Wrestling: HWS earns 7 top seeds (section pairings)

Let's get to the point. It wouldn't be a high school wrestling season in New Jersey without a controversy surrounding the release of final power point totals. Right on cue, a second set filled with corrections was released about 3 1/2 hours after the initial version hit inboxes around the state on Monday afternoon.

Delaware Valley coach Andy Fitz immediately noticed irregularities with the initial totals, noting that they seemed much lower than in previous years. The mathematics teacher and Lehigh University grad was again spot on, as several teams, including his Terriers, jumped up as much as three full points while many saw at least a .01 increase. A few Skyland Conference teams also had a rise in numbers.

Kittatinny eyes its 23rd sectional title.

In all, 12 Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area teams qualified for the upcoming sectional tournaments, which get underway with two rounds on Monday. The public school higher seeds will host -- 1 vs. 8 and 5 vs. 4 with the winners squaring off in the semifinals, same with 3 vs. 6 and 7 vs. 2. The championship finals are set for Wednesday, Feb. 9. 

The Non-Public schedule has quarterfinals set for Monday, followed by semifinals on Wednesday, Feb. 9 and finals on Friday, Feb. 11. Also under the new format, public sectional champs move on to the Group semifinals (seeded by power points) on Friday, Feb. 11. 

The public and Non-Public winners move on to the Group finals at Franklin High School on Sunday, Feb. 13. Group 1 and Non-Public B will be at 9 a.m.; Group 5, 3 and Non-Public A at 11:30 a.m., followed by Group 4 and 2 at 2 p,m.

Phillipsburg (North 2, Group 5), North Hunterdon (North 2, Group 4), Warren Hills (North 2, Group 3), High Point (North 1, Group 2), Delaware Valley (Central Jersey, Group 1), Kittatinny (North 1, Group 1) and Pope John (Non-Public North B) all earned No. 1 seeds.

Hunterdon Central (Central Jersey, Group 5) is a No. 3 seed, while Newton (North 1, Group 2) is a No. 5 seed. Voorhees and Hackettstown are the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds in North 2, Group 2. Lenape Valley is the No. 8 seed in North 1, Group 1.

The seeding committee met on Tuesday to finalize the pairings in each section and break any existing ties based on head-to-head, where applicable, followed in order by average of all duals, common opponents and winning percentage. Pairings become official as of noon on Thursday.

Phillipsburg (9-1), ranked No. 13 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20, breathed a collective sigh of relief on Sunday when it was announced that the NJSIAA had waived the 10-match (in-state) requirement to qualify.

The Stateliners, who have won an HWS-best 38 sectional titles, annually wrestle Easton (Pa.) and will surely reevaluate how they cobble together any future schedules. In fairness, head coach Brad Gentzle had little input on the 2021-22 slate since it was mostly set during the coaching transition last spring. P'burg has long maintained stances to not wrestle dual meets involving Non-Public schools and only single duals (no tri-meets or quads). But one or both may have to change starting in 2022-23.

One possible scenario is to join dual meet events such as the Henry Boresch Duals or Patriot Duals at North Warren, provided either has openings for 2023. However, one potential drawback there is that North Hunterdon and High Point also compete in those tournaments and locals are trying to schedule competitions against teams they don't already see more than once a season. 

The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, which was a week earlier than usual this season, is likely to go back to its normal slot on Jan. 15, 2023, and the 'Liners regularly attend the King of the Mountain Tournament and Bethlehem Holiday Classic, where they track heavily against New Jersey's 30-match limit. P'burg also has previously attended the Virginia Duals, but that long running event is set for Jan. 13-15, 2023, which would conflict with HWS so that's likely not an option. There is certainly no guarantee of facing New Jersey schools in that tournament.

Warren Hills (12-3), ranked by Open Mike as the No. 1 team in HWS and No. 11 in the state by the NJWWA, is gearing up for a run at capturing the program's sixth sectional title and first since 2007. Coach Dave Sbriscia's Blue Streaks are 9-1 since a 33-22 loss to North Hunterdon on Jan. 7. Delsea (South Jersey) and South Plainfield (Central Jersey) are also Group 3 title contenders and odds-on favorites in those sections.

High Point won the program's 6th state title in 2020.

High Point (8-4), which won the Group 2 title in 2020, is an overwhelming favorite to claim its Sussex County-best 29th sectional title. Coach John Gardner's Wildcats were slowed earlier this season due to COVID-19 and injuries, but the lineup seems to be rounding into shape at the right time, though junior Roman Citro (10-4 at 120-126) has been sidelined with a knee injury sustained at the Patriot Duals on Jan. 22. Senior ace Brian Soldano (21-0 at 190), a Rutgers commit who is 110-5 overall, has 85 career pins (19 this season, plus one technical fall and a forfeit victory) and is riding a 58-match win streak dating to 2020.

North Hunterdon (12-4), which won the Group 4 title to cap the program's first unbeaten season in 2020, is seeking its 16th sectional championship. Coach Chris Hrunka's Lions aren't the state favorites this time around as Mount Olive (11-2), the top seed in North 1, Group 4, bids for the Morris County program's third sectional and first state championship. North handed Mount Olive a 40-19 loss in the 2020 Group 4 semifinals. 

Group 5 is surely the toughest field to navigate, but Group 1 is interesting from a local standpoint as Kittatinny and Delaware Valley have designs on a state title. The Cougars prevailed, 30-29, when the teams met in Hampton Township on Jan. 15. Coach John Gill has led Kittatinny to 22 sectional and eight state titles, seven in Group 2 and the last in Group 1 in 2008, while Fitz guided the Terriers, who have won 19 sectional championships, to their eighth and last state title in Group 2 in 2017. 

Should they both win sectional titles as expected, Kittatinny would be the top seed over Del Val (No. 2 seed) -- based on head-to-head -- for the Group 1 semifinal round. Kittatinny owns an 11-6 edge in the all-time series, including four wins in the Group 2 final (2001, '02, '05 and '06). 

Here are the seeds and pairings (records are through Jan. 30):

Group 5

North 1

At Livingston

1-Livingston (10-2, 32.80) vs. 8-Montclair (2-6, 16.75)
5-North Bergen (6-2, 25.75) vs. 4-Clifton (10-8, 26.50)

At Passaic Tech

3-Morristown (9-5, 27.10) vs. 6-Bloomfield (4-9, 23.80)
7-West Orange (1-5, 23.17) vs. 2-Passaic Tech (12-4, 28.50)

North 2

At Phillipsburg

1-Phillipsburg (9-1, 32.00) vs. 8-Bridgewater-Raritan (4-6, 23.00)
5-Newark East Side (8-2, 24.00) vs. 4-Franklin (8-5, 26.20)

At Westfield

3-Watchung Hills (8-7, 26.90) vs. 6-J.P. Stevens (6-9, 23.80)
7-Bayonne (5-7, 23.20) vs. 2-Westfield (10-5, 27.70)

Central Jersey

At Howell

1-Howell (16-3, 36.30) vs. 8-Edison (6-6, 23.40)
5-Hillsborough (5-8, 27.70) vs. 4-Old Bridge (10-6, 28.60)

At Rancocas Valley

3-Hunterdon Central (10-3, 29.70) vs. 6-Freehold Township (12-7, 27.60)
7-Monroe Township (12-3, 26.70) vs. 2-Rancocas Valley (14-3, 29.80)

South Jersey

At Southern

1-Southern (13-0, 34.40) vs. 8-Egg Harbor (6-15, 24.90)
5-Washington Township (12-5, 27.00) vs. 4-Williamstown (11-4, 27.80)

At Kingsway

3-Cherokee (12-5, 28.10) vs. 6-Toms River North (6-12, 25.10)
7-Lenape (7-3, 25.00) vs. 2-Kingsway (8-1, 31.22)

Group 4

North 1

At Mount Olive

1-Mount Olive (11-2, 35.40) vs. 8-Lyndhurst-North Arlington (6-4, 23.40)
5-Randolph (7-9, 26.60) vs. 4-Northern Highlands (7-6, 28.60)

At Morris Knolls

3-Ridgewood (9-5, 28.10) vs. 6-Bogota-Ridgefield Park (11-2, 26.30)
7-Fair Lawn (6-11, 25.50) vs. 2-Morris Knolls (12-5, 29.00)

North 2

At North Hunterdon

1-North Hunterdon (12-4, 34.70) vs. 8-Irvington (7-2, 25.33)
5-Middletown North (5-9, 26.30) vs. 4-Sayreville (12-6, 26.40)

At Woodbridge 

3-Ridge (6-7, 26.60) vs. 6-Kearny (9-1, 26.10)
7-Scotch Plains-Fanwood (9-3, 25.90) vs. 2-Woodbridge (11-4, 27.50)

Central Jersey

At Middletown South

1-Middletown South (11-3, 33.40) vs. 8-Colts Neck (7-9, 26.10)
5-Manalapan (10-11, 26.70) vs. 4-Freehold Boro (9-5, 29.90)

At Brick Memorial 

3-Jackson Memorial (12-6, 31.50) vs. 6-Long Branch (7-7, 27.40)
7-Princeton (11-2, 26.20) vs. 2-Brick Memorial (14-3, 33.10)

South Jersey

At Shawnee

1-Shawnee (16-1, 30.30) vs. 8-Central Regional (7-11, 25.60)
5-Toms River South (8-7, 26.30) vs. 4-Toms River East (9-9, 27.20)

At Northern Burlington

3-Moorestown (10-8, 27.40) vs. 6-Hammonton (9-6, 26.80)
7-Pennsauken (8-11, 25.90) vs. 2-Northern Burlington (13-2, 28.70)

Group 3

North 1

At Morris Hills

1-Morris Hills (14-5, 29.10) vs. 8-Wayne Valley (6-10, 24.40)
5-Pascack Valley (12-4, 27.50) vs. 4-Old Tappan (9-2, 27.30)

At Paramus

3-Montville (7-3, 28.30) vs. 6-Wayne Hills (6-8, 25.60)
7-Garfield (6-4, 24.70) vs. 2-Paramus (11-3, 28.80) 

North 2

At Warren Hills

1-Warren Hills (12-3, 35.00) vs. 8-Rahway (4-5, 22.22)
5-Roxbury (6-8, 26.80) vs. 4-Mendham (10-5, 29.00)

At West Essex

3-Cranford (13-4, 29.70) vs. 6-West Morris (6-12, 28.50)
7-Parsippany Hills (9-8, 25.60) vs. 2-West Essex (9-6, 31.90) 

Central Jersey

At South Plainfield

1-South Plainfield (10-2, 32.10) vs. 8-Matawan (7-10, 25.90)
5-Hopewell Valley (11-2, 26.80) vs. 4-Ocean Township (9-5, 27.40)

At Robbinsville 

3-Wall (10-7, 27.90) vs. 6-Brick Township (10-7, 26.20)
7-Lawrence (10-4, 26.00) vs. 2-Robbinsville (15-2, 28.20)

South Jersey

At Delsea

1-Delsea (14-3, 33.10) vs. 8-Westampton Tech (7-4, 24.20)
5-Mainland (8-6, 25.50) vs. 4-Absegami (11-6, 26.20)

At Lacey Township

3-Seneca (11-5, 26.90) vs. 6-Pemberton (9-7, 25.30)
7-Ocean City (5-10, 24.70) vs. 2-Lacey Township (15-4, 32.00)

Group 2

North 1

At High Point

1-High Point (8-4, 32.30) vs. 8-Ramsey (8-7, 26.00)

5-Newton (7-6, 27.20) vs. 4-Pascack Hills (9-3, 27.40)

At River Dell

 

3-Jefferson (16-1, 28.60) vs. 6-Demarest (11-2, 26.00)

7-Westwood (10-7, 26.00) vs. 2-River Dell (11-7, 29.70)

North 2

At Hanover Park

1-Hanover Park (12-4, 28.50) vs. 8-Rutherford (6-4, 24.40)
5-Madison (9-5, 26.50) vs. 4-Caldwell (9-4, 26.30)

At Governor Livingston 

3-Passaic Valley (10-5, 27.30) vs. 6-Voorhees (10-5, 26.10) 
7-Hackettstown (4-12, 24.70) vs. 2-Governor Livingston (11-2, 28.20)

Central Jersey

At Raritan

1-Raritan (14-6, 33.10) vs. 8-Holmdel (7-9, 25.50)
5-Cinnaminson (5-10, 26.10) vs. 4-Manasquan (10-4, 26.30)

At Rumson-Fair Haven

3-Point Pleasant Boro (11-2, 27.20) vs. 6-Middlesex-Dunellen (11-6, 26.00)
7-Delran (8-6, 25.60) vs. 2-Rumson-Fair Haven (7-6, 28.50)

South Jersey

At Collingswood

1-Collingswood (16-1, 29.10) vs. 8-Oakcrest (5-8, 23.40)
5-Middle Township (10-4, 26.10) vs. 4-West Deptford (10-7, 28.10)

At Haddonfield 

3-Lower Cape May (14-4, 27.70) vs. 6-Sterling (6-13, 24.70)
7-Haddon Heights (6-11, 25.00) vs. 2-Haddonfield (13-7, 28.30)

Group 1

North 1

At Kittatinny

1-Kittatinny (13-2, 30.60) vs. 8-Lenape Valley (6-4, 24.70)
5-Cresskill (11-6, 26.00) vs. 4-Pompton Lakes (12-2, 26.70)

At Butler

3-Emerson-Park Ridge (8-4, 26.90) vs. 6-New Milford (7-9, 25.50)
7-Hawthorne (7-5, 25.30) vs. 2-Butler (16-4, 28.10)

North 2

At Hasbrouck Heights

1-Hasbrouck Heights (10-5, 26.40) vs. 8-Whippany Park (3-11, 23.40)
5-Verona (7-5, 24.00) vs. 4-Johnson (5-11, 24.20)

At Roselle Park

3-Mountain Lakes (8-6, 25.40) vs. 6-Secaucus (6-8, 23.60)
7-Boonton (5-9, 23.50) vs. 2-Roselle Park (8-2, 26.10)

Central Jersey

At Delaware Valley

1-Delaware Valley (12-3, 32.40) vs. 8-Asbury Park (4-8, 20.90)
5-Keansburg (7-8, 24.40) vs. 4-Manville (10-1, 26.30)

At Point Pleasant Beach

3-Shore Regional (13-6, 26.40) vs. 6-Spotswood (7-11, 24.10)
7-Bound Brook (3-13, 23.90) vs. 2-Point Pleasant Beach (11-6, 26.60)

South Jersey

At Paulsboro

1-Paulsboro (13-0, 29.90) vs. 8-Pitman (10-7, 24.80)
5-Palmyra (9-7, 25.50) vs. 4-Woodstown (10-4, 27.10)

At Gloucester City

3-Audubon (13-5, 28.10) vs. 6-Haddon Township (8-8, 25.50)
7-Pennsville (7-7, 25.20) vs. 2-Gloucester City (13-6, 27.70)

Non-Public

North A

5-St. Peter's Prep (8-1, 31.22) at 4-Paramus Catholic (7-1, 32.00), winner to meet 1-Delbarton (10-0, 34.00) 

6-Seton Hall Prep (8-2, 30.20) at 3-St. Joseph-Montvale (6-1, 31.43)
7-Don Bosco Prep (4-3, 29.43) at 2-Bergen Catholic (6-1, 32.33)

North B

5-Newark Academy (2-4, 20.67) at 4-DePaul (5-11, 24.70), winner to meet 1-Pope John (7-3, 28.89)
3-Pingry (8-1, 25.22) at 2-St. Thomas Aquinas (12-5, 28.70)

South A

5-Camden Catholic (7-1, 27.63) at 4-St. Joseph-Metuchen (13-3, 30.80), winner to meet 1-Christian Brothers Academy (12-2, 34.70)

6-Paul VI-Haddonfield (4-11, 22.70) at 3-St. Augustine (8-3, 27.29)
7-Notre Dame (6-13, 21.40) at 2-St. John Vianney (12-2, 34.00)

South B

5-St. Rose (0-14, 15.50) at 4-Holy Cross (1-13, 17.40), winner to meet 1-Red Bank Catholic (10-3, 27.80)

3-Donovan Catholic (5-9, 24.10) at 2-Holy Spirit (6-5, 25.00)