Wrestling: North, HC on COVID pauses; WH back

There's news both good and bad on the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area wrestling fronts.

North scored a 54-18 win over Del Val on Thursday.

North Hunterdon (5-0), ranked as the No. 1 public school by the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association, was shut down on Friday due to COVID-19 protocols. Tonight's scheduled match against Bound Brook has been canceled and North athletic director John Mattes is hoping his program can resume in a time frame of 10 days.

"We're on a pause for 10 days, and then we'll reevaluate from there," said Mattes, who is receiving guidance from the Hunterdon County Board of Health. "We're relying on them. What we want is to be safe and to get everyone back as quick as we can."

If the shutdown lasts just the 10 days, the rest of North's dual meet season seems in doubt. With the individual tournament scheduled for April 17, it makes little sense for qualifying wrestlers to compete in duals leading up to that date. Several area coaches have suggested off the record that they would be inclined to rest those who have a chance to compete in the postseason rather than risk potential season-ending exposure.

North opened the week with a big 32-23 win over Phillipsburg on Tuesday in a rematch of last season's North 2, Group 4 final. The Lions have won three straight over the Stateliners for the first time in program history and have won 28 straight duals dating to last season's historic 23-0 campaign.

Hunterdon Central (3-0), which has not competed since a 64-10 win over St. Joseph-Metuchen last Saturday, had three scheduled matches canceled this week and seven total through April 3, when the Red Devils were slated to face Phillipsburg.

Warren Hills, which has yet to compete after serving a 14-day COVID-19 shutdown to begin the season, is able to resume wrestling activities on Monday. The Blue Streaks had scheduled matches against Hunterdon Central and North Hunterdon next week, but those are obviously canceled as well. Athletic director Mike Jones is scrambling to adjust his program's schedule. Hills will travel to Delaware Valley on Thursday.

High Point (0-1), which had also stayed idle for 14 days due to COVID-19 protocols, got its season underway on Thursday night in a 36-30 loss to Kittatinny. It was the 600th career win for longtime Cougars coach John Gill, who is just the fifth in state history to reach that mark.

North Warren and Sparta also lost season openers on Thursday after serving COVID-19 shutdowns, while Pope John also started its season this week. Voorhees opened last Saturday after a delayed start.