Wrestling: Braves, Streaks set for Jack Welch Duals

Here are the pairings and seeds for the 12th annual Jack Welch Duals to be held Friday and Saturday at Moorestown High School.

Wrestling begins on Friday at 4:30 p.m., with the second round to follow at 6:30. Action resumes at 11 a.m. on Saturday with rounds to follow at 1 and 3 p.m.

Newton (4-4), ranked No. 18 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20, and Warren Hills are the only local teams in the tournament. The Braves, under veteran coach Eric Bollette, have finished second twice in nine previous appearances. They will face Holy Spirit in the opening round.

The Blue Streaks (1-3), making their first appearance at the Jack Welch Duals under coach Jarrett Hosbach, will take on Egg Harbor Township.

This year's event also features 2017 champion and No. 1 seed Delbarton (5-2), ranked No. 2 in the NJWWA Top 20.

Pairings and seeds for Friday's opening round. (Records through Tuesday's matches).

Pool 1

1-Delbarton (5-2) vs. 16-Holy Cross (1-7)
8-Bound Brook (6-5) vs. 9-Delran (8-2)

Pool 2

5-Buena (9-1) vs. 12-Moorestown (3-5)
4-Cherokee (7-2) vs. 13-Christian Brothers Academy (3-8)

Pool 3

3-Newton (4-4) vs. 14-Holy Spirit (0-4)
6-Kingsway (6-3) vs. 11-Northern Burlington (3-5)

Pool 4

7-Egg Harbor Township (5-4) vs. 10-Warren Hills (1-3)
2-Long Branch (11-2) vs. 15-Riverside (1-7)

Previous champions

2007 -- Delran
2008 -- St. Benedict's Prep
2009 -- Camden Catholic
2010 -- Camden Catholic
2011 -- Camden Catholic
2012 -- Camden Catholic
2013 -- Camden Catholic
2014 -- Long Branch
2015 -- St. Peter's Prep
2016 -- No champion (weather-shortened event)
2017 -- Delbarton

Wrestling: Power point standings (HWS teams)

Here are the second 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 (8-2) 26.80; Pascack Valley (10-1) 26.60; Montville (6-3) 26.33; River Dell (8-2) 26.20; Garfield (5-3) 25.13; Paramus (3-5) 23.13; West Milford (6-5) 23.00; Ramapo (4-7) 20.60.

Group 2

Newton (4-4) 31.25; High Point (11-1) 31.00; Jefferson (11-4) 28.60; Westwood (7-2) 27.11; Kittatinny (5-4) 26.78; Glen Rock (8-4) 25.60; Pascack Hills (7-2) 23.44; Hawthorne (6-5) 21.90.

Group 1

Emerson-Park Ridge (15-0) 30.20; Pompton Lakes (11-2) 26.10; Saddle Brook (3-1) 26.00; Cedar Grove (7-5) 25.70; Kinnelon (8-5) 25.60; Butler (5-3) 24.13; North Warren (4-1) 23.40; Cresskill (6-4) 22.60.

NORTH 2

Group 4

Phillipsburg (5-1) 31.83; Middletown North (8-3) 30.50; North Hunterdon (7-2) 29.56; Sayreville (10-4) 26.30; Linden (5-1) 25.17; Scotch Plains-Fanwood (7-3) 24.60; Colonia (5-3) 23.50; Kearny (6-4) 23.30.

Group 3

Cranford (5-1) 27.17; Voorhees (9-6) 26.40; Morris Hills (7-6) 25.20; Warren Hills (1-3) 24.75; West Essex (5-6) 24.70; Governor Livingston (7-1) 24.38; Nutley (4-8) 22.20; Lyndhurst-North Arlington (4-5) 21.22.

Group 2

Hanover Park (7-1) 30.25; Elmwood Park (8-5) 25.00; Lodi (6-3) 23.89; Hackettstown (4-6) 23.70; Caldwell (6-4) 23.00; Madison (5-4) 23.00; Parsippany (4-3) 22.71; Dumont (4-6) 22.40.

Group 1

Roselle Park (9-1) 26.70; Manville (5-1) 26.00; Bound Brook (6-5) 25.20; Belvidere (3-2) 22.60; Verona (4-7) 22.30; Becton-Wallington (1-4) 21.20; Secaucus (3-8) 19.70; Metuchen (1-3) 19.00.

CENTRAL

Group 5

Hunterdon Central (10-0) 31.60; Howell (17-0) 29.50; Manalapan (11-2) 28.50; Monroe Township (10-2) 27.10; Old Bridge (6-7) 25.40; Hillsborough (5-6) 24.70; South Brunswick (3-9) 24.00; Trenton Central (9-2) 23.50.

Group 2

Raritan (13-1) 32.70; Holmdel (14-3) 26.20; Robbinsville (10-2) 26.10; Middlesex-Dunellen (7-5) 25.00; Bernards (4-3) 23.29; Delaware Valley (3-5) 23.14; Carteret (2-7) 20.56; Monmouth (2-12) 20.30.

NON-PUBLIC

North B

Pope John (7-1) 29.88; DePaul (1-2) 25.33; Pingry (1-7) 20.20; Bishop Ahr (0-7) 17.00; Morris Catholic (2-6) 18.75; Bishop Ahr (1-10) 18.60; Newark Academy (1-7) 15.75.

Wrestling: New Jersey Writers Association Top 20

Northwest Jersey receives a bump as now seven teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area headline this week's New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 poll.

Pope John (7-1), which won its second straight Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament team title on Saturday, jumps up one spot to No. 5, while Hunterdon Central (10-0), which finished second in the HWS team race, moves up to No. 6 following an impressive 39-21 win over Phillipsburg last Wednesday in a crucial Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup. The Red Devils will face No. 14 St. Peter's Prep and No. 17 Emerson-Park Ridge on Saturday as part of a quad.

The Stateliners (5-1), who fell three spots to No. 8, will travel to No. 7 Hanover Park for a key independent showdown on Thursday.


High Point (11-1), which finished fourth in the HWS team standings, moves up one spot to No. 10. Coach John Gardner's Wildcats will make the long trek to South Jersey on Saturday to face No. 4 Paulsboro.

Newton (4-4), which dropped a 34-23 decision to High Point last Wednesday in an important Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division tilt, jumps up two spots to No. 18, followed by No. 19 Kittatinny (5-4) and North Hunterdon (7-2), which debuts at No. 20 in a tie with Watchung Hills. Those teams will settle that tie in a Skyland Conference non-divisional matchup on Saturday in Clinton Township.

Bergen Catholic, the six-time defending Non-Public A champion, is the consensus No. 1 for a third straight week, knocking off Blair Academy on Saturday in a battle for the consensus No. 1 ranking in the nation. Howell, the defending Group 5 champion, remains the highest-ranked public school team at No. 3.

An impressive bronze trophy, donated by Prestige Imaging of Old Bridge, will be presented at the end of the 2017-18 campaign to the state’s No. 1 team in the final NJWWA poll during the state individual championships in Atlantic City.

Rank	School	Record	Votes	Previous
1	Bergen Catholic (13)	(6-0)	260	1
2	Delbarton	(5-2)	247	2
3	Howell	(17-0)	234	3
4	Paulsboro	(8-0)	218	4
5	Pope John	(7-1)	210	6
6	Hunterdon Central	(10-0)	195	8
7	Hanover Park	(7-1)	179	7
8	Phillipsburg	(5-1)	172	5
9	Seton Hall Prep	(10-0)	157	9
10	High Point	(11-1)	136	11
11	Raritan	(13-1)	133	10
12	South Plainfield	(11-3)	114	12
13	Southern	(10-1)	108	13
14	St. Peter's Prep	(6-1)	79	15
15	Camden Catholic	(9-2)	73	17
16	St. John Vianney	(7-0)	61	16
17	Emerson-Park Ridge	(15-0)	55	18
18	Newton	(4-4)	36	20
19	Kittatinny	(5-4)	31	19
20	North Hunterdon	(7-2)	16	NR
	Watchung Hills	(11-0)	16	NR

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).

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

Sparta senior Robert Gennat seemed to be wearing a permanent smile after winning his first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title on Saturday. 

Surrounded by teammates and numerous well-wishers patting their hometown hero on the back -- a great scene in this age of athletes leaving for private schools -- Gennat beamed as he discussed perhaps the biggest week and victory of his high school career.

"This feels great. I got my 100th win [against Morris Hills on Thursday], but this eclipses it," said Gennat, an outstanding student who is heading to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken in the fall to study at one of the finest engineering schools. 

Gennat (18-1), who is the sixth Spartan to reach the century mark in wins, joined Gavin Lally (2015) as the school's only HWS champions, avenged his only loss of the season by decking Voorhees senior Scott Fernandes in their 195-pound final. Fernandes stuck Gennat in 29 seconds when they met on Dec. 30.

It was all part of a huge weekend for Sussex County, which boasted seven champions to take the all-time lead with 45, followed by Hunterdon (42) and Warren (39). It's also the second-highest individual total for Sussex after crowning eight in 2015.

The six-mat setup for the HWS Tournament (High Point Wrestling).

Faithful followers of this blog will recall how we've said this is the granddaddy of all county events. For the first time, we have a first-class venue. The new Phillipsburg High School did a superb job of running the ninth annual version, with perfect site lines and plenty of room to roam -- even with six mats down. Hopefully all 18 athletic directors, who are scheduled to meet soon to discuss keeping this tournament in Phillipsburg, will realize what a colossal mistake they'd be making to let it leave here, even on a semi-annual basis.

In an informal poll, most coaches I've spoken with agreed with making Phillipsburg the permanent host. Kudos to head coach Dave Post and assistant Scott Silvis for hustling all weekend -- heck, Post even carried out an extra table and provided a power supply to accommodate the numerous media in attendance. Longtime AD Tom Fisher also assisted with media requests.

"I told them what a great job they did," Newton coach Eric Bollette said. "It's the perfect place. They kept the tournament moving. I hope it stays there."

With a few tweaks, like holding the quarterfinals and semifinals until each weight class is complete. By assigning 1 vs. 8 and 2 vs. 7 on specific mats, it makes it almost impossible to follow the action as those bouts have a tendency to end quicker, resulting in several weight classes going on at once. And it would be nice to announce who is wrestling where so it's easier for fans to locate their favorite wrestlers.

Also, let's figure out a way to hold the seeding meeting earlier in the week -- as in previous years -- so fans know who is wrestling and media members can do this thing the proper justice by promoting it in advance.

Now, onto a big shakeup in this week's rankings:

1. Pope John (7-1) -- Lions rolled to a 61-15 win at Jefferson on Thursday and their second straight Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title on Saturday -- the first Sussex County team to win back-to-back championships. Senior Jake Rotunda (132) and junior Joe Aragona (138) became just the fourth and fifth wrestlers to win three titles. Aragona, who is sitting on 95 career wins, will look to become the first four-time winner next season. Rotunda (109-22) is one win shy of surpassing state champion Brian Unkert (109-8-1 from 1986-90) for the school's all-time mark. Zac Dipini finished with 113 wins, but he also competed at Wallkill Valley before transferring to the Sparta-based school.

Up next: Mount Olive at home on Wednesday; Delaware Valley (Pa.), Don Bosco Prep, St. John Vianney at home on Saturday.

2. Hunterdon Central (10-0) -- Red Devils were impressive in a 38-21 win over Phillipsburg on Wednesday, while coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm's team finished second in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament standings. Brett Ungar (18-0 at 106) became just the sixth freshman in the tourney's nine-year history to win a title, as senior Hunter Graf (132), senior Kevin Ciresa (160) and junior Dan Furmato (170) were runners-up.

Up next: at Voorhees on Wednesday; Old Tappan, St. Peter's Prep at Emerson-Park Ridge on Saturday.

3. Phillipsburg (5-1) -- Stateliners dropped a 38-21 decision to Hunterdon Central on Wednesday, but bounced back the following night with a 39-21 victory at Kittatinny. The Warren County school finished third in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament team race as junior Travis Jones (120) and senior Brian Meyer (152) won their first titles, while senior Cullen Day (113), a champion in 2017, and junior Kyle Tino (138) finished third. The Lehigh-bound Meyer is four wins shy of passing Post for ninth place on the program's all-time list.

Up next: at Warren Hills on Wednesday; at Hanover Park on Thursday; at Easton (Pa.) on Saturday.

4. High Point (11-1) -- 'Cats earned a 34-23 win at Newton on Wednesday in a key NJAC Freedom Division matchup and scored a 56-18 victory at Vernon on Thursday. Coach John Gardner's team placed fourth in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, despite the absence of junior Devin Flannery (14-2 at 120), who is sidelined indefinitely by an elbow injury. Junior Brandon LaRue (18-2) was second at 113, while senior Maverick Liebl (126) and sophomore Billy Talmadge (132) took thirds. Big one on Saturday at Paulsboro, ranked fourth in the New Jersey Writers Top 20 poll.

Up next: Lenape Valley at home on Tuesday; Sparta at home on Thursday; Asbury Park, Toms River North at Paulsboro on Saturday.

5. Kittatinny (5-4) -- Cougars cruised to a 69-12 win over Wallkill Valley on Wednesday and dropped a 39-21 decision to Phillipsburg on Thursday before a fifth-place finish in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament on Saturday. Senior Josh Hiler (15-3) won the 170-pound title and junior Zach Mafaro was second at 182, while senior Calvin Brook (14-5 at 152) and sophomore Jacob Mafaro (15-3 at 220) finished third.

Up next: North Warren at home on Wednesday; Jefferson at home on Thursday; Delaware Valley, Westfield and West Morris at home on Saturday.

6. Newton (4-4) -- Braves dropped a tough one to High Point (34-23 on Wednesday), but rebounded with a 57-15 win over Hackettstown on Thursday before finishing just two points behind fifth-place Kittatinny at Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. That should be a great dual meet in a few weeks. Junior Wyatt McCarthy (15-2 at 152) was a runner-up for the second straight year, while senior Jonathon Borgognoni (16-1 at 160) won his first HWS title and the program's fourth -- joining Jake Connelly (2012), Josh Sibblies ('13) and Gus Protogeropoulos ('14). Junior Luke Fischer (14-3) placed third at 195.

Up next: Lenape Valley at home on Wednesday; Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown on Friday and Saturday.

North coach Chris Hrunka gives Tim Flynn (right) a plaque.

7. North Hunterdon (7-2) -- Lions rolled to a 55-19 victory over Warren Hills on Wednesday and finished seventh -- just two points behind Newton -- in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament standings on Saturday. Senior Andrew Gapas (17-1) was pinned by Pope John ace Joe Aragona, a three-time champ, in the 138-pound final, while senior William Hughes (10-1) finished third at 160. North, which has the second-most champs in HWS history with 15, was shut out in the finals -- the only one in the 18-team field to produce at least one champ in the previous eight tournaments. Former North coach Tim Flynn was honored prior to the Warren Hills match for his years of service.

Up next: Delaware Valley at home on Wednesday; at Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday; Hillsborough, Watchung Hills, Woodstown at home on Saturday.

8. Sparta (7-2) -- Spartans, who posted a 51-19 win over Morris Hills on Thursday, move up two spots by virtue of their victory over Voorhees (40-33 on Dec. 30) and Delaware Valley's loss to the Vikes on Friday. Sophomore Cooper Stewart (15-2 at 106), who is having a nice season, finished third in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, while coach Frank Battaglia's team finished eighth in the standings.

Up next: at Roxbury on Wednesday; at High Point on Thursday; Lenape Valley, Pompton Lakes, Wayne Hills at home on Saturday.

9. Voorhees (9-6) -- Vikings jump into the rankings for the first time this season after their 45-30 victory over Delaware Valley on Friday, snapping a four-match skid in the series with the program's first win since 2013. In fact, the Terriers had won 20 of the previous 21 meetings since back-to-back wins for Voorhees in 1998. Junior ace Lewis Fernandes (21-0 at 220), who had one of seven pins for the Vikes, won his first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title on Saturday. Senior Scott Fernandes (19-2) is three wins shy of 100.

Up next: Hunterdon Central at home on Wednesday; Franklin, New Brunswick at Ridge on Saturday.

10. Delaware Valley (3-5) -- Terriers, who opened last week with a 44-21 loss to Watchung Hills, drop two spots after a 45-30 loss to Voorhees on Gold Rush Night. Coach Andy Fitz's team finished 11th in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament as junior A.J. DeRosa (126) placed second, while senior CJ Heaps (113) and sophomore Gage Crater (132) finished fourth. Jefferson will come to Alexandria Township on Friday for the first time since "The Slam" in the Group 2 final in 1993 --marking the 25th anniversary of that infamous match.

Up next: at North Hunterdon on Wednesday; Jefferson at home on Friday; Westfield, West Morris at Kittatinny on Saturday.

On the bubble: Warren Hills (1-3).

Wrestling: HWS schedule for Jan. 15-20

Tuesday, Jan. 16

(All matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Morris Knolls at Hopatcong, ppd. TBA
Lenape Valley at High Point, ppd. to 1/26

Wednesday, Jan. 17

(All matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

North Warren at Kittatinny, ppd. TBA

Lenape Valley at Newton

Mount Olive at Pope John, ppd. to 1/23

Sparta at Roxbury, ppd. TBA

Hopatcong at Wallkill Valley, ppd. TBA

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at North Hunterdon, ppd. to 1/22

Hunterdon Central at Voorhees, ppd. TBA

Phillipsburg at Warren Hills, ppd. to 1/22

Manville at Belvidere, ppd. to 1/22

Thursday, Jan. 18

(All matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Sparta at High Point

Jefferson at Kittatinny
Vernon at Hackettstown, 6 p.m.

Skyland Conference

North Hunterdon at Bridgewater-Raritan

Independent

Phillipsburg at Hanover Park

Friday, Jan. 19

(All matches 7 p.m., unless noted)

Independent

Newton, Warren Hills in Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown, 5 p.m.

Jefferson at Delaware Valley, 6:30 p.m.

Belvidere at North Warren

Saturday, Jan. 20

(All events 9 a.m., unless noted)

Independent

Phillipsburg at Easton (Pa.), 7 p.m.

Tris and quads

Newton, Warren Hills in Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown
High Point, Delsea, Paulsboro at Toms River North

Delaware Valley, West Morris, Westfield at Kittatinny, 10 a.m.

Lenape Valley, Pompton Lakes, Wayne Hills at Sparta, 10 a.m.
Vernon, Secaucus, Indian Hills at Wallkill Valley
Delaware Valley (Pa.), Don Bosco Prep, St. John Vianney at Pope John

Hunterdon Central, Old Tappan, St. Peter’s Prep at Emerson-Park Ridge, 9:30 a.m.

Voorhees, Franklin, New Brunswick at Ridge
Hopatcong, Dover at Parsippany Hills, 10 a.m.

Hillsborough, Watchung Hills, Woodstown at North Hunterdon

Hackettstown, Montville, Perth Amboy at North Bergen

Wrestling: Meyer, Carida, Ostir strike gold at HWS

LOPATCONG TWP. -- You don't have to tell Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer how tough the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament is to win.

After two epic matchups against former Lenape Valley state champion Nick Palumbo in the previous two events, Meyer, a third-place finisher in last year's state tournament, finally broke through with his first tri-county title -- scoring an impressive 10-2 major decision over Newton junior Wyatt McCarthy at 152 pounds to highlight action on Saturday at Phillipsburg High School.

"It's nice to get one," said Meyer, a Lehigh recruit hoping to take the same path as Palumbo, who finished third in the state as a junior before becoming his school's first state champion by winning at 145 last season. "We had some good battles [Palumbo won by fall in the 2016 and '17 finals at 145]."

Meyer (16-2), joined teammate Travis Jones (120), Hunterdon Central freshman Brett Ungar (106), Hopatcong senior Anthony Mastroeni (126), Newton senior Jonathon Borgognoni (160), Kittatinny senior Josh Hiler (170), Warren Hills senior Jarod Ostir (182), Sparta senior Robert Gennat (195), Voorhees junior Lewis Fernandes (220) and Hackettstown senior Joe Andes (285) as first-time winners.

Can't hold that Tiger

Hackettstown senior Alex Carida became his school's first two-time champion and Outstanding Wrestler with a 6-4 victory over Pope John junior Robbie Garcia, a fourth-place finisher in the state last season, in their highly-anticipated 145-pound final. Carida and Andes are just the fourth and fifth champs for the Warren County school and the first Tigers to win in the same tournament.

"I'm just trying to improve every year," said Carida, who racked up three takedowns against Garcia. "Every time I step on the mat, I have the mentality to win that match."

Carida (18-1), a Region 3 champion and a gentleman on and off the mat, has faced stiff competition already this season -- with wins over state qualifiers Jeff Johnson of Middlesex and Matt Beyer of Pascack Valley, in addition to a tough 1-0 loss to DePaul's Ricky Cabanillas, a state runner-up last season. Carida likes to take them one at a time, but he's well aware that his school has just one state champion -- Doug Blake (1967-68).

"My goal is to win a state championship," said Carida, now 114-27 overall and nine wins shy of Joe Renne's school mark. "I've gotten a lot of good matches that will help me down the road in regions and Atlantic City [site of the state tournament]. I have to thank my coaches, they have helped me a lot."

Lions are golden

Pope John rolled to its second straight team championship -- with 244 1/2 points, the second-highest total behind Phillipsburg's 269 in 2013-- led by three-time champions Jake Rotunda (132) and Joe Aragona (138). They're just the fourth and fifth wrestlers to win three titles in the tournament's nine-year history. Sophomore Eddie Ventresca repeated as the 113-pound champion, giving the Lions a tournament-best three winners.

"We came here to make a statement," said Rotunda, who rolled to a 6-3 win over Hunterdon Central senior Hunter Graf, an eighth-place finisher in the state in 2016, for his third tri-county gold. "This tournament is pretty tough, there's a lot of good competition."

In all, Pope John had a tournament-high 11 wrestlers place in the top six as sophomore Kaya Sement (120) and senior Jake Brown (220) finished second.

Aragona (21-1), a two-time state medal winner and runner-up last season, also made a case for the OW Award as he decked North Hunterdon senior Andrew Gapas, a returning state placewinner and last year's OW after winning his first HWS title.

Championship heart

In one of the uglier scenes we'll ever see, Ostir won by disqualification as he showed both class and guts by finishing the 182-pound final with an aching left knee against Kittatinny junior Zach Mafaro. Ostir (13-0), a runner-up as a junior, led 5-4 in the third when he and Mafaro tumbled out of bounds onto the hardwood floor. Ostir immediately grabbed his left knee, which was surgically repaired in April after tearing his ACL playing lacrosse, and was awarded a penalty point for unnecessary roughness.

After one minute of injury time, the bout continued, with Mafaro slapping at the injured knee on several occasions, taking Ostir out of bounds excessively for second time and attempting to bend the leg awkwardly. After awarding Ostir three more penalty points, referees finally halted the bout with him leading 8-6 and just six seconds left on the clock.

"It wasn't fun," said Ostir, who has dealt with knee and elbow surgeries the past two seasons. "I pushed through it. My goal was to win a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title after I got pinned in the first period last year [by Michael Fernandes of Voorhees in the 170-pound final]. I knew if I retaliated [against Mafaro], I would have points taken off. I needed to keep my cool. This was my last shot to win."

Ostir, who is the Blue Streaks' eighth champ and first since Matt Valli won at 126 in 2016, doesn't believe the injury is as serious this time and he expects to be ready for action again soon.

"It doesn't hurt nearly as bad [as the torn ACL]," he said. "I think I'll be fine."

Better the second time

Gennat has shown a penchant for winning rematches over his career. The biggest redemption was pinning Voorhees senior Scott Fernandes for the 195-pound title after being decked in 29 seconds when they met on Dec. 30.

"It feels great," said Gennat, who joined Gavin Lally (2015) as Sparta's only HWS champions. "I got my 100th win [on Thursday against Morris Hills] and this totally eclipses it. Last time, I went in guns blazing [against Fernandes]. This time, I tried to slow the pace, not take shots that weren't there and try to control the match."

Gennat was down 5-2 in the second period, fighting off his back at one point. The Stevens-bound wrestler has had some battles with the Fernandes brothers, losing three times to Lewis Fernandes (two pins and a major) last season, including the HWS third-place bout and the state tournament wrestlebacks at 195.

"It's nice to get a win over a Fernandes," Gennat mused.

Back points

Sussex led the way with seven champions as Borgognoni, who earned a 3-0 win over Hunterdon Central senior Kevin Ciresa, became Newton's fourth champion and first since Gus Protogeropoulos (220 in 2014). Warren was next with five, while Hunterdon had two winners for the second time in three years.

Mastroeni (17-1), who rode a four-point move in the second period to a 6-5 win over Delaware Valley junior A.J. DeRosa, made the drop to 126 pay off with school's fourth title and first since Joe Aumann in 2015.

Jones (18-4) is a threat to earn his first state medal later this season as he pinned Sement, who was trying to funk for a takedown and ended up on his back, in 5:07. He has Meyer's vote of confidence. "Jones is wrestling awesome and should place."

Meyer lamented not letting it all hang out more in his final with McCarthy after the two were at different weights for a dual meet on Dec. 23. "I didn't open up at all in the first and second periods. Toward the last minute, I wrestled well. I was in good position the whole time and I could've racked up some more points."

High Point, which didn't have a champion for the third straight year, managed a fourth-place finish despite missing one of its best wrestlers -- junior Devin Flannery, who would have been a solid bet to at least make the semifinals at 120. The 'Cats had one runner-up in Brandon LaRue (113), who earned a tough 1-0 win over Phillipsburg's Cullen Day in a good semifinal matchup. Maverick Liebl (126) and Billy Talmadge (132) finished third, while Shane Kobis (138) and Robbie Turro (160) were fourths.

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex results

Team standings: 1. Pope John (PJ) 244.5; 2. Hunterdon Central (HC) 185.5; 3. Phillipsburg (P) 167; 4. High Point (HP) 149; 5. Kittatinny (K) 139.5; 6. Newton (N) 137.5; 7. North Hunterdon (NH) 123.5; 8. Sparta (S) 106; 9. Voorhees (Vo) 97.5; 10. Warren Hills (WH) 86.5; 11. Delaware Valley (DV) 82.5; 12. Hackettstown (Ha) 72; 13. Lenape Valley (LV) 58; 14. Belvidere (B) 50; 15. Hopatcong (Ho) 31; 16. North Warren (NW) 25; 17. Wallkill Valley (WV) 23; 18. Vernon (Ve) 0.

Placewinners by school

Pope John 3+3+2+0+2+1=11; Hunterdon Central 1+3+1+0+2+3=10; High Point 0+1+2+2+3+0=8; Phillipsburg 2+0+2+1+2+1=8; Newton 1+1+1+2+0+2=7; North Hunterdon 0+1+1+3+1+0=6; Kittatinny 1+1+2+0+0+3=7; Delaware Valley 0+1+0+2+0+2=5; Sparta 1+0+1+0+3+0=5; Voorhees 1+1+0+1+0+1=4; Warren Hills 1+0+0+1+1+0=3; Lenape Valley 0+1+0+1+0+1=3; Hackettstown 2+0+0+0+0+0=2; Belvidere 0+1+0+1+0+0=2; North Warren 0+0+1+0+0+0=1; Wallkill Valley 0+0+1+0+0+0=1; Hopatcong 1+0+0+0+0+0=1; Vernon 0+0+0+0+0+0=0.

Championships

106 – 2-Fr. Brett Ungar, HC (18-0), d. 1-Quinn Melofchik (14-1), B, 7-6.

113 – 1-So. Eddie Ventresca (19-2), PJ, d. 3-Jr. Brandon LaRue (18-2), HP, 7-1.

120 – 1-Jr. Travis Jones (18-4), P, p. 7-So. Kaya Sement (18-5), PJ, 5:07.

126 – 2-Sr. Anthony Mastroeni (17-1), Ho, d. 1-Jr. A.J. DeRosa (14-2), DV, 6-5.

132 – 1-Sr. Jake Rotunda (19-4), PJ, d. 2-Sr. Hunter Graf (17-2), HC, 6-3.

138 – 1-Jr. Joe Aragona (21-1), PJ, p. 2-Sr. Andrew Gapas (17-1), NH, 3:37.

145 – 2-Sr. Alex Carida (18-1), Ha, d. 1-Jr. Robbie Garcia (20-3), PJ, 6-4.

152 – 1-Sr. Brian Meyer (16-2), P, md. 2-Jr. Wyatt McCarthy (15-2), N, 10-2.

160 – 2-Sr. Jonathon Borgognoni (16-1), N, d. 1-Sr. Kevin Ciresa (14-5), HC, 3-0.

170 – 1-Sr. Josh Hiler (15-3), K, p. 2-Jr. Dan Furmato (16-3), HC, 2:59.

182 – 3-Sr. Jarod Ostir (13-0), WH, disqualification over 1-Jr. Zach Mafaro (15-3), K, 5:54.

195 – 2-Sr. Robert Gennat (18-1), S, p. 2-Sr. Scott Fernandes (19-2), Vo, 3:43.

220 – 1-Jr. Lewis Fernandes (21-0), Vo, p. 2-Sr. Jake Brown (7-1), PJ, 3:59.

285 – 1-Sr. Joe Andes (17-1), Ha, p. 3-Sr. Gabriel Jimenez (9-7), LV, 2:44.

Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Alex Carida, Hackettstown.

Third-place consolations

106 – 4-So. Cooper Stewart (15-2), S, p. 3-Jr. Connor Robinson (13-4), NH, 5:55.

113 – 2-Sr. Cullen Day (15-5), P, md. 5-Sr. CJ Heaps (7-5), DV, 11-0.

120 – 4-So. Zac Creeden (14-1), WV, d. 3-Jr. Aidan Taylor (13-8), Vo, 9-2.

126 – 3-Sr. Maverick Liebl (17-3), HP, d. 5-Jr. Matthew Rosa (11-8), N, 5-2.

132 – 4-So. Billy Talmadge (18-4), HP, d. 3-So. Gage Crater (13-6), DV, 6-3.

138 – 4-Jr. Kyle Tino (10-4), P, d. 3-Sr. Shane Kobis (18-2), HP, 4-1.

145 – 3-Jr. Vincent Romaniello (14-4), HC, d. 5-Jr. Michael Wilson (16-2), NH, 10-3.

152 – 4-Sr. Calvin Brook (14-5), K, d. 3-Sr. Tucker Kirchberger (17-3), NH, 3-2.

160 – 3-Sr. William Hughes (10-1), NH, d. 4-Sr. Robbie Turro (13-9), HP, 7-6.

170 – 3-Sr. James Swentzel (9-5), PJ, forfeit over 4-Sr. Lance Wissing (18-4), P.

182 – 2-Sr. Reece Muldoon (14-1), PJ, forfeit over 4-Sr. Joseph DeLuca (14-4), N.

195 – 6-Jr. Luke Fischer (14-3), N, d. 4-Sr. Ryan Kokawski (10-5), B, 6-0.

220 – 4-So. Jacob Mafaro (15-3), K, p. 6-So. Ryan Hall (13-4), LV, 4:26.

285 – 4-Sr. Joey Sprague (11-4), NW, d. 10-Jr. Duro Ajayi (6-6), WH, 4-3.

Fifth-place consolations

106 – 10-So. Devon Liebl (13-4), HP, d. 12-Fr. Patrick Franco (8-11), K, 6-3.

113 – 9-Fr. Colton Washleski (14-5), HC, d. 7-Jr. Nile Mattar (6-10), K, 5-1.

120 – 2-Fr. Spencer Stewart (16-3), S, p. 8-Fr. JoJo Lotruglio (9-8), N, 4:18.

126 – 8-So. Mathew Garcia (14-5), PJ, md. 7-So. Anthony Romaniello (13-4), HC, 15-5.

132 – 5-So. Garrett Stewart (15-4), S, d. 7-So. Eric Falleni (12-5), LV, 8-4.

138 – 7-Jr. Carter Sheridan (16-4), S, d. 9-Jr. Pasquale Vizzoni (6-3), HC, 5-4.

145 – 7-Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (12-7), P, d. 4-Sr. Perry Maio (12-9), K, 2-1.

152 – 5-Sr. Trey Osborn (14-5), HP, p. 7-So. Connor Fritsch (9-8), PJ, 4:43.

160 – 5-Sr. Josh Ramos (10-6), P, d. 6-Sr. Joseph Desapio (11-8), DV, 8-3.

170 – 5-So. Nathaniel Fossett (13-6), NH, p. 10-Jr. Matt Brandner (9-11), Vo, 4:54.

182 – 6-Jr. Grayson Sabo (13-5), HP, d. 5-Jr. Austin Roth (7-7), P, 7-2.

195 – 3-Jr. Nick Galka (11-2), WH, d. 5-Sr. Eli Kalfaian (9-3), DV, 5-2.

220 – 5-Sr. Angelo Crespo (8-4), HC, d. 3-Sr. Devin Mager (4-4), N, 5-2.

285 – 12-Sr. Jack Morelli (13-4), PJ, d. 11-Jr. Ryan Joyce (7-9), HC, 1-0.

Semifinals

106 – Quinn Melofchik, B, d. Cooper Stewart, S, 11-4; Brett Ungar, HC, md. Connor Robinson, NH, 12-0.

113 – Eddie Ventresca, PJ, p. CJ Heaps, DV, 3:41; Brandon LaRue, HP, d. Cullen Day, P, 1-0.

120 – Travis Jones, P, p. Zac Creeden, WV, 4:25; Kaya Sement, PJ, p. Aidan Taylor, Vo, 1:12.

126 – A.J. DeRosa, DV, d. Matthew Rosa, N, 5-4; Anthony Mastroeni, Ho, d. Maverick Liebl, HP, 3-1.

132 – Jake Rotunda, PJ, d. Billy Talmadge, HP, 5-0; Hunter Graf, HC, d. Gage Crater, DV, 8-3.

138 – Joe Aragona, PJ, tf. Kyle Tino, P, 16-0, 3:38; Andrew Gapas, NH, d. Shane Kobis, HP, 5-3.

145 – Robbie Garcia, PJ, p. Michael Wilson, NH, :40; Alex Carida, Ha, md. Vincent Romaniello, HC, 11-3.

152 – Brian Meyer, P, md. Calvin Brook, K, 16-4; Wyatt McCarthy, N, d. Tucker Kirchberger, NH, 3-2.

160 – Kevin Ciresa, HC, d. Robbie Turro, HP, 5-0; Jonathon Borgognoni, N, md. William Hughes, NH, 11-2.

170 – Josh Hiler, K, forfeit over Lance Wissing, P; Dan Furmato, HC, d. James Swentzel, PJ, 11-5.

182 – Zach Mafaro, K, md. Joseph DeLuca, N, 10-0; Jarod Ostir, WH, d. Reece Muldoon, PJ, 3-2.

195 – Scott Fernandes, Vo, d. Ryan Kokawski, B, 6-0; Robert Gennat, S, d. Luke Fischer, N, 5-4.

220 – Lewis Fernandes, Vo, p. Jacob Mafaro, K, :52; Jake Brown, PJ, p. Ryan Hall, LV, 2:16.

285 – Joe Andes, Ha, p. Joey Sprague, NW, 3:39; Gabriel Jimenez, LV, p. Duro Ajayi, WH, 1:58.

Quarterfinals

106 – Quinn Melofchik, B, p. Nathan Fitt,, N, 1:38; Cooper Stewart, S, p. Patrick Franco, K, 4:26; Connor Robinson, NH, d. Logan Maczko, P, 6-4; Brett Ungar, HC, md. Devon Liebl, HP, 8-0.

113 – Eddie Ventresca, PJ, tf. Colton Washleski, HC, 20-3, 4:00; CJ Heaps, DV, md. Frank Diesso, NH, 15-2; Brandon LaRue, HP, p. Colby Koshinski, Vo, 1:47; Cullen Day, P, md. Nile Mattar, K, 9-1.

120 – Travis Jones, P, p. JoJo Lotruglio, N, 1:31; Zac Creeden, WV, p. Josh Gervey, HP, 2:22; Aidan Taylor, Vo, md. Justin Gerkhardt, NW, 8-0; Kaya Sement, PJ, d. Spencer Stewart, S, 4-1.

126 – A.J. DeRosa, DV, d. Mathew Garcia, PJ, 5-2; Matthew Rosa, N, d. Codey O’Rourke, WH, 6-4; Maverick Liebl, HP, d. Chris Hwang, S, 6-4; Anthony Mastroeni, Ho, p. Anthony Romaniello, HC, :54.

132 – Jake Rotunda, PJ, p. Michael Freda, N, :56; Billy Talmadge, HP, d. Garrett Stewart, S, 5-1; Gage Crater, DV, d. Kyle Wulff, WH, 6-2; Hunter Graf, HC, p. Eric Falleni, LV, 1:00.

138 – Joe Aragona, PJ, md. Pasquale Vizzoni, HC, 21-11; Kyle Tino, P, p. James Haws, LV, 3:08; Shane Kobis, HP, p. Tommy Schlittler, DV, 1:27; Andrew Gapas, NH, d. Carter Sheridan, S, 9-2.

145 – Robbie Garcia, PJ, p. Chris Ostir, WH, 1:02; Michael Wilson, NH, d. Perry Maio, K, 4-2; Vincent Romaniello, HC, d. Sawyer Fenlon, HP, 9-3; Alex Carida, Ha, d. Jayson Zinsmeister, P, 3-0.

152 – Brian Meyer, P, p. Geir Nemeth, WH, :26; Calvin Brook, K, d. Trey Osborn, HP, 4-3; Tucker Kirchberger, NH, d. Norman Cella, HC, 9-3; Wyatt McCarthy, N, p. Connor Fritsch, PJ, 1:38.

160 – Kevin Ciresa, HC, p. Kevin Berlin, S, 4:59; Robbie Turro, HP, d. Josh Ramos, P, 5-2; William Hughes, NH, d. Joe Desapio, DV, 9-3; Jonathon Borgognoni, N, p. Nick Hildebrant, WH, 4:49.

170 – Josh Hiler, K, d. Nick Brigante, 4-1; Lance Wissing, P, d. Nathaniel Fossett, NH, 5-4; James Swentzel, PJ, d. Shawn Burke, Ha, 8-4; Dan Furmato, HC, d. Matt Brandner, Vo, 15-8.

182 – Zach Mafaro, K, p. Kyle Barrett, HC, 2:19; Joseph DeLuca, N, d. Austin Roth, P, 4-3; Jarod Ostir, WH, d. Grayson Sabo, HP, 9-3; Reece Muldoon, PJ, p. John Spies, NH, :40.

195 – Scott Fernandes, Vo, p. Jackson Crawn, K, 2:30; Ryan Kokawski, B, d. Eli Kalfaian, DV, 5-4; Luke Fischer, N, d. Nick Galka, WH, 6-2; Robert Gennat, S, md. Lukas Bakerian, HC, 10-1.

220 – Lewis Fernandes, Vo, p. Cody Cruts, P, :35; Jacob Mafaro, K, d. Angelo Crespo, HC, 3-2; Ryan Hall, LV, p. Devin Mager, N, 6:26 SV; Jake Brown, PJ, p. Andrew Lewis, HP, 1:54.

285 – Joe Andes, Ha, d. Patrick Sharpe, P, 3-0; Joey Sprague, NW, p. Jack Morelli, PJ, 4:36; Gabriel Jimenez, LV, p. Ryan Joyce, HC, 3:28; Duro Ajayi, WH, d. Sam Huff, Vo, 14-9.