Wrestling: Cleaver, 'Liners carve out win No. 999

It's a safe bet that Phillipsburg's wrestling team and Brad Gentzle will remember his first coaching win for some time to come.

Junior Hunter Cleaver was among the heroes in one of the wildest dual-meet openers you'll ever see as the Stateliners won five of the last eight bouts to pull off a 34-30 win against upset-minded Hunterdon Central in a Skyland Conference crossover clash on Tuesday night at Phillipsburg High School.

P'burg will go for its 1,000th win on Thursday.

"It was awesome. What a great, exciting dual meet to start the season, to start my coaching career," Gentzle, a longtime and respected assistant who took over the program last spring, told Mike Moore of Stateliner Sports. "Obviously things didn't go the way that I think either team thought they would go."

Phillipsburg (1-0), which was coming off an impressive second-place team finish at the prestigious Bethlehem Holiday Classic, trailed, 27-24, with three bouts remaining and Hunterdon Central ace Tanner Peake looming in the finale at 165 pounds. Senior Matt D'Onofrio jumpstarted the P'burg comeback with a 25-second pin at 150, setting the stage for Cleaver, who delivered a match-sealing 15-7 major decision over Nick Canonica at 157.

Cleaver (8-4), a dangerous mat wrestler, recorded three takedowns and had Canonica on his back three times, twice with his patented mousetrap. He built a 7-3 lead through two periods and broke it open in the third with a takedown off a throw and then three backs with under one minute left on the clock before giving up a reversal and then getting an escape with 44 seconds to earn the major.  

Peake, a sixth-place finisher in last year's state tournament, closed things out with a workmanlike 5-0 victory over Nate Zastowny, a former Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament champion, to make it a 7-7 split on bouts, but a 3-2 edge in falls for P'burg.  

"All of our kids dealt with adversity win or lose. Some of them dealt with a lot more than others," Gentzle said. "I told the kids that sometimes when that happens, you need one person. And that one person tonight was Hunter Cleaver. He picked up five of his teammates tonight that didn't necessarily give their best or have their best, whatever it may have been. Two bouts left and he finds a way to get a major decision and seal the win, which is fantastic."

The win was reminiscent of Cleaver's freshman campaign when as a relative unknown on this level, he delivered a match-turning pin in his varsity debut to key the Stateliners' 29-28 win over Southern.

Hunterdon Central (1-1), which was seeking its third victory over P'burg in the last four meetings, seized control out of the gate with key decisions at 175 and 190 pounds, where senior Victor Brito scored a 1-0 upset over P'burg sophomore Caleb Rivera. John Wargo's 4-1 win at 285 gave the Stateliners a 9-6 lead, but the Red Devils were able to successfully limit the damage up top before collecting back-to-back pins at 106 and 113. 

"Those were obviously huge wins [at 175 and 190] for them. That gets them all the momentum to start and gives them a little bit of confidence," said Gentzle, whose team finished with a 15-11 edge in takedowns, including six by senior James Day in a 12-4 win at 126. "We say we can't get pinned. We come down to the last eight matches and here we got ourselves a barnburner. That's what it turned out to be."

Things really heated up at 132 and 138, starting with a crucial pin by exciting freshman Luke Geleta, who continued to turn heads with stunning pin of talented Central sophomore Evan Thompson, who held an 11-10 lead entering the third period. Geleta (8-3), a Bethlehem Holiday finalist, went feet to back with 12 seconds left to give P'burg a 25-18 lead with five bouts to go.

"That's the type of wrestler that [Geleta] is, he's going to give up points, but he scores them in bunches," Gentzle said. "If you make a mistake on him and your hips are out of position, he's gonna find it. When he gets kids on his back, he's a pinner. That's really what we want to do is take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves. I think we did that tonight enough to get the win."

At 138, P'burg senior Joey Innamorato was disqualified after being penalized twice for dangerous mat returns on subsequent first-period takedowns that ultimately left Henry Wilkinson unable to continue due to an apparent back injury. That was another huge swing in the match and the 'Liners lost a team point when Innamorato slapped Wilkinson's hand after referee Russ Scorese called for the wrestlers to shake at the circle.

"We got one of 'em and they got one of 'em," Gentzle said of the swing bouts at 132 and 138. "That's how funny things can even out that way."

Phillipsburg now turns its attention to Watchung Hills in another big dual at home on Thursday evening as the 'Liners will look to become just the fourth New Jersey school -- joining Hunterdon Central, Paulsboro and Roselle Park -- to reach 1,000 wins.

"It's something I try not to think about too much because we want to control the things we can control," Gentzle said. "P'burg wrestling has been around forever so it's only a matter of time until we reach this milestone. Whether it's Thursday or next week or next season, whenever it's gonna be, we're gonna get it. It's going to be a good celebration for this group of seniors who have not really gotten everything I think they deserved with the two COVID seasons and everything so I'm really thankful and grateful that this group of seniors will be able to be a part of that, hopefully on Thursday. 

"Hopefully we can do it here in front of our fans and our family, and then move on and worry about the rest of the season."

PHILLIPSBURG 34, HUNTERDON CENTRAL 30

175 -- So. Thomas Brunnetti (4-2), HC, d. Jr. Connor Hille (6-3), 2-1.
190 -- Sr. Vincent Brito (2-3), HC, d. So. Caleb Rivera (7-5), 1-0.
215 -- Sr. David Pierson (9-3), P, forfeit.
285 -- So. John Wargo (7-4), P, d. Jr. Bennett Cayero (3-5), 4-1.
106 -- Jr. Peter Plesh (4-2), HC, p. So. Dawson McWilliams (0-3), 3:32.
113 -- So. Anthony Rossi (9-2), HC, p. Sr. Miguel Lopez (7-5), 1:48.
120 -- Fr. Gavin Hawk (12-5), P, p. So. Ryan Sherlock (3-5), 1:15.
126 -- Sr. James Day (10-2), P, md. So. William Cella (4-4), 12-4.
132 -- Fr. Luke Geleta (8-3), P, p. So. Evan Thompson (4-1), 5:48.
138 -- Jr. Henry Wilkinson (4-1), HC, disq. Sr. Joey Innamorato (7-5), 1:56.
144 -- Sr. Aidan Portnoy (6-3), HC, d. So. Liam Packer (3-5), 1-0.
150 -- Sr. Matt D'Onofrio (7-4), P, p. So. Jay Wieder (2-2), :25.
157 -- Jr. Hunter Cleaver (8-4), P, md. Sr. Nick Canonica (1-1), 15-7.
165 -- Sr. Tanner Peake (10-3), HC, d. Sr. Nate Zastowny (2-3), 5-0.
Note: Phillipsburg penalized one team point after 138 (unsportsmanlike conduct).
Records -- Hunterdon Central 1-1; Phillipsburg 1-0 (999).
Official -- Russ Scorese.