Wrestling: HWS state roundup by the numbers

As we pull the curtain down on another high school wrestling season, let's crunch some numbers and point out some interesting statistics from the 86th State Championships at Boardwalk Hall -- boys and girls edition.

HWS crowned 5 champs for the first time since 1990.

5 -- Pope John's Eddie Ventresca (120), JoJo Aragona (138) and Robbie Garcia (152), as well as Hunterdon Central sophomore Brett Ungar (106) all won their first state titles, while Voorhees ace Lewis Fernandes (285) won his second straight at heavyweight to become the first two-time winner for the Vikings. It's the most champs for the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area since crowning five in 1990. The area has had five winners on six occasions since 1963, including '66, '68 and '71. The record, which will likely stand for eternity, is champions in all 10 weight classes in 1947.

2 -- Ungar and Fernandes gave Hunterdon County two champions in a season for the first time since 1993, when Brent Conly (119) and Ricky Krieger (189) won for Delaware Valley. The county hasn't had three in one tournament since 1988 (John Pasterkiewicz and Jamie Wicks of Del Val and Mike Van Doren of North Hunterdon). This season was also just the second with Central and Voorhees each having a champion, along with Tom Gibble and Glenn Hall in 1981.

117 -- Pope John carried the title flag three times for Sussex County, which has 117 champs overall, including Newton's state record of 82, and ranks behind only Bergen and Union (129). The Lions, whose three champs were the most for Sussex since High Point's incredible run of four in 2011, also matched Kittatinny with eight winners in their programs' history. Garcia's win in the opening bout of the finals was the Sparta-based school's first champ since Brian Unkert won at 145 in 1990. Garcia's run through the bracket, which included four pins and a 13-5 major of Southern's Nicholas O'Connell in the title bout, had my vote for the OW Award and was a ton of fun to watch. Fernandes' dominance at 285 wasn't too shabby either.

Jewel Gonzalez earns the first OW Award for the girls.

33 -- Phillipsburg, which has 33 state champions overall in its illustrious history, did not have a boys winner for the seventh straight season, but the Stateliners enjoyed getting their first on the girls side as junior Jewel Gonzalez dominated in winning at 161 pounds and earning the Outstanding Wrestler Award in the inaugural female tournament. Gonzalez is Warren County's first female champ, while Hunterdon Central junior Stephanie Andrade became the first from HWS by winning the title at 127 pounds. Cody Harrison capped his fine career with a third-place finish at 152 for P'burg, which had a total of five on the boys side in AC.

85 -- It's been awhile for the other schools in Warren County, which has produced 85 champions in the 86-year history of the State Championships. Washington-Warren Hills has 46 of those, which is second only to Newton statewide, but none since Justin Colaluce won back-to-back titles in 1997-98. The Blue Streaks have not had a placewinner since Andrew Pacheco finished sixth at 285 pounds in 2014. Senior Nick Galka, who joined the school's 100 wins club this season, was a round away from earning a medal at 220.

40 -- Ungar, who will look to join Gibble as the only two-time champs for Central next season, and Fernandes were Nos. 39 and 40 for Hunterdon County, which has now had at least one champion in three straight tournaments -- Fernandes won his first in 2018 and Del Val's Kyle Lightner won at 195 pounds in '17 -- for the first time since producing at least one in five straight tournaments from 1981-85. It's starting to feel like the good old glory days in these parts. North Hunterdon, which has 12 champions, now has now gone the longest without a winner (Ricky Frondorf in 2003).

16 -- Belvidere senior Quinn Melofchik (113), who became Warren County's all-time wins leader this season, and Newton senior Wyatt McCarthy (145) earned their second state medals in helping the area collect 16 overall (we had nine pegged before the tournament began), including a second for Kittatinny senior Zach Mafaro at 182. Harrison became only the 12th to earn three medals for Phillipsburg, while High Point had a pair of placers in Devin Flannery (120), who went 7-1 to take third, and junior Billy Talmadge, who was fifth at 138 and should be a title contender in 2020. North Hunterdon senior Michael Wilson (seventh at 160) was another good story as he didn't even make it out of Region 4 last season. Sophomore Spencer Stewart (eighth at 120) gave Sparta placewinners in consecutive years for the first time since 2001-03. Newton senior Luke Fischer (seventh at 220) came a long way since going 10-15 as a freshman to help the Braves collect two medals for the first time since 1987.

324 -- Fernandes spent a grand total of 324 seconds on the mats over his five victories at Boardwalk Hall or 5 minutes and 24 seconds, including a 46-second pin in the finals. The only opponent to make it out of the first period was Mount Olive senior Jayvon Davidson, who placed fifth, before getting decked in 2:36 in their semifinal matchup. That one included a bizarre scene as Davidson, who did a good job of hanging from the neutral position before giving up a late takedown, had his choice to start the second period and opted to defer. Smart money there would have been to take neutral, but instead, Fernandes took top, put the boots in, and cranked Davidson over with a half. Party over.