Thursday, February 10, 2022

Wrestling: Six! HWS struts championship stuff

Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex had that championship feeling on Wednesday night. 

As expected, six area teams captured sectional titles, including Warren Hills, which ended its 15-year drought with an impressive 51-12 thumping of West Essex in the North 2, Group 3 final in Washington Township.

Phillipsburg (North 2, Group 5), North Hunterdon (North 2, Group 4), High Point (North 1, Group 2), Kittatinny (North 1, Group 1) and Delaware Valley (Central Jersey, Group 1) also advanced to Friday's Group semifinals -- giving the HWS area six public school sectional winners for the first time since 2017. Pope John, which reached the Non-Public North B sectional final, can give the area seven champions for just the fifth time and first since 2002, when the Lions host St. Thomas Aquinas (formerly Bishop Ahr) on Friday.

The area went 6-1 as Hunterdon Central came up short in a 31-26 loss to top-seeded Howell in the Central Jersey, Group 5 final.

Streaks sizzle

Warren Hills (17-3), which seeks the program's third Group 3 title and first since 1997, started quickly once again -- winning the first 10 bouts (11 total) against West Essex, which handed Hills a 34-31 loss in the 2020 title match. Starting right in the teeth of the Streaks' lineup at 157 pounds, junior Michael Drazek, who is lethal with the hazard tilt, got the ball rolling with a 13-1 major decision. 

WH celebrates its 6th title and first since 2007.
Senior Stephen Malia, a state medal contender at 165, followed with an 11-3 major to set the stage for  senior Owen Frizzell, whose 21-second fall at 175 started a string of four straight pins to give Hills a 32-0 lead through six bouts. Junior Jarett Pantuso (215) and senior Tyler McCatharn also added first-period pins.

"It felt awesome. We hung 50 on 'em," Frizzell said during a postmatch interview on the Garden State HS wrestling broadcast. "We executed well at every weight. I think me pinning [in 21 seconds] definitely set the tone for the rest of the match."

Warren Hills, now 6-9 all-time in sectional finals since the program's first title (North 2, Group 2 in 1982) under former coach Rich Kerr, who was in attendance, did not give up a takedown until the 10th bout -- a 10-6 win by junior Shawn Redfield over Joey Macrino. The Knights won the next three, but junior Cody Miller capped it for the Streaks, who snapped a five-match sectional finals skid dating to 2012, with a first-period pin at 150.

WARREN HILLS 51, WEST ESSEX 12

157 -- Jr. Michael Drazek (21-6), WH, md. Jr. Mike Maglione (18-8), 13-1.
165 -- Sr. Stephen Malia (25-1), WH, md. Jr. Anthony Lombardi (19-7), 11-3.
175 -- Sr. Owen Frizzell (24-4), WH, p. Fr. Carmine Masi (7-6), :21.
190 -- Sr. Ryan Galka (25-5), WH, p. Jr. Luke Struss (10-14), 1:42.
215 -- Jr. Jarett Pantuso (24-5), WH, p. So. Chris Nigro (10-15), 1:52.
285 -- Sr. Tyler McCatharn (25-3), WH, p. Jr. Luca Salvatoriello (15-10), 2:39.
106 -- Fr. Charlie Piccione (17-4), WH, d. So. Alex Esposito (14-13), 6-4.
113 -- Sr. Kevin Riedinger (22-5), WH, d. So. Ethan Kerlin (13-7), 4-2.
120 -- So. Josh Lee (20-6), WH, md. Fr. Thomas Ruane (15-10), 11-0.
126 -- Jr. Shawn Redfield (26-3), WH, d. Jr. Joey Macrino (15-10), 10-6.
132 -- Jr. Anthony Barra (17-8), WE, md. Sr. Max Pagano (4-1), 11-2.
138 -- Sr. Mike Pescatore (24-3), WE, tf. Jr. Ryan Lundy (11-15), 23-8, 5:27.
144 -- Sr. Ricky Cassidy (24-3), WE, d. Sr. Jared Lee (27-2), 8-4.
150 -- Jr. Cody Miller (18-9), WH, p. So. Nick Janish (1-10), 1:13.
Records -- West Essex 12-7; Warren Hills 17-3.
Officials -- Frank Leitner and Dave Marotta.

39 is fine

Phillipsburg keeps racking up sectional titles, but the Stateliners were never more dominant than in their run to the North 2, Group 5 championship. First-year head coach Brad Gentzle's team lost just three bouts in as many matches, including a 67-6 pasting of Watchung Hills in the finale.

The 'Liners (14-1), who captured their HWS-best 39th sectional title (first in Group 5) and first since 2019, will travel to Southern in one of the Group 5 semifinals on Friday. The winner will face either Howell or Livingston in Sunday's final. P'burg, which has won 22 championships (13 in Group 4 and nine in Group 3), in its illustrious history, seeks its first state title since 2018.

Junior Connor Hille (16-8), who competes at either 175 or 190, helped put a championship stamp on the night against Watchung Hills with his stunning pin of Christopher Baker (25-2) at 5:14 in the their bout at 175 -- avenging a 16-3 loss when they met in the Stateliners' 70-10 regular-season win (the program's 1,000th victory) on Jan. 6. Hille, who is really a 165-pounder and led, 6-2, at the time of the fall, has come a long way in his first varsity season, starting with a fourth-place finish at 172 in the rugged Bethlehem Holiday Classic in December.

"Connor is one of those kids that has improved so much every single time he stepped on the mat -- really from Bethlehem Holiday when he got his shot," Gentzle, who was part of eight sectional titles as an assistant coach (2011-19), told Mike Moore of Stateliner Sports. "Fall aside, what a huge improvement both on his feet and in the bottom position. That kid scored four or five takedowns and a couple turns on him eight weeks ago."

Repeat feat

North Hunterdon also won a regular-season rematch in the sectional finals with a 56-15 pounding of Ridge in the North 2, Group 4 title match.

NH outscored its sectional opponents, 157-43.
The Lions (16-4), who claimed the program's second straight championship and 16th overall, after winning the Group 4 state title in a perfect 2020 season, will host Brick Memorial in a Group 4 semifinal on Friday. The winner will face Mount Olive or Shawnee, which won its first sectional title, in Sunday's final.

North, which handed Ridge a 63-3 loss a week earlier in the regular-season finale, received pins from junior Brendan Raley (28-2 at 215) and senior Nick DeLorenzo (17-6 at 132), a starter on the 2020 championship team. Junior Alex Uryniak (24-3 at 190), a state medal winner last season, sat out all three sectional wins, including Monday's victories over Irvington and Middletown North. His status moving forward is unknown.

Coach Chris Hrunka's team, which last lost to St. John Vianney (37-33 on Jan. 22), is bidding for North's sixth state team championship. The Lions won four in Group 3 (1982, '84, '94, 2002).

Drive for 5

High Point has clearly overcome its early-season struggles as the Wildcats cruised to a 48-19 win over Jefferson in the North 1, Group 2 final -- beating the Falcons for a second time in eight days after securing the NJAC Freedom Division title with a 52-18 victory on Feb. 1. 

HP has won 17 sectional titles in Gardner's 24 seasons.
Coach John Gardner's team (12-4), which claimed the program's fifth straight championship and Sussex County-best 29th overall, hosts Collingswood in Friday's Group 2 semifinals. The winner faces Raritan or Hanover Park in Sunday's title match. Collingswood (24-2) beat Haddonfield, 26-25, on criteria (most first points) in the South Jersey sectional final.

After a 1-2 start, which included losses during a brutal stretch in early January to public heavyweights Mount Olive (47-18) and Southern (54-12), High Point has won 10 of 12 and seems primed for a run at the program's seventh state championship and second straight after winning it all in Group 2 in 2020. For the 'Cats, who all buy into the team concept, those tough early stretches are by design.

"That's kind of what we do," Gardner told Dan Cleary of Morris-Sussex Sports during a postmatch interview. "Sometimes people question what we're doing, but it's kind of set up to be that way. We wrestle quality people to get ready for the end. It doesn't seem sometimes like it's going to end up working out, but it usually does. The kids are committed. They believe in the process and hats off to them."

Seniors Brian Soldano and Clayton Utter, starters on the 2019 and '20 teams that won sectional titles, picked up their 114th and 86th career wins, respectively. Soldano (25-0 at 190), who has seen two of his three forfeit victories this season (21 pins and a technical fall in his other bouts) come against Jefferson, even though Peter Deleportas weighed in for both meetings, moved into sole possession of 12th place on the school's career wins list at 114-5. Up next is Tyler Forbeck (122-39 from 2005-09). 

Collision course?

Kittatinny and Delaware Valley took the next steps toward a potential rematch in the Group 1 final on Sunday with sectional titles.

The Cougars (18-2). who next host Roselle Park (North 2 winner) on Friday, claimed the program's 23rd championship (ninth in Group 1) with a 39-27 victory over Emerson-Park Ridge in a battle between two New Jersey coaching legends in Kittatinny's John Gill and Stan Woods, who became the first to reach 800 victories earlier this season. Gill has led his program to eight state titles (the last and only one in Group 1 in 2008).

Kittatinny has won 23 titles in John Gill's 42 seasons.
Sophomores Reece Smith (144) and Bryce Coesfeld (150) and freshman Ethan Dalling (157) came through with pins and senior state placewinner Steven Dalling (165) picked up a forfeit to give the Cougars a 36-15 lead through 10 bouts. After the Cavos won three straight, including two regular decisions and the outcome no longer in doubt, senior Ty Eldred scored a 3-1 win at 285.

Delaware Valley (15-4), which dropped a 30-29 decision to Kittatinny on Jan. 15, stormed past Point Pleasant Beach, 68-6, to secure the program's 20th sectional title and third in Group 1 after winning the first 17 in Group 2. It was also win No. 818 for the Hunterdon County school.

The Terriers, who will host Group 1 kingpin Paulsboro in the other Group 1 semifinal, are seeking their ninth state championship and first since winning it all in Group 2 in 2017. Coach Andy Fitz's teams are now 6-4 in sectional title matches, going 6-0 since a 31-30 win over Raritan in 2015.

Senior Trevor Bowen started things against Point Pleasant Beach with a pin at 215, one of nine for the hosts and 10 total in the matchup. Sam Thomas (165), Anderson Olcott (175) and Matt Schneider (190) finished it with three straight pins.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 12:46 AM

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