Wrestling: Phillipsburg at Kittatinny preview, lineups

What: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. Kittatinny Cougars.

Where: Kittatinny Regional High School, Hampton Township.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Conference: Independent.

TV/Radio: Service Electric (Sussex) Channel 10 with Mugs Media (tape delay).

Records: Phillipsburg 10-0; Kittatinny 15-1.

State rankings (New Jersey Wrestling Writers): Phillipsburg No. 4; Kittatinny No. 12.

Coaches: Dave Post (52-13, fourth season); John Gill (501-150-5, 34th season).

Series history: Phillipsburg leads 12-6 dating to 1994, including last year's 34-22 win at The Pit. Kittatinny has dropped three straight since a 41-34 win at home in 2010, and is 2-8 at The Pit -- winning there in 2004 and '06. 'Liners have won six of seven since snapping a four-match skid from 2003-06. No meeting during the 1997-98 season.

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

106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (22-1) vs. So. Taylor Molfetto (15-10) or Fr. Kasey Hotz (16-10).

113 -- So. Tyler Agans (7-11) vs. Hotz or Molfetto.

120 -- So. DJ Wissing (16-8) vs. So. Nick Klinger (24-4).

126 -- Sr. Tylor Petchonka (9-10) vs. Sr. Christian Silva (18-10).

132 -- Jr. Steve Friedman (11-10) vs. So. Austin Scrivani (22-5).

138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (15-5) vs. Sr. Nick West (10-13).

145 -- Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (16-3) or Sr. Garrett Wolfinger (8-4) vs. Jr. Trevor Schutte (0-8).

152 -- Jr. Max Elling (21-4) vs. Sr. Nick Romyns (14-3).

160 -- Sr. Broderick Bupivi (17-8) vs. Sr. Tyler Parkyn (5-14).

170 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (23-2) vs. Sr. Kieran Gerrity (25-3) or Sr. Dylan Wunder (21-7).

182 -- Jr. Tim Hinkle (6-7) vs. Wunder or Gerrity.

195 -- Jr. Joe Maso (13-6) vs. Sr. Garrett Armstrong (23-5).

220 -- Fr. Drew Horun (14-6) vs. Sr. Andrew Simpson (20-7).

285 -- Fr. Justen Caraballo (0-1) vs. Sr. Tom Smith (20-7).

Breakdown: Always fun when these two programs get together. On paper, this figures to be anywhere from a four- to 20-point spread depending on the matchups. Another big question is whether Kittatinny will have Molfetto (hand injury) back in the lineup. If not, the Cougars will forfeit either 106 or 113. That's potentially a nine-point swing, though Agans is coming on of late and will be favored to win. Straight up, P'burg has the edge at 106, 113, 138, 145, 160 and 170 while the hosts have it at 120, 126, 132, 182, 195 and 285. I'd say 152 (Elling-Romyns) and 220 are tossups, though Horun is coming off a big win against Delaware Valley's Brian Baehr, who has been pinned twice by Simpson. Kocsis beat Gerrity, 5-3, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals, while Scrivani beat Friedman, 13-6, and Silva defeated Petchonka, 12-3, in that tournament. Another potential key matchup here is Schuitema-Romyns. Depending on where the night starts and finishes, you'd expect P'burg to insert Wolfinger at 145 or 152 and bump in accordance with its dual lineup. In doing so, the 'Liners would have a chance to win both weights, as Wolfinger will be favored against Schutte. They would also be favored at 220 with Maso vs. Simpson, and Horun is certainly capable of winning at 285. Expect Kittatinny to weigh in Gerrity and Wunder at 170, in order to get that Gerrity-Kocsis rematch. The Cougars will likely need it to win the meet, along with sweeping the upper weights and staying off their backs in several spots as getting bonus points will be tough to come by against a pretty balanced P'burg squad. Even if the matchups go Kittatinny's way, it will be tough to overcome the bonus points it will surely give up.

Prediction: Phillipsburg, 35-20.

Wrestling: Region 1 individual rankings

106 pounds

1. So. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg

2. So. Garrett O’Shea, Morris Knolls

3. So. Troy Stanich, Roxbury

4. Jr. Mojahed Hamdeh, Wayne Hills

5. Jr. Dominic Koert, Pope John

Notes: O'Shea (17-2) has not wrestled at 106 since Dec. 27, but he should be down for the postseason as he's been there for the early season tournaments. Teammate Daniel Percelay (18-3) has bounced between 106 and 113. Stanich (17-3) took on two of New Jersey's top 106-pounders -- losing 3-0 to Alec Kelly of St. Peter's Prep and 12-8 to Jonathan Tropea of St. Joseph-Montvale on Saturday, his first defeat since a technical fall loss to Delbarton stud Ty Agaisse on Jan. 4. Hamdeh scored an 8-2 win over Wayne Valley's Brandon Davis on Saturday en route to the Passaic County Tournament title.

113 pounds

1. Sr. Austin Sisco, Pope John

2. Fr. Matt Valli, Warren Hills
3. Fr. Richard Reimers, Roxbury
4. Jr. Trevor Morales, Newton
5. Jr. Dan Kee, Lakeland

Notes: Valli (15-5) saw a seven-match win streak end with a 12-4 loss to Paramus' Ryan Freeman on Saturday. Morales went 5-0 over the weekend at the Jack Welch Duals. Reimers (14-5) dropped a 3-0 decision to St. Joseph-Montvale's Jason DalCortivo on Saturday. Pompton Lakes' Kyle Flynn, who has three losses to Boonton's Anthony Fajardo, lost a 3-2 decision to Kee, a Region 1 qualifier last season, on Saturday in their PCT final. Flynn drops out and Kee (15-1) enters at No. 5. Jefferson freshman Mark Bohn (17-6) recently dropped to 113 for one match, so we'll see if he stays down. He lost to Morales, 4-2, on Dec. 30 when both were at 120.

120 pounds

1. Jr. A.J. Vindici, Randolph

2. Jr. William Kui, DePaul

3. Jr. Dom Gallo, High Point

4. So. Nick Klinger, Kittatinny

5. So. Joe Renne, Hackettstown

Notes: Vindici (21-0) earned a 6-1 win over Renne on Saturday -- one of just four wins for Vindici that haven't ended with a pin or technical fall. He also beat Renne, 6-3 on Dec. 27 and Klinger, 4-2, on Dec. 21. Kui (19-5) finished second in the PCT, losing a 6-2 decision to Clifton's Jean DuBois, who finished fourth in the state tournament at 113 last season with a 1-0 loss to Vindici for the bronze. Gallo was solid in a 5-2 win over Klinger on Friday.

126 pounds

1. Sr. Bryan Damon, Jefferson

2. Jr. Matt Noble, DePaul
3. Sr. Tyler Hrycak, Wayne Valley

4. Sr. Matt Ritchie, North Warren
5. Sr. Christian Silva, Kittatinny

Notes: Word from the Kittatinny-Jefferson match on Monday is that Damon, who earned a 3-0 win over Silva, will be dropping to 120. Damon (20-2) stays until he does drop. Noble (22-2) cemented his position with a 5-3 win over Hrycak (19-2) -- who also lost a 3-1 decision in their previous meeting on Jan, 4 -- in the Passaic County Tournament finals. But things are a little complicated at Nos. 4 and 5. Silva (17-10) beat West Morris' Dylan Luciano, 5-4, on Saturday, but Luciano pinned Ritchie, who has beaten Silva three times this season, creating a round robin. Tough call, but Ritchie and Silva have better bodies of work, so Luciano slides out for now.

132 pounds

1. Jr. Mike Derin, High Point

2. Sr. Devon LaFranco, Roxbury

3. So. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny
4. Jr. Steve Friedman, Phillipsburg
5. Jr. Michael Nigro, Morris Knolls

Notes: Derin was impressive in a 16-9 win over Scrivani on Friday. Expect those two to see each other down the road. LaFranco was on the short end of a 6-1 decision in sudden victory to St. Peter's Prep's Sonny Simonetti on Saturday. Scrivani, who earned a 13-6 win over Friedman in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals on Jan. 11, could hook up for a second time this season on Friday. Nigro lost 9-7 to Derin in a dual on Jan. 14. Sparta's Ian Burke was No. 4 here last week, but word is he's staying at 138 for the rest of the season. So, Nigro enters here for the first time.  

138 pounds

1. Jr. Max Nauta, Warren Hills
2. Jr. Anthony Fano, Montville
3. Jr. David Migliaccio, West Morris
4. Jr. Corey Zinsmeister, Phillipsburg
5. Jr. Eric Friedman, Mendham

Notes: Fano (18-1) moves up a spot following Migliaccio's 5-3 UTB win over Zinsmeister on Tuesday at The Pit. Sparta junior Ian Burke, who was No. 4 at 132, apparently will be here for the remainder of the season. There's no room for him in this top five. Friedman (20-2) holds steady at No. 5 after a 3-2 UTB win over Roxbury's Jake Legotte on Saturday. One of Friedman's losses is a 7-2 decision to Paramus' Joe Trovato, fifth in the state at 120 last season. By comparison, Nauta lost to Trovato, 6-3, on Saturday.

145 pounds

1. Jr. David McFadden, DePaul
2. Jr. Jimmy Schuitema, Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Jason Gaccione, High Point

4. So. Craig Roumes, Roxbury
5. Jr. David Zeppetelli, West Milford

Notes: McFadden (24-1) decked Zeppetelli in 1:53 to win the PCT championship. Schuitema followed up his big win over Gaccione with a 10-7 victory over Kyle Baker of Easton (Pa.), a two-time fourth-place finisher in District 11 Class AAA, on Thursday. Gaccione rebounded with five wins (three pins) last week, including a bizarre victory by injury default against Sean Glasgow, a state qualifier for East Brunswick last season. Glasgow was apparently not 100 percent, but took the mat despite a lopsided dual meet. 

152 pounds

1. Jr. Max Elling, Phillipsburg

2. Sr. Nick Romyns, Kittatinny
3. Jr. Luke Bohn, Jefferson
4. Sr. Chris Auer, High Point
5. Sr. Ron Spera, Mount Olive

Notes: Elling (20-4) has moved up to 160 quite a bit when P'burg enacts its dual meet lineup, but will be here for the postseason. Romyns, who beat Auer, 8-2, on Friday, is getting back in the swing of things after missing time with a knee injury and is five wins shy of 100 for his career. Romyns may see Elling, or possibly Schuitema on Friday. Bohn has missed some time for undisclosed reasons, but is expected back in the lineup this weekend. He missed Jefferson's 48-21 loss to Kittatinny and a possible matchup with Romyns on Monday. DePaul's Spencer Carey (20-5) finished second in the PCT.

160 pounds

1. Sr. Broderick Bupivi, Phillipsburg

2. Sr. Steven Acevedo, Morris Hills
3. Sr. Tommy Hooker, High Point

4. So. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls
5. Sr. Nick Carey, DePaul

Notes: Carey bumped to 170 and finished second in the PCT. Wayne Hills' Daniel Kilroy (15-3), who has split with Carey this season, won the 160-pound county championship. You have to figure there'll be some movement among the loaded 145 and 152 classes, perhaps some coming here for the postseason. Hooker had a couple of tough ones on Saturday -- falling 7-5 in sudden victory to Bergen Catholic's Jordan Pagano, a state qualifier for South Brunswick a year ago, and 5-1 to Bound Brook's Josh Ugalde, who finished sixth in the state last season. Drugac (19-2) entered the week with five straight falls.

170 pounds

1. Sr. Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury

2. Sr. Jake Kocsis, Phillipsburg
3. Sr. Kieran Gerrity, Kittatinny

4. Jr. Kevin Merle, Belvidere

5. Sr. Zach D’Apolito, Wayne Valley

Notes: Artigliere (22-0) entered the week with 16 pins and surprisingly only three forfeits. He entered the week with an overall mark of 136-8 overall, and is an easy choice to win a Morris County Tournament title this weekend at Mount Olive. Kocsis dropped a 5-3 decision on Gerrity in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals on Jan. 11, so we'll see if they match up again on Friday, though Kocsis will likely go 182 for that one. D'Apolito finished third in the PCT. 

182 pounds

1. Sr. Sam Button, Mendham

2. Jr. Nick DePalma, DePaul

3. Jr. D.J. Barrett, Lenape Valley

4. Sr. Dylan Wunder, Kittatinny

5. Sr. Jose Delgado, Morris Hills

Notes: Button (20-1) keeps rolling along, entering the week with a 10-match win streak since a 9-2 loss to Delbarton's Josef Johnson, who was seventh in the state at 160 last season. They could very well meet against in this weekend's Morris County Tournament. Button also earned a 7-1 win over Mount Olive's Anthony Colabella, who was awarded a victory when he could not continue after an illegal slam by Delgado on Thursday. Mount Olive won the dual, 39-33. DePalma (21-5) cruised to the PCT championship with two pins and a win by technical fall in the finals.

195 pounds

1. Sr. Kyle Stoll, High Point

2. Sr. Anthony Landberg, Wayne Valley

3. Sr. Garrett Armstrong, Kittatinny

4. Jr. Gus Protogeropoulos, Newton
5. Jr. Joe Maso, Phillipsburg

Notes: Stoll and Armstrong did not meet for a second time this season as Armstrong bumped to 220 and lost a 2-1 decision to High Point's Bobby McDonnell, No. 1 there. Stoll (20-5) also posted a 1-0 win over Sparta's Gavin Lally last Thursday. Armstrong decked Jefferson's Tyler Zimmerman, a Region 1 semifinalist last season, on Monday to clinch coach John Gill's 500th victory. Landberg (18-1) cruised to the PCT championship with three first-period pins. Hoping for Armstrong-Protogeropoulos on Wednesday night. Protogeropoulos hit some stiff competition at the Jack Welch Duals last weekend, as he dropped a 13-6 decision to Holy Cross' Matt Correnti, seventh in the state at 182 last year, and 6-0 to Christian Brothers' Michael Oxley. 

220 pounds

1. Sr. Justin Walker, Wayne Valley

2. Sr. Jesse Windt, West Morris
3. Sr. Bobby McDonnell, High Point
4. So. Scott Lavelle, DePaul

5. Sr. Robert Hajnos, Jefferson

Notes: Windt (21-1), who had 17 pins entering the week. leaps to No. 2 after decking Kittatinny's Garrett Armstrong on Saturday. McDonnell, who was No. 1 here, exacted a measure of revenge with Friday's 2-1 win over Armstrong, who won all three of their meetings last season, including an 8-0 major in the District 3 finals. Walker (19-1) takes over the top spot after rolling to the PCT championship, capping the run with a 5-0 decision over Lavelle in the finals. Hajnos replaces Andrew Simpson of Kittatinny in the five spot after a 6-0 win in their meeting on Monday.

285 pounds

1. Sr. Noa Merritt, Pope John
2. Jr. Andrew Pacheco, Warren Hills

3. Sr. Gunny Wassong, High Point
4. Sr. Austin Behrens, Wayne Valley

5. Jr. Will O'Connell, North Warren

Notes: Merritt and Pacheco are a solid 1-2 here. Wassong scored a 6-0 win over Montville's Ethan Fox (16-3) on Monday. Wassong and teammate Christian Campbell are splitting time so we'll see who goes in the postseason. Campbell decked Kittatinny's Tom Smith in overtime on Friday. O'Connell (17-5) is on a major roll right now with 11 pins in his last 13 matches -- two losses to Pacheco and Delaware Valley's Marek Tomanek in that stretch -- entering this week's action.  

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

With just two weeks left in the regular season, let's take a look at some of the more notable moments from this past week in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area:

Phillipsburg ended a four-match skid in their annual border war against Easton (Pa.) with last Thursday's 36-20 victory at Shawnee Middle School. The Stateliners, who improved to 15-62 all-time in the series, are now 6-1 when scoring at least 30 points against the Red Rovers. It was the Warren County school's second-largest margin of victory since a 34-8 win in 1970 -- the next-to-last victory during a run of nine straight wins in the series from 1963-71.

High Point improved to 25-12-1 in its rivalry with Kittatinny -- a stunning 48-18 blowout on Friday in Wantage. The Wildcats were coming off a 52-13 pounding against Phillipsburg at home and still steaming over that loss six days later. Going by those results, you'd figure the 'Liners to be heavy favorites against Kittatinny this Friday, but the matchups may dictate a much closer result. More on this showdown later in the week, but a 7-7 split would not be out of the question.

John Gill receives a 500th win plaque from AD Chris Carroll. (Christine Silva).

Speaking of Kittatinny, longtime coach John Gill added to his legacy on Monday with his 500th coaching victory in the team's 48-21 win over Jefferson. Only five coaches -- Stan Woods of Emerson-Park Ridge (652 from 1967-present), Dennis Smith of Delran (605 from 1976-2013), Ralph Ross of Highland (601 from 1964-2000), Paul Morina of Paulsboro (568 from 1985-present) and Gene Barber of Absegami (507 from 1977-2010) -- have more victories than Gill on New Jersey's all-time list. 

On Monday, Gill couldn't let the momentous occasion pass without remembering his longtime assistant coach and friend, Linn Crawn, who died just a few months before the 2012-13 season.

"He was with me for 32 of my 34 years -- I had 19 wins last year and 14 this year, so he was there for 467 of those wins," Gill said. "He was a special man and I miss him everyday, more so during wrestling season. He was always proud to be called the brains of the operation. If he were here, he'd probably tell me it would have taken another two years [to reach 500] without him. I must have at least 25 more wins because of his [lineup] juggling ability."

Now onto this week's rankings:

1. Phillipsburg (8-0) -- Stateliners scored huge wins over Easton (Pa.), 36-20, last Thursday and No. 13 Howell (33-15) at The Pit on Saturday. The win over the Red Rovers was just the 15th in 77 meetings and P'burg's first in an Easton gym since 1988. The series, which began in 1947, switched from home-and-home to a neutral site at Lafayette College (1989-2003). A very big week on tap with matches against No. 4 Delaware Valley on Wednesday and No. 3 Kittatinny on Friday before a clash against Paulsboro on Saturday. Junior Jimmy Schuitema (14-3) enters the week two wins shy of 80 for his career.

Up next: West Morris at home on Tuesday; Delaware Valley at home on Wednesday; at Kittatinny on Friday; Paulsboro at home on Saturday.

2. High Point (7-3) -- Wildcats rolled to wins over Sparta (49-19) and No. 11 Kittatinny (48-18) before dropping two on Saturday against two of New Jersey's top-ranked teams in Bergen Catholic (55-12) and Bound Brook (41-24), ranked Nos. 1 and 3 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Top 20. Coach John Gardner's team, which posted a 53-7 win over Montville in an NJAC American Division clash, is hoping to be at full strength by the weekend as sophomore 126-pounder Jared Kobis (broken hand) is targeting a Saturday return. Also good news was the return of junior 132-pounder Mike Derin to the lineup on Monday after sitting out Saturday. He appeared to sustain a rib injury in the win over Kittatinny.

Up next: at Mount Olive on Wednesday; Warren Hills, St. Joseph-Montvale, Wayne Valley on Saturday.

3. Kittatinny (14-1) -- Cougars knocked off Hopatcong (72-10) last Thursday before losing to No. 9 High Point, 48-18, on Friday. Coach John Gill's team rebounded with three wins on Saturday against West Morris (48-21), Westfield (59-16) and No. 17 Delaware Valley (35-27) in a quad. Of course the big news was Monday's win over Jefferson that gave Gill his 500th career victory in 34 seasons. Senior 126-pounder Christian Silva (17-10) had a big win on Saturday -- 5-4 over West Morris' Dylan Luciano. Senior 152-pounder Nick Romyns (95-33) is closing in on the century mark for wins.

Up next: at Newton on Wednesday; Phillipsburg at home on Friday.

4. Delaware Valley (15-3) -- Terriers enjoyed a busy week with wins over Montgomery (50-18), West Morris (44-23) and Westfield (47-16) before a 35-27 loss to No. 3 Kittatinny as the nightcap of a Saturday quad in Alexandria Township. Unfortunately, it appears that Del Val will be short-handed in matches with No. 1 Phillipsburg and No. 5 North Hunterdon this week. Senior Luke Zehnbauer (7-4) has not competed since the Terriers' win over Warren Hills on Jan. 17 and coach Andy Fitz declined comment on the wrestler's status moving forward. Senior 182-pounder Kody Eichlin (16-0) enters the week unbeaten and searching for his 80th career win.

Up next: at Phillipsburg on Wednesday; at North Hunterdon on Thursday; Pope John, Paramus at Lenape Valley quad on Saturday.

5. North Hunterdon (10-2) -- Lions earned three wins this past week over Watchung Hills (43-21), Franklin (64-9) and Hillsborough (52-6) on Saturday. Big match with No. 4 Del Val on Thursday -- originally scheduled for last week -- as coach Tim Flynn's squad goes for a sweep of the Hunterdon County opponents after previous wins over Hunterdon Central (28-27 on Jan. 7) and Voorhees (24-22 on Jan. 15). Junior 126-pounder Ryan Pomrinca (97-11) is closing in on 100 career victories, while senior 152-pounder Mike Ciavarro recorded his 90th win on Saturday.

Up next: Montgomery at home on Wednesday; Delaware Valley at home on Thursday; Warren Hills at home on Friday.

6. Hunterdon Central (10-4) -- Red Devils went 3-1 in finishing second at the Jack Welch Duals in Moorestown last weekend, with wins over Camden Catholic (47-21), Cherokee (47-15) and Buena (44-26) before a 30-20 loss to Long Branch in the championship match. Senior Gary Dinmore (21-0) matched Ken Hall for third place on the school's all-time wins list with 116. Pat Strizki (137) and Brian Bistis (134) are Nos. 1 and 2. Coach Steve Gibble's squad will host No. 7 Voorhees on Saturday as part of a quad with Kingsway and Moorestown. Once again, sad that a good Hunterdon County rivalry is lumped in with other matches and not a featured dual meet.

Up next: Franklin at home on Wednesday; Voorhees, Kingsway, Moorestown at home on Saturday.

7. Voorhees (14-3) -- Vikings knocked off previous No. 10 Lenape Valley, 49-16 and host Belvidere, 45-18, on Saturday before a 40-19 win over Somerville on Monday. Coach Eric Hall's team has won seven in a row since a 24-22 loss to North Hunterdon at home on Jan. 15. Senior 145-pounder Christian Okulicz notched his 80th career win and Thomas Beishke got No. 60 on Saturday. Big county showdown with No. 6 Central on Saturday as Voorhees looks to lock down the No. 3 seed for the upcoming North 2, Group 2 sectionals.

Up next: Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Thursday; Kingsway, Moorestown at Hunterdon Central quad on Saturday.

8. Warren Hills (7-6) -- Blue Streaks went 1-2 on Saturday in a quad at Ramsey -- beating the host, 52-12, while dropping decisions to Paramus, 40-25, and Roselle Park, 34-32. Coach Jarrett Hosbach's squad has a big week on tap with matches against No. 5 North Hunterdon and a quad at No. 2 High Point on Saturday. Streaks will be looking to atone for last season's 34-15 loss to North at home, its second straight to the Hunterdon County school, and are 21-34 in all-time series dating to 1957. Hills also fell, 38-24, to the Wildcats at home last season.

Up next: Somerville at home on Wednesday; at North Hunterdon on Friday; St. Joseph-Montvale, Wayne Valley at High Point quad on Saturday.

9. Sparta (9-5) -- Spartans opened with week with a 49-19 loss at No. 2 High Point on Thursday before rebounding with three wins on Saturday -- 61-18 over Wallkill Valley, 57-10 against Dover and 57-15 vs. Hopatcong. Coach Frank Battaglia's team is bidding for its first sectional appearance since the early 2000s, and enters the week seventh in North 1, Group 3. To their credit, High Point nearly used its full varsity lineup vs. the Spartans, a measure of how far Battaglia's program has come in recent years.

Up next: Pompton Lakes at home on Wednesday; at Newton on Friday.

10. Belvidere (10-3) -- County Seaters enter the rankings for the first time this season following Saturday's 37-27 win over Lenape Valley and despite a stunning 39-33 loss to North Warren (2-9) last Wednesday. Lenape Valley defeated North Warren, 54-23, on Jan. 14. Coach Dan McIntyre's team opened this week with a 39-25 win over Skyland Conference Valley Division rival Manville. Seaters feature just two senior starters, as juniors David Harris (16-4 at 160) and Kevin Merle (16-5 at 170) are having nice seasons.

Up next: at Bound Brook on Wednesday; at Hackettstown on Friday; at St. Benedict's Prep on Saturday.

Wrestling: Cougars roar in giving Gill 500th victory

HAMPTON TWP. -- John Gill is the first to say that no one man is bigger than the sport of wrestling. But in New Jersey, especially in Sussex County, the veteran Kittatinny wrestling coach is a larger than life figure.

Kittatinny celebrates coach John Gill's 500th win. (Photo by Christine Silva)

Gill reached yet another milestone on Monday night, as his Cougars rolled to a 48-21 victory over Jefferson to present their legendary coach with his 500th career victory. They also took a big step toward clinching the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division title.

Kittatinny (14-1 overall, 5-0 division), ranked No. 11 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers, can secure its fourth straight division championship with wins over Newton on Wednesday and Hackettstown on Feb. 5. Jefferson drops to 15-5, 4-1.

"Winning the division is more important, but I'm really proud of this," said Gill, whose program got its 500th win last year and is 532-189-5 in 39 seasons. "I will treasure this the rest of my life, but I want the focus to go back to the kids. It's a special job being a high school coach in any sport. We're not Paulsboro or Phillipsburg, but Kittatinny wrestling has a name and a tradition. Carl Bateman [who started the program in 1975 and coached for the first five seasons] and John Gill got this program going. We've got a nice thing going here."

Gill, whose record is 500-150-5 in 34 seasons, is the winningest coach in the county by a long shot. Former High Point coach Jeff Hull (288) is second on the list, followed by current 'Cats coach John Gardner (276) and legendary Newton coach Henry Boresch (250).

In fact, Gill is the only coach in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area to reach the 500-win mark. Only legendary Hunterdon Central coach Russ Riegel (469), Rick Thompson (345 wins with Mountain High, Phillipsburg, Hackettstown, Voorhees and Franklin), Voorhees' Bob Hall (332) and current Central coach Steve Gibble (329) have won 300 or more. There is some dispute over Riegel's total. The Central record books list him with 533 victories, but those have been found to include 'B' match wins (junior varsity).

Only five coaches -- Stan Woods of Emerson-Park Ridge (652 from 1967-present), Dennis Smith of Delran (605 from 1976-2013), Ralph Ross of Highland (601 from 1964-2000), Paul Morina of Paulsboro (568 from 1985-present) and Gene Barber of Absegami (507 from 1977-2010) -- have more victories than Gill on New Jersey's all-time list. 

As is usually the case, many of Gill's former wrestlers, including Newton coach Eric Bollette, were in attendance to witness the historic victory. Bollette wrestled on the very first of Gill's 18 sectional championship teams in 1991. Perhaps no one in the building was rooting harder for the Cougars, since a loss on Monday meant that Gill would go for 500 on Wednesday against Bollette's Braves.

"He's a great coach, teacher and friend," said Bollette, whose late father, Jack, was a longtime coach in the Kittatinny youth program. "He's had the great ability to relate to kids and adapt over the years. It's tough to win 200 matches, let alone 500. As a program, you try to measure yourself against the best in the area and model yourself after the successful programs. I'm proud of what coach Gill and his teams have accomplished over the years and want to congratulate him on a tremendous accomplishment."

This banner, designed by Diane Gill, was unveiled after the match.

Current Kittatinny wrestlers are also proud of their coach. Take senior 195-pounder Garrett Armstrong, who wasn't planning on coming out for the team as a freshman until Gill convinced him otherwise. Fittingly. Armstrong's pin of Tyler Zimmerman in the evening's 12th bout secured the 500th win -- giving the Cougars a 42-18 lead with two bouts to go.

"This means a lot," said Armstrong, a District 3 champion last season and a member of the school's football and lacrosse teams. "[Gill] even said to me, 'I can't believe a kid that I had to beg to come out as a freshman clinched No. 500 for me.' He's a great leader. He doesn't just teach you how to wrestle, he teaches you how to become a man. He preaches that he's not trying to make us all be great wrestlers, but make us be great men. Hopefully, I will take the lessons I've learned from him and use them the rest of my life."

In a fateful twist, this match was to be wrestled last week and rescheduled to Monday due to snow. Gill would have dearly loved to get No. 500 this past Saturday on the road at Delaware Valley, because it would have meant a Kittatinny win over archrival High Point on Friday (a 48-18 loss).

"I guess it was meant to be," Gill said. "As bad as I felt Friday, it was great to see people tonight that came back from 30 years ago. I'm very proud. It's a special feeling to have them come back and show their support. I'm a teacher first. The 500 wins is second. It's very important to me because I love the sport. It's bigger than John Gill or Dan Gable. I want to promote it."

Kittatinny will present Gill with a gift commemorating his 500th win prior to the Cougars' home match against Hackettstown on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

KITTATINNY 48, JEFFERSON 21

106 -- So. Kasey Hotz (15-10), K, p. So. Anthony Antoneck (15-7), 3:49.
113 -- So. Chris Shrieks (15-7), J, forfeit.
120 -- So. Nick Klinger (23-4), K, md. Fr. Mark Bohn (17-6), 10-1.
126 -- Sr. Bryan Damon (20-2), J, d. Sr. Christian Silva (17-10), 3-0.
132 -- So. Austin Scrivani (21-5), K, p. Fr. Jakob Jakova (7-13), 2:47.
138 -- Sr. Matt Tripodi (19-4), J, p. Jr. Trevor Schutte (0-7), :30.
145 -- Sr. Nick West (9-13), K, p. So. Anthony Avellone (1-6), 2:27.
152 -- Sr. Nick Romyns (13-3), K, md. Sr. Anthony Letizia (12-10), 14-1.
160 -- Sr. Frank Avallone (12-5), J, d. Sr. Tyler Parkyn (5-13), 8-2.
170 -- Sr. Kieran Gerrity (24-3), K, forfeit.
182 -- Sr. Dylan Wunder (20-7), K, md. Sr. Amir Amro (9-11), 10-2.
195 -- Sr. Garrett Armstrong (22-5), K, p. Sr. Tyler Zimmerman (18-5), 1:50.
220 -- Sr. Robert Hajnos (20-3), J, d. Sr. Andrew Simpson (20-6), 6-0.
285 -- Sr. Tom Smith (19-7), K, p. So. Avery Sheruda (7-7), 5:58.
Records -- Jefferson 15-5; Kittatinny 14-1.
Official -- Dave Marotta.

Wrestling: HWS schedule (Jan. 27-Feb. 1)

Monday, Jan. 27

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

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Jefferson at Kittatinny
High Point at Montville, 6 p.m.

Skyland Conference

Somerville at Voorhees
Manville at Belvidere

Tuesday, Jan. 28

(Both matches 7 p.m.)

Independent

North Warren at Pius X (Pa.)

West Morris at Phillipsburg

Wednesday, Jan. 29

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

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at Phillipsburg

Somerville at Warren Hills

Franklin at Hunterdon Central, 6 p.m.

Belvidere at Bound Brook

Montgomery at North Hunterdon

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Kittatinny at Newton

Lenape Valley at Hackettstown

Jefferson at Wallkill Valley, 6:15 p.m.

Hopatcong at North Warren

High Point at Mount Olive

Morris Knolls at Pope John

Morris Hills at Vernon

Independent

Pompton Lakes at Sparta

Thursday, Jan. 30

(Both matches 7 p.m.)

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at North Hunterdon

Bridgewater at Voorhees

Friday, Jan. 31

(All matches 7 p.m.)

Skyland Conference

Warren Hills at North Hunterdon

Belvidere at Hackettstown

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Sparta at Newton

Independent

Phillipsburg at Kittatinny

Pope John at Livingston

Pompton Lakes at Vernon

Saturday, Feb. 1

(All matches 10 a.m., unless noted)

Independent duals

Paulsboro at Phillipsburg, 1 p.m.

Vernon at North Warren, 11 a.m.

Belvidere at St. Benedict’s Prep

Tris and quads

Warren Hills, Wayne Valley, St. Joseph-Montvale at High Point

Voorhees, Kingsway, Moorestown at Hunterdon Central

Pope John, Delaware Valley at Lenape Valley

Newton, Wallkill Valley at Waldwick Duals, 9 a.m.

Wrestling: 'Liners roll past Howell; Gill at 499 wins

Kittatinny's wrestling team bounced back in a big way on Saturday with three wins, including a 35-27 victory over host Delaware Valley in the nightcap of a quad in Alexandria Township.

The Cougars (13-1), who dropped a 48-18 decision to archrival High Point on Friday night, also scored independent wins over West Morris (48-21) and Westfield (59-16) -- raising coach John Gill's career victories total to 499. Kittatinny, ranked No. 11 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers, can deliver No. 500 at home on Monday night against Jefferson in a match that will likely decide this season's Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division champion.

Against No. 17 Delaware Valley (15-3), Nick Klinger's 10-3 win over Ryan Erwin at 126 pounds and Andrew Simpson's pin of Brian Baehr at 220, sparked Kittatinny to its seventh straight win in the series with the Hunterdon County school. Kittatinny leads 9-4 overall dating to 1992. Terriers' last win was 31-24 on Feb. 13, 1999.

Stateliners pin down Rebels

Sophomore Brandon Paetzell started it off with a major at 106 and freshman Drew Horun's decision win at 285 capped No. 4 Phillipsburg's 33-15 win over No. 13 Howell at The Pit.

Paetzell (20-1) rolled to a 12-3 decision over Peter Dee (20-2) in the evening's first bout to set the tone, as sophomore Tyler Agans followed suit with a 7-6 upset-win at 113 pounds. The 'Liners won nine bouts in all, including Corey Zinsmeister's 9-5 win over Jack Rada at 138. Junior Max Elling decked Nick Lurski at 160 for his 70th career win, while Joe Maso's 5-1 decision at 220 pounds sealed the victory, as P'burg improved to 5-2 all-time vs. Howell dating to 2004, including last year's 33-18 win on the road and a 28-27 win at The Pit in 2012.

Howell won back-to-back meetings in '05 (39-19 at The Pit) and '06 (38-21 at home). P'burg's other wins came at home in '04 (38-26) and '07 (36-29). The schools did not meet from 2008-11.

PHILLIPSBURG 33, HOWELL 15

106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (20-1), P, md. So. Peter Dee (20-2), 12-3.
113 -- So. Tyler Agans (5-11), P, d. Jr. Mikey Sisolak (18-5), 7-6.
120 -- Sr. Jimmy Slendorn (21-2), H, d. So. DJ Wissing (14-8), 4-2.
126 -- So. Anthony Gagliano (16-4), H, d. Sr. Tylor Petchonka (8-9), 6-2.
132 -- So. Kris Lindemann (18-5), H, d. Jr. Steve Friedman (9-10), 6-1.
138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (14-4), P, d. Sr. Jack Rada (14-7), 9-5.
145 -- Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (14-3), P, md. Jr. Anthony Pozsonyi (7-7), 12-1.
152 -- Sr. Garrett Wolfinger (7-3), P, d. Jr. David Nocks (6-10), 3-0.
160 -- Jr. Max Elling (19-4), P, p. Jr. Nick Lurski (13-6), 3:12.
170 -- Sr. Joey Schultz (21-0), H, d. Sr. Broderick Bupivi (16-8), 8-6.
182 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (21-2), P, md. Jr. Austin Silverstein (10-7), 9-0.
195 -- Sr. Stephen Boncimino (18-4), H, d. Jr. Tim Hinkle (5-7), 5-0.
220 -- Jr. Joe Maso (12-5), P, d. Sr. Kyle Cocozza (18-4), 5-1.
285 -- Fr. Drew Horun (12-6), P, d. Sr. Nathan Litowsky (17-5), 5-3.
Records -- Howell 20-3; Phillipsburg 8-0.

Here and there

Newton went 2-3 over the weekend to finish 11th in the Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown High School.

Coach Eric Bollette's Braves on Saturday defeated Holy Cross, 60-14 and Steinert, 48-30, in addition to a 40-31 loss to Camden Catholic. Junior 113-pounder Trevor Morales went 5-0 overall to raise his season record to 18-4.

On Friday, Newton opened the tournament with a 49-22 loss to Christian Brothers Academy before a 51-12 defeat to Cherokee.

Hunterdon Central, the No. 1 seed, fell 30-20 to Long Branch in the championship match.

After its big win on Friday, High Point hosted two of the top two teams in the state on Saturday -- falling 55-12 to No. 1 Bergen Catholic and 41-24 to No. 3 Bound Brook in a tri-meet. In the opening match, Bergen Catholic cemented its No. 1 ranking with a 37-16 win over Bound Brook.

Voorhees knocked off Lenape Valley (49-16) and host Belvidere (45-18) in a tri-meet on Saturday. Senior 145-pounder Christian Okulicz went 2-0, including a 7-2 win over Lenape's Glenn Haines, a Region 1 runner-up in 2012, for his 80th career win.

The County Seaters knocked off the Patriots, 37-27, as Kevin Merle recorded a 14-5 major of Region 1 qualifier Joe LaBell at 170.

Wrestling: Wildcats are on 'Point' in rout of Cougars

WANTAGE TWP. -- How's that for playing the flip side?

After getting run out of its home gym six days earlier, High Point's wrestling team seized the early momentum and rode the wave to a stunningly lopsided 48-18 win over archrival Kittatinny on Friday night in the 39th installment of the backyard brawl.

The Wildcats (7-1), who trailed 9-0 after two bouts, reeled off six straight wins -- highlighted by senior Bobby McDonnell's 2-1 win over Garrett Armstrong at 220. McDonnell (15-8) turned the tables in their series after losing three meetings with Armstrong (19-4) last season, including an 8-0 major in the District 3 finals, along with decisions of 2-0 and 2-1.

High Point, which won 10 of 14 bouts, needed no extra motivation for this one after a 52-13 loss to Phillipsburg last Saturday night. Additionally, coach John Gardner's 'Cats, ranked No. 9 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers, wanted to atone for a 35-18 loss last season at No. 11 Kittatinny (10-1) in which they won just four bouts. The victory also denied Cougars coach John Gill of career win No. 497. With three wins at Delaware Valley on Saturday, Gill would go for his 500th vs. Jefferson at home on Monday. Gill is now 11-22-1 vs. High Point.

Let's take a closer look at how High Point stretched its series lead to 26-12-1 dating to 1976 vs. Kittatinny:

1. Unlike the match against P'burg, High Point had several wrestlers step up and provide match-turning moments, starting with McDonnell. Trailing 1-0 after two periods, McDonnell, in the defensive position to start the third, stood up near the one-minute mark and inside tripped Armstrong to his back for a reversal -- his first offensive points in their four meetings dating to last season -- and nearly back points. With a weight advantage of 30 pounds, McDonnell was able to keep his advantage on top until the buzzer. "I think losing to him three times last year really helped me for this one," said McDonnell, who finished second in Region 1 to earn a trip to Atlantic City last season, while Armstrong lost in the wrestleback semifinals. Both wrestlers like to work off the tie-ups and Armstrong was better at it in their previous meetings. Armstrong dropped a 5-1 decision to High Point senior Kyle Stoll in the 195-pound Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex final, prompting Kittatinny to make the move, as McDonnell decked Andrew Simpson, the Cougars' 220-pounder who was bumped out of the lineup for this match, in the HWS.

2. Gardner, now 8-8 in this series as a head coach and 3-1 vs. Kittatinny as a High Point wrestler from 1987-90, has been playing musical heavyweights this season as seniors Christian Campbell (8-8) and Gunny Wassong (7-4), a District 3 runner-up, have split the duty. In an interesting move, Campbell was sent out to face Kittatinny senior Tom Smith in this one, despite the fact that Wassong knocked off Smith, 4-0, at HWS. The move paid off in a big way as Campbell decked Smith off a reversal in the third overtime. Campbell weighed in at 256, while Wassong tips the scale at 226. With Smith checking in at 250, maybe Gardner wanted to match up according to size. In any event, there was no doubt that Campbell was the fresher wrestler as his bout with Smith entered overtime. "I think conditioning was a big factor," Campbell said. As for who goes at 285 for the 'Cats in the future, Campbell is fine either way. "I think it's good for me and Gunny to get matches." A tough early-season schedule, including a trip to the prestigious Cheesehead Invitational, seems to be paying dividends for the 'Cats, who had just two wrestlers with fewer than five losses win matches on Friday. "Records at this point don't matter much," Gardner said. "It's all about wrestling tough competition and improving as the season goes on."

3. The things that jumped up and bit High Point against P'burg were the catalysts for the 'Cats in this big victory. Getting and not giving up points at the end of periods was huge, but High Point really took it to Kittatinny from the neutral position -- winning the takedown battle, 18-9. Kieran Gerrity and Dylan Wunder combined for six of the Cougars' takedowns in the first two bouts of the night at 170 and 182, respectively -- meaning an 18-3 edge for the hosts over the final 12 bouts. Only Christian Silva at 126 and Nick Romyns at 152, who had two in an 8-2 win over Chris Auer for his 91st career victory, had the others for the visitors. In one of the biggest and most anticipated bouts, High Point junior Dom Gallo recorded two takedowns in a 5-2 win over HWS champion Nick Klinger -- one each in the second and third periods with under a minute remaining. After giving up five pins to P'burg, High Point struck for six of a surprisingly-high total of eight falls in this one. Freshman Aric Wingle decked Kittatinny freshman Kasey Hotz at 113 in a bout that figured to be a tossup. Wingle, who has been at 120 most of the season, may be able to fill a void at that weight class. Gardner has been confident all year that Wingle (5-6) could be good once he dropped from 120. This was the first evidence of that belief.

4. The news wasn't all good for High Point as junior Mike Derin sustained what appeared to be a rib injury in his impressive 16-9 win over Austin Scrivani -- two District 3 champions last season -- at 132. Derin appeared to injure himself -- after getting the opening takedown in the first period -- when he was reversed to his back in a four-point move. To his credit, Derin rallied from a 4-2 deficit with two takedowns and a two-point nearfall in the second before pulling away in the third with two more takedowns and his own reversal for a four-pointer. Needless to say, the 'Cats can ill-afford to lose Derin, who finished eighth in the state tournament at 132 last season, for any extended length of time. Sophomore 126-pounder Jared Kobis (broken hand) is targeting his return for next Saturday when High Point hosts a quad involving Warren Hills, Wayne Valley and St. Joseph-Montvale.

5. After trading seven-match win streaks in the series, the longtime rivals have split the last two meetings. It's been an intriguing series in that neither school has been dominant at the same time. High Point won seven of the first nine showdowns from 1976-84 before a 27-27 tie in '85. The 'Cats then won 11 of the next 13 before Kittatinny's seven-match win streak from 1999 to 2005. High Point ended that run in 2006 to start its own seven-match streak before dropping a 35-18 decision on the road last season. Neither school has won eight in a row in this rivalry. It will be interesting to see how things shake out starting next season, as the teams featured a combined 15 seniors in this one. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a fourth career meeting between junior Jason Gaccione and Romyns. With the match in hand, Gardner opted to send out his nephew at 145, rather than bumping him to 152. In last year's District 3 final, Romyns stunned Gaccione by tossing him for five en route to an 11-6 win before Gaccione turned the tables with a 6-5 win in the Region 1 final. Two years ago, Gaccione scored a 3-2 win in the HWS quarterfinals.

Here's the full boxscore:

HIGH POINT 48, KITTATINNY 18

170 -- Sr. Kieran Gerrity (20-3), K, p. Sr. Colby Brands (8-12), 3:04.
182 -- Sr. Dylan Wunder (17-6), K, d. Sr. Antonio Porraspita (13-8), 6-0.
195 -- Sr. Kyle Stoll (18-5), HP, p. Jr. Peter Block (1-1), :33.
220 -- Sr. Bobby McDonnell (15-8), HP, d. Sr. Garrett Armstrong (19-4), 2-1.
285 -- Sr. Christian Campbell (8-8), HP, p. Sr. Tom Smith (16-6), 7:51 OT3.
106 -- Fr. Chase Babus (8-11), HP, d. So. Taylor Molfetto (13-9), 6-4.
113 -- Fr. Aric Wingle (5-6), HP, p. Fr. Kasey Hotz (13-9), 1:43.
120 -- Jr. Dom Gallo (16-3), HP, d. So. Nick Klinger (20-4), 5-2.
126 -- Sr. Christian Silva (14-8), K, p. So. Garrett Fenlon (0-9), 1:15.
132 -- Jr. Mike Derin (17-6), HP, d. So. Austin Scrivani (17-5), 16-9.
138 -- Jr. Ryan Cullen (9-6), HP, p. Sr. Nick West (6-12), 4:42.
145 -- Jr. Jason Gaccione (17-4), HP, p. Jr. Trevor Schutte (0-4), 4:42.
152 -- Sr. Nick Romyns (9-3), K, d. Sr. Chris Auer (11-9), 8-2.
160 -- Sr. Tommy Hooker (13-8), HP, p. Sr. Tyler Parkyn (5-10), 3:37.
Records -- Kittatinny 9-1; High Point 7-1.
Officials -- Gary Kessel and Gary Szucs.

Wrestling: Central, Newton set for Jack Welch Duals

Pairings and seeds were announced on Thursday for the seventh annual Jack Welch Duals to be held Friday and Saturday at Moorestown High School.

Hunterdon Central and Newton (5-8) are the lone Open Mike area teams competing in the 15-team field, which is one squad short of the usual 16 this year.

Brick Memorial, which was supposed to attend, pulled out of the event earlier this week. The Mustangs contacted High Point on Thursday, according to Wildcats coach John Gardner, about attending Saturday's tri-meet in Wantage that includes Bergen Catholic and Bound Brook. Gardner said on Friday he contacted the other two schools about Brick's request to make it a quad, but when 'Cats athletic director Todd Van Orden phoned Brick Memorial to confirm, he was told that the Mustangs would not be attending after all.

Hunterdon Central (7-3) drew the No. 1 seed and will receive a first-round bye. The Red Devils will face the winner of the 8-9 matchup between Steinert and Camden Catholic. The Irish have won this event five years in a row, defeating Long Branch, 33-31, in the 2013 championship match.

Newton (4-6) is the No. 12 seed and will face No. 5 Cherokee in the opening round on Friday. Coach Eric Bollette's Braves teams have finished second twice in six previous appearances at the duals.

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.

Pairings for Friday's opening round:

1-Hunterdon Central, bye
8-Steinert vs. 9-Camden Catholic
5-Cherokee vs. 12-Newton
4-Christian Brothers Academy vs. 13-Holy Cross

3-Long Branch vs. 14-Haddon Township
6-Delran vs. 11-Lower Cape May
7-Moorestown vs. 10-Buena
2-Collingswood vs. 15-Riverside

Wrestling: Kittatinny vs. High Point preview, lineups

What: Kittatinny Cougars vs. High Point Wildcats.

Where: High Point Regional High School, Wantage Township.

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

TV: Service Electric Cable (Sparta) Channel 10 (tape delay).

Conference: Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (non-division).

State rankings (New Jersey Wrestling Writers): Kittatinny No. 11; High Point No. 9.

Records: Kittatinny 10-0; High Point 6-1.

Coaches: John Gill (496-149-5, 34th season (11-21-1 vs. HP); John Gardner (274-74-2, 16th season (7-8 vs. Kitt).

Series history: High Point leads 25-12-1 dating to 1976. Kittatinny snapped a seven-match skid in the series with a 35-18 win at home last season. High Point posted a 32-21 victory on Jan. 26, 2012, to stretch its win streak to a program-best seven in this rivalry. Kittatinny's previous last win was, 39-18, on Jan. 22, 2005, to cap a program-best seven-match win streak. Neither program has won eight in a row in this series. High Point had won 62 straight conference matches dating to that loss in 2005 and 52 in a row against county foes.

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

106 -- So. Taylor Molfetto (13-8) vs. Fr. Chase Babus (7-11).

113 -- Fr. Kasey Hotz (13-8) vs. Sr. Michael Garrity (4-12).

120 -- So. Nick Klinger (20-3) vs. Jr. Dom Gallo (15-3).

126 -- Sr. Christian Silva (13-8) vs. Fr. Garrett Fenlon (0-8).

132 -- So. Austin Scrivani (17-4) or Jr. Christian Blanton (1-1) vs. Jr. Mike Derin (16-6).

138 -- Sr. Nick West (6-11) vs. Jr. Ryan Cullen (8-6).

145 -- Jr. Trevor Schutte (0-3) or Sr. Matt Zupkay (1-3) or Sr. Brian Reznik (0-1) vs. Jr. Jason Gaccione (16-4) or Sr. Chris Auer (11-8).

152 -- Sr. Nick Romyns (8-3) vs. Gaccione or Auer.

160 -- Sr. Tyler Parkyn (5-9) vs. Sr. Tommy Hooker (12-8).

170 -- Sr. Kieran Gerrity (19-3) vs. Sr. Colby Brands (8-11).

182 -- Sr. Dylan Wunder (16-6) vs. Sr. Antonio Porraspita (13-7).

195 -- Sr. Garrett Armstrong (19-3) or Jr. Peter Block (1-0) vs. Sr. Kyle Stoll (17-5).

220 -- Sr. Andrew Simpson (17-5) vs. Sr. Bobby McDonnell (14-8).

285 -- Sr. Tom Smith (16-5) vs. Sr. Gunny Wassong (7-4).

Breakdown: It's our area's version of the Hatfields vs. McCoys. The backyard brawl for it all and one of the best rivalry matchups in the state. This promises to be a good one. Kittatinny would like to control matchups at 152 and 195, with Romyns vs. Auer and moving Armstrong to 220 in order to face McDonnell, who lost three meetings in their series last season. Romyns and Gaccione split last year in the district and region final, where Gaccione avenged the loss. Cougars may need that matchup depending on where the match starts and the score at the time. Straight up, the visitors will be favored at 106, 126, 152, 170, 182. High Point gets the nod at 120, 132, 138, 145, 160, 195, 220 and 285. I think 113 is a tossup, but leaning toward the visitors. High Point went 3-1 in head-to-head matchups at HWS -- Stoll d. Armstrong, 5-1; McDonnell p. Simpson and Wassong d. Smith, 4-0. Wunder p. Porraspita in the other matchup. The 120-pound bout with Gallo-Klinger would be a good one and it's darn near a tossup. Kittatinny will also try to get Scrivani away from Derin in order to try and split 132 and 138. In my opinion, the flip is big for the visitors in this one. I like the 'Cats' chances for bonus points in a lot of spots. In my mind, Cougars need to get Scrivani at 138 vs. Cullen and Armstrong at 220. Then, either win 120 or have Romyns knock off Gaccione to pull it off. But keep in mind they could be giving up big points elsewhere whenever they try to juggle. Can the 'Cats, who gave up five pins to P'burg, stay off their backs in spots here? With Jared Kobis in there -- he's targeting the following weekend for his return -- I'd feel a lot more confident about making a pick in this one. I could see a 30-30 tie with Kittatinny winning eight bouts just as easy, but something tells me that High Point finds a way to atone for last Saturday's defeat.

Prediction: High Point, 33-27.

Wrestling: Pope John to continue without Murphy

Pope John's wresting team will press on this season without one of its best wrestlers, as junior Tommy Murphy, who transferred from Kittatinny in the offseason, will not wrestle for the Lions.

First-year coach Mark Piotrowsky on Thursday confirmed that Murphy, a two-time Region 1 qualifier, is not a member of the team, though he is still enrolled as a student at Pope John XXIII in Sparta.

"It was a family decision that he wasn't going to wrestle," said Piotrowsky, a former standout at Jefferson. "I don't know all of the details."

Murphy's defection from Kittatinny and his absence from the Pope John lineup has been the source of much discussion in the local wrestling ranks. Murphy would have been eligible to wrestle this week, as the 30-day sit period for all New Jersey transfers who do not have a change of address expired on Thursday.

Wrestling for coach John Gill's Cougars, Murphy compiled a 55-22 record over the last two seasons, winning a District 3 title at 138 pounds a year ago after a runner-up finish at 132 as a freshman. Murphy also finished fourth in Region 1 last season and is a two-time Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex placewinner, finishing second in 2012 and third in '13.

The loss of Murphy hurts a young Pope John team struggling to fill all 14 weight classes. The Lions (1-6) feature several wrestlers in Open Mike's Region 1 rankings, including junior Dominic Koert (fifth at 106), Austin Sisco (first at 113) and Noa Merritt (first at 285).

"We have a good group of wrestlers, but we've had some injuries that have hurt us," Piotrowsky said. "It's going to be a process. We have a good group of freshmen, but they're all near the same weight. This is a building year, but it's tough to win when you forfeit two or three weights."

Wrestling: Gill nearing milestone with rivalry on tap

Rest assured, there will never be another like John Gill. Personality aside, the legendary Kittatinny wrestling coach is the probably the last of a rare breed.

Now in his 34th season, Gill is five wins shy of 500 career wins as the Cougars get set to face Hopatcong on Thursday evening in a Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division showdown. And 24 hours later, it's the big one around these parts as Kittatinny travels to Wantage for its annual rivalry match against High Point.

Wins over the Chiefs and Wildcats would set up a run at 500 on Saturday -- as Kittatinny faces Westfield and West Morris before capping a quad against host Delaware Valley. The Cougars, now in their 39th season, got their 500th win as a program a year ago.

"It would be great [to get 500 on Saturday]," said Gill, who is 495-149-5 overall, with 18 sectional and eight group championships. "Del Val-Kittatinny have had some great matches over a 20-year span, and going back to [former Terriers coach] Vince Fitz. They are very hospitable and good people at Del Val."

But first thing's first, and for Gill that means getting a second straight win over High Point. The Cougars snapped a seven-match skid in the rivalry with last season's 35-18 win at home. The 'Cats hold a 25-12-1 edge in the all-time series dating to 1976.

It goes beyond a pride thing for Gill, who lives in the High Point school district with his wife, Diane. Their four daughters all graduated from High Point and participated on various Wildcat athletic teams over the years.

"The [High Point] fans rub it in [after a loss] when I see them around town," said Gill, who is 11-21-1 all-time in the rivalry. "They say, 'Hey, Gill ... maybe next year,' and things like that. It's all good natured. Luckily, we got them last year. Beating them makes my life easier."

Make no mistake, Gill loves nothing more than to beat High Point -- or any other opponent for that matter.

"I'm a competitor," he said. "I'm actually a little jealous of our kids. When I went through high school [in the Scranton, Pa., area], we never had a match like this. These are memories the kids will always have."

Kittatinny enters this season's showdown a bit of an underdog, at least on paper. The Cougars (9-0) are currently ranked No. 11 in the state and High Point No. 9, according to the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Top 20. Still, most wrestling prognosticators view this one being a tightly-contested affair. High Point will likely be without 126-pounder Jared Kobis (broken hand), but should have junior 120-pounder Dom Gallo back in the lineup after missing last Saturday's 52-13 loss to Phillipsburg.

"They always seem to have their best lineup against us," said Gill, who got his 400th win against West Milford on Dec. 27, 2008. "We'll see. I like our chances. We've got a good shot."

High Point (5-1) is coming off one of its worst losses at home in recent memory. Still, coach John Gardner says his 'Cats will be ready to go, regardless of whether or not they're at full strength.

"The wheels came off [against P'burg] and we couldn't get it back," said Gardner, who is 7-8 all-time vs. the Cougars. "I didn't think that would happen, but it did. I don't think we're dead and out of it."

If Kittatinny stumbles on Friday or Saturday, that would likely give more meaning to Monday's home match against Jefferson. In addition to deciding the winner of this season's NJAC Freedom Division title, it would give Gill the opportunity to get his 500th win in his home gym.

"[Either way], I want the focus to be back on the kids," said Gill, who never wants the attention on his personal accolades, and pays little attention to overall records unless reminded of them. "[Getting 500 wins] is big for me. It's difficult [coaching for 34 seasons] with the stresses and family issues. A lot of coaches don't live where they coach. These are things I couldn't have done without my health and the great support I get at home from my wife and kids. I'm not smarter than anybody else. Someday I can look back at the big picture and say I am lucky. But it's not the end all and be all."

Wrestling: Region 1 individual rankings

106 pounds

1. So. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg

2. So. Garrett O’Shea, Morris Knolls

3. So. Troy Stanich, Roxbury

4. Jr. Mojahed Hamdeh, Wayne Hills

5. Jr. Dominic Koert, Pope John

Notes: No changes here. Stanich decked West Morris freshman Shane Metzler (14-4) last week and recorded 10 falls among his first 15 victories. Stanich's only loss is by technical fall to Delbarton state title contender Ty Agaisse, who beat Paetzell, 1-0, last season at The Pit. Pequannock freshman Steve Pocze (13-1) looking to break in here. Hopatcong's Joe Aumann (14-2) has a loss to Hamdeh and has split with Koert, so he deserves a mention. Also keep an eye on Sparta sophomore Garrett Gerndt (12-3), along with Mount Olive freshman Shane Murphy (14-2) and Wayne Valley's Brandon Davis (13-4).

113 pounds

1. Sr. Austin Sisco, Pope John

2. Fr. Matt Valli, Warren Hills
3. Jr. Kyle Flynn, Pompton Lakes
4. Fr. Richard Reimers, Roxbury
5. Jr. Trevor Morales, Newton

Notes: Shaking things up here as Morales dropped a 7-2 decision to unranked Roxbury freshman Richard Reimers last Saturday. Morales looked good at Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex with a 6-2 win over Delaware Valley's Matt Kolonia before a 4-2 loss to Sisco in the semifinals. Reimers' 7-6 loss to West Morris' Kade Loughney had been keeping him out here. But the win over Morales puts Reimers in for now. Valli has beaten Loughney twice, 11-0 and by technical fall this past Saturday. Morris Knolls freshman Daniel Percelay (14-3) has mostly been at 106, but will likely be here for the postseason. He's out for now. 

120 pounds

1. Jr. A.J. Vindici, Randolph

2. Jr. William Kui, DePaul

3. Jr. Dom Gallo, High Point

4. So. Nick Klinger, Kittatinny

5. So. Joe Renne, Hackettstown

Notes: Vindici (16-0) holding steady at the top with early-season wins over Klinger and Renne. Gallo missed Saturday's match against Phillipsburg with an undisclosed injury. His return will be big for the Wildcats this Friday, when they take on the Kittatinny Cougars. A Gallo-Klinger matchup could play a major role in determining the outcome of that one. Renne picked up a couple of nice wins over former District 1 medal winners last week -- 8-2 over West Morris' John Schade and 14-4 over Warren Hills' John Fluck. Another to watch is Jefferson freshman Mark Bohn (16-5).

126 pounds

1. Sr. Bryan Damon, Jefferson

2. Jr. Matt Noble, DePaul
3. Sr. Tyler Hrycak, Wayne Valley

4. Jr. Dylan Luciano, West Morris

5. Sr. Matt Ritchie, North Warren

Notes: Lots of talk about whether Damon (18-2) drops to 120 at some point. Hasn't happened yet, in fact, all but one of his bouts have been at 126, as he bumped up to 132 for a bout on Saturday. Damon, a state semifinalist last season, also took his second loss that day -- getting decked by Hackensack's Taylor Shea. Noble (19-2) holding tight at No. 2 with the head-to-head win over Hrycak (17-1). High Point sophomore Jared Kobis is still out with a broken hand and will re-enter here upon his return. You can bet that Kittatinny coach John Gill is convinced that will be for Friday's big showdown in Wantage, though it seems unlikely. Ritchie was decked by West Morris' Dylan Luciano in a dual on Saturday. Luciano (14-3), who has a double loss to North Hunterdon's Ryan Pomrinca, enters at No. 4.

132 pounds

1. Jr. Mike Derin, High Point

2. Sr. Devon LaFranco, Roxbury

3. So. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny
4. Jr. Ian Burke, Sparta

5. Jr. Steve Friedman, Phillipsburg

Notes: Derin knocked off Friedman, 7-4, on Saturday in High Point's 52-13 loss to Phillipsburg. Scrivani is wrestling extremely well right now, majoring Wallkill Valley's Steve Siek, who was fourth in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, 14-4, last Tuesday. Looking forward to a potential Derin-Scrivani matchup on Friday. Burke is still up at 138 for the most part, so we will see where he goes in a few weeks. Entering the week, he had pinned 14 of his last 16 opponents.  

138 pounds

1. Jr. Max Nauta, Warren Hills
2. Jr. Corey Zinsmeister, Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Anthony Fano, Montville
4. Jr. David Migliaccio, West Morris
5. Jr. Eric Friedman, Mendham

Notes: Nauta maintains the top spot, despite getting pinned for the first time in his high school career by Delaware Valley's Codey Leh on Friday. Nauta rebounded with a 2-0 win over West Morris' David Migliaccio on Saturday. Migliaccio, fourth in the region at 126 last season, moves in at the No.4 spot after recently dropping from 145, where he was ranked fifth last week. Along with Friedman, that makes a total of four wrestlers from District 1 here. Freshman Brandon Kui of DePaul, who was No. 5 last week, is out for now. Fano (14-1) got his first loss on Saturday -- 7-3 to Delbarton's Travis Vasquez. Roxbury's Jake Legotte (13-5), who has two losses to Kui, is still on the outside looking in. Lenape Valley junior Glenn Haines, who has been out with a shoulder injury, returned for one bout last week against Newton. We'll check on his status moving forward.

145 pounds

1. Jr. David McFadden, DePaul
2. Jr. Jimmy Schuitema, Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Jason Gaccione, High Point

4. So. Craig Roumes, Roxbury
5. Jr. David Zeppetelli, West Milford

Notes: McFadden locked in at No. 1, but we had a flip-flop of 2 and 3, as Schuitema scored a 5-3 victory over Gaccione on Saturday in a battle of Region 1 champions. Schuitema converted a takedown in the final seconds to win. Roumes, who has lost twice to McFadden, moves up one spot with Migliaccio dropping to 138. Enter Zeppetelli, a region quarterfinalist at 126 last season, at No. 5. We're expecting Pope John's Tommy Murphy to compete this week after sitting his required 30 days due to transfer rules. He'd be in line to enter the rankings next week. 

152 pounds

1. Jr. Max Elling, Phillipsburg

2. Sr. Nick Romyns, Kittatinny
3. Jr. Luke Bohn, Jefferson
4. Sr. Chris Auer, High Point
5. Sr. Ron Spera, Mount Olive

Notes: Elling bumped to 160 and rallied to pin High Point's Tommy Hooker in a wild bout on Saturday. Elling trailed, 6-5, when he hit a chin whip for the fall in 5:37. Bohn went up to 160 on Saturday and dropped a 5-2 decision to Morris Knolls' Dean Drugac. That won't hurt Bohn here. Spera came up short in a 3-1 loss to JFK-Iselin's Carl Buttitta on Saturday. Auer, who was No. 3 last week, dropped to 145 against P'burg and lost a 13-7 decision to Stateliners backup Garrett Wolfinger. With the return of Romyns, Auer drops a spot. Romyns, a finalist at 145 last season who had been out with a knee injury, enters at No. 2 despite an earlier UTB loss to Morris Knolls' Luke Drugac, who has losses to Auer and Spera. DePaul sophomore Spencer Carey (18-4) is on the cusp here as well.

160 pounds

1. Sr. Broderick Bupivi, Phillipsburg

2. Sr. Steven Acevedo, Morris Hills
3. Sr. Tommy Hooker, High Point

4. So. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls
5. Sr. Nick Carey, DePaul

Notes: Bupivi and Hooker did not meet on Saturday, as the Stateliner weighed in at 170. Kilroy, who was No. 3, dropped a 6-4 decision in sudden-victory overtime to DePaul's Nick Carey, who was unranked. Kilroy had pinned Carey on Jan. 4. Kilroy, who also has a 2-1 loss to Acevedo, is out for now. Acevedo bumped to 170 on Saturday and decked Sparta's Al Falco, a region qualifier last season. Drugac scored a nice win over Jefferson state qualifier Luke Bohn, No. 3 at 152, on Saturday. 

170 pounds

1. Sr. Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury

2. Sr. Jake Kocsis, Phillipsburg
3. Sr. Kieran Gerrity, Kittatinny

4. Jr. Kevin Merle, Belvidere

5. Sr. Zach D’Apolito, Wayne Valley

Notes: It's lonely at the top, where last season's 160-pound state champ resides. Have a feeling that Kocsis is going to make some noise this postseason. Rematch with Gerrity is looming next week, as they'll battle for the No. 2 spot. Round 1 went to Kocsis, 5-3, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals. Three of Merle's five losses are to Gerrity. Both Merle and D'Apolito have split with Sparta's Al Falco. D'Apolito majored Falco, 15-3, on Dec. 21 and lost the rematch, 5-4, on Saturday. Better body of work leaves Falco (9-9) out for now, but he's in the conversation. Pequannock junior Brett Lobdell (12-3) also is in this mix.

182 pounds

1. Sr. Sam Button, Mendham

2. Jr. Nick DePalma, DePaul

3. Jr. D.J. Barrett, Lenape Valley

4. Sr. Dylan Wunder, Kittatinny

5. Sr. Jose Delgado, Morris Hills

Notes: Not a whole lot happening here. Button (17-1) firmly entrenched at the top spot. DePalma recorded five wins last week, including four pins. Delgado (12-1), whose only loss is a 7-1 decision to Roselle Park's Phil Woods on Jan. 11. Another wrestler to watch here is Warren Hills senior Steve Cleaver (12-1), who decked Delaware Valley's Luke Zehnbauer on Friday. Cleaver did not compete at Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex so he didn't get to face Barrett or Wunder. Pequannock's Patrick Daly (11-3) is on the bubble.

195 pounds

1. Sr. Kyle Stoll, High Point

2. Sr. Anthony Landberg, Wayne Valley

3. Sr. Garrett Armstrong, Kittatinny

4. Jr. Gus Protogeropoulos, Newton
5. Jr. Joe Maso, Phillipsburg

Notes: Stoll and Armstrong on a collision course for Friday, provided Kittatinny plays it straight up in the upper weights. Stoll earned a 5-1 win when they met in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals on Jan. 11. Armstrong racked up four first-period pins last week. Maso enters this week after an impressive 3-2 win over High Point's Bobby McDonnell up at 220. Maso also hung with Stoll in a 3-2 loss at the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Also keep an eye on Mendham's Aaron Flitcroft, Morris Knolls' Luke Nappi, Jefferson's Tyler Zimmerman and Sparta's Gavin Lally, who lost 12-6 to Landberg on Saturday, and 3-2 to Maso at HWS.

220 pounds

1. Sr. Bobby McDonnell, High Point

2. Sr. Justin Walker, Wayne Valley

3. Sr. Jesse Windt, West Morris

4. So. Scott Lavelle, DePaul

5. Sr. Andrew Simpson, Kittatinny

Notes: McDonnell is having a tough time with 195-pounders this season, dropping a 3-2 decision to Phillipsburg's Joe Maso on Saturday. This after a 4-3 loss to Newton's Gus Protogeropoulos in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals. Until one or both commits to 220, McDonnell maintains the top spot. Walker (16-1) dropped a 6-3 decision to Bergen Catholic's Christian Jenco last Wednesday for his first loss. Lavelle had five pins last week, while Windt decked Warren Hills' Ryan Witner, a District 1 runner-up, on Saturday. Simpson could meet McDonnell on Friday, looking to avenge a loss by fall at HWS.

285 pounds

1. Sr. Noa Merritt, Pope John
2. Jr. Andrew Pacheco, Warren Hills

3. Sr. Gunny Wassong, High Point
4. Sr. Austin Behrens, Wayne Valley

5. Jr. Will O'Connell, North Warren

Notes: Merritt (14-0), the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex champion, is still unbeaten. Pacheco avenged an earlier loss to Delaware Valley's Marek Tomanek with a 3-2 win on Friday. They went 1-2-3 in the tri-county tournament. O'Connell decked Kittatinny's Tom Smith last week, for the second time this season, so he moves in at No. 5. Pacheco pinned O'Connell in under a minute on Saturday. Wassong was idle on Saturday night against P'burg. He could tangle with Smith, who was ranked at No. 5 last week, on Friday. Wassong posted a 4-0 win in their meeting at HWS. 

Wrestling: Del Val at North Hunterdon preview, lineups

What: Delaware Valley Terriers vs. North Hunterdon Lions.

Where: North Hunterdon Regional High School, Clinton Township.

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Conference: Skyland Raritan Division.

Records: Delaware Valley 12-2 overall, 3-0 division; North Hunterdon 7-2, 2-1.

Coaches: Andy Fitz (113-38, seventh season); Tim Flynn (65-27, fifth season).

State rankings (New Jersey Wrestling Writers): Delaware Valley No. 17; North Hunterdon No. 19.

Series history: Tied at 23-23 dating to 1963. North Hunterdon has won two straight -- 32-30 in 2012 and 33-22 in the mast meeting on Jan. 18, 2013. Del Val won two in a row in 2010 and '11 -- its last victory was a 41-19 triumph on Jan. 5, 2011 -- to end North's two match streak.

Note: Delaware Valley wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- So. Kyle Refalvy (7-8) or So. Vito Intili (3-4) vs. Jr. Paul Robinson (13-5).

113 -- Fr. Matt Kolonia (13-5) vs. Jr. Luke Approvato (9-9).

120 -- Sr. Tyler Smith (7-8) vs. Jr. Mike Bednar (5-10).

126 -- Jr. Ryan Erwin (13-4) or Fr. Rhys Zigich (7-8) vs. Jr. Ryan Pomrinca (19-0) or Sr. Eric Martin (14-6).

132 -- Zigich or Erwin vs. Martin or Pomrinca.

138 -- Sr. Alex Nugent (7-10) or Sr. Codey Leh (7-8) vs. So. Derek Ciavarro (14-6).

145 -- Leh or Nugent vs. So. Brian Smolinsky (13-7).

152 -- Jr. Cory Lightner (13-5) or Fr. Chase Bauberger (4-0) vs. Sr. Mike Ciavarro (16-3).

160 -- Sr. Luke Zehnbauer (7-4) or So. Kyle Schlittler (15-3) vs. Jr. Mike Sicola (15-6).

170 -- Sr. Nour Mays (13-4) vs. Sr. Joe Guzzo (17-3).

182 -- Sr. Kody Eichlin (12-0) vs. So. Tyler Gapas (4-10).

195 -- Sr. Vincent Kwiatek (5-3) vs. Sr. Kyle Stevens (10-7).

220 -- Sr. Brian Baehr (11-5) vs. Sr. Tim Bartlett (8-7) or Sr. Brandon Leonidas (6-9).

285 -- Sr. Marek Tomanek (16-2) vs. Leonidas or Bartlett.

Breakdown: Seems like most of these Hunterdon County matchups are too close to call and this is no exception. This match will boil down a couple of things -- the toss, bonus points and health. Voorhees is a common opponent for both -- Delaware Valley rolled to a 43-12 win over the Vikings on Jan. 10, while North escaped with a 24-22 win last Wednesday in Lebanon Township. Those scores mean little for this one as the matchups dictate a close battle. Terriers will likely weigh-in down as they did against Warren Hills last Friday -- Erwin at 126 being a key, as North would like to get matchup with Pomrinca. Obviously, the visitors are looking to avoid that matchup. Straight up, North is favored at 106, 126, 138, 145, 152 and 170. Del Val gets the nod at 182, 220 and 285. Tosses at 113, 120, 132, 160 and 195. Approvato beat Kolonia, 7-6, on Dec. 27, but I'd favor Del Val in the rematch. Erwin-Martin at either 126 or 132 is a pivotal bout should it happen, along with Sicola-Zehnbauer at 160. Guzzo narrowly beat Mays, 2-1, at Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex, while Sicola beat Schlittler, 4-2, at the John Goles. Del Val will have to do some juggling to pull this one off and will need plenty of bonus points where heavily favored up top. If the Terriers can do that and win three of the five tosses, they'll win. Lions need the matchups and to stay off their backs in some spots. I think the hosts get just enough to pull off the mild upset, but man this looks tight.

Prediction: North Hunterdon, 30-27.

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

The Saturday evening match may be all but extinct in our area, but it was great to see Phillipsburg and High Point battle it out this past weekend -- even if it was a one-sided night affair. The Stateliners' 52-13 win was contested before a packed house in Wantage as the gym was filled with electricity to see two of New Jersey's top-ranked teams go at it.

You will likely hear a lot of reasons why these weekend night matches are no longer taking place -- namely the presence of pesky tri-meets and quads during the day. Another factor is that some schools do not want to pay custodial workers their required overtime pay on the weekends. This to me is absolute hogwash, when you consider the ridiculous amount of money spent on travel for football. How is that even a valid excuse?

Kittatinny travels to Delaware Valley on Saturday in a match between the Nos. 11 and 17 teams, according to the latest New Jersey Wrestling Writers Top 20. Problem is, it will take place in the early afternoon when it's tough for fans to come out and pack Hutchins Gym. Terriers coach Andy Fitz confirmed that his school says no to Saturday night matches, which is a sin at an institution rich in its wrestling history.

Three years ago, Kittatinny scored a 33-30 win over Del Val in one of the season's most exciting dual meets. What a shame that only 50 or so fans were in the stands for that afternoon tri-meet.

Wrestling is hurting from an attendance standpoint. Very few duals pack them in like years ago. Time for school administrators and some coaches to wake up and help make it more convenient for fans to attend matches. And don't even get me started on these 6 p.m. or earlier starts on weekdays. That's basically saying you don't care if fans -- visiting or home -- are sitting in the stands.

Now onto this week's rankings:

1. Phillipsburg (6-0) -- Stateliners cemented their top billing with a 52-13 waxing of No. 2 High Point on Saturday. Tyler Agans (113), DJ Wissing (120), Tylor Petchonka (126), Max Elling (160) and Broderick Bupivi (170) all had pins. P'burg junior Jimmy Schuitema recorded his 76th career win with a big 5-3 decision over Jason Gaccione in a battle of Region 1 champs. Coach Dave Post's squad, which also rolled to a 41-18 win over No. 6 Hunterdon Central last Thursday, is in for a big week with rivalry matches against Warren Hills and Easton (Pa.). 'Liners leads the series with the Blue Streaks 52-14, but are just 14-62 against the Red Rovers.

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

2. High Point (5-1) -- Wildcats were humbled in their house with a 52-13 loss to No. 1 Phillipsburg last Saturday, and are just 1-16 in the series dating to 1989. Coach John Gardner's team opened the week with lopsided wins over Nutley (57-15), Morris Knolls (47-16) and Vernon (54-18) -- the latter two raising the 'Cats' record to 3-0 in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference American Division standings. The big question is whether Dom Gallo (120) and Jared Kobis (126) will be back in the lineup for Friday's showdown with archrival Kittatinny. Senior Kyle Stoll (195) and junior Jason Gaccione (145) lead the team with 84 and 82 career wins, respectively.

Up next: at Montville on Tuesday; Sparta at home on Thursday; Kittatinny at home on Friday; Bergen Catholic and Bound Brook at home on Saturday.

3. Kittatinny (9-0) -- Cougars rolled to five wins this past week -- Wallkill Valley (58-18), North Warren (52-24), Old Tappan (55-15), Watchung Hills (48-24) and North Bergen (36-27). Coach John Gill's squad was bolstered by the return of senior 152-pounder Nick Romyns (7-3), a two-time District 3 champion, who enters the week with 89 career wins. Unfortunately, junior 145-pounder Brandon Olsen sustained a knee injury and is on the shelf. Gill is closing in on 500 coaching victories, as he enters a six-match week at 495-149-5 in 34 seasons. Big week on tap with rival High Point on Friday -- Cougars are 12-25-1 in the series -- and No. 4 Delaware Valley on Saturday.

Up next: Jefferson at home on Tuesday; at Hopatcong on Thursday; at High Point on Friday; West Morris and Westfield at Delaware Valley quad on Saturday.

4. Delaware Valley (12-2) -- Terriers scored a 33-21 victory over No. 8 Warren Hills to highlight a 6-0 week, as coach Andy Fitz's squad also defeated Bridewater-Raritan (38-20), Lawrence (48-21), Perth Amboy (64-3), Lacey (57-8) and Somerville (42-17). Senior Codey Leh made news by decking Warren Hills junior Max Nauta, a Region 1 champion, in their 138-pound bout. Senior 182-pounder Kody Eichlin reached the 75-win mark and is 12-0 on the season. Big one coming up Wednesday at No. 5 North Hunterdon in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division tilt that figures to be a close one.

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

5. North Hunterdon (7-2) -- Lions squeaked past No. 7 Voorhees -- 24-22 last Wednesday -- before closing the week with wins over Steinert (63-18) and Lawrence (64-8) on Saturday. Coach Tim Flynn's squad got big wins from its upper weights to beat the Vikings, as Kyle Stevens (195), Tim Bartlett (220) and Brandon Leonidas (285) all earned decisions. Junior Ryan Pomrinca (19-0) is five wins shy of 100 for his career, as he enters the week at 95-10 overall. Wednesday's showdown with No. 4 Delaware Valley will break the tie in the series, which stands at 23-23.

Up next: Delaware Valley at home on Wednesday; Franklin and Hillsborough at Watchung Hills quad on Saturday.

6. Hunterdon Central (6-3) -- Red Devils opened last week with a 34-26 win over Watchung Hills on Wednesday before a 41-18 loss to No. 1 Phillipsburg on Thursday at the Field House. Senior 145-pounder Collin Boylan (18-2) avenged a previous loss with a 2-1 win over the Stateliners' Jimmy Schuitema, who scored a 1-0 decision in their Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex final four days earlier. Coach Steve Gibble's squad closed the week with a 36-27 win over Ocean Township and a 38-24 loss to Southern on Saturday. Senior Gary Dinmore (17-0 at 152) earned an impressive 5-0 win over Ocean Township's Zac Hertling in a battle of state placewinners.

Up next: at Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday; at Jack Welch Duals on Friday and Saturday.

7. Voorhees (11-3) -- Vikings rebounded from a tough 24-22 loss to No. 5 North Hunterdon with wins over Montgomery (54-9) on Friday and Morristown (54-6), Ridge (46-13) and Franklin (52-15) in a quad on Saturday. Sophomore Harley Sacks (106), Mike Muscatello (138), Christian Okulicz (145) and Jordan Juliano (170) all had big wins in the loss to North. Sacks beat Paul Robinson, a District 17 champ, 4-1, while Okulicz took out Brian Smolinsky, a Region 5 qualifier, 5-4.

Up next: at St. Benedict's Prep on Tuesday; Somerville at home on Wednesday; Hackettstown and Lenape Valley at Belvidere on Saturday.

8. Warren Hills (6-4) -- Blue Streaks opened last week with a 42-24 win at Montgomery before dropping a 33-21 decision to Delaware Valley at home on Friday. The Warren County school has lost five in a row to the Terriers and 13 of the last 14 meetings dating to 1999, and is 18-27 overall in the series, which began in 1963 when the Streaks were Washington High. Junior Max Nauta (14-3) was pinned for the first time in his high school career while leading Codey Leh, while senior Steve Cleaver (12-1) decked Del Val's Luke Zehnbauer with a cement job while trailing in their 182-pound bout. Coach Jarrett Hosbach's team rebounded with wins over Hackettstown (61-10) -- Streaks hold a 48-9 edge in the series with Tigers dating to 1957 -- West Morris (45-24) and North Warren (52-24) on Saturday.

Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Wednesday; Roselle Park and Paramus at Ramsey quad on Saturday.

9. Sparta (6-4) -- Spartans started last week with a 57-18 pasting of Vernon on Tuesday and a 33-32 win over Morris Hills on Wednesday in a pair of NJAC American Division matches before closing with a 42-21 loss to Wayne Valley in an independent clash on Saturday. Coach Frank Battaglia's team won 11 bouts against Vernon, as junior Ian Burke (18-2) recorded one of the team's six pins in the victory at 138. Sophomore Al Falco, a Region 1 qualifier, scored a nice 5-4 win over Wayne Valley's Zach D'Apolito at 170.

Up next: at Pope John on Tuesday; at High Point on Thursday; Wallkill Valley and Hopatcong at Dover quad on Saturday.

10. Lenape Valley (4-4) -- Patriots rolled to four straight wins last week, starting with a 54-23 victory over North Warren on Tuesday, followed by a 42-25 thumping of Newton on Wednesday, sparked by the return of junior Glenn Haines (3-0) who scored a 5-2 decision over Michael Larsen in their 138-pound bout. Haines had been sidelined with a shoulder injury and did not compete in Lenape's wins over Demarest (42-30) and Robbinsville (39-30) or the loss to Delbarton (53-18) on Saturday.

Up next: at Hopatcong on Tuesday; Wallkill Valley at home on Thursday; Voorhees at Belvidere tri-meet on Saturday.

New Jersey Wrestling Writers Top 20

Rank	School	Record	Votes	Previous
1	Bergen Catholic	(14-3)	340	1
2	St. Peter's Prep	(11-5)	313	2
3	Bound Brook	(9-4)	305	5
4	Phillipsburg	(6-0)	290	4
5	Don Bosco Prep	(11-1)	282	3
6	Delbarton	(10-2)	239	6
7	Brick Memorial	(10-0)	223	9
8	Hanover Park	(11-1)	214	8
9	High Point	(5-1)	199	7
10	Southern	(10-0)	198	11
11	Kittatinny	(9-0)	176	10
12	Paulsboro	(11-0)	162	12
13	Howell	(17-2)	145	13
14	Jackson Memorial	(8-1)	105	NR
15	Raritan	(19-2)	93	15
16	South Plainfield	(14-5)	79	16
17	Delaware Valley	(12-2)	63	17
18	Clearview	(12-0)	47	18
19	North Hunterdon	(7-2)	32	20
20	DePaul	(8-3)	24	19

Others receiving votes: St. Augustine Prep 14; Roselle Park 10; St. Joseph-Montvale 9; Hunterdon Central 8.

NJWWA voting memebers (in alphabetical order): Donald J. Brower (MorrisCountyHSWrestling.com); Patrick Buganski (The Mat Pack); Bill Evans (South Jersey Times); Frank D'Esposito (TheShoreConference.com); Steve Falk (Asbury Park Press of Neptune and Hitting the Mats); Brian Fortner (Express-Times); Harry Frezza (Courier News of Bridgewater); Joe Hofmann (Daily Record of Parsippany); Screwy Louie Lazzari (New Jersey Wrestling Historian); John Lewis (Burlington County Times); Ron Mazzola (On the Mat); Tom McGurk (Courier Post of Cherry Hill); John O'Kane (The Press of Atlantic City); Anthony Spaulding (New Jersey Herald); Greg Tufaro (Home News Tribune of East Brunswick); Mike Weilamann (Open Mike/Mugs Media); Joe Zedalis (Trenton Times).