Wrestling: Pair of 4-peats highlight historic HWS

LOPATCONG TWP. -- Pope John ace Carson Walsh's eyes are on much bigger wrestling prizes, but the senior star at 138 pounds appreciated the magnitude of his historic accomplishment in the 15th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.

Walsh matched two others at his school to win four individual titles and was joined minutes later by Phillipsburg senior Gavin Hawk (157), who became the first Stateliner to four-peat and just the fourth in HWS history, as part of what proved to be a noteworthy championship round on Saturday at Phillipsburg High School. 

Walsh was among an HWS-best 4 winners for PJ

For the first time in tourney history, all 14 title matchups were bonus-point victories. Walsh (19-1), a state runner-up last season and three-time medalist, built a 13-3 lead before using a cradle to deck Sparta senior Logan Hrenenko in 3:58 and spoil his bid for 100 career wins to earn OW honors. Hawk, also a state finalist last season, stuck Hunterdon Central's Grant Thompson in 1:48.

"It's exciting. When I won as a freshman, it was always a goal to win three more," said Walsh, who joined former state champs JoJo Aragona (2016-19), now a PJ assistant coach and the school's only other county OW, and Eddie Ventresca (2017-20) as the only Lions to win four HWS titles. 

"My goals have been bigger since then and I haven't really achieved those yet. There are bigger things on my mind, but definitely a cool feeling. "He's a tough, strong kid ... hard to finish on. But I knew if I got to my shots, I can finish on anyone in the country."

Pope John finished second in the team race behind Phillipsburg, which claimed its ninth championship and first since 2023. Lions junior Dalton Weber (132) joined an elite group of just 39 wrestlers to win at least two titles, while juniors Cole Dunham (165) and David Thomson (190) joined the party as first-time champions. 

Walsh, a Pitt recruit, is focused on winning that elusive state title, but recognized the significance of winning four titles in what's widely considered as the toughest county tournament in New Jersey.

"It's never going to be a cakewalk," Walsh said. "Phillipsburg is one of the biggest wrestling powerhouses in the state. Warren Hills, there's plenty of teams here that are powerhouses, so you're always going to [face] one good guy every weight besides your own. 

"Since [an 8-4 loss to St. Joseph-Montvale state champ Adrian DeJesus in last year's state finals], I don't think I've ever had a practice where I wasn't going 100 percent all out. It stung a lot, but it made me better. So it was a good thing in that sense. Biggest thing is believing in myself."

Two for the Streaks

Warren Hills ended its two-year title drought when junior Augie Szamreta (113) and senior Charlie Piccione (120) went back-to-back for their first HWS championships.

Piccione (100-27 overall) is WH's 12th HWS champ

Piccione, a runner-up in 2024, celebrated his first title and a personal milestone by pinning North Hunterdon's Joseph Celentano in 1:58 to become just the 10th Blue Streak to amass 100 career wins.

"It feels amazing," said Piccione, a two-time state qualifier. "I can't help but to feel humble and grateful for the things I have in my life, like my family, my love for the sport and my ability to do it. It was a lot of pressure, especially because I was going to hit 100 wins in the finals. It was very nerve-wracking. I was so nervous."

Piccione is the first to reach the century mark at Warren Hills since two-time state medalist Tyler McCatharn (105-34 from 2018-22).

"It's an honor, to be honest," Piccione said. "It was always my dream to become part of my school's history." 

Szamreta, a three-time finalist and two-time runner-up, was particularly impressive in a 17-1 technical fall win over Phillipsburg's Anthony Pettinelli, who decked two-time champ Jake Holly of Pope John with a cradle in the semifinals. Holly, who placed eighth in the state at 106 last season, had ended Szamreta's title chase in the 2023 and '24 finals.

"I think it's definitely one of the best [bouts] I've wrestled at 113," said Szamreta (16-1), who ended the Streaks' 10-match skid in HWS finals since Jared Lee (144) and Stephen Malia (165) won in 2022. "I think I really pushed the pace well and made him wrestle to my speed. 

WH and DV are tied for 6th with 12 HWS champs

"Last week, I made the descension down [from 120] and was a little bit sluggish. Today, I felt really good at the weight. Obviously, I really wanted my get back against [Holly], but beating [Pettinelli] convincingly like that is the same thing. I'm happy I was able to make a statement in the finals."

Szamreta (71-22), junior Davey Rhinehart (71-19), a three-time HWS placer, and senior Tyler Redfield (82-31), who finished third at 132, are next in line to potentially join Piccione in the century club for wins.

"That was really cool. I'm really happy for [Piccione]," Szamreta said of watching his workout partner make history. "He worked hard to get that [milestone]."

It's a legacy thing

Kittatinny is having a pretty tough season so far teamwise, but senior Ethan Dalling put a smile on legendary coach John Gill's face by working North Hunterdon state qualifier Evan Kinney for a 20-2 technical fall victory in their 175-pound final.

Ethan Dalling is a 3-time HWS placer

Dalling (18-2), a runner-up the previous two seasons, became the Cougars' 14th county champ after Reece Smith won the 157-pound title in 2024. They're the only two winners for the Sussex County school since 2020. Perhaps most importantly, Dalling (113-23 overall) matched his father, Steve, and Roman Fleszar, both two-time state champs under Gill, for 12th place on the school's career wins list.

"He's just been huge. He's been my coach since when I started at 3 years old," Dalling said of his dad, a three-time state finalist and the wrestler who put Kittatinny on the map, according to Gill. "He was really pushing me all the time to get better. When I was younger, when I really didn't want to do it, he wasn't pushing me too hard, but once I got older and really into it, he was one of the key people who really pushed me to get better."

Dalling, whose older brother, Steven, was a runner-up in 2022, had plenty of motivation after his near-miss a year ago in the HWS finals against nemesis James Dacunto of North Warren, whom Dalling went 2-1 against the previous two seasons.

"It's really nice after losing a 1-0 match [in last year's finals] after I definitely thought I was going to get the win," Dalling said. "Lost two really tight matches [against Dacunto]. To get this really feels great."

Back points

North Hunterdon, which finished third in the team standings behind nine placewinners, went 0-6 in the championship round. Cayden Wadle (106), Celentano, Reid Buzby (126), Aidan Yarussi (132), Josh Joubert (165) and Kinney all made their first finals appearances for the Lions, who did not have a champ for just the third time in tourney history after missing for the first time since 2018 last year.

Phillipsburg junior Kevin Buonocore was the most unlikely champ as the No. 10 seed pinned Sparta's Liam Hassloch in their title bout at 215. Buonocore (10-6), who only weighs around 188 pounds, was all smiles during a postmatch interview and the catcher on the school's baseball team said he's glad to be back in the sport after a two-year hiatus between sixth and ninth grades.

P'burg celebrates its record 9th HWS team title

"I was confident in myself coming in. I looked at the seeding and didn't really think that meant anything," said the Stateliners' county-record 40th champion. "This is huge because it's my first big tournament win."

P'burg senior Luke Geleta (150), who was a bronze medalist in 2022, also won his third HWS title by pinning Sparta's Sean Brown in 2:34 as the 'Liners produced a tourney-best 11 placewinners.

Hackettstown sophomore Joseph Rowinski became the Tigers' sixth HWS champion as he dominated the field at 106 pounds. Alex Carida (145) and Joe Andes (285) were the school's previous winners in 2018. Carida is the Warren County school's lone two-time winner.

Delaware Valley star Jaden Perez (126) finally broke through after two straight finals losses, while senior Jackson Bush (150) was denied in his bid to become just the third two-time winner for the Terriers (Cody Barbiche 2010-11 and Mike Pongracz 2012-13).

Hunterdon Central junior Rhett Washleski (150) won his second title after a finals loss last season -- scoring a 10-2 major over Bush. Washleski, whose brother, Colton, was a runner-up in 2020, will look to join Anthony Rossi (2022-24) as the only three-time winners for the Red Devils next season.

High Point junior Gavin Mericle (285) scored a 10-0 major over Phillipsburg's Ben Ellis to become the Wildcats' 10th champion and first since Brian Soldano (2022). First-year head coach Billy Smith won a title at 215 in 2010, while assistant coach Billy Talmadge was the OW in his championship run at 138 pounds in 2020.

For more perspective on the finals blitz, from 2010-16, there were no fewer than eight victories by regular decisions, including a record 13 among 14 title bouts in 2012. Since 2017, only 2022 (11) and '23 (10) have been in double-digits, with a tourney-low six in '17, '18 and '24.