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| Brian Meyer (third from left) on the podium in AC in 2017. |
Well, consider several state placewinners, including Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer (third at 145 in 2017), Pope John junior Robbie Garcia (fourth in '17) and Hunterdon Central senior Hunter Graf (eighth as a sophomore) seek their first HWS titles.
Pope John, which won its first tri-county team championship last season, has a strong chance to repeat, while Phillipsburg, Hunterdon Central and High Point should also be in the mix.
On the individual side, there are several loaded weight classes, including 138 pounds. North Hunterdon senior Andrew Gapas, last year's 132-pound champion and the tourney's Outstanding Wrestler, is one of two state placewinners in this year's class, along with Pope John junior Joe Aragona, a two-time HWS champion and state runner-up in 2017.
"It's a pretty tough weight," Gapas said recently after winning his first John Goles Invitational championship. "I'm going in to have fun and keep my title."
Let's take a weight-by-weight look. Wrestlers are ranked by Open Mike at the lowest weight they've competed at this season. Official pairings and seeds will be determined on Friday, Jan. 12.
106 pounds
1. Jr. Quinn Melofchik (8-0), Belvidere
2. Fr. Brett Ungar (11-0), Hunterdon Central
3. So. Cooper Stewart (8-1), Sparta
4. Fr. Shane Percelay (8-4), Pope John
5. Jr. Connor Robinson (7-2), North Hunterdon
Keep an eye on: So. Devon Liebl (7-2), High Point; Fr. Nathan Fitt (3-5), Newton; Fr. Logan Maczko (6-5), Phillipsburg.
Notes: Melofchik, a runner-up last year at this weight and a third-place finisher in Region 3, will receive a strong challenge from Ungar, a blue-chip rookie who opened eyes with a first-period pin against Robinson, fourth at this weight last year, on Dec. 22. Stewart will also be a tough out, while Percelay, another quality freshman, dropped a 6-2 decision to Ungar in the Hunterdon Central Invitational finals.
113 pounds
1. So. Eddie Ventresca (11-2), Pope John
2. Sr. Cullen Day (8-4), Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Brandon LaRue (11-0), High Point
4. Sr. Colby Koshinski (10-2), Voorhees
5. Fr. Frank Diesso (5-1), North Hunterdon
Keep an eye on: Fr. Spencer Stewart (9-2), Sparta; Fr. Colton Washleski (9-3), Hunterdon Central.
Notes: Ventresca, fourth in the state tournament at this weight last season, is a heavy favorite to win his second straight title. Day vs. LaRue would be a dandy semifinal. They were in opposite brackets last year -- with Day winning the 106-pound championship and LaRue finishing third.
120 pounds
1. Jr. Travis Jones (11-4), Phillipsburg
2. Jr. Devin Flannery (9-2), High Point
3. So. Kia Sement (10-4), Pope John
4. Jr. Jack Bauer (8-2), Hunterdon Central
5. Jr. Aidan Taylor (7-5), Voorhees
Keep an eye on: So. Zac Creeden (5-0), Wallkill Valley; Fr. JoJo Lotruglio (5-4), Newton; Jr. Chris Hwang (5-4), Sparta; Jr. Mike Nelson (7-3), Kittatinny.
Notes: Jones, one of the most entertaining and best mat wrestlers around, burst onto the scene last season with a second-place finish at 113. Flannery, a returning state qualifier as well, is a strong title contender. Sement, who wrestled for Blair Academy last season, scored a a 2-1 win in overtime against Bauer in the Hunterdon Central Invitational semifinals.
126 pounds
1. Sr. Maverick Liebl (9-2), High Point
2. Sr. Codey O'Rourke (6-1), Warren Hills
3. Jr. Hunter Rinehart (9-3), Voorhees
4. So. Anthony Romaniello (8-2), Hunterdon Central
5. Fr. Tyler Marason (5-2), Phillipsburg
Keep an eye on: Jr. Matthew Rosa (7-3), Newton; So. Evan Klimas (4-3), North Hunterdon; Jr. Dominic Falleni (4-2), Lenape Valley; So. Mathew Garcia (7-4), Pope John.
Notes: Pretty wide-open weight with Liebl -- a fifth-place finisher in Region 1 last season -- rating a slight favorite. O'Rourke is dangerous and always looking for the pin, while Marason, a talented freshman, handed Rosa a 2-0 loss on Dec. 23.
132 pounds
1. Sr. Jake Rotunda (12-4), Pope John
2. Sr. Hunter Graf (11-1), Hunterdon Central
3. Jr. A.J. DeRosa (9-0), Delaware Valley
4. Sr. Anthony Mastroeni (8-1), Hopatcong
5. So. Billy Talmadge (11-2), High Point
Keep an eye on: So. Garrett Stewart (8-3), Sparta; Jr. Kyle Tino (5-2), Phillipsburg; So. Eric Falleni (5-2), Lenape Valley; Sr. Kyle Wulff (4-5), Warren Hills.
Notes: Pretty deep class with Rotunda, who recently joined his school's 100-win club, looking to become just the fourth wrestler to win three titles. He handed Graf, who was a runner-up in 2017, a 6-1 loss in the Hunterdon Central Invitational finals. DeRosa, who has placed fifth twice here, is another strong contender. Mastroeni is a two-time bronze medal winner here, while Talmadge, a returning third-place finisher, is capable of an upset.
138 pounds
1. Jr. Joe Aragona (14-1), Pope John
2. Sr. Andrew Gapas (9-0), North Hunterdon
3. Jr. Cody Harrison (10-2), Phillipsburg
4. Sr. Shane Kobis (12-0), High Point
5. So. Gage Crater (9-3), Delaware Valley
Keep an eye on: Sr. Mike Callahan (10-2), Kittatinny; Jr. Michael Freda (6-4), Newton.
Notes: Just a ridiculously loaded weight and easily the toughest in the tournament. Aragona, a two-time state medal winner, is also looking to join the exclusive list of three-time winners. Gapas, who placed eighth in the state as a junior, seeks back-to-back HWS titles, while Harrison, also an eighth-place finisher in the state tournament, was a HWS runner-up as a freshman. Kobis, a state qualifier, hasn't finished higher than fifth in the HWS, while Crater was a finalist in 2017.
145 pounds
1. Jr. Robbie Garcia (14-2), Pope John
2. Sr. Alex Carida (12-0), Hackettstown
3. Jr. Michael Wilson (9-0), North Hunterdon
4. Jr. Vincent Romaniello (8-3), Hunterdon Central
5. Sr. Perry Maio (9-4), Kittatinny
Keep an eye on: Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (7-6), Phillipsburg; Jr. Chris Ostir (6-3), Warren Hills; Jr. Carter Sheridan (8-3), Sparta.
Notes: Garcia, a two-time HWS runner-up, rates the favorite here, but Carida is a returning HWS and Region 3 champion. Wilson has really come on the last two seasons, finishing fifth in last year's tournament.
152 pounds
1. Sr. Brian Meyer (9-2), Phillipsburg
2. Jr. Wyatt McCarthy (8-0), Newton
3. Sr. Calvin Brook (8-3), Kittatinny
4. Sr. Tucker Kirchberger (10-1), North Hunterdon
5. Sr. Trey Osborn (8-4), High Point
Keep an eye on: So. Connor Fritsch (7-4), Pope John; Fr. Norman Cella (7-3), Hunterdon Central; So. Geir Nemeth (6-4), Warren Hills.
Notes: Meyer, who finished third in the state last season, eyes his first HWS title after back-to-back runner-up finishes. McCarthy, a runner-up as a sophomore, also has his sights set on the gold in what could be a great finals matchup. Keep an eye on Kirchberger, who has really improved after winning a district title last season.
160 pounds
1. Sr. Kevin Ciresa (9-3), Hunterdon Central
2. Sr. Jonathon Borgognoni (8-0), Newton
3. Sr. Shane Smith (7-3), Kittatinny
4. Sr. William Hughes (2-0), North Hunterdon
5. Sr. Robbie Turro (8-4), High Point
Keep an eye on: Sr. Brad Kalinchak (8-3), Voorhees; Sr. Josh Ramos (5-5), Phillipsburg; Sr. Joseph Desapio (8-4), Delaware Valley.
Notes: Ciresa, a state qualifier as a sophomore, has been knocking on the finals door with back-to-back third-place finishes and a fourth his freshman season. Borgognoni also won a bronze medal last season, while Smith is a returning champion at this weight. Hughes is working his way back into the lineup after being sidelined with an injury.
170 pounds
1. Sr. Josh Hiler (7-3), Kittatinny
2. Sr. Lance Wissing (15-2), Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Dan Furmato (10-2), Hunterdon Central
4. Sr. James Swentzel (3-3), Pope John
5. So. Nathaniel Fossett (7-4), North Hunterdon
Keep an eye on: Jr. Nick Brigante (4-5), Newton; Fr. Shane Exley (6-3), Belvidere.
Notes: Hiler, who pinned Furmato on Dec. 16, is a returning third-place finisher at this weight. Wissing, who was a 138-pounder last season, is off to a great start and looks like a title threat. Furmato, a sixth-place finisher as a junior, could also push for a trip to the finals.
182 pounds
1. Sr. Jarod Ostir (7-0), Warren Hills
2. Jr. Zach Mafaro (9-1), Kittatinny
3. Sr. Reece Muldoon (7-0), Pope John
4. Sr. Joseph DeLuca (8-2), Newton
5. Jr. Grayson Sabo (9-2), High Point
Keep an eye on: Jr. Matt Castro (9-3), Hackettstown; Sr. John Spies (6-4), North Hunterdon; Jr. Kyle Barrett (7-5), Hunterdon Central.
Notes: Ostir, a returning runner-up, is a two-time state qualifier. Mafaro was fifth at 195 last season after winning a title as a freshman. Muldoon, a finalist at 160 last season, will also be in the title mix.
195 pounds
1. Sr. Scott Fernandes (11-1), Voorhees
2. Sr. Robbie Gennat (10-1), Sparta
3. Sr. Eli Kalfaian (5-1), Delaware Valley
4. So. Lukas Bakerian (10-3), Hunterdon Central
5. Jr. Luke Fischer (7-1), Newton
Keep an eye on: Fr. Jackson Crawn (8-3), Kittatinny; Sr. Ryan Kokawski (5-3), Belvidere; Jr. Austin Roth (3-3), Phillipsburg.
Notes: Fernandes, a returning state qualifier who was a tri-county third at 182 last season, decked Gennat, who placed fourth at this weight class in 2017 after a third-place finish in '16, in just 29 seconds on Saturday to set the Voorhees pins record with 64. Kalfaian just returned after missing a few weeks with a knee issue.
220 pounds
1. Jr. Lewis Fernandes (12-0), Voorhees
2. Jr. Nick Galka (6-1), Warren Hills
3. Sr. Angelo Crespo (5-0), Hunterdon Central
4. So. Jacob Mafaro (8-2), Kittatinny
5. Jr. Lorenzo Becerril (6-2), North Hunterdon
Keep an eye on: Jr. Matt Somers (2-1), Newton; So. Ryan Hall (6-2), Lenape Valley; Jr. Andrew Lewis (7-4), High Point.
Notes: Pope John senior Jake Brown, third at this weight last season, has yet to wrestle and his status is unknown. Fernandes is primed for a big season after finishing one round shy of a medal in the state tournament last season. He was a tri-county third at 195 as a sophomore. Galka, a returning district champion, will likely drop to 195 at some point this season, but 220 looks like an easier road to the finals.
285 pounds
1. Sr. Joe Andes (10-1), Hackettstown
2. Jr. Sam Huff (11-0), Voorhees
3. Sr. Joey Sprague (6-1), North Warren
4. Sr. Thomas Hubmaster (8-3), High Point
5. Sr. Ryan Joyce (5-6), Hunterdon Central
Keep an eye on: Sr. Patrick Sharpe (9-5), Phillipsburg; Sr. Jack Morelli (6-3), Pope John; Jr. Zachery Dora (3-3), Wallkill Valley.
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