Sunday, January 9, 2022

Wrestling: 'Cats hit stretch run; HWS notes, rankings

Update: Monday's match between High Point and Phillipsburg was canceled due to COVID-19.

Seventh-inning stretches in baseball were designed to give fans a bit of a break. High Point's wrestling team has no such time to relax. 

Coming off the Sam Cali Tournament, High Point embarked on brutal nine-day run on Thursday with a 47-18 loss to Mount Olive, an early favorite to win the Group 4 title, and competed in the 12th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament on Saturday.

On tap for coach John Gardner's Wildcats are duals against four other sectional and state championship contenders -- Southern (Wednesday), Kittatinny (Friday), Morris Hills and Montville (Saturday). It's a huge week all-around for the local area with several important dual matchups and the 16th Henry Boresch Duals this weekend. 

High Point (1-1), which won the Group 2 title in 2020 and entered this season as the favorite, wouldn't have it any other way. Veteran coach John Gardner freely admits before each season that his schedule may yield a loss or several, but there's a method in place. It's all about being on top of the Group 2 team mountain come February.

"Coach [Gardner] designed it like that to make sure we know this is the hardest part of the season," senior ace Brian Soldano said shortly after winning his first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title and the Outstanding Wrestler Award on Saturday, becoming the 16th 'Cat to amass 100 career wins (all four years at High Point) in the process.

"If we can get through this, we'll be there [battling for sectional and state championships] at the end of the season."

Gardner, who's also a member of the school's 100-win club along with assistant coach and fellow state champion Billy Smith, is hopeful that his team responds to the challenge and prepare his 'Cats for what lies ahead next month. Sectionals this season will feature two rounds on Monday, Feb. 7 (with the winners wrestling twice), followed by the finals on Wednesday, Feb. 9. The Group semifinals will be contested on Friday, Feb. 11 (higher seed by power points hosts) and the championships on Sunday, Feb. 13 at Franklin High School.

Gardner, Soldano, Smith at HWS. (HP Facebook)
"I like doing that sequence," Gardner, who is 382-109-2 overall and has a date to face Group 3 title contender Delsea, along with Group 5 challenger Hunterdon Central, on Jan. 29, said of this current stretch prior to the season. "It's the same as sectionals [week] so that's a good thing. I think it will be a positive. The goal is not to go undefeated in [dual meets], but to be ready when it comes time for Groups."

High Point has yet to get rolling in duals and like most teams is battling COVID-19 issues and injuries. Senior Clayton Utter, a three-time state qualifier, sustained a preseason shoulder injury and stepped on the mat for the first time against Mount Olive, giving state medalist Jack Bastarrika, who capped a 7-2 win with a buzzer-beating takedown, all he could handle in their featured matchup at 126 pounds. 

Utter, who didn't enter the HWS Tournament, faces a tough stretch of his own this week with potential matchups against Southern state finalist Conor Collins and Kittatinny senior Shane Nelson, a two-time HWS Tournament medal winner.

The 'Cats will need their best lineup to make a push for the Group 2 title. High Point seniors Charles Antcliff (113) and Troy Tiger (175) have been sidelined due to unspecified reasons. Freshman Nick Clayton (8-4 at 106) and sophomore Ty Woods (5-6 at 132) are ones to watch as the season marches on.

Match of the week

Phillipsburg at Warren Hills (Friday, 7 p.m.) -- One of several interesting mathcups (Kittatinny at High Point the same evening and Kittatinny vs. Delaware Valley on Saturday) on tap for the area this week. Stateliners are coming off a big week, earning program wins 999 and 1,000 before winning the HWS Tournament team championship. Blue Streaks suffered a tough 33-22 loss at home to North Hunterdon this past Friday. Both have balanced lineups and went head-to-head five times in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament with Hills going 3-2. Streaks haven't won in the series since two victories in 1990 (34-30 in the North 2, Group 3 sectional final that followed a 32-31 thriller at The Pit during the regular season). We'll take a closer look at this one later in the week.

Area rankings

1. Phillipsburg (2-0) -- 'Liners scored a 34-30 come-from-behind win over Hunterdon Central before securing a milestone 70-10 victory against Watchung Hills -- joining Central, Paulsboro and Roselle Park as the only New Jersey schools to reach 1,000 wins. Junior Hunter Cleaver (157) had a huge win against Central with P'burg on the ropes, while seniors James Day (126), Joey Innamorato (138) and David Pierson (215), along with freshman Gavin Hawk (120) and sophomore Caleb Rivera (175) won their first HWS titles.  

Up next: Ridge at home on Wednesday; at Warren Hills on Friday.

2. North Hunterdon (3-1) -- Lions looked sharp in a 33-22 victory at Warren Hills, racing out to a 30-0 lead and winning nine bouts, including huge decisions from seniors Ben Makaritis (120) and Nick DeLorenzo (132). Junior Brendan Raley and senior Liam Akers (285) also scored wins against state medal winners. Akers, a seventh-place state finisher in 2020, joined Ryan Pomrinca (2013-15), Jack Delia (2010-11), Beau Vrancken (2011-12) and Nate Fossett (2019-20) as the only Lions to win at least two HWS Tournament titles. 

Up next: Montgomery at home on Wednesday; Watchung Hills at home on Friday; Boresch Duals at Newton on Saturday.

3. Warren Hills (2-2) -- Blue Streaks followed a 67-12 win over Ramapo with a 33-22 loss to North Hunterdon at home. Coach Dave Sbriscia's club finished second at the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament with six finalists, including first-time winners Jared Lee (144) and Stephen Malia (165). Runners-up were Shawn Redfield (132), Owen Frizzell (175), Jarett Pantuso (215) and Tyler McCatharn (285). Interestingly, one notable absence from the area dual schedule this season is Hills vs. Hunterdon Central. The longtime rivals went head-to-head six times at HWS with the Streaks winning five, three via pins. 

Up next: Bernards at home on Wednesday; Phillipsburg at home on Friday.

4. Hunterdon Central (2-1) -- Red Devils rebounded from a tough 34-30 loss to Phillipsburg with a 57-16 victory over Bound Brook in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division clash. Talented senior Tanner Peake (157), a sixth-place finisher in last year's state tournament, and sophomore Anthony Rossi (106) won their first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title. Peake (13-3), who entered this week 96-25 overall, looks to become the 27th at Central in the 100-win club.

Up next: Montgomery at home on Friday; Absegami, Brick Memorial and Middletown North at home on Saturday.

5. High Point (1-1) -- Wildcats are gearing up for a big week coming off a tough 47-18 loss to Mount Olive, the program's first in that series. Senior stud Brian Soldano (11-0) improved to 100-5 overall with a technical fall win (19-3) over North Hunterdon state medalist Alex Uryniak in their final at 190 pounds in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Junior Roman Citro (120) was a runner-up and freshman Nick Clayton (106) was a third-place finisher.

Up next: Southern at home on Wednesday; Kittatinny at home on Friday; Montville, Pequannock at Morris Hills on Saturday.

6. Kittatinny (7-0) -- Cougars, who took a break from dual meets last week, finished sixth in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Bryce Coesfeld (150) and state medalist Steven Dalling (157) were runners-up as the Sussex County power did not produce a champion for the first time since being shut out in 2012 and '13. Senior Shane Nelson (126), a 2020 finalist, placed third. Big duals against High Point and Delaware Valley loom this week, the latter a potential Group 1 final preview.

Up next: at Boonton on Wednesday; at High Point on Friday; Delaware Valley, Morris Knolls, West Morris at home on Saturday.

7. Delaware Valley (3-1) -- Terriers scored a 52-15 win over Bernards in a Skyland Conference Valley Division clash on a night they mourned the loss of wrestler Liam Newman, who died in a tragic auto accident on New Year's Day before finishing eighth in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. It was the first time in the event's 12-year history without a finalist, but Del Val won two head-to-head matchups against Kittatinny, including third-place finisher Matt Schneider, who pinned Tyler Holste in the quarterfinals at 190. Owen Kucharski (106) and Noah Sheeley (165) finished fourth.

Up next: Voorhees at home on Wednesday; Morris Knolls, West Morris at Kittatinny on Saturday.

 

8. Pope John (1-1) -- Lions opened their dual season with a 72-4 loss to Delbarton before bouncing back with a 58-22 win over Mendham. Coach Mark Piotrowsky's team finished fifth in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament behind freshman Carson Walsh (113), sophomore Justin Holly (132) and senior Colin Neal (150) who won their first titles. Senior state placewinner Jack Stoll (215), a runner-up in 2020, has been absent from the lineup.

Up next: at Livingston on Wednesday; Montville at home on Friday. 

9. Newton (1-0) -- Braves finally opened their dual campaign with a 60-21 win over North Warren and finished 10th in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament as junior Thaylor Sibblies (144) finished second and senior Takeo Sibblies (150) placed third. The Bollette Bowl is on tap for Tuesday as head coach Eric Bollette squares off against younger brother, Brian, when his Morris Hills team comes to town on Tuesday. Newton won their first meeting, 58-16, in the 2017 Boresch Duals. It also was Eric's 200th career coaching victory.

Up next: Morris Hills at home on Tuesday; West Milford at home on Thursday; Boresch Duals at home on Saturday.

10. Voorhees (1-2) -- Vikings, who lost to Somerville and Monroe in their only duals last week. make their first appearance in the rankings this season. Sophomore Logan Wiecoreck (138) finished second and senior Mike Mosier (144) placed fourth in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.

Up next: at Delaware Valley on Wednesday; Demarest, West Milford at Dumont on Saturday. 

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 6:20 PM

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