Monday, April 12, 2021

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

We're heading into the home stretch of the high school season with individual postseason tournaments set to commence this weekend. As a result, those qualifiers (1-16 and the alternates 17-24) will be ineligible to compete in dual meets starting on Tuesday until elimination. 

High Point returned to action this week.
One interesting dual meet is slated to take place outdoors on Wednesday with High Point planning to host Newton in the parking lot. No, you read that right. Hopefully the teams will be able to pull it off after their planned "Redneck Rumble" summer match was foiled several years ago.

Dual meets from here on out will be a showcase for younger wrestlers to get some experience as we look toward the 2021-22 season.

Here are this week's area team rankings and tidbits (records through Saturday):

1. North Hunterdon (5-0) -- Lions, who were put on a COVID-19 pause, have completed their dual meet season and are prepping for this weekend's individual North 2 (3-4) Super Region Tournament. Senior Frank DiEsso (89 career wins), who did not wrestle in dual meets, is among the team's entries and is seeking a fourth berth in the state tournament. On the girls' side, juniors Jodi Holder (second at 143 pounds) and Lydia Attanasio (fourth at 151) earned the program's first female medals in the state tournament at Phillipsburg High School.

Up next: North 2 Super Region (3-4) Tournament at Union High School on Saturday and Sunday.

P'burg hosted the girls states for the 1st time.
2. Phillipsburg (8-1) -- Stateliners rolled to a 61-9 win over Watchung Hills in their only action last week -- raising the program's wins total to 998. Coach Dave Post opted to clear the dual schedule this week in advance of the North 2 Super Region (3-4) Tournament. The 'Liners are tentatively slated to close out the team portion at home against Mendham (April 20) and at Hanover Park (April 21). Juniors James Day (9-0 at 120) and Joey Innamorato (9-0 at 126) are ones to keep an eye on this weekend.

Up next: North 2 Super Region (3-4) Tournament at Union High School on Saturday and Sunday.

3. Hunterdon Central (6-0) -- Red Devils stormed back into action with a 3-0 week -- beating Delaware Valley (48-18 on Tuesday), Voorhees (76-6 on Thursday) and Warren Hills (36-25 on Friday). Juniors Nick Canonica (6-0 at 138) and Tanner Peake (6-0 at 152), who knocked off Blue Streaks standout Stephen Malia in a battle of state qualifiers, logged key decisions in the 60th renewal of that rivalry matchup to give Central, which has won six straight vs. Hills, a 46-13-1 lead in a series dating to 1960.

Up next: Central Super Region (5-6) Tournament at the Field House on Saturday and Sunday.

4. Warren Hills (4-2) -- Blue Streaks went 3-1 last week with wins over Roxbury (48-24 on Tuesday), Bound Brook (48-6 on Thursday) and West Morris (49-18 on Saturday). Coach Dave Sbriscia's team dropped a 36-25 decision to Hunterdon Central on Friday in a match that saw the Streaks go 1-4 in bouts decided by two or fewer points. Junior Jared Lee (2-1 at 138), who scored an 11-3 major in the opening bout vs. Central, eyes his first trip to the state tournament. On the girls side, junior Katrina Kling (121) finished as a state runner-up for the second straight season.

Up next: at Voorhees on Monday; Watchung Hills at home on Tuesday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Thursday; North 2 Super Region (3-4) Tournament at Union High School on Saturday and Sunday.

5. Kittatinny (9-1) -- Cougars cruised to a 66-6 win over North Warren on Tuesday as senior Jackson Crawn (10-0 at 220) picked up his 98th career victory, while junior Shane Nelson (9-1 at 120) got his 50th. Coach John Gill's team had scheduled matches against Jefferson and Mount Olive canceled, the former with NJAC Freedom Division title implications. Junior Brycen Mafaro (10-0 at 182) is another to watch this weekend. On the girls side, freshman Lilly Zaku-Ramos (third at 107) and junior Kierra Hubmaster (second at 161), a three-time placewinner and two-time finalist, earned state medals.

Up next: Sparta at home on Monday; at Kinnelon on Tuesday; North 1 Super Region (1-2) Tournament at Mount Olive on Saturday and Sunday.

Brian Soldano is the state favorite at 182.
6. High Point (1-1) -- Wildcats ended a second COVID-19 pause and are slated to return to action against North Warren -- coached by former assistant Kellen Bradley -- on Tuesday. It's a big week for several individual as junior star Brian Soldano (81-5 career) stars his quest for a second state title, this time at 182, while junior Clayton Utter (2-0 at 113) and senior Josh Gervey (2-0 at 138) a state medal winner last season, should make some noise. On the girls side, junior Sophia Lombardo (fifth at 143) and senior Lacey Hums (fourth at 215) gave the program an area-best eight state medals (26 combined between all HWS schools) in the tourney's three-year history.

Up next: at North Warren on Tuesday; Newton at home on Wednesday; North 1 Super Region (1-2) Tournament at Mount Olive on Saturday and Sunday.

7. Pope John (4-4) -- Lions went 1-2 last week with a win over Don Bosco Prep (56-15 on Wednesday) between losses to St. Peter's Prep (47-36 on Tuesday) and Bergen Catholic (57-15 on Thursday). Senior Nick Lodato (8-0 at 195) and juniors Peter Delaportas (6-2 at 182) and Jack Stoll (6-2 at 220) will be in the hunt for state tournament berths this weekend.

Up next: North 1 Super Region (1-2) Tournament at Mount Olive on Saturday and Sunday.

8. Delaware Valley (7-3) -- Terriers bounced back from a 48-18 loss to Hunterdon Central on Tuesday with a 39-28 win over Watchung Hills on Thursday -- victory No. 801 for the program. Senior Tyler Lagun (6-3 at 170), a district champion last season, is among the team's super region entries, along with sophomore Chris Colasurdo (8-2 at 145), junior Matt Schneider (10-0 at 195) and freshman Anderson Olcott (7-3 at 182) -- all looking to take that next step.

Up next: at Ridge on Wednesday; North 2 Super Region (3-4) Tournament at Union High School on Saturday and Sunday.

9. Hackettstown (8-2) -- Tigers went 2-0 last week with wins over Whippany Park (49-9 on Tuesday) and North Warren (56-6 on Thursday). Coach Frank Rodgers is winding down his career with the Warren County school as freshman Aiden Scheeringa (9-1 at 106), junior Austin Zellars (8-2 at 113), freshman Nicolas Balella (8-1 at 126), sophomore Joe Bencivengo (8-2 at 138) and seniors Bruno Dougherty (7-2 at 220) and Matthew Bremner (9-1 at 285) look to keep him busy down the stretch.

Up next: North 2 Super Region (3-4) Tournament at Union High School on Saturday and Sunday.

10. Newton (6-5) -- Braves capped a 2-0 week with a 45-24 win over North Warren on Friday coming off a 48-18 victory against Lenape Valley -- matching the program mark for consecutive wins in that series to five (2007-11) after losing five straight from 2012-16. Lenape Valley still owns a 27-21-1 edge all-time dating to 1976. Seniors Nathan Fitt (10-0 at 126) and JoJo Lotruglio (9-2 at 132) are down a weight class for the individual postseason. On the girls side, juniors Aaliyah Payne-Parris (third at 100) and Jordyn Brannick (fifth at 161) became the school's first female state medal winners.

Up next: at High Point on Wednesday; North 1 Super Region (1-2) Tournament at Mount Olive on Saturday and Sunday.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 1:52 PM

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