We're off and running as the 2023-24 high school wrestling season got underway this past weekend with a myriad of tournaments and a smattering of dual meets.
The season's first New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 was released on Tuesday morning with three teams representing the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.
The Stateliners, under first-year head coach Tim Longacre, had seven champions among their 11 finalists, including seniors Dawson McWilliams (2-0 at 126 pounds), Liam Packer (4-0 at 175) and John Wargo (3-0 at 285). Junior Luke Geleta (3-0 at 144) and Wargo are sitting on 69 career victories.
Perhaps even more significant was the fact that this was the first time that Phillipsburg traveled to Paulsboro since 2013. The traditional Garden State powers haven't met in dual meet since P'burg's 38-21 victory at The Pit in 2014. Paulsboro owns an 8-7 lead in a series that began in 1999. There was no meeting in '10.
Though the dual series ended under controversial circumstances nearly a decade ago, P'burg did a solid for Paulsboro during the 2016 Group championships, when the South Jersey team's bus was stuck at its hotel in Toms River.
Phillipsburg opens its dual season at Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday before hosting a strong quad with No. 14 Delsea, No. 20 Mount Olive and unranked North Hunterdon on Saturday.
Hunterdon Central, which opened its season with an impressive 48-22 win over Warren Hills, checks in at No. 12. The Red Devils (1-0) followed up that performance by winning the Caldwell Tournament team championship on Saturday. Seniors Anthony Rossi (4-0 at 120), Evan Thompson (4-0 at 138) and Thomas Brunetti (4-0 at 190) are off to strong starts.
Delaware Valley rounds out the local contingent in the NJWWA Top 20. Coach Andy Fitz's senior-laden Terriers cruised to the team championship with six individual winners in their Wendy Pandy-Leh Tournament on Saturday. No. 13 Del Val, which opens the dual season at Hopewell Valley on Tuesday, is a strong favorite to win a third consecutive Group 1 championship.
The Terriers won a program record four straight state titles in Group 2 from 1987-90 under longtime coach Vince Fitz (284-60-3 in 19 seasons from 1971-90). Andy, now in his 17th season in charge, is closing in on his father's program wins record at 266-93.
Two fixtures in recent seasons did not make the first Top 20. North Hunterdon, the reigning Group 4 champion and Warren Hills, which finished as the Group 3 runner-up the previous two seasons, have new head coaches and are in rebuilding mode. They'll meet in a Skyland Conference clash in Washington on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
North, now under longtime Bergen Catholic coach Dave Bell, finished third in the Ricky Iacono Memorial Tournament at Governor Livingston on Saturday behind a pair of champions -- sophomore Reid Buzby (5-0 at 106) and freshman Aiden Yarussi (4-0 at 120). North opened its dual season with a 43-28 win at home against rival Voorhees on Monday night. The Lions have won 10 straight in the series since a 26-25 loss in 2013 (teams did not wrestle during the 2021 Covid season), but it was the most points scored by the Vikings since a 38-26 victory over North in 2012.
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| WH hosts North Hunterdon on Wednesday. (WH Facebook page) |
Warren Hills, which won five bouts in the loss to Hunterdon Central, finished third at the Caldwell Tournament on Saturday. The Blue Streaks can hang with a lot of teams from 106-144, but first-year coach K.C. Wanamaker's team is battling inexperience from 150 on up and is shorthanded at 215 and 285. Talented freshman Aidan Webb (4-0 at 113), who beat Hunterdon Central state qualifier Ryan Sherlock twice this weekend, is part of a strong group down low. Sophomore Davey Rhinehart (4-0 at 126), junior Tyler Redfield (4-0 at 132) and senior captain Josh Lee (4-0 at 144) are proven winners.
The first NJWWA Top 20 of the season has the same look at the top as the final one of the 2022-23 season.
St. Joseph-Montvale, which upended then No. 1 Delbarton 28-24 in a classic Non Public A championship match, begins the season ranked No. 1.
The Green Knights have nine state placewinners and 10 state qualifiers from last season in their lineup. They began the season by finishing fourth in the team standings in the Beast of the East Tournament and had seven medal winners, led by 175-pound champion Ryan Burton.
Delbarton, which has four 2023 state placewinners, led by returning champion Alessio Perentin and Louis Cerchio, is No. 2. The Green Wave finished sixth at the Beast of the East and had four medal winners, led by 138-pound champion Jayden James.
St. Peter's Prep looks like a team that could give both St. Joseph-Montvale and Delbarton a run for the money. The Marauders return six state placewinners and 10 state qualifiers. They finished seventh at the Beast of the East -- two points behind Delbarton -- and had two medal winners, led by 132-pound runner-up Caedyn Ricciardi.
Reigning Group 5 champion Southern is the top ranked public school team and opens at No. 6. The Rams, who finished as the top public school team in last year's NJWWA Top 20, have seven returning state qualifiers and three state medal winners, led by returning 150-pound state champion Matt Henrich.
Southern began its season with a 73-6 win over Brick Township and had eight champions in its Robin Leff Tournament. That tournament included wrestlers from state-ranked Camden Catholic, Delsea and Mount Olive.
Here is the preseason NJWWA Top 20. The first regular season rankings will be posted on Wednesday, Jan. 3. The poll will then run on Tuesdays throughout the rest of the regular season beginning Jan. 9.
Voting members 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).
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