Monday, February 29, 2016

Wrestling: State Tournament schedule, stats

What: 83rd State Wrestling Championships.

Where: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday's schedule: Preliminaries, 5 p.m.; pre-quarterfinals, to follow.

Saturday's schedule: Wrestlebacks (first-round losers on Friday), 10 a.m.; quarterfinals and second round of wrestlebacks to follow; semifinals and third round of wrestlebacks, 5 p.m.; fourth round of wrestlebacks to follow.

Sunday's schedule: Fifth round of wrestlebacks, 10 a.m.; consolation finals (third through eighth places), 11 a.m.; championships, 3 p.m.

Returning state champions (8, 2016 weights): So. Gerard Angelo, Bergen Catholic (120); Sr. Brandon Cray, Steinert (fourth-2014, 120); Sr. Ty Agaisse, Delbarton (seventh-2013, first-2014, second-2015, 126); Sr. Nick Suriano, Bergen Catholic (first-2013, first-2014, 126); So. Shane Griffith, Bergen Catholic (138); Sr. Kyle Bierdumpfel, Don Bosco Prep (second-2013, second-2014, 160); Sr. Joe Grello, Bergen Catholic (eighth-2014, 170); Sr. Kevin Mulligan, Bergen Catholic (sixth-2014, 195).

Returning medal winners (46, previous finishes, 2016 weights): So. Patrick Glory, Delbarton (second-2015, 113); Sr. Sebastian Rivera, Christian Brothers (fifth-2014, '15, 113); Sr. Jonathan Tropea, St. Joseph-Montvale (eighth-2014, third-2015, 113); So. Carmen Ferrante, Bergen Catholic (eighth-2015, 113); Jr. Shane Metzler, West Morris (fourth-2015, 120); So. Richie Koehler, Christian Brothers (sixth-2015, 120); Jr. Gianni Ghione, Brick Memorial (second-2015, 120); So. Joe Casey, Bound Brook (seventh-2015, 120); Jr. Trace Kinner, Kingsway (sixth-2015, 120); Sr. Garrett O'Shea, Morris Knolls (sixth-2014, fourth-2015, 126); So. Quinn Kinner, Kingsway (fifth-2015, 126); Sr. Troy Stanich, Roxbury (sixth-2015, 126); Jr. John Burger, New Milford (seventh-2015, 126); Sr. Kyle DiNapoli, Voorhees (eighth-2015, 126); Sr. Alec Kelly, St. Peter's Prep (third-2014, third-2015, 132); Sr. Owen McClave, Toms River South (fifth-2015, 132); Sr. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg (fifth-2013, second-2014, 132); Sr. Sam Schneider, Emerson-Park Ridge (seventh-2015, 132); Sr. Chris Wolf, Haddon Township (seventh-2014, 132); Sr. Zack Firestone, Clearview (fifth-2014, third-2015, 132); Sr. Nick Farro, Delbarton (sixth-2014, '15, 132); Sr. Michael Van Brill, Clearview (fifth-2015, 138); Sr. Mark McCormick, Camden Catholic (fourth-2014, seventh-2015, 138); Sr. Kris Lindemann, Howell (sixth-2014, 138); Sr. Mohammed Farhan, Clifton (fourth-2015, 145); So. Michael O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights (fifth-2015, 145); Sr. Alex Sebahie, Paramus (eighth-2014, sixth-2015, 152); Jr. Mekhi Lewis, Bound Brook (seventh-2014, third-2015, 145); Jr. Stephan Glasgow, Bound Brook (second-2015, 152); Jr. Dominick Mandarino, Don Bosco Prep (seventh-2015, 152); Jr. Kyle Cochran, Paramus (eighth-2015, 160); Sr. Tyler Mullen, Old Tappan (fifth-2015, 160); Sr. Anthony Oliveri, Hanover Park (seventh-2015, 170); Sr. Brett Donner, Wall (third-2014, 170); Sr. Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills (fifth-2015, 170); Sr. Jala 'a Darwish, Passaic Valley (sixth-2015, 170); Jr. Brandon Kui, DePaul (eighth-2015, 182); Sr. Kyle Murphy, Bridgewater-Raritan (seventh-2015, 182); Sr. Niko Cappello, Cranford (seventh-2015, 182); Jr. Joseph McKenzie, Wall (sixth-2015, 195); Sr. Matt Correnti, Holy Cross (eighth-2013, third-2014, second-2015, 220); Sr. Scott Lavelle, DePaul (third-2015, 220); Jr. Robert Melise, Phillipsburg (fifth-2015, 220); Jr. Nick Rivera, Brick Memorial (second-2015, 285); Sr. Anthony Porcaro, Sayreville (fifth-2015, 285); Sr. Joe Longobardi, River Dell (eighth-2015, 285).

Returning medal winners by region:

Region 1 (8, Metzler, O'Shea, Stanich, Paetzell, Kilroy, Kui, Lavelle, Melise)
Region 2 (15, Tropea, Ferrante, Angelo, Suriano, Burger, Schneider, Griffith, Bierdumpfel, Sebahie, Mandarino, Cochran, Mullen, Grello, Mulligan, Longobardi)
Region 3 (5, Glory, Agaisse, Farro, Oliveri, Cappello)
Region 4 (4, Kelly, Farhan, O'Malley, Darwish)
Region 5 (6, Casey, DiNapoli, Lewis, Glasgow, Murphy, Porcaro)
Region 6 (8, Rivera, Ghione, Koehler, McClave, Lindemann, Donner, McKenzie, Rivera)
Region 7 (4, Cray, Wolf, McCormick, Correnti)
Region 8 (4, T. Kinner, Q. Kinner, Firestone, Van Brill)

Wrestling: Regions 1 and 5 by the numbers

We're racing to the finish line in the high school season, but before we start to focus on the 83rd State Championships in Atlantic City, let's once again take a look at some of the highlights from a great weekend at the region tournaments that house teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.

31 -- We have that many wrestlers from Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex moving on to next weekend's state tournament, including six from Phillipsburg, In all, 19 advanced out of Region 1. Over in Region 5, Hunterdon Central and Delaware Valley each had five qualifiers.

Phillipsburg and Roxbury had three champions in Region 1.
6 -- Phillipsburg took over at Region 1 by putting a tournament-best six wrestlers in the finals for the first time since doing so in 2002, including producing three champions -- Brandon Paetzell (132), Brian Meyer (145) and Robert Melise (220) -- for the first time since three winners in '06. Paetzell became just the fifth Stateliner to win three region titles while also earning his 100th career win. Kyle Markus (113), DJ Wissing (152) and Kyle Nothnagel also earned a trip to Atlantic City with second-place finishes. Six is also the program's record for number of champions in one tournament, set in 1989. What's even more impressive about that feat is P'burg, now with 118 champions overall, had seven finalists that year when there were 13 weight classes!

3 -- Number of forfeit wins for Hackettstown wrestlers at Region 1. One forfeit is a bit rare, but three in one tournament for wrestlers on the same team? That's really odd. In the quarterfinals, Anthony Carida got a walkover to the semifinals as top-seeded Jared Kobis of High Point was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury at 145 pounds. Sophomore Alex Carida, who finished third at 132 pounds, was next to get his hand raised without a match in the first round of consolations. Lastly, senior Joe Renne advanced to the third-place bout at 126 when DePaul's Damian Maver forfeited after eliminating Warren Hills junior Matt Valli, 10-5, and spoiling a Renne-Valli rematch of their exciting District 1 final. Renne's forfeit win also gave him the Tigers' all-time victories record. He finishes 123-35 overall after placing fourth.

96 -- After being shut out last year in Region 5 for the first time since 2008, Hunterdon Central got back on the board with two champions -- Hunter Graf (113) and Victor Lacombe (220) -- to raise the program's total to 96. Also advancing for the Red Devils were runners-up Jack Bauer (106) and Michael Iodice (170), along with third-place finisher Kevin Ciresa (145).

5 -- Delaware Valley did not have a champion in Region 5 for the third straight year, but the Terriers will have five wrestlers making the trip to Atlantic City. AJ DeRosa (113), Connor Mills (138) and Kyle Lightner (182) were runners-up, while Matt Kolonia (132) and Kyle Schlittler (195) took thirds. Del Val has 42 region champs in its history, including 16 since moving to Region 5 in 2001.

46 -- High Point senior Kevin Lewis stunned Nothnagel, 8-6, to claim the Region 1 title at 285. It was sweet redemption for Lewis, who dropped a 6-3 decision to Nothnagel in last year's third-place bout at 285. Since 2005, the Wildcats have won 35 of their 46 region titles. Lewis, who wrestled at 195 for most of the season to help the team, should have garnered a few votes for OW by knocking off a No. 1 seed and one of the biggest favorites in the tournament.

18 -- Freshman JoJo Aragona (36-0), one of four unbeaten wrestlers in the Region 1 finals to win titles, ended Pope John's drought by becoming the Sussex County school's 18th champion and first since Brandon Perez won at 215 pounds in 2004. Aragona, who helped give the Lions four district champions for the first time since '88, is now looking to become the school's sixth state champ and first since Brian Unkert won at 145 pounds in '90. The legendary Mike Frick is the only other Pope John wrestler to win a region title in his freshman season.

35 -- Voorhees senior Kyle DiNapoli became the Vikings' 35th Region 5 champion by winning the 126-pound title. DiNapoli (28-0), who placed eighth in the state tournament last season, missed a good portion of the season with a concussion. DiNapoli, who is 124-26 overall and one of just 12 Voorhees wrestlers to win at least three District 17 titles, recently moved past coach Eric Hall (120-19 from 1992-96) for second place on the Hunterdon County school's all-time wins list.

34 -- Wallkill Valley Regional High School has been hosting Region 1 for 34 straight years and continues to do a fantastic job showcasing some outstanding wrestling. The atmosphere in that gym is fabulous, especially when the action gets hot and heavy. Unfortunately, Saturday was marred by a rather ugly scene during a 220-pound consolation bout when a losing wrestler punched his opponent in the face after being pinned as the two stood near the circle, presumably to shake hands. In over 30 years of watching and covering this sport, that was one thing I had not seen and hope to never witness again.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Wrestling: Paetzell, 'Liners earn high marks at R1

HARDYSTON -- Phillipsburg senior Brandon Paetzell was happy to be back after a one-year absence. Seemed as if he never went away.

Paetzell, who has battled a pair of hand injuries the last two seasons, dominated the 132-pound weight class for his third Region 1 championship on Saturday at Wallkill Valley Regional High School.

Sophomore Brian Meyer (145) and junior Robert Melise (220) won their first Region 1 titles, while Kyle Markus (113), DJ Wissing (152) and Kyle Nothnagel (285) finished second, as the Stateliners advanced a tournament-best six wrestlers to Atlantic City for next weekend's State Championships. It's the most region finalists for the Warren County school since its six in 2002, when coach Dave Post won a title as a junior for the 'Liners.

Paetzell also made history by becoming just the fifth Phillipsburg wrestler to win three region titles, joining former head coach  Rick Thompson (1970-71, '73), John Rutledge (1977, '79-80), John Barna (1980-82) and Marc DeFrancesco (1994-96). All but Rutledge, who was third in 1980 and fourth twice in '77 and '79, won state titles as well. No one at P'burg has won four region championships.
Region 1 champs for 2016 (missing is Austin Scrivani and Daniel Kilroy).

"That's some pretty elite company," said Paetzell, who also picked up his 100th career win in the finals with a workmanlike 15-2 major of Hopatcong sophomore Anthony Mastroeni. "I don't want to pat myself on the back, but I'm proud of myself after all the adversity and injuries. But I'm not satisfied. I have one more job to finish."

The next task would be to become Phillipsburg's 34th state champion and first since Brandon Hull won at 220 pounds in 2012 to snap the Stateliners' 15-year title drought. Paetzell (12-3), a three-time District 1 champion, was fifth in the state as freshman and second as a sophomore before a thumb injury ended his junior season with a 12-0 record.

"I'm just going to have a lot more fun with it. The last two times down [in AC] there was a lot of pressure on me," Paetzell said. "I'm excited. This is my last chance, but I can't be so intense. I have to let it fly. When I'm enjoying myself, that's usually when I wrestle the best."

Against Mastroeni, who was a fourth-place finisher last year, Paetzell went to work early on their feet, converting two of his four takedowns in the first period. Paetzell added three sets of two-point near-falls over the final four minutes. Getting that 100th win also was pretty special.

"I definitely wanted to get my 100th win. It was in the back of my mind," said Paetzell, who likely would have shattered the school record for wins (held by Max Elling with 128) had he stayed healthy for four years. "The funny thing is I thought I was going to get my 100th win in AC, but I got a forfeit win in districts. Down there, no one would have been able to enjoy it as much as here. I'm really excited for next weekend."

Meyer (32-8) did what good wrestlers do and capitalized on a big opportunity with an impressive 7-3 win over Montville's Dominic Fano in the 145-pound final, which opened up considerably when top-seeded Jared Kobis of Hiugh Point withdrew before the quarterfinals due to a knee injury.

Lenape Valley junior Nick Palumbo, who was in the bottom bracket as the No. 3 seed, dropped a 2-1 decision to Fano, the No. 2 seed, in the semifinals. Meyer, who lost twice to Palumbo this season, earned a trip to the finals with a 5-2 win over Hackettstown's Anthony Carida in a rematch of their District 1 final.

In a rematch of last year's 220-pound final, Melise avenged a loss to DePaul's Scott Lavelle with a thrilling 3-1 decision in sudden-victory overtime. In 2015, Melise (37-2), who finished fifth in the state last season, was decked by Lavelle, who was third in the state, in 3:30.

Melise wrestled a smarter match this time around, converting the winning takedown off a duck under with four seconds left on the clock.

JoJo going for gold


Pope John freshman JoJo Aragona (36-0), as expected, rolled to the 106-pound championship with a 17-7 major over Jefferson's Mason Godfrey, a surprise finalist as the No. 6 seed. Godfrey pinned Warren Hills freshman Cody Harrison, the No. 2 seed, with a headlock in the semifinals.

In doing so, Aragona became the 19th to win a region title for the Lions and their first champ since Brandon Perez won at 215 pounds in 2004. Aragona also is just the second freshman at his school to win since the legendary Mike Frick won the first of four in 1969.

As for being a favorite to win a state gold medal and end Pope John's drought -- Brian Unkert was the last to win for the Lions in 1990 -- Aragona isn't looking too far ahead.

"I'm just taking it one at a time," he said. "I want to thank my drilling partners [Christian Deehan, Jake Rotunda and Robbie Garcia] and my coaches for helping me get this far."

Rotunda, a sophomore, was a runner-up for the second straight year, dropping a 14-3 decision to West Morris' Shane Metzler, a two-time champion, at 120. Garcia finished third at 126, while sophomore Jake Brown picked up a third at 182.

Weight a minute


The 126-pound class was extremely unforgiving with as many as five wrestlers more than capable of winning on any other year. In the end, Roxbury's Troy Stanich topped Butler's Garrett O'Shea, 3-1, in the second tiebreaker. Stanich, who had been second and third in his career, also earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award.

How cruel was this weight class? Consider that Hackettstown senior Joe Renne, a Region 1 champion last year, finished fourth and did not advance. His season ended with an 8-2 loss to Garcia, who also topped Renne, 11-8, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament semifinals on Jan. 9.

Renne (31-7) made school history in the consolation semifinals with a forfeit victory to become Hackettstown's all-time victories leader at 123-35. Cory Vernon previously held the mark (122-19 from 2003-07).

Warren Hills junior Matt Valli, who entered the postseason unbeaten, dropped a 10-5 decision to DePaul's Damian Maver in the first round of wrestlebacks. Valli finished his season at 33-3.

Back points


Paetzell became the 20th wrestler in P'burg history to amass 100 career wins with his victory in the finals. Nothnagel is sitting on 98 wins as he heads to Atlantic City. Melise picked up win No. 80 in the championship round.

Sophomore Jarod Ostir made it 2-for-2 for Warren Hills in the third-place consolation round and earned his first trip to AC. Ostir (16-9), who went 3-0 after getting pinned by two-time champ Daniel Kilroy in the quarters, bumped up from 160 to 170 for the postseason and the move paid off as he defeated Sparta senior Al Falco, 5-2, to advance.

In addition to the four from Pope John and Mastroeni, Sussex County will send four others to AC as Kittatinny senior Austin Scrivani (138) and High Point senior Kevin Lewis (285) won their first titles. Lenape Valley had two thirds in Jacob Falleni (113) and Palumbo.

Lewis, who was fourth at 285 last year, avenged a loss to Nothnagel in the third-place consolations with an 8-6 win in the finals. Lewis (29-8), the No. 2 seed, became High Point's 46th region champ. It was another case of making the right move as Lewis wrestled at 195 most of the regular season. He trailed, 4-2, after two periods before a tying it with a reversal and adding two takedowns in the third, including the winner with 12 seconds left on the clock.

North Warren senior Anthony Duardo enjoyed a much better Saturday than he did a week ago by finishing third at 152 to earn his first trip to states after a one-and-done here as a junior. Duardo (34-3), a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament champ, was pinned by Wissing in the District 1 finals.

The Region 1 Hall of Fame inducted three new members as former state champions Dave Zabriskie of High Point, Chris Skretkowicz of Wallkill Valley and Jamie Wicks of Delaware Valley were enshrined prior to the finals. Everyone enjoyed seeing the talented and classy trio, Zabriskie, a national champ at Iowa State, is training for the Olympic freestyle team, while Skretkowicz, a three-time All-American at Hofstra, is the head coach at Virginia Military Institute. Wicks, a two-time state champ in 1987 and '88, is still the Terriers' all-time leader in winning percentage (94.85 with a 92-5 career mark).

Wrestling: Region 1 championship results

The top three finishers at each weight class advance to the 83rd State Wrestling Championships on March 4-6 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Qualifiers by school

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

Championships

132 -- 1-Sr. Brandon Paetzell (12-3, D1-1), Phillipsburg, md. 3-So. Anthony Mastroeni (35-5, D2-1), Hopatcong, 15-2.
138 -- 1-Sr. Austin Scrivani (34-1, D3-1), Kittatinny, p. 2-Jr. Chris Grecco (37-2, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, 4:50.
145 -- 4-So. Brian Meyer (32-8, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 2-Jr. Dominic Fano (36-2, D2-1), Montville, 7-3.
152 -- 4-Sr. Tommy Miller (28-5, D2-2), Roxbury, d. 2-Sr. DJ Wissing (25-5, D1-1), Phillipsburg, 5-2.
160 -- 1-Sr. Craig Roumes (31-0, D2-1), Roxbury, d. 2-Sr. Christian DalCais (36-3, D4-1), West Milford, 4-1.
170 -- 2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (33-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, injury default over 1-Sr. Spencer Carey (29-8, D4-1), DePaul, 3:59.
182 -- 1-Jr. Brandon Kui (35-1, D4-1), DePaul, d. 2-Sr. Luke Drugac (34-2, D2-1), Morris Knolls, 11-5.
195 -- 1-Sr. Dean Drugac (35-0, D2-1), Morris Knolls, d. 3-Sr. Patrick Daly (30-4, D4-2), Pequannock, 3-1.
220 -- 2-Jr. Robert Melise (37-2, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 1-Sr. Scott Lavelle (30-4, D4-1), DePaul, 3-1 SV.
285 -- 2-Sr. Kevin Lewis (29-8, D3-1), High Point, d. 1-Sr. Kyle Nothnagel (35-5, D1-1), Phillipsburg, 8-6.
106 -- 1-Fr. Joe Aragona (36-0, D3-1), Pope John, md. 6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (33-7, D3-3), Jefferson, 17-7.
113 -- 2-Jr. Daniel Percelay (31-5, D4-1), DePaul, d. 1-Sr. Kyle Markus (32-7, D1-1), Phillipsburg, 3-0.
120 -- 1-Jr. Shane Metzler (35-0, D1-1), West Morris, md. 2-So. Jake Rotunda (31-4, D3-1), Pope John, 14-3.
126 -- 2-Sr. Troy Stanich (30-2, D2-1), Roxbury, d. 1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (35-2, D4-1), Butler, 3-1 TB2.
Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Troy Stanich, Roxbury.
Coach of the Year -- Jim Dolan, Roxbury.
Assistant Coach of the Year -- Billy Romano, Mount Olive.

Third-place consolations

106 -- 2-Fr. Cody Harrison (22-6, D1-1), Warren Hills, d. 4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (33-6, D1-3), Belvidere, 6-5.
113 -- 4-Jr. Jacob Falleni (23-10, D2-1), Lenape Valley, d. 8-Fr. Scott Jarosz (24-10, D2-2), Roxbury, 7-4.
120 -- 4-Jr. Connor Murphy (33-5, D4-1), Wayne Valley, d. 8-Sr. Tom Kosar (18-12, D1-2), Phillipsburg, 5-3.
126 -- 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (32-5, D3-1), Pope John, d. 3-Sr. Joe Renne (31-7, D1-1), Hackettstown, 8-2.
132 -- So. Alex Carida (32-7, D1-2), Hackettstown, d. 5-So. Connor Meytrott (32-7, D2-2), Montville, 11-7.
138 -- 4-Sr. Jayson Parisi (33-6, D2-1), Morris Knolls, d. 5-Jr. Kade Loughney (27-10), West Morris, 3-1.
145 -- 3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (33-7, D2-2), Lenape Valley, p. 6-Sr. Jake Vanwingerden (23-13), Kittatinny, 3:11.
152 -- Sr. Anthony Duardo (34-3, D1-2), North Warren, p. 5-Jr. Joey Schiele (30-7, D2-3), Morris Hills, 3:23.
160 -- 4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (32-7, D1-2), West Morris, p. 5-Sr. Lance Fischer (16-6, D3-1), Newton, 5:19.
170 -- 7-So. Jarod Ostir (16-9, D1-1), Warren Hills, d. 3-Sr. Al Falco (32-7, D3-1), Sparta, 5-2.
182 -- 4-So. Jake Brown (31-7, D3-1), Pope John, d. 3-Sr. David LoCascio (26-5, D4-2), Kinnelon, 5-3 SV.
195 -- 2-Jr. Joseph Soreco (31-6, D4-1), DePaul, md. 4-Jr. Drew Horun (29-7, D1-1), Phillipsburg, 9-1.
220 -- 3-Sr. Todd Eckert (30-2, D2-2), Roxbury, p. 7-Sr. Adam Schlereth (13-4, D3-1), Newton, 5:04.
285 -- 3-Jr. Parker Fox (35-3, D2-1), Montville, d. 4-So. Robbie Gennat (28-11, D3-2), Sparta, 3-1 SV.

Wrestling: Region 1 semifinal results

Finalists by school

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

106 pounds

1-Fr. Joe Aragona (35-0, D3-1), Pope John, tf. 4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (32-5, D1-3), Belvidere, 21-6, 5:52.
6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (33-6, D3-3), Jefferson, p. 2-Fr. Cody Harrison (20-6, D1-1), Warren Hills, 3:57.

113 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Markus (32-6, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 4-Jr. Jacob Falleni (21-10, D2-1), Lenape Valley, 5-2.
2-Jr. Daniel Percelay (30-5, D4-1), DePaul, p. 3-Jr. Mark DiGeronimo (25-7, D3-1), Kittatinny, 1:53.

120 pounds

1-Jr. Shane Metzler (34-0, D1-1), West Morris, d. 4-Jr. Connor Murphy (31-5, D4-1), Wayne Valley, 8-2.
2-So. Jake Rotunda (31-3, D3-1), Pope John, md. 3-Sr. Garrett Gerndt (23-6, D3-2), Sparta, 11-3.

126 pounds

1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (35-1, D4-1), Butler, d. 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (30-5, D3-1), Pope John, 5-0.
2-Sr. Troy Stanich (29-2, D2-1), Roxbury, d. 3-Sr. Joe Renne (30-6, D1-1), Hackettstown, 12-6.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Paetzell (11-3, D1-1), Phillipsburg, p. 5-So. Connor Meytrott (31-7, D2-2), Montville, 1:24.
3-So. Anthony Mastroeni (35-4, D2-1), Hopatcong, injury default over 2-Sr. Nick Klinger (32-3, D3-1), Kittatinny, 5:22.

138 pounds

1-Sr. Austin Scrivani (33-1, D3-1), Kittatinny, d. 4-Sr. Jayson Parisi (31-6, D2-1), Morris Knolls, 7-0.
2-Jr. Chris Grecco (37-1, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, d. 3-Sr. Alex Zangrilli (27-9, D4-2), Pequannock, 5-2.

145 pounds

4-So. Brian Meyer (31-8, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 8-Sr. Anthony Carida (30-9, D1-2), Hackettstown, 5-2.
2-Jr. Dominic Fano (36-1, D2-1), Montville, d. 3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (31-7, D2-2), Lenape Valley, 2-1.

152 pounds

4-Sr. Tommy Miller (27-5, D2-2), Roxbury, d. 1-Sr. Edward Marucci (32-4, D2-1), Montville, 7-4.
2-Sr. DJ Wissing (25-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, p. 6-So. Marco Gaita (28-9, D1-3), West Morris, 1:59.

160 pounds

1-Sr. Craig Roumes (30-0, D2-1), Roxbury, d. 4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (30-7, D1-2), West Morris, 5-2.
2-Sr. Christian DalCais (36-2, D4-1), West Milford, d. 6-Sr. Alex Zevits (30-9, D2-2), Montville, 5-1.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Spencer Carey (29-7, D4-1), DePaul, p. 5-Sr. Daniel Castiglia (32-6, D4-3), Butler, 3:27.
2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (32-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, p. 3-Sr. Al Falco (31-6, D3-1), Sparta, 1:30.

182 pounds

1-Jr. Brandon Kui (34-1, D4-1), DePaul, md. 4-So. Jake Brown (29-7, D3-1), Pope John, 12-1.
2-Sr. Luke Drugac (34-1, D2-1), Morris Knolls, d. 3-Sr. David LoCascio (25-4, D4-2), Kinnelon, 5-1.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Dean Drugac (34-0, D2-1), Morris Knolls, p. 4-Jr. Drew Horun (28-6, D1-1), Phillipsburg, :29.
3-Sr. Patrick Daly (30-3, D4-2), Pequannock, d. 2-Jr. Joseph Soreco (29-6, D4-1), DePaul, 2-1.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Scott Lavelle (30-3, D4-1), DePaul, d. 4-Jr. Zach Herbert (26-6, D3-2), Sparta, 5-1.
2-Jr. Robert Melise (36-2, D1-1), Phillipsburg, p. 3-Sr. Todd Eckert (28-2, D2-2), Roxbury, 4:34.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Nothnagel (35-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 4-So. Robbie Gennat (27-10, D3-2), Sparta, 3-2.
2-Sr. Kevin Lewis (28-8, D3-1), High Point, d. 3-Jr. Parker Fox (33-3, D2-1), Montville, 4-3.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Wrestling: Klinger, D3 enjoy big night at Region 1

HARDYSTON -- Kittatinny senior Nick Klinger wasn't about to relive another nightmare Friday night at Wallkill Valley Regional High School.

Knowing this is his last shot, Klinger pinned Roxbury's Richard Reimers in 3:31 at 132 pounds to advance to the Region 1 semifinals for the first time as District 3 had 15 winners in the quarterfinals. District 2 also moved 15 into the semis, followed by District 4 with 14 and District 1 with 12.

Klinger (32-2), the No. 2 seed, led, 4-1, in the first before giving up a reversal to make it 4-3 entering the second period. Klinger took bottom to start the second period and put Reimers on his back off a reversal to get the fall.

"I'm not really a pinner, but it feels good," said Klinger, who had 13 pins during the regular season. "I  can't remember the last time I stuck a good kid. But I was able to make it easy on myself."

Though most of the talk in this tournament is about how tough the 126-pound class is, there's nothing remotely easy at 132. After all, the No. 1 seed is Phillipsburg senior Brandon Paetzell, a two-time Region 1 champion and two-time state placewinner. Paetzell moved into the semifinals with an 11-3 victory over Hackettstown's Alex Carida in a rematch of their District 1 final.

Hopatcong sophomore Anthony Mastroeni, who was a fourth-place finisher last year, is the No. 3 seed and will face Klinger in Saturday's semifinal round at 9 a.m. Mastroeni was a 5-2 winner over Wayne Hills' Anthony Rua in the quarters. Klinger beat Mastroeni, 3-1, in sudden-victory overtime on Jan. 20.

"There are a lot of studs at this weight," said Klinger, a Kutztown University recruit. "This is my last shot. It's do or die."

Last year, Klinger dropped a 4-3 decision to Hackettstown's Joe Renne in the 120-pound quarters. Renne went on to win the title, while Klinger's season ended in the consolation semifinals. In three previous meetings, Renne was 1-2 vs. Klinger after a technical fall win as a freshman. In 2014, Klinger won by scores of 12-5 and 8-6, the latter result occurring in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals.

How much did Klinger think about last year's disappointing result?

"Honestly, I did a little bit," said Klinger, a two-time District 3 champion. "I've been working for this my whole life. I want to go out with no regrets."

Lions, Spartans money in quarters


It was a pretty fine night for the town of Sparta, as Pope John and Sparta advanced four wrestlers into the semifinals. Only Phillipsburg (7), DePaul (5) and Montville (5) had more winners on Friday night.

Freshman Joe Aragona started Pope John off with a 28-second pin of DePaul's Michael Esposito at 106. Aragona (34-0) will face Belvidere freshman Quinn Melofchik in the semis, after Melofchik earned a 4-3 decision over High Point's Devin Flannery.

Jake Rotunda (120), Robert Garcia (126) and Jake Brown (182) also advanced for the Lions. Garcia avenged an earlier loss with a 9-5 victory over Warren Hills' Matt Valli, who won, 6-5, when they met in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals on Jan. 9.

Garcia (30-4), the No. 5 seed, racked up three takedowns in the win, including two in the first period for an early 4-1 lead. The impressive freshman will next face top-seeded Garrett O'Shea of Butler, who is one of 10 returning champions in the field. O'Shea placed fourth in the state last season.

For Sparta, seniors Garrett Gerndt (120) and Al Falco (170) moved into the semis, along with junior Zach Herbert (220) and sophomore Robbie Gennat (285).

Gerndt (23-5) earns a rematch with Rotunda, who is 5-0 all-time in their series dating to last season, including three wins this season -- 7-3, 6-1 and 7-2. The latter match was in the District 3 finals.

'Liners roll with 7


Phillipsburg, which was voted the No. 1 team in Region 1 prior to the quarterfinals, sent a tournament-best seven into the semifinals.

In addition to Paetzell, seniors Kyle Markus (113), DJ Wissing (152) and Kyle Nothnagel (285) cruised into the semis, while sophomore Brian Meyer (145) and juniors Drew Horun (195) and Robert Melise (220) also won their quarterfinal bouts.

Melise, who was second last year at 220, prevailed, 3-1, in a tight bout with Newton's Adam Schlereth. Trailing, 1-0, after two periods, Schlereth opted for a neutral start in the third. He was able to get in deep on a single around the one-minute mark, but Melise fought it off and got a takedown at the edge to help seal the win.

Meyer, the No. 4 seed, now finds himself in a good position as top-seeded Jared Kobis of High Point was forced to withdraw from the tournament with a knee injury prior to the quarters. Meyer (30-8), who advanced with a 9-5 win over Roxbury's Michael Roumes, will next get a District 1 finals rematch with Hackettstown's Anthony Carida in the semis. Meyer beat Carida, 3-1, a week ago.

Back points


West Morris junior Shane Metzler recorded his 100th career win with a 15-8 decision over Phillipsburg senior Tom Kosar in the 120-pound quarterfinals. Metzler, who finished fourth in the state last year at 106, beat Kosar, 7-4, in the District 1 finals. He's 3-0 against the Stateliner this season.

It was a tough night for Warren Hills, which went 1-5 in the quarters. Freshman Cody Harrison was the lone winner for the Blue Streaks -- 6-1 over Lakeland's Christopher Costiglia at 106. Harrison (20-5), the D1 champion, will face Jefferson's Mason Godfrey in the semis.

Falling into the wrestlebacks were Kyle Wulff (113), Valli, Zach Nauta (138), Jarod Ostir (170) and Nick Galka (195).

Pope John, which has four in the semifinals, is looking for its first region champion since 2004, when Brandon Perez won at 215 pounds.

Paetzell and Nothnagel are closing in on 100 career wins. Paetzell is 98-12 entering the semifinals, while Nothnagel is sitting on 97 as he seeks his first Region 1 title.

Wrestling: Region 1 semifinal matchups

Semifinalists by school

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

106 pounds

1-Fr. Joe Aragona (34-0, D3-1), Pope John, vs. 4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (32-4, D1-3), Belvidere
2-Fr. Cody Harrison (20-5, D1-1), Warren Hills, vs. 6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (32-6, D3-3), Jefferson

113 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Markus (31-6, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 4-Jr. Jacob Falleni (21-9, D2-1), Lenape Valley
2-Jr. Daniel Percelay (29-5, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 3-Jr. Mark DiGeronimo (25-6, D3-1), Kittatinny

120 pounds

1-Jr. Shane Metzler (33-0, D1-1), West Morris, vs. 4-Jr. Connor Murphy (31-4, D4-1), Wayne Valley
2-So. Jake Rotunda (30-3, D3-1), Pope John, vs. 3-Sr. Garrett Gerndt (23-5, D3-2), Sparta

126 pounds

1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (34-1, D4-1), Butler, vs. 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (30-4, D3-1), Pope John
2-Sr. Troy Stanich (28-2, D2-1), Roxbury, vs. 3-Sr. Joe Renne (30-5, D1-1), Hackettstown

132 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Paetzell (10-3, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 5-So. Connor Meytrott (31-6, D2-2), Montville
2-Sr. Nick Klinger (32-2, D3-1), Kittatinny, vs. 3-So. Anthony Mastroeni (34-4, D2-1), Hopatcong

138 pounds

1-Sr. Austin Scrivani (32-1, D3-1), Kittatinny, vs. 4-Sr. Jayson Parisi (31-5, D2-1), Morris Knolls
2-Jr. Chris Grecco (36-1, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, vs. 3-Sr. Alex Zangrilli (27-8, D4-2), Pequannock

145 pounds

4-So. Brian Meyer (30-8, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 8-Sr. Anthony Carida (30-8, D1-2), Hackettstown
2-Jr. Dominic Fano (35-1, D2-1), Montville, vs. 3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (31-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley

152 pounds

1-Sr. Edward Marucci (32-3, D2-1), Montville, vs. 4-Sr. Tommy Miller (26-5, D2-2), Roxbury
2-Sr. DJ Wissing (24-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 6-So. Marco Gaita (28-8, D1-3), West Morris

160 pounds

1-Sr. Craig Roumes (29-0, D2-1), Roxbury, vs. 4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (30-6, D1-2), West Morris
2-Sr. Christian DalCais (35-2, D4-1), West Milford, vs. 6-Sr. Alex Zevits (30-8, D2-2), Montville

170 pounds

1-Sr. Spencer Carey (28-7, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 5-Sr. Daniel Castiglia (32-5, D4-3), Butler
2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (31-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, vs. 3-Sr. Al Falco (31-5, D3-1), Sparta

182 pounds

1-Jr. Brandon Kui (33-1, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 4-So. Jake Brown (29-6, D3-1), Pope John
2-Sr. Luke Drugac (33-1, D2-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 3-Sr. David LoCascio (25-3, D4-2), Kinnelon

195 pounds

1-Sr. Dean Drugac (33-0, D2-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 4-Jr. Drew Horun (28-5, D1-1), Phillipsburg
2-Jr. Joseph Soreco (29-5, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 3-Sr. Patrick Daly (29-3, D4-2), Pequannock

220 pounds

1-Sr. Scott Lavelle (29-3, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 4-Jr. Zach Herbert (26-5, D3-2), Sparta
2-Jr. Robert Melise (35-2, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 3-Sr. Todd Eckert (28-1, D2-2), Roxbury

285 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Nothnagel (34-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 4-So. Robbie Gennat (27-9, D3-2), Sparta
2-Sr. Kevin Lewis (27-8, D3-1), High Point, vs. 3-Jr. Parker Fox (33-2, D2-1), Montville

Wrestling: Region 1 quarterfinal round results

Semifinalists by school

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

106 pounds

1-Fr. Joe Aragona (34-0, D3-1), Pope John, p. 8-Fr. Michael Esposito (17-12, D4-2), DePaul, :28.
4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (32-4, D1-3), Belvidere, d. 5-Fr. Devin Flannery (26-8, D3-2), High Point, 4-3.
6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (32-6, D3-3), Jefferson, d. 3-Jr. Ronald Rumsby (27-8, D2-1), Montville, 5-1.
2-Fr. Cody Harrison (20-5, D1-1), Warren Hills, d. 7-So. Christopher Costiglia (22-7, D4-1), Lakeland, 6-1.

113 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Markus (31-6, D1-1), Phillipsburg, p. 8-Fr. Scott Jarosz (22-9, D2-2), Roxbury, :21.
4-Jr. Jacob Falleni (21-9, D2-1), Lenape Valley, md. 5-So. Kyle Wulff (24-10, D1-2), Warren Hills, 9-1.
3-Jr. Mark DiGeronimo (25-6, D3-1), Kittatinny, d. 6-Jr. Christian Deehan (28-8, D3-2), Pope John, 6-0.
2-Jr. Daniel Percelay (29-5, D4-1), DePaul, d. 7-So. Brandon Wyble (21-6, D4-2), Butler, 9-2.

120 pounds

1-Jr. Shane Metzler (33-0, D1-1), West Morris, d. 8-Sr. Tom Kosar (16-11, D1-2), Phillipsburg, 15-8.
4-Jr. Connor Murphy (31-4, D4-1), Wayne Valley, d. 5-So. Nick Rampone (24-14, D2-1), Randolph, 5-1.
3-Sr. Garrett Gerndt (23-5, D3-2), Sparta, d. Sr. Chris Schrieks (27-12, D3-3), Jefferson, 7-3.
2-So. Jake Rotunda (30-3, D3-1), Pope John, d. 7-Jr. Steve Pocze (25-8, D4-3), Pequannock, 7-0.

126 pounds

1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (34-1, D4-1), Butler, d. 8-Jr. Damian Maver (23-7, D4-2), DePaul, 5-3.
 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (30-4, D3-1), Pope John, d. 4-Jr. Matt Valli (33-2, D1-2), Warren Hills, 9-5.
3-Sr. Joe Renne (30-5, D1-1), Hackettstown, md. Jr. Nick Cassidy (23-11, D1-3), Belvidere, 14-5.
2-Sr. Troy Stanich (28-2, D2-1), Roxbury, p. Fr. Reid Colella (24-14, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 1:25.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Paetzell (10-3, D1-1), Phillipsburg, md. So. Alex Carida (29-7, D1-2), Hackettstown, 11-3.
5-So. Connor Meytrott (31-6, D2-2), Montville, p. 4-Sr. Michael DeClario (24-6, D4-1), Kinnelon, 5:54.
3-So. Anthony Mastroeni (34-4, D2-1), Hopatcong, d. Jr. Anthony Rua (25-8, D4-2), Wayne Hills, 5-2.
2-Sr. Nick Klinger (32-2, D3-1), Kittatinny, p. 7-Jr. Richard Reimers (22-8, D2-3), Roxbury, 3:31.

138 pounds

1-Sr. Austin Scrivani (32-1, D3-1), Kittatinny, d. 8-Sr. Cole Nagle (29-4, D3-2), Vernon, 8-2.
4-Sr. Jayson Parisi (31-5, D2-1), Morris Knolls, d. 5-Jr. Kade Loughney (25-9, D1-1), West Morris, 2-0.
3-Sr. Alex Zangrilli (27-8, D4-2), Pequannock, d. 6-Sr. Tyler Agans (18-18, D1-2), Phillipsburg, 3-1.
2-Jr. Chris Grecco (36-1, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, d. 7-Jr. Zach Nauta (23-8, D1-3), Warren Hills, 6-4.

145 pounds

8-Sr. Anthony Carida (30-8, D1-2), Hackettstown, forfeit.
4-So. Brian Meyer (30-8, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 5-So. Michael Roumes (25-5, D2-3), Roxbury, 9-5.
3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (31-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley, p. 6-Sr. Jake Vanwingerden (21-12, D3-2), Kittatinny, 1:50.
2-Jr. Dominic Fano (35-1, D2-1), Montville. p. 7-Jr. Sal Puglisi (29-7, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, 5:36.

152 pounds

1-Sr. Edward Marucci (32-3, D2-1), Montville, tf. 8-Jr. Dean Zindaki (30-6, D4-1), Wayne Valley, 15-0, 5:55.
4-Sr. Tommy Miller (26-5, D2-2), Roxbury, d. 5-Jr. Joey Schiele (28-6, D2-3), Morris Hills, 7-2.
6-So. Marco Gaita (28-8, D1-3), West Morris, d. 3-Sr. Anthony Duardo (31-3, D1-2), North Warren, 4-0.
2-Sr. DJ Wissing (24-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, p. 7-So. Shane Connolly (29-10, D3-1), Jefferson, 1:13.

160 pounds

1-Sr. Craig Roumes (29-0, D2-1), Roxbury, md. Sr. Taylor Molfetto (23-8, D3-2), Kittatinny, 9-0.
4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (30-6, D1-2), West Morris, d. 5-Sr. Lance Fischer (14-5, D3-1), Newton, 9-3.
6-Sr. Alex Zevits (30-8, D2-2), Montville, d. 3-Jr. Troy Navarino (27-8, D1-1), Mendham, 7-4 TB2.
2-Sr. Christian DalCais (35-2, D4-1), West Milford, d. 7-Sr. Mike Szynalski (18-5, D2-3), Randolph, 6-0.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Spencer Carey (28-7, D4-1), DePaul, p. 8-Sr. Dillon Fazliu (23-10, D2-1), Montville, 2:38.
5-Sr. Daniel Castiglia (32-5, D4-3), Butler, md. 4-Jr. Josh Klimek (27-7, D3-2), Kittatinny, 10-2.
3-Sr. Al Falco (31-5, D3-1), Sparta, p. 6-Sr. Joe Frumolt (25-10, D3-3), Pope John, 1:35.
2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (31-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, p. 7-So. Jarod Ostir (13-9, D1-1), Warren Hills, 1:38.

182 pounds

1-Jr. Brandon Kui (33-1, D4-1), DePaul, p. Fr. Zach Mafaro (25-8, D3-2), Kittatinny, 1:29.
4-So. Jake Brown (29-6, D3-1), Pope John, d. 5-Sr. Sam Palumbo (32-7, D2-2), Lenape Valley, 3-1 SV.
3-Sr. David LoCascio (25-3, D4-2), Kinnelon, md. 6-Sr. PJ Chak (28-8, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 17-3.
2-Sr. Luke Drugac (33-1, D2-1), Morris Knolls, p. 7-Jr. Kyle Connelly (29-7, D1-1), Hackettstown, 1:39.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Dean Drugac (33-0, D2-1), Morris Knolls, p. 8-Fr. Nick Galka (18-14, D1-3), Warren Hills, :55.
4-Jr. Drew Horun (28-5, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 5-Jr. Jacob Tareky (28-10, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 5-0.
3-Sr. Patrick Daly (29-3, D4-2), Pequannock, d. 6-Jr. William Loewen (19-3, D3-1), Sparta, 2-0.
2-Jr. Joseph Soreco (29-5, D4-1), DePaul, p. Sr. Luke DeGroat (16-17, D3-2), Kittatinny, 5:57.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Scott Lavelle (29-3, D4-1), DePaul, md. 8-So. Drew Flynn (31-6, D4-2), Pompton Lakes, 17-4.
4-Jr. Zach Herbert (26-5, D3-2), Sparta, d. 5-So. Liridon Leka (28-7, D2-1), Montville, 6-1.
3-Sr. Todd Eckert (28-1, D2-2), Roxbury, p. 6-Sr. Ralph Hall (26-12, D2-3), Lenape Valley, 1:00.
2-Jr. Robert Melise (35-2, D1-1), Phillipsburg, d. 7-Sr. Adam Schlereth (11-3, D3-1), Newton, 3-1.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Nothnagel (34-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, p. Sr. Alex Kaltenhauser (21-14, D1-2), West Morris, 1:30.
4-So. Robbie Gennat (27-9, D3-2), Sparta, d. 5-Jr. Shane Beston (20-12, D2-2), Morris Knolls, 5-3 TB2.
3-Jr. Parker Fox (33-2, D2-1), Montville, p. 6-Sr. Rich Fritzky (23-12, D2-3), Lenape Valley, 5:13.
2-Sr. Kevin Lewis (27-8, D3-1), High Point, p. 7-Sr. Matthew Sportelli (24-6, D4-1), Wayne Hills, 1:52.

Wrestling: Kobis withdraws from Region 1

HARDYSTON -- After dealing with numerous injuries over a four-year career, High Point senior Jared Kobis, the No. 1 seed at 145 pounds, was forced to withdraw from the Region 1 Tournament on Friday before the quarterfinal round at Wallkill Valley Regional High School.

Kobis (22-0), who won his third District 3 championship this past Saturday, was dealing with shoulder and knee issues this season. A returning Region 1 champion, winning at 138 pounds last season, Kobis finishes 93-6 overall and will go down as one of High Point's top wrestlers.

"You take a look at his losses alone, and that tells you how special he is," said 'Cats coach John Gardner, who said the right knee injury sustained in a dual meet against Kittatinny earlier this month was the one that forced Kobis out of the tournament. "I don't know if we ever saw him healthy. He's right up there with all of the [best] kids I've coached."

The start of Kobis' health issues happened here at Region 1 three seasons ago, when he injured his shoulder during the semifinals at 126. Kobis, who lost to three-time state placewinner Ryan Pomrinca of North Hunterdon in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals earlier that year, was forced out of Region 1 Tournament.

As a sophomore, Kobis missed most of that season with a hand injury, going just 4-1. As a junior, Kobis made it through a full season, winning a District 3 and Region 1 title at 138 pounds. He finished one round shy of a medal at the state tournament in Atlantic City.

Of his six career losses, at least five can be directly attributed to injuries.

"He practiced on Wednesday and I told him to take [Thursday] and think about what he wanted to do, and ultimately what was the best decision for him," Gardner said. "I feel bad for him. It's very unfortunate. It was very important to him that this was not a team event. Otherwise, I think he would have wrestled."

Phillipsburg voted No. 1


As expected, Phillipsburg was voted as the No. 1 team in Region 1 by the coaches on Friday prior to the quarterfinals. The Stateliners finished 17-3, winning the North 2, Group 4 sectional title and the Group 4 championship for a third straight season. The sectional title was the program's 35th overall and the Group 4 title was its 20th state championship.

Kittatinny (18-2), which lost to Paulsboro, 28-27, in the Group 1 final, finished No. 2. The Cougars won the North 1, Group 1 title -- the 20th sectional championship under longtime coach John Gill.

Here's the final Top 10 (really 11 since there was a tie for eighth):

1. Phillipsburg
2. Kittatinny
3. DePaul
4. Roxbury
5. Warren Hills
6. Montville
7. High Point
8.(tie). Pope John/Wayne Valley
9. Lenape Valley
10. Sparta

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Wrestling: Five quarterfinals to watch at Region 1

Here are five (believe me it was tough to pick only five) quarterfinal bouts to keep an eye on Friday night at Wallkill Valley Regional High School. In other words, don't leave your seat to grab a box of that delicious popcorn in the lobby, which is easier said than done.

By the way, also make sure to stick around for the four bouts at 220 pounds.

106 pounds

4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (31-4), Belvidere, vs. 5-Fr. Devin Flannery (26-7), High Point

Notes: Both have a great shot this weekend to earn a trip to Atlantic City. Melofchik dropped a 7-4 decision to Warren Hills' Cody Harrison, the No. 2 seed at this weight, in the District 1 semifinals. Flannery really came on in the second half of the regular season and has two wins over Jefferson's Mason Godfrey.

3-Jr. Ronald Rumsby (27-7), Montville, vs. 6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (31-6), Jefferson

Notes: Speaking of Godfrey, he will match up against one of the leading contenders at this weight in Rumsby, who is making his second appearance at Wallkill. The two did not match up at the Morris County Tournament, where Rumsby finished second and Godfrey placed third. They had a common opponent in the MCT in Hanover Park's Domenic DiFrancescantonio, who beat Rumsby, 5-3, in the finals and Godfrey, 5-2, in the semis.

126 pounds

1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (33-1), Butler, vs. 8-Jr. Damian Maver (23-6), DePaul

Notes: This weight class will be a blast to watch all weekend and we start off with a rematch of the District 4 final, won by O'Shea, 4-3. O'Shea, who is one of 10 returning champs in the field, placed fourth in the state at 113 last year, suffered his only loss this season to Delbarton state placewinner Nick Farro, 6-2, in the MCT finals. Maver's only other losses in New Jersey are to three-time state champ Nick Suriano of Bergen Catholic -- pin in 2:45 and 15-1.

4-Jr. Matt Valli (33-1), Warren Hills, vs. 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (29-4), Pope John

Notes: If you missed their meeting in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals, make sure to catch the rematch. Valli won a 6-5 thriller on the strength of a second-period takedown, one of two for him in the match. Garcia grabbed a 4-3 lead after one period with a reversal and two backs after giving up the opening takedown. And talk about your scrambles, that one had several dandies.

182 pounds

4-So. Jake Brown (28-6), Pope John, vs. 5-Sr. Sam Palumbo (32-6), Lenape Valley

Notes: This will be the rubber match as Palumbo won a 3-1 decision in the HWS semifinals en route to a second-place finish. Brown avenged that defeat with a 4-2 win in sudden-victory overtime in a dual meet on Feb. 6. Palumbo has struggled in rematches this season, dropping a 3-2 decision to Morris Knolls' Luke Drugac in the District 2 finals after beating Drugac, 7-4, on Jan. 22.

Wrestling: Rey to enter R1 Hall of Fame in 2017

Zach Rey is used to being in a class by himself on the wrestling mat. And the former Hopatcong state champion and Division I national champ at Lehigh University will stand alone next year when he's enshrined into the Region 1 Hall of Fame.

Rey, who received 84 percent of the votes, will be inducted prior to next year's championship round at Wallkill Valley Regional High School. He will be the first to represent Hopatcong in the Region 1 Hall of Fame.

Rey went 123-21 from 2003-07 for Hopatcong under head coach Eric Fajerman, winning three District 2 titles (2005-07) and two Region 1 titles (2006-07). Rey was a three-time state placewinner, becoming the first champion in his school's history by winning back-to-back titles at heavyweight in '06 and '07. At Lehigh, Rey was a three-time NCAA All-American and two-time national finalist, winning the title in '11. He's also a three-time Pan-Am gold medalist and a USA World Freestyle Team member.

On Saturday, David Zabriskie of High Point, Chris Skretkowicz of Wallkill Valley and Jamie Wicks of Delaware Valley will be enshrined as the Class of 2016. All three were state champions for their respective high schools.

Here are the other nominees and their voting totals -- 75 percent is required for election. They all will remain on the ballot for 2017.

Linn Crawn (63 percent) -- Longtime assistant coach at Kittatinny, who served as head coach John Gill's right-hand man for 32 seasons, was known as a master strategist and lineup maker. Gill often referred to Crawn as the "brains of the operation." Crawn died after a long battle with diabetes in 2012. He was a four-year member of the Newton High School wrestling program, and was a two-time district champion and a region runner-up at heavyweight in 1969. Crawn also was an NAIA national champion at heavyweight and was an all-conference football player at William Penn.


Brent Conly (59 percent) -- A three-time district and region champion, the former Delaware Valley star and head coach won two state titles in 1992 and '93, after placing fourth in '91. He was unable to compete for a third state championship due to a season-ending hand injury in '94. Conly ranks 18th on the school's all-time wins list at 89-6-1.

Jan Michaels (50 percent) -- Regarded as one of the best to come out of Sussex County, Michaels was a two-time district champion and Vernon's only two-time region champ. He was a three-time state qualifier, winning the 148-pound title in 1979 after finishing second in '78. He went on to become a three-time NCAA All-American at North Carolina. A very successful coach, Michaels guided High Point to an overall record of 47-12 in three seasons (1994-96) and three sectional titles. Individually, he coached three region champions, as well as two state finalists.

Brett Raimondo (44 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.

Doug Blake (38 percent) -- Nearly 40 years later, Blake is still the only state champion in Hackettstown's history, winning titles in 1967 and '68 at 157 and 168 pounds, respectively. Considered one of the best to ever come out of Warren County, he was a three-time district and a two-time region champion for the Tigers.


Patrick Dattalo (34 percent) -- One of three brothers to compete for coach Mike Suk, Dattalo was a two-time district and two-time state champion -- winning the Donald Ringler Award as the tournament's OW in 2002.

Larry Vandermark (16 percent) -- Former Newton star was a two-time district and region champion, while also winning a pair of state titles for the Braves at 148 pounds in 1961 and '62. Vandermark and teammate Frank Pace were the first wrestlers to claim two region titles for the Sussex County school.


Arnie Thompson (9 percent) -- A two-time district and region champion for the former Washington High School, now known as Warren Hills. Thompson won a pair of state titles for the Blue Streaks at 148 and 157 pounds in 1965 and '66, the program's 34th and 35th championships. He is one of 12 wrestlers to win two state titles for the Warren County school, and among 10 to win at least two region titles.

Mark Preston (9 percent) -- A three-time district and two-time region champion, the former Sparta star was a two-time state finalist, finishing second in 1974 and winning a title at 129 pounds in '75 to become the Sussex County school's first state champ. He is still only one of three wrestlers to win a state gold for the Spartans.

Here are the current Hall of Fame members:

2006

John Barna, Phillipsburg
Mike Frick, Pope John
Henry Boresch, Newton
Greg Surenian, Randolph
Steve Dalling, Kittatinny

2007

John Gardner, High Point
Rick Thompson, Phillipsburg

2008

Ben Oberly, Warren Hills
David Hughes, Jefferson

2009

Gus Rampone, Newton

2010

Steve DePetro, DePaul

2011

Dan Slack, Warren Hills

2012

Greg Cholish, West Morris
Andy Iliff, Newton

2013

Roman Fleszar, Kittatinny

2014

John Goles, Washington/Warren Hills
Gene Mills, DePaul
Matt Valenti, Kittatinny
Carmine Rossi, Roxbury
Sam Rossi, Roxbury

2015

Mike Rossetti, Phillipsburg/Jefferson/Randolph
Bob Zaro, Phillipsburg
Ken Rossi, Jefferson
Dan Vallimont, Jefferson

Wrestling: Region 1 quarterfinal matchups

Where: Wallkill Valley Regional High School, Hardyston.

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals, 4 p.m. (Doors open at 2:40 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: 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. Tickets for consolations and finals only are $5 and $3.

Quarterfinalists by school

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

106 pounds

1-Fr. Joe Aragona (33-0, D3-1), Pope John, vs. 8-Fr. Michael Esposito (17-11, D4-2), DePaul
4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (31-4, D1-3), Belvidere, vs. 5-Fr. Devin Flannery (26-7, D3-2), High Point
3-Jr. Ronald Rumsby (27-7, D2-1), Montville, vs. 6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (31-6, D3-3), Jefferson
2-Fr. Cody Harrison (19-5, D1-1), Warren Hills, vs. 7-So. Christopher Costiglia (22-6, D4-1), Lakeland

113 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Markus (30-6, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 8-Fr. Scott Jarosz (22-8, D2-2), Roxbury
4-Jr. Jacob Falleni (20-9, D2-1), Lenape Valley, vs. 5-So. Kyle Wulff (24-9, D1-2), Warren Hills
3-Jr. Mark DiGeronimo (24-6, D3-1), Kittatinny, vs. 6-Jr. Christian Deehan (28-7, D3-2), Pope John
2-Jr. Daniel Percelay (28-5, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 7-So. Brandon Wyble (21-5, D4-2), Butler

120 pounds

1-Jr. Shane Metzler (32-0, D1-1), West Morris, vs. 8-Sr. Tom Kosar (16-10, D1-2), Phillipsburg
4-Jr. Connor Murphy (30-4, D4-1), Wayne Valley, vs. 5-So. Nick Rampone (24-13, D2-1), Randolph
3-Sr. Garrett Gerndt (22-5, D3-2), Sparta, vs. Sr. Chris Schrieks (27-11, D3-3), Jefferson
2-So. Jake Rotunda (29-3, D3-1), Pope John, vs. 7-Jr. Steve Pocze (25-7, D4-3), Pequannock

126 pounds

1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (33-1, D4-1), Butler, vs. 8-Jr. Damian Maver (23-6, D4-2), DePaul
4-Jr. Matt Valli (33-1, D1-2), Warren Hills, vs. 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (29-4, D3-1), Pope John
3-Sr. Joe Renne (29-5, D1-1), Hackettstown, vs. Jr. Nick Cassidy (23-10, D1-3), Belvidere
2-Sr. Troy Stanich (27-2, D2-1), Roxbury, vs. Fr. Reid Colella (24-13, D4-3), Wayne Valley

132 pounds

1-Sr. Brandon Paetzell (9-3, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. So. Alex Carida (29-6, D1-2), Hackettstown
4-Sr. Michael DeClario (24-5, D4-1), Kinnelon, vs. 5-So. Connor Meytrott (30-6, D2-2), Montville
3-So. Anthony Mastroeni (33-4, D2-1), Hopatcong, vs. Jr. Anthony Rua (25-7, D4-2), Wayne Hills
2-Sr. Nick Klinger (31-2, D3-1), Kittatinny, vs. 7-Jr. Richard Reimers (22-7, D2-3), Roxbury

138 pounds

1-Sr. Austin Scrivani (31-1, D3-1), Kittatinny, vs. 8-Sr. Cole Nagle (29-3, D3-2), Vernon
4-Sr. Jayson Parisi (30-5, D2-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 5-Jr. Kade Loughney (25-8, D1-1), West Morris.
3-Sr. Alex Zangrilli (26-8, D4-2), Pequannock, vs. 6-Sr. Tyler Agans (18-17, D1-2), Phillipsburg
2-Jr. Chris Grecco (35-1, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, vs. 7-Jr. Zach Nauta (23-7, D1-3), Warren Hills

145 pounds

1-Sr. Jared Kobis (22-0, D3-1), High Point, vs. 8-Sr. Anthony Carida (29-8, D1-2), Hackettstown
4-So. Brian Meyer (29-8, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 5-So. Michael Roumes (25-4, D2-3), Roxbury
3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (30-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley, vs. 6-Sr. Jake Vanwingerden (21-11, D3-2), Kittatinny
2-Jr. Dominic Fano (34-1, D2-1), Montville. vs. 7-Jr. Sal Puglisi (29-6, D4-1), Pompton Lakes

152 pounds

1-Sr. Edward Marucci (31-3, D2-1), Montville, vs. 8-Jr. Dean Zindaki (30-5, D4-1), Wayne Valley.
4-Sr. Tommy Miller (25-5, D2-2), Roxbury, vs. 5-Jr. Joey Schiele (28-5, D2-3), Morris Hills
3-Sr. Anthony Duardo (31-2, D1-2), North Warren, vs. 6-So. Marco Gaita (27-8, D1-3), West Morris
2-Sr. DJ Wissing (23-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 7-So. Shane Connolly (29-9, D3-1), Jefferson

160 pounds

1-Sr. Craig Roumes (28-0, D2-1), Roxbury, vs. Sr. Taylor Molfetto (23-7, D3-2), Kittatinny
5-Sr. Lance Fischer (14-4, D3-1), Newton, vs. 4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (29-6, D1-2), West Morris
3-Jr. Troy Navarino (27-7, D1-1), Mendham, vs. 6-Sr. Alex Zevits (29-8, D2-2), Montville
2-Sr. Christian DalCais (34-2, D4-1), West Milford, vs. 7-Sr. Mike Szynalski (18-4, D2-3), Randolph

170 pounds

1-Sr. Spencer Carey (27-7, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 8-Sr. Dillon Fazliu (23-9, D2-1), Montville
4-Jr. Josh Klimek (27-6, D3-2), Kittatinny, vs. 5-Sr. Daniel Castiglia (31-5, D4-3), Butler
3-Sr. Al Falco (30-5, D3-1), Sparta, vs. 6-Sr. Joe Frumolt (25-9, D3-3), Pope John
2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (30-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, vs. 7-So. Jarod Ostir (13-8, D1-1), Warren Hills

182 pounds

1-Jr. Brandon Kui (32-1, D4-1), DePaul, vs. Fr. Zach Mafaro (25-7, D3-2), Kittatinny
4-So. Jake Brown (28-6, D3-1), Pope John, vs. 5-Sr. Sam Palumbo (32-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley
3-Sr. David LoCascio (24-3, D4-2), Kinnelon, vs. 6-Sr. PJ Chak (28-7, D4-3), Wayne Valley
2-Sr. Luke Drugac (32-1, D2-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 7-Jr. Kyle Connelly (29-6, D1-1), Hackettstown

195 pounds

1-Sr. Dean Drugac (32-0, D2-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 8-Fr. Nick Galka (18-13, D1-3), Warren Hills
4-Jr. Drew Horun (27-5, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 5-Jr. Jacob Tareky (28-9, D4-3), Wayne Valley
3-Sr. Patrick Daly (28-3, D4-2), Pequannock, vs. 6-Jr. William Loewen (19-2, D3-1), Sparta
2-Jr. Joseph Soreco (28-5, D4-1), DePaul, vs. Sr. Luke DeGroat (16-16, D3-2), Kittatinny

220 pounds

1-Sr. Scott Lavelle (28-3, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 8-So. Drew Flynn (31-5, D4-2), Pompton Lakes
4-Jr. Zach Herbert (25-5, D3-2), Sparta, vs. 5-So. Liridon Leka (28-6, D2-1), Montville.
3-Sr. Todd Eckert (27-1, D2-2), Roxbury, vs. 6-Sr. Ralph Hall (26-11, D2-3), Lenape Valley
2-Jr. Robert Melise (34-2, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. 7-Sr. Adam Schlereth (11-2, D3-1), Newton

285 pounds

1-Sr. Kyle Nothnagel (33-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg, vs. Sr. Alex Kaltenhauser (21-13, D1-2), West Morris
4-So. Robbie Gennat (26-9, D3-2), Sparta, vs. 5-Jr. Shane Beston (20-11, D2-2), Morris Knolls
3-Jr. Parker Fox (32-2, D2-1), Montville, vs. 6-Sr. Rich Fritzky (23-11, D2-3), Lenape Valley
2-Sr. Kevin Lewis (26-8, D3-1), High Point, vs. 7-Sr. Matthew Sportelli (24-5, D4-1), Wayne Hills

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Wrestling: Region 1 preliminary round results

Quarterfinalists by school

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

Note: Districts 1-4 each had 14 winners in Wednesday's preliminary round.

106 pounds

8-Fr. Michael Esposito (17-11, D4-2), DePaul, d. Fr. Ben Bariso (25-9, D4-3), Butler, 3-2.
5-Fr. Devin Flannery (26-7, D3-2), High Point, p. Fr. John Tesoriero (17-10, D2-2), Roxbury, 3:25.
4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (31-4, D1-3), Belvidere, p. Fr. James Haws (15-20, D2-3), Lenape Valley, 3:24.
6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (31-6, D3-3), Jefferson, d. Fr. Dom DiGena (26-10, D1-2), Mendham, 8-1.

113 pounds

8-Fr. Scott Jarosz (22-8, D2-2), Roxbury, p, So. Joe Carmichael (23-10, D4-3), Pequannock, 3:50.
5-So. Kyle Wulff (24-9, D1-2), Warren Hills, d. So. Maverick Liebl (12-10, D3-3), High Point, 7-6.
6-Jr. Christian Deehan (28-7, D3-2), Pope John, d. Fr. Phil Trovato (14-20, D2-3), Montville, 7-1.
7-So. Brandon Wyble (21-5, D4-2), Butler, d. Fr. Peter Tringali (18-15, D1-3), Mendham, 13-6.

120 pounds

8-Sr. Tom Kosar (16-10, D1-2), Phillipsburg, d. Fr. Evan Vazquez (19-8, D2-2), Roxbury, 8-2.
Sr. Chris Schrieks (27-11, D3-3), Jefferson, d. 6-Sr. Scotty Smith (28-4, D4-2), Kinnelon, 4-3 TB.
3-Sr. Garrett Gerndt (22-5, D3-2), Sparta, d. So, Sebastian Cornejo (11-6, D2-3), Morris Catholic, 4-2.
7-Jr. Steve Pocze (25-7, D4-3), Pequannock, d. Jr. Thomas Masucci (18-14, D1-3), Mendham, 3-2 UTB.

126 pounds

8-Jr. Damian Maver (23-6, D4-2), DePaul, md. Jr. Ray Smaha (17-14, D2-2), Lenape Valley, 13-0.
4-Jr. Matt Valli (33-1, D1-2), Warren Hills, d. Jr. Eric Jensen (21-13, D2-3), Randolph, 8-4.
Jr. Nick Cassidy (23-10, D1-3), Belvidere, d. 6-Sr. Grant Gerndt (25-9, D3-2), Sparta, 6-3.
Fr. Reid Colella (24-13, D4-3), Wayne Valley, d. 7-Jr. Mark Bohn (24-7, D3-3), Jefferson, 4-2.

132 pounds

So. Alex Carida (29-6, D1-2), Hackettstown, d. 8-Fr. Wyatt McCarthy (24-10, D3-2), Newton, 4-0.
5-So. Connor Meytrott (30-6, D2-2), Montville, d. Fr. Luke McFadden (20-9, D4-3), DePaul, 5-0.
Jr. Anthony Rua (25-7, D4-2), Wayne Hills, d. 6-So. Shane Kobis (23-13, D3-3), High Point, 6-4.
7-Jr. Richard Reimers (22-7, D2-3), Roxbury, d. Jr. Shannon Grogan (17-13, D1-3), North Warren, 9-2.

138 pounds

8-Sr. Cole Nagle (29-3, D3-2), Vernon, d. Jr. Nick Giordano (19-14, D3-3), Newton, 8-4.
6-Sr. Tyler Agans (18-17, D1-2), Phillipsburg, d. Fr. Joe Daddario (20-16, D2-3), Montville, 6-4.
3-Sr. Alex Zangrilli (26-8, D4-2), Pequannock, d. Jr. Nick Pellegrino (21-16, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 5-2.
7-Jr. Zach Nauta (23-7, D1-3), Warren Hills, md. Sr. Justin Pichardo (15-12, D2-2), Morris Hills, 12-0.

145 pounds

8-Sr. Anthony Carida (29-8, D1-2), Hackettstown, d. So. Cameron Nauta (11-20, D1-3), Warren Hills, 6-4.
5-So. Michael Roumes (25-4, D2-3), Roxbury, d. Jr. Wayde Kenney (22-8, D4-2), Butler, 3-2.
6-Sr. Jake Vanwingerden (21-11, D3-2), Kittatinny, d. Jr. Sean McHugh (18-15, D3-3), Sparta, 10-4.
3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (30-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley, p. Jr. Thomas Astarita (18-17, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 3:39.

152 pounds

5-Jr. Joey Schiele (28-5, D2-3), Morris Hills, md. Sr. Billy Koenig (16-17, D3-4), Pope John, 16-6.
4-Sr. Tommy Miller (25-5, D2-2), Roxbury, p. Fr. Steven Schubert (11-15, D4-2), Butler, 2:22.
6-So. Marco Gaita (27-8, D1-3), West Morris, d. Jr. Aric Wingle (16-7, D3-3), High Point, 4-0.
3-Sr. Anthony Duardo (31-2, D1-2), North Warren, p. Sr. Trevor Warner (10-8, D4-3), Pequannock, :18.

160 pounds

Sr. Taylor Molfetto (23-7, D3-2), Kittatinny, d. 8-Sr. Anthony Roessner (24-12, D1-3), Warren Hills, 3-2.
4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (29-6, D1-2), West Morris, p. So. Kelvin Gonzalez (12-15, D4-2), Lakeland, 3:14.
6-Sr. Alex Zevits (29-8, D2-2), Montville, d. Sr. Louis Paduano (17-13, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 5-0.
7-Sr. Mike Szynalski (18-4, D2-3), Randolph, d. So. Robbie Turro (18-12, D3-3), High Point, 7-2.

170 pounds

5-Sr. Daniel Castiglia (31-5, D4-3), Butler, d. So. Jacob Cougle (16-16, D2-3), Morris Knolls, 6-0.
4-Jr. Josh Klimek (27-6, D3-2), Kittatinny, d. Jr. Anthony Gonzalez (7-6, D1-3), Hackettstown, 10-3.
6-Sr. Joe Frumolt (25-9, D3-3), Pope John, p. So. Kevin Charles (17-15, D2-2), Randolph, 2:41.
2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (30-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, p. Sr. Shane Spitzer (10-13, D1-2), Mount Olive, :27.

182 pounds

Fr. Zach Mafaro (25-7, D3-2), Kittatinny, md. 8-Jr. Jacob Jakova (21-8, D3-3), Jefferson, 10-2.
5-Sr. Sam Palumbo (32-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley, d. Jr. Brent Bartzak (14-13, D1-2), Mendham, 13-6.
6-Sr. PJ Chak (28-7, D4-3), Wayne Valley, p. Sr. Angello Pico (27-11, D3), Randolph, :38.
3-Sr. David LoCascio (24-3, D4-2), Kinnelon, p. Jr. Dan Fisher (20-17, D1-3), Phillipsburg, 3:04.

195 pounds

8-Fr. Nick Galka (18-13, D1-3), Warren Hills, d. Jr. Samuel Weiner (16-14, D2-2), Morris Hills, 3-1 SV.
5-Jr. Jacob Tareky (28-9, D4-3), Wayne Valley, d. Sr. Colin Myles (15-19, D3-3), Pope John, 4-3.
3-Sr. Patrick Daly (28-3, D4-2), Pequannock, p. Sr. Scott Prior (12-18, D2-3), Lenape Valley, 1:10.
Sr. Luke DeGroat (16-16, D3-2), Kittatinny, p. 7-Sr. Alex Leontaris (19-11, D1-2), North Warren, 1:46.

220 pounds

8-So. Drew Flynn (31-5, D4-2), Pompton Lakes, md. Sr. Daniel Colabella (23-9, D1-2), Mount Olive, 11-1.
4-Jr. Zach Herbert (25-5, D3-2), Sparta, p. Sr. Andrew Nieves (22-8, D3-3), Pope John, 3:08.
6-Sr. Ralph Hall (26-11, D2-3), Lenape Valley, d. Fr. Nick Trani (22-11, D4-3), Wayne Valley, 5-3.
3-Sr. Todd Eckert (27-1, D2-2), Roxbury, p. Sr. Donte Rossi (8-19, D1-3), Mendham, :50.

285 pounds

 Sr. Alex Kaltenhauser (21-13, D1-2), West Morris, injury default over 8-So. Joe Andes (14-16, D1-3), Hackettstown, 3:42.
5-Jr. Shane Beston (20-11, D2-2), Morris Knolls, p. Sr. Griffin Waldron (9-11, D3-3), Kittatinny, 1:17.
4-So. Robbie Gennat (26-9, D3-2), Sparta, d. Jr. Tom Colella (15-7, D4-3), DePaul, 3-1.
6-Sr. Rich Fritzky (23-11, D2-3), Lenape Valley, md. Sr. Nick Sanders (26-9, D4-2), Pompton Lakes, 11-3.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Wrestling: Wrestling: Region 1 preview, predictions

Where: Wallkill Valley Regionial 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 2:40 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. Tickets for consolations and finals only are $5 and $3.

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 starting at 9 a.m. If Saturday's schedule is wiped out, the same schedule will apply to Sunday.

Returning champions (10): Jr. Shane Metzler, West Morris (120); Sr. Garrett O'Shea, Butler (126); Sr. Joe Renne, Hackettstown (126); Sr. Jared Kobis, High Point (145); Sr. Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills (170); Jr. Brandon Kui, DePaul (182); Sr. Patrick Daly, Pequannock (195); Sr. Scott Lavelle, DePaul (220); Sr. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg (132-2014); Sr. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls (195-2014).

The top three finishers at each weight class advance to the 83rd State Wrestling Championships held March 4-6 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Qualifiers by school

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

106 pounds

1. Joe Aragona, Pope John; 2. Cody Harrison, Warren Hills; 3. Devin Flannery, High Point.

Notes: Aragona (33-0) has really turned it on since the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, where he won the title with a 3-1 victory over Harrison. That bout was 1-1 in the final 10 seconds before Aragona converted the go-ahead takedown. Harrison (19-5), who looked good in winning the District 1 title, majored Montville's Ronald Rumsby, the No. 3 seed, 14-5 in December.

113 pounds

1. Daniel Percelay, DePaul; 2. Kyle Markus, Phillipsburg; 3. Jacob Falleni, Lenape Valley.

Notes: Markus (30-6) looking to avenge a 5-3 loss to Percelay (28-5) in last year's semifinals at 106. These guys have been 1-2 in our rankings all season. Falleni (20-9) had a disappointing Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, getting pinned by Kittatinny's Mark DiGeronimo in the semifinals.

120 pounds

1. Shane Metzler, West Morris; 2. Jake Rotunda, Pope John; 3. Tom Kosar, Phillipsburg.

Notes: Metzler, who finished fourth in the state last year, is one of 10 returning champions in this year's field and has 99 career victories. Rotunda, a runner-up last year, dropped a 7-3 decision to Metzler in the John Goles Invitational finals. Kosar (15-10) has a tough draw. With a victory on Wednesday, he would get Metzler in the quarterfinals. The Stateliner, who lost by technical fall to Metzler in December, closed the gap with a 7-4 loss in the D1 finals.

126 pounds

1. Troy Stanich, Roxbury; 2. Garrett O'Shea, Morris Knolls; 3. Robert Garcia, Pope John.

Notes: Just a ridiculously loaded weight class with six wrestlers all of state tournament caliber, including returning placers Stanich (sixth) and O'Shea (fourth). You don't want to have to navigate through the wrestlebacks here. Garcia may get a quarterfinal rematch with Warren Hills' Matt Valli, who beat Garcia, 6-5, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals. Hackettstown's Joe Renne, a Region 1 champion, gave Valli (32-1) his first loss in the D1 finals.

132 pounds

1. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg; 2. Nick Klinger, Kittatinny; 3. Wyatt McCarthy, Newton.

Notes: Another tough weight now that Paetzell, who is 97-12 overall, is back in action and seeking a third title. Only four Stateliners have won three. P'burg coach Dave Post was a two-time winner (2002 and '03). Klinger looks like he's stepped things up with a 9-4 win over McCarthy in the D3 finals. McCarthy is one tough freshman, losing 10-8 in OT to Hopatcong's Anthony Mastroeni, who finished fourth last year, on Jan. 27.

138 pounds

1. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny; 2, Chris Grecco, Pompton Lakes; 3. Alex Zangrilli, Pequannock.

Notes: Easy choice here. After two straight third-place finishes, Scrivani (31-1) is the heavy favorite, having scored a 16-5 win over Grecco earlier this month. Grecco (35-1) topped Zangrilli, a runner-up last season, 5-3, in the District 4 finals. Keep an eye on Vernon senior Cole Nagle (28-3), who is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the tournament with 19 pins this season.

145 pounds

1. Jared Kobis, High Point; 2. Dominic Fano, Montville; 3. Nick Palumbo, Lenape Valley.

Notes: Kobis (22-0) is looking to repeat here after winning a third District 3 title -- one of just 13 wrestlers at his school to win at least three, including 'Cats coach John Gardner, Palumbo, who dropped a 4-1 decision to Kobis on Jan. 6, lost a 5-2 decision to Fano in the District 2 finals. Let's also not forget Phillipsburg's Brian Meyer, a two-time D1 champ who has lost twice to Palumbo.

152 pounds

1. DJ Wissing, Phillipsburg; 2. Edward Marucci, Montville; 3. Anthony Duardo, North Warren.

Notes: Going with the hot hand here. Wissing (23-4) blistered the D1 field, decking West Morris' Marco Gaita in 15 seconds and Duardo in 4:43 to win the title. Marucci seems to have Roxbury senior Tommy Miller's number with a pair of wins -- 3-0 and 3-2. The latter win coming in the D2 finals. Duardo also has two wins over Miller -- 9-5 and 11-5 -- and a 5-3 victory over Morris Hills' Joey Schiele.

160 pounds

1. Craig Roumes, Roxbury; 2. Christian DalCais, West Milford; 3. Alex Zevits, Montville.

Notes: Roumes beat DalCais, 1-0, in the Dover Tournament finals on the opening weekend. The Roxbury senior made a believer out of many with a 6-3 victory over Old Tappan's Tyler Mullen, a state placewinner last season, on Feb. 12. Zevits vs. Mendham's Troy Navarino, who finished fourth here last year, would be a quarterfinal to watch on Friday.

170 pounds

1. Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills; 2. Spencer Carey, DePaul; 3. Al Falco, Sparta.

Notes: Kilroy going for his second straight title and will likely get a third match against Carey, who avenged a 3-1 loss in sudden victory to Kilroy in the Passaic County Tournament finals on Feb. 1 with a 7-4 win in the District 4 semifinals. This should be a very interesting battle for third place as Falco owns two wins over Kittatinny's Josh Klimek. Warren Hills' Jarod Ostir also is in the mix.

182 pounds

1. Brandon Kui, DePaul; 2. Luke Drugac, Morris Knolls; 3. Sam Palumbo, Lenape Valley.

Notes: Kui (32-1), a junior, going for the 3-peat at Wallkill Valley. Drugac and Palumbo, who was at 195 for a majority of the year, have split this season, with Drugac winning, 3-2, in the District 2 finals to avenge a 7-4 loss on Jan. 22. Kinnelon's David LoCascio, who lost, 9-2, to Kui in the D4 finals, also in the hunt for a trip to AC.

195 pounds

1. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls; 2. Patrick Daly, Pequannock; 3. Joseph Soreco, DePaul.

Notes: Very competitive weight after Drugac (32-0), who is looking for his second Region 1 title. Daly dropped a 2-1 decision in sudden victory to Soreco in the District 4 finals. Soreco has a 7-2 victory over Phillipsburg's Drew Horun at the Beast of the East.

220 pounds

1. Robert Melise, Phillipsburg; 2. Scott Lavelle, DePaul; 3. Todd Eckert, Roxbury.

Notes: This final would have the place rocking as there's no love lost between P'burg and DePaul, which had some heated exchanges between the coaches during last year's tournament. Lavelle, who was third in the state, decked Melise, who finished fifth in AC, to win the title last time they met. Pompton Lakes sophomore Drew Flynn (30-5), who is very athletic, may be a force at 285 pounds a year from now.

285 pounds

1. Kyle Nothnagel, Phillipsburg; 2. Matthew Sportelli, Wayne Hills; 3. Parker Fox, Montville.

Notes: Nothnagel (33-4), who is closing in on 100 career wins, finished third here last season. He's the obvious pick. Forecasting the rest of this weight is a little more difficult to do. Sportelli (24-5), the District 4 champ who is physically imposing, is a real wild card as the No. 7 seed. He will face High Point's Kevin Lewis (26-8), who was fourth last season, in the quarterfinals. Fox has two wins over D3 runner-up Robbie Gennat of Sparta -- 1-0 and 5-2.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Wrestling: Region 1 pairings, information

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

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals, 4 p.m. (Doors open at 2:40 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. Tickets for consolations and finals only are $5 and $3.

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 starting at 9 a.m. If Saturday's schedule is wiped out, the same schedule will apply to Sunday.

Returning champions (10): Jr. Shane Metzler, West Morris (120); Sr. Garrett O'Shea, Butler (126); Sr. Joe Renne, Hackettstown (126); Sr. Jared Kobis, High Point (145); Sr. Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills (170); Jr. Brandon Kui, DePaul (182); Sr. Patrick Daly, Pequannock (195); Sr. Scott Lavelle, DePaul (220); Sr. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg (132-2014); Sr. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls (195-2014).

The top three finishers at each weight class advance to the 83rd State Wrestling Championships held March 4-6 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Qualifiers by school

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

Note: Dylan Minter of Kittatinny withdrew due to an injury sustained in the District 3 final. Pope John senior Billy Koenig, who finished fourth, takes Minter's place at 152 pounds.

106 pounds

8-Fr. Michael Esposito (16-11, D4-2), DePaul, vs. Fr. Ben Bariso (25-8, D4-3), Butler, winner to meet 1-Fr. Joe Aragona (33-0, D3-1), Pope John.

5-Fr. Devin Flannery (25-7, D3-2), High Point, vs. Fr. John Tesoriero (17-9, D2-2), Roxbury.

4-Fr. Quinn Melofchik (30-4, D1-3), Belvidere, vs. Fr. James Haws (15-19, D2-3), Lenape Valley.

6-Fr. Mason Godfrey (30-6, D3-3), Jefferson, vs. Fr. Dom DiGena (26-9, D1-2), Mendham, winner to meet 3-Jr. Ronald Rumsby (27-7, D2-1), Montville.

7-So. Christopher Costiglia (22-6, D4-1), Lakeland, vs. 2-Fr. Cody Harrison (19-5, D1-1), Warren Hills.

113 pounds

8-Fr. Scott Jarosz (21-8, D2-2), Roxbury, vs, So. Joe Carmichael (23-9, D4-3), Pequannock, winner to meet 1-Sr. Kyle Markus (30-6, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

5-So. Kyle Wulff (23-9, D1-2), Warren Hills, vs. So. Maverick Liebl (12-9, D3-3), High Point, winner to meet 4-Jr. Jacob Falleni (20-9, D2-1), Lenape Valley.

6-Jr. Christian Deehan (27-7, D3-2), Pope John, vs. Fr. Phil Trovato (14-19, D2-3), Montville, winner to meet 3-Jr. Mark DiGeronimo (24-6, D3-1), Kittatinny.

7-So. Brandon Wyble (20-5, D4-2), Butler, vs. Fr. Peter Tringali (18-14, D1-3), Mendham, winner to meet 2-Jr. Daniel Percelay (28-5, D4-1), DePaul.

120 pounds

8-Sr. Tom Kosar (15-10, D1-2), Phillipsburg, vs. Fr. Evan Vazquez (19-7, D2-2), Roxbury, winner to meet 1-Jr. Shane Metzler (32-0, D1-1), West Morris.

5-So. Nick Rampone (24-13, D2-1), Randolph, vs. 4-Jr. Connor Murphy (30-4, D4-1), Wayne Valley.

6-Sr. Scotty Smith (28-3, D4-2), Kinnelon, vs. Sr. Chris Schrieks (26-11, D3-3), Jefferson.

3-Sr. Garrett Gerndt (21-5, D3-2), Sparta, vs. So, Sebastian Cornejo (11-5, D2-3), Morris Catholic.

7-Jr. Steve Pocze (24-7, D4-3), Pequannock, vs. Jr. Thomas Masucci (18-13, D1-3), Mendham, winner to meet 2-So. Jake Rotunda (29-3, D3-1), Pope John.

126 pounds

8-Jr. Damian Maver (22-6, D4-2), DePaul, vs. Jr. Ray Smaha (17-13, D2-2), Lenape Valley, winner to meet 1-Sr. Garrett O'Shea (33-1, D4-1), Butler.

4-Jr. Matt Valli (32-1, D1-2), Warren Hills, vs. Jr. Eric Jensen (21-12, D2-3), Randolph, winner to meet 5-Fr. Robert Garcia (29-4, D3-1), Pope John.

6-Sr. Grant Gerndt (25-8, D3-2), Sparta, vs. Jr. Nick Cassidy (22-10, D1-3), Belvidere, winner to meet 3-Sr. Joe Renne (29-5, D1-1), Hackettstown.

7-Jr. Mark Bohn (24-6, D3-3), Jefferson, vs. Fr. Reid Colella (23-13, D4-3), Wayne Valley, winner to meet 2-Sr. Troy Stanich (27-2, D2-1), Roxbury.

132 pounds

8-Fr. Wyatt McCarthy (24-9, D3-2), Newton, vs. So. Alex Carida (28-6, D1-2), Hackettstown, winner to meet 1-Sr. Brandon Paetzell (9-3, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

5-So. Connor Meytrott (29-6, D2-2), Montville, vs. Fr. Luke McFadden (20-8, D4-3), DePaul, winner to meet 4-Sr. Michael DeClario (24-5, D4-1), Kinnelon.

6-So. Shane Kobis (23-12, D3-3), High Point, vs. Jr. Anthony Rua (24-7, D4-2), Wayne Hills, winner to meet 3-So. Anthony Mastroeni (33-4, D2-1), Hopatcong.

7-Jr. Richard Reimers (21-7, D2-3), Roxbury, vs. Jr. Shannon Grogan (17-12, D1-3), North Warren, winner to meet 2-Sr. Nick Klinger (31-2, D3-1), Kittatinny.

138 pounds

8-Sr. Cole Nagle (28-3, D3-2), Vernon, vs. Jr. Nick Giordano (19-13, D3-3), Newton, winner to meet 1-Sr. Austin Scrivani (31-1, D3-1), Kittatinny.

4-Sr. Jayson Parisi (30-5, D2-1), Morris Knolls, vs. 5-Jr. Kade Loughney (25-8, D1-1), West Morris.

6-Sr. Tyler Agans (17-17, D1-2), Phillipsburg, vs. Fr. Joe Daddario (20-15, D2-3), Montville.

3-Sr. Alex Zangrilli (25-8, D4-2), Pequannock, vs. Jr. Nick Pellegrino (21-15, D4-3), Wayne Valley.

7-Jr. Zach Nauta (22-7, D1-3), Warren Hills, vs. Sr. Justin Pichardo (15-11, D2-2), Morris Hills, winner to meet 2-Jr. Chris Grecco (35-1, D4-1), Pompton Lakes.

145 pounds

8-Sr. Anthony Carida (28-8, D1-2), Hackettstown, vs. So. Cameron Nauta (11-19, D1-3), Warren Hills, winner to meet 1-Sr. Jared Kobis (22-0, D3-1), High Point.

5-So. Michael Roumes (24-4, D2-3), Roxbury, vs. Jr. Wayde Kenney (22-7, D4-2), Butler, winner to meet 4-So. Brian Meyer (29-8, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

6-Sr. Jake Vanwingerden (20-11, D3-2), Kittatinny, vs. Jr. Sean McHugh (18-14, D3-3), Sparta.

3-Jr. Nick Palumbo (29-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley, vs. Jr. Thomas Astarita (18-16, D4-3), Wayne Valley.

7-Jr. Sal Puglisi (29-6, D4-1), Pompton Lakes, vs. 2-Jr. Dominic Fano (34-1, D2-1), Montville.

152 pounds

1-Sr. Edward Marucci (31-3, D2-1), Montville, vs. 8-Jr. Dean Zindaki (30-5, D4-1), Wayne Valley.

5-Jr. Joey Schiele (27-5, D2-3), Morris Hills, vs. Sr. Billy Koenig (16-16, D3-4), Pope John.

4-Sr. Tommy Miller (24-5, D2-2), Roxbury, vs. Fr. Steven Schubert (11-14, D4-2), Butler.

6-So. Marco Gaita (26-8, D1-3), West Morris, vs. Jr. Aric Wingle (16-6, D3-3), High Point.

3-Sr. Anthony Duardo (30-2, D1-2), North Warren, vs. Sr. Trevor Warner (10-7, D4-3), Pequannock.

7-So. Shane Connolly (29-9, D3-1), Jefferson, vs, 2-Sr. DJ Wissing (23-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

160 pounds

8-Sr. Anthony Roessner (24-11, D1-3), Warren Hills, vs. Sr. Taylor Molfetto (22-7, D3-2), Kittatinny, winner to meet 1-Sr. Craig Roumes (28-0, D2-1), Roxbury.

4-Sr. Caleb Isemann (28-6, D1-2), West Morris, vs. So. Kelvin Gonzalez (12-14, D4-2), Lakeland, winner to meet 5-Sr. Lance Fischer (14-4, D3-1), Newton.

6-Sr. Alex Zevits (28-8, D2-2), Montville, vs. Sr. Louis Paduano (17-12, D4-3), Wayne Valley, winner to meet 3-Jr. Troy Navarino (27-7, D1-1), Mendham.

7-Sr. Mike Szynalski (17-4, D2-3), Randolph, vs. So. Robbie Turro (18-11, D3-3), High Point, winner to meet 2-Sr. Christian DalCais (34-2, D4-1), West Milford.

170 pounds

1-Sr. Spencer Carey (27-7, D4-1), DePaul, vs. 8-Sr. Dillon Fazliu (23-9, D2-1), Montville.

5-Sr. Daniel Castiglia (30-5, D4-3), Butler, vs. So. Jacob Cougle (16-15, D2-3), Morris Knolls.

4-Jr. Josh Klimek (26-6, D3-2), Kittatinny, vs. Jr. Anthony Gonzalez (7-5, D1-3), Hackettstown.

6-Sr. Joe Frumolt (24-9, D3-3), Pope John, vs. So. Kevin Charles (17-14, D2-2), Randolph, winner to meet 3-Sr. Al Falco (30-5, D3-1), Sparta.

2-Sr. Daniel Kilroy (29-1, D4-2), Wayne Hills, vs. Sr. Shane Spitzer (10-12, D1-2), Mount Olive, winner to meet 7-So. Jarod Ostir (13-8, D1-1), Warren Hills.

182 pounds

8-Jr. Jacob Jakova (21-7, D3-3), Jefferson, vs. Fr. Zach Mafaro (24-7, D3-2), Kittatinny, winner to meet 1-Jr. Brandon Kui (32-1, D4-1), DePaul.

5-Sr. Sam Palumbo (31-6, D2-2), Lenape Valley, vs. Jr. Brent Bartzak (14-12, D1-2), Mendham, winner to meet 4-So. Jake Brown (28-6, D3-1), Pope John.

6-Sr. PJ Chak (27-7, D4-3), Wayne Valley, vs. Sr. Angello Pico (27-10, D3), Randolph.

3-Sr. David LoCascio (23-3, D4-2), Kinnelon, vs. Jr. Dan Fisher (20-16, D1-3), Phillipsburg.

7-Jr. Kyle Connelly (29-6, D1-1), Hackettstown, vs. 2-Sr. Luke Drugac (32-1, D2-1), Morris Knolls.

195 pounds

8-Fr. Nick Galka (17-13, D1-3), Warren Hills, vs. Jr. Samuel Weiner (16-13, D2-2), Morris Hills, winner to meet 1-Sr. Dean Drugac (32-0, D2-1), Morris Knolls.

5-Jr. Jacob Tareky (27-9, D4-3), Wayne Valley, vs. Sr. Colin Myles (15-18, D3-3), Pope John, winner to meet 4-Jr. Drew Horun (27-5, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

3-Sr. Patrick Daly (27-3, D4-2), Pequannock, vs. Sr. Scott Prior (12-17, D2-3), Lenape Valley, winner to meet 6-Jr. William Loewen (19-2, D3-1), Sparta,

7-Sr. Alex Leontaris (19-10, D1-2), North Warren, vs. Sr. Luke DeGroat (15-16, D3-2), Kittatinny, winner to meet 2-Jr. Joseph Soreco (28-5, D4-1), DePaul.

220 pounds

8-So. Drew Flynn (30-5, D4-2), Pompton Lakes, vs. Sr. Daniel Colabella (23-8, D1-2), Mount Olive, winner to meet 1-Sr. Scott Lavelle (28-3, D4-1), DePaul.

4-Jr. Zach Herbert (24-5, D3-2), Sparta, vs. Sr. Andrew Nieves (22-7, D3-3), Pope John, winner to meet 5-So. Liridon Leka (28-6, D2-1), Montville.

6-Sr. Ralph Hall (25-11, D2-3), Lenape Valley, vs. Fr. Nick Trani (22-10, D4-3), Wayne Valley.

3-Sr. Todd Eckert (26-1, D2-2), Roxbury, vs. Sr. Donte Rossi (8-18, D1-3), Mendham.

7-Sr. Adam Schlereth (11-2, D3-1), Newton, vs. 2-Jr. Robert Melise (34-2, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

285 pounds

8-So. Joe Andes (14-15, D1-3), Hackettstown, vs. Sr. Alex Kaltenhauser (20-13, D1-2), West Morris, winner to meet 1-Sr. Kyle Nothnagel (33-4, D1-1), Phillipsburg.

5-Jr. Shane Beston (19-11, D2-2), Morris Knolls, vs. Sr. Griffin Waldron (9-10, D3-3), Kittatinny.

4-So. Robbie Gennat (25-9, D3-2), Sparta, vs. Jr. Tom Colella (15-6, D4-3), DePaul.

6-Sr. Rich Fritzky (22-11, D2-3), Lenape Valley, vs. Sr. Nick Sanders (26-8, D4-2), Pompton Lakes, winner to meet 3-Jr. Parker Fox (32-2, D2-1), Montville.

7-Sr. Matthew Sportelli (24-5, D4-1), Wayne Hills, vs. 2-Sr. Kevin Lewis (26-8, D3-1), High Point.

Wrestling: Districts 1, 2, 3 and 17 by the numbers

As we prep for Regions 1 and 5 this week, let's take a look at some of the noteworthy happenings from the four district tournaments that house teams from the Open Mike area.

127 -- Kittatinny senior Austin Scrivani joined some elite company on Saturday by winning his fourth District 3 title -- joining former state champions Steve Dalling (1988-91), Matt Valenti (1999-02) and Will Livingston (2003-06). James DiCataldo (1994-97) is the only other Cougar to win four. In the process, Scrivani (127-27) moved into a tie with Valenti (127-7) for sixth place on the school's all-time wins list. Next up is Kieran Gerrity (130-34 from 2010-14). Kittatinny, which has had at least once champ since missing in 1993, raised its all-time total to 109 winners.

Ted Sibblies and John Gill with their coach of the year awards.
13 -- Lucky for Newton, which has produced 13 champions in District 3 over the past 10 tournaments. Seniors Lance Fischer (160) and Adam Schlereth (220), both runners-up last season, won for the Braves on Saturday. Fischer continues to be a feel-good story as he was once thought to be done for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Schlereth was second in District 4 for DePaul. Speaking of Newton champions, former state placewinner Kevin Churchill, who won a District 3 titles as a freshman in '07, is now an assistant coach at Wallkill Valley. His father, Jeff, is the head coach. Ted Sibblies, a district champ for the Braves in 1989, was named District 3's Assistant Coach of the Year.

8 -- Lenape Valley and Hunterdon Central advanced eight wrestlers to Region 1 and 5, respectively. The Patriots had one champion in District 2 as junior Jacob Falleni (113) won his second straight title, as the Sussex County school has produced at least one winner every year since being shut out in 2003. Ray Smaha (126), Nick Palumbo (145) and Sam Palumbo (182) were runners-up. James Haws (106), Scott Prior (195), Ralph Hall (220) and Rich Fritzky (285) finished third. Over in District 17, Jack Bauer (106), Hunter Graf (113), Peter Nace (120), Kevin Ciresa (145), Michael Iodice (170) and Victor Lacombe (220) all won titles, while Vincent Romaniello (132) and Connor Wheatley (195) finished second to lead the Red Devils to the program's 35th team championship and sixth in eight years as they finished five points ahead of Delaware Valley.

10 -- This was a magic number for Delaware Valley (D17), Kittatinny (D3) and Phillipsburg (D1) as these schools advanced the most wrestlers out of their respective districts. The Terriers had three champions in Matt Kolonia (132), Kyle Lightner (182) and Kyle Schlittler (195), while the Cougars had three winners in Mark DiGernonimo (113), Nick Klinger (132) and Scrivani (138). The Stateliners led District 1 with seven champs -- Kyle Markus (113), Brandon Paetzell (132), Brian Meyer (145), DJ Wissing (152), Drew Horun (195), Robert Melise (220) and Kyle Nothnagel (285).

198 -- North Hunterdon is closing in on 200 district champions overall as Cole Marra (138), Derek Ciavarro (160) and Charlie Tordik (285) all won titles in District 17. Ciavarro won his second in a row, while Marra and Tordik are juniors and will get a chance to repeat next season. Who will be No. 200? Andrew Gapas (126), Wyatt Vrancken (170) and Tyler Gapas (182) finished second and move on to Region 5 for the Lions.

61 -- With seven champions in District 1, Phillipsburg has had at least one winner for 61 straight tournaments since missing in 1955. The only other year that the 'Liners came up empty was 1950. Bill Lowe was the program's first champ at 103 pounds in 1948.

7 -- Since going six straight years without a champion, Sparta has won seven District 3 titles in three seasons as Al Falco (170) and William Loewen (195) win championships on Saturday. Falco and three-time finalist Garrett Gerndt, who was second at 120, both went over the 90-win mark for their careers. The Spartans, who will send seven wrestlers to Region 1, finished third in the team race and appear to be a far cry from the program that went two straight years without a quarterfinal winner a few years back. Hats off to coach Frank Battaglia and his entire staff.

114 -- High Point ran its streak of at least one District 3 champion to 13 straight tournaments as seniors Jared Kobis (145) and Kevin Lewis (220) won for the second year in a row. Kobis (22-0), who is 93-6 overall, won his third title and is just the 13th to win at least three for the 'Cats. On a sad note, the High Point family lost one of its own as Joe Donahue, a champion at 189 in 2008, was killed last week during a work-related accident. A moment of silence before the start of Friday's quarterfinals was a nice touch by Kittatinny. Deepest sympathies to the Donahue family.

71 -- It's been a struggle for Hopatcong this season with low numbers and just three wrestlers entered for the District 2 Tournament. But sophomore Anthony Mastroeni, who finished fourth in Region 1 as a freshman, won his first district title at 132 pounds to give the Chiefs their 71st champ.