Wrestling: Ostir OW as Jersey wins Lions Classic

Warren Hills senior Jarod Ostir was among six area wrestlers who were victorious in helping New Jersey end its skid with a 32-17 victory over Pennsylvania in the 38th annual Easton Lions Club All-Star Wrestling Classic on Tuesday night at Easton Area High School's 25th Street Gymnasium.

It was the first win for the Garden State -- the match pits seniors from New Jersey against their counterparts from Pennsylvania's rugged District 11 -- since 2012.

Jarod Ostir after winning the District 12 title this season.

Pennsylvania, which had won the previous five events, still owns a 22-16 lead in the all-time series dating to 1981.

Ostir, a district champion and region runner-up who is tied for 13th on the Blue Streaks' all-time wins list with 91, rolled to an 11-1 major decision over Parkland's Adam Lizak, who finished fourth in the PIAA Class AAA Northeast Region.

Scott Fernandes of Voorhees (195) and Hunter Graf of Hunterdon Central (132), along with state placewinners Andrew Gapas of North Hunterdon (138), Alex Carida of Hackettstown (145) and Brian Meyer of Phillipsburg (152) also won for the New Jersey squad.

Carida's 2-0 decision over Freedom's Ben Huber, clinched it for New Jersey. Meyer, a state runner-up, capped the four-bout run for Jersey, which won six of the last seven to close out the match, with a 6-3 win over Bangor's Eddie Hay.

NEW JERSEY 32, PENNSYLVANIA 17

160 -- Caleb Clymer (43-1, 144-23, D1, R1, S1), PA-Northwestern, tf. William Hughes (26-7, 54-34, D1, R3), North Hunterdon, 15-0, 3:12.

170 -- Cade Wilson (36-5, 102-30, D1, R1, S3), PA-Nazareth, d. Lance Wissing (41-6, 49-26, D1, R3), Phillipsburg, 7-2.

182 -- Jarod Ostir (28-4, 91-37, D1, R2), NJ-Warren Hills, md. Adam Lizak (31-14, 49-29, D4, R4), Parkland, 11-1.

195 -- Scott Fernandes (37-6, 115-39, D1, R2), NJ-Voorhees, d. Haakon Matthewson (20-5, 47-16, D5, R5), Bangor, 3-0.

220 -- Sam Wustefeld (48-3, 116-15, D1, R1, S2), NJ-Scotch Plains-Fanwood, p. Jacob Frank (26-9, 44-21), Easton, 1:57.

285 -- Jonathan Pineda (32-7, 69-18, D1, R2), PA-Easton, d. Joe Andes (40-3, 86-33, D1, R1), Hackettstown, 3-1.

113 -- Michael Caso (34-13, 86-35, D2, R3), NJ-West Morris, d. Jon Consorti (23-8, 112-29, D1, R2), Wilson, 5-4.

120 -- Matt Armamento (43-5, 101-21, D1, R1), NJ-Roselle Park, d. Logan Ninos (24-18, 89-61, D4, R4), Northampton, 7-6.

126 -- Nick Dolak (23-9, 90-34, D4, R2), PA-Parkland, p. Codey O'Rourke (26-10, 57-39, D2, R4), Warren Hills, 1:45.

132 -- Hunter Graf (38-6, 143-29, D1, R2), NJ-Hunterdon Central, d. Ryan McGuire (32-6, 131-38, D1, R2, S5), Notre Dame-Green Pond, 3-2.

138 -- Andrew Gapas (37-5, 109-26, D1, R3, S6), NJ-North Hunterdon, md. Jason Jones (37-6, 150-48, D1, R2, S7), Saucon Valley, 8-0.

145 -- Alex Carida (46-2, 142-28, D1, R1, S3), NJ-Hackettstown, d. Ben Huber (23-6, 97-30, D4, R5), Freedom, 2-0.

152 -- Brian Meyer (39-3, 131-35, D1, R1, S2), NJ-Phillipsburg, d. Eddie Hay (29-6, 118-32, D3, R4), Bangor, 6-3.

Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Jarod Ostir, Warren Hills.

Wrestling: Thompson, Sbriscia apply for WH job

It didn't take long for some names to surface as Warren Hills seeks its next head wrestling coach.

Open Mike has learned that former Phillipsburg coach Rick Thompson and Dave Sbriscia, a former wrestler for the Warren County school and an assistant on former Blue Streaks coach Jarrett Hosbach's staff, have inquired about the vacant position.

Hosbach, who guided the Warren Hills program for the past 13 seasons, officially submitted his letter of resignation last Monday morning. It was speculated that Sbriscia would be a candidate to become the 81-year-old program's eighth head coach, but Thompson, one of the most decorated coaches in New Jersey history, is certainly an intriguing name in the process.

The advertisement seeking fall and winter coaches was posted on the school's web site on Feb. 28. Although the deadline to apply was this past Friday -- a span of nine days -- athletic director Geri McKelvey said she was giving it 15 days since Hosbach had just submitted his letter. She also said there is no immediate rush to hire a new coach.

"To be fair, we wanted to give [candidates] an ample amount of time," said McKelvey, who figured she had received four or five inquiries about the wrestling job as of this morning. "But it's not on my radar right now as I'm focused on getting our spring sports up and running."

McKelvey also realizes the unknown of potential teaching openings for 2018-19 may also be limiting the number of potential candidates, though she is still accepting applications. As someone who has been employed at the school for 24 years, McKelvey is well aware of its rich wrestling tradition -- formed under legendary coach John Goles -- and how important that next hire will be to the community.

"We're not going to fill [the coaching position] for the sake of filling it," McKelvey said. "I'm not opposed to giving it a little extra time. We don't create jobs to hire coaches. It's education first, then athletics. We will go through the process and I will create a panel [to help with finding a coach]."

What qualities is McKelvey seeking in that next coach?

"I'm looking for someone who will take control of the program, someone with managerial know-how, and will look out for the best interests of our kids," she said. "There are a lot of things, not just the knowledge of the sport."

Sbriscia, a 2006 graduate and a three-year wrestler for Warren Hills, going 78-22 overall, won two district titles and was a two-time region placewinner -- winning a Hunterdon-Warren Tournament championship at 215 pounds in his senior season.

Thompson, considered one of the sport's premiere motivators, stepped down after nine seasons as the head coach at Bangor Area High School in Pennsylvania following the 2016-17 campaign. But he's ready to get back in the saddle.

"I made a mistake [retiring from coaching]," Thompson recently told Open Mike. "I'm not looking to step on anyone's toes [at Warren Hills]. All I can do is offer my services."

Thompson, 62, also has made stops at Mountain High School (Orange, N.J.), Hackettstown, Franklin and Voorhees in addition to his three successful stints at Phillipsburg, where his teams went 268-59-1 overall and captured 15 sectional and seven state championships -- the most under any Stateliner coach.

Overall, Thompson, a Slippery Rock University graduate, is 471-231-4 -- going 124-81 in his most recent stint at Bangor. An accomplished wrestler, Thompson won two state titles (1971 and '73) and placed third ('70), while winning four district and three region championships for the Stateliners.

His first tour as Phillipsburg's head coach was from 1980-88, leading the school to seven team state finals in eight seasons at the helm and its first championship in '83. His second tour was from 1991-95, where he won two more titles in Group 3. The third tenure was for three seasons from 2003-06, guiding the 'Liners to a Group 3 championship in 2004.

Hosbach's teams at Warren Hills finished 165-135 overall, including a 7-13 campaign this season. The Streaks advanced to the North 2, Group 3 sectional semifinals, dropping a 48-25 decision to champion Voorhees.

During his tenure, Hosbach guided Warren Hills to its fifth sectional title in 2007, while coaching 29 district, nine region and 17 county champions, along with three state placewinners -- Dave Richmond (third in 2006), Jon Slack (third in 2010) and Andrew Pacheco (sixth in 2014).

Warren Hills, which had a lot of success on the youth level this season, is expected to return nine starters on the high school team in 2018-19, including state qualifier Nick Galka (220) as well as Region 3 qualifiers Greg Slivka (113), Chris Ostir (145), Nick Hildebrant (160) and Duro Ajayi (285).

Wrestling: Easton Lions Club Classic matchups, info

The 38th annual Easton Lions Club All-Star Wrestling Classic will be held on Tuesday at Easton Area High School's 25th Street Gymnasium.

The match pits seniors from New Jersey against their counterparts from Pennsylvania's rugged District 11. The high school event, slated for 8 p.m., is preceded by a youth event at 6.

Pennsylvania won last year's event, 26-21. New Jersey, which has lost the last five events, had won three straight and four of the five classics prior to a 32-15 setback in 2013. Pennsylvania leads the overall series, 22-15, dating to 1981.

Bouts will be three periods of 2 minutes, 1 1/2  and 1 1/2 minutes in length.

Tickets, available at the door, are $6 for adults, $4 for seniors (65 and older) and $3 for students.

Tentative high school matchups (New Jersey listed first):

113 -- Michael Caso (34-13, 86-35, D2, R3), West Morris, vs. Jon Consorti (23-8, 112-29, D1, R2), Wilson.

120 -- Matt Armamento (43-5, 101-21, D1, R1), Roselle Park, vs. Logan Ninos (24-18, 89-61, D4, R4), Northampton.

126 -- Codey O'Rourke (26-10, 57-39, D2, R4), Warren Hills, vs. Nick Dolak (23-9, 90-34, D4, R2), Parkland.

132 -- Hunter Graf (38-6, 143-29, D1, R2), Hunterdon Central, vs. Ryan McGuire (32-6, 131-38, D1, R2, S5), Notre Dame-Green Pond.

138 -- Andrew Gapas (37-5, 109-26, D1, R3, S6), North Hunterdon, vs. Jason Jones (37-6, 150-48, D1, R2, S7), Saucon Valley.

145 -- Alex Carida (46-2, 142-28, D1, R1, S3), Hackettstown, vs. Ben Huber (23-6, 97-30, D4, R5), Freedom.

152 -- Brian Meyer (39-3, 131-35, D1, R1, S2), Phillipsburg, vs. Eddie Hay (29-6, 118-32, D3, R4), Bangor.

160 -- William Hughes (26-7, 54-34, D1, R3), North Hunterdon, vs. Caleb Clymer (43-1, 144-23, D1, R1, S1), Northwestern.

170 -- Lance Wissing (41-6, 49-26, D1, R3), Phillipsburg, vs. Cade Wilson (36-5, 102-30, D1, R1, S3), Nazareth.

182 -- Jarod Ostir (28-4, 91-37, D1, R2), Warren Hills, vs. Adam Lizak (31-14, 49-29, D4, R4), Parkland.

195 -- Scott Fernandes (37-6, 115-39, D1, R2), Voorhees, vs. Haakon Matthewson (20-5, 47-16, D5, R5), Bangor.

220 -- Sam Wustefeld (48-3, 116-15, D1, R1, S2), Scotch Plains-Fanwood, vs. Jacob Frank (26-9, 44-21), Easton.

285 -- Joe Andes (40-3, 86-33, D1, R1), Hackettstown, vs. Jonathan Pineda (32-7, 69-18, D1, R2), Easton.

Harrison, Jones, Melofchik eyeing state gold in '19

ATLANTIC CITY -- Phillipsburg junior Cody Harrison really turned things up another level this weekend with a fourth-place finish at 138 pounds in the 85th State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall.

But that seemed secondary after watching senior Brian Meyer, his good friend and workout partner, fall short of his title dream in the 152-pound final. However, Harrison, now a two-time state medal winner, has all the motivation he needs for 2018-19.

Cody Harrison among the four locals on the podium at 138.

"I want to win [a state title] for Brian," said Harrison, who avenged an earlier defeat against North Hunterdon senior and two-time placewinner Andrew Gapas with a 5-3 decision in the consolation semis before a 9-1 loss to Pope John junior JoJo Aragona in the third-place bout at 138.

"He's my practice partner, pushes me every day. He's the reason I finished fourth in the state."

Harrison, along with Meyer and junior Travis Jones (seventh at 120) gave Phillipsburg three placewinners in back-to-back years for the first time since 1998 (five) and '99 (three).

"I came here wanting to place high and I knew it would be hard," said Harrison, who finished eighth at 126 pounds as a sophomore. "I really wanted to meet Gapas again and get revenge [for a 5-3 loss on Feb. 8].

That he did. Harrison totally flipped the script from that first meeting, where he gave up two early takedowns. This time around, Harrison got takedowns in the first two periods and fought off Gapas' only legitimate shot at a takedown with 13 seconds left in the bout.

Phillipsburg coach Dave Post said that he and his staff picked up on some things from that first meeting against Gapas, who finished sixth in the state, that helped Harrison turn the tables in the rematch.

"We had a good game plan. I just opened up more," Harrison said. "I was sick in the middle of the year for a while. I got healthy the last couple of weeks and picked up my conditioning. I peaked at the right time."

Winning feeling

Jones (41-6) could very well be in the title hunt with Harrison next season after a strong showing in his second state tournament appearance. Already an outstanding mat wrestler, Jones knows he could really be force with even more improvement in the neutral position.

"I'm going to try freestyle this offseason. It's definitely going to help," he said. "Brian [Meyer] did it and he was in the state finals. I still have a lot to learn in all positions."

After finishing fourth in Region 3 as a sophomore, Jones, who was right there in a 3-1 loss in sudden-victory overtime in the quarterfinals against former champion and 2018 runner-up Antonio Mininno of Gateway-Woodbury, felt a little more at home in Atlantic City following his first region title. The bar has again been raised for his senior season.

"It's a pretty good feeling [winning that first state medal," said Jones, one of the most personable wrestlers in the area who scored an 8-2 win over Don Bosco Prep's Will Grater in the seventh-place bout.

"Last year, I kind of slid in here [finishing fourth]. This year, it still felt a little out of reach, but I had a lot more confidence. Next year, I'm looking to be on top of the podium. I'm definitely going to try my best."

Super effort

Junior Quinn Melofchik (40-5) capped a fine season with a seventh-place finish at 106 pounds -- the 16th medal winner for Belvidere and its first since the late Tyler Smith (second in 2007, third in '08 at 189).

Quinn Melofchik has even loftier goals for 2018-19.

"It's pretty awesome. Obviously, I would have liked to have done better," said Melofchik, who is 108-16 overall and will enter his senior season needing 24 wins to surpass Dylan Thorsen (131-15 from 2008-12) as the Warren County school's all-time leader.

Melofchik lost a rematch with Delbarton freshman Nicholas Nardone, 3-2, in the quarterfinals, who he had defeated in the Region 3 semifinals, 3-2. Hanover Park freshman Joey Olivieri, the Region 3 champ who beat Melofchik twice this season, once in the ultimate tiebreaker, won the state title at one of the most loaded weight classes.

"I'm very capable. I just didn't have it this weekend," said the well-grounded Melofchik, who lists Brown, Penn and Buffalo among his college choices. "I placed and I'm very happy with that. You think about it the whole year. It doesn't always happen. I'm excited."

Melofchik intends to make a return appearance at Super 32 this offseason, as well as the Virginia Dual Tournament. He wants to get bigger and expects to go 120 to start off next season before a potential drop to 113 for the postseason.

Spartan pride

Senior Robert Gennat made a little history of his own this weekend with his fourth-place finish at 195 pounds. He's the first placewinner for Sparta since Matt Stoppay finished fourth at 135 in 2003.

Gennat (40-5), who is will major in Engineering and wrestle at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken this fall, had already etched his name in the Sussex County school's record books as only the second to win a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title this season, while becoming its all-time wins leader at 126-32 -- tied for 26th on the county's career list.

"It's been something I've dreamed of since I was a youth wrestler -- to get on the board with the other Sparta greats," said Gennat, a student of the fine wrestling tradition at his school. "Guys like John Place [the Spartans' third and last state champion in 1983] and [two-time region champ] Matt Stoppay. I was seeing that the board in the wrestling room was empty since 2005. Coach [Frank] Battaglia has done an excellent job of rebuilding [the program]."

Back points

Rounding out the list of area medal winners are: Hunterdon Central freshman Brett Ungar (sixth at 106), High Point junior Brandon LaRue (sixth at 113) and senior Shane Kobis (138), Pope John's Eddie Ventresca (third at 113), Jake Rotunda (132), Reece Muldoon (182) and Jake Brown (sixth at 195), Kittatinny junior Zach Mafaro (sixth at 182) and Voorhees junior Lewis Fernandes (first at 285).

Kobis dropped his first-round match on Friday and roared all the way back through the consolations -- going 5-1 overall and finishing with a 7-5 win over Princeton's Alec Bobchin. LaRue, the No. 25 seed at 113 pounds and among four who finished fourth in the region to medal, along with Muldoon, won two bouts on the winners' side and went 2-2 in the consolations, dropping a 7-0 decision to Kyle Kaiser of Paramus in the fifth-place bout.

Region 2 led the medal count with 19 and Region 1 was next with 16. Region 3 had 14, along with Regions 5, 6 and 8. Region 7 had 12 and Region 4 was last with nine.

Attendance has noticeably been dwindling the past few years. One factor this year was Friday's poor weather along the coast, but there's one simple solution if you want more people in the stands for the championship finals. Scrap Sunday and go Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The place will be packed for the finals on Saturday night. Sunday was never a good idea. People have to work on Monday, and most people stay Saturday into Sunday anyway. It's a no-brainer, which is why it will likely never happen.

LaRue is the prime example of why there needs to be a change in the seeding process. He was a No. 25 seed by virtue of finishing fourth in the region. The solution is to seed the entire bracket 1-32, not just firsts, seconds and thirds. Under that formula, LaRue would have been the No. 7 seed. We get the idea of why they don't. The thought was there would be incentive for not bailing on the third-place bout in the regions. But those bouts have no juice any way since fourths are guaranteed a trip to AC.

Maybe that could be one of the first acts for Ken Rossi of West Morris, one of the best in the business and a seeding guru, now the president of the New Jersey Coaches Association, succeeding all-round good guy Dan Smith of Watchung Hills. Smith was named State Coach of the Year on Sunday.

Finally, I missed this earlier, but congratulations to former Warren Hills standout Mike Lamb, who was named the District 18 Coach of the Year and has been the head man at Rutgers Prep since 2002. Lamb, a region champion and fifth-sixth place state finisher at 145 pounds in 1991 for the Blue Streaks, would have been a strong contender for a state title in '92, if not for a season-ending knee injury sustained just prior to the postseason.

Wrestling: Carida, McCarthy on right side of history

ATLANTIC CITY -- It was Heartbreak City in a matter of moments for the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area at 145 pounds on Saturday.

On one mat, Hackettstown senior Alex Carida, one of the title favorites as the No. 3 seed, was tossed to his back and pinned in his quarterfinal against Lacey's Luke Gauthier. One another mat just across the way, Newton junior Wyatt McCarthy held a five-point lead near the end of the second period and eventually was put to his back with a headlock for the decisive five points in a 10-7 loss to Delsea runner-up Nick Bennett.

Wyatt McCarthy and Alex Carida on the podium.

After the toughest defeats of their careers, Carida and McCarthy regrouped and came back to earn medals -- Carida finishing third and McCarthy seventh -- in the 85th State Championships at Boardwalk Hall. In all, 18 local wrestlers brought home medals from this year's tournament.

"It was definitely [rewarding] to wrestle back from losing in the quarters and take third," said Carida, who pinned McCarthy in the fifth round of wrestlebacks before avenging his loss to Gauthier -- 7-2, in the bronze medal bout. "I definitely got some revenge. He caught me ... it happens."

Carida (46-2), considered to be one of the best shots in recent memory to end Hackettstown's 50-year drought atop the podium, has nothing to hang his head about in an otherwise superb career. The Tigers have only one state champion -- two-timer Doug Blake (1967-68) -- and Carida is just their third finalist, joining Blake and Hank Deibel (122 pounds in 1979).

In addition, Carida, whose only other loss this season was 1-0 to DePaul junior Ricky Cabanillas, the state champion at 145, is the school's winningest wrestler at 142-28 and its highest finisher -- it has 11 medal winners overall -- since Owen Vernon took third at 152 pounds in 2008.

"My coaches just told me to forget about [the loss in the quarters] and wrestle back ... and I did," said Carida, who is also Warren County's all-time wins leader.

True to form, Carida, while a special achievement, said he hoped his wins record would stand for only a short time -- though it's not likely to be approached in the near future.

"It's a big deal," said Carida, a classy young man who will wrestle on the next level at Bloomsburg University. "Hopefully, I can inspire some of the young kids to succeed."

Championship heart

McCarthy, a No. 2 seed who could have easily packed it in after losing a match he had well under control and being a little under the weather, showed some serious guts in a 4-3 decision over tough Middletown North senior Stanley Wojdylak in the Blood Round.

That win guaranteed a medal for McCarthy (39-4), who got his 99th career victory in the seventh-place bout -- 6-1 over Jeff Johnson of Middlesex-Dunellen. He is Newton's first placewinner since Gus Protogeropoulos finished seventh at 220 in 2015.

McCarthy will look to become the Braves' first finalist since Ted Sibblies (1989) and their New Jersey record 83rd champion next season. The last winner for the Sussex County school was two-timer Andy Iliff (1986-87), who would love nothing more than to shed that distinction.

Here's a cool stat. Under coach Eric Bollette, the Braves, including Protogeropoulos and McCarthy, have gone 7-1 in state consolation finals -- Trevor Braxton (fourth at 119 in 2002), Austin Alpaugh (seventh at 152 in 2008), Kevin Churchill (seventh at 112 in 2009, third at 112 in '10), Evan Chrustic (seventh at 285 in '11) and Josh Sibblies (fifth at 182 in '13).

Wrestling: Hosbach resigns as Warren Hills coach

One of New Jersey's most storied wrestling programs is looking for its next head coach.

Jarrett Hosbach, who guided the Warren Hills program for the past 13 seasons, officially submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday morning. Blue Streaks athletic director Geri McKelvey said during a phone interview that all positions for the fall and winter seasons are open as per school policy.

It's been speculated that Dave Sbriscia, a former Warren Hills wrestler and assistant coach under Hosbach, could be a candidate to become the 81-year-old program's eighth head coach.

"I have not received [official applications]," McKelvey said. "The jobs were posted last week and they have 15 days to apply before we will do another round of postings. We will look in-house first and if we feel there are better outside candidates, we have the right to [hire] from outside."

Max Nauta wins the first of his two region titles under Hosbach in 2013.

Hosbach, a special education teacher at Warren Hills is a former wrestler and assistant coach at Phillipsburg High School. He was a two-time Hunterdon-Warren champion and district runner-up, as well as a three-time region qualifier, placing third at 215 pounds his senior season for the Stateliners in 1996.

Hosbach, 40, said on Tuesday afernoon that it's the right time for him to step away from coaching.

"I've always tried to do what's best for the program and I think a change is the best thing, and for me personally," he said.

Hosbach's teams at Warren Hills finished 165-135 overall, including a 7-13 campaign this season. The Streaks advanced to the North 2, Group 3 sectional semifinals, dropping a 48-25 decision to champion Voorhees.

During his tenure, Hosbach guided Warren Hills to its fifth sectional title in 2007, while coaching 29 district and nine region champions, along with three state placewinners -- Dave Richmond (third in 2006), Jon Slack (third in 2010) and Andrew Pacheco (sixth in 2014).

Among the personal highlights for Hosbach, are getting to coach with one of his former wrestlers in Sbriscia, while seeing another of his wrestlers, Chris Hrunka, take over as the head coach at North Hunterdon this season.

"For me it's about the relationships, watching kids grow," Hosbach said. "It goes beyond wrestling."

McKelvey said she was sorry to see Hosbach go, but understood his reasons, including a need to spend more time with his wife, Vanessa, and their two children, a son, Cole (11) and daughter, Kennedy (4).

"He is very grounded and a good guy, and a good with the [wrestlers]," McKelvey said. "It breaks my heart when veteran coaches leave. We talked about it in Atlantic City [over the weekend at the 85th State Championships]. I've been there and understand why they walk away, especially with little [children]."

Hosbach will now devote time to his home team.

"I got tired of having to choose," he said. "My son plays football [for Steele Hill in P'burg] and my daughter will get into sports, hopefully. It's time."

Warren Hills is expected to return nine starters in 2018-19, including state qualifier Nick Galka (220) as well as Region 3 qualifiers Greg Slivka (113), Chris Ostir (145), Nick Hildebrant (160) and Duro Ajayi (285).

Wrestling: Meyer comes up short in state title bid

ATLANTIC CITY -- A passionate wrestling town and its team was understandably heartbroken following one of its toughest losses on Sunday.

But Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer had nothing to hang his head about following a 5-4 defeat to Toms River South senior Cole Corrigan in the 152-pound final of the 85th State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall.

Meyer (39-3), whose other two losses this season were to Pennsylvania state champions, capped a stellar career that included four district and three region titles -- the latter only done by five other Stateliners -- to go with his two state medals and setting the school's all-time wins record at 131-35. But least for now, all of it offered little consolation for not achieving his goal of winning a state title.

"This feeling won't go away," said Meyer, who was surprisingly turned for three back points right off the whistle in the third period with a cradle, a move once a staple of the Phillipsburg program, as the pivotal point in a 2-2 bout. "I don't really know [how Corrigan locked up the cradle], it seemed to come out of nowhere. He jumped on it and got it tight."

Phillipsburg juniors Travis Jones (120) and Cody Harrison (138) also took home state medals as part of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area's total of 18 overall. It was Jones' first -- a seventh-place finish -- while Harrison added a fourth place to last year's eighth. It's also the Stateliners' first time with at least three in one tournament since their five in 1998 and three in '99.

Corrigan (40-0), who had placed seventh two years ago, was tough on once he got on top, keeping Meyer flat on his belly for most of that final period. In fact, Meyer didn't even get to his feet until there were 17 seconds left to go. Corrigan was hit twice for stalling in the last 11 seconds and he yielded an escape at the buzzer for the final point.

"[The cradle] was there and I saw an opportunity," said Corrigan, who admitted he rarely hits that move. "Once I locked it up, I knew I had it."

There will no doubt be some second guessing on Meyer's choice to take bottom in the third, give he converted the only takedown of the bout in the first period and was in deep on two other single-leg attempts in the second period. Corrigan, meanwhile, never really came close to getting a takedown.

"We had talked about it [before the bout] a little bit," Meyer said of the pre-match plan for when it was his choice. "If I had a decent lead, like 2-0 or 4-2, I wasn't going down. I was going to stay on my feet. At 2-2, an escape wins it for you. It just didn't work out. I was confident. It's a position I struggle at, so I have some work to do."

Phillipsburg coach Dave Post, who was very emotional over the loss, offered his explanation on the choice to go underneath.

"He was confident going down," Post said. "[Corrigan] is tough on top, we knew that coming in. We kind of let [Meyer] dictate where he wanted to be. Brad [assistant coach Gentzle] and I, we wanted to see his reaction and how he feels. I don't know what was going on inside his head, but I'd like to think he was pretty confident."

Post also said they had some time to mull it over just prior during a blood timeout for Meyer, who took a good shot to the nose in his entertaining win in the semifinals against Bound Brook's Joe Casey -- 7-5 in sudden-victory overtime.

"It crossed our minds. We took probably one of the worst shots, and we still got the takedown," said Post, who has guided wrestlers to five finals appearances during his tenure, including the Stateliners' 33rd and last champion in Brandon Hull (220 pounds in 2012).

Meyer, who finished third as a junior and is headed to wrestle at Lehigh University for coach Pat Santoro, will no doubt use this as motivation at the next level.

"I have other goals. I know I'm going to continue to get better," he said. "I'm confident in my coaches [at Lehigh]. I know they will push me to be the best I can be."

CHAMPIONSHIPS

182 -- Sr. Bill Janzer (33-0), Delsea, d. Jr. Josh McKenzie (21-1), Bergen Catholic, 3-2 UTB.

195 -- Jr. Jacob Cardenas (28-4), Bergen Catholic, md. Sr. Sam Wustefeld (44-2), Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 10-2.

220 -- Sr. Peter Acciardi (37-2), Don Bosco Prep, d. Sr. Liridon Leka (41-4), Montville, 3-1.   

285 -- Jr. Lewis Fernandes (43-0), Voorhees, p. Sr. Kody Wood (42-1), Pennsville, 3:00.

106 -- Fr. Joey Olivieri (42-3), Hanover Park, d. Fr. Dean Peterson (36-2), St. John Vianney, 6-3.

113 -- So. Anthony Clark (36-2), Delbarton, d. Jr. Samuel Alvarez (35-2), St. Joseph-Montvale, 3-2.  

120 -- So. Robert Howard (36-1), Bergen Catholic, d. Sr. Michael Polito (37-1), East Brunswick, 5-2.

126 -- Sr. Patrick Glory (40-0), Delbarton, d. Sr. Joe Heilmann (44-1), South Plainfield, 7-0.

132 -- Jr. Lucas Revano (39-4), Camden Catholic, d. Sr. Kyle Slendorn (42-2), Howell, 4-3.

138 -- Sr. Quinn Kinner (44-0), Kingsway, md. Sr. Jake Benner (39-3), Ocean Township, 11-2.

145 -- Jr. Ricky Cabanillas (41-1), DePaul, d. Sr. Nick Bennett (37-7), Delsea, 5-2.

152 -- Sr. Cole Corrigan (40-0), Toms River South, d. Sr. Brian Meyer (39-3), Phillipsburg, 5-4.

160 -- Sr. Shane Griffith (39-1), Bergen Catholic, d. Jr. Robert Kanniard (45-1), Wall, 6-1. 

170 -- Sr. Michael O'Malley (40-0), Hasbrouck Heights, d. Jr. Christopher Foca (28-5), Bergen Catholic, 7-2.  

Donald Ringler Award (Outstanding Wrestler) -- Quinn Kinner, Kingsway.

Fernandes makes it 'hip' to be Vikes' 5th state champ

ATLANTIC CITY -- With one big move, Voorhees senior Lewis Fernandes turned his dream into reality and ended the program's 20-year drought.

Fernandes stepped across with a whizzer and put Pennsville senior Kody Wood on his back for the pin in 3:00 to win the title at 285 pounds in the 85th State Wrestling Championships on Sunday at Boardwalk Hall.

Lewis Fernandes atop the podium at 285 pounds.

"My coaches do so much for me, I would be nowhere near where I am today without them," said Fernandes (43-0), who capped an unbeaten season with his first state title and the fifth overall for the Hunterdon County school -- its first since John Brienza won at 130 in 1998.

"If you want to succeed at Voorhees, they are there for you."

The only other finalist from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area was Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer, who dropped a 5-4 decision to Toms River South senior Cole Corrigan at 152. Meyer (39-3), the Warren County school's all-time wins leader, was bidding to become its 34th champ and first since Brandon Hull won at 220 in 2012.

Fernandes, who also joined Glenn Hall (1981), Dan Moody ('83) and Lee Getz (1982) -- the only other heavyweight to win for Voorhees -- on the school's short list of champions, started his title run after converting a takedown 55 seconds into the first period. That was the turning point as he turned Wood twice -- with legs and a power-half for three points and a cradle for two more to build a 7-0 lead after two minutes.

Wood (42-1), who like Fernandes weighed in around 220 pounds, was looking to become the seventh champ at Pennsville and Salem County's first since heavyweight Mike Wariwanchik in 1995. He wisely took neutral to start the second period, getting in deep on a single-leg attempt about midway through and seemingly in good position to convert on it until Fernandes made a move that usually is ill-advised by coaches.

"I was working on hip pressure and bumping is my thing," said Fernandes, who raised his pin total to 27 on the season and set off a wild celebration, after, which included former coaches Bob Angstadt, Brian Baumann, now the school's athletic director, and family members.

"When I got on top, I was pretty happy after that first turn," said Fernandes, who will enter his senior season at 106-22 overall and in position to break the school's wins record held by Jadaen Bernstein (135-19), a two-time runner-up (2011 and '13) and the Vikes' last finalist until Fernandes became their 10th on Saturday night.

New Jersey's 14 state champions for 2018.

"I felt him ball up [underneath], and I moved his hips around to open him up. After that first turn, I was glad I got on top. I felt comfortable in the moment on this big stage."

Voorhees coach Eric Hall, a runner-up for the Vikes in 1996, came into the tournament feeling very confident that Fernandes, who will look to be the program's first two-time winner next season, could pull it off. In doing so, it kept the previous and newest title in the family as Eric's father, Bob Hall, who started the program in 1975, coached Brienza to his title.

"For our entire school and the wrestling program, it's a wonderful day," said Eric Hall, who has now coached seven placewinners, including Bernstein's three medals, in his eight seasons in charge. "It could not happen to a better kid. He's one of the hardest workers I've ever coached. And the way he won was amazing."

The fact that it had been 20 years since Brienza's championship run in this same arena -- which also resulted in a pin of Christian Brothers Academy's Dave Santamaria -- was pretty amazing as well. It further illustrated how tough it is to win a title.

"All the stars have to align," Hall said. "We were fortunate to be in the finals twice with Jadaen. This is pretty special."

Fernandes, as he's done in previous years, won't have to break out a Sharpie pen to craft a new sign on his wall for next season. He can leave up the current one that reads, "Two-time state champion."

"This is a special feeling for the moment," said Fernandes, who plans on getting back to work in about a week, including doing some freestyle wrestling, though he claims he isn't very good in that style. "At the end of the day, [as a junior], you're still competing for the same goal [a state championship] as everyone else. I will have to work just as hard [to repeat]."

CHAMPIONSHIPS

182 -- Sr. Bill Janzer (33-0), Delsea, d. Jr. Josh McKenzie (21-1), Bergen Catholic, 3-2 UTB.

195 -- Jr. Jacob Cardenas (28-4), Bergen Catholic, md. Sr. Sam Wustefeld (44-2), Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 10-2.

220 -- Sr. Peter Acciardi (37-2), Don Bosco Prep, d. Sr. Liridon Leka (41-4), Montville, 3-1.   

285 -- Jr. Lewis Fernandes (43-0), Voorhees, p. Sr. Kody Wood (42-1), Pennsville, 3:00.

106 -- Fr. Joey Olivieri (42-3), Hanover Park, d. Fr. Dean Peterson (36-2), St. John Vianney, 6-3.

113 -- So. Anthony Clark (36-2), Delbarton, d. Jr. Samuel Alvarez (35-2), St. Joseph-Montvale, 3-2.  

120 -- So. Robert Howard (36-1), Bergen Catholic, d. Sr. Michael Polito (37-1), East Brunswick, 5-2.

126 -- Sr. Patrick Glory (40-0), Delbarton, d. Sr. Joe Heilmann (44-1), South Plainfield, 7-0.

132 -- Jr. Lucas Revano (39-4), Camden Catholic, d. Sr. Kyle Slendorn (42-2), Howell, 4-3.

138 -- Sr. Quinn Kinner (44-0), Kingsway, md. Sr. Jake Benner (39-3), Ocean Township, 11-2.

145 -- Jr. Ricky Cabanillas (41-1), DePaul, d. Sr. Nick Bennett (37-7), Delsea, 5-2.

152 -- Sr. Cole Corrigan (40-0), Toms River South, d. Sr. Brian Meyer (39-3), Phillipsburg, 5-4.

160 -- Sr. Shane Griffith (39-1), Bergen Catholic, d. Jr. Robert Kanniard (45-1), Wall, 6-1. 

170 -- Sr. Michael O'Malley (40-0), Hasbrouck Heights, d. Jr. Christopher Foca (28-5), Bergen Catholic, 7-2.  

Donald Ringler Award (Outstanding Wrestler) -- Quinn Kinner, Kingsway.

Wrestling: Meyer, Fernandes golden in state semis

ATLANTIC CITY -- To achieve it, you must first have to see it.

For the past three years, Voorhees junior Lewis Fernandes has a poster on his wall -- a self-designed original crafted with a Sharpie pen -- with his goal of winning a state title. This year's version reads "Two-time champion.

Fernandes and Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer took the next big step on the road to their dream of winning a state gold medal with victories in the semifinal round of the 85th State Wrestling Championships on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall.

"My freshman year it said, 'Four-time champion, last year when I put it up [on the wall] it was three," said Fernandes, who scored a 3-0 decision over Manville senior Michael Tyle at 285 pounds to become Voorhees' 10th state finalist overall and its first since two-time runner-up Jadaen Bernstein (170 pounds in 2013). The Hunterdon County school's fourth and last champ was John Brienza in 1998.

"I really want to win it for my coaches more than myself. They've done so much for me. They deserve it."

Fernandes will take on Pennsville senior Kody Wood in battle of wrestlers with 42-0 records in Sunday's championship finals slates for 3 p.m.

Meyer (39-2), who improved on his third-place finish of a year ago, converted a takedown with 38 seconds left in sudden-victory overtime for a wild 7-5 win over three-time Bound Brook state placewinner Joe Casey at 152.

"I came so far to come up short here again," said Meyer, who is Phillipsburg's 60th finalist overall and its fifth since 2012, when Brandon Hull, its 33rd and last champ, ended the Warren County school's 22-year title drought by winning at 220 pounds. "I just have to put it all on the line [in the final]. It's my last high school match."

Meyer will face Toms River South senior Cole Corrigan (39-0), a seventh-place finisher in 2016, in the 152-pound final.

In all, seven wrestlers from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area advanced to the semifinals after victories in the morning's quarterfinal round.

Falling in the semifinals were Joe Aragona (138) and Jake Brown (195) of Pope John, along with North Hunterdon senior Andrew Gapas (138), Kittatinny junior Zach Mafaro (182) and Sparta senior Robert Gennat (195).

No small 'feet'

Fernandes, who pinned Tyle earlier this season in a dual meet, never got a chance to get on top in the rematch. That was by design, as Tyle opted to take neutral after a scoreless first period. In the third, Fernandes chose bottom and Tyle immediately gave up the escape -- a costly mistake in a bout that went 5 1/2 minutes on their feet until Fernandes converted a takedown in the closing seconds.

"It was 9-2 when I pinned him in the first period,"  said Fernandes, who gave up a takedown in that first meeting. "That was more dual-meet style and tournament style is more defense. I weigh [220.3] -- about two-tenths over the minimum to wrestle heavyweight. This is the heaviest I've been all year. I can't get in bad position. "

Voorhees coach Eric Hall, a state runner-up for the Vikes in 1996, expected this one to be more of a neutral match.

"[Fernandes] did everything he needed to do to win the match," Hall said. "Shortly after that first match is when he decided to go 285 [for the postseason]. It was 100 percent his and the family's decision. He has wanted this from the day he stepped into our practice room. If he wins multiple titles ... wonderful. That's his goal. It's his dream and vision. We just have to help him and guide him. He's a driven and motivated kid, and wonderful to coach."

Winning by a nose

Meyer, in one of the most entertaining semifinals you'll ever see, once again had to rally for the victory. Down, 3-1, after two periods, he escaped to start the third and converted a takedown at the edge off a tremendous scramble to go up, 4-3, with 34 seconds to go.

But Casey hit a Granby roll seven seconds later for the go-ahead reversal. With time ticking down, Meyer escaped with six seconds left to tie it at 5. In OT, Meyer hit a slide-by -- which he normally uses to set up his shots -- and dropped to an ankle for the winning points.

"I knew I was going to get the takedown," said Meyer, now 131-34 overall. "I hit two or maybe three [slide-by] attempts this year, but not in that caliber of match. I felt him hanging on my neck, so I did the slide-by."

Working out in practice with coach Dave Post and senior Lance Wissing, who came up a win shy of earning a medal at 170, helped with coming out on top in the scrambles, though he did give up a takedown off a scramble when his feet crossed in the second period.

"We wanted to keep things at a high pace and wear [Casey] out in the third period, but the breaks [due to Meyer's bloody nose] changed things," Post said. "We just had to believe we were better than he is. Thankfully, we had 27 seconds left [to get the tying escape]."

Meyer, who already etched is place in the school's record books as the all-time wins leader, joins a select group of finalists for the Stateliners, despite a possible broken nose sustained right off the second-period whistle.

"It's a great feeling. I'm just thankful for the opportunity," the Lehigh recruit said. "I have the best coaches, workout partners and support."

Medal count

Phillipsburg junior Travis Jones (120) and Cody Harrison (138) were among the winners in the Blood Round -- giving the 'Liners three placewinners in back-to-back years for the first time since getting five in 1998 and three in '99. Jones earned his first, while Harrison, who will face Gapas in the consolation semis at 10 a.m. on Sunday, finished eighth as a sophomore. Post noted that all six of his qualifiers won at least one bout this weekend, including senior Cullen Day, who came up a round shy at 113 to close out his solid career.

High Point junior Brandon LaRue (113) and senior Shane Kobis (138) secured their first state medals -- giving the 'Cats multiple placewinners for the first time since 2013 --Jason Gaccione (fourth), Kyle Stoll (sixth) and Mike Derin (eighth).

"I was in a [good] spot [in the draw] where I could win a couple of matches," said LaRue, who can still finish as high as third despite entering as a No. 25 seed. He dropped a 5-0 decision to Delbarton state champ Anthony Clark in the quarterfinals and bounced back with wins over Emerson-Park Ridge sophomore Logan Mazzeo (4-3) and Kingsway sophomore McKenzie Bell (pin in 5:59) after going 2-0 on Friday night.

"Not placing last year [at 106] motivated me and made me work even harder," said LaRue, who will face Gateway-Woodbury senior Dante Mininno in the consolation semifinals.

Kobis earned some bragging rights with the first state medal in his family -- one-upping older brother Jared, who is widely considered the best High Point wrestler to not place at states in a stellar career riddled with injuries. The brothers, in addition to being quality wrestlers, are two of the most respectful young men on and off the mat.

"I spoke with him and I said, 'I guess I'm the better one,'" Shane said with a huge smile after a 1-0 loss dropped him into the seventh-place bout against Princeton junior Alec Bobchin, who was pinned with a cradle in his consolation bout against Harrison. "He agreed."

When reminded that Jared was on two state championship teams to his one (the Group 2 title winner this season), Shane Kobis backed off a little on his claim of being the better Kobis wrestler.

"I guess we're pretty even," Shane said.

Belvidere junior Quinn Melofchik (106), Hunterdon Central freshman Brett Ungar (106), Hackettstown senior Alex Carida (145) and Wyatt McCarthy (145) also earned their first state medals, while Eddie Ventresca (113), Jake Rotunda (132) and Reece Muldoon (182), in addition to Aragona and Brown, gave Pope John a program-record five medalists.

Semifinal results

106 -- Joey Olivieri (Hanover Park) d. Nicholas Nardone (Delbarton), 3-1 SV; Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney) d. CJ Composto (Westfield), 3-1.

113 -- Anthony Clark (Delbarton) d.  Kyle Kaiser (Paramus), 3-0; Samuel Alverez (St. Joseph-Montvale) d. Dante Mininno (Gateway/Woodbury), 1-0.

120 -- Mitchell Polito (East Brunswick) d. Joe Manchio (Seneca), 7-3; Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic) d. Antonio Mininno (Gateway/Woodbury), 3-1 SV.

126 --  Patrick Glory (Delbarton) tf.  Colin Wickramaratna (Cherokee), 19-2, 4:28; Joe Heilmann (South Plainfield) d. Michael Kelly (St. Peter’s Prep), 5-1.

132 -- Lucas Revano (Camden Catholic)  d. Nick Raimo (Hanover Park), 3-2; Kyle Slendorn (Howell) d. Anthony Clarizio (Cedar Grove), 6-1.

138 -- Quinn Kinner (Kingsway) p.  Andrew Gapas (North Hunterdon), 4:21; Jake Benner (Ocean Twp.) d. Joseph Aragona (Pope John), 4-1.

145 -- Ricky Cabanillas (DePaul) d. Travis Tavoso (Delbarton), 6-4; Nick Bennett (Delsea) d. Luke Gauthier (Lacey), 8-6, SV.

152 -- Cole Corrigan (Toms River South) d. Lavinsky Collins (Ewing), 3-0; Brian Meyer (Phillipsburg) d.  Joe Casey (Bound Brook), 7-5, SV.

160 -- Shane Griffith (Bergen Catholic) d.  Michael Petite (Piscataway), 7-3; Robert Kanniard (Wall) d. Matthew Dallara (Hasbrouck Heights), 9-5.

170 -- Michael O`Malley (Hasbrouck Heights) tf. Nick Addison (Rumson-Fair Haven), 15-0, 2:32; Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic) md. Nicholas Caracappa (St. John Vianney), 10-2. 

182 -- Bill Janzer (Delsea) d.  Zach Mafaro (Kittatinny), 14-7; Josh McKenzie (Bergen Catholic) d. Santino Morina (Paulsboro), 3-1.

195 -- Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic) tf. Robert Gennat (Sparta), 16-0, 3:56; Sam Wustefeld (Scotch Plains-Fanwood) d. Jake Brown (Pope John), 3-1.

220 -- Peter Acciardi (Don Bosco) md. Tyreke Brown (Penns Grove), 21-10; Liridon Leka (Montville) d. Sage Mosco (Bergen Catholic), 3-2.

285 --  Kody Wood (Pennsville) d.  Lamar Price (Sterling), 2-0; Lewis Fernandes (Voorhees) d.  Michael Tyle (Manville), 3-0.

McCarthy wins thriller, Meyer sets P'burg wins mark

ATLANTIC CITY -- It was a pretty good night to be a No. 2 seed from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.

Phillipsburg senior Brian Meyer capped a 4-for-4 second round for the Stateliners with his come-from-behind 5-4 win at 152 pounds, while Newton junior Wyatt McCarthy reached his first Round of 8 with a four-pointer in the final seconds if his 145-pound matchup to lead the local contingent in the 85th State Wrestling Championships on Friday night at Boardwalk Hall.

In all, 18 locals moved into Saturday's quarterfinals that begin at 12:30 p.m., while 30 will compete in the first of three wrestleback rounds that get underway at 9 a.m. The semifinals and two more rounds of wrestlebacks are slated for 6 p.m.

Senior Cullen Day (113) and juniors Travis Jones (120) and Cody Harrison (138) joined Meyer in the Round of 8 for Phillipsburg, which brought six to AC. Junior Kyle Tino (132) and senior Lance Wissing (170) are still in the hunt for third place.

Day, who won a 5-0 decision in the opening round, came the closest to being left out of the party as he was awarded a stalling point with just one second left in the ultimate tiebreaker in a 3-2 win over Emerson-Park Ridge sophomore Logan Mazzeo. Joining Day, who will next face Dante Mininno of Gateway-Woodbury, in the quarters at 113 were High Point junior Brandon LaRue and Pope John sophomore Eddie Ventresca.

"We had a great round," said coach Dave Post, who was a two-time placewinner for the 'Liners, finishing fourth in 2003 and fifth in '02.

Record breaker

Meyer (37-2), a three-time region champ who finished third last year at 145, converted a takedown with under a minute to go in the third period in a tight bout against Delbarton junior Vincent Andreano, who finished third in Region 3. In the process, Meyer, who opened the tournament with a 9-2 decision over Mount Olive's Anthony Spera, became Phillipsburg's all-time wins leader at 129-34, surpassing former state bronze medalist Max Elling (128-37 from 2011-15).

"I just thought about losing last year [3-2 to Nicholas Santos of St. Peter's Prep in the quarters] and how bad that felt," said Meyer, who avenged that loss by pinning Santos in sudden-victory overtime in the third-place bout. "Losing in the pre-quarters [tonight] would have killed me. I just had to dig deep. This was probably my worst day of wrestling all year. But I lived to see another day."

Meyer, now a round away from securing a second straight medal, will next face West Morris junior Justin LeMay in the quarters in a rematch of their Region 3 semifinal -- a 3-1 win for Meyer, who was happy to put himself in the P'burg record books.

"I actually forgot [about the record], but it's really cool to be able to look up at that banner in the gym and see my name with the most wins," the Lehigh University recruit said. "It's a pretty cool feat. But in retrospect, it's one small thing. Each year, you come here to win. I need to do a better job [in the quarters]. Hopefully I'll open up more and have fun."

Brave move

McCarthy (37-2), who is bidding to become Newton's first state finalist since current assistant coach Ted Sibblies was a runner-up at 130 pounds in 1989, also made things too close for comfort as he hit a headlock for a near takedown before switching to a double and putting Bergen Catholic junior Wade Unger on his back for a 7-3 victory.

"I knew the clock was ticking down ... it was just desperation," McCarthy said of hitting a headlock he routinely practices just in case. "I thought the ref gave two [for the takedown] but just for insurance I went to the double-leg. When he tried to scramble out, I was able to get him on his back."

Newton, which qualified three wrestlers for the first time under veteran coach Eric Bollette and is looking for its 83rd state champ -- 82 is a state record -- and first since ace assistant coach Andy Iliff won back-to-back titles in 1986-87, still has two wrestlers going in the wrestlebacks in senior Jonathon Borgognoni (152) and junior Luke Fischer (220).

McCarthy admits there's a little more pressure in his second appearance in AC being the No. 2 seed. Last year, he went 2-2, and was pinned in sudden-victory overtime by DePaul's Ricky Cabanillas, a returning runner-up and the No. 1 seed at 145 this season, in the second round before being eliminated in the second round of wrestlebacks.

"This must have been like the worst two-seed draw ever," McCarthy said of having to hit Unger, a Region 2 runner-up in the second round. "But you have to wrestle tough kids here to win a championship. I know there aren't many who believe I can win [the state title]. I'm just trying to make a name for myself. I know I can win and so do my coaches."

Joining McCarthy in the quarters were Hackettstown senior Alex Carida and Pope John junior Robert Garcia.

Weight a minute

Belvidere junior Quinn Melofchik is also chasing history as he took another big step toward a title with his thrilling 3-1 win over Brick Memorial freshman Vince Santaniello to move into the quarters at a talent-rich 106-pound weight class.

Melofchik (38-3), who is bidding to become the County Seaters' third state champ -- joining Dave Brandt (1973) and Matt Tresslar (1995) -- and their first finalist since the late Tyler Smith (2007), converted a double-leg takedown with just seven seconds left in the third period to beat Santaniello and set up a rematch with Delbarton freshman Nicholas Nardone (32-5) -- who dropped a 3-2 decision when they met last weekend in the Region 3 semifinals.

"I've got to get one earlier than that," said Melofchik, now 106-14 overall, of getting a takedown in a bout that saw little in the way of shots from either wrestler. "A win is a win. I'm excited for [the quarters]. I knew I was stronger and could finish if I got in. I'm not one who shoots from far range, I like to touch a guy and move him, but I wasn't able to do it [most of the bout]."

Melofchik is well aware of the program history when it comes to state titles and finals. He would love nothing more than to join a select few Seaters.

"It's pretty exciting. I think about it almost every day," Melofchik said of winning a championship. "It would be an amazing thing to have my name up there with those guys."

Back points

Boardwalk Hall has been a House of Horrors the previous three years for Pope John senior Jake Rotunda, who reached the quarters at 132 with a 9-1 major of Paulsboro senior Rick Eli. Rotunda (37-4), who has dealt with tournament-ending injuries in two of his previous appearances including last year when he defaulted in his opening bout due to separated shoulder.

"It's been in the back of my mind all year long, I just try to push it out," said Rotunda, who will face Camden Catholic junior Lucas Revano in the quarters -- the rubber match between the two this season.

Rotunda, who beat Revano, 3-1, at the Beast of the East before dropping a 6-3 decision in the second meeting on Dec. 23, knows what he has to do in the rematch.

"The first one I dominated and the second one I dominated for the first two periods, but I sat back and wrestled too defensively, and that bit me in the butt a little bit," he said. "I just need to step up my pace."

Aragona (39-1), a returning finalist and among an area-high seven qualifiers for Pope John, will take on Harrison at 138 pounds. In another all-local matchup on Friday, Voorhees junior Lewis Fernandes scored a 5-2 win over Hackettstown senior Joe Andes at 285.

The other locals in the quarters are: Hunterdon Central freshman Brett Ungar (106), North Hunterdon senior Andrew Gapas (138), Pope John senior Jake Brown (who got his 100th career win in the prelims) and Sparta senior Robert Gennat (195), along with Kittatinny junior Zach Mafaro (182).

Region 2 leads the way with 18 wrestlers in the quarterfinals, followed by Regions 1 and 3 with 16 and Regions 6 and 7 with 13 apiece. Regions 4, 5 and 8 have 12 each.

Wrestling: Carida, Meyer, Fernandes golden picks

What: 85th State Wrestling Championships.

Where: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday's schedule: Preliminaries, 2:30 p.m.; pre-quarterfinals, to follow.

Saturday's schedule: Wrestlebacks (first three rounds), 9 a.m.; quarterfinals, 12:30 p.m.; semifinals, plus fourth and fifth round of wrestlebacks, 6 p.m.

Sunday's schedule: Sixth round of wrestlebacks, 10 a.m.; consolation finals (third through eighth places), to follow; championships, 3 p.m.

Here are Open Mike's predictions for the top four finishers at each of the 14 weight classes.

106 -- 1. Nick Babin, Emerson-Park Ridge; 2. Joey Olivieri, Hanover Park; 3. Brett Ungar, Hunterdon Central; 4. Dean Peterson, St. John Vianney.

113 -- 1. Anthony Clark, Delbarton; 2. Samuel Alverez, St. Joseph-Montvale; 3. Dante Minnino, Gateway-Woodbury; 4. Eddie Ventresca, Pope John.

120 -- 1. Robert Howard, Bergen Catholic; 2. Mitchell Polito, East Brunswick; 3. Joe Manchio, Sterling; 4. Antonio Minnino, Gateway-Woodbury. 

Patrick Glory and Alex Carida. (Migdalia Carida).

126 -- 1. Patrick Glory, Delbarton; 2. Joe Heilmann, South Plainfield; 3. Michael Kelly, St. Peter's Prep; 4. Colin Wickramaratna, Cherokee.

132 -- 1. Nick Raimo, Hanover Park; 2. Carmen Ferrante, Bergen Catholic; 3. Kyle Slendorn, Howell; 4. Jake Rotunda, Pope John.

138 -- 1. Quinn Kinner, Kingsway; 2. JoJo Aragona, Pope John; 3. Jake Benner, Ocean Township; 4. Andrew Gapas, North Hunterdon.

145 -- 1. Alex Carida, Hackettstown; 2. Ricky Cabanillas, DePaul; 3. Robert Garcia, Pope John; 4. Travis Tavoso, Delbarton.

152 -- 1. Brian Meyer, Phillipsburg; 2. Gerard Angelo, Bergen Catholic; 3. Joe Casey, Bound Brook; 4. Cole Corrigan, Toms River South.

160 -- 1. Shane Griffith, Bergen Catholic; 2. Robert Kanniard, Wall; 3. Garrett Bilgrav, Robbinsville; 4. John Poznanski, Colonia.

170 -- 1. Michael O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights; 2. Christopher Foca, Bergen Catholic; 3. Marco Gaita, West Morris; 4. Nicholas Caracappa, St. John Vianney.

182 -- 1. Bill Janzer, Delsea; 2. Santino Morina, Paulsboro; 3. Josh McKenzie, Bergen Catholic; 4. Garrett Beam, St. Joseph-Montvale.

195 -- 1. Jacob Cardenas, Bergen Catholic; 2. Sam Wustefeld, Scotch Plains-Fanwood; 3. Bryan Martin, Williamstown; 4. Tommy Maxwell, Delsea.

220 -- 1. Peter Acciardi, Don Bosco Prep; 2. Liridon Leka, Montville; 3. Sage Mosco, Bergen Catholic; 4. Ethan Wolf, Raritan.

285 -- 1. Lewis Fernandes, Voorhees; 2. Kody Wood, Pennsville; 3. Lamar Price, Sterling; 4. Antonio Mercado, Camden. 

Wrestling: Ten best shots (HWS) at medals in AC

Here is a look at the 10 wrestlers (actually 11) from the Open Mike area who have the best chances at capturing a medal -- it could be quite a haul for the locals -- this weekend in the 85th New Jersey State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

In all, there are 48 qualifiers (up one from last year and 17 more than 2016) among Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex schools.

Lewis Fernandes after his 100th win. (Courtesy of Eric Hall)

Lewis Fernandes (38-0), Voorhees -- As the area's lone unbeaten wrestler and of just 24 in the entire tournament, Fernandes, a junior who is really a 220-pounder, has the athleticism and strength to make a run at the gold -- which would be the Vikings' first since John Brienza won the 130-pound title in 1998 and just the second at heavyweight (Lee Getz in 1982). Coach Eric Hall, who was a runner-up in '96, believes Fernandes, the No. 6 seed, is capable of ending the program's title drought. Fernandes, who recently joined older brothers, Michael and Scott, in the school's 100-win club in winning his first Region 4 title, has 24 pins and two majors to go with 10 forfeit wins, has gone the distance only twice -- 7-0 over Montville senior Liridon Leka (37-3), the No. 2 seed at 220, and 2-0 over Bound Brook junior Jervey Sistrunk (33-4), the No. 8 seed at 285. The latter was on Jan. 10. Fernandes could encounter Hackettstown senior Joe Andes (39-1), the No. 11 seed and another strong medal contender, in the pre-quarterfinals on Friday night. They were at different weights in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament on Jan. 13 as Fernandes went 220.

Career mark: 101-22.
Previous state appearances: 3-2, fourth wrestlebacks at 195 pounds in 2017.
First-round opponent: Overbrook junior Deshon Alexander (28-7, R8-4).

JoJo Aragona (37-1), Pope John -- Part of the Lions' Murderers' Row in the middle, the junior got to the finals in 2017, dropping a 3-1 decision to Glory, after reaching the semifinals as a freshman, where he ran into state champ Joe Manchio of Seneca -- dropping a 3-0 decision -- before he bounced back to take third place. Aragona, now at 138 pounds and on a 34-match win streak, is among seven qualifiers for the Sussex County school, which is looking for its first state champ since Brian Unkert won at 145 pounds in 1990. Aragona, the No. 3 seed who could run into No. 6 seed Cody Harrison of Phillipsburg in the quarters, is very skilled on his feet and that will bode well in an absolutely stacked weight class, which could very well feature the top wrestler in the tournament and one of the best in the country in returning champion and Ohio State recruit Quinn Kinner of Kingsway, who beat Aragona, 10-4, in the Beast of the East quarterfinals. It would be surprising if they don't get another finals rematch in AC.

Career mark: 111-5.
Previous state appearances: 4-1, third place at 106 pounds in 2016; 4-1, second place at 120 pounds in '17.
First-round opponent: Southern sophomore Robert Woodcock (24-6, R8-4).

Brian Meyer after his third region title. (Courtesy of Ray Patt)

Brian Meyer (35-2), Phillipsburg -- The four-time district and three-time region champion is one of the area's best hopes for state gold. The Lehigh-bound Meyer, who is two wins from becoming the program's all-time wins leader, has that college style, a tough rider who is hard to score on after he gets that first takedown. He'll likely have to open it up more in AC at a weight class that features four other returning placewinners, including Bergen Catholic senior and two-time finalist Gerard Angelo, the top seed, and Bound Brook senior Joe Casey, a three-time medal winner and the No. 3 seed. A Casey-Meyer clash -- which did not happen in the regular season as P'burg forfeited the final bout of a 54-21 win over the Crusaders on Jan. 3 -- in the semis could be one of the best matchups this weekend. Meyer handed Casey a 3-1 loss last season, and received a forfeit over Casey in the state consolation semifinals.

Career mark: 127-34.
Previous appearances: 1-2, third round of wrestlebacks at 145 pounds in 2016; 6-1, third place at 145 pounds in '17.
First-round opponent: Mount Olive sophomore Anthony Spera (30-8, R2-4).

Pat Glory and Alex Carida, the R3 OWs (Migdalia Carida).

Alex Carida (40-1), Hackettstown -- The senior is coming off impressive performances in winning his second District 9 and Region 3 titles, including a 2-1 win over Tavoso in the latter at 145 pounds. Carida, who is looking to become the Tigers' first state medalist since Corey Kozimor placed seventh at 119 pounds in 2009, is trying to make even bigger history as the school's second state champ since Doug Blake won the second of his consecutive titles 50 years ago. Carida, the program's all-time wins leader who has won 27 in a row (with 14 pins, three majors and a technical fall) since a 1-0 loss to Cabanillas, is tough to score on and is solid in all three phases (neutral, top and bottom). His hard work with assistant coach and biggest fan Jimmy Berringer, a two-time state placewinner at Hopatcong (seventh-eighth at 130 pounds in 1999 and sixth at 140 pounds in 2000), has paid dividends.

Career mark: 136-27.
Previous appearances: 0-2 at 132 pounds in 2016; 1-2, second wrestlebacks at 138 pounds in '17.
First-round opponent: Egg Harbor Township senior Cody Dix (31-6, R8-4).

Brett Ungar (37-1), Hunterdon Central -- The talented freshman has enjoyed a tremendous rookie season, winning District 17 and Region 5 titles, the latter with a thrilling 4-2 decision in the ultimate tiebreaker against outstanding St. John Vianney freshman Dean Peterson (32-1), who many were picking all season to be the state champion at 106 pounds. Ungar, who is the No. 3 seed and owns a not-so-close 7-6 victory over Belvidere junior Quinn Melofchik, the No. 4 seed, has reeled off 19 straight wins since a 4-2 loss to Emerson-Park Ridge sophomore Nick Babin (37-0), the No. 2 seed. Peterson, also is in the bottom bracket as the No. 7 seed, is poised for a quarterfinal clash with Babin. Do yourself a favor, grab some popcorn and just sit back and watch the quarters at this ridiculously loaded weight that also has Bergen Catholic sophomore Nick Kayal, third last year, in the bottom half as the No. 6 seed.

Career mark: 37-1.
First-round opponent: River Dell freshman Matt DiGennaro (35-7, R1-4).

Robert Gennat (36-3), Sparta -- It's been quite the career for Gennat, who etched his name in the Sussex County school's record books as only the second to win a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title this season, while becoming its all-time wins leader with his second-place finish in Region 1 on Saturday. After a year to get his feet wet in Atlantic City, Gennat is primed to become the Spartans' first state placewinner since Matt Stoppay finished fourth at 135 pounds in 2003. Gennat, who dropped a 5-3 decision to Pope John senior and No. 3 seed Jake Brown, his 99th win, in the Region 1 finals, drew the No. 4 seed and is in the same quarter of the draw with Voorhees senior Scott Fernandes (36-4), the Region 4 runner-up and No. 5 seed who pinned Gennat on Dec. 30, but was decked in the rematch in the HWS finals. Anyone for the rubber match in the state quarters?

Career mark: 122-30.
Previous appearances: 1-2, second wrestlebacks at 195 pounds in 2017.
First-round opponent: Eastern junior Anthony Franden (30-8, R7-4).

Travis Jones won his first Region 3 title on Saturday.

Travis Jones (37-4), Phillipsburg -- The junior is one of the most dangerous mat wrestlers around --with snake-like flexibility -- and is a lot better on his feet this season, making him a serious medal contender after going 0-2 last season in his first appearance in AC. With what looks like a pretty favorable quarter of the draw as the No. 7 seed at 120 pounds, Jones should reach the quarters, where he'd likely run into returning state champion Antonio Minnino of Gateway-Woodbury. Jones, a two-time District 9 champion who won a wild 6-5 decision over Delbarton sophomore Alex Strashinsky in the Region 3 finals, will see another familiar opponent in the prelims in Southern senior Owen Kretschmer (20-16, R8-4) -- a 14-2 loser against Jones in a dual meet on Jan. 27.

Career mark: 66-19.
Previous state appearances: 0-2 at 113 pounds in 2017.

Hunter Graf (35-4), Hunterdon Central -- Making his fourth trip to Atlantic City, Graf is looking for his second state medal and is two wins shy of unseating former state runner-up Pat Strizki (141) as the school's all-time wins leader. Graf, a four-time district champ, dropped a 4-2 decision in last year's quarterfinals and was eliminated one round shy of a medal with a 6-3 loss to Howell's Darby Diedrich, who finished seventh. Graf, who has a double-loss to Pope John senior Jake Rotunda -- 6-1 and 6-3 in the Hunterdon Central Invitational and Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals -- as well as a 10-6 loss to Howell senior Kyle Slendorn, a returning runner-up, and was pinned by Raritan ace Russell Benson in the Region 5 finals. Still, Graf, the No. 10 seed, has the pedigree and plenty of state tournament experience to end his fine career on a high note.

Career mark: 140-27.
Previous state appearances: 0-2 at 106 pounds in 2015; 3-3, eighth place at 113 pounds in '16; 2-2, fourth wrestlebacks at 120 pounds in '17.
First-round opponent: Watchung Hills junior Nick Ciraulo (34-7, R4-3), who lost, 4-2, to Graf on Feb. 3.

Pope John leads the area with 7 state qualifiers.

Jake Rotunda (35-4), Pope John -- A four-time district champion and region finalist, the fourth time might be the charm for the Lions' all-time wins leader to come back with some hardware after coming so close in 2016 -- a one-point loss to Bound Brook ace Joe Casey in the blood round. Rotunda has not had much luck here overall, having to default out of the 2015 and '17 tournaments, sustaining a shoulder injury last year up 8-0 in his first-round match at 126. Looking to start anew, he steamrolled to a second Region 1 title and seems to be on a mission. The No. 5 seed, whose only losses to New Jersey opponents came back-to-back on Dec. 23 -- 12-0 to Delbarton state champion Patrick Glory and 6-3 to Camden Catholic state placewinner Lucas Revano, the No. 4 seed -- has reeled off 29 in a row since. A third meeting with Rotunda -- who beat Revano, 3-1, at the Beast of the East -- could be on tap in the quarterfinals.

Career mark: 125-22.
Previous appearances: 1-2 at 113 pounds in 2015; 2-2, fourth wrestlebacks at 120 pounds in '16; 0-1 at 126 pounds in '17.
First-round opponent: St. Joseph-Montvale sophomore Stefano Sgambellone (24-7, R1-4), who lost, 8-1, to Rotunda in the region semifinals.

Andrew Gapas (34-2), North Hunterdon -- After steaming to an eighth-place finish last season at 132, the senior is looking to bounce back from an upset-loss -- 9-7 to JFK-Iselin senior Andrew Coleman -- in the Region 4 semifinals at 138 pounds. Gapas, who became the Lions' 12th 100-match winner this season, is the No. 4 seed with Coleman drawing the No. 5 seed, setting the stage fora likely rematch in the quarterfinals. The winner would surely face Kinner in the semifinals, but a top-six medal is guaranteed at that point. Until that loss to Coleman, Gapas had been cruising right along, winning 15 in a row after getting pinned by Aragona in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals on Jan. 13, including a 5-3 win over Harrison, one of five qualifiers here with losses to Gapas this season.

Career mark: 106-23.
Previous state appearances: 4-3, eighth place at 132 pounds in 2017.
First-round opponent: Monroe senior Andrew Lombard (33-8, R5-4), who lost, 7-0, to Gapas in the Neptune Classic finals on Dec. 16.

Robert Garcia (34-5), Pope John -- After going 0-2 as a freshman, Garcia stormed to the semifinals and a fourth-place finish at 132 pounds as a sophomore, dropping a 5-2 decision to Kinner in the semis. This season, 145 pounds is wide open and Garcia, the No. 4 seed in a tough upper half of the draw that includes DePaul state runner-up Ricky Cabanillas (36-1), the No. 1 seed who beat Garcia, 5-2, this season, and Delbarton senior Travis Tavoso (30-5), the No. 5 seed, should be right in the title mix, despite coming off a stunning 15-7 loss to Newton junior Wyatt McCarthy -- who should also be in the medal hunt -- in the Region 1 finals. Garcia could also see Region 5 champ Stanley Wojdylak of Middletown North in the second round.

Career mark: 101-20.
Previous appearances: 0-2 at 126 pounds in 2016; 4-2, fourth place at 132 pounds in '17.
First-round opponent: Cresskill senior Michael Chambers (36-2, R1-4), who lost, 11-2, to Garcia in the Region 1 semifinals.

Other area qualifiers (37):

Belvidere -- Quinn Melofchik (106)
Delaware Valley -- AJ DeRosa (126), Shawne Ramsby (170), Eli Kalfaian (195)
Hunterdon Central -- Colton Washleski (113), Jack Bauer (120), Pasquale Vizzoni (138), Vincent Romaniello (145)
Phillipsburg -- Cullen Day (113), Kyle Tino (132), Cody Harrison (138), Lance Wissing (170)
Pope John -- Eddie Ventresca (113), Kaya Sement (120), Reece Muldoon (182), Jake Brown (195)
Hackettstown -- Joe Andes (285)
High Point -- Brandon LaRue (113), Billy Talmadge (132), Shane Kobis (138), Trey Osborn (152)
Hopatcong -- Anthony Mastroeni (126)
Kittatinny -- Calvin Brook (152), Zach Mafaro (182)
Newton -- Wyatt McCarthy (145), Jonathon Borgognoni (152), Lance Fischer (220)
North Hunterdon -- Frank Diesso (113), Tucker Kirchberger (152), William Hughes (160)
Sparta -- Garrett Stewart (126)
Voorhees -- Aidan Taylor (120), Scott Fernandes (195), Sam Huff (220)
Warren Hills -- Codey O'Rourke (126), Jarod Ostir (182), Nick Galka (220)