It's status quo in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area when it comes to the latest New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20. But things will start getting interesting this week as the individual tournament fast approaches.
Speaking of Central, coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm's Red Devils (9-0) will get their chance to move on up as they're set to battle P'burg on Wednesday night in Lopatcong Township in a match likely to decide this season's Skyland Conference Delaware Division champion.
Star senior Anthony Rossi (15-0 at 120 pounds) is on the cusp of making program history as he entered the week just three wins from becoming the 28th wrestler for Central to reach 100 career victories. He should do it on Saturday at the HWS Tournament, but check back here for more on that event later this week.
Rossi stands at 97-15 overall, which is impressive considering he went 9-3 as a freshman. This season's seniors are the last to endure the pandemic-shortened campaign in the spring of 2021. Tanner Peake (123-28), a former two-time state placewinner and currently a sophomore 157-pounder at Davidson College, is the last Central wrestler to reach the century mark in 2022.
Phillipsburg, which is coming off a 53-16 victory over No. 19 Cranford on Saturday in a tri-meet that included a 48-18 win over Old Bridge, looks to get healthy as the meat of the Stateliners' dual schedule gets underway vs. Central. The 'Liners are hopeful that senior Dawson McWilliams (3-0 at 126) returns to the lineup soon after missing several weeks due to a knee injury.
Getting McWilliams back in the fold (potentially a seven-to-eight-point swing vs. Central) will be imperative for P'burg -- which already lost senior upper weight Caleb Rivera (ACL injury) for the season -- against a pretty balanced Hunterdon Central team seeking its first win in the series since posting back-to-back victories in 2018 (38-21 at home) and '19 (29-27 at P'burg). It was a feat that had previously not occurred since 1963-64 (35-3 at The Pit and 25-21 at Central).
Central is 9-41-1 all-time vs. P'burg and has won seven of the past 23 meetings since 2003, including a pair of victories in the Group 4 semifinals in 2010 and '13. The teams did not meet last season or in 2021.
Delaware Valley (6-0), which scored a 37-21 win over previously-unbeaten Kittatinny on Saturday in a potential preview of this season's Group 1 final, also has a busy week on tap.
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| The 14th HWS Tournament will be held on Saturday at P'burg. |
On Tuesday, coach Andy Fitz's Terriers host Cranford in an independent match and Voorhees on Wednesday in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division clash. Del Val also should be in the mix for its first HWS Tournament team championship on Saturday after a program-best second-place finish in 2023 (tied Warren Hills with 177 1/2 points), while P'burg eyes its third in a row and an HWS record ninth title in the tourney's 14-year history.
Rossi, along with juniors Gavin Hawk (14-1 at 150) of Phillipsburg and Carson Walsh (12-3 at 132) of Pope John, are looking to join just seven other wrestlers who won at least three HWS individual titles. Rossi, who earned last year's Outstanding Wrester Award with his second title victory at 113 pounds after winning at 106 as a sophomore, and Hawk would be the first to do so for their schools.
Who's No. 1?
The Catholic School Duals this past weekend at Christian Brothers Academy left wrestling fans asking who should be the No. 1 ranked team in the state for a variety of reasons. St. Joseph-Montvale or Delbarton?
First off, St. Joseph-Montvale, which has been the consensus No. 1 team since the start of the season, withdrew from the event due to illness and injuries.
The Green Knights did put together a strong enough lineup to defeat No. 9 Don Bosco Prep, 49-21, on Friday night.
Then, the next day, No. 2 Delbarton stormed through the Catholic School Duals with a 66-6 win over Bosco in the semifinal and an astonishing 66-0 win over No. 3 St. Peter's Prep in the championship match.
The events left the voters in the NJWWA Top 20 somewhat split, but St. Joseph-Montvale is still in the No. 1 slot because it has not lost and because the Knights and Delbarton are likely to settle the No. 1 debate in the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship match on Feb. 11 at Rutgers University's Jersey Mike's Arena.
The most significant development in the rankings this week is Bergen Catholic dropping four spots to No. 7 after it was trounced by St. Peter's Prep and was defeated in a tri-meet by No. 6 Camden Catholic and Paramus Catholic.
Paramus Catholic, which scored its first win over Bergen Catholic since 1986, also defeated Camden Catholic.
Dandy duals on tap
Weather permitting, another big week looms statewide.
On Tuesday night, the top ranking in the Shore Conference will likely be decided when No. 5 Southern wrestles at No. 8 CBA in a rematch of last year's epic match -- a 27-25 win for Southern.
Another big match in the North Jersey Non-Public ranks will take place on Wednesday night when No. 4 Paramus Catholic hosts Don Bosco Prep.
Here is this week's NJWWA Top 20 with first-place votes in parentheses followed by total voting points.
Also receiving votes: Kingsway (5-0) 1.
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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