Wrestling: HWS targets sectional titles (pairings)

It's been a common theme in recent seasons when talking about sectional wrestling championships as the conversation ultimately centers around how many will the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area bring home.

That's certainly no surprise as programs from these parts have won at least one title (six in 2023) in each of the previous 43 seasons since the tournaments began in 1980 (none were held in 2021 due to the pandemic), while capturing an area-best seven championships five times (1988, '94, '95, 2002, '22). 

P'burg is second behind Paulsboro (42) for the statewide mark

Phillipsburg, with an incredible HWS-best 40 championships, is mostly responsible for that impressive sectional streak among the 17 HWS schools as the Stateliners reached the finals in each of the previous years and lost only three (Warren Hills-1990, Hunterdon Central-2013 and North Hunterdon-2020). 

P'burg (13-0), ranked No. 9 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20, is among four schools from the HWS area to earn No. 1 seeds as the official pairings were released on Tuesday.

In all, 12 local teams qualified for the sectional tournaments, which get underway with two rounds on Monday. The public school higher seeds will host -- 1 vs. 8 and 5 vs. 4, along with 3 vs. 6 and 7 vs. 2 -- with the winner in each bracket squaring off in the semifinals that evening. 

The championship finals are slated for Wednesday, Feb. 7. All sectional winners move onto the state semifinal round on Friday, Feb. 9 at the higher seeds. The state finals will be held at Rutgers University's Jersey Mike's Arena on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 11. 

The Non-Public schedule has quarterfinals set for Monday, followed by semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 8 and state finals on Sunday, Feb. 11. Under the format adopted last season, Non-Public schools are housed in either A or B brackets and no longer divided into North and South sections. As a result there are no longer non-public sectional finals as the semifinal winners in A and B automatically advance to the state title round. 

The area No. 1 seeds are Phillipsburg (North 2, Group 5), Delaware Valley (Central Jersey, Group 1), Kittatinny (North 1, Group 1) and Hunterdon Central (Central Jersey, Group 5). All but Central, which captured the program's 22nd and last championship in 2019, won titles in '23.

High Point's 30 sectional titles rank third in state history

Reigning Group 4 champion North Hunterdon (North 2, Group 4) and two-time defending sectional champion Warren Hills (North 2, Group 3) are No. 2 seeds, while High Point is the No. 3 seed in North 1, Group 2. The 'Cats are seeking their seventh straight sectional title and last under longtime coach John Gardner, who is shifting over to the girls side full-time in 2024-25. His teams have won 18 of the school's 30 championships over his 26 seasons in charge.

Voorhees (North 2, Group 2) is a No. 4 seed, while Hackettstown (North 2, Group 2) and Sparta (North 1, Group 3) are No. 6 seeds as Newton (North 1, Group 1) rounds out the public side as a No. 7 seed. Pope John, which won its 11th Non-Public North B title in 2022, drew the No. 10 seed in Non-Public A, the most daunting of all brackets with state powers St. Joseph-Montvale, Delbarton, St. Peters' Prep and Christian Brothers Academy -- the top four teams in the NJWWA Top 20 -- to name a few.

The seeding committee met on Tuesday to finalize the pairings in each section and break any existing ties based on head-to-head results, where applicable, followed in order by average of all duals, common opponents and winning percentage. Pairings became official at noon on Wednesday. According to NJSIAA official Ken Rossi, power point totals reflected higher than in previous years due to an extra recalculation done on Monday to ensure teams were rewarded the full amount for all of its 10 best victories as some occurred earlier or later in the season in certain cases.

Warren Hills (8-7) captured the program's seventh sectional title and first back-to-back championships since 1997-98 a year ago before its run ended for a second straight season with a loss to Delsea in pursuit of the Blue Streaks' first Group 3 state championship since 1997. 

First-year head coach K.C. Wanamaker's Warren Hills team should find repeating more difficult in one of the toughest public sections in the state. Cranford (14-2), last season's runner-up after dropping a 41-21 decision to Hills, is the No. 3 seed and West Essex (12-0), the 2022 runner-up, is the top seed.

North and Voorhees are tied with 17 sectional titles

North Hunterdon (5-10), which is having a challenging season under first-year head coach Dave Bell, won its second Group 4 title in three seasons and claimed the program's 17th sectional championship in '23. Mount Olive (11-3), which captured Morris County's first public state title in 2022, is the top seed in North 1, Group 4 and seeks the program's fifth sectional championship. 

Delaware Valley (13-1), which jumped to No. 12 in the latest NJWWA Top 20 on the heels of wins over Hunterdon Central and Warren Hills, is primed for a three-peat in Group 1. Coach Andy Fitz's Terriers, who are seeking three straight state titles for the first time in school history since Del Val won four in a row in Group 2 (1987-90) under his father, Vince, must first secure the Hunterdon County program's 22nd sectional championship and fifth since 2019.

High Point (7-7), which also won a Group 2 title in 2020, did not earn a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2016 as it begins pursuit of a Sussex County-best 31st sectional title. The 'Cats, who have won seven sectional championships in a row only once in program history (1989-92), may have to hit the road and avenge a 39-24 loss to top-seeded Jefferson on Jan. 17 in order to match that feat. 

Kittatinny ranks second in Sussex County with 25 titles

Kittatinny and legendary coach John Gill (653-205-5 in 44 seasons) will bid for the program's 25th sectional title overall and 11th in North 1, Group 1. The Cougars (16-1), who are sitting on 685 victories as a program, are eyeing a potential rematch with Del Val along the way after dropping a 37-21 decision to the Terriers on Jan. 10. 

Here are the seeds and pairings along with final power point totals (records are through Jan. 27):

Group 5

North 1

At Passaic Tech

1-Passaic Tech (16-8, 31.90) vs. 8-West Orange (6-9, 25.90)
5-Bloomfield (8-12, 27.00) vs. 4-Livingston (13-6, 28.60)

At Clifton

3-North Bergen (11-1, 29.10) vs. 6-Union City (11-6, 26.70)
7-Passaic (10-10, 26.40) vs. 2-Clifton (13-4, 31.50)

North 2

At Phillipsburg

1-Phillipsburg (13-0, 40.60) vs. 8-Piscataway (8-8, 27.40)

5-Union (13-5, 28.60) vs. 4-Bayonne (14-5, 28.60)

At Bridgewater-Raritan

3-Westfield (10-7, 29.10) vs. 6-Elizabeth (14-9, 27.80)

7-Newark East Side (14-7, 27.70) vs. 2-Bridgewater-Raritan (12-6, 37.10)

Central Jersey

At Hunterdon Central

1-Hunterdon Central (15-2, 41.30) vs. 8-Marlboro (10-10, 26.30)
5-Old Bridge (6-6, 29.60) vs. 4-Howell (14-2, 34.50)

At Hillsborough

3-Monroe Township (18-3, 33.90) vs. 6-Edison (9-4, 28.50)
7-East Brunswick (9-6, 27.60) vs. 2-Hillsborough (9-7, 35.40) 

South Jersey

At Southern

1-Southern (11-2, 36.30) vs. 8-Eastern (9-9, 27.80)
5-Lenape (9-4, 29.00) vs. 4-Highland-Triton (14-6, 32.00)

At Washington Township

3-Kingsway (10-1, 32.70) vs. 6-Rancocas Valley (17-4, 30.90)
7-Vineland (11-7, 28.60) vs. 2-Washington Township (10-2, 32.70)

Group 4

North 1

At Mount Olive

1-Mount Olive (11-3, 37.70) vs. 8-Lyndhurst-North Arlington (5-9, 26.10)
5-Teaneck (8-10, 27.00) vs. 4-Fair Lawn (8-14, 27.30)

At Cliffside Park-Ridgefield

3-Leonia-Palisades Park (11-3, 27.90) vs. 6-Morris Knolls (5-8, 26.30)
7-Randolph (5-10, 26.70) vs. 2-Cliffside Park-Ridgefield (13-2, 28.60)

North 2

At Ridge

1-Ridge (15-2, 36.30) vs. 8-Iselin Kennedy (10-3, 27.00)
5-Sayreville (10-7, 29.00) vs. 4-Watchung Hills (10-7, 35.50)

At North Hunterdon

3-Middletown North (15-2, 35.50) vs. 6-Middletown South (6-9, 28.30)
7-Scotch Plains-Fanwood (10-6, 27.50) vs. 2-North Hunterdon (5-10, 35.80)

Central Jersey

At Colts Neck 

1-Colts Neck (14-3, 32.10) vs. 8-Bordentown-Florence (10-6, 28.10)
5-Princeton (9-8, 29.00) vs. 4-Hightstown (11-6, 29.40)

At Brick Memorial

3-Manalapan (7-11, 29.90) vs. 6-Jackson Memorial (8-6, 28.50)
7-Steinert (9-7, 28.20) vs. 2-Brick Memorial (8-4, 31.20) 

South Jersey

At Northern Burlington

1-Northern Burlington (10-1, 32.10) vs. 8-Millville (11-8, 26.80)
5-Moorestown (9-7, 28.00) vs. 4-Cherry Hill West (13-6, 30.50)

At Hammonton

3-Shawnee (9-7, 29.40) vs. 6-Clearview (8-7, 27.30)
7-Toms River East (3-12, 26.80) vs. 2-Hammonton (12-7, 30.80)

Group 3

North 1

At Old Tappan

1-Old Tappan (10-6, 32.80) vs. 8-Montville (9-7, 29.90)
5-Ramapo (9-9, 31.10) vs. 4-Wayne Hills (11-8, 31.60)

At River Dell

3-Pascack Valley (12-4, 31.80) vs. 6-Sparta (13-3, 30.90)
7-Wayne Valley (10-7, 30.70) vs. 2-River Dell (17-5, 32.60) 

North 2

At West Essex

1-West Essex (12-0, 35.60) vs. 8-Roxbury (5-9, 28.10)
5-West Morris (8-9, 30.90) vs. 4-Passaic Valley (12-1, 31.60)

At Warren Hills

3-Cranford (14-2, 33.40) vs. 6-Morris Hills (9-7, 30.80)
7-Parsippany Hills (8-5, 27.70) vs. 2-Warren Hills (8-7, 35.60) 

Central Jersey

At Hopewell Valley

1-Hopewell Valley (16-2, 34.70) vs. 8-Lawrence (11-5, 28.20)
5-Allentown (15-4, 30.90) vs. 4-Rahway (13-2, 31.30)

At Robbinsville

3-Ocean Township (13-3, 31.70) vs. 6-Somerville (8-5, 29.00)
7-South Plainfield (7-11, 28.60) vs. 2-Robbinsville (14-5, 32.10)

South Jersey

At Delsea

1-Delsea (12-4, 38.80) vs. 8-Burlington Township (9-4, 26.70)
5-Seneca (10-2, 29.20) vs. 4-Jackson Liberty (13-4, 29.90)

At Lacey Township

3-Ocean City (11-3, 30.90) vs. 6-Gateway-Woodbury (10-9, 28.90)
7-Timber Creek (9-7, 27.60) vs. 2-Lacey Township (13-5, 31.40)

Group 2

North 1

At Jefferson

1-Jefferson (13-4, 34.80) vs. 8-Ramsey (7-13, 26.20)

5-Lakeland (8-2, 30.50) vs. 4-West Milford (12-7, 31.30)

At Westwood

 

3-High Point (7-7, 33.30) vs. 6-Pascack Hills (8-7, 27.60)

7-Manchester Regional (8-6, 26.20) vs. 2-Westwood (14-1, 34.20)

North 2

At Governor Livingston

1-Governor Livingston (19-3, 36.30) vs. 8-Madison (8-6, 25.60)
5-Johnson (8-9, 27.40) vs. 4-Voorhees (10-9, 29.80)

At Caldwell 

3-Bernards (13-3, 31.50) vs. 6-Hackettstown (11-7, 27.30)
7-Rutherford (8-7, 26.40) vs. 2-Caldwell (15-1, 33.90)

Central Jersey

At Rumson-Fair Haven

1-Rumson-Fair Haven (12-1, 34.50) vs. 8-Delran (6-4, 25.90)
5-Cinnaminson (9-5, 29.20) vs. 4-Wall Township (8-6, 29.60)

At Raritan

3-Point Pleasant Boro (11-2, 30.70) vs. 6-Holmdel (13-4, 28.40)
7-Manasquan (9-5, 27.60) vs. 2-Raritan (12-6, 32.20)

South Jersey

At West Deptford

1-West Deptford (17-2, 35.00) vs. 8-Clayton-Glassboro (7-10, 25.00)
5-Barnegat (12-9, 27.20) vs. 4-Collingswood (15-6, 31.60)

At Lower Cape May 

3-Haddonfield (10-7, 33.00) vs. 6-Middle Township (10-6, 26.70)
7-Haddon Heights (7-7, 24.90) vs. 2-Lower Cape May (16-3, 31.70)

Group 1

North 1

At Kittatinny

1-Kittatinny (16-1, 36.30) vs. 8-Hawthorne (5-5, 25.30)
5-New Milford (8-7, 28.10) vs. 4-Butler (13-4, 28.20)

At Emerson-Park Ridge

3-Pompton Lakes (15-6, 29.60) vs. 6-Glen Rock (7-7, 26.70)
7-Newton (4-9, 26.40) vs. 2-Emerson-Park Ridge (15-4, 34.70)

North 2

At Hanover Park

1-Hanover Park (11-7, 31.50) vs. 8-Glen Ridge (7-11, 25.00)
5-Secaucus (10-11, 27.10) vs. 4-Mountain Lakes (13-5, 27.20)

At Hasbrouck Heights

3-Cedar Grove (9-5, 28.10) vs. 6-Whippany Park (8-3, 26.40)
7-Verona (10-6, 26.40) vs. 2-Hasbrouck Heights (13-3, 30.30)

Central Jersey

At Delaware Valley

1-Delaware Valley (12-1, 38.90) vs. 8-Asbury Park (5-7, 23.10)
5-Manville (8-6, 27.00) vs. 4-New Providence (9-12, 27.40)

At Point Pleasant Beach

3-Metuchen (10-6, 27.50) vs. 6-Keansburg (11-5, 26.30)
7-Shore Regional (5-13, 25.10) vs. 2-Point Pleasant Beach (14-2, 28.60) 

South Jersey

At Paulsboro

1-Paulsboro (15-2, 34.70) vs. 8-Pitman (7-9, 24.50)
5-Pennsville (13-5, 27.60) vs. 4-Gloucester City (12-6, 30.70)

At Woodstown 

3-Audubon (12-7, 31.20) vs. 6-Palmyra (13-6, 26.20)
7-Haddon Township (7-9, 26.00) vs. 2-Woodstown (10-10, 30.80)

Non-Public A

At Delbarton

8-Seton Hall Prep (6-4, 34.44) vs. 9-St. Joseph-Metuchen (12-3, 34.60), winner to meet 1-Delbarton (13-3, 35.30)

At Christian Brothers Academy

5-Don Bosco Prep (10-4, 32.60) vs. 12-St. Benedict's Prep (6-10, 23.30), winner to meet 4-Christian Brothers Academy (12-1, 35.90)

At St. Peter's Prep

11-St. Augustine Prep (11-5, 29.70) vs. 6-Paramus Catholic (8-2, 31.50), winner to meet 3-St. Peter's Prep (11-4, 34.00)

At St. Joseph-Montvale

10-Pope John (8-7, 32.30) vs. 7-Bergen Catholic (6-6, 31.70), winner to meet 2-St. Joseph-Montvale (10-0, 32.60)

Non-Public B

At St. John Vianney

8-St. Mary-Rutherford (4-9, 22.40) vs. 9-Holy Cross (4-16, 21.80), winner to meet 1-St. John Vianney (10-1, 32.80)

At St. Thomas Aquinas

5-Immaculata (6-7, 28.50) vs. 4-St. Thomas Aquinas (11-6, 29.10)

At Red Bank Catholic

6-Donovan Catholic (4-7, 26.20) vs. 3-Red Bank Catholic (9-3, 33.00)

At Camden Catholic

10-Pingry (1-9, 22.40) vs. 7-DePaul (6-9, 26.20), winner to meet 2-Camden Catholic (11-1, 31.70)