Monday, January 3, 2022

Wrestling: State of season, HWS tourney, rankings

It's a brand new year, but it's looking a lot like the 2021 high school wrestling season in terms of COVID-19, which continues to pause programs and keep schedules in flux.

P'burg is set to host the HWS Tournament on Saturday.
We're literally hour by hour, and you can expect more shutdowns over the coming weeks. As a result, the NJSIAA issued a statement on Monday in regards to a proposal that it will put forth to its Executive Committee during its regular meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 12, offering "specific modifications that will provide flexibility and soften certain rules and regulations in an effort to assist member schools during the remainder of the winter season."

What exactly that will entail remains unclear, but it would make sense that the governing body intends to stay flexible when it comes to the sectional team championships next month, specifically the 10-match minimum to qualify, as several schools have yet to open the dual-meet season.

Belvidere, Lenape Valley and Newton have already undergone COVID-19 breaks, while Phillipsburg announced on Monday that it is switching to remote learning due to a staffing shortage through the Martin Luther King holiday. Some northern schools are reportedly limiting the number of spectators on a per athlete basis and no students in attendance.

What does that mean for the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, which the Stateliners are slated to host on Saturday? Athletic directors have a meeting scheduled for Tuesday and that's sure to be a major topic, but all signs thus far point to the event, which was not held for the first time in 2021, going on as scheduled. 

Speaking of P'burg, coach Brad Gentzle's team is itching to open its dual-meet season with the program sitting on 998 wins. The 'Liners are scheduled to host Hunterdon Central on Tuesday and Watchung Hills on Thursday as they try to become the fourth New Jersey school -- joining Hunterdon Central, Paulsboro and Roselle Park -- to reach that milestone.

Who's in HWS?

It's no secret that Open Mike has long been a fan of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, which is without a doubt the toughest of its kind in New Jersey. Many a state placewinner has gone an entire career and not won a gold medal or even reached the finals.

Brian Soldano after his second state title win. 
But one ongoing problem has been match limits, which have kept some of the area's best from even entering -- including High Point stud and two-time state champion Brian Soldano -- over the years. We likely won't see P'burg freshman phenom Gavin Hawk (11-5 at 120) because he's already over the halfway mark to 30, while most of his team is at 11 or fewer.

It's more likely going to be a scaled down version, but under normal circumstances, P'burg rates as a huge favorite to win the team championship, though keep an eye on Warren Hills as we head toward that anticipated dual on Jan. 14.

Match of the week

North Hunterdon at Warren Hills -- Lions are riding a four-match streak in the series, including a 58-10 victory in 2020. The teams did not meet last season due to the pandemic, just the fourth interruption in the series since it began in 1957. North owns a 40-22 edge overall and is 30-10 vs. the Blue Streaks since 1979. The Lions don't have the balance they did the previous two seasons in winning the Group 4 title in 2020, but they're a handful up top. Warren Hills has better lineup balance, but will need a total team effort. Unfortunately, a 25-year celebration of Warren Hills' last state championship team, which handed North Hunterdon a 42-27 loss in the 1997 Group 3 final (avenging a 39-24 regular-season loss to the Lions) had to be postponed to a later date.

Area team rankings 

1. Phillipsburg (0-0) -- Stateliners enjoyed a strong second-place showing at the rugged Bethlehem Holiday Classic behind senior champion James Day (9-2), who won the title at 126 pounds. First-year coach Brad Gentzle's team produced 10 placewinners overall, including freshman Luke Geleta (7-3), a runner-up at 132, while sophomore Caleb Rivera (189) and senior David Pierson (215) finished third. Junior Connor Hille (6-2) also impressed with a fourth-place finish at 172 despite no previous varsity experience, and further example of the depth that Gentzle talked about during the preseason.

Up next: Hunterdon Central at home on Tuesday; Watchung Hills at home on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at home on Saturday. 

2. North Hunterdon (1-1) -- Lions opened their dual-meet season with a 67-5 rout of Bound Brook before a 44-27 loss to St. Peter's Prep ended North's 29-match win streak dating to a 28-19 setback against Phillipsburg in the 2019 North 2, Group 4 sectional final. Junior Brendan Raley won the championship at 215 in the Sam Cali Tournament, while senior Liam Akers (285) was a runner-up.

Up next: Hillsborough at home on Wednesday; at Warren Hills on Friday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday. 

3. Warren Hills (1-1) -- Blue Streaks cruised to the team title in the 63rd John Goles Invitational -- the program's 23rd overall and first since 2013. Coach Dave Sbriscia, who was a two-time champion for Hills in 2004 and '05, saw his team amass a tournament-record 312 1/2 points behind nine champions, including two-time winners Stephen Malia (165) and Owen Frizzell (175). Senior Michael Galka, the team's backup at 215, won his first title and the OW Award. After a 39-21 win on the road against Raritan, Streaks suffered a 33-27 loss at home to Mount Olive on Thursday.

Up next: North Hunterdon at home on Friday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

4. Hunterdon Central (1-0) -- Red Devils opened their dual-meet season with a 47-24 win against Hillsborough on Dec. 22, while sophomores Anthony Rossi (106), Evan Thompson (132), Thomas Brunnetti (165), along with senior Tanner Peake (157), won titles in the 64th Hunterdon Central Invitational on Dec. 28. Sophomore William Cella (126) and junior Henry Wilkinson (138) were runners-up. Coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm's team braces for two scheduled trips to P'burg this week.

Up next: at Phillipsburg on Tuesday; Bound Brook at home on Wednesday; at Delaware Valley on Friday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

5. High Point (1-0) -- 'Cats rolled to a 48-28 win over Hackettstown in their first dual of the season before senior ace Brian Soldano (190), who entered the week at 96-5 overall, logged three pins in winning an individual title at Sam Cali Tournament. Senior Clayton Utter, a three-time state qualifier who is expected to compete at 120 or 126 pounds, has been sidelined by a shoulder injury. Will Utter make his debut? Will Soldano wrestle in his first county tournament? Stay tuned.

Up next: Mount Olive at home on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

Brian Bollette, John Gill and Dave Sylvester.
6. Kittatinny (7-0) -- Cougars stayed busy over the holiday break. Seniors Shane Nelson (126) and Ty Eldred (285), along with junior Chris Casale (132), won Linn Crawn Classic titles as veteran coach John Gill's team logged a second-place finish. It's well known that there are many Gill disciples among the coaching ranks as he posted wins over Morris Hills and North Warren. Brian Bollette is doing a stellar job with Morris Hills, which figures to be a strong contender for the North 1, Group 3 sectional title. Former Cougars Dave Sylvester, Will Livingston and Bryant Wanamaker are also on the Knights' staff. Former state placewinner Kellen Bradley, whose team won the Sportsmanship Award at the Linn Crawn Classic, has the Patriots heading in the right direction and has put together a powerhouse slate for the program's Patriot Duals later this month.

Up next: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

7. Delaware Valley (2-1) -- Terriers finished second in the 63rd John Goles Invitational behind four finalists, including champions Jackson Bush (126) and Chris Colasurdo (157), while the runners-up were Owen Kucharski (106) and Jake Taylor (113). Coach Andy Fitz's team followed up a 49-9 win over Hopewell Valley with a 38-21 loss to Mount Olive.

Up next: Bernards at home on Wednesday; Hunterdon Central at home on Friday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

8. Pope John (0-0) -- Lions, who have competed at the Beast of the East and the Sam Cali Tournament, are set to open their dual season against New Jersey powerhouse Delbarton on Tuesday. Senior Zachary Hentschel (126) was a runner-up at Sam Cali. 

Up next: at Delbarton on Tuesday; at Mendham on Wednesday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

9. Lenape Valley (1-2) -- Patriots, who entered the week in a COVID-19 pause, finished third in their holiday tournament as junior Marcus Bullock (106) and senior Daniel Haws (126) won titles. Coach Anthony Grogan's team scored a 42-41 win over West Morris and suffered losses to Hanover Park (41-31) and Randolph (45-39) in a quad on Dec. 23.

Up next: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

10. Hackettstown (0-3) -- Tigers lost to Sussex County powers High Point (48-28) and Kittatinny (57-16) and lost on criteria to Whippany Park in their most recent action on Thursday. Sophomore Nicholas Balella (126) finished third in the 64th Hunterdon Central Invitational on Dec. 28.

Up next: at West Morris on Tuesday; Jefferson at home on Thursday; Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 11:15 PM

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