-Armstrong defers, Lawson takes bottom. Lawson out quickly, 1-0.'

3-Armstrong on bottom. He's out, 1-1.

SV-Nothing, Lawson nearly had two late.

OT2-Armstrong down. He's out for a 2-1 lead.

OT3-Lawson down. Reversal with 19 seconds and hangs on for the win.

285 pounds

7-So. Andrew Pacheco (15-4), Warren Hills, d. 4-Sr. Jarrett Williams (16-4), Phillipsburg, 12-10 UTB.

Pacheco with the five-pointer in the first period, but Williams rallied back. Great match, that I missed most of doing interviews.