 |
| P'burg hosted the HWS Tournament for the first time in '18. |
There are five returning champions in this year's field -- Brett Ungar of Hunterdon Central (106), Eddie Ventresca (120) and JoJo Aragona (138) of Pope John, Travis Jones of Phillipsburg (132) and Lewis Fernandes of Voorhees (285), In addition, Kittatinny senior Zach Mafaro (182), a runner-up in 2018, won a title as a freshman in '16.
Aragona (12-0), a three-time state placewinner, is looking to become the first four-time champion in HWS history, while Ventresca seeks his third straight title. Lions senior Robbie Garcia, a three-time HWS runner-up who placed fourth in the state as a sophomore in 2017, joins Belvidere senior Quinn Melofchik, a two-time runner-up, High Point senior Brandon LaRue, Phillipsburg senior Cody Harrison and Newton senior Wyatt McCarthy as state medal winners seeking their first HWS titles.
Wrestlers are ranked by Open Mike at the lowest weight they've competed at this season, leaving some who have competed at the same weight for one school off this list. They're mentioned where applicable. Official pairings and seeds will be determined on Friday, Jan. 11.
106 pounds
1. So. Brett Ungar (8-0), Hunterdon Central
2. So. Nathan Fitt (8-1), Newton
3. Fr. Clayton Utter (10-1), High Point
4. Fr. James Day (13-5), Phillipsburg
5. Fr. Daniel Haws (10-2), Lenape Valley
Notes: Pretty deep and talented weight class with Ungar, who placed sixth in the state tournament last season, a heavy favorite to win his second HWS title. Fitt owns a 9-4 win over Day, while Utter, who has a wicked cradle, finished third in the Mustang Classic. Percelay, who finished fifth in Region 1 last season, recently appeared at this weight.
113 pounds
 |
| Quinn Melofchik (far left) on the podium at 106 in AC. |
1. Sr. Quinn Melofchik (7-0), Belvidere
2. Jr. Cooper Stewart (11-1), Sparta
3. Jr. Devon Liebl (5-1), High Point
4. So. Logan Maczko (9-5), Phillipsburg
5. So. Frank Diesso (9-2), North Hunterdon
Others to watch: Fr. Nick Canonica (8-3), Hunterdon Central; Sr. Marcus Bitetto (8-3), Lenape Valley; So. Danny Cleary (5-5), Newton; Fr. Noah DiNapoli (8-5), Warren Hills.
Notes: Melofchik, who is 115-16 all-time and finished seventh in the state last season, was second at 106 in the previous two HWS Tournaments. Stewart, who took third at 106 last year, looked good in winning the John Goles Invitational title, while Diesso finished third in that tournament. Liebl is a returning HWS fifth-place finisher.
120 pounds
1. Jr. Eddie Ventresca (10-1), Pope John
2. Sr. Devin Flannery (8-1), High Point
3. So. Colton Washleski (9-2), Hunterdon Central
4. So. Spencer Stewart (11-1), Sparta
5. Sr. Aidan Taylor (12-3), Voorhees
Others to watch: So. JoJo Lotruglio (7-4), Newton; Sr. Connor Robinson (7-5), North Hunterdon; Jr. Greg Slivka (10-2), Warren Hills; Fr. Joey Innamorato (4-5), Phillipsburg; Sr. Mike Nelson (6-2), Kittatinny
Notes: Ventresca, a two-time state placewinner, is a heavy favorite to win his third HWS title, while Flannery, who was fifth as a freshman, will be in the hunt for his first finals appearance after missing last year with an elbow injury. Taylor was fourth at this weight last year, while Stewart and Washleski were fifth-place finishers as freshmen.
126 pounds
1. Sr. Brandon LaRue (6-0), High Point
2. Jr. Garrett Stewart (11-1), Sparta
3. Sr. Jack Bauer (10-1), Hunterdon Central
4. Sr. Bryce Parenti (12-5), Phillipsburg
5. Sr. Hunter Rinehart (12-2), Voorhees
Others to watch: So. Frank Mastroeni (7-2), Hopatcong; So. Patrick Franco (9-6), Kittatinny; Fr. Stephen Malia (6-3), Warren Hills
Notes: LaRue, a returning runner-up and a third-place finisher as a sophomore who has spent most of this season at 132, seeks his first title, while Stewart placed fifth at 132 in 2018. If LaRue goes 132, sophomore Josh Gervey (5-1) would slide in here for the 'Cats. Bauer, who is four wins shy of 100 for his career, placed third in HWS as a sophomore.
132 pounds
1. Sr. Travis Jones (10-2), Phillipsburg
2. Jr. Kaya Sement (7-3), Pope John
3. Fr. Tanner Peake (11-2), Hunterdon Central
4. Jr. Drew Doscher (9-3), North Hunterdon
5. Jr. Gage Crater (8-4), Delaware Valley
Others to watch: Sr. Chris Hwang (10-3), Sparta; Sr. Matthew Rosa (7-4), Newton; Jr. Zac Creeden (7-3), Wallkill Valley; Sr. Dominick Falleni (8-2), Lenape Valley
Notes: Jones, a seventh-place finisher in the state tournament last season, pinned Sement for his first HWS title in 2018. Peake is a tough freshman, while Doscher scored a come-from-behind victory in sudden-victory overtime against Crater in the John Goles Invitational finals. Hwang and Rosa placed third and fourth in the Goles. Creeden was third at 120 in last year's HWS Tournament.
138 pounds
1. Sr. JoJo Aragona (12-0), Pope John
2. Sr. A.J. DeRosa (11-0), Delaware Valley
3. Jr. Billy Talmadge (9-1), High Point
4. Jr. Anthony Romaniello (7-3), Hunterdon Central
5. Jr. Evan Klimas (9-3), North Hunterdon
Others to watch: Jr. Eric Falleni (8-3), Lenape Valley; Sr. Michael Freda (7-3), Newton; Sr. Rocco Gignatelli (7-1), Sparta; Sr. Luke Hardin (4-5), Phillipsburg; Jr. Logan Nauta (7-6), Warren Hills
Notes: Aragona is the clear favorite here and is looking to make HWS history, while DeRosa was a runner-up in 2018 after a pair of fifth-place finishes. Talmadge was third at 132 as a sophomore. Romaniello, a sixth-place finisher last year, scored a 4-0 win over Klimas on Dec. 21.
145 pounds
1. Sr. Pasquale Vizzoni (8-1), Hunterdon Central
2. Sr. Kyle Tino (10-6), Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Matthew Garcia (6-3), Pope John
4. Sr. Brian Hanna (13-2), Kittatinny
5. Sr. Chris Ostir (9-4), Warren Hills
Others to watch: Sr. James Haws (7-5), Lenape Valley; Sr. Luke Hanlon (8-5), North Hunterdon; Sr. Tommy Horn (9-3), Delaware Valley
Notes: Vizzoni is day to day with a back injury he sustained in the Hunterdon Central Invitational finals on Dec. 27. Tino, a returning state qualifier, was a third-place finisher in HWS at 138 last year, while Garcia was fifth at 126.
152 pounds
 |
| Cody Harrison (third from right) on the podium at 138 in AC. |
2. Sr. Wyatt McCarthy (8-1), Newton
3. Sr. Robbie Garcia (4-1), Pope John
4. Sr. Vincent Romaniello (9-1), Hunterdon Central
5. So. Anthony DeRosa (9-4), Delaware Valley
Others to watch: Jr. Connor Fritsch (6-4), Pope John; Jr. Gian Knippenberg (7-7), Kittatinny; So. Alex Buchwald (5-3), High Point; Fr. Mike Mastroeni (8-3), Hopatcong
Notes: Harrison scored a 6-3 win over McCarthy on Dec. 22, while Garcia has been out of the lineup since the Beast of the East. Romaniello, who is sitting on 99 career wins, was third at 145 last season.
160 pounds
1. Fr. Brian Soldano (9-1), High Point
2. Sr. Michael Wilson (10-2), North Hunterdon
3. So. Norman Cella (10-1), Hunterdon Central
4. Sr. TJ Abode (7-6), Phillipsburg
5. Jr. Zebulon Burke (7-4), Hackettstown
Others to watch: Jr. Rob Fletcher (7-5), North Warren; Jr. Nick Hildebrant (7-4), Warren Hills
Notes: Soldano is looking to become just the seventh freshman and the first for High Point to win a tri-county title. Wilson is a returning fourth-place finisher, while Cella's lone loss is 10-1 to Southern state placewinner Nick O'Connell.
170 pounds
1. Sr. Shawne Ramsby (9-3), Delaware Valley
2. Jr. Nathaniel Fossett (2-0), North Hunterdon
3. Sr. Dan Furmato (3-3), Hunterdon Central
5. Fr. David Pierson (5-6), Phillipsburg
Others to watch: Sr. Matt Brandner (5-3), Voorhees; Jr. PJ Soldano (7-4), High Point
Notes: Pretty wide open weight as Fossett recently returned to the lineup and did not see Ramsby, a 2-0 winner over Brigante, at the John Goles Invitational. Brigante scored a 4-2 win over Pierson on Dec. 22. Furmato, who dropped a 7-2 decision to Ramsby on Thursday, was a runner-up at this weight in 2018.
182 pounds
1. Sr. Zach Mafaro (10-1), Kittatinny
2. Sr. Kyle Barrett (6-3), Hunterdon Central
3. Jr. Jacob Wicks (7-5), Phillipsburg
4. Jr. Alejandro Castro (6-4), Hackettstown
5. So. James Holder (9-4), North Hunterdon
Others to watch: Sr. Kyle Carney (8-5), Delaware Valley; Sr. Jonathan Morris (3-3), High Point; So. Shane Exley (4-4), Belvidere; Sr. Matt Somers (6-5), Newton; Fr. Tyler McCatharn (7-5), Warren Hills
Notes: Mafaro, who placed sixth in the state tournament last season, is seeking his second HWS title after a second-place finish in 2018. Nos. 2-5 here are pretty close to call.
195 pounds
1. Sr. Austin Roth (8-5), Phillipsburg
2. Jr. Ian Gaburo (7-2), North Hunterdon
3. Sr. Charlie Eberle (7-6), Voorhees
4. Sr. Ryan Kaiser (5-5), Newton
5. Jr. Robert Bruce (8-5), Kittatinny
Others to watch: Sr. Chris Jhong (6-3), Pope John
Notes: Roth was sixth at 182 last season, while no one else in the field has an HWS medal on his resume.
220 pounds
1. Sr. Luke Fischer (9-0), Newton
2. Sr. Nick Galka (10-2), Warren Hills
3. Jr. Jacob Mafaro (2-2), Kittatinny
4. Sr. Sam Huff (10-3), Voorhees
5. Sr. Lorenzo Becerril (8-5), North Hunterdon
Others to watch: Sr. Andrew Lewis (2-3), High Point; So. Gage Horvath (6-7), Phillipsburg; Jr. Ryan Sutter (9-4), Delaware Valley
Notes: Fischer has three wins over Galka dating to last season, including a 1-0 win in the John Goles Invitational finals on Dec. 27. Huff, a returning state qualifier, dropped an 8-4 decision to Galka on Dec. 22 and scored a 3-1 win in sudden victory over Becerril on Wednesday. Mafaro, who was third at 220 last season, recently returned to the lineup. Kittatinny sophomore Jackson Crawn (12-2) may also compete here if Mafaro goes heavyweight.
285 pounds
 |
| Lewis Fernandes (back row) with all of the state champs. |
2. Sr. Duro Ajayi (12-1), Warren Hills
3. Sr. Ryan Joyce (5-3), Hunterdon Central
4. Fr. Brycen Mafaro (5-5), Kittatinny
5. Jr. Cody Cruts (4-7), Phillipsburg
Notes: Fernandes, a winner at 220 last season and the returning state champion at 285, is looking to become his school's second repeat winner and first since Jadaen Bernstein won his third straight title in 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment