Wrestling: North savors perfection, Group 4 title

TOMS RIVER -- Just win baby. That's exactly what North Hunterdon's wrestling did team did better than any other public school in the state this season.

The Lions ran the table and put the finishing touches on the program's first unbeaten campaign with a 34-22 victory over Kingsway in the Group 3 final on Sunday evening at RWJBarnabas Health Arena.

North celebrates the program's first state title since 2002.

North Hunterdon (23-0), making its first title appearance since 2003, captured the program's fifth state championship and first since the 2001-02 squad -- led by head coach Jason Hawk and assistant Tim Flynn -- won a Group 3 title. In addition the Lions are the first team in Hunterdon County to go unbeaten since Voorhees went 22-0 and won the Group 3 championship in 1986-87.

"It was a lot of emotions. Everyone was really pumped up," said junior Connor Quinn, whose stunning pin at 138 pounds sent North on it way to a second win over Kingsway, which was looking for its second straight Group 4 title. "We just came out on the right foot. We had a lot of confidence from Friday and the experience earlier in the season, We just rode the momentum into today."

North, which scored a 40-21 win over Kingsway (also winning nine bouts in that one) and a 39-29 victory over Group 1 champion Paulsboro to capture the Boresch Duals title on Jan. 4, once again won all six bouts from 170 through 106, including sophomore Liam Akers' match-clinching pin in the next-to-last bout at 285, against Kingsway (18-4), to erase a 22-12 deficit through the first eight bouts.

"It's a first. It's pretty cool," third-year coach Chris Hrunka said of going unbeaten. "I thought we looked pretty good. You have to give Kingsway credit. That was a 19-point win last time and they made it a heckuva match. We kept telling the guys that it was going to be a war."

Quinn's pin off a cradle with 35 seconds left in the third period reversed a 3-2 loss to Jake Gentile in January. It could not have come at a better time as Kingsway won two of the first three bouts heading into its formidable middle of the lineup.

"I knew he was going to beat that kid," said senior Nate Fossett, a member of the self-proclaimed "Murderers Row" of North Hunterdon upper weights. "He came out there and packed him. Big momentum booster, big swing. Big reason we won the match."

North senior Evan Klimas added another crucial win at 145, and winning the flip gave Hrunka the ability to get Klimas on David DiPietro, who dropped a 6-3 decision when they met in January, rather than the favored Dakota Morris, which would have given Kingsway the potential for a sweep from 138 through 160.

Junior James Holder started that run up top with a 9-5 win at 170 and Fossett followed with a 3-1 decision in sudden-victory overtime at 182. North, which recorded four pins and a major last time from 170 through 285, settled for three regular decisions, a pin and a major -- knowing it just needed victories.

"All we needed to do was win out and we win the match," Fossett said. "We did that. Akers picked up six which was big and [freshman Logan] Wadle [at 106] finished the match.

Championship

NORTH HUNTERDON 34, KINGSWAY 22
113 -- So. Josh Palmucci (5-1), K, md. So. Nick DeLorenzo (17-13), 12-1.
120 -- Jr. Frank DiEsso (26-4), NH, d. So. Joey Miranda (16-17), 9-5.
126 -- Sr. McKenzie Bell (26-5), K, p. Fr. Daniel Delusant (14-15), 3:24.
132 -- Jr. Connor Quinn (23-6), NH, p. Jr. Jake Gentile (29-6), 5:25.
138 -- Jr. Finnegan McFadden (17-2), K, md. Sr. Drew Doscher (16-10), 12-4.
145 -- Sr. Evan Klimas (24-5), NH, d. Fr. David DiPietro (21-11), 6-2.
152 -- So. Dakota Morris (31-3), K, tf. So. William Cole (17-11), 16-1, 3:42.
160 -- Sr. Cheney Kinner (4-0), K, d. Sr. Kyle Anderson (18-9), 6-4.
170 -- Jr. James Holder (22-9), NH, d. Sr. John Sambogna (9-12), 9-5.
182 -- Sr. Nate Fossett (27-2), NH, d. Jr. Kevin Pandorf (26-7), 3-1 SV.
195 -- Fr. Alex Uryniak (25-3), NH, md. Sr. Dennis Lee (4-7), 13-0.
220 -- Sr. Ian Gaburo (22-1), NH, d. So. Christian Aiken (3-5), 5-2.
285 -- So. Liam Akers (27-2), NH, p. Jr. Sylvester VanMorter (17-12), 1:47.
106 -- Fr. Logan Wadle (27-4), NH, d. Fr. Brendan Callahan (18-14), 6-4 SV.
Records -- North Hunterdon 23-0; Kingsway 18-4.
Officials -- Bill Dickson and Russ Scorese.

Semifinals

NORTH HUNTERDON 40, MOUNT OLIVE 19
106 -- Logan Wadle, NH, d. Jack Bastarrika, 7-4.
113 -- Nick DeLorenzo, NH, d. Seth Hagensen, 9-6.
120 -- Frank DiEsso, NH, p. Joshua McGill, 1:40.
126 -- David Ryerson, MO, d. Daniel Delusant, 8-1.
132 -- Connor Quinn, NH, d. Blaine Hammond, 4-2 SV.
138 -- Brian Bienus, MO, d. Drew Doscher, 4-2 SV.
145 -- Evan Klimas, NH, p. Cameron Thorkildsen, 3:15.
152 -- Evan Perrault, MO, d. Kyle Anderson, 7-6.
160 -- Anthony Spera, MO, md. William Cole, 15-6.
170 -- James Holder, NH, inj. Hunter Perez, 5:18.
182 -- Nate Fossett, NH, md. Anthony Moscatello, 8-0.
195 -- Alex Uryniak, NH, p. Gavin Camoia, 1:18.
220 -- Stan Puzio, MO, forfeit.
285 -- Andrew Franklin, NH, d. Nicolas Negron, 5-3.
Records -- North Hunterdon 22-0; Mount Olive 18-3.

KINGSWAY 37, BRICK MEMORIAL 35
106 -- Anthony Santaniello, BM, tf. Brendan Callahan, 17-2.
113 -- Josh Palmucci, K, p. Braden Scott, 5:06.
120 -- Michael Richardson, BM, d. Joey Miranda, 3-0.
126 -- Vincent Santaniello, BM, d. McKenzie Bell, 7-2.
132 -- Jake Gentile, K, p. Ryan Smith, 2:19.
138 -- Finnegan McFadden, K, p. Victor DiPianta, :19.
145 -- Dakota Morris, K, p. Nelson DeJesus, 1:32.
152 -- David DiPietro, K, tf. Cory Martin, 15-0, 5:46.
160 -- Cheney Kinner, K, d. JT Henderson, 10-5.
170 -- Joe Colon, BM, inj. Noah Falabella, :29.
182 -- Kevin Pandorf, K, tf. Ruben Lizardi, 23-8, 4:57.
195 -- David Szuba, BM, forfeit.
220 -- Kyle Kohlmann, BM, forfeit.
285 -- Matt Murphy, BM, forfeit.
Records -- Kingsway 18-3; Brick Memorial 17-4.