Wrestling: HWS Tournament information, stats, picks

What: 14th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.

Where: Phillipsburg High School, Lopatcong Township.

When: Saturday's schedule (approximate times): Preliminaries and pre-quarterfinals (six mats), 9:30 a.m.; quarterfinals and pre-quarterfinal losers (six mats), 10:30 a.m.; semifinals and consolations (4 mats), 1 p.m.; championships, third-place and fifth-place consolation finals (3 mats), 3 p.m.

Teams (17): Belvidere, Delaware Valley, Hackettstown, High Point, Hopatcong-Lenape Valley, Hunterdon Central, Kittatinny, Newton, North Hunterdon, North Warren, Phillipsburg, Pope John, Sparta, Vernon, Voorhees, Wallkill Valley, Warren Hills.

Returning champions (10, this season's weights): Jr. Jake Holly, Pope John (first-2023, 106); Sr. Anthony Rossi, Hunterdon Central (first-2023, first-2022, 120); Jr. Carson Walsh, Pope John (first-2023, first-2022, 132); Sr. Justin Holly, Pope John (fourth-2023, first-2022, 138); Jr. Luke Geleta, Phillipsburg (first-2023, third-2022, 144); Jr. Gavin Hawk, Phillipsburg (first-2023, first-2022, 150); So. Rhett Washleski, Hunterdon Central (first-2023, 150); Sr. Logan Wiecoreck, Voorhees (first-2023, second-2022, 165); Sr. Thomas Brunetti, Hunterdon Central (first-2023, third-2022, 190); Sr. John Wargo, Phillipsburg (first-2023, third-2022, 285).

Returning placewinners (34, this season's weights): So. Augie Szamreta, Warren Hills (second-2023, 106); Jr. Joseph Celentano, North Hunterdon (fifth-2023, 113); Sr. Jake Taylor, Delaware Valley (second-2023, 120); Jr. Charlie Piccione, Warren Hills (third-2023, 120); So. Christian Bollette, Voorhees (sixth-2023, 120); Jr. Jaden Perez, Delaware Valley (second-2023, 126); So. Dalton Weber, Pope John (third-2023, 126); Sr. Dawson McWilliams, Phillipsburg (fifth-2023, 126); So. Davey Rhinehart, Warren Hills (sixth-2023, 126); Sr. Nicolas Balella, Hackettstown (second-2023, fourth-2022, 132); Sr. Ahmed Hussain, Hunterdon Central (fourth-2023, 132); Sr. Matt Roche, Delaware Valley (fifth-2023, 132); Sr. Shane Wysocki, North Hunterdon (fifth-2023, 132); So. Gavin Geleta, Phillipsburg (sixth-2023, 132); Jr. Marc Pavese, Hopatcong-Lenape Valley (sixth-2023, 132); Jr. Nick Clayton, High Point (fourth-2023, third-2022, 138); Jr. Logan Hrenenko, Sparta (third-2023, fourth-2022, 138); Jr. Jackson Bush, Delaware Valley (fifth-2023, 138); Sr. Josh Lee, Warren Hills (third-2023, 144); Sr. Patrick Day, Phillipsburg (third-2023, 157); Jr. Ethan Dalling, Kittatinny (second-2023, 165); Sr. Johnathon Roth, Phillipsburg (second-2023, 165); Sr. Brian Wilson, North Hunterdon (third-2023, 165); Jr. Luke Sinkewicz, Delaware Valley (fourth-2023, 165); Jr. Aaron Stone, Newton (sixth-2023, 165); Sr. Bryce Coesfeld, Kittatinny (second-2023, second-2022, 175); So. True DiGiuseppe, Vernon (fourth-2023, 175); Sr. Kevin Roman, Delaware Valley (fifth-2023, 175); Sr. Jackson Call, Hunterdon Central (sixth-2023, 175); Sr. Anderson Olcott, Delaware Valley (third-2023, 190); Sr. Kaleb Ogar, Kittatinny (sixth-2023, 190); Sr. Tucker Lockburner, Kittatinny (fourth-2023, 215); Sr. Cameron Baumann, Voorhees (third-2023, 285); Sr. Kyle Cooke, Delaware Valley (sixth-2023, 285).  

Other past placewinners: Sr. Evan Thompson, Hunterdon Central (fourth-2022, 138).

Phillipsburg leads the field with eight team titles (2011-15, '19, '22, '23).

Notes: Pairings were not released on Friday evening as expected as there were several discrepancies in how the seeding criteria was applied, so that will be straightened out on Saturday morning. ... It looks like we will see more starters competing in this rugged tournament than in recent years due to injuries and match limits. However, Delaware Valley, Kittatinny, North Hunterdon and Phillipsburg are the only schools with 14 entries. ... Rossi (98 career wins), Walsh and Hawk are looking to join a group of just seven wrestlers to win three or more individual championships. Hunterdon Central and Phillipsburg have not had a three-time winner. Walsh would be the fourth for Pope John -- joining JoJo Aragona (2016-19), Eddie Ventresca (2017-20) and Jake Rotunda (2016-18). Aragona and Ventresca are the only four-time champs. The Lions have had at least one winner since 2016 (no finalists in '15). ... P'burg looks to capture its third straight title for the first time since winning five in a row from 2011-15. ... The Stateliners have produced a record 33 individual champions and at least one every year since missing in 2010, followed by North Hunterdon (24), Pope John (23), Hunterdon Central (18), Kittatinny (12), Delaware Valley and Warren Hills (10), which had produced a finalist in all but one of the previous 13 tournaments (2011). No other school boasts double-digit winners. ... Newton has produced at least one finalist in 11 of the previous 13 tournaments, missing only in 2016 and '23. There was no tournament in 2021 due to the pandemic, while there were no fifth-place consolations contested under a shortened format in '22. ... North Warren senior James Dacunto (8-1 at 165 pounds) looks to become just the third at his school to win a title and first since Anthony Duardo (2016).

Championship picks

106 -- Jake Holly, Pope John
113 -- Aidan Webb, Warren Hills
120 -- Anthony Rossi, Hunterdon Central
126 -- Dalton Weber, Pope John
132 -- Carson Walsh, Pope John
138 -- Justin Holly, Pope John
144 -- Luke Geleta, Phillipsburg 
150 -- Gavin Hawk, Phillipsburg
157 -- Reece Smith, Kittatinny
165 -- Ethan Dalling, Kittatinny
175 -- Liam Packer, Phillipsburg
190 -- Thomas Brunetti, Hunterdon Central
215 -- Tucker Lockburner, Kittatinny
285 -- John Wargo, Phillipsburg

Team champion: Phillipsburg.