We're just days away from one of the most grueling county events in New Jersey as several wrestlers will look to make history when the 14th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament commences at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at Phillipsburg High School.
.jpg) |
| P'burg seeks its third straight and HWS record ninth team title |
In addition, there are six other 2023 champions in this year's field: Pope John junior Jake Holly (106), Phillipsburg junior Luke Geleta (144) and senior John Wargo (285), Hunterdon Central sophomore Rhett Washleski (150) and senior Thomas Brunetti (190) and Voorhees senior Logan Wiecoreck (165). Pope John senior Justin Holly (138) was a champion in 2022.
It's always difficult to get a clear handle on this event as teams decide on which wrestlers are in and which are out, mainly due to match limit concerns. In this era of high school wrestling, most in the 17-school field debate which is more beneficial to their inexperienced wrestlers, who would likely be better served competing in JV events the night before or on Sunday.
This event also is not popular with several coaches, who would just as soon get in and out of the gym. We've documented numerous times over the years how tournament directors accommodate those who share that sentiment by running the championship and consolation final rounds together on three mats, and no introductions of the finalists and their career accomplishments, which is a real shame. There is not a tougher county tournament in the state. These wrestlers earned that right to be recognized.
Another interesting twist is that all weights will be plus-three (109, etc.) as the two-pound allowance kicks this weekend, plus an extra pound for the 10 teams competing on Friday. As a result, we should see quite a few wrestlers make the drop -- some for the first time this season.
We've ranked the top five in each weight class and noted some of the head-to-head results. Entries are subject to change as official seeds and pairings will not be released until Friday.
(Records through Tuesday's matches)
109 pounds
1. Jr. Jake Holly (11-4), Pope John
2. So. Reid Buzby (14-2), North Hunterdon
3. So. Augie Szamreta (10-4), Warren Hills
4. Fr. Anthony Pettinelli (9-7), Phillipsburg
5. So. Conor Hallowich (7-4), North Warren
Others to watch: Fr. Joseph Rowinski (9-4), Hackettstown; So. Troy Sharp (9-8), Kittatinny; So. Tristan Fawthrop (7-2), Delaware Valley; Fr. Tyler Ondovik (6-8), Voorhees
Notes: Holly is the reigning champion at this weight class, scoring a 10-4 win over Szamreta in last year's championship round. ... Buzby dropped a 6-2 decision to Holly at the Sam Cali Invitational and owns wins over Szamreta (4-3 on Dec. 20) and Pettinelli (3-0 on Dec. 23). ... Szamreta scored a 9-1 major over Pettinelli in a recent dual.
116 pounds
 |
| Aidan Webb (center with Hills' Hammer of Week Award) |
2. Jr. Joseph Celentano (8-8), North Hunterdon
3. So. Massimo Gonzalez (8-4), Phillipsburg
4. Sr. Ryan Sherlock (6-6), Hunterdon Central
5. Sr. Peter Donnelly (4-2), Sparta
Others to watch: Fr. Johnny D'Andrea (14-2), Voorhees; Fr. Frank Spagnola (6-2), Pope John; Fr. Carter Drouin (4-5), High Point; Fr. Bryan Dougherty (6-4), Hackettstown; Jr. Luacs Beyers (6-5), Delaware Valley; Fr. Callum Trilling (9-8), Kittatinny
Notes: Webb was trailing in the third period against Gonzalez and Celentano before pulling off dramatic victories -- decking Celentano with a headlock to give Hills a 32-30 win on Dec. 20, while scoring six points in the final 54 seconds to erase a four-point deficit in a 6-5 win over Gonzalez. No Blue Streak has won a title in his freshman season. ... Celentano, a fifth-place finisher at 106 in 2023, pinned D'Andrea in a dual and did not face Gonzalez, who missed that dual due to illness, though he lost to Celentano in OT last season. Sherlock, a state qualifier at 106 as a junior, has two losses to Webb this season and lost a 7-5 decision to Gonzalez in Central's 45-13 loss to P'burg on Wednesday.
123 pounds
1. Sr. Anthony Rossi (15-0), Hunterdon Central
2. Sr. Jake Taylor (11-1), Delaware Valley
3. Jr. Charlie Piccione (12-4), Warren Hills
4. Fr. Aidan Yarussi (11-5), North Hunterdon
5. So. Christian Bollette (13-2), Voorhees
Others to watch: Fr. Owen Garriques (6-8), Phillipsburg; Sr. Carson Citro (4-2), High Point; Fr. Giovanni Gutierrez (9-4), Hackettstown; Jr. John Cammarata (8-4), Wallkill Valley; Fr. Joseph Castro (10-3), Hopatcong-Lenape Valley; So. Trey Zebrun (4-5), North Warren; So. Patrick Bruseo (5-6), Sparta
Notes: Rossi, who entered the week sitting on 97 career wins, looks to become the first at Central and just the eighth in the tournament's 14-year history to win at least three titles. He's pinned Piccione twice this season. ... Taylor, a runner-up at this weight in 2023, scored a 2-0 win over Piccione in the John Goles Invitational finals on Dec. 28. ... Yarussi, a talented freshman who dropped an 18-7 major to Piccione in a dual, has a 4-1 win over Garriques this season. ... Bollette, who placed sixth at 106 as a freshman took a 13-5 loss to Taylor on Dec. 16. Bollette, who was bumped to 126 for the team's dual with North, has not faced Yarussi this season. Garriques, whose father, John, was a state runner-up for the Stateliners and the current head coach at Centenary University, is capable of making a run here.
129 pounds
1. So. Dalton Weber (10-2), Pope John
2. Jr. Jaden Perez (12-0), Delaware Valley
3. Sr. Dawson McWilliams (3-0), Phillipsburg
4. So. Davey Rhinehart (14-1), Warren Hills
5. So. Ryan Hrenenko (12-2), Sparta
Others to watch: Jr. Colton Jaust (7-6), High Point; Fr. Cole Castles (8-3), North Warren; Jr. Keegan Murtagh (7-5), Newton; So. Jace Brownlie (7-8), Hunterdon Central; Fr. Kieran Raley (6-10), North Hunterdon
Notes: Perez, who's looked very good this season, was a runner-up at this weight class in 2023. while Weber finished third at 113 and was a round shy of earning a medal at the state tournament as a freshman. ... McWilliams, who was fifth at 113 a year ago, has missed most of the season with a knee injury and made his dual return on Wednesday. ... Rhinehart, who was sixth at 113 a year ago and has 44 career wins (34 pins), scored an 8-4 win over Raley on Dec. 20 and was pinned by Perez in the John Goles Invitational finals.
135 pounds
1. Jr. Carson Walsh (12-3), Pope John
2. Sr. Nicolas Balella (11-4), Hackettstown
3. Sr. Matt Roche (11-0), Delaware Valley
4. So. Gavin Geleta (13-4), Phillipsburg
5. Sr. Ahmed Hussain (11-4), Hunterdon Central
Others to watch: Jr. Marc Pavese (11-2), Hopatcong-Lenape Valley; Sr. Shane Wysocki (7-8), North Hunterdon; Sr. Eugene Donnelly (7-4), Sparta
Notes: One of the deepest weights in the field that's now without Warren Hills junior Tyler Redfield (15-2), who suffered a season-ending injury in the team's criteria loss to Watchung Hills on Wednesday. ... Walsh, a two-time state placewinner, eyes his third straight title, while Balella, a runner-up at 132 last season, makes the drop from 138. ... Roche, also a state placewinner in 2023 and fifth at this weight following a 10-1 loss to Balella in the quarterfinals, was impressive in a 12-2 victory over Redfield in the John Goles Invitational finals. ... Redfield handed Geleta an 8-0 loss last Wednesday and scored a 4-3 win over Hussain, a returning fourth-place finisher, on Dec. 15. ... Geleta rallied for a 5-4 win over Hussain on Wednesday.
141 pounds
.jpg) |
| P'burg (33) and North Hunterdon (24) have the most HWS champs |
2. Sr. Evan Thompson (13-2), Hunterdon Central
3. Jr. Jackson Bush (11-1), Delaware Valley
4. Jr. Nick Clayton (8-3), High Point
5. Jr. Logan Hrenenko (12-2), Sparta
Others to watch: Sr. Jacob Savage (13-6), Kittatinny; Sr. Grant Goldan (6-8), North Hunterdon; Fr. Jaxon Garner (9-6), Voorhees; Jr. Mason Bucci (9-5), Newton; Jr. Anthony Ashford (4-9), Phillipsburg; Sr. Blake Brown (4-5), Hopatcong-Lenape Valley
Notes: Holly was fourth a year ago after winning the 132-pound title in 2022 ... Thompson, a fourth-place finisher as a sophomore, eyes his first HWS title. His father, Matt, and former Central state medalist won the 171-pound championship in the first Hunterdon-Warren Tournament in 1992, the forerunner to this event. ... Bush, a returning state qualifier and fifth at this weight last season in the HWS Tournament, makes the drop from 144. ... Clayton, another returning state qualifier, was a fourth-place finisher at 120 in the tri-county tournament last season. ... Hrenenko was third at 144 a year ago.
147 pounds
1. Jr. Luke Geleta (14-1), Phillipsburg
2. Sr. Josh Lee (12-1), Warren Hills
3. Sr. William Cella (13-3), Hunterdon Central
4. Jr. Gage Graziano (11-2), Hopatcong-Lenape Valley
5. Fr. Braydan Lombreglia (5-2), Pope John
Others to watch: Jr. Michael Tidona (7-4), High Point; Sr. Joey Catalano (3-3), Newton; Jr. Antonio Nikolopoulos (8-7), Belvidere
Notes: Geleta, a returning state medalist who won his first HWS title last season after a third-place finish in 2022, scored a 10-3 win over Lee last Wednesday and pinned Cella in his latest result. ... Lee, who was third at 132 last season, handed Cella an 11-2 loss on Dec. 15. Lee's brother, Jared, was a champion at this weight in 2022.
153 pounds
1. Jr. Gavin Hawk (14-1), Phillipsburg
2. So. Rhett Washleski (15-0), Hunterdon Central
3. Sr. Ben Levy (9-2), Delaware Valley
4. Jr. Tyler O'Neill (9-7), Warren Hills
5. Jr. Aiden McClain (12-6), Kittatinny
Others to watch: Jr. Vincenzo Darrow (7-8), North Hunterdon; Jr. Jesse Huelbig (6-6), High Point; Jr. Ethan Pacheco (6-3), Hopatcong-Lenape Valley; So. Tyler Morodan (6-4), Newton; Sr. Anthony Petrock (6-6), Sparta; So. Jake Zerden (3-3), Pope John
Notes: Hawk, who is looking to become the first Stateliner to win three HWS titles after winning at 132 last season, cemented the top spot with a pair of takedowns in a 5-1 win over Washleski on Wednesday. ... Washleski, a returning state qualifier, is aiming to join former state champion and two-time HWS champion Brett Ungar (2018 and '19) as the only Central wrestlers to win titles in their first two seasons. ... Levy decked McClain in a dual on Saturday. ... O'Neill pinned McClain in the Caldwell Tournament on Dec. 16 and handed Darrow a 7-6 loss on Dec. 20.
 |
| Reece Smith won a Caldwell Tournament title this season. |
2. Sr. Patrick Day (6-3), Phillipsburg
3. Sr. Mitchell Sutter (10-3), Delaware Valley
4. Jr. Joshua Joubert (12-5), North Hunterdon
4. Sr. Ryan Seemon (10-6), Hunterdon Central
5. Sr. Mason Mericle (7-4), High Point
5. Sr. Kyle Cooke (8-2), Delaware Valley
No comments:
Post a Comment