It's that time again when Phillipsburg hits the meat of its rugged wrestling schedule in preparation for another sectional and state championship run.
Rumors regarding the possibility of this happening surfaced during the 14th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament on Saturday. As a result, the opportunity for a rematch of last year's Group 5 final (a 41-14 loss for P'burg) won't be possible until February.
Among the chief concerns for Phillipsburg, which holds at No. 10 in this week's New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20, in facing No. 5 Southern was having wrestlers weigh-in four times in six days with the season's biggest dual against archrival Easton (Pa.) looming on Saturday.
Phillipsburg's schedule became a bit more complicated when the mandated Skyland Conference Delaware Division match against Watchung Hills at The Pit was moved from last Tuesday to Monday due to weather. The 'Liners, who have lost four of the past six meetings with Southern, also have a road date with Hanover Park on Thursday before the big showdown at home vs. Easton.
First-year head coach Tim Longacre's team finished second behind No. 13 Hunterdon Central (9-1) in the HWS Tournament as the Red Devils captured their first team championship. Just three days earlier, P'burg cruised to a 45-13 win over Central in a key Delaware Division clash -- winning 11 of the 14 bouts. The 'Liners went 5-3 in head-to-head matchups at HWS.
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| Gavin Hawk improved to 90-17 overall on Monday. |
Hawk is looking for bigger things down the road after finishing one win shy of a state medal after a Blood Round loss last season in Atlantic City.
"States last year, I lost to two tough kids [5-3 to Morristown's Jack Meyers and 3-1 to St. Joseph-Montvale's Donny Almeyda, who finished third and fourth at 132 pounds in AC]," said Hawk, who defeated Meyers via injury default in last season's Region 3 Tournament.
"I worked hard and didn't get the results I wanted. Even though it sucked, it was honestly the best thing that could have happened. It kept me motivated all throughout the offseason and summer, and even this season thinking about going to AC and redeeming myself."
Junior Luke Geleta (19-1 at 144) and senior John Wargo (16-1 at 285) won their second HWS titles, while senior Liam Packer (19-3 at 175) earned his first. Last week also marked the return of senior Dawson McWilliams (7-2 at 126) to the lineup after he missed time due to a knee injury. Senior Patrick "Patch" Day (9-4 at 157) also is battling a right shoulder issue and missed Monday's match vs. Watchung Hills after gutting out a sixth-place finish at HWS.
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| HC ranks fourth with 21 HWS champions. |
"I definitely did not end the way I was capable of last year [falling 5-2 to Seton Hall runner-up Logan Brzozowski in the state quarterfinals at 113 after beating Old Bridge state champ Logan Roman earlier last season]," Rossi said. "Really just having fun this season and not thinking about the results. That changes the results overall because I put in the work and I'm not really focused on the things I can't control."
Coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm's Red Devils also have a big week on tap with North Hunterdon on Wednesday, Voorhees on Friday and a home quad on Saturday that includes No. 12 Mount Olive.
Delaware Valley (7-0) rounds out the local contingent in this week's poll at No. 14. The Terriers, who finished third in the HWS Tournament team standings had one individual champion in junior Jackson Bush (138). Coach Andy Fitz's team is set to face Watchung Hills on Wednesday and North Hunterdon on Friday before capping the week with a tri-meet against fellow Group 1 school Hanover Park and Ridge.
Shift work
The match for the No. 1 ranking in the Shore Conference had major ramifications on this week's NJWWA Top 20.
Christian Brothers Academy's 30-28 win over Southern in another instant classic not only avenged a 27-25 defeat to the Rams from last season, but it enabled the Colts to make a major move in this week's state rankings.
CBA, whose only defeat is to No. 3 St. Peter's Prep, moves up four spots to No. 4 this week. The Colts also have a 37-36 win over No. 6 Don Bosco Prep and a win over No. 17 St. Joseph-Metuchen. CBA followed the Southern win with a solid showing in the rugged Escape The Rock Tournament at Council Rock (Pa.) High School. The Colts had four top-three finishers, including freshman Killian Coluccio winning the 107-pouund title, and finished fifth in the team standings. That was one spot ahead of Southern, which had two finalists and five medal winners in all.
Don Bosco Prep, by virtue of its 47-24 win over then No. 4 Paramus Catholic, was another big winner in this week's rankings. The Ironmen move up three spots to No. 6.
Other big results from last week were: St. John Vianney defeating Bergen Catholic, 33-28; Delsea sweeping a quad meet at St. Joseph-Metuchen that included No. 16 Seton Hall Prep and Cranford defeating Brick Memorial, 37-30, on Saturday.
Here is this week's NJWWA Top 20 with first-place votes in parentheses followed by total points.
Also receiving votes: West Deptford (12-1) 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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