Wrestling: District recap for HWS by the numbers

Everyone arrive home safely from their weekend excursions to various district sites?

It was only a mere 60-plus miles for Newton to District 1 at Pascack Valley High School. Bet that was a fun bus ride home on Saturday night in the snow. How far did you have to travel? Use many frequent flyer miles?

As we wait for the coaches who voted for this insane setup last year to admit they made a huge mistake -- don't hold your breath -- let's review what happened in the 12 districts that house teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.

High Point won its 16th district team title. (HP wrestling)

Yes, that's right, we have 18 schools spread out all over the north and central parts of the state. Phillipsburg and Pope John lead all area teams with 12 qualifiers apiece, while Hunterdon Central advanced 10 in winning the District 17 team title.

In all, there are 118 wrestlers from the HWS area still competing -- same as last season.

We had five schools win team championships: High Point (D1), Pope John (D2), Phillipsburg (D9), North Hunterdon (D15) and Hunterdon Central (D17).

Here's a closer look by the numbers:

143 -- Hopatcong senior Anthony Mastroeni added another milestone to his fine career on Saturday in winning his third straight district championship. With win No. 143, he became the school's all-time leader -- surpassing four-time champion Dan Haines (142-21 from 2007-11). Mastroeni also joined an exclusive club in becoming just the sixth wrestler for the Chiefs to win at least three district titles -- joining George Miller (1974-76), Anthony Bunnicant (1991-94), Jaime Lijo (2001-03), Zach Rey (2005-07) and Haines. The Sussex County school has 75 titles overall, including freshman Frank Mastroeni, who won his first at 113 pounds in District 8.

15 -- For the second straight season, High Point and Newton, which had to make the ridiculously long trip to Pascack Valley for District 1, combined to send 15 wrestlers to Region 1, which at least will be a shorter jaunt to West Milford. Junior Brandon LaRue (113) and sophomore Billy Talmadge (132) won their second straight titles, while senior Shane Kobis (138) got his first and the family's fourth as older brother, Jared, won three (2013, '15 and '16), in leading the 'Cats to their second straight team title and the program's 16th overall. Junior Wyatt McCarthy (145) and senior Jonathon Borgognoni (152) repeated as champs for the Braves -- joining Austin Alpaugh (2007-08), Ed Mattice (2008-09) and Gus Protogeropoulos (2014-15) as the only Newton wrestlers to win consecutive championships since 2000. In fact only nine have done it since 1980, as Jeff Waldron (1984-85), now the school's principal, Robert Coward (1986-87), Mike Hawkes (1994-95) and T.J. Cuff (1998-99) went back-to-back.

25 -- Kittatinny has now gone a quarter of a century with at least one district champion as senior Calvin Brook (152), junior Zach Mafaro (182) and sophomore Jacob Mafaro (220) were among the winners in District 2 -- giving the school an all-time total of 114. In all, the Cougars will have eight competing in Region 1.

P'burg extended its streak with a district champ to 63.

63 -- With nine champions in District 9, the most since 11 in 2002, including four-time winner Brian Meyer (152) and three-timer Cody Harrison (138), Phillipsburg won its 45th team championship. The Warren County school has now had at least one champion for 63 straight tournaments since missing in 1955. Senior Cullen Day (113) and junior Travis Jones (120) were repeat winners. The only other year that the 'Liners came up empty was 1950. Bill Lowe was the program's first champion at 103 pounds in 1948.

120 -- The fourth time proved to be the charm for Sparta senior Robert Gennat, who won his first district title after three previous runner-up finishes. Gennat (34-2), who became the Sussex County school's second Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament champion earlier this season, edged Don Bosco Prep sophomore Luke Chakonis, 6-5, to finally get over the hump in District 3. In the process, Gennat (120-29) joined Ian Burke (120-23 from 2011-15) atop the Spartans' all-time wins list. Gennat can claim the record for himself with a win on Friday in the Region 1 quarterfinals at West Milford.

11 -- Speaking of Sparta, since going six straight years without a district champion, it has now won 11 titles in five seasons as junior Carter Sheridan (138) joined Gennat as winners in District 3 at Don Bosco Prep. In all, the Spartans advanced seven to Region 3, including sophomores Cooper Stewart (third at 106) and Garrett Stewart (second at 126), freshman Spencer Stewart (second at 113), and seniors Kevin Berlin (third at 160) and Mason Minetti (third at 170).

4 -- What a lucky number for Pope John, which won its fourth district championship overall and first since 1981 behind four-time winner Jake Rotunda, who claimed the title at 132 pounds in District 2 at Kittatinny Regional High School. Rotunda, the school's all-time wins leader is just the fourth to win four district titles for the Lions -- joining Mike Frick (1969-72), Hugh Albora (1972-75) and Brian Unkert (1987-90). In all, the Sparta-based school, which also won team titles in 1975 and '77, crowned a program-record seven champions. Junior Robert Garcia (145) and senior Jake Brown (195), who also won titles, are closing in on 100 career wins at 99 and 96, respectively.

37 -- The new District 17 certainly seems to suit Hunterdon Central which rolled to its third straight team title (with a whopping 242 points) and eighth in the last 10 years to raise the program's total to 37. In all, 10 of 14 advanced to Region 5 -- including champions Brett Ungar (106), Jack Bauer (120), Hunter Graf (132) and Pasquale Vizzoni (138). Graf, who became the program's fourth four-time champ, inched closer to the school's all-time wins mark. At 138-26, he's just three back of Pat Strizki (141). Senior Kevin Ciresa (second at 152) also became the 22nd wrestler for the Red Devils to reach the 100-win mark.

Jarod Ostir on top of the podium. (Courtesy of Jackie Ostir)

9 -- Washington High School became Warren Hills following the 1966-67 school year. Since then, only nine wrestlers have won at least three district titles for the Blue Streaks. Senior Jarod Ostir (25-1) became the ninth wearing a Warren Hills uniform as the District 12 champion at 182 pounds. He joins Rick Rhinehart (1967, '68, '70), Dan Slack (1975-77), Jim Miller (1977-79), Ben Oberly (1984-86), Corey Miller (1987, '89, '90), Dave Richmond (2003-06), Max Nauta (2013-15) and Andrew Pacheco (2013-15). Only Richmond won four. Junior Nick Galka (220), who won his second district title on Saturday, will try to join that talented group in 2019. Ostir's older brother, Ryan, was a champion in 2014, while younger brother, Chris, a junior, earned a return trip to Region 3 with a second-place finish at 145.

121 -- Voorhees enjoyed another successful day in District 16 with four champions -- Josh Rich (106), Scott Fernandes (195), Sam Huff (220) and Lewis Fernandes (285) -- to raise the program's total to 121. All were first-time winners, except Huff, who won at 285 last season. In addition, the Vikes, who have gone 13 straight years with at least one champion, sends eight on to Region 4, including runners-up Colby Koshinski (113), Aidan Taylor (120). Lewis Fernandes is sitting on 98 career wins as he looks to become the third Fernandes brother -- joining Michael and Scott -- in the school's 100-win club.

208 -- North Hunterdon rolled to its second straight team title in District 15 behind four champions -- Andrew Gapas (138), Michael Wilson (145), Tucker Kirchberger (152) and William Hughes (160). Wilson, a junior, won his first, while the others were repeat winners for the Lions, who have won team titles in three of the last four years and now have 208 champions overall.

21 -- Delaware Valley made program history by hosting districts for the first time in its 56 seasons of existence and made it 21 straight years with at least one champion as junior AJ DeRosa (126), Joseph Desapio (160) and Eli Kalfaian (195) all won their first titles in District 19. DeRosa (31-2), a region runner-up as a freshman, had to sit out the postseason a year ago due to illness, as the Terriers sent eight on to Region 5.

71 -- Lenape Valley kept its streak alive with at least one district champion since missing in 2003 as junior Marcus Bitetto, a transfer from Sparta, won at 113 pounds in District 5 to raise the Sussex County school's winners total to 71 overall. The Patriots, who advanced six wrestlers to Region 2, including a pair of runners-up in Dominic Falleni (126) and James Haws (138), finished second in the team standings behind Bergen Catholic, the state's No. 1 team as ranked by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association.