Wrestling: 'Cats scratch, claw back to top in Group 2

No one knows better than High Point's wrestling team that it's not where you start, but where you finish.

By design, iconic coach John Gardner puts his Wildcats to the test with a brutal regular-season schedule in preparation for what's to come down the line. That method to his madness paid off once again as pins from High Point juniors Dalton Yetter and Mason Mericle helped send the 'Cats to a 36-34 win over Governor Livingston in the Group 2 final on Sunday morning at Rutgers University.

It was a big day as a whole for the Hunterdon-Warren Sussex area as it led the way with three state titles. Delaware Valley won its second straight Group 1 title and 10th overall (eight in Group 2) with a 34-31 win over Paulsboro, while North Hunterdon captured its second Group 4 championship in three years with an impressive 33-27 victory against Jackson Memorial. Phillipsburg (Group 5) and Warren Hills (Group 3) were runners-up.

Del Val (18-3) went back-to-back for the first time since winning four straight in Group 2 from 1987-90. North (15-5) picked up the program's sixth state championship and second under coach Chris Hrunka, who led the Lions to their only unbeaten season (20-0) with a title in 2020 -- giving Hunterdon County a pair of champions for the first time since 1989 (Hunterdon Central in Group 4 and Delaware Valley in Group 2).

High Point picked up its second G2 title in 3 years.

High Point (12-9), which stood at 5-5 on Jan. 21 and took on Group 5 kingpin (Southern) and the Group 3 (Delsea) champion and runner-up (Warren Hills) along the way, is back on top in Group 2 following last year's disappointing 37-27 loss to Raritan in the title match at Franklin High School. 

In doing so, the 'Cats earned the program's 780th victory in 57 seasons and seventh state championship -- matching Pope John and moving one back of archrival Kittatinny, which ranks 10th on the state's all-time list with eight, for the Sussex County lead. Sparta (Group 2 in 1983) is the only other county program to win a state title.

"The goal is not to go undefeated in [dual meets], but to be ready when it comes time for Groups," Gardner, who is 406-122-2 in 25 seasons, said leading up to the 2022 postseason.

In all, High Point, which sits behind only Paulsboro (42) and Phillipsburg (40) with 30 sectional titles in New Jersey wrestling history, is now 7-11 in state championship matches -- winning its first in 2008 and all seven (two in Group 3) under Gardner, a 1990 state champion and member of four sectional championship teams guided by former coach Jeff Hull.

Governor Livingston (17-4), making its first finals appearance after winning the program's third sectional title (1980 and '81 were the others), was another surprise story of this postseason after knocking off top-seeded Raritan, 37-30, in the Rockets' home gym in Friday's Group 2 semis. 

It wasn't exactly an ideal starting weight at 144 pounds, as High Point dropped the first three bouts to fall behind 13-0. But senior Will Gomez (144) and junior Eli Nosal (150) did their jobs by saving a few team points and senior Shane Woolf delivered a clutch 7-4 win at 165 -- scoring four unanswered points in the third period to erase a 4-3 deficit. That was one High Point was counting on and needed to gain some momentum.

The next big story was Yetter (8-3), who rejoined the team on Jan. 20, after sitting out the first half of the season and watching from the stands. Yetter, who showed promise as a sophomore with a 7-10 mark, ignited the bench when he slapped on an airtight cradle to deck James Daoulabani in 3:23.

High Point now stands

Mericle (17-14), who's come along nicely this season under the tutelage of former 'Cats state champ and assistant coach Billy Smith, wasted little time in flattening his opponent with an arm bar at 215. Senior Arik Hums (23-9) picked up a forfeit win at 285 after giving one two bouts earlier at 190 to give High Point its first lead at 21-19 through eight bouts.

Gardner has been impressed by freshman 106-pounder John Barron all season and the freshman showed why getting a takedown with six second left for a thrilling 8-6 sudden-victory win over Christian Sabatino, who dealt Barron a 6-1 loss at the Brick Memorial Mustang Classic in late December.

Barron (15-14) was in good shape with a 4-2 lead after two periods and a 6-4 advantage with a reversal after Sabatino scored his only takedown in the third. But Sabatino also got his second reversal with 41 seconds left on the clock to force overtime.

That put High Point in the driver's seat at 24-19 with five bouts to go, and pins by Nick Clayton (120) and Roman Citro (126), two rocks in the lower weights and among only six winners in last year's title match against Raritan, sealed championship No. 7. Citro (22-3), who has been plagued by injuries during his career, gave the 'Cats an insurmountable 36-22 lead through 12 bouts as he needed just 33 seconds to stick Henrique Ribeiro with a cradle. 

With just four starters in the lineup on Sunday, High Point could very well be back in the Group 2 mix next season. And you can bet the 'Cats, who crave team championships above individual awards, will be battled tested for another championship run.

HIGH POINT 36, GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON 34

144 -- So. Cristian Gioia (24-6), GL, md. Sr. Will Gomez (3-12), 15-2.
150 -- Sr. Dante Gioia (26-5), GL, d. Jr. Eli Nosal (8-7), 7-0.
157 -- So. Jake Kreisberg (21-4), GL, p. So. Nick Marangi (4-19), 1:49.
165 -- Sr. Shane Woolf (23-8), HP, d. Jr. Joseph Dasti (15-3), 7-4.
175 -- Jr. Dalton Yetter (8-3), HP, p. Jr. James Daoulabani (10-14), 3:22.
190 -- So. Nathan Faxon (24-4), GL, forfeit.
215 -- Jr. Mason Mericle (17-14), HP, p. Sr. James Rubino (12-16), 1:05.
285 -- Sr. Arik Hums (23-9), HP, forfeit.
106 -- Fr. John Barron (15-14), HP, d. Jr. Christian Sabatino (23-7), 8-6 SV.
113 -- So. Brandon Rayack (16-2), GL, d. So. Colton Jaust (14-13), 6-2.
120 -- So. Nick Clayton (23-9), HP, p. So. Henrique Ribeiro (18-5), 2:55.
126 -- Sr. Roman Citro (22-3), HP, p. So. Vincent Capone (9-12), :33.
132 -- Sr. Jack Huss (16-13), GL, forfeit.
138 -- Sr. Allan Batista (19-13), GL, forfeit.
Records -- High Point 12-9; Governor Livingston 17-4.