Wrestling: Final New Jersey Writers Top 20

The South Plainfield High School wrestling team, whose five core seniors led the Tigers to three state championships in four state finals appearances, was unanimously named the Garden State’s No. 1 team in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association’s final 2012-13 poll.

The Tigers, who finished with a 30-0 record including their first title in the prestigious Virginia National Duals, led the weekly rankings from wire to wire, receiving a No. 1 vote from all of the association’s 17 members on every weekly ballot.

South Plainfield averaged an astounding 52.2 points per dual meet and defeated opponents by an average margin of 37.9 points. St. Peter’s Prep and Bergen Catholic, who lost by 11 and 14 points, respectively, gave the Tigers their toughest matches among New Jersey foes, while McDonogh of Maryland dropped a two-point decision to South Plainfield in the Virginia National Duals final.

The Tigers own a 43-match winning streak and have defeated 50 consecutive in-state opponents, falling last to a New Jersey school with a 29-28 loss to St. Peter’s Prep on Jan. 6, 2012. South Plainfield has recorded 192 pins and its wrestlers boast a combined 387-128 record.
 
Here is the final Top 20 (Open Mike area teams are bolded):

Rank	School	Record	Votes	Prev
1	South Plainfield	30-0	340	1
2	Bergen Catholic	19-1	323	2
3	Brick Memorial	24-2	306	3
4	Don Bosco Prep	13-5	278	4
5	Bound Brook	23-3	272	4
6	Toms River South	24-4	266	7
7	St. Peter's Prep	18-5	228	9
8	Southern	13-6	218	12
9	Hunterdon Central	18-2	203	6
10	Phillipsburg	13-4	183	8
11	High Point	20-4	182	14
12	Delbarton	14-3	146	10
13	Howell	26-4	122	16
14	Jackson Memorial	15-7	94	13
15	Hanover Park	13-6	93	NR
16	Kittatinny	21-3	88	11
17	Delsea	24-3	77	15
18	Long Branch	19-6	66	NR
19	Voorhees	23-5	28	17
20	St. Joe-Montvale	13-4	27	NR

Others receiving votes: Brick Township 16, Shawnee 10, Camden Catholic 6, Warren Hills 2, North Hunterdon 1.

Open Mike's ballot
1. South Plainfield
2. Bergen Catholic
3. Brick Memorial
4. Toms River South
5. Don Bosco Prep
6. Bound Brook
7. St. Peter’s Prep
8. Southern
9. Hunterdon Central
10. Phillipsburg
11. High Point
12. Howell
13. Jackson Memorial
14. Delsea
15. Long Branch
16. Delbarton
17. Hanover Park
18. Kittatinny
19. Voorhees
20. Brick Township

NJWWA voting members (in alphabetical order): Bob Behre (Trenton Times); Donald J. Brower (MorrisCountyHSWrestling.com); Patrick Buganski (The Mat Pack); Frank D’Esposito (TheShoreConference.com); Steve Falk (Asbury Park Press of Neptune and Hitting the Mats); Brian Fortner (Express-Times); Harry Frezza (Courier News of Bridgewater); Joe Hofmann (Daily Record of Parsippany); Screwy Louie Lazzari (New Jersey Wrestling Historian); John Lewis (Burlington County Times); Ron Mazzola (On the Mat); Tom McGuirk (Daily Journal of Vineland); John O’Kane (Atlantic City Press); Anthony Spaulding (New Jersey Herald); Greg Tufaro (Home News Tribune of East Brunswick); Mike Weilamann (Open Mike/Mugs Media); Joe Zedalis (Trenton Times).