Monday, January 15, 2018

Wrestling: New Jersey Writers Association Top 20

Northwest Jersey receives a bump as now seven teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area headline this week's New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 poll.

Pope John (7-1), which won its second straight Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament team title on Saturday, jumps up one spot to No. 5, while Hunterdon Central (10-0), which finished second in the HWS team race, moves up to No. 6 following an impressive 39-21 win over Phillipsburg last Wednesday in a crucial Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup. The Red Devils will face No. 14 St. Peter's Prep and No. 17 Emerson-Park Ridge on Saturday as part of a quad.

The Stateliners (5-1), who fell three spots to No. 8, will travel to No. 7 Hanover Park for a key independent showdown on Thursday.


High Point (11-1), which finished fourth in the HWS team standings, moves up one spot to No. 10. Coach John Gardner's Wildcats will make the long trek to South Jersey on Saturday to face No. 4 Paulsboro.

Newton (4-4), which dropped a 34-23 decision to High Point last Wednesday in an important Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division tilt, jumps up two spots to No. 18, followed by No. 19 Kittatinny (5-4) and North Hunterdon (7-2), which debuts at No. 20 in a tie with Watchung Hills. Those teams will settle that tie in a Skyland Conference non-divisional matchup on Saturday in Clinton Township.

Bergen Catholic, the six-time defending Non-Public A champion, is the consensus No. 1 for a third straight week, knocking off Blair Academy on Saturday in a battle for the consensus No. 1 ranking in the nation. Howell, the defending Group 5 champion, remains the highest-ranked public school team at No. 3.

An impressive bronze trophy, donated by Prestige Imaging of Old Bridge, will be presented at the end of the 2017-18 campaign to the state’s No. 1 team in the final NJWWA poll during the state individual championships in Atlantic City.


RankSchoolRecordVotesPrevious
1Bergen Catholic (13)(6-0)2601
2Delbarton(5-2)2472
3Howell(17-0)2343
4Paulsboro(8-0)2184
5Pope John(7-1)2106
6Hunterdon Central(10-0)1958
7Hanover Park(7-1)1797
8Phillipsburg(5-1)1725
9Seton Hall Prep(10-0)1579
10High Point(11-1)13611
11Raritan(13-1)13310
12South Plainfield(11-3)11412
13Southern(10-1)10813
14St. Peter's Prep(6-1)7915
15Camden Catholic(9-2)7317
16St. John Vianney(7-0)6116
17Emerson-Park Ridge(15-0)5518
18Newton(4-4)3620
19Kittatinny(5-4)3119
20North Hunterdon(7-2)16NR
Watchung Hills(11-0)16NR

NJWWA voting members (in alphabetical order): Donald J. Brower (MorrisCountyHSWrestling.com); Frank D'Esposito (TheShoreConference.com); Steve Falk (Asbury Park Press); 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); Andy Mendlowitz (Courier News); Mark Trible (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Greg Tufaro (Home News Tribune of East Brunswick); Mike Weilamann (Open Mike); Brad Wilson (Express-Times).

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