Wrestling: Shakeup in HWS rankings; farewell Dr. D

High Point's wrestling team celebrated a major milestone (800 wins) on what was truly a sad day for anyone who knew or loved Shore Conference icon Denny D'Andrea, who died at the age of 74 on Saturday morning. 

High Point eyes a spot in the G2 final next month

D'Andrea, a beloved former coach and mentor to countless wrestlers during stops at Freehold Borough, Manalapan, Brick Memorial (longtime assistant with legendary head coach Tony Caravella) and St. John Vianney, was revered in many wrestling circles, even by his opponents. To say that D'Andrea was one-of-a-kind would be the understatement of the century. Fiery coach, jokester, humanitarian, friend of the wrestling media. D'Andrea was all of these and more.  

"He treated you like a long-lost friend," said High Point girls coach John Gardner, who got to know D'Andrea early on in his coaching career with the Wildcat boys, who have been competing at the rugged Mustang Classic at Brick Memorial since the late 1990s.

When news broke early Saturday of D'Andrea's passing, it spurred an immense outpouring on social media from fans, former wrestlers and coaches past and present. Longtime Shore guru Steve Falk, this year's John Vogeding Media Award recipient, penned a tremendous written tribute linked above, while Rutgers coach Scott Goodale, a state placewinner and coach at Jackson Memorial, his alma mater, paid homage to the man dubbed "Doctor D" via Twitter:

Denny D was truly of the biggest icons in shore conference WRESTLING and shore conference Sports. He would always reach out after a big win and more so after a bad loss. Even competing against him as a jag he would offer words of encouragement and even suggestions. RIP Denny D

— Coach Scott Goodale (@CoachGoodale) January 18, 2025

Personally, I will miss the phone calls with D'Andrea, which were a constant source of laughter and reminiscing about the great sport we both love so dearly. We first met back in 1994, when Brick Memorial won the Group 3 title with a 32-28 win over Phillipsburg at The Pit -- which still ranks among the top five or so matches I've covered across 30-plus years. 

You'll be sorely missed. God speed my friend.

Cats are contenders

Perhaps it only fitting that High Point picked up its 800th win in a quad at DePaul Catholic High School on the day D'Andrea passed. During our numerous conversations, D'Andrea spoke reverently about Gardner and held the 'Cats program in high esteem. 

Smith addresses the 'Cats on Saturday 

First-year head coach Billy Smith has been a huge part of that tradition as an assistant under Gardner and one of a remarkable four individual state champs in 2011, who helped lead the greatest teams in program history to a four-year mark of 98-9, four conference titles, three sectional and two state championships.

"Things go by so quickly, you don't have time for reflection," said Smith, who needs four wins to match Jan Michaels (14-7 in 1993-94) as the only HP coaches to amass 14 victories in their first seasons at the helm. "For a long time there were speed bumps. It was a different era, but [High Point] once had a hard time beating Sparta in any sport. That Skyline Conference championship [1972-73 season under Hull] was the first [sports] title in school history."

Present day High Point keeps building toward a Sussex County-best 31st sectional title. The 'Cats, whose six-year run ended with a loss to Jefferson in last season's title match, should be the top seed in North 1, Group 2, when the tournaments commence on Feb. 10. 

Delaware Valley (Central Jersey, Group 1) and Phillipsburg (North 1, Group 4) should also be No. 1 seeds with the power points cutoff fast approaching on Feb. 1.

Now, onto this week's team rankings:

Hawk is 128-20 overall

1. Phillipsburg (9-0) -- Stateliners capped a 3-0 week with a 39-23 victory at Delaware Valley on Friday -- winning nine bouts, including junior Gavin Geleta's 4-1 upset of Jackson Bush to avenge a loss by the same score to the state qualifier and two-time county finalist in the HWS semis six days earlier. Senior ace Gavin Hawk (18-1 at 157) picked up career pin No. 83 and matched former state placewinner Max Elling (128) for second on the school's all-time wins list. 

Up next: Rumson-Fair Haven at home on Monday; Bridgewater-Raritan at The Pit on Wednesday; at Easton (Pa.) on Saturday.

2. Delaware Valley (9-2) -- Terriers rebounded from a 39-23 loss to P'burg, ranked No. 10 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Top 20, with a 33-31 win over No. 16 Caldwell on Saturday. Coach Andy Fitz's team gets a bump for that one despite a 34-33 loss to North Hunterdon on Jan. 8. Del Val also looks like the team to beat in Group 1. 

Up next: at Watchung Hills on Tuesday; at Ridge on Wednesday; at Cranford on Friday.

3. North Hunterdon (7-4) -- Lions had an interesting week starting with a 50-15 win over Immaculata before losses to Rumson-Fair Haven (52-21 on Friday) and Ocean Township (36-35 on criteria, most first points scored, on Saturday). Coach Dave Bell's team also scored an impressive 47-23 win over High Point as part of that quad at DePaul as Joseph Celentano (120) and Reid Buzby (126) set the tone with a pin and major decision in the first two bouts.

Up next: Hunterdon Central at home on Wednesday; at Bridgewater-Raritan on Friday; Blair Academy at home on Saturday.

Clayton was last year's District 4 OW

4. High Point (10-4) -- Wildcats followed up a 56-14 thumping of archrival Kittatinny on Wednesday by going 2-1 in a quad at DePaul on Saturday. Senior Nick Clayton (14-3 at 150) is sitting on 98 career wins, while juniors Jack Kithcart (12-10 at 190) and Gavin Mericle (20-1 at 285), a runner-up and champion, respectively, at the HWS Tournament, lead a group of improved upper weights -- a group which figured to be key for any title march entering the 2024-25 campaign.

"I think the strength of our team is up top," said Smith, whose team can clinch the NJAC Freedom Division title with a win at Jefferson on Tuesday. "I don't know if Kithcart won a match in middle school. [Senior Donald Weiss] is a three-year wrestler and football player, and [HWS] was Gavin's second varsity tournament [win]. We're getting a lot of mileage out of these big boys."

Up next: at Jefferson on Tuesday; Pine Barren Duals at Shawnee on Saturday.

5. Pope John (8-4) -- Lions are getting their lineup together as evidenced by a 41-24 win over state-ranked St. Augustine Prep on Saturday. The addition of two-time state fourth-place medalist Donny Almeyda (4-0 at 144) is huge, while senior ace Carson Walsh (21-1 at 138) is six wins shy of tying Robbie Garcia (126-23 from 2015-18) for fourth place on the school's career list. Also noteworthy, coach Mark Piotrowsky's team locked down the program's 500th victory on Jan. 9 (49-24 over crosstown-rival Sparta).

Up next: at Mount Olive on Tuesday.

6. Warren Hills (8-6) -- Blue Streaks followed a tough 41-34 loss to Ridge in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division clash on Wednesday by going 4-1 in the Jack Welch Duals on Saturday. Hills scored wins over Cinnaminson (45-30), Delran (45-31), Camden (78-5) and Kingsway (33-31), along with a loss to Long Branch (36-29). Senior Charlie Piccione (21-2 at 120) went 5-0 on the day, moving into fifth place on the school's career wins list at 106-27. Up next is Nick Galka (109 from 2015-19).

B. Bollette, Gill and Dave Sylvester

Up next: Immaculata at home on Wednesday; Voorhees at home on Friday.

7. Kittatinny (6-6) -- Cougars bounced back from a 56-14 loss to nemesis High Point on Wednesday with a 39-27 win over Hackettstown on Friday -- raising the program total to 694 in its 50th season under legendary coach John Gill, who's 14-29-1 all-time vs. HP. Speaking of Gill, he'll face another of his former wrestlers in a match against Eric Bollette's Newton squad on Thursday. Brian Bollette (Morris Hills with assistant and former Kittatinny state champ Will Livingston) and Tyler Branham (Hanover Park) have already knocked off Kittatinny this season.

Up next: at Hopatcong-Lenape Valley on Tuesday; at Newton on Thursday; Old Tappan, Watchung Hills at Livingston quad on Saturday.

8. Hackettstown (9-4) -- Tigers, who opened last week with a 51-29 victory over Hopatcong-Lenape Valley, rebounded from a 39-27 loss at Kittatinny on Friday by sweeping their home quad on Saturday, including a 42-40 win over Sparta to move up in our area rankings. Coach Jim Berringer, a former star and state placewinner at Hopatcong, also saw his team easily dispatch Verona (50-30) and Mendham (54-29). Sophomore Giovanni Gutierrez (17-5 at 126), who pinned Sparta's Patrick Bruseo, now has 46 career wins.

Up next: Morristown at home on Tuesday; Somerville at home on Thursday (Alumni Night).

9. Sparta (3-9) -- Spartans followed their 51-20 loss to Morris Hills on Wednesday by going 1-2 at Hackettstown's quad on Saturday, including a 42-40 setback against the hosts in a match that sadly featured five forfeits (three issued to the Tigers). Junior Ryan Hrenenko (19-3 at 132) leads the Sussex County school in wins this season.

Up next: West Morris at home on Tuesday; Delbarton at home on Thursday; Ramapo and Westwood at home on Saturday.

10. Hunterdon Central (2-10) -- Red Devils' scheduled match with Delaware Valley on Wednesday was postponed due to a boil water advisory near the Field House, while they went 0-3 in a quad at Notre Dame on Saturday with losses to Toms River South (68-12) and Hammonton (56-24) as well as the hosts (34-33). Junior star Rhett Washleski (20-2 at 150) is sitting on 90 career wins for Central, which has endured only one losing season (12-13 in 2005-06) since the program formed in 1957.

Up next: at North Hunterdon on Wednesday; at Hillsborough on Friday.