Open Mike

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Wrestling: District schedules for HWS schools

There are plenty of storylines to watch for Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area schools in the nine district tournaments that involve the 18 local teams on Saturday.

North Hunterdon seniors Logan Wadle (24-2 at 106 pounds), Daniel DeLusant (25-2 at 144), Alex Uryniak (29-1 at 190) and Brendan Raley (26-3 at 215) seek back-to-back District 13 titles at Cranford High School.

Wadle, a two-time state medalist, bids to become only the 19th wrestler to win three or more titles for North (his father, Rudy, won three from 1991-93) and the first since former state placewinner Ryan Pomrinca (2013-15). Wadle, who is 98-17 overall, can also join Uryniak in the Lions' 100-wins club.

Uryniak (102-16), a seventh-place finisher in the 2021 state tournament, became the 13th member of that elite group in the team's sectional final win over Watchung Hills on Friday. He also helped North capture its second Group 4 title in three years on Sunday at Rutgers University.

Phillipsburg, which finished No. 12 overall and the fourth-ranked public school in the final New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20, has crowed an area-best 367 district champions in the program's illustrious history. Sophomore Gavin Hawk (27-5 at 132), senior Hunter Cleaver (15-8 at 165) and junior John Wargo (28-2 at 285) look to go back-to-back at home in District 10.

Warren Hills, which crowned a program-record 11 champions in District 12 last year, has six returning winners in sophomores Charlie Piccione (26-5 at 113) and Tyler Redfield (23-7 at 120), along with junior Josh Lee (25-6 at 126) and seniors Shawn Redfield (28-3 at 138), Michael Drazek (26-5 at 175) and Jarett Pantuso (28-2 at 215).

Here are Saturday's schedules with times and ticket prices:

District 1

At River Dell High School

Area teams: High Point.

Rest of the field: Cresskill, Don Bosco Prep, Emerson-Park Ridge, New Milford, Pascack Hills, Pascack Valley, River Dell, Tenafly, Waldwick-Midland Park.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 9:30 a.m.; semifinals to follow; third-place consolations (two mats), approximately 3:30 p.m.; championship finals to follow (one mat).

Ticket prices: $8 adults, $5 students/seniors (all-sessions pass).

District 3

At Dumont High School

Area teams: Newton, Pope John, Sparta.

Rest of the field: Dumont, Hawthorne, Lakeland, Mahwah, Pequannock, West Milford.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 9 a.m.; semifinals, third-place consolations and championship finals (side by side) to follow.

Ticket prices: $10 adults, $5 students/seniors (all-sessions pass).

District 4

At Kittatinny Regional High School

Area teams: Kittatinny, North Warren, Vernon, Wallkill Valley.

Rest of the field: Butler, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Manchester Regional, Pompton Lakes, Wayne Hills.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (three mats), 9 a.m.; followed by semifinals (two mats) and third-place consolations and championship finals (two mats).

Ticket prices: $15 adults, $10 students/seniors (all-sessions pass); $5 adults, $3 students/seniors for consolations and finals only.

District 8

At Fair Lawn High School

Area teams: Hopatcong, Lenape Valley.

Rest of the field: DePaul, Dover, Fair Lawn, Hasbrouck Heights, Lodi, Mount Olive, Paramus, Saddle Brook.

Saturday schedule (approximate times after first round): Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, 1 p.m.; third-place consolations, 3 p.m., with championship finals to follow.

Ticket prices: No information was provided.

District 10

At Phillipsburg High School

Area teams: Belvidere, Hackettstown, Phillipsburg.

Rest of the field: Columbia, Glen Ridge, Hanover Park, Rutherford, St. Mary's-Rutherford, Verona, Whippany Park.

P'burg seeks its 49th district team championship

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (three mats), 10 a.m.; semifinals to follow (two mats); third-place consolations (two mats), 2:30 p.m.; championship finals (one mat) to follow at approximately 4 p.m.

Ticket prices: $13 adults, $9 students/seniors (all-sessions pass, available at door starting at 8:45 a.m.); $5 adults, $3 students/seniors (consolations and finals for entrance starting at 2:30 p.m.).

District 12

At Randolph High School

Area teams: Warren Hills.

Rest of the field: Becton-Wood-Ridge, Caldwell, East Orange, Madison, Mendham, Montclair, North Bergen, Randolph, Secaucus.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 9 a.m.; semifinals, 11 a.m. (approximate times after quarters); third-place consolations, 1 p.m., with championship finals to follow.

Ticket prices: $12 adults, $6 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). You can also purchase online.

District 13

Logan Wadle and Alex Uryniak eye title repeats

At Cranford High School

Area teams: North Hunterdon, Voorhees.

Rest of the field: Abraham Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Irvington, JFK-Iselin, Millburn, New Providence, Rahway.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries, 9:30 a.m., quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, noon; third-place consolations (two mats), 2 p.m.; championship finals (one mat), 3:30 p.m.

Ticket prices: $5 adults, $3 students/seniors (per round). Doors open at 9 a.m. Gym will be cleared after the semifinal round.

District 15

At Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School

Area teams: Delaware Valley.

Rest of the field: Bernards, Bridgewater-Raritan, Colonia, Governor Livingston, Pingry, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Summit-Chatham, Watchung Hills, Weequahic.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries, pre-quarterfinals and quarterfinals, 9 a.m.; semifinals and third-place consolations, 1 p.m., championship finals (one mat), 2 p.m.

Ticket prices: $15 adults, $10 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). $10 adults, $5 students/seniors (after quarterfinals); $5 adults, $3 students/seniors (after semifinals).

District 17

At Hunterdon Central Field House

Area teams: Hunterdon Central.

Rest of the field: Franklin, Hillsborough, Manville, Montgomery, Princeton, Rutgers Prep, Sayreville, St. John Vianney, West Windsor North.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals, 10 a.m.; third-place consolations and championship finals, 3 p.m.

Ticket prices: $10 adults, $5 students/seniors (all-sessions pass).

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Wrestling: Who made cut in final NJWWA Top 20?

What a wild and turbulent dual-meet season in New Jersey, especially in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. As a result, it was quite the task to rank the Garden State's best week in and week out.

When the dust settled, Delaware Valley earned top billing among our five locals at the No. 9 spot in the final New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 poll, released on Wednesday.

Del Val (18-3), which steamrolled the competition in capturing the program's 10th state championship overall and second straight in Group 1, went back-to-back for the first time since winning four in a row in Group 2 (1987-90) as the HWS area produced three champs (High Point in Group 2) for the second straight year (seventh overall since 1982) and third since 2018. The Terriers, who jumped up three spots in our season-ending poll, also closed strong in the final days of the regular season with wins over No. 12 Phillipsburg (33-27) and No. 13 Warren Hills (39-23) in a span of 48 hours in late January.

North Hunterdon (No. 15) and Hunterdon Central (No. 17) round out the local contingent in the final Top 20.

In the postseason, coach Andy Fitz's Del Val team outscored its five opponents, 310-67, including a 34-31 win over Paulsboro in the Group 1 final at Rutgers University. The Terriers rank ninth in Jersey wrestling history with 21 sectional titles and sixth with their 10 state championships.

Speaking of Rutgers, the venue was a major disappointment from a fan perspective with obstructed views (unable to see all four mats and clocks), no PA announcers giving wrestler names on each mat until later in the day, $17 parking fees $15 with a $2 surcharge) and a $15 entrance fee (a whopping total of $32). Let's hope the NJSIAA corrects these issues for next season. Why can't they do 3-mat sessions and Non-Public A by itself to utilize all of the seating on the floor? These should be simple and obvious fixes and hard to believe they weren't anticpated prior to Sunday.

Phillipsburg (15-3) moved up one spot as the Stateliners captured the Warren County school's 40th sectional title (trailing only Paulsboro's state-leading 42) and a state runner-up finish as their five-match win streak was snapped with a 41-14 loss to No. 5 Southern in the Group 5 final. The Rams, who were unquestionably the top public school this season and own a 10-7 series lead (5-3 postseason) against the 'Liners dating to 1997, also scored a 42-12 win over P'burg on Jan. 19. Sophomores Gavin Hawk (27-5 at 132 pounds) and Luke Geleta (28-5 at 138), along with junior John Wargo (28-2 at 285), are ones to watch on the road to Atlantic City, which begins with 32 district tournaments across the state on Saturday.

Hawk and Wargo are eyeing a championship repeat as P'burg again hosts District 10, which includes Belvidere, Hackettstown and Hanover Park. The Hornets, who dropped a 45-24 decision to Del Val in the Group 1 semifinals, feature sophomore Vincenzo LaValle, a district champion and third-place finisher in last year's state tournament.

Warren Hills (18-4), which went up against seven teams in the final poll, was the Group 3 runner-up for a second straight season -- falling twice to Delsea (35-24 in the Group 3 title match and 39-15 in the Jack Welch Duals semifinals on Jan. 21). The Blue Streaks, who won a second straight sectional title for the first time since 1997-98, knocked off North Hunterdon (35-34 via criteria of bouts won on Jan. 25), Hunterdon Central (30-26 on Jan. 12) and Kingsway (34-27 at the Jack Welch Duals). Senior Jarett Pantuso (28-2) picked up his 80th career win on Sunday -- a buzzer-beating pin in sudden victory against Delsea's Luke Maxwell, a 2022 state qualifier.

Logan Wadle needs two to join Alex Uryniak in the 100-win club.

North Hunterdon (15-5) captured its second Group 4 title in three years and gave the county two winners for the first time since 1989 with a thrilling 33-27 win over No. 18 Jackson Memorial, which had been on quite a postseason run. The Lions, who also matched sister school Voorhees with 17 sectional championships, will compete in the District 13 Tournament at Scotch-Plains Fanwood on Saturday. Senior Logan Wadle (24-2), who is sitting on 98 career wins, starts his bid for a third state medal at 106 pounds after finishing second in 2021 and third in '22. Fellow senior and 2021 state medalist Alex Uryniak (29-1 at 190) became the 13th at North to hit the century mark for wins in the Lions' North 2, Group 4 sectional title victory.

Hunterdon Central (17-4) had an unceremonious ending to its season with a 34-33 loss to Howell in the Central Jersey, Group 5 title match. The Red Devils, who own wins over Delaware Valley (43-18 on Dec. 30) and North Hunterdon (38-27 on Jan. 10), had to twice postpone matches down the stretch for undisclosed reasons -- including a home date with Phillipsburg that was set to decide the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. Junior Anthony Rossi (28-3 at 113) should be in the state medal hunt and his first District 17 title (one of six runners-up for Central in 2022) at the Field House on Saturday.

Rank	School	Record	Votes	Previous
1	St. Joseph-Montvale	(17-2)	160	2
2	Delbarton	(15-4)	152	1
3	Bergen Catholic	(13-4)	144	3
4	St. Peter's Prep	(17-2)	135	4
5	Southern	(19-1)	129	5
6	Delsea	(26-1)	120	6
7	Christian Bros. Academy	(9-9)	111	8
8	Paramus Catholic	(14-4)	103	7
9	Delaware Valley	(18-3)	87	12
10	Don Bosco Prep	(10-5)	83	15
11	St. Joseph-Metuchen	(17-5)	78	9
12	Phillipsburg	(15-3)	77	13
13	Warren Hills	(18-4)	58	14
14	Seton Hall Prep	(15-3)	50	NR
15	North Hunterdon	(15-5)	48	16
16	Kingsway	(16-9)	28	NR
17	Hunterdon Central	(17-4)	25	11
18	Jackson Memorial	(16-7)	24	NR
19	Camden Catholic	(14-5)	20	NR
20	St. John Vianney	(12-3)	19	10

Also receiving votes: Howell (22-7) 9; Washington Township (25-2) 6; West Essex (18-3) 5; Cranford (21-4) 4; Mount Olive (11-5) 4; Old Bridge (19-5) 3; High Point (12-9) 1; St. Augustine Prep (12-10) 1

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

Monday, February 13, 2023

Wrestling: North, Del Val pull off 34-year title first

Just call it Super Sunday for Hunterdon County, which is no stranger to winning state team championships.

But it took 34 years to pull off a daily double as North Hunterdon fended off a late surge for a 33-27 win over Jackson Memorial in the Group 4 final at Rutgers University. Shortly after, Delaware Valley went back-to-back in Group 1 with a 34-31 victory against 33-time champion Paulsboro in the afternoon session -- giving the county a pair of state titles for the first time since 1989, when the Terriers secured their fifth in Group 2 and Hunterdon Central (Group 4) won the program's only championship under legendary coach Russ Riegel.

North hoists its 2nd G4 trophy since 2020. (Chris Hrunka)

The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area went 3-2 with a representative in all five public finals as High Point won its seventh state title with a 36-34 win over Governor Livingston in the Group 2 final. Phillipsburg (Group 5) and Warren Hills (Group 3) fell in regular-season rematches. P'burg was thwarted twice by Southern (41-14 on Sunday and 42-12 on Jan. 19), while Warren Hills, seeking its third title and first since 1997, lost its third against Delsea in two seasons, 35-24.

The Blue Streaks, who also lost, 39-15, on Jan. 21, and 28-27 in last year's title match, did a nice job closing the gap from that 24-pointer a few weeks ago and could have made things even more interesting had they won the flip to control the first two matchups at 144 (where senior Ryan Lundy would have been favored to win) and 150. The result was a potential seven-point swing as the Crusaders got a pin and a major for the 10-0 lead.

North (15-5), which claimed the program's 17th sectional title on Wednesday, captured its sixth state championship overall and second Group 4 crown in three years under Chris Hrunka, who picked up his 95th win. The sixth-year coach also guided the first unbeaten team in Lions history when they capped a 20-0 season with a state title in the final tournament held at Toms River North.

Senior John Van Doren became an unlikely hero as he stunned Jackson with a 7-5 match-clinching decision on a takedown off the whistle in sudden-victory overtime in the next-to-last bout at 132 pounds. Van Doren (1-3), whose father, Mike, was a North legend and 1988 state champion, had been slowed by injuries this season after logging 14 wins as a starter in 2021-22. He returned just in time as North, which has gone 59-10 under this senior group with three sectional titles, needed one victory down the stretch to seal the deal.

Earlier, senior Brendan Raley and sophomore Joseph Celentano logged crucial wins at 285 and 106, along with Louis White's OT victory at 215.

Things started on a great note out of the gate as sophomore Evan Kinney scored an 11-0 major in the opening bout at 144 pounds. Senior Daniel DeLusant, a starter on that 2020 team, followed with a pin at 150, before the Lions hit the toughest stretch of Jackson's lineup.

The Jags, who knocked off 2022 champion Mount Olive in Friday's semifinals, reeled off three straight victories, including a technical fall by Cael Huxford at 157 and ace Luke Hamann's pin at 175 to take a 14-10 lead through five bouts.

Uryniak picked up his 100th win and 3rd sectional title.

But North's senior upper weights delivered with huge wins, starting with 2021 state placewinner Alex Uryniak's 54-second pin at 190. White's clutch 4-3 victory set the stage for a championship-making move up top pay off as Raley, an eighth-place state medalist at 215 in '22, escaped at the third-period buzzer for 2-1 win over previously-unbeaten heavyweight Ryan Fischer.

Raley (26-3), who is on the lighter side at his usual weight of 215, was giving away nearly 60 pounds and narrowly escaped Fischer's clutches much to the delight of North's bench.

Celentano really put North, now 6-3 overall in title matches, in the driver's seat with an 11-2 major of Jackson junior Joseph Weikel (20-9) with Lions ace Logan Wadle, a two-time state medalist, adding another major at 113 for his 98th career win and a commanding 30-14 lead.

NORTH HUNTERDON 33, JACKSON MEMORIAL 27
144 -- So. Evan Kinney (13-15), NH, md. So. Ryan Wolf (11-14), 11-0.
150 -- Sr. Daniel DeLusant (25-2), NH, p. Sr. Chris Wolf (8-16), 2:57.
157 -- Jr. Cael Huxford (10-1), JM, tf. Jr. Brian Wilson (17-11), 17-2, 4:16.
165 -- Jr. John Calamia (18-5), JM, d. Sr. Aaron Yarnell (8-17), 5-1.
175 -- Sr. Luke Hamann (31-2), JM, p. Sr. Thales Gondim (6-20), 3:10.
190 -- Sr. Alex Uryniak (29-1), NH, p. Sr. Paul Novello (7-6), :54.
215 -- Sr. Louis White (18-10), NH, d. Sr. Justin Krosnicki (5-7), 4-3 SV.
285 -- Sr. Brendan Raley (26-3), NH, d. Sr. Ryan Fischer (29-1), 2-1.
106 -- So. Joseph Celentano (23-9), NH, md. Jr. Joseph Weikel (20-9), 11-2.
113 -- Sr. Rudy Wadle (24-2), NH, md. Jr. Jay Seda (22-6), 10-2.
120 -- Jr. Luis Espinoza (17-14), JM, d. Jr. Shane Wysocki (13-16), 6-2.
126 -- Jr. Jonathan Espinoza (19-11), JM, md. Jr. Grant Goldan (5-12), 18-4.
132 -- Sr. John Van Doren (1-3), NH, d. Sr. Nikko Rucci (12-17), 7-5 SV.
138 -- Sr. Lucas Lipari (17-7), JM, forfeit.
Records -- North Hunterdon 15-5; Jackson Memorial 16-7.

Terriers on repeat

Delaware Valley was pegged the prohibitive Group 1 title favorite right from the start this season, but coach Andy Fitz's team didn't hit its stride until a major lineup shift solidified a championship run and back-to-back titles for the first time since winning four in a row during Fitz's time as a wrestler from 1987-90.

Del Val won its third state title since 2017.

With juniors Jake Taylor (113) and Matt Roche (132) along with sophomore Jaden Perez (120), each down a weight class, the Terriers were able to match up in huge wins against state-ranked Warren Hills (39-23) and Phillipsburg (33-27) in the span of two days in late January.

Del Val (18-3) sealed the program's 10th state title, which leads Hunterdon County and ranks sixth on the state's all-time list, when senior Garrett Tettemer horsed Paulsboro senior Doug King to his back for the pin in 29 seconds in the 12th bout at 165. Tettemer (15-0), who should make some noise in Atlantic City in a few weeks, went 21-9 for Del Val as a freshman before spending the previous two seasons at Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.), where he placed seventh in the PIAA Class AA state tournament in 2022.

Junior Anderson Olcott got the ball rolling for Del Val with a 49-second pin in the opening bout at 215, while junior Kyle Cooke held Paulsboro's Jordan Eli to an 11-6 decision as the heavyweight returned to the fold for the first time since the Terriers' 46-22 regular-season victory over Hanover Park on Jan. 21.

Paulsboro (20-4), which has won a state-best 33 championships in Group 1 in its illustrious history, fell for just the fourth time in 37 title match appearances and 3-4-1 all-time vs. Del Val. The Red Raiders, who dropped a 33-27 decision to the Terriers (now 10-8 overall in state finals and 3-2 under Andy Fitz) in last year's semifinals, tried to gain momentum with sophomore Hayden Holmes' tight 6-4 win over Taylor at 113, but junior Logan Sichelstiel's 2-1 loss to Roche at 126 really stung. Paulsboro won the next two, including Chase Bish's 8-1 win over Jackson Bush at 138 to cut its deficit to 16-15 through eight bouts.

But pins from junior Ben Levy (144) and senior Chris Colasurdo (150) stemmed the tide. Del Val had won the flip, which prompted Fitz to pump his fist in the air on his way back to the bench, and was able to control the matchup at 150, where Paulsboro was hoping to get state medalist Roman Onorato on Colasurdo in the attempt to win 150 and 157. Onorato decked Brayden Schneider at 150 to make it 28-21. But Tettemer, whose father, Scott was a 1985 region champ and member of the '84 and '85 Group 2 championship teams for Del Val, gave the Terriers an insurmountable 34-21 lead.

The win had to be extra sweet as Paulsboro tagged Delaware Valley with brutal losses in the 2019 Group 1 semis (61-9) and '20 title match (50-9). With 266 wins in his 16 seasons, Fitz will enter next season 18 shy of his father, Vince, who retired following the 1989-90 campaign as the program's winningest coach at 284-60-3 in his 19 seasons (including six Group 2 titles).

DELAWARE VALLEY 34, PAULSBORO 31

215 -- Jr. Anderson Olcott (24-6), DV, p. So. Jared Hazel (11-14), :49.

285 -- Sr. Jordan Eli (13-5), P, d. Jr. Kyle Cooke (10-11), 11-6.

106 -- Sr. Owen Kucharski (26-2), DV, d. Sr. Derrik Horton (19-13), 7-0.

113 -- So. Hayden Holmes (28-5), P, d. Jr. Jake Taylor (22-6), 6-4.

120 -- So. Jaden Perez (25-2), P, md. So. Aundre Hill (18-4), 12-2.

126 -- Jr. Matt Roche (26-8), DV, d. Jr. Logan Sichelstiel (29-5), 2-1.

132 -- Fr. Kyare Harvey (11-4), P, p. Fr. Michael Hasson (1-5), 2:33.

138 -- Jr. Chase Bish (30-4), P, d. So. Jackson Bush (23-8), 8-1.

144 -- Jr. Ben Levy (23-3), DV, p. Jr. Sean Daniels (15-11), 3:23.

150 -- Sr. Chris Colasurdo (22-4), DV, p. Fr. Sawyer Cabanas (18-8), 1:46.

157 -- Jr. Roman Onorato (30-5), P, p. Sr. Brayden Schneider (19-6), 4:28.

165 -- Sr. Garrett Tettemer (15-0), DV, p. Sr. Doug King (23-10), :29.

175 -- Jr. Luke Metz (11-14), P, p. Jr. Kevin Roman (18-12), 1:59.

190 -- Jr. Austin Willetts (12-18), P, md. Jr. August Savacool (11-9), 15-4.

Records -- Delaware Valley 18-3; Paulsboro 20-4.

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Wrestling: 'Cats scratch, claw back to top in Group 2

No one knows better than High Point's wrestling team that it's not where you start, but where you finish.

By design, iconic coach John Gardner puts his Wildcats to the test with a brutal regular-season schedule in preparation for what's to come down the line. That method to his madness paid off once again as pins from High Point juniors Dalton Yetter and Mason Mericle helped send the 'Cats to a 36-34 win over Governor Livingston in the Group 2 final on Sunday morning at Rutgers University.

It was a big day as a whole for the Hunterdon-Warren Sussex area as it led the way with three state titles. Delaware Valley won its second straight Group 1 title and 10th overall (eight in Group 2) with a 34-31 win over Paulsboro, while North Hunterdon captured its second Group 4 championship in three years with an impressive 33-27 victory against Jackson Memorial. Phillipsburg (Group 5) and Warren Hills (Group 3) were runners-up.

Del Val (18-3) went back-to-back for the first time since winning four straight in Group 2 from 1987-90. North (15-5) picked up the program's sixth state championship and second under coach Chris Hrunka, who led the Lions to their only unbeaten season (20-0) with a title in 2020 -- giving Hunterdon County a pair of champions for the first time since 1989 (Hunterdon Central in Group 4 and Delaware Valley in Group 2).

High Point picked up its second G2 title in 3 years.

High Point (12-9), which stood at 5-5 on Jan. 21 and took on Group 5 kingpin (Southern) and the Group 3 (Delsea) champion and runner-up (Warren Hills) along the way, is back on top in Group 2 following last year's disappointing 37-27 loss to Raritan in the title match at Franklin High School.

In doing so, the 'Cats earned the program's 780th victory in 57 seasons and seventh state championship -- matching Pope John and moving one back of archrival Kittatinny, which ranks 10th on the state's all-time list with eight, for the Sussex County lead. Sparta (Group 2 in 1983) is the only other county program to win a state title.

"The goal is not to go undefeated in [dual meets], but to be ready when it comes time for Groups," Gardner, who is 406-122-2 in 25 seasons, said leading up to the 2022 postseason.

In all, High Point, which sits behind only Paulsboro (42) and Phillipsburg (40) with 30 sectional titles in New Jersey wrestling history, is now 7-11 in state championship matches -- winning its first in 2008 and all seven (two in Group 3) under Gardner, a 1990 state champion and member of four sectional championship teams guided by former coach Jeff Hull.

Governor Livingston (17-4), making its first finals appearance after winning the program's third sectional title (1980 and '81 were the others), was another surprise story of this postseason after knocking off top-seeded Raritan, 37-30, in the Rockets' home gym in Friday's Group 2 semis.

It wasn't exactly an ideal starting weight at 144 pounds, as High Point dropped the first three bouts to fall behind 13-0. But senior Will Gomez (144) and junior Eli Nosal (150) did their jobs by saving a few team points and senior Shane Woolf delivered a clutch 7-4 win at 165 -- scoring four unanswered points in the third period to erase a 4-3 deficit. That was one High Point was counting on and needed to gain some momentum.

The next big story was Yetter (8-3), who rejoined the team on Jan. 20, after sitting out the first half of the season and watching from the stands. Yetter, who showed promise as a sophomore with a 7-10 mark, ignited the bench when he slapped on an airtight cradle to deck James Daoulabani in 3:23.

High Point now stands

Mericle (17-14), who's come along nicely this season under the tutelage of former 'Cats state champ and assistant coach Billy Smith, wasted little time in flattening his opponent with an arm bar at 215. Senior Arik Hums (23-9) picked up a forfeit win at 285 after giving one two bouts earlier at 190 to give High Point its first lead at 21-19 through eight bouts.

Gardner has been impressed by freshman 106-pounder John Barron all season and the freshman showed why getting a takedown with six second left for a thrilling 8-6 sudden-victory win over Christian Sabatino, who dealt Barron a 6-1 loss at the Brick Memorial Mustang Classic in late December.

Barron (15-14) was in good shape with a 4-2 lead after two periods and a 6-4 advantage with a reversal after Sabatino scored his only takedown in the third. But Sabatino also got his second reversal with 41 seconds left on the clock to force overtime.

That put High Point in the driver's seat at 24-19 with five bouts to go, and pins by Nick Clayton (120) and Roman Citro (126), two rocks in the lower weights and among only six winners in last year's title match against Raritan, sealed championship No. 7. Citro (22-3), who has been plagued by injuries during his career, gave the 'Cats an insurmountable 36-22 lead through 12 bouts as he needed just 33 seconds to stick Henrique Ribeiro with a cradle.

With just four starters in the lineup on Sunday, High Point could very well be back in the Group 2 mix next season. And you can bet the 'Cats, who crave team championships above individual awards, will be battled tested for another championship run.

HIGH POINT 36, GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON 34

144 -- So. Cristian Gioia (24-6), GL, md. Sr. Will Gomez (3-12), 15-2.
150 -- Sr. Dante Gioia (26-5), GL, d. Jr. Eli Nosal (8-7), 7-0.
157 -- So. Jake Kreisberg (21-4), GL, p. So. Nick Marangi (4-19), 1:49.
165 -- Sr. Shane Woolf (23-8), HP, d. Jr. Joseph Dasti (15-3), 7-4.
175 -- Jr. Dalton Yetter (8-3), HP, p. Jr. James Daoulabani (10-14), 3:22.
190 -- So. Nathan Faxon (24-4), GL, forfeit.
215 -- Jr. Mason Mericle (17-14), HP, p. Sr. James Rubino (12-16), 1:05.
285 -- Sr. Arik Hums (23-9), HP, forfeit.
106 -- Fr. John Barron (15-14), HP, d. Jr. Christian Sabatino (23-7), 8-6 SV.
113 -- So. Brandon Rayack (16-2), GL, d. So. Colton Jaust (14-13), 6-2.
120 -- So. Nick Clayton (23-9), HP, p. So. Henrique Ribeiro (18-5), 2:55.
126 -- Sr. Roman Citro (22-3), HP, p. So. Vincent Capone (9-12), :33.
132 -- Sr. Jack Huss (16-13), GL, forfeit.
138 -- Sr. Allan Batista (19-13), GL, forfeit.
Records -- High Point 12-9; Governor Livingston 17-4.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Wrestling: Five to rep HWS in public state finals

Trust in the process. That's basically been the message delivered by iconic High Point coach John Gardner to his Wildcats prior to each season since the program won its first state title in 2008.

Since that time, High Point has enjoyed great success having twice been named the No. 1 team in New Jersey (2008 and '11) to go with 12 sectional titles and an additional five state championships. All of this while navigating one of the most brutal schedules among public schools in preparation for this time of year.

'Cats celebrate their semifinal win (Rhonda Gaccione)

Well, High Point is once again on the brink of a state title as the 'Cats earned their fifth consecutive berth in the Group 2 final with a 40-23 win over Haddonfield in one semifinal clash on Friday night.

High Point (11-9) will square off against upstart Governor Livingston in the title match at 11 a.m. on Sunday at Rutgers University's Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway. Governor Livingston (17-3), which was coming off the program's third sectional title, handed 2022 Group 2 champion Raritan a 37-30 loss in the other semifinal to send the Highlanders to their first state final.

Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex schools, which have crowned an area-best three champions on six occasions including 2022, landed spots in all five public state finals as the locals went 5-1 in the semis, where Phillipsburg (Group 5), North Hunterdon (Group 4), Warren Hills (Group 3) and Delaware Valley (Group 1) also extended their dual seasons.

Gardner will be the first to admit that his team's schedule -- an annual gauntlet -- was a bit ambitious given this was such a young squad coming off last year's tough 37-27 loss to Raritan in the Group 2 final. The season record may not be pretty, but it's not about regular-season wins.

High Point ranks 3rd in NJ with 30 sectional titles

The 'Cats, who seek their seventh state championship (only Kittatinny (8) and Pope John (7) have more among Sussex County programs), were primed for postseason success having wrestled in duals against state powers Southern and Delsea -- both title favorites in Group 5 and 3 -- as well Mount Olive (last year's Group 4 champion), Warren Hills (Group 3 runner-up in 2002), Hunterdon Central (a 2022 sectional runner-up) and St. John Vianney (tops in Non-Public B this season).

And who can argue with Gardner's methods, which included a trip to a local park in Haddonfield prior to the match for a little team bonding and a friendly game of frisbee, which would surely please the legendary Gary "Gimp" Brownell. And what's more, High Point wrestlers focus solely on this time of year more than any other and will gladly take a team title over any individual success.

'Liners, Streaks eye redemption

Phillipsburg and Warren Hills have some scores to settle on Super Bowl Sunday as both earned state rematches with semifinal wins.

The Stateliners, who cruised to a 47-23 victory over Howell, will battle for the program's 24th state championship (No. 23 came with a 51-8 waxing of Howell in 2022) and second straight in Group 5 against Southern at 1:30 p.m. That will be no easy task as the Rams, ranked as the state's top public school, handed P'burg a 42-12 loss on Jan. 19.

Star sophomore Gavin Hawk ignited the P'burg bench and sent the team on its way to the finals by decking Giovanni Scafidi, a fellow 2022 state qualifier, in 5:54 in a key matchup at 132 pounds.

P'burg last won back-to-back titles in 2014-18

Phillipsburg (15-2), which hosted its first semifinal since 1999 as the tournaments moved from host schools to one site in 2002, is 1-2 in its last three title appearances (losing to Kingsway in 2019 and North Hunterdon in '20) after previously winning five straight from 2014-18. Southern owns a 9-7 overall edge in a series dating to 1997, but the teams have split six previous postseason meetings including a 27-25 win for P'burg in last year's Group 5 semifinals. The 'Liners are also 2-1 in title matches -- winning Group 4 championship clashes with the Rams in 1997 (53-9) and 2014 (32-21).

Warren Hills, coming off its second straight sectional championship, rolled to a 60-9 thumping of Old Tappan in a Group 3 semifinal clash in Washington Township. The Blue Streaks (18-3) collected six pins (including senior Jarett Pantuso (27-2) who picked up his 79th career win with a fall in one minute even at 285) and dropped only two bouts to the Bergen County school, which captured the program's first sectional title on Wednesday.

Hills, which won state titles in 1990 and '97, faces South Jersey power Delsea for a third time in two seasons in the Group 3 final on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Crusaders (25-1), who are 3-9 all-time in title matches, handed the Streaks their first finals loss in three appearances with a 29-28 victory in 2022 and followed that up with a 39-15 win when the teams met earlier this season in the Jack Welch Duals semifinals on Jan. 21.

Hunterdon heavyweights

Delaware Valley and North Hunterdon are carrying the county flag as each seeks titles in Group 1 and Group 4, respectively.

Del Val knocked off Hanover Park for the second time this season with a 45-24 semifinal win at Daniel Hutchins Memorial Gymnasium. The Terriers (17-3), who have won nine state titles and beat the Hornets 46-22 on Jan. 21, look to go back-to-back against Paulsboro in a rematch of last year's Group 1 semifinal on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Del Val looks to repeat for the first time since winning four straight Group 2 titles from 1987-90 under Vince Fitz. Current coach Andy Fitz wrestled for his father during those championship seasons.

Paulsboro (20-3), which has won an astounding 33 titles in Group 1 including 25 straight from 1983-2007, ended Kittatinny's bid for a ninth championship and the program's 670th win with a 39-21 victory in the other semifinal despite a long trek from South Jersey to Hampton Township. The Red Raiders, now 37-3 all-time in Group 1 semifinals, suffered just their third semis loss since the event formed in 1982, when Del Val prevailed 33-27 a year ago in Alexandria Township. Veteran coach Paul Morina's teams handed the Terriers lopsided losses in the 2019 semis (61-9) and '20 final (50-9).

North celebrates its 17th sectional title. (NH social media)

Kittatinny (12-6), which captured its last state title in 2008, won just five bouts against Paulsboro as the Red Raiders held a 29-9 lead after taking six of the first eight bouts, including a rare disqualification victory for stalling at 138. The match also featured a pair of legendary coaches as the Cougars' John Gill (637) and Morina (768) have combined for 1,405 victories, 66 sectional and 41 state titles.

North Hunterdon stayed in the title hunt with a 36-31 win over Shawnee in a Group 4 semifinal at the Lions Den in Clinton Township. North (14-5), which won the last of its five championships (second only to Del Val's nine in the county) to cap the program's only unbeaten season by going 20-0 in 2020, is set to face red-hot Jackson Memorial in Sunday's title match at 11 a.m.

North, which dropped a 38-27 decision to Brick Memorial in last year's Group 4 semifinals, issued forfeits in the final three bouts with the match clinched against Shawnee. Lions ace Alex Uryniak, a 2021 state medalist who joined the program's 100-wins club with a pin in Wednesday's sectional title win against Watchung Hills, had one of the team's three falls against Shawnee.

Coach Chris Hrunka's team is seeing several unheralded starters rise to the occasion, including seniors Aaron Yarnell (8-16) with a key pin vs. Watchung and senior Thales Gondim (6-19), who scored a 7-4 decision at 175 pounds against Shawnee.

Sunday's schedule and matchups:

Group 5

1-Southern (18-1) vs. 2-Phillipsburg (15-2), 1:30 p.m.

Group 4

3-Jackson Memorial (16-6) vs. 1-North Hunterdon (14-5), 11 a.m.

Group 3

2-Warren Hills (18-3) vs. 1-Delsea (25-1), 11 a.m.

Group 2

4-Governor Livingston (17-3) vs. 3-High Point (11-9), 11 a.m.

Group 1

3-Paulsboro (20-3) vs. 1-Delaware Valley (17-3), 1:30 p.m.

Non-Public A final

1-Delbarton (15-3) vs. 2-St. Joseph-Montvale (16-2), 1:30 p.m.

Non-Public B final

1-St. John Vianney (12-2) vs. 2-Camden Catholic (13-5), 11 a.m.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Wrestling: It's 6 HWS title wins, 100 for Uryniak

It's getting to be old habit in these wrestling parts as far as collecting sectional titles.

For the third time in the last four tournaments and 20th overall in 43 events since 1980 (none were held in 2021 due to COVID-19), the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area produced at least six team champions as Phillipsburg, North Hunterdon, Warren Hills, High Point, Delaware Valley and Kittatinny all repeated on Wednesday night.

The area fell one shy of its record seven, which was done in 2022 and also accomplished in 1988, '94, '95 and 2002. Hunterdon Central (Central Jersey, Group 5) and Sparta (North 1, Group 3) were upended in their title matches.

Looking good at 40

Phillipsburg (14-2) captured its area-best 40th sectional championship and second straight in North 2, Group 5 with a 46-17 waxing of Westfield in Lopatcong Township. The Stateliners, now 7-0 all-time vs. Westfield and 40-3 overall in title matches (missing only in 1990-Warren Hills, 2013-Hunterdon Central and 2020-North Hunterdon), now seek the program's 24th state title as they host Howell in one Group 5 semifinal on Friday. It's a rematch of last year's state final in which P'burg steamrolled the Rebels, 51-8, to capture No. 23. The winner will likely earn a finals date against Southern, which already owns wins over North 1 champion Passaic Tech (67-0 on Jan. 25) and Phillipsburg (42-12 on Jan. 19).

The 'Liners racked up four pins, including junior John Wargo's match-sealing 41-second fall at 285 that made it an insurmountable 37-17 lead with two bouts to go. P'burg picked up bonus points in nine of 10 wins, not including a forfeit in the final bout at 113, including first-period pins by Gavin Hawk (26-4) and Connor Hille (20-5).

Howell (22-6) advanced with a thrilling 34-33 win over Hunterdon Central in the Central Jersey sectional final at the Field House. The Rebels, who ended the Red Devils' run a year ago with a 31-26 victory in the title match, gave P'burg another home match as Central (16-4) would have hosted that state semi against the 'Liners due to having more power points. Instead, the Red Devils were denied in their bid for the program's 23rd sectional title and first since 2019.

All points North

North Hunterdon added to its trophy collection behind a strong senior group that's enjoyed plenty of postseason success with a 34-32 victory over Watchung Hills in an All-Skyland Conference final in North 2, Group 4 at the Lions Den.

North matched Voorhees with its 17th sectional title.

North (13-5), which won its third title in four years (no tournaments in 2021), will next host two-time South Jersey winner Shawnee in one semifinal while Mount Olive, which won the Group 4 title last season, takes on the suddenly-hot Jackson Memorial as the Jags ousted 2022 state runner-up Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey title match.

Speaking of seniors, North ace Alex Uryniak got the ball rolling against Watchung with a 29-second pin in the opening bout at 190 pounds. It also was a milestone victory for Uryniak (100-16), who became the 13th Lions wrester and first since fellow state medalist Andrew Gapas (2018) to hit the century mark. Uryniak was one of the catalysts in North's first unbeaten run (20-0) to the Group 4 title in 2020. Senior Aaron Yarnell (8-15) was also among the key contributors vs. Watchung with an 8-0 major in the 12th bout of the night at 157 pounds, along with sophomore Vincenzo Darrow (6-9), who added a 7-4 win four bouts earlier at 132. Coach Chris Hrunka's teams are now 54-10 over the past four seasons.

Quite the Streak

Warren Hills accomplished something the program had done just once previously as the Blue Streaks captured their seventh sectional title and second straight in North 2, Group 3 with an impressive 41-21 win over Cranford in Washington Township. The victory also avenged a 33-22 loss to the Cougars in the 2017 title match.

Hills (17-3), which last went back-to-back in 1997-98, earned a date with Old Tappan, which won its first sectional title, in one of the Group 3 semifinals. Reigning state champion Delsea (24-1), which handed the Streaks a 29-28 loss in last year's state final and a 39-15 defeat in the Jack Welch Duals semifinals on Jan. 21, takes on South Plainfield in the other semifinal.

Sectional Champs!!!!!!!!!!! We are back on Friday night for the Group 3 Semi Finals! #pushthepace pic.twitter.com/VFkZC9cVGK
— Warren Hills Wrestling (@WHR_Wrestling) February 9, 2023

Freshman Davey Rhinehart was among the heroes for Warren Hills with his 12-1 major of Cranford freshman Ryder Connors in what was considered among the key bouts at 113 pounds. Rhinehart (25-7), whose father, David, was a starter on the Streaks' 1997 Group 3 championship team, put Connors on his back twice in building an 8-0 lead through two periods, before turning and nearly decking Connors again in the third to give Hills a 24-15 lead through nine bouts. Sophomore Charlie Piccione (120) and junior Josh Lee (132) followed with key victories before senior Shawn Redfield sealed the deal with a pin (career win No. 86) in the next-to-last bout at 138.

Getting the flip was instrumental in the victory as well in what looked on paper to be a much tighter dual as it allowed Hills, now 6-9 all-time in sectional finals and 34-20 overall in the postseason, to maneuver away in the second bout from Cranford ace Jordan Chapman (28-3 at 157), whose last loss came in December in the fifth-place match at the Beast of the East. Streaks senior Cody Miller bumped to 165 and logged a 10-5 win before senior Michael Drazek added a technical fall victory at 175. The Cougars were also shorthanded up top as they issued forfeits at 215 and 285.

Winning ways in Wantage

High Point maintained its sectional dominance in North 1, Group 2 as the Wildcats rolled to a 43-22 win over Jefferson to earn their Sussex County-best 30th championship and sixth straight in as many tournaments.

HP picked up its 778th victory. (Rhonda Gaccione)

Coach John Gardner's team, which also dealt Jefferson a 39-27 loss on Jan. 5 and hasn't lost a sectional final since a 44-19 defeat against Emerson-Park Ridge in 2016, will make the long bus ride down to South Jersey (much like Collingswood did to Wantage in last year's state semifinals). High Point will next battle Haddonfield, while state title favorite Raritan hosts Governor Livingston in the other Group 2 matchup.

High Point junior Eli Nosal delivered a match-turning victory in the third bout against Jefferson at 144 pounds with a 6-4 decision over Christian Gould, a Morris County Tournament runner-up. Nosal (7-6) got the home crowd fire up when he rolled through a headlock attempt by Gould with just seven seconds left on the clock in the third period and came out on top with the winning takedown at the edge of the circle.

Junior Carson Citro's 5-1 decision at 106 pounds helped High Point sweep the final four bouts as the 'Cats won six of the last seven to derail Jefferson's bid for its eighth sectional title and first since 2000. The Falcons also lost here in the 2017 and '18 championship matches. The six straight for High Point is a program first since winning seven consecutive titles from 1986-92. Gardner, a 1990 state champ for the 'Cats, went 4-0 as a wrestler on the 1987-90 teams. That '90 club finished as the Group 3 runner-up.

Party on the Beach

Delaware Valley kept on rolling in pursuit of a second straight state title in a 78-3 rout of Point Pleasant Beach in a rematch of last year's Central Jersey, Group 1 sectional final at Daniel Hutchins Memorial Gym. Coach Andy Fitz's teams, now 7-4 in sectional title matches and 7-0 since a 31-30 victory over Raritan in 2015, handed Point Pleasant Beach a 68-6 loss in 2022. Del Val now has 21 sectional titles (seven since 2015) -- one shy of Hunterdon Central's county-best 22.

The Terriers, who dropped just three bouts and outscored their three sectional opponents 231-12, earned another rematch with Hanover Park, which dropped a 46-22 decision to the Terriers on Jan. 21, in one Group 1 semifinal, while Kittatinny hosts Paulsboro on Friday night. A year ago, Del Val handed Paulsboro just its second loss (33-27) in 39 career Group 1 semis appearances since the event formed in 1982 (no tournament in 2021).

Kittatinny goes back-to-back for 1st time since 2016-17 (Twitter)

Del Val senior Chris Colasurdo picked up his 65th career win by flattening Connor Loughran in 1:15 -- one of 13 pins for the Terriers, including 10 in the first period.

Kittatinny captured its second straight sectional title and 24th overall under legendary coach John Gill with a 45-21 victory over Emerson-Park Ridge in the North 1 final in Hampton Township. The Cougars, who won the last of their eight state titles in 2008, fell, 46-20, to Del Val on Jan. 7.

Junior Tucker Lockburner helped Kittatinny seize momentum in the opening bout at 190 pounds by decking Jacob Shannon in 3:02. Lockburner (22-4) was considered a slight underdog against Shannon, who was 22-3 entering the contest. Junior Alex Laoudis (12-11) followed up with a pin at 215 and the Cougars were on their way. Junior Bryce Coesfeld picked up his 60th career win and clinched the match with a 10-4 decision over Jake Falotico in the 12th bout at 157.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Wrestling: Public semis, Non-Public finals matchups

Pairings for the public semifinals in Groups 1-5 set for Friday at the higher seed and the Non-Public A and B state finals. Winners on the public side advance to Sunday's state championships at Rutgers University (Groups 2, 3, 4 and B at 11 a.m. Groups 1, 5 and A at 1:30 p.m.).

The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area produced at least six sectional champions for the third time in the last four tournaments as Phillipsburg (North 2, Group 5), North Hunterdon (North 2, Group 4), Warren Hills (North 2, Group 3), Delaware Valley (Central Jersey, Group 1) and Kittatinny (North 1, Group 1) are set to host on Friday, while High Point (North 1, Group 2) travels to South Jersey.