Wrestling: North enjoys upper hand vs. Warren Hills

There was plenty of hype about Warren Hills' wrestling team coming into the season, but North Hunterdon should have people talking after a convincing 33-22 victory over the Blue Streaks in a Skyland Conference clash on Friday night in Washington Township.

North Hunterdon won the G4 title in 2020.

North (3-1), ranked No. 2 in the area by Open Mike, won nine bouts as the Lions jumped out to a 30-0 lead. Junior Brendan Raley and senior Liam Akers opened with impressive wins over returning state medal winners at 215 and 285 pounds, while junior Alex Uryniak, a seventh-place finisher in last year's state tournament, capped the match with a 13-7 victory at 190.

Coach Chris Hrunka, a 2007 district champion for Warren Hills, is now 4-0 vs. his alma mater. North, which owns a 41-22 edge overall dating to 1957, has won five straight in the series since a 28-27 loss in 2016 and nine of the last 10 meetings. Since 1979, the Blue Streaks are 10-31.

No. 3 Warren Hills (2-2), which figures to be a contender for the Group 3 title next month, was shorthanded as freshman Charlie Piccione did not weigh in at 106 pounds, resulting in a forfeit win for North. But coach Dave Sbriscia's Streaks didn't score an offensive point until sophomore Josh Lee converted a late takedown in the fifth bout in an eventual 4-3 loss to Ben Makaritis, who quickly got a reversal with 24 seconds left in the third period to win what was considered a tossup.

Junior Logan Wadle, a state runner-up in 2021, also scored a key 3-1 win over previously-unbeaten Kevin Riedinger at 113. Senior Nick DeLorenzo handed Shawn Redfield his first loss with a turn for three backs being the difference in a 5-2 victory at 132. Junior Daniel Delusant capped the eight-bout run by decking Ryan Lundy at 138.

Senior Jared Lee's 11-0 major at 144 started a string of five straight wins for Warren Hills, which trailed, 10-1, in the takedown battle through eight bouts. Senior Owen Frizzell, needing a pin to keep the Streaks mathematically alive, scored a 7-2 decision at 175 before Uryniak iced it.

North was the more battled-tested team coming into this one and its returning big-match experience from 2020 -- when the Lions won the Group 4 title -- showed right from the start. 

Raley (11-0), who is enjoying a breakout campaign, scored a reversal and two backs in the third to pull away from Jarett Pantuso, eighth in the state at 220 last year, in a 7-0 win. Akers (9-1), a seventh-place medalist at heavyweight in 2020, logged two takedowns in a 6-0 decision over Tyler McCatharn, sixth in the state at 285 last season.

Both teams return to action on Saturday in the 12th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg. Wadle and Akers seek their second titles for North, while Malia was a runner-up in 2020. No tournament was held in 2021 due to COVID-19.

NORTH HUNTERDON 33, WARREN HILLS 22

215 -- Jr. Brendan Raley (11-0), NH, d. Jr. Jarett Pantuso (6-4), 7-0.
285 -- Sr. Liam Akers (9-1), NH, d. Sr. Tyler McCatharn (8-1), 6-0.
106 -- So. Shane Wysocki (3-2), NH, forfeit.
113 -- Jr. Logan Wadle (6-4), NH, d. Sr. Kevin Riedinger (8-1), 3-1.
120 -- Sr. Ben Makaritis (6-4), NH, d. So. Josh Lee (6-3), 4-3.
126 -- Jr. John Van Doren (5-4), NH, d. Fr. Tyler Redfield (5-5), 6-0.
132 -- Sr. Nick DeLorenzo (5-1), NH, d. Jr. Shawn Redfield (9-1), 5-2.
138 -- Jr. Daniel Delusant (10-2), NH, p. Jr. Ryan Lundy (3-6), 3:16.
144 -- Sr. Jared Lee (10-0), WH, md. Sr. Ian Hewitt (1-1), 11-0.
150 -- Jr. Cody Miller (6-4), WH, d. So. Brian Wilson (6-5), 8-4.
157 -- Jr. Michael Drazek (6-3), WH, p. Sr. Tucker Lewis (6-5), 1:38.
165 -- Sr. Stephen Malia (9-0), WH, forfeit.
175 -- Sr. Owen Frizzell (8-1), WH, d. Sr. Luke Yager (5-6), 7-2.
190 -- Jr. Alex Uryniak (11-1), NH, d. Sr. Ryan Galka (7-3), 13-7.
Records -- North Hunterdon 3-1; Warren Hills 2-2.
Official -- Catlaldo Valentino.