Wrestling: North 6 lead area's state charge to P'burg

North Hunterdon wasn't fazed by that COVID-19 pause after all. In fact, the Lions are doing some of their best wrestling at the right time.

With a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area-best six qualifiers, North heads to this weekend's state tournament at Phillipsburg High School brimming with confidence.

Liam Akers and Logan Wadle (front row) in 2020.

"We're wrestling well right now as a team,"  coach Chris Hrunka said. "We looked sharp [at the North 2 Super Region]. [Wrestling four to five times in a day] wasn't a big deal for us. We had some intrasquad scrimmages with referees, and we had the kids wear their singlets and make weight [last] Friday. Just to give them the feel of a match." 

North will be represented by sophomores Logan Wadle (106) and Alex Uryniak (182), along with seniors Frank DiEsso (126), James Holder (170) and Andrew Franklin (220) and junior Liam Akers (285).

Needless to say that getting six to the Round of 16 in the state tournament is a nice accomplishment for North, which didn't get a chance to defend its sectional and state titles as no team championships were held this season due to COVID-19.

"I thought we had a chance at seven, but if we got three or four, I'd probably be happy," Hrunka said, "and any more than that ecstatic. But you always get greedy and say we should have got seven."

In all, 22 wrestlers from the HWS area (15 from Hunterdon-Warren) advanced from the rugged super regionals, including 2020 state champion Brian Soldano (182), who will attempt to become just the third at High Point to win two or more championships -- joining three-time winner Nick Francavilla (2009-11) and two-timer Ethan Orr (2010-11). Junior Clayton Utter (113) also qualified for the Wildcats.

Hunterdon Central was next with five -- freshman Anthony Rossi (106), juniors Nick Canonica (138) and Tanner Peake (152) and seniors Colton Washleski (160), a 2020 medal winner, and Norman Cella (170) -- in the field.

Phillipsburg (James Day at 120 and David Pierson at 220), Warren Hills (Jarett Pantuso at 220 and Tyler McCatharn at 285), Kittatinny (Steven Dalling at 152 and Jackson Crawn at 220), Pope John (Nick Lodato at 195 and Jack Stoll at 220) and Newton (Nathan Fitt at 126) will also be represented at P'burg.

DiEsso, a four-time state qualifier, saw his first action of the season last weekend and reached the North 2 finals, along with Holder and Franklin. Akers, who placed seventh in the state as a sophomore, was the school's lone champ and perhaps its best hope for a medal this weekend. He and Soldano are the only area wrestlers to earn a top-three seed.

There are three first-round matchups involving locals, including 126, where DiEsso (92-30 overall) will look to avenge two losses to Fitt (98 career wins) last season -- 5-2 at the John Goles Invitational and 3-1 in the HWS Tournament semifinals. 

"[Frank] is getting better every match," Hrunka said. "He made a couple mistakes in the [North 2 final against Delbarton's Cross Wasilewski in a 6-3 loss]. He wrestled smart and a much more intelligent match than he would've a year ago. When he got good, clean shots, he took advantage of them."

At 170, Holder will face Cella in a rematch of last year's HWS final (won by Cella with a pin in 3:48), while Pierson and Franklin hook up for a third time this season after splitting the first two meetings (Pierson avenged a 7-6 dual loss with a 7-3 decision in last weekend's North 2 final at 220). 

Here are the first-round matchups involving area wrestlers:

106 -- 6-Wadle (9-1), N2-3, vs. 11-Fr. James Farina (4-1), Ocean Township, CJ-3.
106 -- 10-Rossi (9-1), CJ-2, vs. 7-So. Aidan Carmody (11-2), Livingston, N2-4.
113 -- 6-Utter (6-1), N1-3, vs. 11-So. Michael Camponaro (11-4), West Morris, N2-2.
120 -- 10-Day (13-1), N2-3, vs. 7-Jr. Garrett Totten (4-1), Christian Brothers, CJ-3.
126 -- 6-Fitt (14-1), N1-3, vs. 11-DiEsso (3-1), N2-2.
138 -- 10-Canonica (9-2), CJ-4, vs. 7-Sr. Luke DiGiovanni (13-2), Cranford, N2-3.
152 -- 12-Dalling (15-1), N1-3, vs. 5-Sr. Michael McGhee (3-1), Shore, CJ-2.
152 -- 6-Peake (10-1), CJ-3, vs. 11-Jr. Owen Disbrow (14-1), St. Thomas Aquinas, N2-3.
160 -- 6-Washleski (9-1), CJ-2, vs. 11-So. Joshua Palacio (8-2), North Bergen, N2-4.
170 -- 8-Cella (9-2), CJ-4, vs. 9-Holder (7-1), N2-2.
182 -- 1-Soldano (6-0), N1-1, vs. 16-Jr. Michael Gregg (13-3), Collingswood, SJ-4.
182 -- 11-Uryniak (8-1), N2-3, vs. 6-So. George Rhodes (11-1), Absegami, SJ-2.
195 -- 7-Lodato (12-0), N1-1, vs. 10-Jr. Robert Lerner (6-2), Scotch Plains-Fanwood, N2-4.
220 -- 8-Pantuso (9-1), N2-3, vs. 9-Sr. Jacob Leiva (10-3), Cliffside Park, N2-4.
220 -- 5-Stoll (9-4), N1-4, vs. 12-Jr. Dominic Petracci (10-2), Washington Township, SJ-3.
220 -- 4-Crawn (15-1), N1-3, vs. 13-So. Chimdindu Molokwu (3-1), Jackson Liberty, CJ-2.
220 -- 7-Pierson (11-2), N2-1, vs. 10-Franklin (8-1), N2-2.
285 -- 3-Akers (9-0), N2-1, vs. 14-Jr. Matthew Jannucci (3-2), Colts Neck, CJ-4.
285 -- 7-McCatharn (11-1), N2-3, vs. 10-Jr. Robby Chetirkin (13-4), Wayne Valley, N1-3.