Wrestling: Streaks surge to deny Del Val of 800

Warren Hills sure didn't show any ill-effects from an extended layoff to open the 2021 season.

Warren Hills is 20-31 all-time vs. Del Val since 1963.

The Blue Streaks won 10 bouts, including four pins and two major decisions, in an impressive 47-16 victory over Delaware Valley on Friday morning in a key Skyland Conference Valley Division clash at Hutchins Gymnasium.

Coach Dave Sbriscia's team, which had to quarantine for 14 days due to COVID-19 exposure and did not have two-time region qualifier Jared Lee (day to day with an injury) in the lineup, finally got back on the mat and looked pretty sharp in all phases.

"I thought the kids wrestled well," Sbriscia said. "Obviously there were a few spots where we could have wrestled better. We wrestled a team that's been wrestling since March 1, and we've wrestled for basically four days."

Warren Hills (1-0, 1-0 division), which picked up its first road win at Del Val since capping a four-match win streak in the series in 1998, dominated from the neutral position, finishing with a 19-5 edge in takedowns, including two from sophomore Michael Drazek in a surprising 10-0 major of region qualifier Cooper Gill in the second bout at 132 pounds.

"We pride ourselves [on takedowns]," said Sbriscia, whose team was also tough on top in this one with bars, tilts and cradles. "I thought the kids looked pretty good on top today. They rode very well. We've spent a lot of time on our ground game. It's nice to see it's being reflected on the mat."

Drazek, who was 4-3 in a fill-in role last season, turned Gill, who had been sidelined by a preseason ankle injury, twice with hazard tilts for a total of five back points. That win followed junior Max Pagano's thrilling 9-7 decision in sudden-victory overtime to start the proceedings at 126.

"He's done all the right things in the offseason, lifting and and practicing," Sbriscia said of Drazek. "He puts the work in. He doesn't have an ultra-ton of experience. He basically a middle-school-type kid who's gotten a lot better very quickly. For us to get a major there was huge."

Del Val (5-2, 2-1 division), which was seeking the program's 800th win after knocking off the Streaks here for No. 700 in 2015 and has won three of the last five meetings, has dropped two straight in the series, including a 49-16 road loss in 2020, for the first time since 1995-98. Coach Andy Fitz's team, which is in rebuilding mode with eight freshmen and sophomores in today's lineup, seized its only lead four bouts in, when sophomore Chris Colasurdo edged Cody Miller, 5-3, with two back points in the closing seconds of a tight contest at 145.

"I think if that match happens in two weeks, Cody wins," Sbriscia said of his promising sophomore, who went 2-1 last season before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. "We lost two tossups [Michael] Galka had a few things go wrong [including giving up a penalty point for locked hands and an escape in the final second of a 5-4 loss at 195]. And we won [two tossups]."

Warren Hills reeled off the next three, including a pin from state qualifier Stephen Malia at 160 and a 2-0 decision junior Owen Frizzell over Tyler Lagun with a third-period reversal in a battle of district champions at 170. Jarett Pantuso added another pin at 220 to give the Streaks a 25-16 lead through four bouts before state qualifier Tyler McCatharn was awarded a forfeit at 285.

Talented freshman Josh Lee sealed the win at 106, when he cradled up Owen Kucharski for a pin in 2:48 to give Hills an insurmountable 37-16 edge. Kevin Riedlinger followed with a pin at 113 and Ryan Lundy's 13-3 major at 120 capped the match.

The victory puts Warren Hills in the driver's seat for a second straight division title and the program's third conference championship since 1989-90. The Streaks will get their first big test of the season at Mount Olive, ranked No. 7 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Public School Top 10, on Saturday at 10 a.m.

"We didn't sit all this time not to be tested," Sbriscia said. "Warren Hills doesn't shy away -- we usually schedule five to 10 Top 20 teams each year."

Del Val will go for No. 800 at home against Lenape Valley on Saturday at 11 a.m.

WARREN HILLS 47, DELAWARE VALLEY 16

126 -- Jr. Max Pagano (1-0), WH, d. Fr. Matt Roche (2-2), 9-7 SV.
132 -- So. Michael Drazek (1-0), WH, md. Sr. Cooper Gill (0-1), 10-0.
138 -- Sr. Corey Crater (6-1), DV, forfeit.
145 -- So. Chris Colasurdo (6-1), DV, d. So. Cody Miller (0-1), 5-3.
152 -- Jr. Ryan Galka (1-0), WH, d. So. Brayden Schneider (2-4), 9-3.
160 -- Jr. Stephen Malia (1-0), WH, p. Sr. Ben Brown (4-2), 1:25.
170 -- Jr. Owen Frizzell (1-0), WH, d. Sr. Tyler Lagun (5-1), 2-0.
182 -- Fr. Anderson Olcott (6-1), DV, md. So. Chris Whitehead (0-1), 12-0.
195 -- Jr. Matt Schneider (7-0), DV, d. Jr. Michael Galka (0-1), 5-4.
220 -- So. Jarett Pantuso (1-0), WH, p. So. Jake Lagun (0-1), 2:36.
285 -- Jr. Tyler McCatharn (1-0), WH, forfeit.
106 -- Fr. Josh Lee (1-0), WH, p. So. Owen Kucharski (4-3), 2:48.
113 -- So. Kevin Riedlinger (1-0), WH, p. Fr. Jake Taylor (3-4), 1:25.
120 -- So. Ryan Lundy (1-0), WH, md. Fr. Jared Leeds (3-2), 13-3.
Records -- Warren Hills 1-0, 1-0; Delaware Valley 5-2, 2-1.
Official -- Doug Hesse.