Sunday, January 16, 2022

Wrestling: WH win 'awesome to see'; HWS rankings

One for the ages. Warren Hills' wrestling team turned in a performance that wrestlers, coaches and the entire community will talk about for years to come -- a 35-15 win over Phillipsburg that snapped a 33-match skid in the series on Friday night in Washington Township.

By sheer numbers alone -- first win over the Stateliners since a pair in 1990, winning 10 straight bouts to open the match and owning a 22-1 edge in takedowns during that stretch -- it's as impressive as any win in Blue Streaks history as coach Dave Sbriscia's team builds toward making a run at the Group 3 title in February.

Warren Hills is now 15-59 all time vs. P'burg.
"We still have other goals," said Sbriscia, whose team may see Delsea, another Group 3 contender, this weekend at the Jack Welch Duals in Moorestown. "As a coach it was awesome to see. Anytime you can beat Phillipsburg in anything, it's rewarding. I'm glad the rivalry was renewed [after a two-year hiatus]."

Warren Hills (4-2) also did something that no other public school has done against a P'burg team in nearly a quarter of a century. The Streaks, who posted their program's largest margin of victory vs. the 'Liners since a 32-8 win in 1954 (then Washington High School), became the first to open a match with 10 straight wins since Blair Academy did so in a 51-9 victory over P'burg on Jan. 18, 1997. It's unclear what the takedown margin was in that one, though former state runner-up and Centenary head coach John Garriques ended Blair's 10-bout run with a 23-second pin. 

"I thought we had the ability, looking at the matchups, to do that," said Sbriscia, now 1-1 in the series as a head coach. "If you told me before we'd win 10 in a row and 22-1 in takedowns, of course everyone would have said that's not happening. Is it something I think the kids can do? Absolutely."

After senior Jared Lee opened the match with a major at 144 pounds, juniors Cody Miller (150) and Michael Drazek (157) delivered clutch decisions that really put the Warren Hills avalanche in motion. Miller's seemingly unexpected 15-7 major of Matt D'Onofrio set the tone and Drazek's 11-7 thriller against Hunter Cleaver weren't surprises to their coach.

"We've always been high on Cody Miller," Sbriscia said of the junior, whose father, Mike, was a star pitcher for Warren Hills' baseball team in the mid-1990s. "He had a knee injury that took away his freshman year and COVID took away his sophomore year. We thought Drazek could be something special last year. He's had some tough losses."

Hills won the Bayonne Battle at the Bay in December.
One common denominator with this team and the 1989-90 squad is assistant and former Belvidere head coach Marty White, a starter on that No. 1 team in New Jersey, which went 19-0 and won the school's first Group 3 title. Assistants KC Wanamaker (a former Streaks wrestler) and Zach Fisher (a former P'burg wrestler) became more and more emotional on the bench with each victory.

"What Marty adds is experience, he's been there and done that," Sbriscia said of the 1991 state champ at 130 pounds who helped guide the County Seaters to five sectional titles (1996, 1999-2002). "It's like having another head coach. It's also nice to have alumni. KC and Fisher are awesome, energetic coaches and former college wrestlers."

Sbriscia, a two-time district champion and region placewinner for Warren Hills who went 0-3 vs. P'burg as a wrestler, knows what this win means to a wrestling community -- many with tears of joy in their eyes and none happier than the 1989-90 team to relinquish its title of the last to do it -- that waited 32 years for this moment. In fact, this is just the fourth win over the 'Liners since 1975, the last time it happened before 1990 came through twice, including handing P'burg its first sectional loss (only two since) with a 34-30 victory in the North 2, Group 3 final.

"This is going to stay with the kids for their entire lives," Sbriscia said. "Others are going to be talking about this match for a long time."  

Group 1 fun

We got a look at what could be this season's Group 1 final on Saturday as Kittatinny held off Delaware Valley for a 30-29 win in the middle round of a quad that included West Morris and Morris Knolls. As expected, this was a nail-biter with five bouts decided by two points or fewer, including sophomore Reece Smith's 6-4 decision over Brayden Schneider at 144. 

Legendary coach John Gill and his staff made a match-winning move on the scale by having senior Steven Dalling and freshman Ethan Dalling check in at 157 pounds. It resulted in two huge wins, including a technical fall by Steven, a 2021 state placewinner, at 165. Their father, Steve, was a two-time state champ and three-time finalist for the Sussex County power.

Delaware Valley coach Andy Fitz, whose team will likely be the No. 2 seed provided it wins the Central Jersey, Group 1 sectional title, said not getting enough bonus points down low at 113 and 120 after a forfeit win at 106, "was the match right there." Fitz opted to insert backup Luke Mehaffey to take the forfeit and bump Owen Kucharski and Jake Taylor up a weight class, which knocked talented freshman Jaden Perez (10-3 at 120) out of the lineup. The move didn't produce enough points as they both logged majors.

"It's a little bit disappointing," said Fitz, now 2-5 overall against Kittatinny in his 15 seasons at the helm of his alma mater. "It was a pretty well-wrestled match. So many things could go our way next time. I thought [bumping up at 106 and 113] was our best chance for big bonus. We got seven weights. We lost [144] in the last 10 seconds."  

Match of the week

North Hunterdon at Phillipsburg (Wednesday, 7 p.m.) -- North Hunterdon is wrestling with a ton of confidence and coming off a second-place showing at the 16th Henry Boresch Duals. On the flip side, it will be very interesting to see how coach Brad Gentzle's team responds coming off the loss to Warren Hills. The Stateliners first have to deal with Livingston, which is a favorite win the North 1, Group 5 section, on Monday before turning their attention to North Hunterdon, which has won the last three meetings in the series dating to 2020. We'll break this one down in more detail on Tuesday, but the matchups certainly favor P'burg, which could so serious damage from 144-175. Of course, the Lions have the edge where their three state placewinners reside -- Logan Wadle (106 or 113) Alex Uryniak (190) and Liam Akers (285). The bout at 215 (Brendan Raley vs. David Pierson) will be a big one.

Area rankings

1. North Hunterdon (8-2) -- Lions cruised to wins over Montgomery (53-16) and Watchung Hills (51-21) before a second-place finish at the 16th Henry Boresch Duals on Saturday. North, which won the duals title in 2020, went 2-1, with wins over Toms River North (60-18) and Group 3 contender South Plainfield (35-32) before suffering a 39-28 loss to Group 5 contender Howell in the championship match. Seniors Tucker Lewis (157) and Luke Yager (175) logged key wins vs. South and junior Logan Wadle went 3-0 as he dropped to 106 for the first time this season. Senior Liam Akers (285) raised his career win total to 71.

Up next: at Phillipsburg on Wednesday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Friday; at North Warren Patriot Duals on Saturday.

2. Warren Hills (4-2) -- Blue Streaks are still basking in the glow of a 35-15 waxing of Phillipsburg -- their first since 1990 -- on Friday coming off a 66-9 win over Bernards last Wednesday. Seniors Jared Lee (15-0 at 144) and Stephen Malia (13-0 at 165), who is three shy of 70 career victories, remained unbeaten, while juniors Cody Miller (150) and Michael Drazek (157) delivered clutch wins. Lee collected his 70th career win, while senior Tyler McCatharn (12-2 at 285) entered the week at 80. Coach Dave Sbriscia's team will be one of the top four seeds this weekend at the Jack Welch Duals, which includes Delbarton, Howell and Delsea.

Up next: at Somerville on Wednesday; Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown on Friday and Saturday.

3. Phillipsburg (3-1) -- Stateliners opened last week with a 67-6 blowout of Ridge in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division tilt before closing it out with a 35-15 loss at Warren Hills on Friday. Freshman Gavin Hawk (17-5 at 120) stopped the string of 10 straight losses to open that one with a major decision, while senior James Day (16-2 at 126) added a technical fall for his 91st career victory. 

Up next: Livingston at home on Monday; North Hunterdon at home on Wednesday.

4. Hunterdon Central (5-2) -- Red Devils followed up a 64-15 win over Montgomery by going 2-1 in their home quad on Saturday, which included a 38-25 loss to Brick Memorial. Coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm said his team did not match up well against the Mustangs, who will be heavy favorites to win the Central Jersey, Group 4 title next month. Central beat Absegami (46-28) and Middletown North (68-6). Senior Tanner Peake (16-3 at 157), a returning state medal winner who went 3-0 on Saturday, entered this week sitting on 99 career wins.

Up next: at Ridge on Wednesday; at Central Bucks East (Pa.) on Thursday; Mount Olive, St. Thomas Aquinas, Westfield at home on Saturday.

5. Kittatinny (11-0) -- Cougars kept rolling with wins over Delaware Valley (30-29), West Morris (48-30) and Morris Knolls (41-18) on Saturday. Sophomore Bryce Coesfeld (17-4 at 150) scored a key 9-4 win, while senior Ty Eldred, who logged a critical pin, picked up his 50th career victory. Veteran coach John Gill goes for his second straight win over High Point on Wednesday, a match that always gives him some angst before and after, as well as the annual clash with P'burg.

Up next: at High Point on Wednesday; Phillipsburg at home on Friday.

6. Delaware Valley (6-2) -- Terriers scored a 57-10 victory over Voorhees last Wednesday before going 2-1 in a quad at Kittatinny, which included a 30-29 loss to the host team. Coach Andy Fitz's team added wins over West Morris (48-32) and Morris Knolls (42-17). Sophomore Ben Levy (12-5 at 138-144), who is having a breakout season, went 3-0 on the day. The program renews it longstanding rivalry with Raritan, a Group 2 contender, on Friday. The Rockets are 6-9 in the series, including a 50-9 win in the last matchup in the Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinals on Feb. 7, 2018. 

Up next: Watchung Hills at home on Wednesday; Raritan at home on Friday; at Ridge on Saturday. 

7. High Point (1-2) -- Wildcats ended last week on a COVID pause following a 54-12 loss to Southern on Wednesday. Senior Clayton Utter (0-2 at 120-126), a three-time state qualifier, lost a wild 8-6 decision to 2021 state runner-up Conor Collins in their featured bout, as Utter twice scored with reversals after surrendering the only takedown between the two in the first period. Coach John Gardner's team has not been at full strength all season so we'll see how the lineup shakes out against archrival Kittatinny.

Up next: West Morris at home on Tuesday; Kittatinny at home on Wednesday; at Sparta on Thursday; at North Warren Patriot Duals on Saturday.

8. Pope John (2-2) -- Lions appear to be getting healthy as senior Jack Stoll (5-2 at 215) returned to the lineup for the first time since sustaining a knee injury at the Beast of the East in December as coach Mark Piotrowsky's team scored a 46-28 win over Montville on Friday coming off a 34-21 loss to Livingston, the North 1, Group 5 favorite. Freshman Carson Walsh (8-2 at 113) had a big win in that one -- 7-2 against state placewinner Aidan Carmody, who was fifth at 106 in 2021.

Up next: Mount Olive at home on Tuesday; Hopatcong at Parsippany Hills on Thursday.

9. Newton (4-2) -- Braves added some reinforcements to their lineup last week following a 43-27 loss to Morris Hills as Knights coach Brian Bollette evened the series against his older brother at 1-1. Eric Bollette's team bounced back with a 54-19 win over West Milford before going 2-1 and finishing fifth at the 16th Boresch Duals on Saturday. Junior Thaylor Sibblies (7-2 at 144) aided a 57-23 victory over Toms River North with a 5-3 decision in sudden-victory overtime against two-time region qualifier Jake Rosenthal. Following a 50-21 loss to South Plainfield, the Sussex County school scored a 36-35 win over Hanover Park on criteria F (least forfeits).

Up next: at Jefferson on Wednesday; Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown on Friday and Saturday.

The changing of numbers at Voorhees. 
10. Voorhees (4-4) -- Vikings rebounded from their 57-10 loss to Delaware Valley on Wednesday by sweeping a road quad on Saturday with wins against host Dumont (45-36), Demarest (45-18) and West Milford (54-17). Senior Josh Evers (6-5 at 120) and sophomore Logan Wiecoreck (12-4 at 138), a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament runner-up, both went 3-0 on the day. Coach Ricky Kurtz's team entered the week sitting on 644 wins as a program.

Up next: at Bernards on Wednesday; at Hillsborough on Friday; Kearny, Piscataway at Belvidere on Saturday.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 8:46 PM

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