Wrestling: Becerril leads Lions; 'Liners top Streaks

In match that had its share of swing bouts, none was bigger than North Hunterdon junior Lorenzo Becerril's match-turning pin at 220 pounds.

Becerril pancaked favored Eli Kalfaian in 1:13 to help send the Lions to a 39-30 win over Delaware Valley on Monday night in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division match at North Hunterdon Regional High School.

For his efforts, Becerril (12-8) earned the Dan Hutchins Memorial Award as his team's outstanding wrestler. Senior Joseph Desapio, who also had a surprising pin at 160, was named the Terriers' OW. The award, whose namesake was killed in an automobile accident on Father's Day morning in 2002, has been presented to a wrestler from each team for the last 16 years. For more about Hutchins and his career, check out this story from 2013, regarding Del Val's ceremony to name its gym after the school's first 100-match winner.

North Hunterdon (11-3, 3-1 division), which won eight bouts and has won four of the last seven meetings for a 26-25 lead in a series dating to 1963, appeared to be in trouble after Desapio turned the tables on William Hughes, a district champion last season, in what was a one-point bout at the time of the fall. Hughes, who led the majority of the way, seemed to tire in the third period.

The Lions' lead was trimmed to just three as Del Val won the next two -- a forfeit at 170 and a 7-5 win by Brandon Helper at 182 -- to take a 24-18 advantage through nine bouts. But Nathaniel Fossett stopped the bleeding with a pin at 195 to set up Becerril's upset-win with three bouts to go.

North junior Francis Vitelli all but sealed Del Val's fate with a 5-4 win over Karl Burke in another tossup at 285 to give the Lions a 33-24 lead. Junior Connor Robinson received a forfeit at 106 to officially clinch it.

In a wild one at 113, North freshman Frank Diesso looked to be on his way to avenging an earlier loss to CJ Heaps, who trailed, 14-10, before catching Diesso for the pin in 5:53. Heaps majored Diesso, 15-2, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament quarterfinals on Jan. 13.

Kudos to the North Hunterdon Lions Wrestling Club for doing a live stream of the match, complete with bout and team score updates and a running clock. Well done.

NORTH HUNTERDON 39, DELAWARE VALLEY 30

120 -- So. Drew Doscher (11-8), NH, d. Fr. Cory Crater (5-11), 7-2.
126 -- Jr. A.J. DeRosa (19-2), DV, p. So. Evan Klimas (9-10), 3:32.
132 -- So. Gage Crater (18-6), DV, d. So. Kyle Anderson (10-11), 4-2.
138 -- Sr. Andrew Gapas (21-1), NH, p. Jr. Tommy Schlittler (6-10), 1:53.
145 -- Jr. Michael Wilson (20-3), NH, d. Fr. Anthony DeRosa (8-16), 4-0.
152 -- Sr. Tucker Kirchberger (21-4), NH, p. So. Nick Ferri (0-6), :47.
160 -- Sr. Joseph Desapio (13-11), DV, p. Sr. William Hughes (12-3), 5:30.
170 -- Sr. Shawne Ramsby (6-0), DV, forfeit.
182 -- Jr. Brandon Helper (7-13), DV, d. Sr. John Spies (9-12), 7-5.
195 -- So. Nathaniel Fossett (16-8), NH, p. Jr. Kyle Carney (6-11), 1:45.
220 -- Jr. Lorenzo Becerril (12-8), NH, p. Sr. Eli Kalfaian (13-4), 1:13.
285 -- Jr. Francis Vitelli (6-11), NH, d. Sr. Karl Burke (8-11), 5-4.
106 -- Jr. Connor Robinson (18-4), NH, forfeit.
113 -- Sr. CJ Heaps (10-7), DV, p. Fr. Frank Diesso (13-6), 5:53.
Records --- Delaware Valley 4-9, 1-4; North Hunterdon 11-3, 3-1.
Dan Hutchins Memorial Awards -- Joseph Desapio and Lorenzo Becerril.
Official -- Joe Benvenuto.

Stateliners roll past Blue Streaks

Senior Shamyr Brodders (195) and junior Kyle Tino (138) registered pins as Phillipsburg cruised to a 53-14 win over Warren Hills on Monday night in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division clash in Washington Township.

Phillipsburg (7-2, 3-1 division) received five forfeit victories and won five of the nine contested bouts. The Stateliners, who now hold a 57-14 lead in a series dating to 1948, have won 32 straight against the Blue Streaks (3-7, 1-4). Warren Hills' last wins came during the 1989-90 season -- 32-31 in a regular-season match at The Pit and 34-30 at home in the North 2, Group 3 sectional final.

Senior Jarod Ostir (14-0), who sustained a knee injury in winning his first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title on Jan. 13, returned to the lineup and recorded one of the Streaks' four wins -- a 5-2 decision over Austin Roth at 182.

PHILLIPSBURG 53, WARREN HILLS 14

182 -- Sr. Jarod Ostir (14-0), WH, d. Jr. Austin Roth (9-8), 5-2.
195 -- Sr. Shamyr Brodders (7-11), P, p. Fr. Logan Polcari (2-8), 1:19.
220 -- So. Cody Cruts (6-10), P, forfeit.
285 -- Jr. Duro Ajayi (9-9), WH, d. Sr. Patrick Sharpe (13-10), 3-1 SV.
106 -- Fr. Logan Maczko (12-9), P, forfeit.
113 -- Sr. Cullen Day (16-7), P, d. So. Greg Slivka (8-9), 3-0.
120 -- Jr. Travis Jones (21-4), P, forfeit.
126 -- Sr. Codey O'Rourke (12-4), WH, md. Jr. Brenden Fox (1-8), 9-1.
132 -- Sr. Kyle Wulff (12-8), WH, md. Jr. Thomas Abode (2-6), 10-2.
138 -- Jr. Kyle Tino (12-5), P, p. So. Nickolas Gorab (0-3), 1:38.
145 -- Jr. Cody Harrison (17-2), P, md. Jr. Chris Ostir (9-10), 17-7.
152 -- Sr. Brian Meyer (19-2), P, forfeit.
160 -- Sr. Josh Ramos (12-6), P, md. So. Nick Hildebrant (8-12), 14-4.
170 -- Sr. Lance Wissing (22-3), P, forfeit.
Records -- Phillipsburg 7-2, 3-1; Warren Hills 3-7, 1-4.