Wrestling: GPS required on Road to AC (HWS ranks)

It was a tough Sunday in Toms River as the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area was denied a team state championship for the first time since 2010.

The journey to Boardwalk Hall begins on Saturday.

But the road to Atlantic City starts on Saturday as local wrestlers seek individual glory. First up is the "district" tournaments, which are all over the map, literally, as this ridiculous realignment, which began three years ago,is once again a hot-button issue with us traditionalists in these parts and across the Garden State.

Brace for mostly empty gyms and plenty of travel -- Belvidere and Warren Hills will head to District 12, which is held not far from Giants Stadium at Becton Regional High School. Meanwhile, host Phillipsburg will be the only local team in District 13. It's a mess.

"I like the old tradition," said High Point coach John Gardner, who won three district titles for the Wildcats from 1988-90, along with four region championships and a state title at 189 pounds in '90.

But we will keep an eye on several wrestlers who can make program history on Saturday, starting with Phillipsburg senior Cody Harrison and Hunterdon Central senior Jack Bauer, who seek their fourth district titles.

"We told the guys to not let [a 26-20 loss to Kingsway in the Group 4 final] impact the rest of their season," P'burg coach Dave Post said on Sunday. "For 84 days, it was all about team stuff. We still have some individual goals."

Nine others will bid for their third titles -- P'burg senior Travis Jones, Voorhees senior Sam Huff, Warren Hills senior Nick Galka, Kittatinny senior Zach Mafaro, High Point junior Billy Talmadge and Newton senior Wyatt McCarthy, who is looking to become the Braves' first three-time winner since Joel Branham (1977-79). In addition Pope John junior Eddie Ventresca and seniors JoJo Aragona and Robbie Garcia are bidding to join just nine others at their school to win three titles.

Here are the final team rankings:

1. Hunterdon Central (23-2) -- Red Devils secured their 22nd sectional title with a 39-24 win over Manalapan and lost 34-27 to Southern in a very entertaining Group 5 final on Sunday after a 35-25 victory over Watchung Hills in the semifinals. Their only other loss was 51-16 to Paulsboro on Jan. 31. Senior Vincent Romaniello, now 117-32 overall, passed former state runner-up Ken Hall (116-9 from 1991-95) for seventh place on the school's all-time wins list. Central is the highest-ranked area team in the final New Jersey Writers Top 20 poll at No. 7.

Up next: District 18 Tournament at Hillsborough on Saturday.

P'burg will next host the District 13 Tournament.

2. Phillipsburg (18-3) -- Stateliners won their 38th sectional title overall and sixth in a row with a 28-19 win over North Hunterdon and dropped a 26-20 decision to Kingsway in the Group 4 final, snapping the Warren County school's title run at five straight. Senior Travis Jones (30-3) recorded win No. 100 in the loss.Coach Dave Post's team seeks the program's 46th district championship this weekend.

Up next: District 13 Tournament at home on Saturday.

3. Pope John (14-3) -- Lions won consecutive Non-Public North B sectional titles for the first time since their three-peat in 1981-83 with a 36-30 victory over DePaul before a 33-29 loss to Camden Catholic spoiled the Sparta-based school's bid to claim back-to-back state titles for just the second time (1982-83). 

Up next: District 2 Tournament at Ramapo on Saturday.

High Point with the North 1, Group 2 trophy.

4. High Point (16-3) -- Wildcats, now 5-9 all-time in state finals, came up short in their bid for a second straight Group 2 title with a 46-26 loss to South Plainfield after coach John Gardner's team secured the program's Sussex County-record 27th sectional title with a 35-25 win over Newton. Senior state placewinner Brandon LaRue, a two-time district champion with 91 career wins who made a dramatic final appearance in that one, will have season-ending elbow surgery. Senior Devin Flannery (27-6 at 120) is four shy of 100 wins.

Up next: District 1 Tournament at Fair Lawn on Saturday.

5. North Hunterdon (20-3) -- Lions fell short for the second time this season against Phillipsburg in a 28-19 loss in the North 2, Group 4 final, losing two bouts in overtime, as coach Chris Hrunka's team, which had won 10 in a row since a 30-24 loss at home to the Stateliners, was seeking the program's first sectional title since 2015. Senior Connor Robinson got his 91st career win.

Up next: District 20 Tournament at Red Bank on Saturday.

6. Newton (14-7) -- Braves were denied in their bid for the program's third sectional title and first since going back-to-back in 2009-10 with a 35-25 loss to High Point in the North 1, Group 2 final before a packed and raucous crowd in Wantage. Senior aces Wyatt McCarthy (28-2) and Luke Fischer (30-0) will go 145 and 220 in the postseason. Fischer is three wins shy of 100.

Up next: District 2 Tournament at Ramapo on Saturday.

Kittatinny is now 8-4 all-time in state title matches.

7. Kittatinny (17-8) -- Cougars enjoyed a resurgence in recent weeks, scoring a 36-33 win against Emerson-Park Ridge in the North 1, Group 1 final for the program's 22nd sectional title -- all under the legendary John Gill, who confirmed on Sunday that he will be back next season -- his 40th as a head coach. The Sussex County school rallied for a 36-32 win over Shore Regional in the Group 1 semifinals before closing the dual meet season with a 63-3 loss to Paulsboro in the state final.

Up next: District 3 Tournament at home on Saturday.

8. Voorhees (24-6) -- Vikings avenged an earlier loss to Warren Hills with a 32-25 victory in the opening round of the North 2, Group 3 sectional tournament before bowing out with a 41-24 loss to Mendham in the semifinals. Senior Lewis Fernandes (36-0), who seeks his second district title and second state championship at 285, is sitting on 97 career pins, while senior Hunter Rinehart (30-6) is just five shy of joining Fernandes in the school's 100 wins club.

Up next: District 14 Tournament at Millburn on Saturday.

9. Delaware Valley (13-7) -- Terriers captured the program's 18th sectional title overall and first in Group 1 with a 42-17 win over Whippany Park in the North 2 final -- outscoring their opponents by a combined 162-41 in three matches. Coach Andy Fitz's team dropped a tough 61-9 decision to eventual state champion Paulsboro in the Group 1 semifinals, as senior A.J. DeRosa (132) and sophomore Anthony DeRosa (160) were the lone winners.

Up next: District 19 Tournament at home on Saturday.

10. Warren Hills (16-4) -- Blue Streaks came up short in a 32-25 loss to Voorhees in the North 2, Group 3 opener after winning 10 bouts in a 37-19 win over the Vikings on Dec. 19. Coach Dave Sbriscia's team closed out the dual meet season with victories over Sparta (47-27), Verona (51-24) and Hasbrouck Heights (69-7) -- as senior Nick Galka (28-3 at 220) became the eighth member of the school's 100 wins club.

Up next: District 12 Tournament at Becton on Saturday.