Winners advance to Sunday's Group championships at Toms River North.
Warren Hills (16-8), a No. 2 seed, will travel to No. 1 Cranford for the North 2, Group 3 title match. The Blue Streaks will be looking to avenge a 48-21 loss to the Cougars (19-0), ranked No. 4 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association, on Jan. 28.
Senior Matt Valli (27-4) will be involved in one of the key bouts for Warren Hills, which seeks its first sectional title since 2007. In their 132-pound matchup in January, Valli gave up a late takedown in the third period to tie it, and was pinned by state qualifier Chris Scorese in overtime.
"It was a learning experience," said Valli, a two-time district finalist and 97-19 overall. "With 10 seconds left [leading 7-5], I should know better. I should have never lost that match."
Having wrestled in big matches in hostile environments all season, Valli feels his team won't be intimidated by Cranford's warmup routine, which includes a prematch parade of bagpipers.
"We've wrestled some of the best competition in the state," he said. "We've wrestled in front of crazy crowds and we're used to getting booed."
Delaware Valley and Hunterdon Central are among the area's No. 1 seeds.
The Terriers (20-3) will face a familiar foe as they take on Raritan for the Central Jersey, Group 2 championship for a third straight year. Del Val has won the last two meetings and holds an 8-5 edge in the all-time series with the Rockets (26-2).
The Red Devils (22-2), who set a school record for wins with a 64-6 victory over Edison in the semifinals, will take on Monroe Township for the Central Jersey, Group 5 title. Hunterdon Central will be aiming for its 21st championship overall and its fifth in the last eight years.
Phillipsburg (13-1), which leads all area teams in sectional titles, goes for its 36th in the 38-year history of the tournament as the Stateliners, ranked fifth, host No. 17 Middletown North in a showdown of state-ranked teams.
Sparta (18-8) is one of three Sussex County schools in the hunt for championships, as the Spartans, who rolled to a 49-15 win over River Dell in the North 1, Group 3 semifinals on Wednesday, seek their third sectional crown and first since 2000.
High Point (15-5), which advanced with a 36-22 victory over Westwood in the semifinals, will face Jefferson in the North 1, Group 2 final. The Wildcats, who have won a Sussex County-best 24 championships, will bid their first title since 2014.
Kittatinny (17-4) will aim for its 21st title when it takes on Butler in the North 1, Group 1 final. The Cougars have reached the sectional finals every year since 2000, except for a first-round exit in '15 -- a 32-31 loss to High Point in North 1, Group 2.
Open Mike area teams are in bold below.
NORTH 1
Group 5
2-Passaic Tech (16-2) at 1-North Bergen (17-4)
Group 4
2-West Morris (16-6) at 1-Mendham (20-3)
Group 3
2-Old Tappan (16-6) at 1-Sparta (18-8)
Group 2
3-Jefferson (18-6) at 1-High Point (15-5)
Group 1
2-Butler (17-2) at 1-Kittatinny (17-4)
NORTH 2
Group 5
2-Watchung Hills (12-7) at 1-Piscataway (15-5)
Group 4
2-Middletown North (23-3) at 1-Phillipsburg (13-1)
Group 3
2-Warren Hills (16-8) at 1-Cranford (19-0)
Group 2
2-Caldwell (15-4) at 1-Hanover Park (15-4)
Group 1
2-Cedar Grove (9-10) at 1-Bound Brook (11-6)
CENTRAL JERSEY
Group 5
2-Monroe Township (18-1) at 1-Hunterdon Central (22-2)
Group 4
2-Brick Memorial (13-6) at 1-Jackson Memorial (13-8)
Group 3
3-Hopewell Valley (17-4) at 1-South Plainfield (27-1)
Group 2
2-Raritan (26-2) at 1-Delaware Valley (20-3)
Group 1
2-Manville (21-2) at 1-Point Pleasant Beach (21-1)
SOUTH JERSEY
Group 5
3-Egg Harbor Township (21-2) at 1-Howell (27-1)
Group 4
2-Hammonton (24-6) at 1-Kingsway (14-11)
Group 3
2-Gateway-Woodbury (24-4) at 1-Delsea (22-4)
Group 2
2-Haddonfield (20-7) at 1-Collingswood (24-5)
Group 1
3-Woodstown (17-5) at 1-Paulsboro (20-0)
NON-PUBLIC
North A
2-Bergen Catholic (12-4) at 1-Delbarton (16-2)
North B
2-Queen of Peace (8-4) at 1-DePaul (10-4)
South A
2-Camden Catholic (22-6) at 1-St. Augustine (17-7)
South B
2-Donovan Catholic (12-9) at 1-Holy Spirit (14-9)
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