Wrestling: Phillipsburg sets schedule for 2015-16

Phillipsburg coach Dave Post confirmed that his schedule for the 2015-16 season is complete. 

Post said that Hanover Park, which came to The Pit last season, is back on the schedule after the Group 2 champion Hornets switched around some dates to allow the Stateliners to come to Morris County this season for the rematch on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, the final day of the regular season.

Phillipsburg, the defending Group 4 champ, scored a 32-21 victory over Hanover Park on Feb. 4 in the first meeting between the schools.

Post said both Group 5 champion Brick Memorial and Group 2 champion Delsea were interested in wrestling Phillipsburg, which had no open dates to accommodate those schools, had that Saturday date in February opened up. P'burg has gone a combined 37-1 the last two years, including 19-1 this past season.

"We would have loved to wrestle those schools -- Brick Memorial being the Group 5 champ and Delsea the Group 3 champion -- but Hanover Park came to The Pit last season and we wanted to return the favor" said Post, whose teams are 79-14 overall with four sectional and two Group 4 titles in his five seasons in charge of his alma mater.

One notable new addition is Lenape Valley, the Group 2 runner-up last season. Coach Doug Vetter's Patriots dropped a 48-18 decision to Hanover Park in the state title match in Trenton. P'burg leads 3-1 in the all-time series dating to 2005, including a 38-24 win at The Pit in the last meeting on Jan. 17, 2009. Lenape's lone victory was 37-24 at home in 2006.

The annual matches against Pennsylvania's District 11 are also on the docket -- Northampton (Jan. 2), Parkland (Jan. 6) and Easton (Jan. 16). The 'Liners have beaten Easton the last two seasons, including a 30-23 victory on Jan. 17. It was the first time they've earned back-to-back wins in the series since ripping off nine in a row against the Red Rovers from 1963-71. However, Easton still leads 62-16 overall since the storied rivalry began in 1947.

In addition, P'burg will once again open the season at the Beast of East Tournament in Delaware.

Here's the complete P'burg schedule:

Dec. 19-20 -- at Beast of the East Tournament in Newark, Del.
Dec. 22 -- West Morris
Dec. 23 -- Voorhees
Dec. 28-29 -- at Bethlehem (Pa.) Holiday Classic (Liberty High School)
Jan. 2 -- Northampton (Pa.)
Jan. 6 -- at Parkland (Pa.)
Jan. 7 -- Raritan
Jan. 9 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament (at Hunterdon Central)
Jan. 13 -- Delaware Valley
Jan. 14 -- Howell
Jan. 16 -- at Easton (Pa.)
Jan. 20 -- at Bound Brook
Jan. 21 -- North Hunterdon
Jan. 23 -- High Point
Jan. 27 -- at Hunterdon Central
Jan. 29 -- at Warren Hills
Jan. 30 -- Southern
Feb. 3 -- at Kittatinny
Feb. 4 -- Lenape Valley
Feb. 6 -- at Hanover Park
Feb. 10 -- Sectional semifinals
Feb. 12 -- Sectional finals
Feb. 14 -- Group championships at Toms River North
Feb. 19-20 -- District 1 Tournament at Warren Hills
Feb. 24, 26-27 -- Region 1 Tournament at Wallkill Valley
March 4-6 -- State Tournament at Atlantic City

Note: Bold indicates Skyland Conference Raritan Division matches.