Sunday, January 30, 2022

Wrestling: Waiver flavor of week; HWS notes, ranks

Don't sweat it. The NJSIAA on Sunday provided a significant measure of relief to teams in jeopardy of missing the upcoming sectional tournaments by eliminating the requisite 10 in-state matches to qualify.

P'burg starts the quest for its 38th sectional title on Feb. 7.
That was great news for Phillipsburg (9-1), which was at nine as of Sunday's cutoff. The Stateliners' 51-9 victory over Easton (Pa.) did not factor in their total and coaches were scrambling late this week due to the potential for Saturday's match at Southern to be wiped out by snow, which turned out to be the case.

The NJSIAA's official statement sent via email on Sunday afternoon read as follows:

"As a result of numerous COVID-related disruptions this season, NJSIAA will waive the minimum 10-match requirement against NJSIAA member schools for the 2021-2022 Boys Team Wrestling Tournament. Teams will be seeded based on the number of matches against NJSIAA member schools as of the cutoff date -- the power point rankings will be based on the average of these matches but will not exceed 10.  For those schools with more than 10 matches, the 10 best match results will be used.  As a reminder, the cutoff date has been extended to Sunday, January 30, 2022."

Kingsway (8-1), also a contender for the Group 5 title, was in the same boat as P'burg, ranked No. 13 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20. It's probably not a stretch to think Howell and Southern would not have shed a tear had the Dragons and 'Liners missed the postseason party.

High Point won the Group 2 title in 2020.
The NJSIAA did the right thing by waiving the 10-match requirement, as Open Mike reported it would do weeks ago, given the unusual circumstances teams have faced this season, but the regulations released prior to the season were crystal clear in that there would be no exceptions or waivers. Perhaps it would have been better served to quantify that in the era of COVID, but we're here now. The state also previously moved the cutoff date back one day and allowed teams five weigh-ins per week this season. Most found a way to reach 10 matches.

It's fair to point out that High Point received no quarter in 2009, when the Wildcats, then ranked as the No. 1 team in New Jersey, were ruled ineligible under the former 70 (now 60) percent rule as they faced several out-of-state opponents at the Clash in Minnesota that season. It's also fair to argue that this latest issue was caused by a pandemic.
 

In any case, we learn and move forward to the final week of the regular season. The unofficial set of final power points (with a 24-hour window for disputes and corrections) will be released early this week.

Match of the week

Delaware Valley at Warren Hills (7 p.m. on Tuesday) -- This one, originally slated for Saturday, will decide this season's Skyland Conference Valley Division champion. Terriers are set for a difficult week with matches against Hunterdon Central (Monday) and Phillipsburg (Friday) also on the slate. Coach Andy Fitz's team will be better for it as the Hunterdon County school eyes a Group 1 title run. Blue Streaks, who are among the Group 3 title contenders, rate as heavy favorites, featuring one of the most balanced lineups -- including a decided edge in the upper weights where Del Val usually needs to come through -- among all public schools statewide. Coach Dave Sbriscia's team seeks the program's fourth straight division title and third outright. Del Val owns a 31-21 edge overall dating to 1963, but Warren Hills won the previous two meetings (49-16 at home in 2020 and 47-16 on the road in 2021).

Area rankings

Hills has gone 9-1 since a 33-22 loss to NH on Jan. 7.
1. Warren Hills (12-3) -- Streaks went 3-0 last week with wins over Hopatcong (84-0) and Voorhees (66-9) on Wednesday, followed by a 79-0 romp over Hackettstown on Friday. It's the most points scored and first shutout in the series, which Hills leads, 55-10, dating to 1957. Junior Ryan Lundy (8-13) sealed the shutout with a pin at 138 pounds as the hosts did not yield an offensive point, racking up eight pins and two technical falls along with three forfeits. In the featured bout, senior Kevin Riedinger (18-4) scored a 7-1 decision over Aiden Scheeringa at 113.

Up next: Delaware Valley at home on Tuesday; Livingston at home on Wednesday.

2. Phillipsburg (9-1) -- Stateliners cruised to wins over Easton (51-9 on Tuesday) and Montgomery (76-0 on Wednesday), as the latter secured at least a share of the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title. Coach Brad Gentzle's team can win it outright with a victory at Hillsborough on Wednesday. The 'Liners have won three straight vs. Easton for the first time since a nine-match win streak from 1963-71. P'burg has won four of the last five, and its 51 points in the latest matchup is a series high, while the 42-point spread is the most since a 34-8 win in 1970. Senior James Day (22-2 at 126), who earned the Brad Weaver Award as the OW vs. Easton, entered this week with 97 career victories.

Up next: at Bound Brook on Monday; at Hillsborough on Wednesday; at Delaware Valley on Friday.

3. North Hunterdon (12-4) -- Lions rolled to a 40-20 win over Delaware Valley on Tuesday in their only action last week. Coach Chris Hrunka's team, which should be the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 4, won nine bouts (four pins), including junior Jack Van Doren's fall in 3:09 at 126. Van Doren, whose father, Mike, was a 1988 state champ and 100-match winner for North, took home the Dan Hutchins Memorial Award as his team's Outstanding Wrestler, while senior Liam Akers (24-1 at 285) logged his 78th career win. Akers and juniors Alex Uryniak (23-3 at 190) and Brendan Raley (24-2 at 215) are a combined 71-6 for North, which is sitting on 793 wins overall.

Up next: at Ridge on Wednesday.

4. Hunterdon Central (10-3) -- Red Devils romped to a 54-3 win over Bridgewater-Raritan to seize control of the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title race with two matches remaining against Franklin and Watchung Hills. Central's crossover match against North Hunterdon, which was set for this past Friday, was canceled with no makeup date. Senior Tanner Peake (22-3 at 150-157), who is 105-25 overall, moved into a tie with Matt Thompson (105-18 from 1989-93) for 18th place on the program's all-time wins list. Thompson's son, Evan, a sophomore, is 16-4 at 132 pounds.

Up next: at Delaware Valley on Monday; at Franklin on Wednesday.

5. High Point (8-4) -- 'Cats went 3-0 last week with wins over Emerson-Park Ridge (73-0 on Tuesday), Morris Hills (40-25 on Wednesday) and River Dell (62-5 on Thursday). Oddly, Emerson-Park Ridge opted to rest its starters in preparation for a league title match against Garfield the next night. Two-time state champion Brian Soldano (21-0 at 190), with 19 pins, one technical fall and one forfeit, has 85 career pins and entered this week riding a 58-match win streak dating to 2020. Coach John Gardner's team, the preseason Group 2 title favorite, can secure the NJAC Freedom Division title with wins over Jefferson and Newton.

Up next: Jefferson at home on Tuesday; at Newton on Friday.     

6. Kittatinny (13-2) -- Cougars had a couple of close calls last week in wins over Newton (39-36 on Tuesday) and River Dell (36-34 on Wednesday). Sophomore Tucker Lockburner (9-7 at 175) came through with a huge pin vs. Newton in what was considered a tossup bout and senior Ty Eldred (20-3 at 215-285) sealed it with a pin at heavyweight. Coach John Gill's team should be the No. 1 seed in North 1, Group 1 as it seeks the program's 23rd sectional title.

Up next: at Pascack Hills on Wednesday; Jefferson at home on Friday. 

7. Delaware Valley (12-3) -- Terriers bounced back from a 40-20 loss at North Hunterdon on Tuesday with a 46-9 victory over Somerville on Wednesday. Senior Jaden Corbin (1-7) got his first varsity win with a pin in the final about at 157 against North and earned the Dan Hutchins Memorial Award as the OW for his team. Senior Sam Thomas (6-3 at 157-165), who logged wins in both matches, has also impressed head coach Andy Fitz, whose squad will be the top seed in Central Jersey, Group 1.

Up next: Hunterdon Central at home on Monday; at Warren Hills on Tuesday; Phillipsburg at home on Friday.

8. Pope John (7-3) -- Lions, who are getting healthy and looking like the title favorite in Non-Public B, scored wins over West Morris (40-30 on Tuesday) and Parsippany (72-0 on Wednesday) this past week. Senior state placewinner Jack Stoll (9-2 at 215), whose father, Joe, was a region champion for Vernon at heavyweight in 1984 and older brother, Kyle, was a two-time state medalist for High Point, logged two pins for coach Mark Piotrowsky's team, which will be the top seed in North B.

Up next: Don Bosco Prep at home on Thursday.

9. Newton (7-6) -- Braves rebounded from a tough 39-36 loss to crosstown rival Kittatinny with a 62-15 win over Hackettstown on Wednesday. Juniors Michael Melillo (13-3 at 138) and Thaylor Sibblies (13-3 at 144) logged victories in both matches. Coach Eric Bollette's team seems to be doing some of its best wrestling of the season and would surely love another crack at Jefferson, which scored a 36-34 win in their matchup on Jan. 19, in the North 1, Group 2 tournament.

Up next: Roxbury at home on Tuesday; High Point at home on Friday. 

10. Voorhees (10-5) -- Vikings, who have quietly put together a nice season after struggling to fill all 14 weights in recent campaigns, split their tri-meet involving Hopatcong (66-10 win) and Warren Hills (66-9 loss) on Wednesday. Seniors Hunter Cryan (11-7) and Mike Mosier (14-6) are closing in on 50 career wins with 47 and 49, respectively. Coach Ricky Kurtz's team looks more and more like a darkhorse in what looks like a wide open North 2, Group 2 section.

Up next: at Hillsborough on Monday; at Watchung Hills on Wednesday; at Montgomery on Friday; Millburn at Metuchen on Saturday.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 7:01 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)