Wrestling: It's 6 HWS title wins, 100 for Uryniak

It's getting to be old habit in these wrestling parts as far as collecting sectional titles.

For the third time in the last four tournaments and 20th overall in 43 events since 1980 (none were held in 2021 due to COVID-19), the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area produced at least six team champions as Phillipsburg, North Hunterdon, Warren Hills, High Point, Delaware Valley and Kittatinny all repeated on Wednesday night.

The area fell one shy of its record seven, which was done in 2022 and also accomplished in 1988, '94, '95 and 2002. Hunterdon Central (Central Jersey, Group 5) and Sparta (North 1, Group 3) were upended in their title matches.

Looking good at 40

Phillipsburg (14-2) captured its area-best 40th sectional championship and second straight in North 2, Group 5 with a 46-17 waxing of Westfield in Lopatcong Township. The Stateliners, now 7-0 all-time vs. Westfield and 40-3 overall in title matches (missing only in 1990-Warren Hills, 2013-Hunterdon Central and 2020-North Hunterdon), now seek the program's 24th state title as they host Howell in one Group 5 semifinal on Friday. It's a rematch of last year's state final in which P'burg steamrolled the Rebels, 51-8, to capture No. 23. The winner will likely earn a finals date against Southern, which already owns wins over North 1 champion Passaic Tech (67-0 on Jan. 25) and Phillipsburg (42-12 on Jan. 19).

The 'Liners racked up four pins, including junior John Wargo's match-sealing 41-second fall at 285 that made it an insurmountable 37-17 lead with two bouts to go. P'burg picked up bonus points in nine of 10 wins, not including a forfeit in the final bout at 113, including first-period pins by Gavin Hawk (26-4) and Connor Hille (20-5).

Howell (22-6) advanced with a thrilling 34-33 win over Hunterdon Central in the Central Jersey sectional final at the Field House. The Rebels, who ended the Red Devils' run a year ago with a 31-26 victory in the title match, gave P'burg another home match as Central (16-4) would have hosted that state semi against the 'Liners due to having more power points. Instead, the Red Devils were denied in their bid for the program's 23rd sectional title and first since 2019.

All points North

North Hunterdon added to its trophy collection behind a strong senior group that's enjoyed plenty of postseason success with a 34-32 victory over Watchung Hills in an All-Skyland Conference final in North 2, Group 4 at the Lions Den.

North matched Voorhees with its 17th sectional title.

North (13-5), which won its third title in four years (no tournaments in 2021), will next host two-time South Jersey winner Shawnee in one semifinal while Mount Olive, which won the Group 4 title last season, takes on the suddenly-hot Jackson Memorial as the Jags ousted 2022 state runner-up Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey title match.

Speaking of seniors, North ace Alex Uryniak got the ball rolling against Watchung with a 29-second pin in the opening bout at 190 pounds. It also was a milestone victory for Uryniak (100-16), who became the 13th Lions wrester and first since fellow state medalist Andrew Gapas (2018) to hit the century mark. Uryniak was one of the catalysts in North's first unbeaten run (20-0) to the Group 4 title in 2020. Senior Aaron Yarnell (8-15) was also among the key contributors vs. Watchung with an 8-0 major in the 12th bout of the night at 157 pounds, along with sophomore Vincenzo Darrow (6-9), who added a 7-4 win four bouts earlier at 132. Coach Chris Hrunka's teams are now 54-10 over the past four seasons.

Quite the Streak

Warren Hills accomplished something the program had done just once previously as the Blue Streaks captured their seventh sectional title and second straight in North 2, Group 3 with an impressive 41-21 win over Cranford in Washington Township. The victory also avenged a 33-22 loss to the Cougars in the 2017 title match.

Hills (17-3), which last went back-to-back in 1997-98, earned a date with Old Tappan, which won its first sectional title, in one of the Group 3 semifinals. Reigning state champion Delsea (24-1), which handed the Streaks a 29-28 loss in last year's state final and a 39-15 defeat in the Jack Welch Duals semifinals on Jan. 21, takes on South Plainfield in the other semifinal.

Sectional Champs!!!!!!!!!!! We are back on Friday night for the Group 3 Semi Finals! #pushthepace pic.twitter.com/VFkZC9cVGK

— Warren Hills Wrestling (@WHR_Wrestling) February 9, 2023

Freshman Davey Rhinehart was among the heroes for Warren Hills with his 12-1 major of Cranford freshman Ryder Connors in what was considered among the key bouts at 113 pounds. Rhinehart (25-7), whose father, David, was a starter on the Streaks' 1997 Group 3 championship team, put Connors on his back twice in building an 8-0 lead through two periods, before turning and nearly decking Connors again in the third to give Hills a 24-15 lead through nine bouts. Sophomore Charlie Piccione (120) and junior Josh Lee (132) followed with key victories before senior Shawn Redfield sealed the deal with a pin (career win No. 86) in the next-to-last bout at 138.

Getting the flip was instrumental in the victory as well in what looked on paper to be a much tighter dual as it allowed Hills, now 6-9 all-time in sectional finals and 34-20 overall in the postseason, to maneuver away in the second bout from Cranford ace Jordan Chapman (28-3 at 157), whose last loss came in December in the fifth-place match at the Beast of the East. Streaks senior Cody Miller bumped to 165 and logged a 10-5 win before senior Michael Drazek added a technical fall victory at 175. The Cougars were also shorthanded up top as they issued forfeits at 215 and 285.

Winning ways in Wantage

High Point maintained its sectional dominance in North 1, Group 2 as the Wildcats rolled to a 43-22 win over Jefferson to earn their Sussex County-best 30th championship and sixth straight in as many tournaments.

HP picked up its 778th victory. (Rhonda Gaccione)

Coach John Gardner's team, which also dealt Jefferson a 39-27 loss on Jan. 5 and hasn't lost a sectional final since a 44-19 defeat against Emerson-Park Ridge in 2016, will make the long bus ride down to South Jersey (much like Collingswood did to Wantage in last year's state semifinals). High Point will next battle Haddonfield, while state title favorite Raritan hosts Governor Livingston in the other Group 2 matchup.

High Point junior Eli Nosal delivered a match-turning victory in the third bout against Jefferson at 144 pounds with a 6-4 decision over Christian Gould, a Morris County Tournament runner-up. Nosal (7-6) got the home crowd fire up when he rolled through a headlock attempt by Gould with just seven seconds left on the clock in the third period and came out on top with the winning takedown at the edge of the circle. 

Junior Carson Citro's 5-1 decision at 106 pounds helped High Point sweep the final four bouts as the 'Cats won six of the last seven to derail Jefferson's bid for its eighth sectional title and first since 2000. The Falcons also lost here in the 2017 and '18 championship matches. The six straight for High Point is a program first since winning seven consecutive titles from 1986-92. Gardner, a 1990 state champ for the 'Cats, went 4-0 as a wrestler on the 1987-90 teams. That '90 club finished as the Group 3 runner-up. 

Party on the Beach

Delaware Valley kept on rolling in pursuit of a second straight state title in a 78-3 rout of Point Pleasant Beach in a rematch of last year's Central Jersey, Group 1 sectional final at Daniel Hutchins Memorial Gym. Coach Andy Fitz's teams, now 7-4 in sectional title matches and 7-0 since a 31-30 victory over Raritan in 2015, handed Point Pleasant Beach a 68-6 loss in 2022. Del Val now has 21 sectional titles (seven since 2015) -- one shy of Hunterdon Central's county-best 22.

The Terriers, who dropped just three bouts and outscored their three sectional opponents 231-12, earned another rematch with Hanover Park, which dropped a 46-22 decision to the Terriers on Jan. 21, in one Group 1 semifinal, while Kittatinny hosts Paulsboro on Friday night. A year ago, Del Val handed Paulsboro just its second loss (33-27) in 39 career Group 1 semis appearances since the event formed in 1982 (no tournament in 2021).

Kittatinny goes back-to-back for 1st time since 2016-17 (Twitter)

Del Val senior Chris Colasurdo picked up his 65th career win by flattening Connor Loughran in 1:15 -- one of 13 pins for the Terriers, including 10 in the first period.

Kittatinny captured its second straight sectional title and 24th overall under legendary coach John Gill with a 45-21 victory over Emerson-Park Ridge in the North 1 final in Hampton Township. The Cougars, who won the last of their eight state titles in 2008, fell, 46-20, to Del Val on Jan. 7.

Junior Tucker Lockburner helped Kittatinny seize momentum in the opening bout at 190 pounds by decking Jacob Shannon in 3:02. Lockburner (22-4) was considered a slight underdog against Shannon, who was 22-3 entering the contest. Junior Alex Laoudis (12-11) followed up with a pin at 215 and the Cougars were on their way. Junior Bryce Coesfeld picked up his 60th career win and clinched the match with a 10-4 decision over Jake Falotico in the 12th bout at 157.