North Hunterdon (6-0) opened plenty of eyes with its dominating performance in winning the 15th annual Boresch Duals on Saturday at Newton High School. The Lions ended Group 1 champion Paulsboro's two-year title reign with a 39-29 win in the semifinals before topping Group 4 champ Kingsway, 40-21, in the final.
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| North will challenge for the HWS team title on Saturday. |
"The guys were able to see that they could be a good team," Hrunka said. "They see that they are capable. It's good to see them rewarded for hard training."
North senior Nate Fossett, a returning Region 5 and HWS champion who went 3-0 on the day and is off to a great start this season, wasn't taking the bait when asked about a key upcoming showdown against Phillipsburg, which will likely decided the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title, on Jan. 15.
"We still have some big matches, including P'burg, but right now, we're worried about our next match on Tuesday," said Fossett, whose team would dearly love to avenge a pair of tight losses last season to the Stateliners, including a 28-19 setback in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final. The Lions have not won a sectional title since 2015 or a state championship since 2002.
A few things stood out about North Hunterdon's effort in the Boresch Duals, which has become one of the premiere events in New Jersey. One is the Lions have tremendous depth, which is extremely rare, as a few of their backups, like junior Connor McGeary, would most likely start for other schools in the area.
The ability to work for and get critical points at the end of periods was another key to victory against two of the state's top-ranked teams. One prime example came against Kingsway, as junior James Holder forced a stalling call to earn a point with 17 seconds left in bout with Noah Falabella at 170, before he converted a takedown six seconds later that gave Holder an 11-3 major. In all, he racked up three takedowns in the final minute. North also logged 15 bonus points against Paulsboro and 13 vs. Kingsway.
"Our conditioning," Fossett said, when asked about getting those big takedowns and escapes in the closing seconds. "In the third period, whether we're down two points or up two points, their kids are tired. We're not."
Down the road, an anticipated matchup against High Point in the finals of the Patriot Duals at North Warren on Jan. 25, should draw a capacity crowd. However, North Hunterdon will take just a short time to savor Saturday's success.
"It's always good to win. We like to beat good teams, but we have a lot of stuff in front of us," Hrunka said.
Now, onto this week's team rankings:
1. North Hunterdon (6-0) -- Lions won the prestigious Boresch Duals in impressive fashion with victories over Kingsway (40-21) and Paulsboro (39-29) after opening the day with a 68-4 waxing of Caldwell. Seniors Evan Klimas, Nate Fossett, Ian Gaburo, juniors Frank DiEsso and James Holder, and freshman Logan Wadle, all went 3-0 on the day. North and High Point figure to battle for the tri-county team title on Saturday.
Up next: Hillsborough at Ridge on Tuesday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
2. High Point (1-0) -- 'Cats, who will host Howell on Tuesday, opened their dual meet season with a 48-24 win over Kittatinny on Thursday before finishing second behind Camden Catholic in the Sam Cali Memorial Invitational over the weekend. Senior state placewinner Billy Talmadge won the title at 138 pounds, while sophomore Brian Soldano (second at 160), junior Josh Gervey (third at 132), senior Devon Liebl (fifth at 126) and sophomore Clayton Utter (sixth at 113) all finished in the top six at their respective weights.
Up next: Howell at home on Tuesday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
3. Phillipsburg (2-0) -- Stateliners opened their dual meet season with independent wins over Raritan (49-13) on Thursday and Monroe (48-18) on Saturday. Coach Dave Post's team is gearing for a cross-divisional contest at Hunterdon Central on Wednesday, though it seems a lot of luster is off this one with the Red Devils battling some inexperience and illness throughout their lineup. Still, the 'Liners are looking to end a two-match skid in this series in which they hold a 39-9-1 edge dating to 1962. Senior Jacob Wicks (10-5 at 195) is a returning HWS finalist for the 'Liners, who won their sixth team championship in 2019.
Up next: at Hunterdon Central on Wednesday; at Kittatinny on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at home on Saturday.
4. Pope John (1-0) -- Lions scored a 41-30 independent win over St. Peter's Prep, which was ranked No. 16 in the state by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers to open the season, on Dec. 28 in their only dual meet action to date. Coach Austin Alpaugh's team has a busy week on tap, including an NJAC American Division clash against Delbarton, ranked No. 2 by the NJWWA. Senior Eddie Ventresca, who is a returning state champ, will look to join former teammate JoJo Aragona as the only four-time HWS champions on Saturday.
Up next: at Delbarton on Tuesday; Sparta at home on Thursday; Buchanan (Calif.) at home on Friday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
5. Delaware Valley (6-0) -- Terriers stayed unbeaten with a thrilling 35-32 victory over Hunterdon Central in a cross-divisional Skyland Conference match on Friday as senior Shane Reynolds (9-3) came through with a clutch pin in the final bout at 145 pounds. It snapped a four-match skid in the series against Central, which owns a 24-17 edge overall in the series. Senior Gage Crater (10-2), a two-time district runner-up, picked up his 84th career win.
Up next: at Robbinsville on Tuesday; at Somerville on Wednesday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.DV 35, Central 32! Win #781— Del Val Wrestling (@DVRWrestling) January 4, 2020
Shane reynolds changed the number for his match clinching pin!!! pic.twitter.com/Z5YHogtLtW
6. Hunterdon Central (2-2) -- Red Devils battled for a 36-27 win over Warren Hills on Tuesday before suffering their first loss -- 35-32 to Delaware Valley on Friday. Coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm's team, which dropped a 42-34 decision to West Essex, last season's Group 3 champion, on Saturday, was shorthanded against Del Val one as sophomore Nick Canonica (5-2 at 120) missed the match due to illness. Junior Colton Washleski (8-2 at 145) picked up his 70th career win on Saturday.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Wednesday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
7. Warren Hills (4-1) -- Blue Streaks rebounded from a 36-27 loss to Hunterdon Central on Tuesday with wins over North Warren (50-18) on Friday and sweeping a tri-meet with Belvidere (48-28) and Cresskill (58-12) at home on Saturday. Getting healthy is the key right now for coach Dave Sbriscia's team, which was without six starters against Central. Sophomore Stephen Malia (10-1) will be one to watch at the HWS Tournament, while sophomore Jared Lee (10-1 at 126) and seniors Logan Nauta (9-2 at 132) and Geir Nemeth (8-2 at 138) are also off to strong starts.
Up next: at Voorhees on Wednesday; Mount Olive at home on Friday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
8. Kittatinny (1-1) -- Cougars, who opened the dual season with a 33-30 win over River Dell on Dec. 23, are coming off a short week as they dropped a 48-24 decision to archival High Point on Thursday in their only action. Sophomore Bryce Mafaro (6-2 at 182), senior Robert Bruce (5-3 at 195) and junior Jackson Crawn (6-1 at 220) lead a solid group of upper weights, while sophomore Shane Nelson (7-0 at 106) should be in the hunt for a tri-county title.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
9. Sparta (4-1) -- Spartans, who scored a 36-35 win over Newton on Dec. 23, extended their win streak to four by sweeping a quad at home on Saturday -- beating Voorhees (45-31), North Warren (40-33) and Old Bridge (62-18). Senior Cooper Stewart (10-0), who is a strong contender for a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title at 113 pounds, is nearing the century mark for wins at 94-17, while sophomore Spencer Stewart (10-0 at 132), a returning state placewinner, is 83-16. Senior Garrett Stewart (10-0 at 138), who recorded pins of 13, 20 and 33 seconds on Saturday, is 115-23.
Up next: Mendham at home on Tuesday; at Pope John on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
10. Hackettstown (4-0) -- Tigers opened their dual meet season with a 51-21 win over Voorhees on Dec. 19, and followed up by sweeping a quad on Saturday against Roselle Park (50-24), Rutherford (54-18) and Whippany Park (39-33). Senior Zebulon Burke (7-3) will be one to keep an eye on at either 160 or 170 pounds in the HWS Tournament.
Up next: Newton at home on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
On the bubble
Newton (0-4) -- Braves had a tough day their own Boresch Duals on Saturday -- falling to Kingsway (57-9), South Plainfield (40-27) and Hanover Park (50-24) -- with the latter coming in the seventh-place match. Junior Nathan Fitt went 3-0 at 120 pounds, including a 5-3 win over South Plainfield state qualifier Jacob Delvecchio.
Up next: Lenape Valley at home on Tuesday; at Hackettstown on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.
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