Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Smith perfect fit among 'Cats coaches (HWS ranks)

WASHINGTON TWP. -- Billy Smith never really left home. His heart has always belonged to the High Point wrestling program, and the big man is happy to be back in Wantage.

The former state champion now sits alongside his high school coaches, joining John Gardner's staff as an assistant after being hired by his alma mater as a special education and history teacher for the 2016-17 school year.

"It's good. I've got a lot to learn," Smith said following High Point's 1-2 showing at the Warren Hills quad on Saturday.
Billy Smith and John Gardner at the Zephyr Duals. (HP Wrestling on Facebook)

Smith was a key member of those great High Point teams (98 wins in his four years) from just a few years back -- going 138-20 overall from 2007-11. The Wildcats won three sectional and two Group 3 championships, including their first ever in '08. Smith was a three-time district and two-time region champion, capturing the 285-pound state title in '11 -- one of four High Point seniors to win gold medals in Atlantic City. The 'Cats finished No. 1 in New Jersey for the 2007-08 and 2010-11 seasons.

Smith went on to a successful collegiate career at Rutgers University -- one of just four wrestlers for the Scarlet Knights to make four consecutive national tournament appearances along with Scott Winston (2009, 2011-13), Dan Rinaldi (2010-13) and Andy Roy (2002-05).

"He's going to be a really good coach," said Gardner, also a state champion for the 'Cats (1990), and regarded as one of the best coaches in New Jersey with a 318-97-2 mark in 19 seasons.

Smith has had the luxury of wrestling for two of the most respected coaches in Gardner and Scott Goodale of Rutgers, something that should bode well for Smith in his new position. Like Gardner, Smith has always been a class act on and off the mat, win or lose, and his former coach has been a tremendous influence.

"A lot of positivity with John, no matter what the situation." said Smith, who finished 105-39 overall at Rutgers and one of just 16 to record 100 wins at the school. "Concentrating on winning and losing gets you lost. Ultimately, it's about the kids and making an impact on their lives."

High Point (12-4), which drew the top seed for the upcoming North 1, Group 2 sectionals, isn't as loaded with talent as when Smith was coming through the pipeline. Being in that practice room six years ago and spending the last five with a Division I program, Smith mostly knows about being around elite wrestlers. But he's learning to be a better coach in his return to the high school ranks.

"It's good for me ... it helps me stick with the basics," said Smith, now part of a solid staff which includes longtime assistant Mickey Thomas (the school's first district champion) and Mark "Otto" Veltri. "Some times, you get too complicated. It's hard to win with four All-Stars and 10 [weak weights]. It's about [developing] the kids in between."

Smith is impressed with some of the younger wrestlers in the lineup, like freshman Billy Talmadge (14-7 at 126) and sophomore Grayson Sabo (7-8 at 170). Sabo, a first-year varsity wrestler, has comes from good stock -- his father, Bill, was a region champion for Franklin High School (now Wallkill Valley) in 1980 and finished fourth in the state at heavyweight.

"Sabo is only a sophomore, and he's getting better just from the start of the season," Smith said. "Talmadge can be special, very tough and hard-working kid. Brandon LaRue (21-2 at 106) and Devin Flannery (16-2 at 113) are sophomores. We have a lot of young talent."

Smith may very well be the heir apparent to succeed Gardner one day, but could only smile when broaching the subject.

"I think he has got a couple years left," Smith said with a grin. "I haven't really thought much about it. I'm happy [being an assistant] for now."

Now onto this week's rankings:

1. Phillipsburg (10-1) -- Stateliners went 2-0 last week as senior Drew Horun became the 23rd wrestler in the storied program to reach the 100-win mark in the team's 45-16 victory over North Hunterdon in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup. Horun (24-4 at 195) helped lead P'burg to a 36-23 win over Southern on Saturday, improving to 101-28 overall. Coach Dave Post's team has been shorthanded with injuries to Lance Wissing (138) and Austin Roth (182).

Up next: at Voorhees on Wednesday.

2. Pope John (12-1) -- Lions posted a 53-13 win over Christian Brothers Academy on Saturday in their only action last week. Junior Jake Rotunda (23-2) picked up his 80th career victory, while sophomore JoJo Aragona (20-0 at 120) got his 60th and senior Ryan Luchs (15-7 at 138) earned No. 70. Coach Mark Piotrowsky's team will next try to lock up the NJAC American Division title with a win over crosstown-rival Sparta on Wednesday.

Up next: at West Morris on Tuesday; at Sparta on Wednesday; St. Peter's Prep at home on Friday; Passaic Tech and Toms River North at Montville.

3. Hunterdon Central (16-2) -- Red Devils went 5-0 last week, including a 37-31 win over North Hunterdon, and are gearing up for Wednesday's showdown with Delaware Valley. The winner will make it a clean sweep of its Hunterdon County opponents this season. Central owns a 21-16 edge in the series dating to 1966 and the last five meetings have been decided by a total of 22 points. Junior Hunter Graf (23-1 at 120) enters the week with 89 career wins.

Up next: Delaware Valley at home on Wednesday; Hunterdon Central Duals on Saturday.

4. Delaware Valley (16-2) -- Terriers are eager to make another run at sectional and state titles, but they have some business to attend to on Wednesday with a match for county bragging rights and likely sole possession of second place in the Skyland Conference Raritan Division at Hunterdon Central. The stage was set by virtue of last week's 42-31 win over Bound Brook, as senior Matt Kolonia (26-1) helped lead the way with a 3-2 decision over state placewinner Joe Casey at 145.

Up next: at Hunterdon Central on Wednesday; Old Bridge and St. John Vianney on Saturday at Hunterdon Central Duals.

5. North Hunterdon (13-5) -- Lions move up the ranks despite losses to Phillipsburg (45-16 on Wednesday) and Hunterdon Central (37-31 on Friday) last week in Skyland Conference Raritan Division matches. Senior Charlie Tordik (24-0 at 285) missed the P'burg match, but returned to the lineup to get his 75th win vs. Central. Coach Tim Flynn's team closes out the division slate against state-ranked Bound Brook on Wednesday.

Up next: at Bound Brook on Wednesday; Old Bridge and Somerville on Saturday at Hunterdon Central Duals.

6. Warren Hills (10-8) -- Blue Streaks move up following their 34-21 upset of High Point, which was ranked No. 17 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers, on Saturday. Freshman Logan Nauta (10-9) set the early tone with his stunning pin of region qualifier Devin Flannery in the third bout at 113 pounds. Senior Zach Nauta (21-3), who later took his first loss at 138, also scored a big 6-2 win over Shane Kobis. Sophomore Nick Galka (18-8) sealed it with a last-second major at 182. The win was the Streaks' third straight over the 'Cats and evened the all-time series at 11-11.

Up next: St. John Vianney at home on Wednesday; at Newton on Friday; Cliffside Park and Ocean Township at home on Saturday.

7. High Point (12-4) -- Wildcats will be looking to bounce back in a big way this week after going 1-2 on Saturday in a quad with Cranford, Paramus and Warren Hills. They had Cranford on the ropes with a 28-24 lead, but coach John Gardner opted to forfeit the last two bouts as he was without the services of starters Matthew McDonnell (personal) at 182 and Hunter Flores (injury) at 195. The team will need both this week as it looks to clinch the NJAC Freedom Division title on Wednesday before the big rivalry showdown against Kittatinny on Friday.

Up next: Newton at home on Wednesday; at Kittatinny on Friday.

8. Kittatinny (12-4) -- Cougars can put the finishing touches on another NJAC Colonial Division title with a win over Hopatcong on Wednesday. Coach John Gill's team, which is once again the No. 1 seed in North 1, Group 1, will look to make it two in a row against High Point, which holds a 27-13-1 lead in the all-time series, on Friday in Hampton Township. Senior Josh Klimek (21-4 at 182) and sophomore Zach Mafaro (20-5 at 195) anchor the upper weights, who could be the key to securing a victory. Mafaro pinned region qualifier Robert Gennat in a surprisingly lopsided 51-12 victory over Sparta on Friday.

Up next: Parsippany at home on Tuesday; Hopatcong at home on Wednesday; High Point at home on Friday

9. Voorhees (13-6) -- Vikings went 4-1 last week, dropping a 34-26 decision to Warren Hills on Wednesday in the 41st meeting between Skyland Conference Raritan Division rivals. Coach Eric Hall's team rebounded with wins against Manville (49-24) on Friday, and Livingston (58-10), Mahwah (60-16) and Belvidere (57-22) on Saturday. Senior Michael Fernandes (26-0) is one of only four wrestlers in the HWS area still unbeaten, and he enters the week with 93 career wins.

Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Wednesday; at Hunterdon Central Duals on Saturday.

10. Sparta (12-7) -- Spartans opened last week with a 39-24 victory over Jefferson to set up a showdown for the NJAC American Division title against Pope John on Wednesday. Coach Frank Battaglia's team dropped a 51-12 decision to Kittatinny on Friday and swept its quad on Saturday, including wins over Hopatcong and Vernon. The return of sophomore Chris Hwang (7-0 at 113) has been a plus, but seniors William Loewen (17-3 at 220) and Zach Herbert (16-2 at 285) have been in and out of the lineup since the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.

Up next: Pope John at home on Wednesday; Morris Knolls and Wayne Hills at Randolph on Saturday.

On the bubble: Newton (10-7) -- Braves went 3-0 last week with wins over Wallkill Valley (46-24), Pascack Valley (40-26) and Dumont (57-12). Sadly, their scheduled match against Kittatinny earlier in the week was cancelled due to poor weather and will not be made up. It's the first time the rivals won't meet in a series that had been continuous since 1976. Kittatinny holds a 31-15 edge -- 3-2 in sectional matchups -- in the series.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Wrestling: New Jersey Writers Association Top 20

With the sectional tournaments fast approaching, four teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area sit atop the latest New Jersey Wresting Writers Association Top 20 poll.

Phillipsburg (10-1) leads the way in the No. 5 spot, while Pope John (12-1) is right behind at No. 6. The Stateliners will be the top seed in North 2, Group 4 as they seek a 36th championship in the tournament's 38-year history, while the Lions compete in the rugged Non-Public North A section.

Hunterdon Central (16-2) checks in at the No. 7 spot with a huge showdown at home against No. 10 Delaware Valley (16-2) slated for Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. The winner will likely lock up second place in the Skyland Conference Raritan Division as P'burg can clinch the title with a road win against Voorhees that night.

High Point (12-4), which was ranked No. 17 last week, fell out of the Top 20 after a 34-21 loss to unranked Warren Hills on Saturday. The Blue Streaks (10-8) received three votes this week, while North Hunterdon (13-5) got one vote.

Bergen Catholic (9-4) remains the unanimous No. 1 team for the fourth straight week. 

The Crusaders, who collected all 13 first-place votes and have been ranked No. 1 in the poll every week since the 2013-14 season, are the odds-on favorites to win the Non-Public North A title. They could square off against No. 2 Delbarton (14-1), which rolled to the team championship in the 32nd annual Morris County Tournament on Saturday, at some point.

(Records through Saturday)


Rank
School
Record
Votes
Previous
1
Bergen Catholic (13)
(9-4)
260
1
2
Delbarton
(14-1)
247
2
3
South Plainfield
(22-1)
233
4
4
Cranford
(15-0)
222
3
5
Phillipsburg
(10-1)
207
5
6
Pope John
(12-1)
196
6
7
Hunterdon Central
(16-2)
181
7
8
Howell
(21-1)
168
8
9
Hanover Park
(12-3)
158
9
10
Delaware Valley
(16-2)
142
10
11
Paulsboro
(16-0)
129
11
12
Don Bosco Prep
(7-5)
115
12
13
Delsea
(16-4)
101
13
14
Bound Brook
(9-5)
88
14
15
Raritan
(21-2)
75
16
16
Seton Hall Prep
(24-1)
61
18
17
Monroe Township
(14-1)
37
20
18
Middletown North
(19-1)
33
NR
19
Queen of Peace
(7-3)
29
15
20
Mendham
(14-3)
26
NR

Others receving votes: St. Augustine Prep (16-6) 16; Warren Hills (10-8) 3; Southern (9-3) 2; North Hunterdon (13-5) 1.


NJWWA voting members (in alphabetical order): Donald J. Brower (MorrisCountyHSWrestling.com); Frank D'Esposito (TheShoreConference.com); Steve Falk (Asbury Park Press and app.com); Josh Friedman (Courier Post of Cherry Hill, Daily Journal of Vineland); Screwy Louie Lazzari (New Jersey historian); John Lewis (Burlington County Times); Ron Mazzola (NJWWA president, Region 5 ranking chairman); Tom McGurk (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Anthony Spaulding (New Jersey Herald); Mark Trible (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Greg Tufaro (Home News Tribune of East Brunswick); Mike Weilamann (Open Mike); Brad Wilson (Express-Times).

Wrestling: HWS draws 6 No. 1 seeds for sectionals

Official pairings and seeds for the NJSIAA sectional tournaments that begin on Monday, Feb. 6. This season, the top eight teams in each section qualify.


Sectional semifinals will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8, with the finals slated for Friday, Feb. 10. The Group championships will be contested on Sunday, Feb. 12 at Toms River North High School.


In all, 14 of the 18 teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area have qualified for sectionals, with six earning No. 1 seeds, including Kittatinny (North 1, Group 1), Sparta (North 1, Group 3), Hunterdon Central (Central Jersey, Group 5), Delaware Valley (Central Jersey, Group 2) and Phillipsburg (North 2, Group 4).

High Point was tied on points with defending champion Emerson-Park Ridge for the top spot in North 1, Group 2, but since there are no head-to-meetings, the 'Cats earned the top seed by virtue of the power-point averages for all meets -- 32.80 to 31.20. There were several ties broken during Tuesday's meeting.

Warren Hills (North 2, Group 3) is a No. 2 seed, while North Hunterdon (North 2, Group 4), Pope John (Non-Public North A) are and Voorhees (Central Jersey, Group 2) are No. 3 seeds. The Blue Streaks, despite having more power points than Cranford, are the No. 2 seed based on Saturday's 48-21 loss to the Cougars.

NORTH 1

Group 5

1-North Bergen (12-3, 30.10) vs. 8-Livingston (5-11, 24.20); 5-West Orange (7-4, 26.80) vs. 4-Hackensack (10-6, 26.90); 3-Clifton (14-2, 28.20) vs. 6-Bloomfield (6-11, 25.40); 2-Passaic Tech (13-2, 29.80) vs. 7-Kearny (11-9, 26.00).

Group 4

1-Mendham (14-3, 35.60) vs. 8-Morris Knolls (10-8, 27.40); 5-Wayne Valley (13-5, 29.70) vs. 4-Mount Olive (9-7, 31.30); 3-Roxbury (8-7, 34.20) vs. 6-Randolph (10-7, 29.40); 2-West Morris (13-5, 34.60) vs. 7-Fair Lawn (18-2, 29.00).

Group 3

1-Sparta (12-7, 33.20) vs. 8-Ramapo (9-8, 26.60); 5-Pascack Valley (13-5, 27.80) vs. 4-River Dell (14-2, 27.80); 3-Montville (10-5, 29.60) vs. 6-Paramus (6-9, 27.20); 2-Old Tappan (12-6, 30.10) vs. 7-Morris Hills (9-12, 26.70).

Group 2

1-High Point (12-4, 34.10) vs. 8-Ramsey (9-10, 25.90); 5-Newton (10-7, 28.80) vs. 4-Westwood (14-4, 28.90); 3-Jefferson (12-6, 30.90) vs. 6-Pequannock (11-7, 26.60); 2-Emerson-Park Ridge (14-4, 34.10) vs. 7-Glen Rock (11-7, 26.20).

Group 1

1-Kittatinny (12-4, 35.00) vs. 8-Boonton (8-6, 25.70); 5-Hawthorne (9-6, 26.20) vs. 4-New Milford (11-10, 26.40); 3-Pompton Lakes (16-4, 28.50) vs. 6-Saddle Brook (11-7, 26.10); 2-Butler (11-2, 29.50) vs. 7-Bogota-Weehawken (10-11, 25.80).

NORTH 2

Group 5

1-Piscataway (12-3, 30.70) vs. 8-Bridgewater-Raritan (5-11, 25.30); 5-Ridge (9-9, 25.70) vs. 4-Perth Amboy (7-9, 25.80); 3-Westfield (12-7, 28.30) vs. 6-Bayonne (9-7, 25.80); 2-Watchung Hills (9-6, 28.40) vs. 7-Elizabeth (7-6, 25.40).

Group 4

1-Phillipsburg (10-1, 39.80) vs. 8-Sayreville (10-8, 25.80); 5-Scotch Plains (12-8, 27.80) vs. 4-Woodbridge (12-7, 30.30); 3-North Hunterdon (13-5, 33.50) vs. 6-Middletown South (13-8, 27.00); 2-Middletown North (19-1, 36.70) vs. 7-Colonia (10-5, 26.50).

Group 3

1-Cranford (16-0, 35.30) vs. 8-Irvington (11-2, 26.10); 5-Nutley (7-9, 27.00) vs. 4-Rahway (12-2, 28.00); 3-Passaic Valley (12-5, 31.80) vs. 6-West Essex (5-11, 27.60); 2-Warren Hills (10-8, 35.40) vs. 7-Governor Livingston (9-9, 26.20).

Group 2

1-Hanover Park (12-3, 33.30) vs. 8-Lodi (3-15, 21.50); 5-Hackettstown (9-10, 27.20) vs. 4-Lenape Valley (7-11, 28.90); 3-Garfield (15-6, 29.20) vs. 6-Parsippany (4-7, 26.60); 2-Caldwell (13-2, 30.70) vs. 7-Madison (6-8, 24.30).

Group 1

1-Bound Brook (9-5, 36.30) vs. 8-Becton (6-7, 24.60); 5-Hasbrouck Heights (11-7, 27.60) vs. 4-Verona (11-7, 27.60); 3-Roselle Park (15-4, 27.80) vs. 6-Belvidere (9-9, 26.80); 2-Cedar Grove (7-10, 30.10) vs. 7-Whippany Park (11-6, 26.60).

CENTRAL JERSEY

Group 5

1-Hunterdon Central (16-2, 38.00) vs. 8-New Brunswick (7-8, 26.10); 5-East Brunswick (8-8, 27.80) vs. 4-Edison (11-6, 28.20); 3-Manalapan (18-3, 30.20) vs. 6-Old Bridge (5-9, 27.60); 2-Monroe Township (14-1, 33.60) vs. 7-Freehold Township (9-9, 27.60).

Group 4

1-Jackson Memorial (11-8, 32.10) vs. 8-Allentown (9-8, 27.00); 5-Colts Neck (26-2, 31.20) vs. 4-Long Branch (16-6, 31.50); 3-Northern Burlington (20-5, 31.60) vs. 6-Nottingham (14-6, 29.50); 2-Brick Memorial (11-5, 31.60) vs. 7-Brick Township (14-4, 28.20).

Group 3

1-South Plainfield (22-1, 39.10) vs. 8-Steinert (9-6, 25.30); 5-Bordentown-Florence (13-6, 26.80) vs. 4-Wall Township (7-7, 28.60); 3-Hopewell Valley (13-4, 29.70) vs. 6-Somerville (6-9, 26.40); 2-Ocean Township (13-4, 28.90) vs. 7-Matawan (8-8, 26.20).

Group 2

1-Delaware Valley (16-2, 37.30) vs. 8-Bernards (13-5, 26.90); 5-Middlesex-Dunellen (18-2, 27.60) vs. 4-Point Pleasant Borough (11-5, 28.40); 3-Voorhees (13-6, 31.70) vs. 6-Holmdel (16-9, 27.20); 2-Raritan (21-2, 35.20) vs. 7-Robbinsville (10-6, 26.90).

Group 1

1-Point Pleasant Beach (16-1, 28.60) vs. 8-Maple Shade (5-12, 21.70); 5-New Egypt (8-7, 25.20) vs. 4-Riverside (4-15, 24.30); 3-Shore Regional (12-7, 26.50) vs. 6-Keansburg (6-10, 24.10); 2-Manville (16-2, 26.60) vs. 7-South River (6-8, 23.60).

SOUTH JERSEY

Group 5

1-Howell (21-1, 36.40) vs. 8-Williamstown (9-7, 27.10); 5-Cherokee (19-3, 31.50) vs. 4-Eastern (11-6, 28.90); 3-Egg Harbor Township (16-2, 32.50) vs. 6-Toms River North (10-7, 28.70); 2-Southern (9-3, 33.90) vs. 7-Rancocas Valley (15-6, 27.10).

Group 4

1-Kingsway (11-11, 30.80) vs. 8-Lenape (6-9, 26.00); 5-Shawnee (10-7, 27.00) vs. 4-Clearview (6-8, 28.10); 3-Cherry Hill West (14-9, 29.20) vs. 6-Pennsauken (9-8, 26.80); 2-Hammonton (18-6, 28.60) vs. 7-Mainland (11-9, 26.20).

Group 3

1-Delsea (14-4, 36.40) vs. 8-Pemberton (9-11, 26.20); 5-Lacey Township (10-7, 26.80) vs. 4-Timber Creek (11-6, 27.40); 3-Highland (11-2, 30.50) vs. 6-Burlington Township (11-8, 26.50); 2-Gateway-Woodbury (20-3, 32.20) vs. 7-Seneca (9-12, 26.50).

Group 2

1-Collingswood (18-3, 32.80) vs. 8-Oakcrest (11-5, 25.90); 5-Delran (15-10, 28.00) vs. 4-Cinnaminson (11-5, 28.30); 3-West Deptford (6-14, 28.90) vs. 6-Clayton-Glassboro (12-5, 26.40); 2-Haddonfield (17-7, 31.40) vs. 7-Sterling (11-9, 26.00).

Group 1

1-Paulsboro (15-0, 33.20) vs. 8-Overbrook (7-9, 24.30); 5-Pennsville (11-2, 26.60) vs. 4-Haddon Township (10-8, 27.40); 3-Woodstown (15-3, 29.40) vs. 6-Gloucester City (15-5, 26.40); 2-Buena (16-5, 30.30) vs. 7-Pitman (12-5, 26.00).

NON-PUBLIC

North A

1-Delbarton (14-1, 36.40), bye; 5-Don Bosco Prep (8-5, 33.70) vs. 4-Seton Hall Prep (24-1, 34.10) 3-Pope John (12-1, 34.90) vs. 6-St. Peter's Prep (5-6, 26.30); 2-Bergen Catholic (9-3, 28.30) vs. 7-Paramus Catholic (8-6, 25.70).

North B

1-DePaul (8-4, 27.70) vs. 4-Pingry (5-9, 25.10); 3-Bishop Ahr (9-9, 27.20) vs. 2-Queen of Peace (6-4, 28.00).

South A

1-St. Augustine (15-5, 31.90), bye; 5-Paul VI-Haddonfield (7-10, 25.50) vs. 4-St. John Vianney (12-4, 27.00); 3-Christian Brothers Academy (9-12, 27.20) vs. 6-Red Bank Catholic (7-9, 25.10); 2-Camden Catholic (18-6, 30.00) vs. 7-Notre Dame (4-12, 23.40).

South B

1-Holy Spirit (10-7, 27.20), bye; 5-St. Joseph-Hammonton (3-16, 17.50) vs. 4-Gloucester Catholic (5-11, 21.40); 3-Holy Cross (2-16, 22.00) vs. 6-St. Rose (1-11, 15.50); 2-Donovan Catholic (11-7, 26.00), bye.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Wrestling: HWS schedule for Jan. 30-Feb. 4

Monday, Jan. 30


(Matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Independent

Hackettstown at Belvidere
Hopatcong, Ramapo at North Warren, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 31


Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Pope John at West Morris, ppd.
Parsippany at Kittatinny, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 1


(All matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Lenape Valley at Hackettstown
Newton at High Point
Hopatcong at Kittatinny, 6:30 p.m.
Pope John at Sparta

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at Hunterdon Central, 6:30 p.m.
Phillipsburg at Voorhees
Belvidere at North Plainfield
North Hunterdon at Bound Brook

Independent

Wallkill Valley at Cresskill
St. John Vianney at Warren Hills, 6 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 3


(All matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

High Point at Kittatinny
Dover at Vernon, 6 p.m.

Independent

Warren Hills at Newton
West Morris at Hunterdon Central, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4


(All events 10 a.m., unless noted)

Hackettstown, Montgomery at Howell
Hopatcong, Kinnelon at Wayne Valley
Belvidere, Lenape Valley at Mount Olive
North Warren, Chatham, West Milford at Vernon
Wallkill Valley, Butler, North Plainfield at Dover, 9 a.m.
Cliffside Park, Ocean Township at Warren Hills
Delaware Valley vs. Old Bridge and St. John Vianney at Hunterdon Central Duals, 9:30 a.m.
North Hunterdon vs. Old Bridge, Somerville at Hunterdon Central Duals, 9:30 a.m.
Hasbrouck Heights, St. John Vianney at Hunterdon Central, 9:30 a.m.
Voorhees vs. Hasbrouck Heights, Bridgewater-Raritan at Hunterdon Central Duals, 9:30 a.m.
Pope John, Toms River North at Montville, 9 a.m.
Sparta, Morris Knolls, Wayne Hills at Randolph, 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Wrestling: Streaks claw past 'Cats in annual quad

WASHINGTON TWP. -- It's been one of those strange seasons on the high school wrestling front, where even the top-ranked teams in New Jersey are vulnerable.

Warren Hills added another to the list with an impressive 34-21 win over High Point on Saturday, as the Blue Streaks went 2-1 overall in their annual quad with the Wildcats, who entered as the No. 17 team in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association.

Coach John Gardner's team went 1-2, with a 54-12 waxing of Paramus and a 36-28 loss to No. 3 Cranford (15-0), which was the class of the field. Interestingly, the 'Cats had the Cougars on the ropes with a 28-24 lead and two bouts to go, but Gardner opted to give away 12 points with forfeits at 182 and 195 pounds.

"We knew we had a long day, and we knew what [Cranford] had [in the last two bouts]," Gardner said. "We wanted to position ourselves to win the last two matches."

High Point (12-4) was a bit shorthanded as senior Matthew McDonnell (182) was absent from the lineup due to personal reasons, along with junior Hunter Flores (195). Those absences did not make a difference in the middle round against Warren Hills (10-8), which won eight bouts, en route to its third straight win over the Wildcats and evening the all-time series at 11-11.

The turning point came early on in the second bout when freshman Logan Nauta scored a defensive pin against returning Region 1 qualifier Devin Flannery in 3:58 at 113. Nauta (10-9) trailed 6-4 after giving up a four-point move off a reversal late in the first period. In the second, Nauta turned Flannery for two back points before giving up a reversal, but down 8-6, Nauta was able to catch Flannery from the bottom in a scramble for the stunning fall.

"That was a big win for them, certainly," said Gardner, now 3-3 all-time against Warren Hills. "We know how good the Nautas [brothers, Max, Zach, Cameron and Logan] have been. It wasn't like [Flannery] got caught. We give our kids the best opportunity to be successful. We came out on the short end twice."

Nauta's pin gave the Streaks a 9-6 lead through three bouts before junior Maverick Liebl evened the match with a hard-fought 5-4 win in the tiebreaker against Kyle Wulff -- avenging a 3-2 loss in the tiebreaker when the region qualifiers met last season.

But after freshman Billy Talmadge gave High Point a short-lived 12-9 lead with a decision at 126, senior Matt Valli gave Warren Hills the lead for good by decking RJ Brevot at 132. Senior Zach Nauta followed with a 6-2 win over Shane Kobis at 138 in a matchup of district third-place finishers.

The Streaks won five of the last seven bouts, including Nick Galka's 15-6 major decision against Grayson Sabo at 182 to clinch the match.

"That was a big bout [at 113] for us in the outcome of the match," said Warren Hills coach Jarrett Hosbach, now 3-3 against High Point. "There were some tossups. We thought if we split the tossups, we'd be OK. We were able to come out on top in close matches, otherwise today could have been different."

Warren Hills opened the day with an easy 51-17 win over Paramus and closed with a tough 48-21 loss to Cranford in what could have been a preview of the North 2, Group 3 sectional final -- the top two seeds according to the latest power-point totals -- in a few weeks.

Down 15-6 through four bouts, Warren Hills missed a chance to gain some momentum when Valli (21-4) gave up a tying takedown with one second left in the third period and was pinned in sudden-victory overtime by Chris Scorese (20-1), a region runner-up. State qualifier Tom DiGiovanni followed with a 7-3 win over Zach Nauta to give Cranford a 24-6 lead through six bouts.

Warren Hills won just four of the last eight bouts, as the Streaks gave up six pins and a forfeit in the loss.

"[Cranford] is really good, I wasn't surprised," Hosbach said. "If we wrestle up to our capabilities ... that's our goal [to get a rematch in the sectional final]."

WARREN HILLS 51, PARAMUS 17
220 – Brody Oberly, WH, forfeit.
285 – Taylan Zafis, WH, p. Gabe Jimenez, 2:57.
106 – Thomas Casey, P, p. Greg Slivka, 3:25.
113 – Kyle Kaiser, P, md. Logan Nauta, 12-0.
120 – Kyle Wulff, WH, md. Joey Pettineo, 15-6.
126 – Chris Ostir, WH, p. Daniel Ibrahim, 2:46.
132 – Matt Valli, WH, md. Kyle Jacob, 11-3.
138 – Zach Nauta, WH, p. Christian Carmichael, 1:44.
145 – Cameron Nauta, WH, p. Chris Hulahan, 5:08.
152 – Kyle McIntyre, P, d. Rashon Wade Taylor, 11-6.
160 – Ryan Beckler, WH, injury over Robert Carmichael, 4:00.
170 – Kyle Cochran, P, md. Jarod Ostir, 20-6.
182 – Nick Galka, WH, md. Subhan Qurbanzada, 9-1.
195 – Henry Garcia, WH, d. Matthew Tarabocchia, 6-4 SV.

CRANFORD 36, HIGH POINT 28
220 – Cliff Rutter, HP, p. Anthony Ramierez, 3:12.
285 – Alex Esposito, C, p. Thomas Hubmaster, :49.
106 – Brandon LaRue, HP, md. Patrick Kalnins, 16-3.
113 – Devin Flannery, HP, p. Evan Kanterman, 1:22.
120 – Anthony Capece, C, d. Maverick Liebl, 4-3.
126 – Billy Talmadge, HP, d. Connor Halpin, 2-0.
132 – Chris Scorese, C, p. RJ Brevot, :26.
138 – Tom DiGiovanni, C, d. Shane Kobis, 5-4.
145 – Trey Osborn, HP, d. Mike Nigro, 1-0.
152 – AJ Bencivenga, C, d. Sawyer Fenlon, 6-2.
160 – Brian McGovern, C, d. Aric Wingle, 3-1.
170 – Grayson Sabo, HP, p. Josh DeChillo, 5:28.
182 – Vince Concina, C, forfeit.
195 – Dylan Budnik, C, forfeit.

WARREN HILLS 34, HIGH POINT 21
285 – Taylan Zafis, WH, d. Thomas Hubmaster, 6-1.
106 – Brandon LaRue, HP, p. Greg Slivka, 1:00.
113 – Logan Nauta, WH, p. Devin Flannery, 3:58.
120 – Maverick Liebl, HP, d. Kyle Wulff, 5-4 TB.
126 – Billy Talmadge, HP, d. Chris Ostir, 6-1.
132 – Matt Valli, WH, p. RJ Brevot, 4:45.
138 – Zach Nauta, WH, d. Shane Kobis, 6-2.
145 – Trey Osborn, HP, d. Cameron Nauta, 2-1.
152 – Rashon Wade Taylor, WH, d. Sawyer Fenlon, 9-3.
160 – Aric Wingle, HP, d. Ryan Beckler, 7-1.
170 – Jarod Ostir, WH, forfeit.
182 – Nick Galka, WH, md. Grayson Sabo, 15-6.
195 – Andrew Lewis, HP, d. Henry Garcia, 4-2.
220 – Brody Oberly, WH, d. Cliff Rutter, 3-2.

CRANFORD 53, PARAMUS 20
285 – Alex Esposito, C, p. Albert Mobilio, :54.
106 – Thomas Casey, P, d. Patrick Kalnins, 6-2.
113 – Kyle Kaiser, P, p. Evan Kanterman, 2:59.
120 – Anthony Capece, C, p. Joey Pettineo, 1:53.
126 – Conor Halpin, C, p. Daniel Ibrahim, 1:53.
132 – Chris Scorese, C, md. Kyle Jacob, 14-0.
138 – Tom DiGiovanni, C, p. Fehmi Uka, 1:06.
145 – Mike Nigro, C, md. Mike Sakellakis, 13-2.
152 – AJ Bencivenga, C, d. Kyle McIntrye, 11-8.
160 – Kyle Cochran, P, tf. Matt Doran, 18-3, 2:31.
170 – Brian McGovern, C, p. Subhan Qurbanzada, 1:35.
182 – Vince Concina, C, p. Matthew Tarabocchia, 1:23.
195 – Brian Bonino, P, p. Dylan Budnik, 1:06.
220 -- Anthony Ramierez, C, forfeit.

CRANFORD 48, WARREN HILLS 21
106 – Patrick Kalnins, C, p. Greg Slivka, 1:08.
113 – Logan Nauta, WH, p. Evan Kanterman, :39.
120 – Anthony Capece, C, d. Kyle Wulff, 8-4.
126 – Connor Halpin, C, forfeit.
132 – Chris Scorese, C, p. Matt Valli, 6:44 SV.
138 – Tom DiGiovanni, C, d. Zach Nauta, 7-3.
145 – Cameron Nauta, WH, d. AJ Bencivenga, 7-2.
152 – Rashon Wade Taylor, WH, d. Mike Nigro, 7-2.
160 – Brian McGovern, C, p. Ryan Beckler, 1:00.
170 – Jarod Ostir, WH, p. Matt Doran, 3:12.
182 – Vince Concina, C, p. Nick Galka, 1:34.
195 – Dylan Budnik, C, p. Henry Garcia, 2:57.
220 – Brody Oberly, WH, d. Anthony Ramierez, 10-6.
285 – Alex Esposito, C, p. Taylan Zafis, 1:04.
Records -- Cranford 15-0; Warren Hills 10-8.
Referee -- Bob DeFalco,

HIGH POINT 54, PARAMUS 12
106 – Brandon LaRue, HP, d. Thomas Casey, 5-0.
113 – Devin Flannery, HP, d. Kyle Kaiser, 5-3 SV.
120 – Maverick Liebl, HP, p. Luke Bessen, :33.
126 – Billy Talmadge, HP, p. Daniel Ibrahim, 1:05.
132 – Kyle Jacob, P, d. RJ Brevot, 8-3.
138 – Shane Kobis, HP, p. Fehmi Uka, :28.
145 – Trey Osborn, HP, d. Chris Hulahan, 6-1.
152 – Kyle McIntyre, P, d. Sawyer Fenlon, 3-2.
160 – Kyle Cochran, P, forfeit.
170 – Aric Wingle, HP, p. Subhan Qurbanzada, 1:54.
182 – Grayson Sabo, HP, d. Matthew Tarabocchia, 5-1.
195 – Andrew Lewis, HP, forfeit.
220 – Cliff Rutter, HP, forfeit.
285 – Thomas Hubmaster, HP, p. Gabe Jimenez, 4:47.
Records -- High Point 12-4; Paramus 6-8.
Referee -- Jim Schultz.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Wrestling: High Point at Warren Hills preview

What: High Point Wildcats at Warren Hills Blue Streaks.

Where: Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington Township.

When: Saturday, noon.

Conference: Independent.

Records: High Point 11-2; Warren Hills 8-7.

State rankings (New Jersey Wrestling Writers): High Point No. 17.

Coaches: John Gardner (317-95-2, 19th season, 3-2 vs. WH); Jarrett Hosbach (150-120, 12th season, 2-3 vs. HP).

Series history: High Point leads 11-10 dating to 1976, but Warren Hills has won the last two meetings -- 47-21 at home in 2015 and 36-25 in the quad at Wantage in '16. The 'Cats won in 2013 and '14, in addition to a 58-9 win in 2007. The only other meeting in the last 20 years resulted in a 41-27 win for Warren Hills in the 1997 Group 3 semifinals at North Hunterdon en route to the program's second state championship. There were 15 meetings from 1976-93, including the Blue Streaks' 27-20 win in the 1990 Group 3 final at Voorhees.

Note: High Point wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- So. Brandon LaRue (18-2) vs. Fr. Greg Slivka (6-13).

113 -- So. Devin Flannery (14-1) vs. Fr. Logan Nauta (8-8).

120 -- Jr. Maverick Liebl (11-4) vs. Jr. Kyle Wulff (16-6).

126 -- Fr. Billy Talmadge (11-7) vs. So. Chris Ostir (6-6) or Jr. Codey O'Rourke (4-5).

132 -- Jr. RJ Brevot (4-4) or Sr. Derek Sarapuchiello (2-4) vs. Sr. Matt Valli (19-3).

138 -- Jr. Shane Kobis (13-5) or Jr. Trey Osborn (9-8) vs. Sr. Zach Nauta (19-2) or Jr. Pedro Cruz (4-14).

145 -- Osborn or Kobis vs. Jr. Cameron Nauta (3-6).

152 -- Sr. Trevor Kocher (6-7) vs. Sr. Rashon Wade Taylor (11-10).

160 -- Sr. Aric Wingle (15-5) vs. Sr. Ryan Beckler (8-8).

170 -- So. Grayson Sabo (5-7) vs. Jr. Jarod Ostir (17-5).

182 -- Sr. Matthew McDonnell (8-9) vs. So. Nick Galka (16-7).

195 -- Jr. Hunter Flores (10-4) or So. Andrew Lewis (2-5) vs. Sr. Henry Garcia (1-2).

220 -- Sr. Cliff Rutter (10-3) vs. Sr. Brody Oberly (9-7).

285 -- Jr. Thomas Hubmaster (10-6) vs. Sr. Taylan Zafis (16-7).

Breakdown: This will be the middle matchup in Saturday's quad, which includes Cranford and Paramus, and it could be a real dandy. Warren Hills has enjoyed the upper hand in this series of late with back-to-back wins in 2015 and '16, and the Blue Streaks always seem to present a problem for the 'Cats, perhaps it's a style thing. Straight up, High Point is favored at 106, 113, 126, 145 (Kobis vs. C. Nauta), 160 and 195. Warren Hills has the edge at 132, 138, 152, 170, 182 and 285. Let's call 120 and 220 tossups, even though Oberly beat Rutter, 2-1, last season. You have to think that Gardner plays it straight up top, as Zafis pinned Rutter last season, and the 220-pound bout could swing this dual. The matchup at 120 is another to watch as Wulff edged Liebl, 3-2 in OT, in last year's matchup. The 'Cats will need to move Kobis away from Z. Nauta, who won both of their meetings last year -- 6-3 and 4-1 -- or run the risk of losing 138 and 145. Wingle and Wade-Taylor split two meetings last year, both 5-3 decisions. Another potential rematch is at 182, where Galka beat McDonnell, 6-2, last season. Streaks also have the option of bumping up from 160-195 and would be favored at four of those last five weights. In any case, the hosts will need to keep the damage to a minimum down low and pick up bonus points in a few spots where they are heavy favorites. 'Cats will likely need both tossups to win, plus bonus down low. This looks like a 7-7 split, but a few bouts are really tough to call. It's just a hunch, but I'm sensing an upset.

Prediction: Warren Hills, 32-29.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Wrestling: High Point, Warren Hills set for quad

Here are the matchups and tentative lineups for Saturday's quad at Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington Township. This is the fifth annual event involving the host and High Point, with it rotating between the schools, and the third to include Cranford and Paramus.

Last year at High Point, Paramus went 3-0, defeating the host Wildcats (46-15), Cranford (36-25) and Warren Hills (46-21). Warren Hills earned a 36-25 win over High Point -- its second straight in the series since a 41-27 victory in the 1997 Group 3 semifinals. High Point, which holds an 11-10 edge dating to 1976, won the only other meetings since the '97 loss in 2007, '13 and '14.

Cranford (12-0), which returns six state qualifiers, is ranked No. 3 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association, while High Point (11-2) is No. 17. Warren Hills (8-7) is coming off a 34-26 win over Voorhees on Wednesday.

Paramus (6-5), which is in a rebuilding phase after winning back-to-back North 1, Group 3 sectional titles in 2015 and '16, features the only state placewinner in the quad with senior Kyle Cochran (17-0), a returning champion, at 160 pounds.

10 a.m.

High Point vs. Cranford
Warren Hills vs. Paramus

Noon

High Point vs. Warren Hills
Paramus vs. Cranford

2 p.m.

High Point vs. Paramus
Warren Hills vs. Cranford

High Point Wildcats (11-2)
106 Brandon LaRue So. (18-2)
113 Devin Flannery So. (14-1, D2)
Devon Liebl Fr. (4-1)
120 Maverick Liebl Jr. (11-4, D3)
126 Billy Talmadge Fr. (11-7)
132 RJ Brevot Jr. (4-4)
Derek Sarapuchiello Jr. (2-4)
Nick Auer So. (2-2)
138 Shane Kobis Jr. (13-5, D3)
145 Trey Osborn Jr. (9-8)
152 Trevor Kocher Sr. (6-7)
160 Aric Wingle Sr. (15-5, D3)
170 Grayson Sabo So. (5-7)
182 Matthew McDonnell Sr. (8-9)
195 Hunter Flores Jr. (10-4)
Andrew Lewis So. (2-5)
220 Cliff Rutter Sr. (10-3, D2-'15)
285 Thomas Hubmaster Jr. (10-6)
Warren Hills Blue Streaks (8-7)
106 Greg Slivka Fr. (6-13)
113 Logan Nauta Fr. (8-8)
120 Kyle Wulff Jr. (16-6, D2)
126 Codey O'Rourke Jr. (4-5)
Chris Ostir So. (6-6)
132 Matt Valli Sr. (19-3, D2)
138 Zach Nauta Sr. (19-2, D3)
Pedro Cruz Jr. (4-14)
Geir Nemeth Fr. (0-1)
145 Cameron Nauta Jr. (3-6, D3)
152 Rashon Wade Taylor Sr. (11-10)
160 Ryan Beckler Sr. (9-9)
170 Jarod Ostir Jr. (17-5, D1, R3)
182 Nick Galka So. (16-7, D3)
195 Henry Garcia Sr. (1-2)
220 Brody Oberly Sr. (9-7, D4)
285 Taylan Zafis Sr. (16-7, D4)
Paramus Spartans (6-5)
106 Thomas Casey So. (10-6)
113 Kyle Kaiser Jr. (16-3, D1, R1)
Michael Introna Jr. (1-3)
120 Joey Pettineo So. (2-6)
Luke Bessen So. (0-4)
126 Daniel Ibrahim Fr. (1-10)
132 Kyle Jacob Fr. (12-11)
138 Christian Carmichael So. (5-5, D4)
145 Mike Sakellakis Sr. (0-10)
152 Kyle McIntyre Sr. (8-9)
160 Kyle Cochran Sr. (17-0, D2, R3, S1)
170 Robert Carmichael Jr. (8-1)
182 Jack Schweizer Sr. (6-5)
195 Brian Bonino Sr. (18-3, D1, R2)
Matthew Tarabocchia Sr. (3-7)
220 Shane Ownes So. (1-4)
285 Gabe Jimenez Jr. (4-4)
Albert Mobilio Sr. (1-5)
Cranford Cougars (12-0)
106 Patrick Kalnins Fr. (13-6)
113 Evan Kanterman Fr. (7-9)
120 Anthony Capece Sr. (11-2, D1, R2)
Dean Smith So. (3-5)
126 Conor Halpin So. (10-10, D3)
132 Chris Scorese Sr. (17-1, D1, R2)
138 Tom DiGiovanni Sr. (19-2, D1, R3)
145 AJ Bencivenga So. (13-7)
Mike Nigro Sr. (12-8, D2, R3)
160 Brian McGovern Sr. (17-2, D1)
170 Vince Concina Sr. (18-1, D1, R2)
182 Josh DeChillo Sr. (11-6)
195 Dylan Budnik Jr. (13-5, D3)
220 Anthony Ramierez Sr. (10-10)
285 Alex Esposito Sr. (13-0, D1, R2)