Wrestling: P'burg leads HWS (5) in NJWWA Top 20

We're off and running in the 2022-23 season, and it's no surprise that the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area is heavily represented in the inaugural New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 poll.

Phillipsburg, the reigning Group 5 champion, holds the No. 10 spot after opening its season this past weekend with a fourth-place finish in the rugged King of the Mountain Tournament at Central Mountain (Pa.) High School. 

The Stateliners, who sat in first place among the 30-team field after Friday's Day 1 session, were led by a pair of returning state qualifiers in junior John Wargo (5-1, third at 285) and sophomore Gavin Hawk (4-2, fourth at 133 under Pennsylvania's weight classes), along with junior Liam Packer (6-2, fourth at 160). Keep an eye on Packer, who is already halfway to last season's win total (12-10 as a sophomore) and could be the team's most improved wrestler.

Coach Brad Gentzle's team, which finished as the state's top-ranked public school for 2021-22, will surely have its hands full and needs to be at full strength for Friday night's road clash against No. 11 Mount Olive. The Marauders are prohibitive favorites to repeat in the Group 4 title chase after capturing the program's first state championship last season.

Warren Hills, which captured the North 2, Group 3 sectional title and was the Group 3 runner-up last season, checks in at No. 16. The Blue Streaks, who feature returning state qualifiers Shawn Redfield (138) and Jarett Pantuso (215), a state medal winner in 2021, cruised to the Caldwell Tournament team championship over the weekend. Freshman Davey Rhinehart (4-0) is one to watch after pinning his way to a title at 113 pounds. 

Wrestling success runs deep in that family as Davey's father, David, was a starter on the 1997 Group 3 title team and a region qualifier at 160 pounds for the Streaks in '98. The late John Rhinehart, who is David's dad and Davey's grandfather, was a region champ and state runner-up in 1969, while great uncles Rick (1967, '68, '70) and Rob, a region champ in 1976, combined to win four district titles. 

Hunterdon Central (No. 18), North Hunterdon (No. 19) and Delaware Valley (No. 20), the reigning Group 1 champion, round out the local contingent.

Central, which competed in the unforgiving Beast of the East Tournament over the weekend, is led by a trio of returning state qualifiers in Peter Plesh (106), Anthony Rossi (113) and Thomas Brunetti (175).

North Hunterdon won the N2, G4 title last season.

North, which is nearly three years removed from its unbeaten and magical run to the Group 4 title in 2020, is led by two-time state placewinner and senior Logan Wadle (4-0 at 113), a Lehigh recruit with 78 career wins, along with seniors Daniel Delusant (31 wins and a state qualifier last season), Alex Uryniak (4-0 at 190 and a seventh-place state medal winner in 2021 with 77 career victories) and Brendan Raley (3-1 and eighth in the state at 215 last season).

Del Val (1-0), which travels to Hunterdon Central for a key showdown on Dec. 30, features returning state qualifiers and seniors Owen Kucharski (4-0 at 113) and Chris Colasurdo (3-1 at 150-157), along with juniors Jake Taylor (4-0 at 120), Ben Levy (4-0 at 144) and Anderson Olcott (4-0 at 190) -- all with 20-plus wins last season.

Powerful Delbarton begins the season atop the NJWWA Top 20 rankings.

 

The Green Wave, who have nine returning state qualifiers and six state medal winners, lead a sweep of the top six spots in the preseason rankings comprised of non-public schools. Delbarton began its season by winning the team championship at the Beast of the East Tournament this past weekend.

 

Delbarton returns 2022 state champions Tyler Vazquez (5-1 at 138) and Simon Ruiz, third-place finisher Cross Wasilewski, fourth-place finishers Louis Cerchio (5-0 at 165) and Alessio Perentin (5-0 at 157) and fifth-place finisher and 2021 state champion Daniel Jones (5-1 at 120). Joseph Davi (4-2 at 144), who was essentially a backup last season after finishing fourth in the state at 138 pounds in 2021, also is primed for a big season.

Del Val eyes its first title repeat since 4 straight in G2 (1987-90)

Bergen Catholic, which finished last season at No. 1 after it won the Non-Public A championship and defeated Delbarton on criteria in the Non-Public A North final, is No. 2. The Crusaders return five state medal winners.

St. Joseph-Montvale, which returns two-time state heavyweight champion Jimmy Mullen and three other state medal winners is next at No. 3.

 

Christian Brothers Academy, which returns four state top-four finishers, including runner-up Julian George, is fourth and the first non-North Jersey team in the rankings.

 

Southern, which returns three state medal winners and had five champions this past weekend in its Robin Leff Tournament, is the highest ranked public school team at No. 7. The Rams, who have a penchant to reload each season, are clearly the team to beat in Group 5 and picked up heavyweight transfer Anthony Evangelista (3-1 at 285), a state qualifier for Hammonton last season.

Rank	School	Record
1	Delbarton	(0-0)
2	Bergen Catholic	(0-0)
3	St. Joseph-Montvale	(1-0)
4	Christian Bros. Academy	(2-3)
5	St. Peter's Prep	(0-0)
6	Paramus Catholic	(0-0)
7	Southern	(1-0)
8	Delsea	(0-0)
9	St. John Vianney	(0-0)
10	Phillipsburg	(0-0)
11	Mount Olive	(0-0)
12	St. Joseph-Metuchen	(0-0)
13	St. Augustine Prep	(1-0)
14	South Plainfield	(1-0)
15	Kingsway	(1-0)
16	Warren Hills	(0-0)
17	Don Bosco Prep	(0-0)
18	Hunterdon Central	(0-0)
19	North Hunterdon	(1-0)
20	Delaware Valley	(1-0)

Listed in alphabetical order: Donald J. Brower (gardenstatehswrestling.com); Frank D’Esposito (shoreconferencewrestling.com); Steven Falk (Asbury Park Press and APP.com); Sean Farrell (The Record and NorthJersey.com); Tom McGurk (Courier Post and courierpostonline.com); Andy Mendlowitz (Courier News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com); Michael Weilamann (Open Mike and mikeopen.blogspot.com), Brad Wilson (lehighvalleylive.com/The Express-Times).