The Lions placed 11 of 14 wrestlers in the top four at their respective weights, including champions Drew Doscher and Ian Gaburo, in winning the team championship at the 61st annual John Goles Invitational Tournament at Warren Hills Regional High School.
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| North Hunterdon celebrates its John Goles team title. |
North Hunterdon, which captured its third team title and first since 2014 with 189 points, bested second-place West Morris (179.5) and third-place Newton (170) in what projected to be a tight three-way battle coming in. Delaware Valley, behind three-time champion and Outstanding Wrestler Award winner A.J. DeRosa (138 pounds) was fourth, while Warren Hills rounded out the top five. The only other Open Mike area team in the 10-team field was Sparta, which finished seventh and matched West Morris and Newton with a tournament-best three champions.
Doscher was involved in one of the most entertaining finals as he converted a takedown and two back points in sudden-victory overtime to pull off a 9-5 win over previously-unbeaten Delaware Valley junior Gage Crater, who had finished third the previous two years, at 132. Doscher (7-3) escaped with 27 seconds left to force OT after giving up a go-ahead takedown in the third period.
With four final matches remaining, Gaburo's 3-2 win over Newton senior Ryan Kaiser sealed the team title with North Hunterdon holding a 5 1/2-point lead entering their bout at 195. Gaburo (5-2), who wasn't a varsity starter last season, converted a takedown with 23 seconds left in the third period for his first Goles championship.
"[Doscher] was the best performance of the day. No doubt," said Hrunka, a John Goles champion at 160 pounds for Warren Hills in 2006. "If you had told me those two would be our champions, I probably would not have believed it. Not because I didn't think they could do it, but they were probably our least likely."
North also had three runners-up in Connor Robinson (126), Michael Wilson (160) and James Holder (182). Robinson, who was looking to become just the second at his school to win at least three titles, was pinned in 19 seconds by Sparta's Garrett Stewart, while Wilson was also one of five 2017 champions to fall in the finals.
"We didn't think we'd have five in the finals -- we thought maybe two," said Hrunka, whose team is off to a 3-1 start in dual meets. "We're not a team full of hammers. We had a fairly consistent tournament."
DeRosa joins exclusive club
In the 61-year history of this tournament, only 39 wrestlers have won three or more titles. DeRosa added his name to that group with an impressive 13-2 major over Edison's Michael O'Brien in a battle of returning champs.
DeRosa (7-0) broke it open with a reversal and three back points off a bar in the second period in building a 7-0 lead against the dangerous O'Brien, who was looking to go upper body for a big move.
Congrats to AJ DeRosa on winning his 3rd Goles Title and bringing home the Outstanding Wrestling Award for the event! pic.twitter.com/CN8n56OyYV— Del Val Wrestling (@DVRWrestling) December 28, 2018
"It definitely opens the match more," DeRosa said of getting the back points. "Once you get that gap, you feel more comfortable. With a kid like [O'Brien], a match like that is never in the bank. You have to keep wrestling until the end."
DeRosa, who finished second as a freshman, is just the seventh Del Val wrestler to win at least three titles -- joining Dan Kelly (2003-05), Kris Sigafoos (2003-05), Dan Hutchins (1998-2001), Mike Pongracz (2010-12), Lance Thatcher (1999-2001) and Bob Brunner (1994-97). Pongracz was in attendance on Thursday and came over to congratulate DeRosa after his match.
"I'm honored to be part of that special group," said DeRosa, a Binghamton University recruit who is now 105-22 overall. "They're all amazing athletes. I have the utmost respect for all of those guys."
Repeat the feat
Newton senior Wyatt McCarthy joined DeRosa as the only 2017 champions to repeat, as McCarthy scored a 4-3 win over West Morris senior Justin LeMay in a rematch of their 152-pound final from last season.
McCarthy (7-1), who was coming off his first loss of the season to Phillipsburg state placewinner Cody Harrison, also in attendance on Thursday, secured a takedown with three seconds left in the first period en route to his fifth win over LeMay the past two years (including offseason meetings), including a pin in last year's championship round.
"I knew he was going to come out hard, and I needed to keep good position," said McCarthy, last year's OW who placed seventh in the state at 145 last season. "This is a tough tournament, there are some tough teams like North Hunterdon and West Morris. It's always good for the team, you get one or two good individual bouts."
McCarthy, who may drop to 145 for the postseason, would like a rematch with Harrison, possibly at next month's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Harrison, who was fourth in the state at 138 last season, scored a pair of takedowns in a 6-3 win over McCarthy this past Saturday.
"Hopefully we can settle it there," McCarthy said. "I'm just going to wrestle like I can and make more attacks."
Here and there
Sparta displayed its brother act as Cooper Stewart (113) and Spencer Stewart (120) joined Garrett as first-time winners. They're also believed to be the first trio of siblings to win titles in the same John Goles Invitational. Senior Chris Hwang, who finished third at 132, was the only other placewinner for the Spartans. Spencer Stewart also won the award for most individual team points with 26, along with Verona's Nick Riggio.
Warren Hills kept its title streak going as senior Duro Ajayi posted a 7-2 win over West Morris senior Kevin Ramos for his first championship at 285. Greg Slivka (120) and Nick Galka (220) were runners-up for the Blue Streaks, who now have a tournament-best 184 champions overall and have not been shut out in the final round since 2002. Galka, a returning champion, dropped a 1-0 decision to Newton senior Luke Fischer, who won their two head-to-head meetings last season.
Newton, which won the 2017 team title, crowned three champions in all as sophomore Nathan Fitt earned a 9-4 win over Warren Hills freshman Jared Lee at 106. It's the most winners for the Braves since they had four in 2009.
Delaware Valley lost two heartbreakers in the championship round. In addition to Crater, senior Shawne Ramsby also lost in sudden-victory overtime as he was pinned by Riggio. Ramsby gave up an escape with one second left in the second period and led 5-2 going into the third. But Riggio scored a takedown and an escape in the final 10 seconds to force OT before hitting a throw at the edge of the mat for the pin.
Team standings
1. North Hunterdon (NH) 189; 2. West Morris (WM) 179.5; 3. Newton (N) 170; 4. Delaware Valley (DV) 134; 5. Warren Hills (WH) 131; 6. Hopewell Valley (HV) 103; 7. Sparta (S) 87.5; 8. Columbia (C) 75.5; 9. Verona (V) 66; 10. Edison (E) 35.
Placewinners by school (top four)
North Hunterdon 2+3+5+1=11; West Morris 3+2+1+2=8; Newton 3+1+1+3=8; Warren Hills 1+3+1+2=7; Delaware Valley 1+2+3+0=6; Sparta 3+0+1+0=4; Hopewell Valley 0+1+1+2=4; Columbia 0+1+1+2=4; Verona 1+0+0+2=3; Edison 0+1+0+0=1.
Championships
113 -- 4-Jr. Cooper Stewart (8-1), S, d. 2-Jacob Venezia (5-1), HV, 3-2.
120 -- 1-So. Spencer Stewart (8-1), S, p. 2-Jr. Greg Slivka (8-2), WH, 1:08.
126 -- 2-Jr. Garrett Stewart (8-1), S, p. 4-Sr. Connor Robinson (6-4), NH, :19.
132 -- 5-Jr. Drew Doscher (7-3), NH, d. 3-Jr. Gage Crater (7-1), DV, 9-5 SV.
138 -- 1-Sr. A.J. DeRosa (7-0), DV, md. 2-Sr. Michael O'Brien (5-1), E, 13-2.
145 -- 2-Jr. Colin Loughney (7-2), WM, d. 1-Sr. Devin Rocha (8-3), C, 9-4.
152 -- 1-Sr. Wyatt McCarthy (7-1), N, d. 2-Sr. Justin LeMay (6-3), WM, 4-3.
160 -- 1-Sr. John DeVito (8-2), WM, d. 2-Sr. Michael Wilson (8-2), NH, 6-3.
170 -- 2-Sr. Nick Riggio (6-0), V, p. 1-Sr. Shawne Ramsby (6-2), DV, 6:54 SV.
182 -- 1-Sr. Luke Stefanelli (5-0), WM, d. 7-So. James Holder (8-3), NH, 6-1.
195 -- 4-Jr. Ian Gaburo (5-2), NH, d. 3-Sr. Ryan Kaiser (4-5), N, 3-2.
220 -- 1-Sr. Luke Fischer (8-0), N, d. 2-Sr. Nick Galka (8-2), WH, 1-0.
285 -- 1-Sr. Duro Ajayi (10-1), WH, d. 2-Sr. Kevin Ramos (5-3), WM, 7-2.
106 -- 3-So. Nathan Fitt (7-1), N, d. 5-Fr. Jared Lee (7-3), WH, 9-4.
Third-place consolations
106 -- 2-Jr. Christian Micikas (6-4), HV, md. 7-Fr. Nick DeLorenzo (6-4), NH, 10-0.
113 -- 1-So. Frank Diesso (7-2), NH, d. 3-Sr. Naquan Tory (7-3), C, 6-5.
120 -- 3-So. Conner Quinn (5-3), NH, d. 5-So. Malachi Shepard (6-4), WM, 3-2.
126 -- 5-So. JoJo Lotruglio (6-4), N, d. 6-So. Dean Palmer (5-2), V, 9-2.
132 -- 2-Sr. Chris Hwang (7-3), S, d. 1-Sr. Matthew Rosa (6-4), N, 8-5.
138 -- 4-Jr. Evan Klimas (7-3), NH, d. 6-Jr. Logan Nauta (7-5), WH, 11-4.
145 -- 6-Sr. Luke Hanlon (7-4), NH, d. 3-Sr. Chris Ostir (8-3), WH, 8-3.
152 -- 6-So. Anthony DeRosa (8-1), DV, d. Sr. 3-Justin Venezia (7-4), HV, 5-2.
160 -- 3-Jr. Nick Hildebrant (6-3), WH, d. 5-So. John Pavia (4-3), V, 4-3.
170 -- 4-Sr. Blake McGowan (9-1), C, d. 5-Sr. Nick Brigante (7-3), N, 5-0.
182 -- 2-Sr. Kyle Carney (7-2), DV, md. 5-Fr. Tyson Carroll (7-4), C, 11-2.
195 -- 5-Sr. Brian Cherifi (4-4), WM, md. 1-So. Brian LaCross (6-4), HV, 15-5.
220 -- 4-Sr. Lorenzo Becerril (7-4), NH, d. 8-Jr. Jorge Montenegro (7-6), WM, 3-1 SV.
285 -- 4-Jr. Ryan Sutter (7-2), DV, p. 6-So. Jacob Tonking (3-4), N, 5:07.
Outstanding Wrestler Award -- A.J. DeRosa, Delaware Valley.
Ryan M. Storm Memorial Award (Most pins in least time by a champion) -- Spencer Stewart, Sparta (three in 2:30).
Alonzo Widenor Memorial Award (Fastest pin) -- Matthew Borgia, West Morris (13 seconds).
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