Wrestling: P'burg shifts to G5; North stays in G4

The sectional classifications for the 2021-22 scholastic wrestling season were released on Wednesday. In 2020-21, sectional team tournaments were not held for the first time since being introduced in 1980 due to the pandemic. 

A few notable changes moving forward involved Phillipsburg bumping up from Group 4 to Group 5 in North 2, while Delaware Valley, which won North 2, Group 1 titles in 2019 and '20, shifts to Central Jersey, Group 1. That leaves Belvidere, which won the last of its five titles in 2002, as the only local team in North 2, Group 1.

P'burg, winner of a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area-best 38 sectional titles, seeks its 39th after falling to North Hunterdon in the 2020 North 2, Group 4 final. The Stateliners, now guided by first-year coach Brad Gentzle, are expected to have one of their best teams (10 returning starters) and will face stiff competition in the quest for a 23rd state championship. Watchung Hills also is in North 2, Group 5, while Hunterdon Central and Howell (Central Jersey), and Kingsway and Southern (South Jersey), are also housed in a deep Group 5 field.

North celebrates winning a sectional title in 2020.

Kingsway stunned Phillipsburg, 26-20, to snap the Stateliners' run of five straight Group 4 titles in 2019, before falling to North Hunterdon, 34-22, in the 2020 title match at Toms River North.

North Hunterdon, which knocked off P'burg, 37-12, in the 2020 North 2, Group 4 sectional final en route to winning its first state championship since 2002, should be a heavy favorite to capture the program's 16th sectional title with the 'Liners out of the way. 

Coach Chris Hrunka's team returns seven starters, including junior Logan Wadle (12-2), a state runner-up at 106 pounds last season, junior Alex Uryniak (11-3 at 189) and 2020 state placewinner Liam Akers (10-2 at 285).

Warren Hills, which hasn't won a sectional title since 2007 and a state championship since 1997, figures to be among the contenders in Group 3, along with South Plainfield (Central Jersey) and Delsea (South Jersey). The Blue Streaks, who return most of last season's team, including seven juniors, should be a big favorite in North 2, Group 3, behind state placewinners Jarett Pantuso (11-4 at 220), a junior, and senior Tyler McCatharn (14-4 at 285).

High Point and Newton are together again in North 1, Group 2, as coach John Gardner's Wildcats, who have won a Sussex County-best 28 sectional titles, go for five in a row. High Point, which features two-time state champion Brian Soldano (89-5 career) claimed its 28th championship in 2020 en route to winning the Group 2 state title -- the program's sixth overall and second in three years.

Kittatinny, which has won 22 sectional titles under legendary coach John Gill, should be the team to beat in North 1, Group 1. Hopatcong, Lenape Valley and North Warren are also housed in that section.

Some key dates

Jan. 4 -- Hunterdon Central at Phillipsburg

Jan. 7 -- North Hunterdon at Warren Hills

Jan. 8 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg

Jan. 10 -- Phillipsburg at High Point

Jan. 12 -- Southern at High Point

Jan. 14 -- Kittatinny at High Point; Phillipsburg at Warren Hills

Jan. 15 -- 16th Henry Boresch Duals at Newton (Caldwell, Hanover Park, Howell, Lacey, North Hunterdon, South Plainfield, Toms River North)

Jan. 19 -- North Hunterdon at Phillipsburg

Jan. 22 -- Patriot Duals at North Warren (High Point, North Hunterdon, Kingsway, Roxbury, St. John Vianney, Watchung Hills, West Essex)

Jan. 29 -- Phillipsburg at Southern

Feb. 4 -- Delsea at North Hunterdon

Feb. 7 -- Sectionals first round
Feb. 9 -- Sectionals semifinals
Feb. 11 -- Sectional championships
Feb. 13 -- Group championships at TBD
Feb. 21 -- Districts
Feb. 23, 25-26 -- Regions
March 3-5 -- 89th State Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City

Here are the complete Public and Non-Public sections (Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area teams in bold). 

North 1, Group 5

Bloomfield

Clifton

Columbia

East Orange

Eastside

Kennedy

Livingston

Montclair

Morristown

North Bergen

Passaic Tech

Union City

West Orange

North 2, Group 5

Phillipsburg
Bayonne

Bridgewater-Raritan

East Side

Elizabeth

Franklin

JP Stevens
Perth Amboy

Piscataway

Plainfield

Summit-Chatham

Union

Watchung Hills

Westfield

Central Jersey, Group 5

Hunterdon Central
East Brunswick

Edison

Freehold Township

Hillsborough

Howell

Marlboro

Monroe

New Brunswick

North Brunswick

Old Bridge

Rancocas Valley

South Brunswick

Trenton Central

South Jersey, Group 5

Atlantic City

Cherokee

Cherry Hill East

Eastern

Egg Harbor Township

Highland-Triton

Kingsway

Lenape

Southern

Toms River North

Vineland

Washington Township

Williamstown

North 1, Group 4

Vernon-Wallkill Valley
Belleville

Bogota-Ridgefield Park

Cliffside Park-Ridgefield Memorial

Fair Lawn

Hackensack

Leonia-Palisades Park

Lyndhurst-North Arlington

Morris Knolls

Mount Olive

Northern Highlands

Ramapo

Randolph

Ridgewood

North 2, Group 4

North Hunterdon
Barringer

Colonia

Irvington

JFK-Iselin

Kearny

Linden

Middletown North

Millburn

Montgomery

Ridge

Sayreville

Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Woodbridge

Central Jersey, Group 4

Bordentown-Florence

Brick Memorial

Colts Neck

Freehold Boro

Hightstown

Jackson Memorial

Long Branch

Manalapan

Middletown South

Princeton

Red Bank Regional

Steinert

West Windsor North

West Windsor South

South Jersey, Group 4

Schalick-Cumberland

Central Regional

Cherry Hill West

Clearview

Hammonton

Lakewood

Millville

Moorestown

Northern Burlington

Pennsauken

Shawnee

Toms River East

Toms River South

North 1, Group 3

Sparta
Bergenfield

Dover

Dwight Morrow

Garfield

Montville

Morris Hills

Old Tappan

Paramus

Pascack Valley

Teaneck

Tenafly

Wayne Hills

Wayne Valley

North 2, Group 3

Warren Hills
Cranford

Brearley-Dayton

Fort Lee

Mendham

Newark Collegiate Academy

North Plainfield

Nutley

Orange

Parsippany Hills

Rahway

Roxbury

West Essex

West Morris

Central Jersey, Group 3

Allentown

Brick Township

Ewing

Hamilton West

Hopewell Valley

Jackson Liberty

Lawrence

Matawan

Neptune

Ocean Township

Robbinsville

Somerville

South Plainfield

Wall Township

South Jersey, Group 3

Absegami

Burlington Township

Delsea

Gateway-Woodbury

Lacey

Mainland

Ocean City

Pemberton

Pinelands

Seneca

Timber Creek

Westhampton Tech

Winslow Township

North 1, Group 2

High Point

Newton

Demarest

Dumont

Indian Hills

Jefferson

Lakeland

Mahwah

Manchester Regional

Pascack Hills

Ramsey

River Dell

West Milford

Westwood

North 2, Group 2

Hackettstown
Voorhees

Bernards
Becton-Wood Ridge

Caldwell

Elmwood Park

Governor Livingston

Hanover Park

Hillside

Lodi

Madison

Parsippany

Passaic Valley

Rutherford

Central Jersey, Group 2

Carteret

Cinnaminson

Delran

Holmdel

Manasquan

Manchester Township

Metuchen

Middlesex-Dunellen

Monmouth

Nottingham

Point Pleasant Boro

Raritan

Rumson-Fair Haven

South River

South Jersey, Group 2

Barnegat

Camden

Cedar Creek

Clayton-Glassboro

Collingswood

Deptford

Haddon Heights

Haddonfield

Lower Cape May

Middle Township

Oakcrest

Sterling

West Deptford

North 1, Group 1

Hopatcong

Kittatinny

Lenape Valley

North Warren

Butler

Cresskill

Emerson-Park Ridge

Glen Rock

Hawthorne

Kinnelon

New Milford

Pequannock

Pompton Lakes

Saddle Brook

Waldwick-Midland Park

North 2, Group 1

Belvidere
Boonton

Cedar Grove

Glen Ridge

Hasbrouck Heights

Hoboken

Johnson

Mountain Lakes

New Providence

Roselle Park

Secaucus

Verona

Weehawken

Weequahic

Whippany Park

Central Jersey, Group 1

Delaware Valley

Asbury Park

Bound Brook

Burlington City

Highland Park

Keansburg

Keyport-Hudson

Manville

New Egypt

Point Pleasant Beach

Riverside

Shore

Spotswood

Willingboro

South Jersey, Group 1

Audubon

Buena

Gloucester City

Haddon Township

Lindenwold

Maple Shade

Overbrook

Palmyra

Paulsboro

Penns Grove

Pennsville

Pitman

Salem

Woodstown

Non-Public North A

Bergen Catholic

Delbarton

Don Bosco

Paramus Catholic

St. Joseph-Montvale

St. Peter's Prep

Seton Hall Prep

Non-Public North B

Pope John

DePaul

Newark Academy

Pingry

St. Mary's

St. Thomas Aquinas

Non-Public South A

Camden Catholic

Christian Brothers Academy

Notre Dame

Paul VI

St. Augustine

St. John Vianney

St. Joseph-Metuchen

Non-Public South B

Donovan Catholic

Holy Cross

Holy Spirit

Red Bank Catholic

Rutgers Prep

St. Joseph-Hammonton

St. Rose