Wrestling: Phillipsburg-High Point set to renew rivalry

Champion vs. champion.

Chalk one up for rivalries and tradition as High Point and Phillipsburg have agreed to wrestle an independent match this season on Friday, Jan. 18 in Wantage. Stateliners coach Dave Post confirmed the teams will meet for the 19th time in series history after shifting some dates on his schedule.

"We are very excited to rekindle this Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rivalry," said Post, whose team will seek the program's sixth straight Group 4 championship this season. "Matches like this are critical to the survival of our sport."

High Point won the Group 2 title in 2018 -- its first championship since '14.

Phillipsburg, which finished 17-2 last season and is sitting on 957 wins as a program, encountered an opening on the schedule when its rivalry match against Easton (Pa.) had to be moved from Saturday, Jan. 19 to Wednesday, Jan. 30. The Red Rovers informed Post -- well after the 'Liners released their schedule to Open Mike in early July -- of a conflict with the original match date due to their participation in the Escape the Rock Tournament.

Post also recently reached out to Hanover Park coach and former Kittatinny standout Tyler Branham, who graciously agreed to move their match from Thursday, Jan. 17 to two days earlier, so P'burg would not have three in a row on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that week. The 'Liners rarely, if ever, wrestle on a Friday night, but Post was willing to make an exception for this one.

High Point, the defending Group 2 champion, has also done some shuffling with its schedule. 'Cats coach John Gardner said his team has picked up matches against Pope John (Jan. 24) and South Plainfield (Jan. 19) due to being light on duals for the upcoming season. The Sussex County school will also be heading back to the Cheesehead Invitational in Wisconsin in early January, so it needed a few more in-state matchups.

P'burg claimed its 22nd state championship in 2017-18.

South Plainfield, the reigning Group 3 champion, is now in Group 2 this season. The Tigers, under new coach Steve Johnston, are a late addition to a quad at Toms River North on Saturday, Jan. 19 that also includes Delsea, which should be a strong contender for the Group 3 title. The High Point-South Plainfield clash could be a preview of the Group 2 final, though Hanover Park should be in the title mix as well.

P'burg owns a 17-1 edge over High Point in the all-time series, including a 62-6 rout in their last meeting at The Pit in 2015. High Point's lone victory was 30-22 on Jan. 31, 2009, at The Pit.

"You always know what you are going to get from coach Gardner's teams," Post said. "His athletes are a reflection of his style. They will be tough and unrelenting. This will be a great test for our wrestlers and will prepare them for the remainder of the season."

Here are the regular-season schedules for both teams. (Note: High Point dates may still be subject to change along with additions).

Phillipsburg schedule

Dec. 14-15 -- at King of the Mountain Tournament; Dec. 19 -- at Hillsborough; Dec. 22 -- at Newton; Dec. 28-29 -- at Bethlehem (Pa.) Holiday Classic; Jan. 2 -- Warren Hills; Jan. 3 -- Raritan; Jan. 5 -- Monroe Township; Jan. 9 -- Montgomery; Jan. 10 -- Kittatinny at The Pit; Jan. 12 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg; Jan. 15 -- Hanover Park; Jan. 16 -- at North Hunterdon; Jan. 18 -- at High Point; Jan. 23 -- at Ridge; Jan. 24 -- Hunterdon Central; Jan. 26 -- at Southern; Jan. 30 -- Easton (Pa.); Feb. 1 -- at Delaware Valley; Feb. 2 -- at Ocean Township.

High Point schedule

Dec. 15 -- at Colt Classic; Dec. 18 -- Kittatinny; Dec. 22 -- Roxbury and Southern; Dec. 27 -- at Mustang Classic; Jan. 4-5 -- at Cheesehead Invitational (Wisconsin); Jan. 10 -- at Hackettstown; Jan. 12 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg; Jan. 16 -- at Jefferson; Jan. 19 -- Delsea, South Plainfield at Toms River North; Jan. 22 -- Newton; Jan. 24 -- Pope John; Jan. 26 -- Lenape Valley, Cranford at Cedar Grove; Feb. 1 -- West Morris.

Back points

New Jersey coaches recently took part in a poll sent out by the NJSIAA regarding number of weight classes. Of the 176 votes cast, 33 percent (58 coaches) are in favor of reducing the number from 14 to 13. The other options were 11, 12 and 14 -- with about 22 percent casting votes across the board for those numbers, as 12 and 14 drew the least number of votes. According to executive director Larry White, any proposed changes would not take affect, if at all, until three or four years beyond this season. When speaking with legendary Nazareth (Pa.) coach Dave Crowell, who is heavily involved with the National Federation, last spring, it didn't seem like the possibility of reducing or changing the weight classes was a priority for the organization, despite the problem of increased forfeits. Crowell is in favor of increasing the number of dual meets, which he feels is key to increasing athlete and fan interest.

The sectional alignments for the 2018-19 season were recently made official. Open Mike first reported the new-look sections -- with Delaware Valley dropping to Group 1 for the first time in program history as the biggest change in the HWS area, along with Hunterdon Central and Howell, the Group 5 title contenders, being separated from the Central Jersey section, as the Rebels move to South Jersey. Kittatinny also returned to Group 1 after competing in Group 2 the past few seasons.

Girls wrestling in New Jersey is a reality starting this season and the weight classes for the upcoming season were recently revealed -- 100, 105, 111, 118, 127, 136, 147, 161, 185 and 225 pounds. These are subject to change, albeit slightly, as more data is gathered for the participants. Keep an eye on Phillipsburg junior Jewel Gonzalez, a strong contender to become the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area's first girls state wrestling champion. Gonzalez had been competing with the boys on the JV level in previous seasons.