What: Ninth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
Where: Phillipsburg High School, Lopatcong Township.
Saturday's schedule: Preliminaries and pre-quarterfinals (six mats), 10 a.m.; quarterfinals and pre-quarterfinal losers (six mats), noon; semifinals and consolations (4 mats), 2:30 p.m.; championships, third-place and fifth-place bouts (3 mats), 5 p.m.
Live feed (semis and finals): Stateliner Sports Network (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stateliner-sports)
Teams: Belvidere, Delaware Valley, Hackettstown, High Point, Hopatcong, Hunterdon Central, Kittatinny, Lenape Valley, Newton, North Hunterdon, North Warren, Phillipsburg, Pope John, Sparta, Vernon, Voorhees, Wallkill Valley, Warren Hills.
Returning champions (7, this season's weights): Cullen Day, Phillipsburg (113); Eddie Ventresca, Pope John (113); Jake Rotunda, Pope John (132); Joe Aragona, Pope John (138); Andrew Gapas, North Hunterdon (138); Alex Carida, Hackettstown (145); Zach Mafaro, Kittatinny (182, 2016).
Returning placewinners (this season's weights): Quinn Melofchik, Belvidere (second, 106); Connor Robinson, North Hunterdon (fourth, 106); Brandon LaRue, High Point (third, 113); Travis Jones, Phillipsburg (second, 120); Zachary Creeden, Wallkill Valley (fifth, 120); Anthony Mastroeni, Hopatcong (third, 126); A.J. DeRosa, Delaware Valley (fifth, 126); Evan Klimas, North Hunterdon (sixth, 126); Hunter Graf, Hunterdon Central (second, 132); Gage Crater, Delaware Valley (second, 132); Billy Talmadge, High Point (third, 132); Kyle Wulff, Warren Hills (fourth, 132); Eric Falleni, Lenape Valley (sixth, 132); Shane Kobis, High Point (fifth, 138); Robbie Garcia, Pope John (second, 145); Vincent Romaniello, Hunterdon Central (fifth, 145); Michael Wilson, North Hunterdon (fifth, 145); Brian Meyer, Phillipsburg (second, 152); Wyatt McCarthy, Newton (second, 152); Trey Osborn, High Point (fifth, 152); Tucker Kirchberger, North Hunterdon (sixth, 152); Jonathon Borgognoni, Newton (third, 160); Kevin Ciresa, Hunterdon Central (third, 160); Josh Hiler, Kittatinny (third, 170); Dan Furmato, Hunterdon Central (sixth, 170); James Swentzel, Pope John (sixth, 170); Jarod Ostir, Warren Hills (second, 182); Reece Muldoon, Pope John (second, 182); Joseph DeLuca, Newton (fourth, 182); Austin Roth, Phillipsburg (sixth, 182); Scott Fernandes, Voorhees (third, 195); Robert Gennat, Sparta (fourth, 195); Nick Galka, Warren Hills (sixth, 195); Luke Fischer, Newton (sixth, 195); Lewis Fernandes, Voorhees (third, 220); Jake Brown, Pope John (third, 220); Angelo Crespo, Hunterdon Central (fifth, 220); Joe Andes, Hackettstown (fourth, 285).
Other placewinners in 2016: Colby Koshinski, Voorhees (fourth, 113); Perry Maio, Kittatinny (fourth, 145).
Notable scratches: Devin Flannery, High Point (fifth, 120); Jack Bauer, Hunterdon Central (third, 120); Hunter Rinehart, Voorhees (sixth, 126); Cody Harrison, Phillipsburg (second, 138); Shane Smith, Kittatinny (first, 160).
Open Mike championship picks
106 -- Quinn Melofchik, Belvidere
113 -- Eddie Ventresca, Pope John
120 -- Travis Jones, Phillipsburg
126 -- A.J. DeRosa, Delaware Valley
132 -- Jake Rotunda, Pope John
138 -- Andrew Gapas, North Hunterdon
145 -- Robbie Garcia, Pope John
152 -- Brian Meyer, Phillipsburg
160 -- Jonathon Borgognoni, Newton
170 -- Josh Hiler, Kittatinny
182 -- Jarod Ostir, Warren Hills
195 -- Scott Fernandes, Voorhees
220 -- Lewis Fernandes, Voorhees
285 -- Joe Andes, Hackettstown
Team champion: Pope John.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Wrestling: 'Liners bounce back to thwart Kittatinny
HAMPTON TWP. -- Phillipsburg junior Brenden Fox, like most backups for the Stateliners, knows that when you're called upon, you need to make the most of an opportunity in what may be a big spot.
Fox did just that, scoring a 9-5 decision in the next-to-last bout to seal Phillipsburg's 39-21 victory over Kittatinny on Thursday night in an independent matchup before an unusually sparse crowd at Kittatinny Regional High School.
"We knew we needed to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss," said Fox, who racked up four takedowns against Kittatinny's regular 120-pounder Mike Nelson. "We couldn't hang our heads. We had to come out strong and prove ourselves."
Phillipsburg (5-1), ranked fifth in the New Jersey Writers Association Top 20, was coming off a tough 38-21 loss to No. 8 Hunterdon Central the previous night in which the 'Liners won just six bouts -- five by regular decisions and one forfeit. Coach Dave Post's team won nine bouts against No. 19 Kittatinny (5-4), including three pins and one technical fall, and finished with a 28-5 edge in takedowns.
Fox and unheralded junior Thomas Abode, who capped a six-bout run for P'burg by decking Brian Hanna (9-7) at 132 to close out the victory, entered the match winless on the varsity level this season with a combined 4-13 career record.
"We had every reason to come out and not perform," said Post, who said the team bus didn't arrive back at P'burg from Hunterdon Central until about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. "They probably didn't get to bad until midnight, and they had to be right back at the same weight as the night before. That's not an easy scenario after a tough loss. This was indicative of what kind of team we are."
Kittatinny coach John Gill, who was without starters Derek Molfetto (shoulder injury) and Shane Smith (illness) at 126 and 160, respectively, was disappointed with losing the takedown battle by such a wide margin, but he thought most of his wrestlers performed well in some tough spots.
"I got everything I could ask for out of these kids. We had a lot kids who fought hard," said Gill, now 6-17 all-time vs. P'burg in a series that began in 1994. "In this area, we used to be way better [on our feet]. The takedowns aren't coming."
Phillipsburg jumped out to an 11-3 win through four bouts, thanks to solid decisions by Kyle Tino (138) and Cody Harrison (145).
Tino spotted an early takedown off a dump before going on to rack up six of his own to prevail in a 16-10 war with Mike Callahan. Harrison (14-2), who placed eighth in the state last season, got three takedowns in a 6-2 win over Perry Maio.
Kittatinny, which has now lost to four state-ranked teams, including Hanover Park, Howell and Hunterdon Central, was able to make this one interesting with close wins at 152, 170 and 195.
Senior Calvin Brook countered an attempt by Phillipsburg junior Jayson Zinsmeister for a decisive third-period takedown in a 3-2 win at 152, while Kittatinny senior Josh Hiler hit a headlock for four points off a throw attempt by Lance Wissing in the first period en route to a 7-4 win at 170. In between, P'burg state third-place finisher Brian Meyer racked up a 15-0 technical fall win at 160.
"Calvin Brook wrestled his best match in high school," Gill said. "Connors saved us a point there, and Hiler wrestled a really good kid."
Post opted to give a forfeit win to junior Zach Mafaro at 182, giving Kittatinny its first lead (12-11) through six bouts. Freshman Jackson Crawn followed with a 1-0 decision over Austin Roth, who opted to give Crawn an escape point to start the third period. Sophomore Jacob Mafaro's pin of Shamyr Brodders -- normally a 182-pounder -- in 30 seconds at 220 gave the Cougars a 10-point advantage and got the home crowd buzzing, but it was their final victory as the Stateliners won the last six bouts.
"We were trying something new with the lineup, but we put Shamyr in a tough position," Post said. "He weighed 178 [on Wednesday] and we told him he had to weigh above 184 to wrestle 220. He weighed 185.3 tonight. That's a credit to our guys who want to help the team."
Patrick Sharpe (285), Logan Maczko (106), Cullen Day (113) and Travis Jones (120) won for P'burg as expected before Fox and Abode sealed it.
"The coaches told me not to get in any bad situations and that [Nelson] was beatable," Fox said. "I just had the mindset to keep attacking. I knew my shots were opening up for me and I had the confidence in my double-leg takedowns."
PHILLIPSBURG 39, KITTATINNY 21
138 -- Jr. Kyle Tino (7-3), P, d. Sr. Mike Callahan (11-5), 16-10.
145 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (14-2), P, d. Sr. Perry Maio (10-7), 6-2.
152 -- Sr. Calvin Brook (11-4), K, d. Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (9-6), 3-2.
160 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (12-2), P, tf. Sr. Billy Connors (1-1), 15-0, 3:37.
170 -- Sr. Josh Hiler (11-3), K, d. Sr. Lance Wissing (17-3), 7-4.
182 -- Jr. Zach Mafaro (12-2), K, forfeit.
195 -- Fr. Jackson Crawn (10-5), K, d. Jr. Austin Roth (5-5), 1-0.
220 -- So. Jacob Mafaro (12-2), K, p. Sr. Shamyr Brodders (4-9), :30.
285 -- Sr. Patrick Sharpe (12-5), P, p. Jr. Mike Lacken (0-11), 3:18.
106 -- Fr. Logan Maczko (9-6), P, d. Fr. Patrick Franco (6-9), 8-2.
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (12-4), P, p. Fr. Connor Hanna (0-3), 1:17.
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (14-4), P, md. Jr. Nile Mattar (4-8), 10-1.
126 -- Jr. Brenden Fox (1-3), P, d. Jr. Mike Nelson (7-7), 9-5.
132 -- Jr. Thomas Abode (1-2), P, p. Jr. Brian Hanna (9-7), 3:34.
Records -- Phillipsburg 5-1; Kittatinny 5-4.
Officials -- Gary Kessel and Gary Szucs.
Fox did just that, scoring a 9-5 decision in the next-to-last bout to seal Phillipsburg's 39-21 victory over Kittatinny on Thursday night in an independent matchup before an unusually sparse crowd at Kittatinny Regional High School.
"We knew we needed to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss," said Fox, who racked up four takedowns against Kittatinny's regular 120-pounder Mike Nelson. "We couldn't hang our heads. We had to come out strong and prove ourselves."
Phillipsburg (5-1), ranked fifth in the New Jersey Writers Association Top 20, was coming off a tough 38-21 loss to No. 8 Hunterdon Central the previous night in which the 'Liners won just six bouts -- five by regular decisions and one forfeit. Coach Dave Post's team won nine bouts against No. 19 Kittatinny (5-4), including three pins and one technical fall, and finished with a 28-5 edge in takedowns.
Fox and unheralded junior Thomas Abode, who capped a six-bout run for P'burg by decking Brian Hanna (9-7) at 132 to close out the victory, entered the match winless on the varsity level this season with a combined 4-13 career record.
"We had every reason to come out and not perform," said Post, who said the team bus didn't arrive back at P'burg from Hunterdon Central until about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. "They probably didn't get to bad until midnight, and they had to be right back at the same weight as the night before. That's not an easy scenario after a tough loss. This was indicative of what kind of team we are."
Kittatinny coach John Gill, who was without starters Derek Molfetto (shoulder injury) and Shane Smith (illness) at 126 and 160, respectively, was disappointed with losing the takedown battle by such a wide margin, but he thought most of his wrestlers performed well in some tough spots.
"I got everything I could ask for out of these kids. We had a lot kids who fought hard," said Gill, now 6-17 all-time vs. P'burg in a series that began in 1994. "In this area, we used to be way better [on our feet]. The takedowns aren't coming."
Phillipsburg jumped out to an 11-3 win through four bouts, thanks to solid decisions by Kyle Tino (138) and Cody Harrison (145).
Tino spotted an early takedown off a dump before going on to rack up six of his own to prevail in a 16-10 war with Mike Callahan. Harrison (14-2), who placed eighth in the state last season, got three takedowns in a 6-2 win over Perry Maio.
Kittatinny, which has now lost to four state-ranked teams, including Hanover Park, Howell and Hunterdon Central, was able to make this one interesting with close wins at 152, 170 and 195.
Senior Calvin Brook countered an attempt by Phillipsburg junior Jayson Zinsmeister for a decisive third-period takedown in a 3-2 win at 152, while Kittatinny senior Josh Hiler hit a headlock for four points off a throw attempt by Lance Wissing in the first period en route to a 7-4 win at 170. In between, P'burg state third-place finisher Brian Meyer racked up a 15-0 technical fall win at 160.
"Calvin Brook wrestled his best match in high school," Gill said. "Connors saved us a point there, and Hiler wrestled a really good kid."
Post opted to give a forfeit win to junior Zach Mafaro at 182, giving Kittatinny its first lead (12-11) through six bouts. Freshman Jackson Crawn followed with a 1-0 decision over Austin Roth, who opted to give Crawn an escape point to start the third period. Sophomore Jacob Mafaro's pin of Shamyr Brodders -- normally a 182-pounder -- in 30 seconds at 220 gave the Cougars a 10-point advantage and got the home crowd buzzing, but it was their final victory as the Stateliners won the last six bouts.
"We were trying something new with the lineup, but we put Shamyr in a tough position," Post said. "He weighed 178 [on Wednesday] and we told him he had to weigh above 184 to wrestle 220. He weighed 185.3 tonight. That's a credit to our guys who want to help the team."
Patrick Sharpe (285), Logan Maczko (106), Cullen Day (113) and Travis Jones (120) won for P'burg as expected before Fox and Abode sealed it.
"The coaches told me not to get in any bad situations and that [Nelson] was beatable," Fox said. "I just had the mindset to keep attacking. I knew my shots were opening up for me and I had the confidence in my double-leg takedowns."
PHILLIPSBURG 39, KITTATINNY 21
138 -- Jr. Kyle Tino (7-3), P, d. Sr. Mike Callahan (11-5), 16-10.
145 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (14-2), P, d. Sr. Perry Maio (10-7), 6-2.
152 -- Sr. Calvin Brook (11-4), K, d. Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (9-6), 3-2.
160 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (12-2), P, tf. Sr. Billy Connors (1-1), 15-0, 3:37.
170 -- Sr. Josh Hiler (11-3), K, d. Sr. Lance Wissing (17-3), 7-4.
182 -- Jr. Zach Mafaro (12-2), K, forfeit.
195 -- Fr. Jackson Crawn (10-5), K, d. Jr. Austin Roth (5-5), 1-0.
220 -- So. Jacob Mafaro (12-2), K, p. Sr. Shamyr Brodders (4-9), :30.
285 -- Sr. Patrick Sharpe (12-5), P, p. Jr. Mike Lacken (0-11), 3:18.
106 -- Fr. Logan Maczko (9-6), P, d. Fr. Patrick Franco (6-9), 8-2.
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (12-4), P, p. Fr. Connor Hanna (0-3), 1:17.
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (14-4), P, md. Jr. Nile Mattar (4-8), 10-1.
126 -- Jr. Brenden Fox (1-3), P, d. Jr. Mike Nelson (7-7), 9-5.
132 -- Jr. Thomas Abode (1-2), P, p. Jr. Brian Hanna (9-7), 3:34.
Records -- Phillipsburg 5-1; Kittatinny 5-4.
Officials -- Gary Kessel and Gary Szucs.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Wrestling: Central ends skid, be-Devils 'Liners
RARITAN TWP. -- There was a mix of disbelief and disappointment for Phillipsburg's wrestling team after the dust settled from a 38-21 loss to Hunterdon Central in a key Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup on Wednesday night at the Field House.
Hunterdon Central (10-0, 4-0 division), ranked No. 8 in the New Jersey Writers Association Top 20, is now firmly in control of the division title chase with road matches against Voorhees (Wednesday) and Delaware Valley (Jan. 31) -- both rate as heavy underdogs -- left on the Raritan Division slate. Meanwhile, No. 5 P'burg (4-1, 2-1) saw its goal of finishing unbeaten in New Jersey fall by the wayside.
"One of the things we told the guys is we have to win tight dual meets," said P'burg coach Dave Post, now 8-3 all-time against Central. "To win, we have to be in those battles. Last year, we had a tough one every night because our conference was so strong. The guys take [losses] pretty heavy. They have the weight [of an entire town] on their backs."
It's not often the Stateliners are held without bonus points (other than a forfeit at 170 in their six victories) and it's certainly unusual when they surrender four pins, including a tone-setting fall by Hunterdon Central sophomore Lukas Bakerian at 195 to open the match.
It was that kind of evening, as the Red Devils snapped a five-match skid in the series, beating the 'Liners for just the eighth time in 48 meetings dating to 1962. Phillipsburg, which now owns a 39-8-1 edge in the all-time series, has lost five times in the past nine seasons, falling for the first time since a 30-29 setback in the 2013 North 2, Group 4 sectional final. Central also won, 34-30, in the regular-season dual that season.
"It was a fun evening in front of a packed house," said coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm, who picked up his first win in four meetings against the 'Liners. "We preached to the kids to not make this one any bigger than the rest, even though some of them knew the magnitude of this match. They definitely rose to the occasion."
Let's take a look at some of the key moments:
1. Upper class: In order to pull this one off, it was a given that Hunterdon Central needed to control the upper-weight matchups. Bakerian rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third period for a stunning pin of Shamyr Brodders, who had the only two takedowns of the bout until getting reversed and decked in 5:08. Had P'burg pulled that one off, certainly an upset, it likely would have changed the entire complexion of this one. Senior Reese Young, who had just seven career varsity bouts under his belt coming into the season, made it 12-0 with an early pin at 220. Senior Patrick Sharpe stopped the bleeding temporarily for the 'Liners with a 5-1 win over Angelo Crespo (who for some reason kept trying to lock up for a throw despite giving up about 60 pounds) at 285, but the damage had been done.
"No doubt about it," Cantagallo-Rohm said when asked about Bakerian's win swinging the early momentum. "We gave up a takedown right away and I'm thinking, 'Oh boy.' Brodders is pretty athletic and we thought Lukas' strength and athleticism could counter that. Brodders got another takedown and all of the sudden I'm thinking we're going to have make up points somewhere. But we hit a switch and Brodders lost his balance, and we rolled right on top. Reese Young bumping up a weight class and getting up a pin was huge. We stormed out to a 12-point lead early and took their crowd out of it right away."
2. Jones-ing for a win: Phillipsburg was in a 17-6 hole through five bouts after Cullen Day held off talented Central freshman Colton Washleski for a 6-2 win at 113. Junior Travis Jones made his own statement with a 7-0 win over Jack Bauer, a two-time Region 5 runner-up. The way Jones did it was more impressive as the tough mat wrestler racked up three takedowns for a win in which he got no turns for back points, unlike last year's bout when he had no takedowns (but one huge peterson roll for five) in a 7-2 win over Bauer. P'burg coach Dave Post has been saying for some time how much Jones has improved in the neutral position and it showed in this one. In fact, holding a seven-point lead after converting a third takedown with 55 seconds left, Jones signaled that he wanted to let Bauer up to try for a major decision, but Post told him to stay on top.
"You can't make kids like [Jones]," Post said. "You can ask our strength coach, he hasn't missed a lift since last season ended."
3. Moving day: In conversations with Post leading up to this one, he indicated that they were looking at the possibility of winning nine of the 14 bouts. P'burg won six, but it had Central on the ropes at 195, 138, 152 and 182. Those all could have gone either way. Junior Kyle Tino gave one-time state placewinner Hunter Graf all he could handle in a 7-4 loss. Tino led 3-2 after two periods and went for a headlock, which he nearly converted, with the score tied at 3 in third period, but he slipped off and Graf got a decisive takedown -- adding another merely for window dressing at the buzzer. At 152, Vincent Romaniello needed two back points with four seconds left for a 6-4 win over P'burg junior Jason Zinsmeister. Zinsmeister, who led 4-2 after two periods, was caught riding high with legs in and gave up a tying reversal with 45 seconds left in the third period.
"We knew had to win a lot of decisions where we typically get bonus points," said Post, whose team scored just 12 points through the first 10 bouts. "We put ourselves in position to win nine, 10 bouts. We couldn't make the scrambles happen. But we can't shoot ourselves in the foot. We put ourselves in bad spots. We need to know the difference between go-to defense and what tertiary defense should be. [Central] is a little different than they've typically been. They were tough on top and we wrestled more on our feet than we typically would. They have a good team and were a tough matchup for us."
Not having Tino at 132 also limited Post's options and the ability to keep Graf down at 132. It would not have changed the outcome, but P'burg trailed 23-9 and lost both at 132 and 138, where they had designs on and really needed a split.
"He's just getting adjusted to being a 132-pounder," Post said. "The way he performed, we're really proud of him."
"They made their moves with Tino and [Cody] Harrison at 138, and [Brian] Meyer and [Josh Ramos] at 160," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "I think they clearly underestimated Vizzoni. We moved him around a lot [last season] to get matchups and he had a mediocre [9-6] record. We knew they were trying to pin [Central senior Kevin] Ciresa up top against Meyer and get [Lance] Wissing on [Dan] Furmato. Up top, I thought we had a better advantage. Pins are usually hard to find in a P'burg match. But I've got to have faith in my guys."
4. Unlikely heroes: In addition to Young, sophomore Grant Bloch (132) and Pasquale Vizzoni (145) came up with big efforts for Central. Bloch, who has seen sparse varsity action the past two seasons, got a pin after a scoreless first period to put the Red Devils ahead 29-9 through eight bouts, while Vizzoni gave a good account in a 4-3 loss to Harrison, a state placewinner.
The ability to pull off big points in the final seconds, usually a hallmark of P'burg teams, was huge for Central as freshman Brett Ungar got a takedown with five seconds left to earn a technical fall victory, in addition to a late pin by Anthony Romaniello at 126.
"Bonus points beat us last year [a 34-24 loss at P'burg]," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "We didn't pick them up and they won the one tossup [Wissing beat Bryce Hall, 6-4, in a critical next-to-last bout]. I had the opportunity as an assistant under Steve Gibble when we beat P'burg twice [in 2013] to make the lineups for those matches. I know what a chess game it is and how important bonus points are. Our guys capitalized on their opportunities."
5. The rookies: Ungar and Washleski are the real deal. Having those two at the top really balances this Hunterdon Central lineup. Ungar is one of the top 106-pounders in the state, while Washleski is one to keep an eye on down the road -- Cantagallo-Rohm thought his wrestler had two and two late in the second period that would have given Washleski a 6-4 lead through two periods against Day. It's a darn shame that the Red Devils will almost certainly tangle with No. 3 Howell in the Central Jersey, Group 5 sectional final as the NJSIAA in its infinite widsom sought to move Howell out of South Jersey. These are clearly the best two Group 5 teams and their state final last season was an epic clash -- a 28-27 loss for Central. As for P'burg, Central has now earned five of its eight career victories in the series since 2010, and may be poised to keep this rivalry tight for the foreseeable future.
"We're starting three freshmen -- Norman Cella (8-4 at 152) has been a nice surprise for us, but he didn't wrestle against P'burg," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "There's been such an intimidation factor in the past, and P'burg has a swagger to it. We've told our guys to just wrestle the opponent in front of you. We're not losing much. The rivalry has been one-sided and I think we're changing that with what we've done at Central. Our goal is to make this less one-sided and have a packed house every time."
HUNTERDON CENTRAL 38, PHILLIPSBURG 21
195 -- So. Lukas Bakerian (12-3), HC, p. Sr. Shamyr Brodders (4-8), 5:08.
220 -- Sr. Reese Young (7-5), HC, p. So. Cody Cruts (4-7), 1:10.
285 -- Sr. Patrick Sharpe (11-5), P, d. Sr. Angelo Crespo (5-3), 5-1 SV.
106 -- Fr. Brett Ungar (14-0), HC, tf. Fr. Logan Maczko (8-6), 16-1, 5:55.
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (11-4), P, d. Fr. Colton Washleski (11-4), 6-2.
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (13-4), P, d. Jr. Jack Bauer (10-3), 7-0.
126 -- So. Anthony Romaniello (11-2), HC, p. Jr. Luke Hardin (1-4), 5:23.
132 -- So. Grant Bloch (3-3), HC, p. Jr. Thomas Abode (0-2), 3:04.
138 -- Sr. Hunter Graf (14-1), HC, d. Jr. Kyle Tino (6-3), 7-4.
145 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (13-2), P, d. Jr. Pasquale Vizzoni (4-1), 4-3.
152 -- Jr. Vincent Romaniello (11-3), HC, d. Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (9-7), 6-4 .
160 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (11-2), P, d. Sr. Kevin Ciresa (11-4), 6-0.
170 -- Sr. Lance Wissing (17-2), P, forfeit.
182 -- Jr. Dan Furmato (13-2), HC, d. Jr. Austin Roth (5-4), 5-3 SV.
Records -- Phillipsburg 4-1, 2-1; Hunterdon Central 10-0, 4-0.
Officials -- Stu Kohn and Joe Knipper.
Hunterdon Central (10-0, 4-0 division), ranked No. 8 in the New Jersey Writers Association Top 20, is now firmly in control of the division title chase with road matches against Voorhees (Wednesday) and Delaware Valley (Jan. 31) -- both rate as heavy underdogs -- left on the Raritan Division slate. Meanwhile, No. 5 P'burg (4-1, 2-1) saw its goal of finishing unbeaten in New Jersey fall by the wayside.
"One of the things we told the guys is we have to win tight dual meets," said P'burg coach Dave Post, now 8-3 all-time against Central. "To win, we have to be in those battles. Last year, we had a tough one every night because our conference was so strong. The guys take [losses] pretty heavy. They have the weight [of an entire town] on their backs."
It's not often the Stateliners are held without bonus points (other than a forfeit at 170 in their six victories) and it's certainly unusual when they surrender four pins, including a tone-setting fall by Hunterdon Central sophomore Lukas Bakerian at 195 to open the match.
It was that kind of evening, as the Red Devils snapped a five-match skid in the series, beating the 'Liners for just the eighth time in 48 meetings dating to 1962. Phillipsburg, which now owns a 39-8-1 edge in the all-time series, has lost five times in the past nine seasons, falling for the first time since a 30-29 setback in the 2013 North 2, Group 4 sectional final. Central also won, 34-30, in the regular-season dual that season.
"It was a fun evening in front of a packed house," said coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm, who picked up his first win in four meetings against the 'Liners. "We preached to the kids to not make this one any bigger than the rest, even though some of them knew the magnitude of this match. They definitely rose to the occasion."
Let's take a look at some of the key moments:
1. Upper class: In order to pull this one off, it was a given that Hunterdon Central needed to control the upper-weight matchups. Bakerian rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third period for a stunning pin of Shamyr Brodders, who had the only two takedowns of the bout until getting reversed and decked in 5:08. Had P'burg pulled that one off, certainly an upset, it likely would have changed the entire complexion of this one. Senior Reese Young, who had just seven career varsity bouts under his belt coming into the season, made it 12-0 with an early pin at 220. Senior Patrick Sharpe stopped the bleeding temporarily for the 'Liners with a 5-1 win over Angelo Crespo (who for some reason kept trying to lock up for a throw despite giving up about 60 pounds) at 285, but the damage had been done.
"No doubt about it," Cantagallo-Rohm said when asked about Bakerian's win swinging the early momentum. "We gave up a takedown right away and I'm thinking, 'Oh boy.' Brodders is pretty athletic and we thought Lukas' strength and athleticism could counter that. Brodders got another takedown and all of the sudden I'm thinking we're going to have make up points somewhere. But we hit a switch and Brodders lost his balance, and we rolled right on top. Reese Young bumping up a weight class and getting up a pin was huge. We stormed out to a 12-point lead early and took their crowd out of it right away."
2. Jones-ing for a win: Phillipsburg was in a 17-6 hole through five bouts after Cullen Day held off talented Central freshman Colton Washleski for a 6-2 win at 113. Junior Travis Jones made his own statement with a 7-0 win over Jack Bauer, a two-time Region 5 runner-up. The way Jones did it was more impressive as the tough mat wrestler racked up three takedowns for a win in which he got no turns for back points, unlike last year's bout when he had no takedowns (but one huge peterson roll for five) in a 7-2 win over Bauer. P'burg coach Dave Post has been saying for some time how much Jones has improved in the neutral position and it showed in this one. In fact, holding a seven-point lead after converting a third takedown with 55 seconds left, Jones signaled that he wanted to let Bauer up to try for a major decision, but Post told him to stay on top.
"You can't make kids like [Jones]," Post said. "You can ask our strength coach, he hasn't missed a lift since last season ended."
3. Moving day: In conversations with Post leading up to this one, he indicated that they were looking at the possibility of winning nine of the 14 bouts. P'burg won six, but it had Central on the ropes at 195, 138, 152 and 182. Those all could have gone either way. Junior Kyle Tino gave one-time state placewinner Hunter Graf all he could handle in a 7-4 loss. Tino led 3-2 after two periods and went for a headlock, which he nearly converted, with the score tied at 3 in third period, but he slipped off and Graf got a decisive takedown -- adding another merely for window dressing at the buzzer. At 152, Vincent Romaniello needed two back points with four seconds left for a 6-4 win over P'burg junior Jason Zinsmeister. Zinsmeister, who led 4-2 after two periods, was caught riding high with legs in and gave up a tying reversal with 45 seconds left in the third period.
"We knew had to win a lot of decisions where we typically get bonus points," said Post, whose team scored just 12 points through the first 10 bouts. "We put ourselves in position to win nine, 10 bouts. We couldn't make the scrambles happen. But we can't shoot ourselves in the foot. We put ourselves in bad spots. We need to know the difference between go-to defense and what tertiary defense should be. [Central] is a little different than they've typically been. They were tough on top and we wrestled more on our feet than we typically would. They have a good team and were a tough matchup for us."
Not having Tino at 132 also limited Post's options and the ability to keep Graf down at 132. It would not have changed the outcome, but P'burg trailed 23-9 and lost both at 132 and 138, where they had designs on and really needed a split.
"He's just getting adjusted to being a 132-pounder," Post said. "The way he performed, we're really proud of him."
"They made their moves with Tino and [Cody] Harrison at 138, and [Brian] Meyer and [Josh Ramos] at 160," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "I think they clearly underestimated Vizzoni. We moved him around a lot [last season] to get matchups and he had a mediocre [9-6] record. We knew they were trying to pin [Central senior Kevin] Ciresa up top against Meyer and get [Lance] Wissing on [Dan] Furmato. Up top, I thought we had a better advantage. Pins are usually hard to find in a P'burg match. But I've got to have faith in my guys."
4. Unlikely heroes: In addition to Young, sophomore Grant Bloch (132) and Pasquale Vizzoni (145) came up with big efforts for Central. Bloch, who has seen sparse varsity action the past two seasons, got a pin after a scoreless first period to put the Red Devils ahead 29-9 through eight bouts, while Vizzoni gave a good account in a 4-3 loss to Harrison, a state placewinner.
The ability to pull off big points in the final seconds, usually a hallmark of P'burg teams, was huge for Central as freshman Brett Ungar got a takedown with five seconds left to earn a technical fall victory, in addition to a late pin by Anthony Romaniello at 126.
"Bonus points beat us last year [a 34-24 loss at P'burg]," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "We didn't pick them up and they won the one tossup [Wissing beat Bryce Hall, 6-4, in a critical next-to-last bout]. I had the opportunity as an assistant under Steve Gibble when we beat P'burg twice [in 2013] to make the lineups for those matches. I know what a chess game it is and how important bonus points are. Our guys capitalized on their opportunities."
5. The rookies: Ungar and Washleski are the real deal. Having those two at the top really balances this Hunterdon Central lineup. Ungar is one of the top 106-pounders in the state, while Washleski is one to keep an eye on down the road -- Cantagallo-Rohm thought his wrestler had two and two late in the second period that would have given Washleski a 6-4 lead through two periods against Day. It's a darn shame that the Red Devils will almost certainly tangle with No. 3 Howell in the Central Jersey, Group 5 sectional final as the NJSIAA in its infinite widsom sought to move Howell out of South Jersey. These are clearly the best two Group 5 teams and their state final last season was an epic clash -- a 28-27 loss for Central. As for P'burg, Central has now earned five of its eight career victories in the series since 2010, and may be poised to keep this rivalry tight for the foreseeable future.
"We're starting three freshmen -- Norman Cella (8-4 at 152) has been a nice surprise for us, but he didn't wrestle against P'burg," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "There's been such an intimidation factor in the past, and P'burg has a swagger to it. We've told our guys to just wrestle the opponent in front of you. We're not losing much. The rivalry has been one-sided and I think we're changing that with what we've done at Central. Our goal is to make this less one-sided and have a packed house every time."
HUNTERDON CENTRAL 38, PHILLIPSBURG 21
195 -- So. Lukas Bakerian (12-3), HC, p. Sr. Shamyr Brodders (4-8), 5:08.
220 -- Sr. Reese Young (7-5), HC, p. So. Cody Cruts (4-7), 1:10.
285 -- Sr. Patrick Sharpe (11-5), P, d. Sr. Angelo Crespo (5-3), 5-1 SV.
106 -- Fr. Brett Ungar (14-0), HC, tf. Fr. Logan Maczko (8-6), 16-1, 5:55.
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (11-4), P, d. Fr. Colton Washleski (11-4), 6-2.
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (13-4), P, d. Jr. Jack Bauer (10-3), 7-0.
126 -- So. Anthony Romaniello (11-2), HC, p. Jr. Luke Hardin (1-4), 5:23.
132 -- So. Grant Bloch (3-3), HC, p. Jr. Thomas Abode (0-2), 3:04.
138 -- Sr. Hunter Graf (14-1), HC, d. Jr. Kyle Tino (6-3), 7-4.
145 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (13-2), P, d. Jr. Pasquale Vizzoni (4-1), 4-3.
152 -- Jr. Vincent Romaniello (11-3), HC, d. Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (9-7), 6-4 .
160 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (11-2), P, d. Sr. Kevin Ciresa (11-4), 6-0.
170 -- Sr. Lance Wissing (17-2), P, forfeit.
182 -- Jr. Dan Furmato (13-2), HC, d. Jr. Austin Roth (5-4), 5-3 SV.
Records -- Phillipsburg 4-1, 2-1; Hunterdon Central 10-0, 4-0.
Officials -- Stu Kohn and Joe Knipper.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Wrestling: High Point at Newton preview, lineups
What: High Point Wildcats vs. Newton Braves.
Where: Henry Boresch Memorial Gym, Newton High School.
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Conference: Northwest Jersey Athletic Freedom Division.
Records: High Point 9-1, 0-0 division; Newton 3-3, 0-0.
Coaches: John Gardner (331-100-2, 20th season, 18-1 vs. Newton); Eric Bollette (211-177-1, 17th season, 1-15 vs. HP).
State rankings: (New Jersey Writers Association): High Point No. 11; Newton No. 19.
Series history: High Point has won 14 straight, including a 39-24 win in Wantage in the last meeting on Feb. 1, 2017, and owns a 37-7 edge overall dating to 1970. Braves' last win was 31-27 in 2003, which snapped the 'Cats' 17-match win streak. Newton won five of the first six meetings from 1970-79 and earned a 31-21 win in '85.
Probable lineups: High Point wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.
106 -- So. Devon Liebl (10-3) vs. Fr. Nathan Fitt (4-7).
113 -- Jr. Brandon LaRue (14-1) vs. Fr. Danny Cleary (4-6).
120 -- Jr. Devin Flannery (13-2) vs. Fr. JoJo Lotruglio (6-5).
126 -- Sr. Maverick Liebl (13-2) vs. Jr. Matthew Rosa (8-5).
132 -- So. Billy Talmadge (14-3) vs. Jr. Michael Freda (7-5).
138 -- Sr. Shane Kobis (15-0) vs. So. Julian Sibblies (2-6) or So. Ryan Sosa (0-1).
145 -- Sr. RJ Brevot (9-5) vs. So. Trevor Aughenbaugh (1-4).
152 -- Sr. Trey Osborn (10-4) or Sr. Sawyer Fenlon (4-7) vs. Jr. Wyatt McCarthy (10-1).
160 -- Sr. Robbie Turro (10-5) or Osborn vs. Sr. Jonathon Borgognoni (10-1).
170 -- Jr. Jonathan Morris (4-5) or Turro vs. Jr. Nick Brigante (6-6).
182 -- Jr. Grayson Sabo (10-3) vs. Sr. Joseph DeLuca (10-3).
195 -- Jr. Shawn Mathews (0-2) or Sr. Eric Frei (0-3) or Fr. Justin Klass (0-2) or Sr. Hunter Flores (2-5) vs. Jr. Luke Fischer (9-2).
220 -- Jr. Andrew Lewis (8-5) vs. Sr. Devin Mager (1-1).
285 -- Sr. Thomas Hubmaster (10-4) vs. Jr. Jimmy Harding (4-2) or Jr. Matt Somers (2-3).
Breakdown: Division opener for both teams and the winner will be in the driver's seat for the title. This match will really be a tale of halves as High Point rates a solid favorite from 106-145, while Newton has the edge for the most part from 152-285, though there are a few tossup bouts in there. Straight up, 'Cats get the nod at 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145. Braves are favored at 152, 160, 182 and 195. Let's call 170, 220 and 285 tossups, but leaning toward the visitors in all but 220. Another interesting factor may be at 106, where D. Liebl may have to sit after being disqualified in a bout on Saturday at the Zephry Duals. If he's out, that may be a forfeit win for Newton and a potential 9-point swing. Braves need to win all three tossups and a possibly victories at 126 and 170, or at least one of those, to pull off the upset. They will also have to limit the damage down low as the 'Cats also have the edge in potential bonus points. Look for Osborn to go 160 to try to save points there. This should be fun as Newton has its first legitimate shot in a lopsided series after quite some time.
Prediction: High Point, 35-20 (without Liebl it's 31-26).
Where: Henry Boresch Memorial Gym, Newton High School.
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Conference: Northwest Jersey Athletic Freedom Division.
Records: High Point 9-1, 0-0 division; Newton 3-3, 0-0.
Coaches: John Gardner (331-100-2, 20th season, 18-1 vs. Newton); Eric Bollette (211-177-1, 17th season, 1-15 vs. HP).
State rankings: (New Jersey Writers Association): High Point No. 11; Newton No. 19.
Series history: High Point has won 14 straight, including a 39-24 win in Wantage in the last meeting on Feb. 1, 2017, and owns a 37-7 edge overall dating to 1970. Braves' last win was 31-27 in 2003, which snapped the 'Cats' 17-match win streak. Newton won five of the first six meetings from 1970-79 and earned a 31-21 win in '85.
Probable lineups: High Point wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.
106 -- So. Devon Liebl (10-3) vs. Fr. Nathan Fitt (4-7).
113 -- Jr. Brandon LaRue (14-1) vs. Fr. Danny Cleary (4-6).
120 -- Jr. Devin Flannery (13-2) vs. Fr. JoJo Lotruglio (6-5).
126 -- Sr. Maverick Liebl (13-2) vs. Jr. Matthew Rosa (8-5).
132 -- So. Billy Talmadge (14-3) vs. Jr. Michael Freda (7-5).
138 -- Sr. Shane Kobis (15-0) vs. So. Julian Sibblies (2-6) or So. Ryan Sosa (0-1).
145 -- Sr. RJ Brevot (9-5) vs. So. Trevor Aughenbaugh (1-4).
152 -- Sr. Trey Osborn (10-4) or Sr. Sawyer Fenlon (4-7) vs. Jr. Wyatt McCarthy (10-1).
160 -- Sr. Robbie Turro (10-5) or Osborn vs. Sr. Jonathon Borgognoni (10-1).
170 -- Jr. Jonathan Morris (4-5) or Turro vs. Jr. Nick Brigante (6-6).
182 -- Jr. Grayson Sabo (10-3) vs. Sr. Joseph DeLuca (10-3).
195 -- Jr. Shawn Mathews (0-2) or Sr. Eric Frei (0-3) or Fr. Justin Klass (0-2) or Sr. Hunter Flores (2-5) vs. Jr. Luke Fischer (9-2).
220 -- Jr. Andrew Lewis (8-5) vs. Sr. Devin Mager (1-1).
285 -- Sr. Thomas Hubmaster (10-4) vs. Jr. Jimmy Harding (4-2) or Jr. Matt Somers (2-3).
Breakdown: Division opener for both teams and the winner will be in the driver's seat for the title. This match will really be a tale of halves as High Point rates a solid favorite from 106-145, while Newton has the edge for the most part from 152-285, though there are a few tossup bouts in there. Straight up, 'Cats get the nod at 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145. Braves are favored at 152, 160, 182 and 195. Let's call 170, 220 and 285 tossups, but leaning toward the visitors in all but 220. Another interesting factor may be at 106, where D. Liebl may have to sit after being disqualified in a bout on Saturday at the Zephry Duals. If he's out, that may be a forfeit win for Newton and a potential 9-point swing. Braves need to win all three tossups and a possibly victories at 126 and 170, or at least one of those, to pull off the upset. They will also have to limit the damage down low as the 'Cats also have the edge in potential bonus points. Look for Osborn to go 160 to try to save points there. This should be fun as Newton has its first legitimate shot in a lopsided series after quite some time.
Prediction: High Point, 35-20 (without Liebl it's 31-26).
Wrestling: Phillipsburg at Hunterdon Central preview
What: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. Hunterdon Central Red Devils.
Where: Hunterdon Central Field House, Raritan Township.
When: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Conference: Skyland Raritan Division.
Records: Phillipsburg 4-0, 2-0 division; Hunterdon Central 9-0, 3-0.
Coaches: Dave Post (116-18, eighth season, 8-2 vs. HC); Jon Cantagallo-Rohm (68-15, fourth season, 0-3 vs. P'burg).
State rankings (New Jersey Writers Association): Phillipsburg No. 5; Hunterdon Central No. 8.
Live feed: Stateliner Sports Network (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stateliner-sports)
Series history: Phillipsburg, which won five straight in the series, owns a 39-7-1 overall edge dating to 1962, including seven postseason meetings. The 'Liners posted a 34-24 victory in the last matchup on Jan. 11, 2017. Hunterdon Central had won four of seven until a pair of losses in 2014 -- 41-18 in the regular season and 55-9 in the North 2, Group 4 final. Red Devils' last wins came in 2013 -- 34-30 in a regular-season match at The Pit and 30-29 at home in the North 2, Group 4 final. P'burg is 19-3 all-time as the visitor and 19-3-1 in meetings at The Pit and the new gym. Two matches were held at neutral sites -- P'burg's 25-23 victory in 1981 at Princeton's Jadwin Gym and Hunterdon Central's 39-11 win in the 2010 Group 4 semifinals at Toms River North.
Probable lineups: Phillipsburg wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.
106 -- Fr. Logan Maczko (8-5) vs. Fr. Brett Ungar (13-0).
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (10-4) vs. Fr. Colton Washleski (11-3).
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (12-4) vs. Jr. Jack Bauer (10-2).
126 -- Jr. Luke Hardin (1-3) or Jr. Brenden Fox (0-3) vs. So. Anthony Romaniello (10-2).
132 -- Jr. Kyle Tino (6-2) or Jr. Thomas Abode (0-1) vs. Sr. Hunter Graf (13-1) or So. Grant Bloch (2-3).
138 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (12-2) vs. Jr. Pasquale Vizzoni (4-0).
145 -- Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (9-6) vs. Jr. Vincent Romaniello (10-3).
152 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (10-2) or Sr. Josh Ramos (7-5) vs. Fr. Norman Cella (8-4).
160 -- Ramos or Meyer vs. Sr. Kevin Ciresa (11-3).
170 -- Sr. Lance Wissing (16-2) vs. Jr. Dan Furmato (12-2).
182 -- Jr. Austin Roth (5-3) or Sr. Shamyr Brodders (4-7) vs. Jr. Kyle Barrett (8-6).
195 -- Brodders or Roth vs. So. Lukas Bakerian (11-3).
220 -- So. Cody Cruts (4-6) vs. Sr. Angelo Crespo (5-2) or Sr. Reese Young (6-4).
285 -- Sr. Patrick Sharpe (10-5) vs. Jr. Ryan Joyce (5-7).
Breakdown: This one has all the makings to be the match of the year in our area. Hunterdon Central has the more balanced lineup, but can it capitalize in the upper weights and win enough of the close ones? That will be the key to ending a five-match skid in this series after letting one get away last season. Phillipsburg has some vulnerable spots in the lineup, but you have to think the 'Liners also have a good chance to get most of the close ones. Straight up, P'burg is favored at 113, 120, 138, 152 (Meyer), 170 and 182 (Roth). Central gets the nod at 106, 126, 132, 160, 195 and 220 (Crespo). Call 145 and 285 tossups. Jones vs. Bauer was a good one last year with Jones hitting a five-pointer en route to a 7-2 win. Depending on the toss, P'burg could run Tino to 138 and Harrison to 145 if Graf comes out first at 132, giving the 'Liners a strong chance to sweep from 138-160. Central has some options to may make a move or two depending on the match score and where this one starts. Graf would most likely have to stay put at 132 vs. Tino, but look for Ciresa to move up to 170, where Wissing rates a favorite, as the Red Devils bump Furmato to 182 and Young to 220 to try for a sweep up top from 182-285. Bonus points will be hard to come by for both teams. The winner likely needs five from these (120, 145, 152, 182, 195, 220, 285) to get seven bouts. I think the 'Liners pull it off and maybe get an upset to boot. But anyway you slice it, this one is tight.
Prediction: Phillipsburg, 25-22.
Where: Hunterdon Central Field House, Raritan Township.
When: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Conference: Skyland Raritan Division.
Records: Phillipsburg 4-0, 2-0 division; Hunterdon Central 9-0, 3-0.
Coaches: Dave Post (116-18, eighth season, 8-2 vs. HC); Jon Cantagallo-Rohm (68-15, fourth season, 0-3 vs. P'burg).
State rankings (New Jersey Writers Association): Phillipsburg No. 5; Hunterdon Central No. 8.
Live feed: Stateliner Sports Network (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stateliner-sports)
Series history: Phillipsburg, which won five straight in the series, owns a 39-7-1 overall edge dating to 1962, including seven postseason meetings. The 'Liners posted a 34-24 victory in the last matchup on Jan. 11, 2017. Hunterdon Central had won four of seven until a pair of losses in 2014 -- 41-18 in the regular season and 55-9 in the North 2, Group 4 final. Red Devils' last wins came in 2013 -- 34-30 in a regular-season match at The Pit and 30-29 at home in the North 2, Group 4 final. P'burg is 19-3 all-time as the visitor and 19-3-1 in meetings at The Pit and the new gym. Two matches were held at neutral sites -- P'burg's 25-23 victory in 1981 at Princeton's Jadwin Gym and Hunterdon Central's 39-11 win in the 2010 Group 4 semifinals at Toms River North.
Probable lineups: Phillipsburg wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.
106 -- Fr. Logan Maczko (8-5) vs. Fr. Brett Ungar (13-0).
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (10-4) vs. Fr. Colton Washleski (11-3).
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (12-4) vs. Jr. Jack Bauer (10-2).
126 -- Jr. Luke Hardin (1-3) or Jr. Brenden Fox (0-3) vs. So. Anthony Romaniello (10-2).
132 -- Jr. Kyle Tino (6-2) or Jr. Thomas Abode (0-1) vs. Sr. Hunter Graf (13-1) or So. Grant Bloch (2-3).
138 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (12-2) vs. Jr. Pasquale Vizzoni (4-0).
145 -- Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (9-6) vs. Jr. Vincent Romaniello (10-3).
152 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (10-2) or Sr. Josh Ramos (7-5) vs. Fr. Norman Cella (8-4).
160 -- Ramos or Meyer vs. Sr. Kevin Ciresa (11-3).
170 -- Sr. Lance Wissing (16-2) vs. Jr. Dan Furmato (12-2).
182 -- Jr. Austin Roth (5-3) or Sr. Shamyr Brodders (4-7) vs. Jr. Kyle Barrett (8-6).
195 -- Brodders or Roth vs. So. Lukas Bakerian (11-3).
220 -- So. Cody Cruts (4-6) vs. Sr. Angelo Crespo (5-2) or Sr. Reese Young (6-4).
285 -- Sr. Patrick Sharpe (10-5) vs. Jr. Ryan Joyce (5-7).
Breakdown: This one has all the makings to be the match of the year in our area. Hunterdon Central has the more balanced lineup, but can it capitalize in the upper weights and win enough of the close ones? That will be the key to ending a five-match skid in this series after letting one get away last season. Phillipsburg has some vulnerable spots in the lineup, but you have to think the 'Liners also have a good chance to get most of the close ones. Straight up, P'burg is favored at 113, 120, 138, 152 (Meyer), 170 and 182 (Roth). Central gets the nod at 106, 126, 132, 160, 195 and 220 (Crespo). Call 145 and 285 tossups. Jones vs. Bauer was a good one last year with Jones hitting a five-pointer en route to a 7-2 win. Depending on the toss, P'burg could run Tino to 138 and Harrison to 145 if Graf comes out first at 132, giving the 'Liners a strong chance to sweep from 138-160. Central has some options to may make a move or two depending on the match score and where this one starts. Graf would most likely have to stay put at 132 vs. Tino, but look for Ciresa to move up to 170, where Wissing rates a favorite, as the Red Devils bump Furmato to 182 and Young to 220 to try for a sweep up top from 182-285. Bonus points will be hard to come by for both teams. The winner likely needs five from these (120, 145, 152, 182, 195, 220, 285) to get seven bouts. I think the 'Liners pull it off and maybe get an upset to boot. But anyway you slice it, this one is tight.
Prediction: Phillipsburg, 25-22.
Wrestling: Power point totals involving HWS teams
Here is the first set of rankings for the 2017-18 season. The top eight schools in each section qualify for the tournaments that begin on Monday, Feb. 5.
The semifinals will be contested on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and the sectional finals on Friday, Feb. 9. The four public school champions advance to the Group championships on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Toms River North High School.
Teams must wrestle wrestle a minimum of 10 dual meets against NJSIAA member schools (70 percent rule also applies) by the cutoff date on Saturday, Jan. 27. Any unbeaten or untied team with criteria will be included.
HWS schools in bold:
NORTH 1
Group 3
Sparta (7-2) 26.67; Montville (6-2) 26.13; River Dell (4-1) 26.00; Pascack Valley (6-1) 25.86; Garfield (3-2) 23.80; Paramus (2-4) 23.50; Ramapo (3-4) 21.00; Demarest (2-4) 21.00.
Group 2
High Point (9-1) 30.67; Newton (3-3) 29.00; Westwood (4-1) 28.00; Kittatinny (4-3) 27.43; Jefferson (8-2) 26.50; Glen Rock (4-3) 24.86; Pascack Hills (4-1) 24.80; Mahwah (4-2) 23.83.
Group 1
Emerson-Park Ridge (9-0) 28.89; Cedar Grove (5-1) 26.33; Pompton Lakes (8-0) 26.13; North Warren (1-0) 26.00; Saddle Brook (2-0) 26.00; Cresskill (5-2) 25.00; Kinnelon (5-4) 24.33; Mountain Lakes (3-3) 22.83.
NORTH 2
Group 4
Phillipsburg (4-0) 31.75; Middletown North (8-3) 30.50; North Hunterdon (6-2) 30.13; Scotch Plains-Fanwood (7-2) 25.44; Linden (4-1) 25.20; Colonia (4-1) 25.00; Sayreville (7-4) 24.80; Irvington (0-2) 24.50.
Group 3
Cranford (4-1) 27.20; Voorhees (8-5) 27.00; Governor Livingston (7-0) 25.86; Warren Hills (1-2) 24.00; Morris Hills (6-4) 22.40; West Essex (1-5) 22.00; Leonia-Palisades Park (1-3) 21.00; Lyndhurst-North Arlington (2-2) 21.00.
Group 2
Hanover Park (5-1) 27.67; Caldwell (5-1) 26.67; Lodi (6-1) 26.00; Madison (3-1) 24.75; Dumont (3-2) 24.60; Hackettstown (4-5) 24.44; Elmwood Park (4-4) 24.43; Parsippany (1-2) 23.33.
Group 1
Roselle Park (7-1) 27.88; Manville (4-1) 25.20; Becton (1-1) 25.00; Bound Brook (3-5) 24.50; Belvidere (2-1) 22.33; Whippany Park (1-6) 19.86; Metuchen (1-1) 19.50; Verona (1-4) 18.60.
CENTRAL
Group 5
Hunterdon Central (9-0) 31.67; Howell (11-0) 29.80; Manalapan (8-1) 26.56; Monroe Township (6-1) 26.14; Trenton Central (6-1) 25.33; Freehold Township (3-3) 24.33; Old Bridge (3-6) 24.22; Hillsborough (4-6) 23.60.
Group 2
Raritan (9-1) 30.60; Robbinsville (7-1) 25.88; Holmdel (9-3) 25.60; Delaware Valley (3-3) 25.40; Bernards (4-2) 24.33; Middlesex-Dunellen (3-3) 22.83; Carteret (2-5) 21.00; Matawan (1-3) 20.25.
NON-PUBLIC
North B
Pope John (6-1) 29.29; DePaul (1-1) 27.00; Morris Catholic (1-4) 20.60; Pingry (1-6) 19.43; Bishop Ahr (0-7) 17.00; Newark Academy (0-6) 12.83.
The semifinals will be contested on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and the sectional finals on Friday, Feb. 9. The four public school champions advance to the Group championships on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Toms River North High School.
Teams must wrestle wrestle a minimum of 10 dual meets against NJSIAA member schools (70 percent rule also applies) by the cutoff date on Saturday, Jan. 27. Any unbeaten or untied team with criteria will be included.
HWS schools in bold:
NORTH 1
Group 3
Sparta (7-2) 26.67; Montville (6-2) 26.13; River Dell (4-1) 26.00; Pascack Valley (6-1) 25.86; Garfield (3-2) 23.80; Paramus (2-4) 23.50; Ramapo (3-4) 21.00; Demarest (2-4) 21.00.
Group 2
High Point (9-1) 30.67; Newton (3-3) 29.00; Westwood (4-1) 28.00; Kittatinny (4-3) 27.43; Jefferson (8-2) 26.50; Glen Rock (4-3) 24.86; Pascack Hills (4-1) 24.80; Mahwah (4-2) 23.83.
Group 1
Emerson-Park Ridge (9-0) 28.89; Cedar Grove (5-1) 26.33; Pompton Lakes (8-0) 26.13; North Warren (1-0) 26.00; Saddle Brook (2-0) 26.00; Cresskill (5-2) 25.00; Kinnelon (5-4) 24.33; Mountain Lakes (3-3) 22.83.
NORTH 2
Group 4
Phillipsburg (4-0) 31.75; Middletown North (8-3) 30.50; North Hunterdon (6-2) 30.13; Scotch Plains-Fanwood (7-2) 25.44; Linden (4-1) 25.20; Colonia (4-1) 25.00; Sayreville (7-4) 24.80; Irvington (0-2) 24.50.
Group 3
Cranford (4-1) 27.20; Voorhees (8-5) 27.00; Governor Livingston (7-0) 25.86; Warren Hills (1-2) 24.00; Morris Hills (6-4) 22.40; West Essex (1-5) 22.00; Leonia-Palisades Park (1-3) 21.00; Lyndhurst-North Arlington (2-2) 21.00.
Group 2
Hanover Park (5-1) 27.67; Caldwell (5-1) 26.67; Lodi (6-1) 26.00; Madison (3-1) 24.75; Dumont (3-2) 24.60; Hackettstown (4-5) 24.44; Elmwood Park (4-4) 24.43; Parsippany (1-2) 23.33.
Group 1
Roselle Park (7-1) 27.88; Manville (4-1) 25.20; Becton (1-1) 25.00; Bound Brook (3-5) 24.50; Belvidere (2-1) 22.33; Whippany Park (1-6) 19.86; Metuchen (1-1) 19.50; Verona (1-4) 18.60.
CENTRAL
Group 5
Hunterdon Central (9-0) 31.67; Howell (11-0) 29.80; Manalapan (8-1) 26.56; Monroe Township (6-1) 26.14; Trenton Central (6-1) 25.33; Freehold Township (3-3) 24.33; Old Bridge (3-6) 24.22; Hillsborough (4-6) 23.60.
Group 2
Raritan (9-1) 30.60; Robbinsville (7-1) 25.88; Holmdel (9-3) 25.60; Delaware Valley (3-3) 25.40; Bernards (4-2) 24.33; Middlesex-Dunellen (3-3) 22.83; Carteret (2-5) 21.00; Matawan (1-3) 20.25.
NON-PUBLIC
North B
Pope John (6-1) 29.29; DePaul (1-1) 27.00; Morris Catholic (1-4) 20.60; Pingry (1-6) 19.43; Bishop Ahr (0-7) 17.00; Newark Academy (0-6) 12.83.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Wrestling: New Jersey Writers Association Top 20
Six teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area once again headline this week's New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 poll.
Phillipsburg (4-0), holds steady at No. 5 as the Stateliners travel to No. 8 Hunterdon Central (9-0) on Wednesday night for a crucial Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup at the Field House.
Pope John (5-1) remains one spot behind P'burg -- two of the favorites, along with Hunterdon Central, to win the team title at this weekend's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
High Point (9-1), which finished second at the Zephyr Duals in Whitehall, Pa., on Saturday, moves up one spot to No. 11, followed by Kittatinny (4-3) at No. 19 and Newton (3-3) at No. 20.
High Point will travel to Newton on Wednesday night for a key Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division showdown. The 'Cats, who hold a 37-7 edge in the all-time series dating to 1970, have won 14 straight against the Braves, whose last win against their Sussex County rivals was in 2003.
Bergen Catholic, the six-time defending Non-Public A champion, is the consensus No. 1 for a second straight week, while Howell, the defending Group 5 champion, is the highest-ranked public school team at No. 3.
The poll will debut each Monday for the next five weeks. The final poll will be revealed on Feb. 12.
Others receiving votes: North Hunterdon (6-2) 13; Watchung Hills (10-0) 3.
NJWWA voting members (in alphabetical order): Donald J. Brower (MorrisCountyHSWrestling.com); Frank D'Esposito (TheShoreConference.com); Steve Falk (Asbury Park Press); Josh Friedman (Courier Post of Cherry Hill, Daily Journal of Vineland); Screwy Louie Lazzari (New Jersey historian); John Lewis (Burlington County Times); Ron Mazzola (NJWWA president, Region 5 ranking chairman); Tom McGurk (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Andy Mendlowitz (Courier News); Mark Trible (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Greg Tufaro (Home News Tribune of East Brunswick); Mike Weilamann (Open Mike); Brad Wilson (Express-Times).
Phillipsburg (4-0), holds steady at No. 5 as the Stateliners travel to No. 8 Hunterdon Central (9-0) on Wednesday night for a crucial Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup at the Field House.Pope John (5-1) remains one spot behind P'burg -- two of the favorites, along with Hunterdon Central, to win the team title at this weekend's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
High Point (9-1), which finished second at the Zephyr Duals in Whitehall, Pa., on Saturday, moves up one spot to No. 11, followed by Kittatinny (4-3) at No. 19 and Newton (3-3) at No. 20.
High Point will travel to Newton on Wednesday night for a key Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division showdown. The 'Cats, who hold a 37-7 edge in the all-time series dating to 1970, have won 14 straight against the Braves, whose last win against their Sussex County rivals was in 2003.
Bergen Catholic, the six-time defending Non-Public A champion, is the consensus No. 1 for a second straight week, while Howell, the defending Group 5 champion, is the highest-ranked public school team at No. 3.
The poll will debut each Monday for the next five weeks. The final poll will be revealed on Feb. 12.
Others receiving votes: North Hunterdon (6-2) 13; Watchung Hills (10-0) 3.
NJWWA voting members (in alphabetical order): Donald J. Brower (MorrisCountyHSWrestling.com); Frank D'Esposito (TheShoreConference.com); Steve Falk (Asbury Park Press); Josh Friedman (Courier Post of Cherry Hill, Daily Journal of Vineland); Screwy Louie Lazzari (New Jersey historian); John Lewis (Burlington County Times); Ron Mazzola (NJWWA president, Region 5 ranking chairman); Tom McGurk (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Andy Mendlowitz (Courier News); Mark Trible (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); Greg Tufaro (Home News Tribune of East Brunswick); Mike Weilamann (Open Mike); Brad Wilson (Express-Times).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)