Wrestling: Five best shots for state medals (HWS)

We may not fully appreciate what High Point ace Brian Soldano has accomplished on the high school wrestling scene until years from now. And while numbers alone don't tell the full story, they're a good starting point as one builds a case for Soldano as the best ever in these parts.

Gardner, Soldano and Francavilla have a combined 6 state titles.

But first, Soldano looks to become only the second at his school to win three state titles. The Rutgers recruit is among 49 wrestlers representing the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area in the 89th State Championships, which begin on Thursday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Soldano (33-0), who joined head coach John Gardner and three-time state champ Nick Francavilla as the only Wildcats to win four region titles on Sunday, is perhaps the biggest favorite among the 14 weight classes to secure another gold medal. No Garden State opponent has been near Soldano's level the past two seasons -- winning his first title at 160 pounds as a sophomore and at 182 at Phillipsburg High School in last season's pandemic-shortened campaign.

"Ever since I got to high school, my goal was to be the best ever at High Point," Soldano said during a preseason interview. "I can't be the best ever because I don't have four state medals. I think Nick is still better than me. But I feel like I've put up a pretty good resume."

Francavilla, who placed seventh as a freshman and Soldano's club coach at Iron Horse in Sparta, and Gardner, a 1990 state champ and New Jersey's all-time wins leader at the time, have freely admitted that Soldano is the best to ever don a High Point singlet.  

Brian Soldano is 12-2 all-time in state matches. 

It's hard to dispute, when you consider that Soldano enters his final state tournament riding a 70-match win streak. His last high school loss came against Lower Dauphin's Clayton Ulrey, a PIAA Class AAA state runner-up that season and coached by former Pemberton state champ Kemal Pegram, 11-8, in the Sam Cali Tournament finals on Jan. 4, 2020. Ulrey is now a sophomore at Virginia Tech.

Soldano, who has won nine straight state tournament bouts, has not suffered a postseason loss since he fell in the 2019 Blood Round -- 17-8 to West Orange's Colin Morgan -- in AC. His 13 pins (seven in the first period) in as many region bouts is unprecedented -- neither Gardner, Francavilla or Pope John's Mike Frick and JoJo Aragona, the other four-time region champs from Sussex County, pinned every opponent. Had it not been for COVID-19, the career numbers -- 122 wins, 95 pins (29 this season) -- would be even more staggering.

Here's our top picks for medals from HWS (Note: We could have easily listed 10)   

Brian Soldano (33-0), High Point -- Soldano is making winning look way too easy, just steamrolling his opponents, with 29 of his victories coming by fall (23 in the first period and 15 in fewer than one minute) to go with one technical fall and three forfeits. He's only gone to the third period once (Delsea's Danny Digiovacchino, who was pinned twice by Soldano) this season and hasn't gone the distance in 35 straight since a 3-0 win over Butler's Justin Chrostowski in the 2021 North 1 Super Region final. The technical fall this seasonwas against North Hunterdon's Alex Uryniak, a 2021 state placewinner, in the HWS Tournament finals. Uryniak was also pinned in 1:34 in their rematch at the Patriot Duals on Jan. 22. Soldano is looking to join Francavilla, Newton's Robert McKeeby (1941-43), Harry Lanzi (1946-48), Bill Dolan (1947-49) and Don Frey (1947-49), and Pope John's Mike Frick (1969, '71 and '72), a four-time finalist along with Lanzi and Frey, as the only other three-time winners from Sussex County.

Career mark: 122-5.

Previous appearances: 3-2, at 160 pounds in 2019; 5-0, first place at 160 in '20; 4-0, first place at 182 in '21.

First-round opponent: Newton senior Melkart Abou-Jaoude (18-7, R1-4).

Logan Wadle (27-6), North Hunterdon -- A runner-up at 106 last season, Wadle seems to be peaking at the right time after a tough start to the season, as he competed up at 113 early on. The catalyst for a state title run may be a 7-6 win over St. Peter's Prep freshman Adrian DeJesus in last weekend's Region 4 finals as Wadle, whose father, Rudy, was a three-time region champion for the Lions, won his first title and the Outstanding Wrestler Award. DeJesus (20-3), the top seed at 106, decked Wadle in a December dual encounter that was not close. Even though Wadle doesn't have experience on the big stage in AC, last year's tournament was at P'burg, he's delivered plenty in big spots over the last three years. Wadle, the No. 2 seed and 19-1 at 106 since dropping on Jan. 15, could see St. John Vianney's Patrick O'Keefe in the semis. O'Keefe gave Wadle his lone loss at 106 -- 5-3 on Jan. 22.

Career mark: 69-14.

Previous appearances: 3-1, second place at 106 pounds in 2021.

First-round opponent: Hackettstown sophomore Aiden Scheeringa (26-8, R3-4).

Tanner Peake (36-4), Hunterdon Central -- One of nine returning placewinners from the HWS area, Peake, the No. 3 seed at 157, is riding high following his win over St. John Vianney stud Jasiah Queen -- 4-3 in the Region 5 finals. That victory avenged a 3-2 UTB loss to Queen in the District 17 finals. Peake, a sixth-place finisher at 152 in 2021, would likely have finished his career as the Red Devils' all-time wins leader if not for COVID-19, but he'll surely settle for joining former teammate Colton Washleski (sixth in 2020 and fourth in '21) as Central's latest two-time medal winner. Peake's only other loss to a New Jersey opponent this season is 4-1 to Kingsway senior Dakota Morris, the No. 2 seed and a 2021 state finalist, in the Beast of the East wrestlebacks.

Career mark: 119-26.

Previous appearances: 3-2, at 138 pounds in 2020; 3-3, sixth place at 152 in '21.

First-round opponent: Northern Highlands senior Logan Hurwitt (22-7, R1-4).

Uryniak, far right, is making his first AC appearance.

Alex Uryniak (31-3), North Hunterdon -- One of the strongest upper weights around, Uryniak, who  has set several weightlifting marks at the school, has quietly put together a solid season in the shadow of Soldano, whose given the 2021 seventh-place state medalist two of his three losses (the other was 5-0 to Central Bucks East's Quinn Collins in the Sam Cali semifinals). Uryniak isn't flashy, but he's been on quite a roll since that second loss to Soldano (a pin in 1:34 on Jan. 22) -- winning 10 in a row, including six pins and one major decision en route to District 13 and Region 4 titles. The other bit of good news is that he's the No. 3 seed and in the opposite bracket from Soldano so a potential third meeting is a strong possibility.

Career mark: 71-13.

Previous appearances: 3-2, seventh place at 182 pounds in 2021.

First-round opponent: Cherry Hill East senior Alex Katsikis (19-6, R7-4).

Liam Akers (35-1), North Hunterdon -- A slimmer version of the North big man didn't make it on the podium in 2021, but Akers, the No. 5 seed, is primed to make a medal run this season. The District 13 and Region 4 champion's only loss is to Paramus Catholic's Max Acciardi, 3-2, in the ultimate tiebreaker in the Sam Cali finals on Dec. 28. That loss to the No. 2 seed in AC sent Akers into the top bracket with heavy title favorite Jim Mullen of St. Joseph-Montvale, the 2020 state champ at 285. It' s shame because Akers matches up well against everyone else in the draw and should see Mullen in the semis. The last North heavyweight to reach the finals was Jack Delia, a runner-up in 2010 and '11. Akers, who finished seventh in 2020, has reeled off 28 in a row (15 pins) since the loss, including two wins over 2021 sixth-place finisher Tyler McCatharn of Warren Hills.

Career mark: 89-18.

Previous appearances: 5-2, seventh place at 285 pounds in 2020; 1-2 at 285 in '21.

First-round opponent: Brick Memorial senior Sam Azzaretti (28-6, R6-4).

Other area qualifiers (44)

Phillipsburg -- Gavin Hawk (120), James Day (126), Luke Geleta (132), Joey Innamorato (138), Hunter Cleaver (157), Nate Zastowny (165), David Pierson (215), John Wargo (285)
Warren Hills -- Kevin Riedinger (113), Shawn Redfield (132), Jared Lee (144), Stephen Malia (165), Owen Frizzell (175), Ryan Galka (190), Pantuso (215), McCatharn (285)
North Hunterdon -- Nick DeLorenzo (132), Daniel Delusant (138), Luke Yager (175), Brendan Raley (215)
Hunterdon Central -- Anthony Rossi (106), Peter Plesh (113), Aidan Portnoy (144), Nick Canonica (150), Thomas Brunetti (165)
Delaware Valley -- Owen Kucharski (106), Chris Colasurdo (150), Matt Schneider (190), Trevor Bowen (215)
Pope John -- Carson Walsh (113), Justin Holly (132), Colin Neal (150), Stoll (215)
High Point -- Clayton Utter (120), Andrew Brevot (138)
Kittatinny -- S. Dalling (150), Ethan Dalling (165), Ty Eldred (285)
Hackettstown -- Aiden Scheeringa (106), Nicholas Balella (120)
Newton -- Michael Melillo (138), Melkart Abou-Jaoude (190)
Hopatcong -- Michael Mastroeni (165)
Lenape Valley -- Daniel Haws (126)

Open Mike championship picks

106 -- Logan Wadle, North Hunterdon
113 -- Anthony Knox, St. John Vianney
120 -- Alex Nini, Christian Brothers Academy
126 -- Evan Mougalian, Kinnelon
132 -- Anthony Santaniello, Brick Memorial
138 -- Joseph Cangro, Bergen Catholic
144 -- Ty Whalen, Clearview
150 -- Andrew Troczynski, Delbarton
157 -- Simon Ruiz, Delbarton
165 -- Hunter Mays, Howell
175 -- Michael Dellagatta, St. Joseph-Montvale
190 -- Brian Soldano, High Point 
215 -- P.J. Casale, Passaic Valley
285 -- Jim Mullen, St. Joseph-Montvale