Wrestling: P'burg, DV rep HWS in NJWWA Top 20

One area team exits and another enters. Such is the revolving door that constitutes the bottom quarter of the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.

Phillipsburg (9-1) continues to lead the way among Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area teams, but dropped one spot to No. 11, following a 44-25 loss to Rumson-Fair Haven in the very first matchup between these programs on Monday afternoon in Lopatcong Township.

"We expected [the final score] to be a lot closer," said junior Gavin Geleta, one of only five winners for P'burg (a 6-2 decision over Walker Skove at 157 pounds). "Seems like they wanted it more. They were more aggressive." 

Stateliners coach Tim Longacre didn't mince words after watching his team drop nine of 14 bouts and surrendering bonus points in eight (including one forfeit to state champ Sonny Amato). In addition, the Bulldogs (13-1) dominated in all phases, particularly on the mat, and were physically superior in most of their victories as they jumped out to a 19-0 lead and didn't yield a takedown until the fifth bout in a matchup between the state's third- and fourth-ranked public programs.

"We were hoping [to win] a couple of the tossups. Pretty much underperformed on our end," said Longacre, whose club will look to right the ship against Bridgewater-Raritan in a Return to The Pit on Wednesday before squaring off with archrival Easton (Pa.) on Saturday at the Red Rovers' 25th Street Gym. 

"I think we had a bad day and we ran into a very good team. Not taking anything away from them, it's a very good team. We didn't defend our house so to speak or even make it look like we wanted to. Those are the things I'm more disappointed with than anything. That and our execution.

"They were a lot more physical than we were. There was one time we were in deep on a double-leg [takedown attempt] and got crossfaced to our belly, and got cradled. That stuff can't happen."

The area still has only two Top 20 representatives as Delaware Valley makes its first appearance of the season at No. 17 in the latest statewide poll released on Tuesday morning. The Terriers (9-2), who finished last season as the Group 1 runners-up, scored a big 33-31 win over No. 19 Caldwell on Saturday.

Coach Andy Fitz's team is still knee-deep amid its toughest stretch of the season with matches still on tap against formerly ranked Ridge on Wednesday and No. 20 Cranford on Friday. Del Val dropped a 39-23 decision to P'burg at Daniel Hutchins Memorial Gym on Friday in Alexandria Township. In that one, senior Jackson Bush, a state qualifier and two-time HWS Tournament finalist, was upended by Geleta, who avenged a loss by the same 4-1 score in their 150-pound county semifinal just six days earlier.

P'burg is 232-42-2 all-time vs. Hunterdon-Warren opponents

"Definitely made me more confident," said Geleta (16-4), a returning Region 2 third-place finisher whose increased training and practice time has paid dividends this season. "First time, I wrestled more defensively than offensively. I wasn't as confident against him. I don't know why."

 

North Hunterdon, which made its rankings debut at No. 18 last week, is out this week despite a 34-33 win at Del Val on Jan. 8. Coach Dave Bell's Lions (7-4), which suffered a 52-21 loss to reigning Group 2 champion Rumson-Fair Haven on Friday, rebounded with wins over High Point (47-23) and DePaul (60-11), but dropped a 36-35 decision to unranked Ocean Township on criteria (most first points scored) in that Saturday quad.  

As for P'burg, there's no time to lament the loss to Rumson-Fair Haven, which has won eight straight dual meets since a 43-29 loss to No. 3 Christian Brothers Academy on Jan. 8. The goals of winning a Skyland Conference Delaware Division title along with sectional and Group 4 state championships are still there, but the 'Liners need to sharpen up in order to make the latter two a reality.

"I think we work hard enough and we train hard enough, and our technique is good enough that we can compete with [Rumson-Fair Haven]," Longacre said. "That's my biggest thing right now. We didn't compete in a lot of spots. The mental mistakes, we've got to try and fix somehow. 

"We're going to re-center tomorrow and we'll see where we're going to go from here to finish out the last few weeks."

"We still have a lot to work on," Geleta said. "To be [Group 4] state champs is definitely our goal."

RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN 44, PHILLIPSBURG 25

175 -- Sr. Cole Pangborn (7-1), RFH, tf. Sr. Derek Stone (15-5), 15-0, 4:04.
190 -- Jr. Luke Dougherty (16-4), RFH, tf. Sr. Jesus Alfaro (11-12), 20-5, 5:04.
215 -- Sr. Conor Delaney (19-1), RFH, p. Jr. Kevin Buonocore (12-7), :53.
285 -- Sr. Matt Smith (15-4), RFH, d. Jr. Ben Ellis (12-9), 3-0.
106 -- Fr. Zack Swingle (15-5), P, p. Fr. Luke Eberhard (8-10), 1:23.
113 -- Jr. Eamon Fry (11-4), RFH, md. Jr. Anthony Pettinelli (17-6), 8-0.
120 -- Sr. Elijah Bayne (17-2), RFH, p. Fr. Matthew Velez (7-12), :46.
126 -- Jr. Massimo Gonzalez (19-6), P, md. So. Henry Marshall (10-8), 16-8.
132 -- Jr. Joaquin Duque (16-3), RFH, md. So. Owen Garriques (15-6), 8-0.
138 -- So. Mario Del Vecchio (12-0), RFH, tf. Sr. Anthony Ashford (6-9), 15-0, 3:44.
144 -- Sr. Luke Geleta (20-1), P, p. So. Hunter Curley (10-12), 1:08.
150 -- So. Sonny Amato (21-1), RFH, forfeit.
157 -- Jr. Gavin Geleta (16-4), P, d. Sr. Walker Skove (1-1), 6-2.
165 -- Sr. Gavin Hawk (19-1), P, forfeit.
Note -- Hawk (129) moved into second place on the Stateliners' career wins list. 
Officials -- Bill Dickson and Anthony DeFlumeri.

NJWWA Top 20

Rank	School	Record	Votes	Previous
1	Delbarton (8)	(16-1)	160	1
2	St. Peter's Prep	(7-1)	149	2
3	Christian Brothers Academy	(6-3)	142	4
4	St. John Vianney	(10-3)	139	3
5	St. Joseph-Montvale	(7-3)	134	5
6	Bergen Catholic	(7-2)	119	6
7	Camden Catholic	(10-0)	109	7
8	Southern	(8-1)	108	8
9	Delsea	(13-1)	96	9
10	Rumson-Fair Haven	(13-1)	87	12
11	Phillipsburg	(9-1)	77	10
12	Mount Olive	(10-3)	76	11
13	Don Bosco Prep	(7-3)	62	14
14	St. Joseph-Metuchen	(9-2)	58	15
15	Middletown North	(12-0)	36	19
16	Paramus Catholic	(3-5)	34	17
17	Delaware Valley	(9-2)	31	NR
18	Brick Memorial	(10-2)	23	20
19	Caldwell	(10-1)	19	16
20	Cranford	(11-2)	12	NR

Also receiving votes: North Hunterdon (7-4) 3; Ridge (10-2) 3; Lacey (11-2) 2; St. Augustine (9-5) 1. 

Voting members listed in alphabetical order: Donald J. Brower (gardenstatehswrestling.com); Frank D’Esposito (shoreconferencewrestling.com); Steven Falk (Asbury Park Press and APP.com); Sean Farrell (The Record and NorthJersey.com); Tom McGurk (Courier Post and courierpostonline.com); Andy Mendlowitz (Courier News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com); Michael Weilamann (Open Mike and mikeopen.blogspot.com), Brad Wilson (lehighvalleylive.com/The Express-Times).