Wrestling: Del Val, P'burg win thrillers; WH, HP roll

Delaware Valley has been itching for a rematch against Kittatinny for nearly a month, but the Terriers needed to clear one huge hurdle to make that happen.

Del Val is 3-3-1 all-time vs. Paulsboro (DV Twitter)

The Del Val upper weights delivered in crunch time as sophomore Anderson Olcott started the rally with a huge win at 175 pounds, while seniors Trevor Bowen (195) and Matt Schneider (215) followed with quick pins to secure a thrilling 33-27 win over Paulsboro in a Group 1 semifinal at The Hutch Gymnasium in Alexandria Township.

Kittatinny, the top seed, easily advanced in the other semifinal with a 50-27 drubbing of Roselle Park -- setting up the all-Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Group 1 final at 9 a.m. on Sunday at Franklin High School. The Cougars (19-2), who are seeking the program's ninth state title (seven in Group 2) and first since winning their only Group 1 championship in 2008, handed Del Val a 30-29 loss on Jan. 15.

Phillipsburg (Group 5), Warren Hills (Group 3), High Point (Group 2) also will wrestle for state championships on Sunday. North Hunterdon suffered its first postseason loss since 2019 -- 38-27 to Brick Memorial in a Group 4 semifinal. The Lions, who capped the program's first unbeaten season with the Group 4 title in 2020, lost key bouts at 113, 120, 144, 157 and 165 -- all by three points or fewer and received forfeit wins in the last three bouts. 

Pope John, which will wrestle for its seventh Non-Public B title and first since 2018 at 9 a.m. on Sunday, scored a 48-21 win over St. Thomas Aquinas to give the HWS area a total of seven sectional championships for the first time since 2002. It's the Sussex County program's 11th North B title and fourth consecutive since 2018. Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex teams have won an area-best three state titles just five times (1982, '83, '87, '89 and 2018), including Pope John's championships in '82, '83 and 2018.

Del Val (16-4), which won all of its eight championships in Group 2, including the last in 2017, had to sweat a bit in the semifinals as Paulsboro (17-1) suffered just its third loss in 39 career Group 1 semis appearances since the event formed in 1982 (no tournament in 2021). The Red Raiders, who lost their only sectional final to Collingswood in 2008 and are now 33-4 overall in Group 1 finals, suffered their only other state semifinal losses to Bound Brook (59-9 in 2013 and 46-16 in '14). The Crusaders won four consecutive championships from 2012-15. 

Veteran coach Paul Morina's Paulsboro teams handed Del Val lopsided losses in the 2019 semis (61-9) and '20 final (50-9).

The Terriers, now 3-3-1 all-time in the series and winners over Paulsboro for the first time since going back-to-back in the first two matchups in 1989-90, won key bouts down low (junior Owen Kucharski at 106 and sophomore Jake Taylor at 113), and they were able to weather the storm a bit through the middle where Paulsboro was heavily favored in several bouts. Olcott (15-11), in a bit of a tossup bout, scored a 6-1 win over McGuire Cabanas, who unwisely chose bottom as he was turned for three backs with a cradle, Olcott's go-to move on top, in the third period. Bowen slapped on a cradle as well for a 48-second pin and Schneider used a cross arm to flatten Austin Willetts in 29 seconds.

Kittatinny seeks its second Group 1 title.

Kittatinny, which won its 23rd sectional title under coach John Gill on Wednesday, has different look to the lineup this time around as senior Shane Nelson (23-3), a 2020 HWS Tournament finalist, made the drop from 126 to 120, allowing sophomore Jacob Savage (3-4), a starter last season, to slide in at 126. The Cougars had routinely given up big points at 106-120 for much of the season, including 14 to Del Val, which swept all three weights in the first meeting. 

The Terriers have senior Robert Groogan (9-2), an 8-6 winner at 120 who missed some time with an injury, back in the fold, but senior Sam Kirkpatrick (15-11 at 132-138) was noticeably favoring his injured right leg in his return, a 16-5 loss, against Paulsboro. 

Rally 'Liners

Phillipsburg had to overcome a huge deficit for a 27-25 victory over Southern in a Group 5 semifinal in Stafford Township. The Stateliners (15-1), who have won 12 straight since a 35-15 loss at Warren Hills on Jan. 14, will bid for their 23rd state title and first since 2018, when they take on Howell in Sunday's title match at 11:30 a.m.

P'burg has 13 titles in G4 and nine in G3. (PB Twitter)

Trailing, 22-6, through seven bouts (P'burg senior James Day logged a huge 1-0 win over previously-unbeaten freshman Wyatt Stout at 126), junior Hunter Cleaver started the comeback against Southern (17-1) with his 7-2 win over Nate Bischoff at 157. 

Senior Nate Zastowny followed with a technical fall at 165, as the Rams bumped Tyler Chase to 175. That move didn't pay off for the hosts as sophomore Caleb Rivera delivered a 19-7 major decision. A scary scene unfolded at the conclusion of the bout as Chase, who suffered an apparent head-neck injury, had to be transported from the gym to a local hospital. The Asbury Park Press' ace wrestling reporter Steve Falk said Chase's condition had since improved.  

When action resumed, junior Connor Hille delivered another big win -- 6-2 over Collin French at 190 -- before senior David Pierson (215) and sophomore John Wargo (285) added crucial decisions to give P'burg a 27-22 lead through 13 bouts. Southern could only manage a decision in the finale, but the 'Liners, who had eight bouts in the bank in event of a tie, handed the Rams their seventh loss in 15 meetings since the series began in 1997. 

The teams have split six postseason matchups, including a 32-21 P'burg win in the 2014 Group 4 final, as Robert Melise, then an unheralded freshman and later a state runner-up in 2016, delivered a match-turning pin. The 'Liners opened the series with a 53-9 victory in the 1997 Group 4 final. Southern won Group 4 semis matchups in 2006 and '07, and scored a 30-25 victory in the 2005 Group 4 final.

No contests

Warren Hills and High Point had much easier paths to the finals in Group 3 and 2, respectively, as the Blue Streaks cruised to a 66-3 win over Paramus in Washington Township, while the Wildcats handed Collingswood a 44-21 defeat in Wantage.

WH beat North Hunterdon for its last G3 title in '97.

Hills (18-3), which has been wrestling as well as any public school in the state since a 35-15 rout of Phillipsburg on Jan. 14, and now with its best lineup, received three forfeits to open the proceedings against Paramus (16-4), which seemed just happy to be there following its North 1 sectional title run. Coach Dave Sbriscia's Streaks won the first 11 bouts, including pins by Max Pagano (138), Michael Drazek (157), Stephen Malia (165) and Owen Frizzell (175). 

The Spartans' lone win came at 215, a 10-7 decision from Zackery Dolack, who oddly flexed before leaving the mat despite his team trailing, 56-3. State medal winner Eric Freeman (28-0 at 165), who placed third at 160 in 2021, did not wrestle.

Warren Hills, which captured its first sectional championship since 2007 and has dropped just five bouts in four postseason victories, seeks the program's third state title (winning Group 3 in 1990 and '97) when it faces Delsea -- a 35-22 winner over South Plainfield in the other Group 3 semifinal -- at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. The Streaks are 4-1 against teams competing for state titles -- beating Raritan, P'burg, Delaware Valley and Howell, while losing to Mount Olive. 

The 'Cats are 12-2 since a 54-12 loss to Southern on Jan. 12.

High Point (13-4) won the final six bouts in its Group 2 semifinal win, including pins from freshman Nick Clayton (106), Colton Jaust (113), Clayton Utter (120) and Roman Citro (126), who had been sidelined with a knee injury since Jan. 22 and made his return on Wednesday. Senior ace Brian Soldano (26-0) had a 30-second pin at 190 -- giving him 22 on the season and 88 career as he extended his unbeaten streak to 62 in a row dating to 2020. The two-time state champion and Rutgers recruit  is now 115-5 overall. 

With the match starting at 138, senior Andrew Brevot, who has been wrestling well of late, and junior Shane Woolf, added back-to-back majors at 144 and 150, as Collingswood (24-3) won four of the first six bouts to grab an 18-8 lead. Soldano's pin started a 7-1 run to close out the match.

The 'Cats, who have won a Sussex County-best 29 sectional titles, seek the program's seventh state championship (and second straight after winning in 2020) when they battle Raritan -- a 56-21 winner over Hanover Park in the other Group 2 semifinal -- at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Coach John Gardner's 2018 team won the last six bouts to beat the Rockets, 30-25, in one of the most memorable Group 2 title matches in recent years. Thomas Hubmaster (285) and freshman Josh Gervey were among the heroes that day in Toms River. High Point has won back-to-back titles just once in its history (2013-14).