Saturday, February 29, 2020

Wrestling: Ventresca, Soldano repeat R1 winners

WEST MILFORD -- High Point sophomore Brian Soldano is making it look awfully easy as he pursues the ultimate goal of winning a state title.

Brian Soldano (top left) eyes his first state medal in AC.
Soldano showed championship form once again on Saturday afternoon, as he cruised to his second title at 160 pounds in the Region 1 Tournament at West Milford High School. Soldano (33-1) pinned his way to the championship as he threw in the legs and horsed over Fair Lawn's AJ Puerto for the fall in 1:45. With three pins here, he now has five in six postseason bouts, as the other was a victory by injury default in winning his second District 1 title last weekend, and 27 on the season.

"Feels good," said Soldano, who is the first High Point wrestler to claim region titles in his first two seasons since four-time winner Nick Francavilla (2008-11). "I'm happy [to win two]. We train in the [practice] room to get here."

In all, 18 wrestlers from Sussex County, including Pope John senior and three-time winner Eddie Ventresca, qualified for the upcoming 87th State Championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Pope John junior Shane Percelay (120) and senior Kaya Sement (145) were the only other locals to win titles as the Lions advanced an area-best seven wrestlers to AC, one behind tournament leader St. Joseph-Montvale, which crowned the most champs with five.

Soldano, a strong contender for a state title after falling a round shy of a medal as a freshman, is already being mentioned with the High Point greats, including Francavilla, who told Open Mike during the finals that Soldano is better at this stage of their careers. But Soldano knows he has unfinished business in AC to take care of first.

"Hopefully, I can start that this year," said Soldano, who trains with Francavilla at his Iron Horse Club in Sparta. He's taught me a lot with my scrambling and being able to move on the mat. I'm very appreciative of him."


Steady Eddie


Ventresca (35-3), who has already made a name for himself on the state level with three medals, including the gold last season at 120 pounds, made school history with his 3-2 win over St. Joseph-Montvale sophomore Alex Almeyda -- following a 1-0 win when they met earlier this season in a dual meet -- in their 126-pound final. Ventresca became just the third for Pope John to win at least three titles, as he joined four-timers Mike Frick (1969-72) and JoJo Aragona (2016-19).

"If I score first, it's going to be pretty hard to come back," said Ventresca, who recorded the only takedown of the bout against Almeyda, a Region 2 champion while at Fort Lee in 2019, with 46 seconds left in the first period. "It's going to be hard to beat me when I'm on my offense."

In addition, Ventresca, now 152-15 overall, became the fifth in Sussex County to reach 150 career wins -- joining record holder and former teammate Aragona (158-6 from 2015-18), along with Francavilla (156-12), Wallkill Valley state champion Ryan Callahan (154-12 from 2006-10) and Newton state placewinner Kevin Churchill (151-18 from 2006-10).

"It's definitely cool," Ventresca said. "I grew up watching Nick, and being a year apart from JoJo and going to the same high school. It's pretty cool to join him."

Back points


Percelay won his first Region 1 title after a runner-up finish at 106 pounds last season, with a 3-0 win over Newton junior Nathan Fitt. Percelay (34-5), a seventh-place finisher in the state as a junior, is now 6-0 all-time against Fitt dating to last season, including victories in the finals of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament (4-2) and District 2 (5-2).

Sement, who also placed second here and earned a fifth-place medal in AC in 2019, claimed his second title as he converted a takedown with 34 seconds left in sudden-victory overtime for a 6-4 win over St. Joseph-Montvale freshman Michael Dellagatta, who dropped a 4-2 decision to Sement (31-4) in a dual meet.

Sparta is sending three on to the state tournament as the Stewart brothers -- Cooper (113), Spencer (132) and Garrett (138) -- all earned medals for the second straight season. Cooper (36-3) was the lone finalist among the trip as he lost a 5-0 decision to Don Bosco Prep's Kelly Dunnigan, who avenged a 3-2 loss in their District 4 finals matchup last Saturday, while Spencer, a returning state medalist, and Garrett punched their tickets to AC with third-place medals.

Kittatinny had a tough championship round as sophomore Brycen Mafaro (182) and junior Jackson Crawn (220), who was third in 2019, were both pinned in their title matches. The Cougars were seeking their first champion since Austin Scrivani (138 pounds in 2016) and first since the realignment broke up old Region 1 at Wallkill Valley.

High Point, which produced five state qualifiers, also had two other finalists in Josh Gervey (132) and Billy Talmadge (138), along with third-place finishers Clayton Utter (113) and Devon Liebl (126), who will make their second straight appearances in AC.

Pope John senior Matthew Garcia (152) also was a runner-up, while sophomore Jack Stoll (182) and senior Cole Zydel (220) finished third, and sophomore Peter Delaportas (195) fourth, to move on.
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 6:48 PM 0 comments

Wrestling: Region 1 championship results

Legend

Butler (B), Cresskill (C), Demarest (D), Don Bosco Prep (DB), Dumont (Du), Fair Lawn (FL), Glen Rock (GR), Hawthorne (Haw), High Point (HP), Indian Hills (IH), Kinnelon (Kin), Kittatinny (Kit), Lakeland (L), Mahwah (Mah), Manchester Regional (Man), New Milford (NM), Newton (New), Northern Highlands (NH), North Warren (NW), Old Tappan (OT), Pascack Hills (PH), Pascack Valley (PV), Passaic Tech (PT), Pequannock (Pe), Pompton Lakes (PL), Pope John (PJ), Ramapo (Rama), Ramsey (Rams), Ridgewood (Rid), River Dell (RD), St. Joseph-Montvale (SJ), Sparta (Spa), Tenafly (Ten), Vernon (Ve), Waldwick-Midland Park (WMP), Wallkill Valley (WV), Wayne Hills (WH), West Milford (WM), Westwood (We).

State qualifiers by school

St. Joseph-Montvale 5+2+1+0=8; Pope John 3+1+2+1=7; High Point 1+2+2+0=5; Butler 0+0+2+1=3; Don Bosco Prep 1+0+0+2=3; Fair Lawn 1+2+0+0=3; River Dell 0+2+0+1=3; Sparta 0+1+2+0=3; Kinnelon 1+0+1+0=2; Kittatinny 0+2+0+0=2; Northern Highlands 0+0+1+1=2; Pascack Hills 0+0+1+1=2; Pascack Valley 0+0+1+1=2; Pequannock 1+0+0+1=2; Cresskill 0+1+0+0=1; Newton 0+1+0+0=1; Old Tappan 1+0+0+0=1; Passaic Tech 0+0+0+1=1; Pompton Lakes 0+0+0+0=1; Ramapo 0+0+0+1=1; Ramsey 0+0+0+1=1; Wayne Hills 0+0+0+1=1; Westwood 0+0+1+0=1; Demarest 0+0+0+0=0; Dumont 0+0+0+0=0; Glen Rock 0+0+0+0=0; Hawthorne 0+0+0+0=0; Indians Hills 0+0+0+0=0; Lakeland 0+0+0+0=0; New Milford 0+0+0+0=0; Mahwah 0+0+0+0=0; Manchester Regional 0+0+0+0=0; North Warren 0+0+0+0=0; Ridgewood 0+0+0+0=0; Tenafly 0+0+0+0=0; Vernon 0+0+0+0=0; Waldwick-Midland Park 0+0+0+0=0; Wallkill Valley 0+0+0+0=0; West Milford 0+0+0+0=0.

Qualifiers by district

District 1=19; District 2=15; District 4=12; District 3=10

Championships

 106 -- 1-So. Evan Mougalian (39-0, D3-1), Kin, md. 2-So. Taisei Kurachi (39-2, D2-1), RD, 11-2.
113 -- 2-Jr. Kelly Dunnigan (26-2, D4-2), DB, d. 1-Sr. Cooper Stewart (36-3, D4-1), Spa, 5-0.
120 -- 2-Jr. Shane Percelay (34-5, D2-1), PJ, d. 4-Jr. Nathan Fitt (33-6, D2-2), New, 3-0.
126 -- 1-Sr. Eddie Ventresca (35-3, D2-1), PJ, d. 2-So. Alex Almeyda (23-9, D1-1), SJ, 3-2.
132 -- 1-Sr. Justin Bierdumpfel (27-5, D1-1), DB, d. 3-Jr. Josh Gervey (32-6, D1-2), HP, 8-4.
138 -- 1-Jr. Michael Cetta (32-6, D1-1), SJ, md 2-Sr. Billy Talmadge (39-2, D1-2), HP, 13-4.
145 -- 1-Sr. Kaya Sement (31-4, D2-1), PJ, d. 7-Fr. Michael Dellagatta (27-9, D1-1), SJ, 6-4 SV.
152 -- 1-Sr. Stefano Sgambellone (26-4, D1-1), SJ, d. 2-Sr. Matthew Garcia (25-8, D2-1), PJ, 10-6.
160 -- 1-So. Brian Soldano (33-1, D1-1), HP, p. 6-Sr. AJ Puerto (33-7, D1-2), FL, 1:45.
170 -- 1-Sr. Jack Bernik (34-0, D3-1), OT, md. 3-Sr. Tim Coffey (36-5, D4-2), C, 13-2.
182 -- 1-Sr. Benjamin Liss (39-0, D1-1), FL, p. 2-So. Brycen Mafaro (29-6, D3-1), Kit, 1:45.
195 -- 2-Jr. Tommy Goodwin (35-2, D1-1), Pe, d. 1-Sr. Gunnar Nystedt (34-7, D2-1), RD, 4-0.
220 -- 2-Jr. Michael Toranzo (29-6, D1-1), SJ, p. 1-Jr. Jackson Crawn (33-2, D3-1), Kit, 5:31.
285 -- 2-Fr. Jim Mullen (33-3, D1-1), SJ, d. 4-Sr. Jakob Shapiro (26-8, D1-3), FL, 4-0.
Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Michael Cetta, St. Joseph-Montvale.
Coach of the Year Award -- John Gardner, High Point.
Assistant Coach of the Year Award -- Ron Van Buren, Dumont.

 Third-place consolations

 106 -- 3-So. Brett Redner (36-4, D4-1), B, p. 4-Jr. Max Martinez (35-8, D3-2), PH, 1:36.
113 -- 3-So. Clayton Utter (29-5, D1-1), HP, d. 5-Jr. Matt DiGennaro (34-5, D2-1), RD, 7-2.
120 -- 3-Jr. Ethan Fernandez (36-3, D1-1), We, d. 1-Jr. Mike Tandurella (23-5, D4-1), DB, 6-0.
126 -- 3-Sr. Devon Liebl (37-5, D1-2), HP, p. 4-So. Tim Greff (27-7, D1-3), Pe, 2:44.
132 -- 2-Jr. Spencer Stewart (40-1, D4-1), Spa, d. 6-So. Jake Oseback (30-9, D3-1), WH, 7-0.
138 -- 2-Sr. Garrett Stewart (39-2, D4-1), Spa, d. 7-Jr. Vincent DeMaria (31-8, D2-2), NH, 7-2.
145 -- 2-Jr. Justin Chrostowski (34-5, D4-1), B, forfeit, 3-Jr. Tyler Pizzi (32-3, D4-2), PV.
152 -- 3-Sr. Devin Iannelli (35-5, D2-2), NH, p. 4-Sr. Alan Devries (35-7, D3-1), PL, :48.
160 -- 5-Jr. Luke Petaccia (32-4, D4-1), PV, d. 2-Sr. Christian Jimenez (20-9, D4-2), DB, 4-3.
170 -- 5-Fr. AJ Fricchione (28-9, D1-3), SJ, p. 2-Sr. Jacob Luciani (33-7, D4-1), B, :45.
182 -- 7-So. Jack Stoll (22-18, D2-3), PJ, d. 6-Sr. Brian Fall (28-3, D2-1), Rama, 11-6.
195 -- 4-Jr. Alex Kostantas (37-5, D3-1), PH, p. 8-So. Peter Delaportas (24-14, D2-2), PJ, 4:32.
220 -- 3-Sr. Cole Zydel (24-12, D2-1), PJ, p. 4-Sr. Jonas Hyman (31-6, D2-2), Rams, 1:42.
285 -- 5-Sr. Justin Lockwood (32-10, D3-2), Kin, d. 1-Jr. Yosue Gomez (36-4, D3-1), PT, 3-2.

Fifth-place consolations

 106 -- 6-Jr. Tanner Thatcher (34-9, D2-3), NW, d. 8-Fr. Logan Garcia (19-15, D1-1), We, 3-0.
113 -- 6-So. Alex Vertedor (36-4, D3-1), PT, d. 4-So. Ryan Kozdra (33-7, D1-2), Mah, 6-5.
120 -- So. Myles Leonard (34-6, D4-2), WMP, d. 8-Jr. Peret Shed (34-4, D3-1), Man, 7-3.
126 -- 4-So. Laith Hamdeh (36-5, D3-1), PT, d. 5-Sr. Antonio Abate (9-4, D4-1), DB, 3-1.
132 -- Sr. Cole Pfeufer (31-10, D1-3), We, d. 5-So. Collin Neal (17-19, D2-1), PJ, 8-1.
138 -- 4-Sr. Ty Pfeufer (30-11, D1-3), We, d. 5-Jr. JoJo Lotruglio (31-8, D2-1), New, 3-2.
145 -- 4-Jr. Jonathan Siemsen (35-6, D2-2), Rams, d. 8-So. Steven Dalling (21-14, D3-1), Kit, 2-1.
152 -- 5-Jr. Kenny Langenmayr (29-8, D4-1), L, d. 8-Sr. Brandon Casey (34-10, D2-3), NW, 9-4.
160 -- So. Roberto Padilla (9-10, D1-3), SJ, d. 4-Jr. Billy Barna (31-10, D4-3), L, 11-6.
170 -- Jr. Jake Leonard (27-10, D2-2), Rama, d. 8-Sr. Jaden Michel (32-10, D2-1), RD, 3-1.
182 -- So. Andrew Morzetta (30-4, D1-3), Haw, d. 4-Sr. William Andresen (30-9, D3-2), OT, 13-8.
195 -- 5-Sr. Robert Bruce (30-8, D3-2), Kit, p. Sr. David Sisco (30-9, D3-3), Kin, 3:55.
220 -- 7-Sr. Keon Fraser-Morrison (28-11, D1-3), We, d. 5-Sr. Alex Menendez (19-14, D4-1), PV, 9-3.
285 -- 7-Jr. Joe Duffy (26-9, D4-1), PV, forfeit, 3-Jr. Anthony Vacarella (23-8, D1-2), Rid.

 Second wrestlebacks

 106 -- So. Brett Redner (35-4, D4-1), B, p. Fr. Logan Garcia (19-14, D1-1), We, :58; Jr. Max Martinez (35-7, D3-2), PH, d. Jr. Tanner Thatcher (33-9, D2-3), NW, 10-4.

113 -- So. Clayton Utter (28-5, D1-1), HP, d. So. Ryan Kozdra (33-6, D1-2), Mah, 12-5; Jr. Matt DiGennaro (34-4, D2-1), RD, d. So. Alex Vertedor (35-4, D3-1), PT, 9-5.

In all, 18 wrestlers from Sussex County advanced to AC.
120 -- Jr. Ethan Fernandez (35-3, D1-1), We, md. Jr. Peret Shed (34-3, D3-1), Man, 13-0; Jr. Mike Tandurella (23-4, D4-1), DB, d. So. Myles Leonard (33-6, D4-2), WMP, 8-2.

126 -- Sr. Devon Liebl (36-5, D1-2), HP, p. So. Laith Hamdeh (35-5, D3-1), PT, 2:25; So. Tim Greff (27-6, D1-3), Pe, d. Sr. Antonio Abate (9-3, D4-1), DB, 6-5.

132 -- Jr. Spencer Stewart (39-1, D4-1), Spa, tf. So. Collin Neal (17-18, D2-1), PJ, 16-0, 4:00; So. Jake Oseback (30-8, D3-1), WH, d. Sr. Cole Pfeufer (30-10, D1-3), We, 3-1.

138 -- Sr. Garrett Stewart (38-2, D4-1), Spa, d. Jr. JoJo Lotruglio (31-7, D2-1), New, 5-2; Jr. Vincent DeMaria (32-7, D2-2), NH, d. Sr. Ty Pfeufer (29-11, D1-3), We, 5-3.

145 -- Jr. Tyler Pizzi (32-3, D4-2), PV, d. So. Steven Dalling (21-13, D3-1), Kit, 12-5; Jr. Justin Chrostowski (33-5, D4-1), B, d. Jr. Jonathan Siemsen (34-6, D2-2), Rams, 3-1.

152 -- Sr. Devin Iannelli (34-5, D2-2), NH, d. Sr. Brandon Casey (34-9, D2-3), NW, 11-5; Sr. Alan Devries (35-6, D3-1), PL, d. Jr. Kenny Langenmayr (28-8, D4-1), L, 6-2.

160 -- Jr. Luke Petaccia (31-4, D4-1), PV, p. So. Roberto Padilla (8-10, D1-3), SJ, 1:56; Sr. Christian Jimenez (20-8, D4-2), DB, p. Jr. Billy Barna (31-9, D4-3), L, 1:48.

170 -- Sr. Jacob Luciani (33-6, D4-1), B, d. Sr. Jaden Michel (32-9, D2-1), RD, 3-2; Fr. AJ Fricchione (27-9, D1-3), SJ, md. Jr. Jake Leonard (26-10, D2-2), Rama, 11-3.

182 -- So. Jack Stoll (21-18, D2-3), PJ, p. Sr. William Andresen (30-8, D3-2), OT, 3:42; Sr. Brian Fall (28-2, D2-1), Rama, p. So. Andrew Morzetta (29-4, D1-3), Haw, 3:13.

195 -- So. Peter Delaportas (24-13, D2-2), PJ, p. Sr. David Sisco (30-8, D3-3), Kin, :53; Jr. Alex Kostantas (36-5, D3-1), PH, d. Sr. Robert Bruce (29-8, D3-2), Kit, 18-11.

220 -- Sr. Cole Zydel (23-12, D2-1), PJ, p. Sr. Alex Menendez (19-13, D4-1), PV, 1:27; Sr. Jonas Hyman (31-5, D2-2), Rams, p. Sr. Keon Fraser-Morrison (27-11, D1-3), We, 4:15.

285 -- Sr. Justin Lockwood (30-10, D3-2), Kin, d. Jr. Anthony Vacarella (23-8, D1-2), Rid, 8-2; Jr. Yosue Gomez (36-3, D3-1), PT, md. Jr. Joe Duffy (25-9, D4-1), PV, 17-5.

First wrestlebacks

 106 -- Fr. Logan Garcia (19-13, D1-1), We, forfeit,. Fr. Ryan Hartung (35-5, D4-2), NM; Jr. Tanner Thatcher (33-8, D2-3), NW, d. Sr. Ryan Romeo (30-10, D2-2), GR, 10-7.

113 -- So. Ryan Kozdra (33-5, D1-2), Mah, d. So. Zachary Hentschel (19-16, D2-2), PJ, 12-5; So. Alex Vertedor (35-3, D3-1), PT, md. So. Julian Garcia (28-9, D1-3), Pe, 9-0.

120 -- Jr. Peret Shed (34-2, D3-1), Man, d. Fr. Chris Casale (14-16, D3-2), Kit, 5-1; So. Myles Leonard (33-5, D4-2), WMP, p. Sr. Joseph Businelli (24-11, D1-3), Rid, 3:11.

126 -- So. Laith Hamdeh (35-4, D3-1), PT, p. Sr. Justin Gerkhardt (15-5, D2-2), NW, :34; Sr. Antonio Abate (9-2, D4-1), DB, d. Jr. Alexander Talbot (22-14, D3-2), Kin, 5-3 SV.

132 -- So. Collin Neal (17-17, D2-1), PJ, d. So. Logan Hurwitt (29-9, D2-2), NH, 11-7; So. Jake Oseback (29-8, D3-1), WH, d. Fr. Thaylor Sibblies (21-14, D2-3), New, 3-2.

138 -- Jr. JoJo Lotruglio (31-6, D2-1), New, md. Sr. Dylan Toy (26-13, D3-2), PT, 13-3; Jr. Vincent DeMaria (31-7, D2-2), NH, d. Jr. James Sgarella (33-8, D3-1), Du, 5-3.

145 -- So. Steven Dalling (21-12, D3-1), Kit, md. So. Nick Hwang (24-11, D4-3), Spa, 12-4; Jr. Justin Chrostowski (33-5, D4-1), B, d. Sr. Ben Lilly (30-9, D2-3), NW, 8-2.

152 -- Sr. Brandon Casey (34-8, D2-3), NW, d. Jr. Thomas Lee (28-9, D1-2), D, 9-5; Jr. Kenny Langenmayr (28-7, D4-1), L, d. Jr. Troy Schmitzer (22-14, D4-2), Spa, 7-4.

160 -- Jr. Luke Petaccia (30-4, D4-1), PV, md. Sr. Alexander Bedoya (25-12, D3-1), OT, 11-0; Sr. Christian Jimenez (19-8, D4-2), DB, p. Sr. Connor Fritsch (17-13, D2-1), PJ, 3:22.

170 -- Sr. Jaden Michel (32-8, D2-1), RD, d. Sr. Lucas Sharma (32-4, D1-1), Rid, 3-2; Jr. Jake Leonard (26-9, D2-2), Rama, d. Sr. Jamal Allan (19-13, D3-2), PT, 9-2.

182 -- So. Jack Stoll (20-18, D2-3), PJ, tf. Sr. Josh Curving (18-5, D4-1), WM, 19-4, 4:06; Sr. Brian Fall (27-2, D2-1), Rama, p. Sr. PJ Soldano (24-13, D1-4), HP, 5:54.

195 -- Sr. David Sisco (30-7, D3-3), Kin, p. Sr. Doug Korzelius (12-7, D4-2), NM, 4:24; Sr. Robert Bruce (29-7, D3-2), Kit, p. Sr. Joey Heisler (26-7, D4-1), WM, 2:25.

220 -- Sr. Alex Menendez (20-12, D4-1), PV, p. Jr. Luis Abreu (26-12, D4-2), C, 3:58; Sr. Keon Fraser-Morrison (27-10, D1-3), We, p. So. Connor Haroutunian (21-13, D4-3), WMP, 3:54.

285 -- Sr. Justin Lockwood (29-10, D3-2), Kin, p. So. Justin Gradzki (16-15, D2-1), NH, 3:06; Jr. Joe Duffy (25-8, D4-1), PV, forfeit, So. Ty Eldred (25-10, D3-3), Kit.

 Semifinals

 106 -- So. Evan Mougalian (38-0, D3-1), Kin, p. Jr. Max Martinez (34-7, D3-2), PH, :37; So. Taisei Kurachi (39-1, D2-1), RD, d. So. Brett Redner (34-4, D4-1), B, 3-1 SV.

113 -- Sr. Cooper Stewart (36-2, D4-1), Spa, p. Jr. Matt DiGennaro (33-4, D2-1), RD, 1:30; Jr. Kelly Dunnigan (25-2, D4-2), DB, d. So. Clayton Utter (27-5, D1-1), HP, 9-4.

120 -- Jr. Nathan Fitt (33-5, D2-2), New, p. Jr. Mike Tandurella (22-4, D4-1), DB, 4:49; Jr. Shane Percelay (33-5, D2-1), PJ, d. Jr. Ethan Fernandez (34-3, D1-1), We, 5-2.

126 -- Sr. Eddie Ventresca (34-3, D2-1), PJ, tf. So. Tim Greff (26-6, D1-3), Pe, 19-4, 2:51; So. Alex Almeyda (23-8, D1-1), SJ, d. Sr. Devon Liebl (35-5, D1-2), HP, 8-2.

132 -- Sr. Justin Bierdumpfel (26-5, D1-1), SJ, d. Sr. Cole Pfeufer (30-9, D1-3), We, 7-4; Jr. Josh Gervey (32-5, D1-2), HP, d. Jr. Spencer Stewart (38-1, D4-1), Spa, 5-1.

138 -- Jr. Michael Cetta (31-6, D1-1), SJ, p. Sr. Ty Pfeufer (29-10, D1-3), We, 2:54;  Sr. Billy Talmadge (39-1, D1-2), HP, d. Sr. Garrett Stewart (37-2, D4-1), Spa, 3-1.

145 -- Sr. Kaya Sement (30-4, D2-1), PJ, p. Jr. Jonathan Siemsen (34-5, D2-2), Rams, 1:29; Fr. Michael Dellagatta (27-8, D1-1), SJ, d. Jr. Tyler Pizzi (31-3, D4-2), PV, 2-0.

152 -- Sr. Stefano Sgambellone (25-4, D1-1), SJ, d. Sr. Alan Devries (34-6, D3-1), PL, 8-1; Sr. Matthew Garcia (25-7, D2-1), PJ, md. Sr. Devin Iannelli (33-5, D2-2), NH, 10-0.

160 -- So. Brian Soldano (32-1, D1-1), HP, p. Jr. Billy Barna (31-8, D4-3), L, :22; Sr. AJ Puerto (33-6, D1-2), FL, d. So. Roberto Padilla (8-9, D1-3), SJ, 3-1.

170 -- Sr. Jack Bernik (33-0, D3-1), OT, p. Fr. AJ Fricchione (26-9, D1-3), SJ, 3:18; Sr. Tim Coffey (36-4, D4-2), C, d. Sr. Jacob Luciani (32-6, D4-1), B, 2-1.

182 -- Sr. Benjamin Liss (38-0, D1-1), FL, p. So. Andrew Morzetta (29-3, D1-3), Haw, 1:06; So. Brycen Mafaro (29-5, D3-1), Kit, d. Sr. William Andresen (30-7, D3-2), OT, 3-2.

195 -- Sr. Gunnar Nystedt (34-6, D2-1), RD, d. Jr. Alex Kostantas (35-5, D3-1), PH, 7-4; Jr. Tommy Goodwin (34-2, D1-1), Pe, p. So. Peter Delaportas (23-13, D2-2), PJ, 1:30.

220 -- Jr. Jackson Crawn (33-1, D3-1), Kit, p. Sr. Jonas Hyman (30-5, D2-2), Rams, 2:33; Jr. Michael Toranzo (28-6, D1-1), SJ, md. Sr. Cole Zydel (22-12, D2-1), PJ, 15-7.

285 -- Sr. Jakob Shapiro (26-7, D1-3), FL, p. Jr. Yosue Gomez (35-3, D3-1), PT, 5:55; Fr. Jim Mullen (32-3, D1-1), SJ, p. Jr. Anthony Vacarella (23-7, D1-2), Rid, 3:55.
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 4:59 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Wrestling: Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 schedules

Here are the full schedules and other information for the regions involving Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area schools. All tournaments begin on Wednesday with the preliminary round pitting district seconds and thirds.

In all, there are 113 wrestlers from the HWS area still competing -- down 12 from last season and five from the first two seasons of this absurd realignment that was introduced in 2017.

Here's the team-by team breakdown of qualifiers:

North Hunterdon and Phillipsburg (14); Pope John and Warren Hills (11); Kittatinny, Delaware Valley, Hunterdon Central (8); High Point and Sparta (7); North Warren (6); Hackettstown and Voorhees (5); Lenape Valley and Newton (4); Belvidere (2); Hopatcong (1).

Region 1


At West Milford High School

Area schools: High Point, Kittatinny, Newton, North Warren, Pope John, Sparta.

Rest of the field: Butler, Cresskill, Demarest, Don Bosco Prep, Dumont, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hawthorne, Indian Hills, Kinnelon, Lakeland, Mahwah, Manchester Regional, New Milford, Northern Highlands, Old Tappan, Pascack Hills, Pascack Valley, Passaic Tech, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Ramapo, Ramsey, Ridgewood, River Dell, St. Joseph-Montvale, Tenafly, Waldwick-Midland Park, Wayne Hills, West Milford, Westwood.
West Milford will host R1 for the third straight year.

Returning champions (4): Ethan Fernandez, Westwood (120), Alex Almeyda, St. Joseph-Montvale (120, R2 champ in 2019), Eddie Ventresca, Pope John (126), Brian Soldano, High Point (160).

Previous champions (1): Kaya Sement, Pope John (145, 2018).

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries (three mats), 5:30 p.m.

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals (three mats), 5:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (three mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations plus championship finals (three mats), 2:30 p.m.

Ticket prices: $5 adults, $3 students and seniors (Wednesday and Friday). $10 adults, $6 students and seniors for all-day pass only on Saturday.

Region 2


At Mount Olive High School

Area schools: Hopatcong, Lenape Valley.

Rest of the field: Bergen Catholic, Bergenfield, Bogota-Ridgefield Park, Boonton, Cedar Grove, Clifton, DePaul, Dover, Dwight Morrow, Elmwood Park, Emerson-Park Ridge, Fort Lee, Garfield, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Jefferson, Leonia-Palisades Park, Lodi, Montville, Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Mountain Lakes, Mount Olive, Paramus, Paramus Catholic, Parsippany, Parsippany Hills, Passaic, Passaic Valley, Paterson Eastside, Paterson Kennedy, Roxbury, Saddle Brook, Teaneck, Wayne Valley, Weehawken, West Essex.

Returning champions (7): Joseph Cangro, Bergen Catholic (113), Robert Howard, Bergen Catholic (126), Dylan Cedeno, Bergen Catholic (132), William Grater, Bergen Catholic (138, R1 champ in 2019), Alex Strashinsky, Bergen Catholic (152), Connor O'Neill, DePaul (170), Bardhyl Gashi, West Essex (285).

Previous champions (2): Nick Babin, Emerson-Park Ridge (120, 2018), Nick Kayal, Bergen Catholic (120, 2018).

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries (four mats), 5:30 p.m.

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals (four mats), 5:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (four mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations (two mats), 2:30 p.m.; championship finals (approximately), 4 p.m.

Ticket prices: $5 adults, $3 students and seniors (single session); $10 adults, $6 students and seniors for all-day pass on Saturday.

Region 3


At West Orange High School

Area schools: Belvidere, Hackettstown, Warren Hills.

Rest of the field: Barringer, Becton, Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cliffside Park, Columbia, Delbarton, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Hanover Park, Irvington, Kearny, Livingston, Lyndhurst-North Arlington, Madison, Mendham, Montclair, Morris Catholic, Morristown, Newark Academy, Newark East Side, North Bergen, Nutley, Orange, Randolph, Rutherford, Secaucus, Union City, Verona, West Morris, West Orange, Whippany Park, Wood-Ridge.

Returning champions (8): Dean Savercool, Whippany Park (120), Joey Olivieri, Hanover Park (132), Anthony Clark, Delbarton (138), Dylan Weaver, Lyndhurst-North Arlington (152), Dante Stefanelli, Delbarton (160), Kieran Calvetti, Delbarton (170), Luke Chakonis, Delbarton (195), Gage Armijo, Mendham (220).

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries, 5:30 p.m.

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule: Semifinals, 10 a.m.; wrestlebacks, 11:30 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations, 2 p.m.; championship finals, 4 p.m.

Ticket prices: $6 adults, $3 students and seniors (Wednesday and Friday); $6 adults, $4 students and seniors for single-session on Saturday; $10 adults, $5 students and seniors for all-day pass.

Region 4


At Union High School

Area schools: Phillipsburg, Voorhees.

Rest of the field: Bayonne, Bernards, Bound Brook, Brearley-Dayton, Bridgewater-Raritan, Carteret, Christ the King, Colonia, Cranford, Elizabeth, Governor Livingston, JFK-Iselin, A.L. Johnson, J.P. Stevens, Linden, Metuchen, Middlesex-Dunellen, Millburn, Newark Collegiate Academy, New Providence, North Plainfield, Plainfield, Rahway, Ridge, Roselle Park, St. Joseph-Metuchen, St. Peter's Prep, Scotch Plains, Seton Hall Prep, Somerville, Summit-Chatham, Union, Watchung Hills, Weequahic, Westfield, Woodbridge.

Returning champions (3): Logan Maczko, Phillipsburg (120), Luke Hoerle, Westfield (126), John Poznanski, Colonia (182).

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries (four mats), 5:30 p.m.

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals (four mats), 5:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (four mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations plus championship finals (three mats), 4 p.m.

Ticket prices: $5 adults, $3 students and seniors (single session); $10 adults, $5 students and seniors for all-day pass on Saturday.

Region 5


At Franklin High School

Area schools: Delaware Valley, Hunterdon Central, North Hunterdon.

North Hunterdon qualified all 14 for the R5 Tournament.
Rest of the field: East Brunswick, Edison, Franklin, Highland Park. Hillsborough, Holmdel, Hopewell Valley, Keansburg, Keyport-Henry Hudson, Manalapan, Manville, Marlboro, Matawan, Middletown South, Monmouth, Montgomery, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Pingry, Piscataway, Princeton, Red Bank Regional, Rumson-Fair Haven, Rutgers Prep, St. John Vianney, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sayreville, Shore Regional, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, South River, Spotswood, West Windsor North, West Windsor South.

Returning champions (5): Dean Peterson, St. John Vianney (120), Anthony White, South Plainfield (132), James Rodriguez, Perth Amboy (138), Nate Fossett, North Hunterdon (182), Marcus Estevez, Franklin (285).

Wednesday schedule: Preliminaries (four mats), 5:30 p.m.

Friday schedule: Quarterfinals (four mats), 5:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (four mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations, noon; championship finals, 2:30 p.m.
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 8:49 PM 0 comments

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Wrestling: District recap for HWS by the numbers

Let's review what happened in the 12 districts that house teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. In all, there are 113 wrestlers from the HWS area still competing -- down 12 from last season and five from the first two seasons of this absurd realignment that was introduced in 2017.

Here's the team-by team breakdown of qualifiers:

North Hunterdon and Phillipsburg (14); Pope John and Warren Hills (11); Kittatinny, Delaware Valley, Hunterdon Central (8); High Point and Sparta (7); North Warren (6); Hackettstown and Voorhees (5); Lenape Valley and Newton (4); Belvidere (2); Hopatcong (1).

We had seven schools win team championships: Pope John (D2), Kittatinny (D3), Warren Hills (D12), Phillipsburg (D13), Hunterdon Central (D18), Delaware Valley (D19), North Hunterdon (D20).

Here's a closer look by the numbers:

North advanced all 14 to Region 5 (Photo/Chris Hrunka).
219 -- North Hunterdon, which posted a school-record 23 wins in the program's first unbeaten season, won its fourth consecutive team championship and second straight in District 20, while Chris Hrunka was named Coach of the Year at Red Bank. The Lions produced seven champions for the first time since doing so in 1975 and '93, including two-time winner Nate Fossett (182). Freshmen Logan Wadle (106), whose father, Rudy, won his third title in '93, and Daniel Delusant (120), along with juniors Connor Quinn (132) and James Holder (170) and seniors Evan Klimas (145) and Ian Gaburo (220) all won their first titles for the Lions, who now have 219 champions overall -- missing having at least one winner just once in 2008.

39 -- Hunterdon Central, which earned its 1,000th win as a program last weekend, cruised to its fifth straight team championship (with 197.5 points) and 10th in the last 12 years to raise the program's total to 39. Sophomore Tanner Peake (138) won his second title, while freshman Henry Wilkinson (106), senior Anthony Romaniello (152) and junior Norm Cella (160) all won their first championships for the Red Devils, who are sending eight to Region 5, including runner-up Colton Washleski (145), a district champ as a sophomore in 2019.

16 -- Since going six straight years without a district champion, Sparta has now won 16 titles over the last seven seasons as senior Cooper Stewart (113), a first-time winner, joined his brothers, Spencer Stewart (132), who won his second title and senior Garrett Stewart (138) -- the first to win three titles since Todd Sheaffer won four (1978-81). The Stewarts are also the first trio of siblings in program history to win titles in the same year. For the third straight season, the Spartans advanced seven to Region 1, including sophomore Nick Hwang (third at 145) and runners-up Troy Schmitzer (152) and Joey Liotta (285).
Jacob Wicks (left) won his 2nd title.
65 -- With nine champions, including two-time winners Joey Innamorato (126), Jacob Wicks (195) and Gage Horvath (220), Phillipsburg won its 47th team championship while Dave Post was named District 13 Coach of the Year. Wicks made it five titles in his family as his father, Jamie, a Delaware Valley legend and two-time state champion, won three for the Terriers (1986-88). The Warren County school has produced at least one champion for 65 straight tournaments since missing in 1955. James Day (113), Jason Tino (132), Jared Kukor (145), Nate Zastowny (160), David Pierson (182) and Cody Cruts (285) all won their first titles -- giving the program at least nine for a fifth time, including a program record 11 in 2002. The others were 10 in 2000 and nine in both 1983 and 2018. The only other year that the 'Liners came up empty was 1950. Bill Lowe was the program's first champion at 103 pounds in 1948.

14 -- Pope John rolled to its sixth district team championship overall and the Sussex County school's third since 1981 as the Lions matched a program record seven champions for the second time in three seasons since doing it in 2018. Senior Eddie Ventresca (126), the OW in District 2, is just the fifth four-timer for the Lions, who have had 14 win at least three titles in their history, along with junior Shane Percelay (120) and senior Kaya Sement (145). The others to win four are Mike Frick (1969-72), Hugh Albora (1972-75), Brian Unkert (1987-90) and Jake Rotunda (2015-18). Ventresca, a three-time state medal winner and returning champion, is one shy of becoming the fifth Sussex wrestler to reach the 150-win mark, including record holder and former teammate JoJo Aragona (158-6 from 2015-19), now at Rutgers University. In all, the Sparta-based school, which also won team titles in 1975, '77, 2018 and '19, crowned at least six champions for only the fourth time (also achieved in 1975 and 2019).
5 -- Since Washington High School became Warren Hills following the 1966-67 school year, the Blue Streaks have produced at least five champions in a season on just three occasions, including six in 1990 and 2017. The Warren County school had five champs while winning the District 12 team title at Becton Regional High School on Saturday. Winning their first titles were sophomores Jared Lee (120), Stephen Malia (152), Owen Frizzell (160) and Tyler McCatharn (285), along with senior Geir Nemeth (138), as the Streaks advanced 11 to Region 3. Runners-up were seniors Greg Slivka (113), Logan Nauta (132) and Nick Hildebrant (170), and freshman Jarett Pantuso (182). Dave Sbriscia, a two-time champ for the Streaks, was named Coach of the Year.

Devon Liebl (left) and Billy Talmadge (right).
126 -- High Point senior Billy Talmadge (138), one of 14 wrestlers to win at least three district titles for the Wildcats, who have 126 overall, was denied in his bid to join Gavin Tarsa (2005-08), Nick Francavilla and Drew Wagenhoffer (2008-11) as the program's only four-time winners. Talmadge (36-1) lost a tough 12-8 decision to St. Joseph-Montvale junior Michael Cetta, who won the Outstanding Wrestler Award, in the District 1 finals at Fair Lawn. Brian Soldano (160) secured his second title and fellow sophomore Clayton Utter (113), whose father, Paul, was a three-time champion (1985-87) while uncle Alan won twice (1981 and '82) for the 'Cats, joined them with his first championship after a runner-up finish in 2019. Senior Devon Liebl, a D1 champion in 2019, was a runner-up at 126 and recorded his 100th win via forfeit in the quarterfinals. John Gardner, a three-time winner for the Sussex County school who led the program to a Group 2 title last weekend, was named District 1 Coach of the Year.

27 -- It was quite the family affair as District 3 team champion Kittatinny extended its streak with at least one winner to 27 straight seasons as junior Jackson Crawn (220), along with sophomores Steven Dalling (145) and Brycen Mafaro (182), all won their first titles. Dalling's father, Steve, a two-time state champ who put the Sussex County school on the map, according to longtime coach John Gill, was the first in program history to win four district titles (1988-91), while Mafaro joined his brothers, Zach (2017-19) and Jacob (2018-19), to give the trio a combined six championships.

116 -- Delaware Valley senior Gage Crater (126) was a winner in his third finals appearance as the Terriers produced three champions in District 19, including Tyler Lagun (160) and senior Ryan Sutter (285), who also won their first titles to give the program 113 overall and extend its streak of at least one winner to 23 straight seasons since missing in 1997. Sutter is the 10th heavyweight at the Hunterdon County school to win a title and first since Marek Tomanek in 2014.

7 -- Belvidere and Hackettstown combined to advance seven wrestlers to the Region 3 Tournament. The County Seaters crowned one champion in District 12 as junior Hunter Lensi (106) won his first title -- the Warren County school's 57th overall -- while sophomore Austin Zellars (106) and senior Zebulon Burke (152) picked up their first championships for the Tigers, who now have 65 overall, in District 11 at Morristown High School.

8 -- Over in District 8, Lenape Valley sophomore Daniel Haws (120) and senior Eric Falleni (138) won their second titles. It must have been a proud moment for alum Joe Lotruglio, who won a district title for the Patriots in 1992, as his son, JoJo, captured his first for Newton over in District 2 at River Dell High School. Hopatcong, which has 75 champions overall, trailing Lenape Valley now by one, missed for only the fourth time since 1989. Andrew Costa (third at 145) advanced to Region 2 for the Chiefs.
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 11:36 PM 0 comments

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Wrestling: District schedules for HWS schools

District 1


At Fair Lawn High School

Area teams: High Point.

Rest of the field: Demarest, Hawthorne, Fair Lawn, Mahwah, Pequannock, St. Joseph-Montvale, Ridgewood, Westwood.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, 1 p.m.; third-place consolations (two mats), 3 p.m.; championship finals to follow (one mat).

District 2


At River Dell High School

Area teams: Newton, North Warren, Pope John, Wallkill Valley.

Rest of the field: Glen Rock, Indian Hills, Northern Highlands, Ramapo, Ramsey, River Dell.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 9:30 a.m.; semifinals to follow, third-place consolations (two mats), 3:30 p.m. with championship finals (one mat) to follow.

Ticket prices: $12 adults, $6 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). $5 adults, $3 students/seniors (finals only).

District 3


At Kittatinny Regional High School

Area teams: Kittatinny, Vernon.

Rest of the field: Dumont, Kinnelon, Manchester Regional, Old Tappan, Pascack Hills, Passaic Tech, Pompton Lakes, Wayne Hills.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 9 a.m.; semifinals (three mats), third-place consolations and championship finals (side by side) to follow.

Ticket prices: $12 adults, $6 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). $5 adults, $3 students/seniors (finals only).

District 4


At Sparta High School

Area teams: Sparta.

Rest of the field: Butler, Cresskill, Don Bosco Prep, Lakeland, New Milford, Pascack Valley, Tenafly, Waldwick-Midland Park, West Milford.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (three mats), 9:30 a.m.; semifinals (two mats), noon.; third-place consolations (two mats), 2 p.m.; championship finals (one mat), 3 p.m.

District 8


At Passaic Valley High School

Area teams: Hopatcong, Lenape Valley.

Rest of the field: Jefferson, Morris Hills, Mountain Lakes, Paramus Catholic, Parsippany, Parsippany Hills, Passaic Valley, Saddle Brook.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, 1 p.m.; third-place consolations, 3 p.m., with championship finals to follow.

District 11


At Morristown High School

Area teams: Hackettstown.

Rest of the field: Caldwell, East Orange, Kearny, Mendham, Montclair, Morris Catholic, Morristown, Whippany Park, Wood-Ridge.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, noon; third-place consolations, 3 p.m.; championship finals to follow.

Ticket prices: $10 adults, $7 students/seniors (all-sessions pass).

District 12


At Becton Regional High School

Area teams: Belvidere, Warren Hills.

Rest of the field: Barringer, Becton, Madison, Newark East Side, Rutherford, Union City, West Morris, West Orange.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, noon (approximate times after quarters); third-place consolations, 2 p.m.; championship finals, 4 p.m.

District 13


At Phillipsburg High School

P'burg seeks its 47th district team championship.
Area teams: Phillipsburg.

Rest of the field: Bernards, Carteret, New Providence, Plainfield, Roselle Park, Somerville, Summit-Chatham, Woodbridge.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (three mats), 10 a.m., followed by semifinals (two mats); third-place consolations (two mats), 2:30 p.m.; championship finals (one mat), 4 p.m.

Ticket prices: $13 adults, $9 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). $5 adults, $3 students/seniors (finals only). Presale will be held on Friday morning in the athletic office from 7 to 11 a.m.

District 14


At Westfield High School

Area teams: Voorhees.

Rest of the field: Bayonne, Bridgewater-Raritan, Cranford, Johnson, Metuchen, Millburn, St. Joseph-Metuchen, Union, Westfield.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals, 9:30 a.m.; semifinals, 11:30 a.m., third-place consolations, 1:30 p.m., championship finals, 3 p.m.

Ticket prices: $15 adults, $10 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). $9 adults, $6 students/seniors (per session).

District 18


At Hillsborough High School

Area teams: Hunterdon Central.

Rest of the field: Edison, Hillsborough, Holmdel, Pingry, Piscataway, Rumson-Fair Haven, Rutgers Prep, South River, West Windsor South.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (three mats), 9 a.m.; semifinals (two mats), 11 a.m.; third-place consolations and championship finals (two mats by weight class), 1 p.m.

District 19


At Middletown South High School

Area teams: Delaware Valley.

Rest of the field: Hopewell Valley, Manville, Marlboro, Matawan, Middletown South, Monmouth, Perth Amboy, Spotswood, West Windsor North.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (three mats), 9:30 a.m.; semifinals (two mats), 11:30 a.m.; third-place consolations (two mats), 1 p.m.; championship finals (one mat), 2:30 p.m.

Ticket prices: $12 adults, $8 students/seniors (all-sessions pass).

District 20


At Red Bank Regional High School

Area teams: North Hunterdon.

Rest of the field: East Brunswick, Highland Park, Manalapan, Keansburg, Keyport-Henry Hudson, New Brunswick, Red Bank Regional, Shore Regional, South Brunswick.

Saturday schedule: Preliminaries and quarterfinals (two mats), 10 a.m.; semifinals, noon; third-place consolations and championship finals, 2 p.m.

Ticket prices: $15 adults, $10 students/seniors (all-sessions pass). $10 adults, $7 students/seniors (session one). $7 adults, $5 students/seniors (consolations and finals).
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 8:34 PM 0 comments

Wrestling: NH perfect; HC hits 1,000 (HWS rankings)

High Point and North Hunterdon represented the area in championship fashion in Toms River, as the Wildcats prevailed in Group 2 for their sixth title -- all under head coach John Gardner -- while the Lions claimed their first championship in 18 years by taking home the Group 4 title.

With the district tournaments on tap for Saturday, let's take a look at the final Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex team rankings.

1. North Hunterdon (23-0) -- Lions, who finished as the top public school at No. 4 in the final New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20, secured the program's first unbeaten season and its first state title since 2002 with a 34-22 win over Kingsway in the Group 4 final after they knocked off Mount Olive, 40-19, in the semifinals. Coach Chris Hrunka's team also made school history as the first to defeat Phillipsburg twice in a season with a 37-21 victory in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final. Junior Frank DiEsso (26-4 at 120) and senior Nate Fossett (27-2 at 182-195) will look to repeat as district champions.

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

2. Phillipsburg (15-3) -- Stateliners, who will enter next season with 990 wins, came up short in their bid for a seventh consecutive sectional championship and the program's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex-leading 39th overall with a 37-21 loss at North Hunterdon in the North 2, Group 4 final. P'burg, now 38-3 in finals in the tournament's 41-year history, remarkably did not win a conference or sectional title for the first time since the 1989-90 season. Junior Logan Maczko (19-7 at 120), who has a team-best 70 career wins, seeks a third straight district title on Saturday.

Up next: District 13 Tournament at home on Saturday.

High Point's Group 2 trophy.
3. High Point (15-4) -- Wildcats cruised to their fourth straight sectional title in North 1, Group 2 and captured their second Group 2 championship in two seasons with a 38-28 win against West Deptford after a 51-15 win over Caldwell in the semifinals. Senior Billy Talmadge (34-0 at 138-145) looks to become the fourth in program history to win four district titles. At 134-26 overall, he passed Joe Gaccione (132-31 from 2007-11), who was in attendance in Toms River, for fifth place on the school's all-time wins list. Next up are current assistant coach Billy Smith and former state champ Ethan Orr (138).

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

4. Pope John (11-8) -- Lions cruised to their third straight Non-Public North B sectional title before they dropped a 51-15 decision to Camden Catholic in the B final -- their second straight loss to the Irish in the state title match -- at Toms River. Junior Shane Percelay (28-5 at 120) and seniors Eddie Ventresca (29-3 at 126) and Kaya Sement (25-4 at 145) are all leading contenders for district titles. Ventresca, who ranks second on the school's wins list at 146-15, will look to become the fifth in program history to win four district championships.

Up next: District 2 Tournament at River Dell High School on Saturday.

5. Warren Hills (20-7) -- Blue Streaks' postseason run ended with a 34-31 loss to West Essex, the Group 3 runner-up, in the North 2, Group 3 sectional final. The Streaks, who set the school's single-season wins record, are now 0-5 in title matches since their last championship in 2007, and 31-21 all-time in sectional matchups since winning the first of five titles overall in 1982. Seniors Greg Slivka (25-8 at 113-20) and Logan Nauta (25-7 at 132) seek their first district titles.

Up next: District 12 Tournament at Becton Regional High School on Saturday.

6. Delaware Valley (19-8) -- Terriers captured their second straight North 2, Group 1 sectional title (the Hunterdon County school's 19th overall) with a 42-31 win over Bound Brook and advanced to the program's first Group 1 final with a 37-31 victory against Point Pleasant Beach (No. 794) in the Group 1 semifinals before a 50-9 loss to Paulsboro in the title match. Senior Gage Crater (29-6 at 126), a two-time runner-up, seeks his first district title.

Up next: District 19 Tournament at Middletown South High School on Saturday.

7. Hunterdon Central (15-11) -- Red Devils' bid for back-to-back sectional titles and the program's 23rd overall ended with a 38-19 loss to Manalapan in the Central Jersey, Group 5 final. Coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm's team hit the road the following morning and went 2-1 at a quad in South Jersey --picking up wins over Mainland (No. 999) and Washington Township as Central became just the fourth school to notch 1,000 wins and third in New Jersey along with Paulsboro and Roselle Park.

Up next: District 18 Tournament at Hillsborough High School on Saturday.

8. Kittatinny (14-6) -- Cougars, who have won 22 sectional titles (all under coach John Gill) came up short in pursuit of back-to-back North 1, Group 1 championships with a 36-28 loss to Emerson-Park Ridge following a 38-28 victory over North Warren in the semifinals. Junior Jackson Crawn (28-1), a state medal contender at 220 with 81 career wins, seeks his first district title.

Up next: District 3 Tournament at home on Saturday.

9. Sparta (17-10) -- Spartans recorded a 43-27 win over Old Tappan in the opening round before falling to runner-up River Dell, 49-20, in the North 1, Group 3 sectional semifinals. Senior Garrett Stewart (33-1 at 138), who is the school's all-time wins leader at 138-24, will look to become the program's first three-time district champion since Todd Sheaffer won four (1978-81), while junior Spencer Stewart (34-0 at 132) seeks back-to-back titles.

Up next: District 4 Tournament at home on Saturday.

10. Newton (12-10) -- Braves scored a 34-30 win over Lakeland before their run in North 1, Group 2 ended with a 37-28 loss to Westwood in the sectional semifinals. Juniors Nathan Fitt (28-4 at 120), three shy of 80 wins, and JoJo Lotruglio (27-5 at 138), along with senior Julian Sibblies (26-6 at 182), should be in the hunt for their first district titles.

Up next: District 2 Tournament at River Dell High School on Saturday.

On the bubble

Hackettstown (15-7) and North Warren (18-9) -- The Tigers advanced to the North 2, Group 2 final, falling 29-26 to Caldwell in the title match, while the Patriots came up short in a 38-28 loss to Kittatinny in the North 1, Group 1 semifinals.
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 12:23 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings

Final


Skyland Conference
Delaware Division
Overall
Division
wxy-Watchung Hills
(16-5)
(4-0)
Hunterdon Central
(15-11)
(3-1)
Franklin
(21-7)
(2-2)
Bound Brook
(9-12)
(1-3)
Bridgewater-Raritan
(13-14)
(0-4)
Raritan Division
Overall
Division
wxyz-North Hunterdon
(23-0)
(4-0)
Phillipsburg
(15-3)
(3-1)
Ridge
(16-8)
(2-2)
Hillsborough
(9-21)
(1-3)
Montgomery
(9-16)
(0-4)
Valley Division
Overall
Division
x-Warren Hills
(20-7)
(4-0)
y-Delaware Valley
(19-8)
(3-1)
Somerville
(9-11)
(2-2)
Bernards
(11-6)
(1-3)
Voorhees
(4-17)
(0-4)
Mountain Division
Overall
Division
x-Manville
(20-8)
(4-0)
Belvidere
(11-12)
(3-1)
North Plainfield
(14-7)
(2-2)
Pingry
(5-16)
(1-3)
Rutgers Prep
(8-16)
(0-4)
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Freedom Division
Overall
Division
xyz-High Point
(15-4)
(4-0)
Jefferson
(18-7)
(2-2)
Kittatinny
(14-6)
(2-2)
Newton
(12-10)
(2-2)
Hackettstown
(15-7)
(0-4)
American Division
Overall
Division
wxyz-Delbarton
(18-3)
(6-0)
y-Pope John
(11-8)
(5-1)
yz-Montville
(19-2)
(4-2)
Mendham
(14-6)
(2-4)
Sparta
(17-10)
(2-4)
West Morris
(12-11)
(2-4)
Roxbury
(4-15)
(0-6)
Colonial Division
Overall
Division
x-North Warren
(18-9)
(4-0)
Lenape Valley
(8-15)
(3-1)
Vernon
(8-12)
(2-2)
Hopatcong
(2-20)
(1-3)
Wallkill Valley
(0-16)
(0-4)
w-county champion
x-division champion
y-sectional champion
z-state champion
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 7:28 PM 0 comments
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