But it's never too early to look ahead to 2020-21. Here are a few things to keep an eye on and some important dates for next season.
North Hunterdon back on top?
The Lions enjoyed a season for the ages -- going 23-0 while capturing the North 2, Group 4 sectional title and the program's first state championship since 2002 with a second win over 2019 champion Kingsway in the Group 4 final. One of the big keys this season was the lineup staying in tact and avoiding major injuries.
Coach Chris Hrunka will welcome back nine starters next season, including state qualifiers Frank DiEsso (32-8 at 120), Connor Quinn (30-9 at 132), James Holder (30-12 at 170) -- who will all be seniors -- and Liam Akers (38-6 at 285), a seventh-place finisher in AC. Alex Uryniak (29-7 at 182-195), a Region 5 qualifier, and Kyle Schultz (7-3 at 195-220), a starter two seasons ago who was a backup this season, will once again give North a formidable set of upper weights. Logan Wadle (30-6), a District 20 and HWS Tournament champion, will help anchor the lower weights.
Phillipsburg, which lost twice to North in a season for the first time, including a 37-12 setback in the sectional final, should definitely have something to say about North making another postseason run as the Stateliners will return 11 starters, including James Day (32-10 at 113), Nate Zastowny (35-9 at 160) and Gage Horvath (27-14 at 220), who were all state qualifiers. Logan Maczko (24-10 at 120), a Region 4 champion in 2019, and Joey Innamorato (29-8 at 126), a two-time district champion, are also back next season.
Coach Dave Post will also be receiving some help from the youth program with incoming freshmen Gavin Hawk (106) and Caleb Rivera (150), both New Jersey Grade School League champions, along with placewinners Patrick Day (fifth at 118) and Liam Packer (second at 130).
We may not get a rematch in the sectional tournament next season. The early word has Phillipsburg shifting to North 1 when the sections are redrawn and released shortly before the 2020-21 season.
High Point, Warren Hills eye titles
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| High Point celebrates its sixth state championship. |
"We had a core group of kids on the team this year that really had to do large things for the team to be successful," Gardner said. "The guys who have an opportunity to get back, they're going back to work shortly and hopefully be even better next year."
High Point (15-4) should also be better in the upper weights as Alex Buchwald (11-4 at 160-170) will help anchor that group, along with Sean Van Wingerden (16-13 at 195) and Justin Klass (16-17 at 220). Keep an eye on incoming freshmen and NJGSWL placewinners Carson Citro (third at 80 pounds), Ty Woods (third at 112) and Eli Nosal (runner-up at 118).
Warren Hills (20-7) set a program record for wins, but came up short in a bid to win the school's first sectional title since 2007, with a 34-31 loss to eventual Group 3 runner-up West Essex in the North 2, Group 3 final.
The Blue Streaks look like the section favorites next season as they were another young team with just four, but reliable starting seniors -- Greg Slivka (30-11 at 113), Logan Nauta (30-10 at 132), Geir Nemeth (25-13 at 138) and Nick Hildebrant (24-11 at 170).
Shawn Redfield (24-17 at 106-113), Jared Lee (27-12 at 120-126), Stephen Malia (33-9 at 152), Owen Frizzell (31-9 at 160), Jarett Pantuso (9-3 at 182) and Tyler McCatharn (37-6 at 220-285) will be some of the key returnees for coach Dave Sbriscia, who will also welcome Josh Lee into the fold, a talented incoming freshman who placed third at 95 pounds in the NJGSWL tournament.
Hunterdon Central, which had a pair of state placewinners in Colton Washleski (sixth at 145) and Norman Cella (eighth at 160), should also be improved next season.
Washleski (42-7), who stands at 104-29 overall, needs 40 wins to surpass Hunter Graf (143-29 from 2014-18) as the school's all-time leader and may have an outside shot at the county record of 155 set by North Hunterdon's Ryan Pomrinca, an NCAA Division I qualifier for Lehigh at 141 pounds, along with former P'burg ace Brandon Paetzell (No. 7 seed at 125).
Realignment on tap
Both the Northwest Jersey Athletic and Skyland conferences are in the process of reshaping division alignments for 2020-21 and 2021-22. Unfortunately, the NJAC Freedom Division will contain only four schools for wrestling -- High Point, Jefferson, Kittatinny and Newton -- meaning that three wins gets you a title. Ridiculous to say the least and it's not sitting well with those coaches. High Point already has trouble getting public schools on the schedule and this certainly won't help.
In other NJAC changes, Hackettstown moves from the Freedom Division to the Colonial, while Sparta shifts from the American to the National Division. The league slate for the four divisions housing Sussex County teams is below.
Needless to say there's already been plenty of discussion and rumors being floated regarding the realignment for districts and regions, as well as sectionals and Groups. According to a source, the district and region realignments could look more in line with the old formats prior to 2017, while Rutgers is in the mix to replace Toms River North as host site for the Group championships.
One scenario has two sectional rounds being contested on Monday with the finals on Wednesday and the Group semifinals at the higher seeds on Friday. Let's hope the elimination of Group 5 is a real possibility as well.
Here is the state medal count for the four years since realignment (you'll note that it's still not exactly balanced):
Region
|
2020
|
2019
|
2018
|
2017
|
Total
|
1
|
18
|
20
|
16
|
10
|
64
|
2
|
18
|
21
|
19
|
20
|
78
|
3
|
13
|
16
|
14
|
14
|
57
|
4
|
6
|
10
|
9
|
15
|
40
|
5
|
15
|
13
|
14
|
17
|
59
|
6
|
12
|
5
|
14
|
8
|
39
|
7
|
18
|
21
|
12
|
10
|
61
|
8
|
12
|
6
|
14
|
18
|
50
|
Dates to remember
Opening Day -- Dec. 17.
Boresch Duals at Newton on Jan. 2 -- North Hunterdon, the Group 4 champion and ranked No. 3 in the New Jersey Writers Top 20, will look to repeat after knocking off No. 13 Paulsboro, the Group 1 champ and two-time Boresch Duals champion, and Group 4 runner-up Kingsway. This premiere dual event in the state featured four teams ranked in the New Jersey Writers Top 20. South Plainfield, the Central Jersey, Group 2 sectional champion, and Caldwell, the North 2, Group 2 champion, as well as No. 11 Toms River North, are also returning next season.
High Point at Kittatinny on Jan. 6 -- The Freedom Division title could very well be decided at the turn of 2021, when these archrivals meet in Hampton. High Point will once again rate as a heavy favorite coming off a 48-24 win this season in Wantage as the 'Cats hold a 29-14-1 edge in the series dating to 1976. The Cougars are set to return 12 starters, including a pair of state qualifiers in Brycen Mafaro (30-8 at 182) and Jackson Crawn (35-4 at 220). Bryce Coesfeld, an NJGSWL champion at 118 pounds, runner-up Reece Smith (112) and Jacob Savage (fourth at 130) will be incoming freshmen who could make an immediate impact.
HWS Tournament on Jan. 9 -- Phillipsburg will once again host the 12th edition. You can't beat the venue, but please take some time and not speed through it. How about holding up the weight classes for the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship-consolation finals so we can at least attempt to showcase this event? And proper introductions with the wrestlers' credentials and not speeding through those to where it's held up halfway through because the public address announcer lost his place on the sheet. Athletic directors need to step aside and let the capable folks at P'burg run the show.
NJAC schedules -- Freedom: Jan. 6 -- Kittatinny at High Point; Jan. 13 -- Jefferson at Newton; Jan. 20 -- Newton at Kittatinny; Jan. 26 -- High Point at Jefferson; Feb. 3 -- Newton at High Point; Kittatinny at Jefferson. Colonial: Jan. 6 -- Lenape Valley at North Warren; Vernon-Wallkill Valley at Hackettstown; Jan. 13 -- Vernon-Wallkill Valley at Lenape Valley; Hopatcong at Hackettstown; Jan. 20 -- Hackettstown at North Warren; Hopatcong at Vernon-Wallkill Valley; Jan. 26 -- Lenape Valley at Hopatcong; North Warren at Vernon-Wallkill Valley; Feb. 3 -- Hackettstown at Lenape Valley; North Warren at Hopatcong. American: Dec. 22 -- Delbarton at Pope John; Montville at Mendham; Jan. 6 -- Mendham at Pope John; West Morris at Mount Olive; Jan. 13 -- Delbarton at West Morris; Pope John at Montville; Mount Olive at Mendham; Jan. 20 -- Delbarton at Montville; Pope John at Mount Olive; Jan. 22 -- Mount Olive at Delbarton; Pope John at West Morris; Jan. 26 -- West Morris at Mendham; Montville at Mount Olive; Feb. 3 -- Mendham at Delbarton; West Morris at Montville. National: Dec. 22 -- Roxbury at Morris Knolls; Sparta at Morris Hills; Parsippany Hills at Morristown; Jan. 6 -- Sparta at Roxbury; Morristown at Morris Knolls; Morris Hills at Randolph; Jan. 13 -- Roxbury at Morris Hills; Morris Knolls at Parsippany Hills; Randolph at Morristown; Jan. 20 -- Roxbury at Parsippany Hills; Morris Knolls at Randolph; Morristown at Sparta; Jan. 22 -- Randolph at Roxbury; Morris Knolls at Morris Hills; Parsippany Hills at Sparta; Jan. 26 -- Sparta at Morris Knolls; Parsippany Hills at Randolph; Morris Hills at Morristown; Feb. 3 -- Morristown at Roxbury; Randolph at Sparta; Morris Hills at Parsippany Hills.
Sectional tournaments -- Feb. 8, 10 and 12.
Group championships -- Sunday, Feb. 14.
District Tournaments -- Saturday, Feb. 20.
Region Tournaments -- Feb. 24, 26 and 27.
88th State Championships -- March 4, 5 and 6 at Boardwalk Arena in Atlantic City.
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