Wrestling: Region 1 individual rankings

106 pounds

1. So. William Kui, DePaul

2. Fr. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg

3. So. Dom Gallo, High Point

4. Sr. Stephen Caserta, Roxbury

5. Fr. Garrett O’Shea, Morris Knolls

Keep an eye on: Jr. Austin Sisco, Pope John

Notes: Kui and Caserta are the only returning Region 1 qualifiers here. Neither won a match last year. Kui gets the nod based on a win over Camden Catholic state placewinner Tyler McBride. Paetzell is the wild card here – tough freshman who hasn’t met up with anyone on this list but placed higher than McBride at the Bethlehem Holiday Classic. Patezell also defeated Jake Jones of Stroudsburg – son of former High Point region champ Chris Jones – 5-1. Jones beat McBride, 1-0. Gallo won 16 bouts as a freshman before being bumped out of the postseason lineup. He has a common opponent with Caserta in Kittatinny’s Jake Van Wingerden – Caserta won, 11-0, while Gallo won, 10-2. O’Shea is another good frosh, falling in SV to Caserta.

113 pounds

1. So. Max Nauta, Warren Hills

2. Sr. Zach Fisher, Phillipsburg

3. Jr. Bryan Damon, Jefferson

4. So. Dylan Luciano, West Morris

5. Jr. Christian Silva, Kittatinny

Keep an eye on: Fr. Aaron Merkey, Lenape Valley.

Notes: Pretty wide open class. Nauta was a region finalist at 106 last year, while Fisher returns here after winning a District 1 title. No doubt he would have placed if not for a thumb injury sustained prior to regions. Damon was a D3 champ last year at 106 and lost in the wrestleback semis. Luciano has been as high as 126 last year, but is now at 113 where he’s unbeaten. He advanced to the R1 wrestleback semis last year at 106. Silva is much improved after a fourth-place finish in D3 at 106.

120 pounds

1. Fr. Jared Kobis, High Point

2. Sr. Cory Fleming, West Morris

3. So. A.J. Vindici, Randolph

4. So. Tyler Hrycak, Wayne Valley

5. So. Steve Friedman, Phillipsburg

Keep an eye on: Jr. Matt Ritchie, North Warren; Jr. Devon LaFranco, Roxbury; Jr. Tai Adetula, Warren Hills.

Notes: Tough class to call. Kobis is an impressive freshman who has beaten some tough customers, including Brick Memorial state medal winner Joe Ghione. Kobis is unbeaten. Fleming was fourth in Region 1 last year at 113 and gave a good account in a 3-1 loss to North Hunterdon state placer Ryan Pomrinca at the Goles Tournament. Fleming beat Vindici, 15-8, this season but was pinned by Morris Knolls’ Michael Nigro up one weight class. Nonetheless, Fleming is penalized for it. Hrycak was fourth in the region at 106 last year – losing 6-5 to Vindici. Both beat Friedman last year. LaFranco, a region finalist last year, didn’t make the cut due to a 5-0 loss to Ritchie, who didn’t make it out of D1 last year, and has three losses this season.

126 pounds

1. So. David McFadden, DePaul

2. Sr. Joe Kratochvil, Warren Hills

3. So. Corey Zinsmeister, Phillipsburg

4. So. Ian Burke, Sparta

5. So. Peter Lipari, Lenape Valley

Keep an eye on: Fr. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny; Jr. Kevin Hernandez, Roxbury; So. Anthony Fano, Montville.

Notes: McFadden was a state finalist at 113 last year and is the clear No. 1. Kratochvil was a Region 1 runner-up at this weight last year. Zinsmeister is one to watch as evidenced by his recent 8-0 major of Delbarton’s Matt Davis – a placewinner at the Beast of the East. Burke is a solid sophomore, whose only loss is 8-5 to Iselin Kennedy state finalist Carl Buttitta. Lipari recently returned to the lineup after missing time with a concussion. The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex champ at 106 last year is reportedly dropping to 120 at some point.

132 pounds

1. Sr. Sam Tareky, Wayne Valley

2. So. Glenn Haines, Lenape Valley

3. So. David Migliaccio, West Morris

4. Jr. Jake Legotte, Roxbury

5. Sr. Joe Hocking, Wallkill Valley

Keep an eye on: So. Eric Friedman, Mendham.

Notes: Tareky won a Region 1 title at 126 last year, while Haines was a runner-up at 120. Tareky lost for the first time in New Jersey this season, 3-1, to Delbarton state placer Nick Anderson on Saturday. Hocking has been around the block and made it to the wrestleback semis at 138 last year. Migliaccio and Friedman were one-and-done last year at 120 and 126, respectively. Migliaccio has a 7-2 win over Legotte – a Region 1 semifinalist last year. Friedman, who has one loss at 132, – 6-2 to McFadden – beat Bound Brook’s Zachary Vatalare, 2-0 in SV, on Saturday.

138 pounds

1. Sr. Nick Matthews, West Morris

2. So. Tom Murphy, Kittatinny

3. So. Max Elling, Phillipsburg

4. Sr. Matt Benvenuto, Lenape Valley

5. Sr. Jim Lodema, Wallkill Valley

Keep an eye on: Fr. Tim VanLenten, Vernon.

Notes: Matthews is still unbeaten and was third at this weight last year. Elling beat Benvenuto, 13-4, for third place at 126 last year. Murphy is off to a great start – pinning Haines – and reached the wrestleback semis at 132 last year. He also had a win over Hackettstown’s Tyler Kozimor last year – the R1 champ at this weight.

145 pounds

1. So. Jason Gaccione, High Point

2. Sr. Tyler Kozimor, Hackettstown

3. Sr. Jesse Thorsen, Belvidere

4. Jr. Nick Romyns, Kittatinny

5. Sr. Brandon Carcuffe, West Morris

Keep an eye on: Jr. Jonathan Patane, Roxbury; Sr. Andrew Kaluzny, Phillipsburg; Sr. A.J. Bongiovanni, Hopatcong.

Notes: Gaccione was a semifinalist last year at 132. Kozimor was upset in the Caldwell Tournament finals by Hunterdon Central’s Tim Higginson. Thorsen is healthy again and looks real good so far. He beat Romyns, 3-2, and pinned Patane, who was fourth at 132 last year. Carcuffe’s only loss is 2-1 in UTB to North Hunterdon’s Mike Ciavarro.

152 pounds

1. So. Jimmy Schuitema, Phillipsburg

2. So. Luke Bohn, Jefferson

3. Sr. Sean Rodgers, Randolph

4. Fr. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls

5. Jr. Dominic LaBell, Lenape Valley

Keep an eye on: Jr. Tommy Hooker, High Point; Sr. Stephen Satmaria, Roxbury.

Notes: Schuitema was third at 132 last year and had good showings in two tough tournaments this year – King of the Mountain (second) and Bethlehem Holiday (fifth). Bohn was a semifinalist at 145 last year and reached the wrestleback semis. Rodgers was one-and-done at 152. Drugac is an impressive freshman – his only loss by pin to South Plainfield’s Dylan Painton. LaBell beat Satmaria, 4-3, who lost, 2-1, to Drugac.

160 pounds

1. Jr. Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury

2. Sr. Patrick VanDuyne, West Milford

3. Jr. Sam Button, Mendham

4. Sr. John Sickles, West Morris

5. Sr. Ryan Ward, Vernon

Keep an eye on: Jr. Nick Carey, DePaul; Jr. Jake Kocsis, Phillipsburg.

Notes: No doubt about No. 1. Artigliere, a Region 1 runner-up last year and fifth in the state at 152, may be the best wrestler in Region 1 and is among the state title favorites. He’s already majored Button and VanDuyne, who was fourth in R1 at 152 last year. Sickles has one loss at 160 since dropping down from 170. Ward, a D3 runner-up, was one-and-done here last year.

170 pounds

1. Sr. Parker Meytrott, Montville

2. Jr. Kieran Gerrity, Kittatinny

3. So. Tim Byrne, Mendham

4. So. D.J. Barrett, Lenape Valley

5. Sr. Richard DiZenzo, West Milford

Keep an eye on: Jr. Antonio Porraspita, High Point; Sr. James Monaghan, Roxbury.

Notes: Not a very deep weight. Meytrott was a semifinalist at 152 last year, falling, 2-0, to champion Clarke Moynihan, who placed fourth in the state. Gerrity was third at 160 in R1 last year. Byrne was pinned by Gerrity at the Cougar Classic. Barrett lost, 3-0, to Gerrity and 9-0 to Meytrott. Barrett beat DiZenzo, 5-3, and Delaware Valley’s Luke Zehnbauer, 9-8, up at 182.

182 pounds

1. So. Nick DePalma, DePaul

2. Sr. Evan Bray, Belvidere

3. Sr. Michael Burns, Morris Knolls

4. Jr. Dylan Wunder, Kittatinny

5. Sr. Josh Sibblies, Newton

Keep an eye on: Sr. Stephen Arthur III, Roxbury.

Notes: DePalma opened some eyes with an 11-2 major of Bray, a Region 1 champ here last year, at the Cougar Classic. He also beat Franklin’s Kurtis Hewitt, 3-1. Bray lost to Hewitt, 10-3. Bray majored Wunder, 14-5. Wunder was a D3 runner-up at 195 last season and weighs in the low 70s. Burns beat Sibblies, 3-2, on Saturday in the Boresch Duals. Keep an eye on Sibblies, who has missed most of the last two seasons with knee injuries. He gave North Hunterdon state placer Liam Korbul all he could handle in the John Goles semifinals.

195 pounds

1. Jr. Anthony Landberg, Wayne Valley

2. Sr. Jake Brook, Kittatinny

3. Jr. Kyle Stoll, High Point

4. Sr. Kristian Barrett, Lenape Valley

5. Jr. Jesse Windt, West Morris

Keep an eye on: Sr. Ronny Cobilich, Montville; So. Gus Protogeropoulos, Newton.

Notes: Brook beat Stoll, 2-1, in a rideout barnburner on Friday. Both were third-place finishers last year at 170 and 182, respectively. Landberg was a runner-up at this weight last year, so he gets the nod for now. Barrett lost, 9-8, to Brook in a dual.

220 pounds

1. Jr. Garrett Armstrong, Kittatinny

2. Sr. J.B. Lawson, Belvidere

3. Sr. Robert Levine, Wayne Hills

4. Jr. Bobby McDonnell, High Point

5. Sr. Pete Andrich, Mount Olive

Keep an eye on: Sr. Jon Fazio, Lakeland.

Notes: Armstrong is off to a good start and scored a 2-0 win over Lawson, third at 220 last year, in the Cougar Classic. Lawson pinned Levine for the bronze last year and beat him, 4-2, on Saturday. McDonnell lost to Armstrong, 2-0, on Friday.

285 pounds

1. Sr. Ryan Appleby, Belvidere

2. Sr. William Wenzel, West Milford

3. Sr. Brendon Narbone, Lakeland

4. Sr. Jarrett Williams, Phillipsburg

5. So. Andrew Pacheco, Warren Hills

Keep an eye on: Jr. Noa Merritt, Pope John.

Notes: Appleby reached the wrestleback semis last year and owns a 13-7 win over Pacheco, whom he has beaten two out of three career meetings. Narbone was third in D4 last year. Wenzel and Narbone are both unbeaten. Watch out for Williams, a favorite among the P’burg fans. He’s athletic and has done well in two tough tournaments this year. Pacheco is a good sophomore who has the talent to make some noise here.