Wrestling: New Jersey Writers Association Top 20

Six teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area once again headline this week's New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 poll.

Phillipsburg (4-0), holds steady at No. 5 as the Stateliners travel to No. 8 Hunterdon Central (9-0) on Wednesday night for a crucial Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup at the Field House.

Pope John (5-1) remains one spot behind P'burg -- two of the favorites, along with Hunterdon Central, to win the team title at this weekend's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.

High Point (9-1), which finished second at the Zephyr Duals in Whitehall, Pa., on Saturday, moves up one spot to No. 11, followed by Kittatinny (4-3) at No. 19 and Newton (3-3) at No. 20.

High Point will travel to Newton on Wednesday night for a key Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division showdown. The 'Cats, who hold a 37-7 edge in the all-time series dating to 1970, have won 14 straight against the Braves, whose last win against their Sussex County rivals was in 2003.

Bergen Catholic, the six-time defending Non-Public A champion, is the consensus No. 1 for a second straight week, while Howell, the defending Group 5 champion, is the highest-ranked public school team at No. 3.

The poll will debut each Monday for the next five weeks. The final poll will be revealed on Feb. 12.

Rank	School	Record	Votes	Previous
1	Bergen Catholic (13)	(1-0)	260	1
2	Delbarton	(3-1)	247	2
3	Howell	(11-0)	234	3
4	Paulsboro	(6-0)	221	4
5	Phillipsburg	(4-0)	206	5
6	Pope John	(5-1)	197	6
7	Hanover Park	(5-1)	178	7
8	Hunterdon Central	(9-0)	171	8
9	Seton Hall Prep	(8-0)	158	9
10	Raritan	(9-1)	136	10
11	High Point	(9-1)	123	12
12	South Plainfield	(9-2)	119	11
13	Southern	(8-1)	103	13
14	St. Augustine	(3-0)	101	14
15	St. Peter's Prep	(6-0)	65	20
16	St. John Vianney	(6-0)	55	16
17	Camden Catholic	(4-2)	50	15
18	Emerson-Park Ridge	(9-0)	35	17
19	Kittatinny	(4-3)	31	18
20	Newton	(3-3)	24	19

Others receiving votes: North Hunterdon (6-2) 13; Watchung Hills (10-0) 3.

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).