Wrestling: Phillipsburg at North Hunterdon preview

What: Phillipsburg Stateliners at North Hunterdon Lions.

Where: Lions Den at North Hunterdon Regional High School, Clinton Township.

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Conference: Skyland cross-division.

Records: Phillipsburg 11-2; North Hunterdon 9-6.

State rankings: (NJWWA Top 20): Phillipsburg No. 11; North Hunterdon unranked.

Area rankings: (Open Mike): Phillipsburg No. 1; North Hunterdon No. 3.

Coaches: Tim Longacre (29-3, second season, 1-0 vs. NH); Dave Bell (16-19. second season, 0-1 vs. P'burg).

Series history: Phillipsburg owns a 59-11-1 edge dating to 1961, including a 7-4 mark in postseason meetings. Stateliners have won three in a row, including a 33-29 victory at home in the last meeting on Dec. 23, 2023. North had previously won three straight for the first time in series history with a 32-23 victory at home on March 23, 2021. The Lions, who logged consecutive wins on only one other occasion in 1961-62, snapped their 17-match skid in the series with a 30-24 win on the road in 2020 and added a dominating 37-12 win in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final en route to the Group 4 state title and the program's only unbeaten season. North's other wins came in the Group 3 finals (1982, '84 and '93), and regular-season dual meets in 1961, '62, '65, '75 and 2007.

Note: Phillipsburg wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- Fr. Zack Swingle (18-5) vs. So. Cayden Wadle (19-5).

113 -- So. Anthony Pettinelli (20-6) vs. Fr. Owen Fol (14-11).

120 -- Fr. Matthew Velez (7-15) vs. Sr. Joseph Celentano (12-12).

126 -- Jr. Massimo Gonzalez (20-7) vs. Jr. Reid Buzby (18-8).

132 -- So. Owen Garriques (17-7) or Fr. Mason Hawk (1-1) vs. So. Aidan Yarussi (22-4).

138 -- Sr. Anthony Ashford (6-10) vs. So. Kieran Raley (12-15).

144 -- Sr. Luke Geleta (22-1) vs. So. Matthew Esposito (8-7) or Sr. Chase Perry (3-15). 

150 -- Jr. Gavin Geleta (19-4) vs. So. Dylan McGuinness (8-11) or Sr. Vincenzo Darrow (7-8).

157 -- Sr. Gavin Hawk (22-1) or Sr. Benny Mendoza (7-5) vs. Sr. Carson Young (4-8) or McGuinness or Darrow.

165 -- Mendoza or Hawk vs. Sr. Joshua Joubert (16-10).

175 -- Sr. Derek Stone (17-6) vs. Sr. Evan Kinney (21-2).

190 -- Sr. Jesus Alfaro (12-14) or Jr. Kevin Buonocore (12-8) or Sr. D'Angelo Hernandez (0-5) vs. Jr. Owen Dandeo (13-9).

215 -- Buonocore or Alfaro vs. So. Anthony DeSimone (6-12) or Fr. Dajinder Dillon (4-4).

285 -- Jr. Ben Ellis (14-10) vs. Dillon or DeSimone.

Breakdown: The 72nd meeting is one of the most anticipated duals in our area -- which has been a bit starved in recent seasons for good ones -- and features sectional frontrunners in Group 4. North, which looks like the favorite in North 2, has been plenty battle tested this season with matchups against four state-ranked teams -- Southern (55-18 loss on Dec. 18), Delsea (65-11 loss on Jan. 4), Delaware Valley (34-33 win on Jan. 8) and Rumson-Fair Haven (52-21 on Jan. 17) -- as well as a 62-12 setback against nationally-ranked Blair Academy on Saturday. ... P'burg is coming off a 47-15 shellacking of Warren Hills, which dropped a 37-23 decision to North on Jan. 3, after losing two of its previous three, including a 44-25 defeat at home to Rumson-Fair Haven on Jan. 20. Gavin Hawk became the school's all-time wins leader at 132-20 overall last time out. ... P'burg, which has had some lackluster performances in big matches, features a bit more

P'burg is 233-42-2 all-time vs. Hunterdon-Warren teams

balance than North, but the hosts ability to match up down low and some spots up top presents a problem for the visitors. But can the Lions capitalize where the 'Liners are most vulnerable? Straight up, P'burg has the edge at 113 (Pettinelli p. Fol in HWS Tournament), 144, 150, 157, 165 (Hawk vs. Joubert), 215 (with Buonocore who's been sidelined by illness) and 285. That's seven weights, if we call 106 and 175 tossups. Also look for the 'Liners to bump Garriques away from Yarussi, who scored a 13-2 win in their HWS semis matchup, to try for a split at 132 and 138 (Raley d. Ashford 9-5 in HWS) to likely save three team points and secure eight weights. North gets the edge at 120, 126 (Buzby md. Gonzalez, 9-0, in HWS semis) 132, 138 (vs. Ashford) and 190. That's only four. I'm sure the 'Liners feel pretty good about their chances of winning those three tossups and logging more bonus points in those where they rate as solid favorites. The Lions almost assuredly need all of the tossups, though you'd expect them to feel good as well about sweeping all three. My hunch is that P'burg, which has the potential to bust this wide open, gets at least two and perhaps another where North is favored. But even so, bonus points will be too much to overcome as the 'Liners could very well pull that off in six or seven weights.

Prediction: Phillipsburg, 38-22.