Wrestling: HC slowed by red-hot Southern in G5 final

TOMS RIVER -- It won't take the sting out of losing a state championship match, but the fact that Hunterdon Central's wrestling team, with its myriad of injuries and illness, was even in that position was somewhat remarkable.

In the end, the Red Devils didn't have enough to slow red-hot Southern, which got match-sealing pins at 195 and 220 pounds to secure a 34-27 victory in the Group 5 final on Sunday night at RWJBarnabas Health Arena.

Central overcame injuries to win a 22nd sectional title.

Southern (20-4), which knocked off previously unbeaten Howell in the South Jersey sectional final on Friday, won the critical toss and pulled off an upset-win 132 to help spoil Central's bid for the program's second state title and first since 1989.

"When you look at the Top 20 teams [in the New Jersey Writers poll] that we were able to pull off wins against, I'm proud of this team," said classy coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm, whose Red Devils finished the dual meet season at 23-2. "Putting guys out there who are maybe 70 percent at best, against the caliber of team like [Southern], was asking a lot."

Hunterdon Central, which advanced with a 35-25 win over Watchung Hills in the semifinals, its second victory over the Warriors this season, lost a key bout to start the match at 113, as junior Jayson Scerbo rolled to a 7-1 decision over freshman Nick Canonica. The Red Devils could have opted to bump sophomore ace Brett Ungar up from 106, where he would have been favored against Scerbo, but Cantagallo-Rohm liked the matchup straight up.

"We looked at it time and time again, obviously you get second-guesses when you lose," the coach said. "We looked at common opponents with [Scerbo] and we like how Nick has wrestled. I've got to bet on my horses and Nick is one of my guys."

Sophomore Colton Washleski (120) and senior Jack Bauer (126) picked Central up with a decision and pin for a 9-3 lead, but Southern senior Sebastian Delligatti, who rated a slight underdog, slowed the momentum with an impressive 5-2 win -- with a pair of takedowns -- against talented freshman Tanner Peake.

Senior Pasquale Vizzoni gave Central some hope by securing two third-period takedowns and three in all for a 7-2 win over Nick Pepe in what was considered a tossup at 145. But not winning the flip forced Central to put out first at 152, where it could not avoid a matchup between Vince Romaniello and Southern state placewinner Nick O'Connell, who scored a 14-4 major.

After sophomore Norman Cella, who has a torn LCL in his right knee, gutted out a 3-0 win at 160, Southern also got the matchup it wanted at 170, where John Stout, a University of Penn recruit and the son and namesake of Rams coach John Stout, decked Dan Furmato (torn labrum) in 3:59 for a 19-15 lead with five bouts to go.

Southern won the next three, including pins by Ben LoParo (195) and JT Cornelius (220) to ice the Rams' third state title overall and first since 2016. LoParo was trailing, 1-0, against Kyle Barrett before hitting a bear hug and trip to the mat for the fall, while Cornelius headlocked Salvatore Brito in 54 seconds for the clincher, as Stout forfeited the final two weights.

"The flip was the overall deciding factor," Cantagallo-Rohm said. "It sucks that it goes that way."

SOUTHERN 34, HUNTERDON CENTRAL 27
113 -- Jr. Jayson Scerbo (21-8), S, d. Fr. Nick Canonica (19-9), 7-1.
120 -- So. Colton Washleski (28-4), HC, d. So. Matt Brielmeier (18-12), 5-1.
126 -- Sr. Jack Bauer (26-5), HC, p. So. Christian Rivera (1-2), :32.
132 -- Sr. Sebastian Delligatti (19-9), S, d. Fr. Tanner Peake (29-5), 5-2.
138 -- Jr. Robert Woodcock (26-4), S, d. Jr. Anthony Romaniello (18-13), 11-5.
145 -- Sr. Pasquale Vizzoni (21-2), HC, d. Sr. Nick Pepe (25-6), 7-2.
152 -- Sr. Nick O'Connell (30-0), S, md. Sr. Vincent Romaniello (27-6), 14-4.
160 -- So. Norman Cella (22-4), HC, d. Sr. Luke Galan (8-9), 3-0.
170 -- Sr. John Stout (33-2), S, p. Sr. Dan Furmato (8-11), 3:59
182 -- Sr. Haven Tatarek (19-9), S, d. Sr. Kyle Barrett (20-10), 4-3.
195 -- Jr. Ben LoParo (23-10), S, p. Jr. Brandon Donoghue (14-11), 3:59.
220 -- Jr. JT Cornelius (31-3), S, p. So. Salvatore Brito (0-8), :54.
285 -- Sr. Ryan Joyce (21-8), HC, forfeit.
106 -- So. Brett Ungar (31-0), HC, forfeit.
Records -- Hunterdon Central 23-2; Southern 20-4.

(Semifinals)

HUNTERDON CENTRAL 35, WATCHUNG HILLS 25

106 -- Brett Ungar, HC, md. Nico Calello, 11-2.
113 -- Nick Canonica, HC, md. Dylan Kolakowski, 9-1.
120 -- Colton Washleski, HC, d. Jake Bash, 3-1.
126 -- Jack Bauer, HC, md. Jack Murray, 11-2.
132 -- Tanner Peake, HC, d. Blake Bahna, 7-2.
138 -- Nick Ciraulo, WH, d. Anthony Romaniello, 6-4.
145 -- Pasquale Vizzoni, HC, md. Dominick Miller, 12-1.
152 -- Vincent Romaniello, HC, md. Amaury Flores, 19-6.
160 -- Norman Cella, HC, d. Ed Williams, 9-4.
170 -- Frank Medina, WH, p. Ryan Donovan, :50.
182 -- Vincent Mattaliano, WH, p. Vincent Brito, 2:32.
195 -- John Dusza, WH, md. Kyle Barrett, 13-4.
220 -- Brandon Donoghue, HC, p. Gerard Aroneo, 4:18.
285 -- Mike Salerno, WH, forfeit.
Records -- Hunterdon Central 23-1; Watchung Hills 15-2.