Wrestling: High Point 'tradition' celebrates 800th win

High Point's wrestling program is no stranger when it comes to historic milestones. The Wildcats added another big one to a lengthy list on Saturday morning with their 49-22 win over DePaul for the program's 800th victory as part of a quad in Wayne. 

Smith (center) talks to the 'Cats between matches

Coach Billy Smith's team went 2-1 overall -- scoring a 39-26 win over Ocean Township in the opener before dropping a 47-23 decision to North Hunterdon in the nightcap. North (7-4) also went 2-1 on the day, falling to Ocean Township, 36-35, on criteria I (greater number of first points scored).

High Point (10-4), which stands at 800-274-7 overall (.740) in 59 seasons, is the second-winningest program in Sussex County behind Newton (857-489-18), now in its 99th season. That's a 40-year head start, so what's made such a small school like High Point so successful in a much shorter period of time? Kittatinny ranks third in the county at 694-253-5 in 50 seasons.

"I think it's just tradition," said Smith, who was an integral member of the greatest teams in High Point history, which went a remarkable 98-9 during his four-year career under former head coach John Gardner. "If you think back to when Butch [Anspach] started the program [39-23-1 from 1966-70], then Jeff Hull, Jan [Michaels], and Johnney. It's the stability, which a lot of programs don't have."

You also can't forget longtime assistant coach Mickey Thomas, who was High Point's first district champion (115 pounds in 1968). Thomas, aside from a few years spent in college, has been a part of just about every victory and has served on the staffs for Hull (288-104-4 in 27 seasons over two stints, 1970-93 and 1996-98), Michaels (47-12 in three seasons from 1993-96), Gardner (406-122-2 in 25 seasons from 1998-2024) and now Smith. Gardner passed the torch to Smith and took over the girls program prior to this season.

Current assistants Mark "Otto" Veltri, a stats wizard, and former state placewinner Billy Talmadge, who wrestled at Lock Haven, also wrestled for the 'Cats. 

Smith and Gardner combined for 269 wins as HP wrestlers

"It's a lot of hard work, sacrifice for that [milestone]," said Gardner, the school's second state champion at 189 pounds in 1990 and one of only three 'Cats to win four region titles along with Nick Francavilla and Brian Soldano. "That's a pretty neat thing for our community. That's pretty cool."

Those aforementioned High Point teams captured two SCIL and NJAC division titles (going 31-0 in league matches), three North 1, Group 3 sectional and the program's first two state championships -- both in Group 3 in 2008 and '11. The 2008-09 team, perhaps the Wildcats' greatest and ranked No. 1 in the state at the time, was ruled ineligible due to a clerical error to compete in the team tournaments that season. 

Smith, a four-time national qualifier at Rutgers, capped a historic run in 2011 as the fourth Wildcat to capture state gold in Atlantic City. Smith (285) and Drew Wagenhoffer (140) won their first titles, while Ethan Orr (171) picked up his second. Francavilla (125) started the party by becoming the first in school history to win three until Soldano, now at Rutgers, joined him with a hat trick in 2020-22. 

In true High Point fashion, Smith said the 800-win milestone kind of snuck up on him until Open Mike's recent HWS notebook provided the numbers.

Clayton looks to join this exclusive club

"We don't really talk about records," Smith said like his predecessor. "What's important is performing. If you do that ... the wins will come. Obviously, wins have come with good tradition and hard work. Today was a good day for us. We went 2-1 in a tough quad and the guys wrestled hard."

Speaking of wins, senior star Nick Clayton (14-3 at 150) is nearing another coveted mark as he's two victories shy of becoming the 17th member of High Point's 100-wins club. Clayton, who's 98-33 overall, should do it next Saturday when the 'Cats, who next face Jefferson on Tuesday, travel to Shawnee for the seven-team Pine Barren Duals.

Clayton, along with juniors Jack Kithcart (190) and Gavin Mericle (285), all went 3-0 in the quad at DePaul. 

NORTH HUNTERDON 47, HIGH POINT 23

120 -- Sr. Joseph Celentano (10-10), NH, p. So. Carter Drouin (16-7), 1:54. 

126 -- Jr. Reid Buzby (15-7), NH, md. Sr. Colton Jaust (12-8), 14-4.

132 -- So. Aidan Yarussi (19-3), NH, p. Sr. Sean Licata (12-10), 5:34.

138 -- So. Kieran Raley (12-13), NH, p. Sr. Michael Tidona (10-13), :48.

144 -- So. Matthew Esposito (6-5), NH, p. Sr. Jesse Huelbig (11-8), 4:27.

150 -- Sr. Nick Clayton (14-3), HP, tf. Sr. Chase Perry (3-14), 17-2.

157 -- Fr. Gerard Empirio (3-2), HP, p. Sr. Carson Young (1-7), 1:19.

165 -- Sr. Joshua Joubert (13-9), NH, md. Jr. Jayden Ruplall (11-10), 16-4.

175 -- Sr. Evan Kinney (19-2), NH, d. Jr. Giovoughni Dureny (10-6), 8-1.

190 -- Jr. Jack Kithcart (12-10), HP, p. Jr. Gabe Gonzalez (1-2), :55.

215 -- Jr. Owen Dandeo (12-7), NH, d. Sr. Donald Weiss (17-6), 2-1.

285 -- Jr. Gavin Mericle (20-1), HP, p. Fr. Dajinder Dhillon (0-2), 1:26.
106 -- So. Cayden Wadle (18-2), NH, d. Fr. Logan Takach (9-9), 7-3.
113 -- Fr. Owen Fol (13-9), NH, forfeit.
Records -- High Point 10-4; North Hunterdon 7-4.

HIGH POINT 49, DEPAUL 22

113 -- Brady Conklin (3-6), HP, p. Collin O'Connor, 3:35.

120 -- Joseph Rizzuto, D, d. Carter Drouin, 14-7.

126 -- Delvan Rotte, D, p. Colton Jaust, 3:00.

132 -- Sean Licata, HP, md. Brady Tiernan, 12-1.

138 -- Isaias Hernandez, D, tf. Michael Tidona, 15-0.

144 -- Jesse Huelbig, HP, p. Joseph Nieto, :40.

150 -- Nick Clayton, HP, tf. Max Tripoli, 18-1.

157 -- Gabriel Basanyi (2-2), HP, md. Nwauzo Ezenanii, 16-6.

165 -- Jayden Ruplall, HP, p. Robert Orlando, 3:14.

175 -- Cody Aniche-Farrell, D, tf. Anthony Abramo (0-2), 17-2.

190 -- Jack Kithcart, HP, forfeit.

215 -- Kaleb DeFalco (2-0), HP, forfeit.

285 -- Gavin Mericle, HP, p. Anthony Bua, 1:00.
106 -- Franco Furfaro, D, d. Thomas Jaust (2-2), 9-6.

HIGH POINT 39, OCEAN TOWNSHIP 26

106 -- Michael Apicelli, OT, d. Logan Takach, 12-6.

113 -- Justin Penta, OT, p. Brady Conklin, :58.

120 -- Carter Drouin, HP, p. Alex Falco, 5:02.

126 -- Colton Jaust, HP, p. Steven Perez, 3:00.

132 -- Sean Licata, HP, d. Justin Farina, 9-4.

138 -- Dominic Volek, OT, tf. Michael Tidona, 22-7.

144 -- Michael Volek, OT, d. Jesse Huelbig, 8-5.

150 -- Nick Clayton, HP, p. Ethan Ansell, :29.

157 -- Jake Volek, OT, p. Gerard Empirio, :19.

165 -- Jayden Ruplall, HP, p. Malcolm Beale, 1:50.

175 -- Josh Calixte, OT, d. Giovoughni Dureny, 9-4.

190 -- Jack Kithcart, HP, p. Nicholas Allen, 3:27.

215 -- Donald Weiss, HP, d. Daniel Farina, 8-6.

285 -- Gavin Mericle, HP, d. Abimael Andre, 4-1.