Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Wrestling: P'burg leads HWS in first NJWWA Top 20

We're off and running as the 2024-25 New Jersey high school wrestling season began in earnest this past week. But things will really start to heat up on Wednesday, with 12 dual meets on the docket, including Hunterdon Central at Warren Hills.

Quite a rarity as both teams with storied traditions are sitting outside the state rankings to open the season.

Phillipsburg, which is the only Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area team to grace the initial New Jersey Wrestling Writers Top 20, returns to where it once reigned as the 10th-ranked Stateliners shift to Group 4 for the first time since the pre-pandemic days after spending the past three seasons housed in Group 5. As a result, coach Tim Longacre's team goes from Group 5 underdog (Southern is the frontrunner there) to Group 4 title favorite.

But make no mistake, winning a North 1, Group 4 title will be a major challenge in what is arguably the state's most loaded public sectional field, which includes reigning Group 4 champion Ridge and runner-up Mount Olive. Ridge won its second sectional title and first since 1986 last season before rallying for its first state championship with a thrilling win over No. 14 Mount Olive, which travels to P'burg on Saturday as part of a tri-meet that also includes Governor Livingston.

P'burg, which won its lone Group 5 title in 2022, has won 23 sectional titles in Group 4, most recently in 2019, including one in North 1 (2010). The 'Liners (18-1) were denied in their bid for a 24th state championship and the program's first perfect season since 2014, with a 45-21 loss to Southern in last season's title match at Rutgers University's Jersey Mike's Arena. 

You can also expect Phillipsburg and Southern to rekindle their rivalry in the regular season now that both programs can't meet in the state team championships.  

Southern owns an 11-7 edge in a series dating to 1997, including nine postseason meetings. The Rams, who have won three straight vs. the 'Liners, also prevailed in title matchups in '23 (41-14) and '05 (30-25). P'burg, which scored a 27-25 win in the '22 Group 5 semifinals, was victorious in the '97 (53-9) and '14 (32-21) finals in Group 4. 

P'burg has captured an area-best 41 titles -- second all-time in New Jersey history behind Group 1 kingpin Paulsboro, which has won 43 out of a possible 44 since the tournaments began in 1980. The South Jersey power missed only in 2008, when Kittatinny won its first and only Group 1 title by knocking off Collingswood.

High Point, which is now under the direction of new head coach and former Wildcat state champion Billy Smith, is next on the state sectional championship list with 30. Kittatinny and Camden Catholic (25) are tied for fourth place.

Kittatinny won its 25th sectional title in 2024
Speaking of Kittatinny, there have been some erroneous media reports circulating that this is definitely legendary Cougars coach John Gill's last go-round with the Sussex County-based program. Nothing is further from the truth. Gill, whose teams are 656-209-5 in his 45 seasons at the helm, has made no such decision to step down at season's end.

In fact, Gill is having is much fun now as he did when he took the reigns from Carl Bateman for the 1980-81 campaign after serving as Bateman's assistant for two seasons. The school is now 50 years old, and Gill has been as much a fixture there as anyone. Heck, the Cougars, who entered their 50th season with 688 wins overall, should erect his statue out front when he does decide to hang it up. 

Kittatinny, which opened its dual season with a 57-15 loss to No. 19 Caldwell, is back in action at the West Milford Duals on Friday. The Cougars will face Bound Brook, River Dell and West Milford as senior star Ethan Dalling, who is 98-22 overall, looks to become the 20th member of the program's 100-wins club.    

Now, here's the season's first Top 20:

RankSchoolRecord
1Delbarton(0-0)
2St. Joseph-Montvale(0-0)
3St. Peter's Prep(1-0)
4St. John Vianney(1-0)
5Camden Catholic(0-0)
6Christian Brothers Academy(1-1)
7Southern(0-0)
8Don Bosco Prep(0-0)
9Delsea(0-0)
10Phillipsburg(0-0)
11Rumson-Fair Haven(2-0)
12Bergen Catholic(0-0)
13Paramus Catholic(1-0)
14Mount Olive(0-0)
15Ridge(2-0)
16Seton Hall Prep(0-0)
17St. Augustine Prep(0-0)
18St. Joseph-Metuchen(2-1)
19Caldwell(1-0)
20Washington Township(0-0)

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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