Open Mike: February 2025

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Wrestling: Region (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) schedules, stats

Schedules and other information for the regions involving Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area schools. All tournaments will be held on Friday and Saturday.

The top four at each weight class advance to the 92nd State Wrestling Championships slated for March 6-8 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

P'burg has produced an HWS-best 132 region champs

There are 98 HWS area wrestlers still competing throughout five regions this weekend. Overall, here are the area qualifiers by season since realignment (which now changes every year) was introduced in 2017 -- 118 in '17 and '18; 125 in '19; 113 in '20 (no district tournaments in '21 due to the pandemic); 122 in '22, 107 in '23 and '24. The eight-year average is 114.

Here is the breakdown among our area schools:

North Hunterdon and Phillipsburg (12); High Point (11); Delaware Valley (10); Pope John (9); Newton (7); Sparta and Warren Hills (6); Hackettstown and Hunterdon Central (5); Kittatinny and Voorhees (4); Hopatcong-Lenape Valley and North Warren (3); Belvidere and Vernon (1).

Pope John senior ace Carson Walsh (Region 3 at West Orange) and Hunterdon Central junior Rhett Washleski (Region 5 at Franklin) will look to make HWS area history this weekend in bidding for their fourth and third titles, respectively.

Walsh (129-15) ranks 4th on PJ's career wins list

Walsh (30-1 at 138), who won at 132 pounds in Region 3 last season after winning back-to-back titles while competing in Region 1 at West Milford in 2022 and '23, aims to become just the third Lion to capture four region championships. Former state champions Mike Frick (1969-72) and JoJo Aragona (2016-19) are the only others to win region titles in their first three seasons for the Sparta-based school.

Pope John senior Donny Almeyda (13-0 at 144), a two-time state fourth-place medalist, also is seeking his fourth region title after previously winning three at St. Joseph-Montvale. Delbarton's Alessio Perentin (165) and Hanover Park's Vincenzo LaValle (190) are also seeking their fourth titles this weekend in Region 3, while St. Peter's Prep's Caedyn Ricciardi (138) bids for his fourth at Region 5.

Washleski (34-2 at 150), who has won his second title last season in Region 4, looks to become only the sixth to win at least three region championships for the Red Devils and first since lone four-time winner Gary Dinmore (2011-14). Washleski's older brother, Colton, a former state medalist, won a region title for Central at 145 pounds in 2020.

Only 43 wrestlers from Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area schools have won three or more titles (just eight have won four) since the regional tournaments formed in 1961.

Note: Tickets must be purchased online in advance of the event.

Region 1

At West Milford High School

Area schools: High Point, Kittatinny, Newton, North Warren, Phillipsburg, Sparta, Vernon, Wallkill Valley.

Rest of the field: Bergen Catholic, Butler, Cresskill, Demarest, DePaul, Don Bosco Prep, Dumont, Emerson-Park Ridge, Glen Rock, Hawthorne, Indian Hills, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lakeland, Mahwah, New Milford, Northern Highlands, Old Tappan, Pascack Hills, Pascack Valley, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Ramapo, Ramsey, Ridgewood, River Dell, Waldwick-Midland Park, Wayne Hills, West Essex, West Milford, Westwood.

West Milford will host R1 for the seventh year since 2018

Returning champions (5): Jr. Nathan Braun (126), Bergen Catholic (113 in 2024, 106 in '23); Sr. Nick Clayton (150), High Point (132 in '24); Jr. Nevin Mattessich (190), Don Bosco Prep (190 in '24); Jr. Dante DeLuca (215), Don Bosco Prep (215 in '24); Sr. Mason Brancato (285), Pompton Lakes (285 in '24).

Previous champions (3): Sr. Gavin Hawk (157), Phillipsburg (132 in '23); Jr. Joey Canova (157), Bergen Catholic (138 in '23); Jr. Santino Rodriguez (165), Don Bosco Prep (120 in '23).

Friday schedule: Preliminaries (three mats), 5 p.m.; quarterfinals to follow.

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (three mats), 9 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations plus championship finals (three mats) to follow.

Ticket prices: $12 adults/seniors, $10 students (Friday and Saturday). Online prices are the same for each day and sold separately (no all-sessions options).

Region 2

At Mount Olive High School

Area schools: Hopatcong-Lenape Valley, Warren Hills.

Rest of the field: Bergenfield, Bogota-Ridgefield Park, Boonton, Cedar Grove, Clifton, Dover, Dwight Morrow, Elmwood Park, Fair Lawn, Fort Lee, Garfield, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Immaculata, Leonia-Palisades Park, Lodi, Manchester Regional, Montville, Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Mountain Lakes, Mount Olive, Paramus, Parsippany, Parsippany Hills, Passaic, Passaic Tech, Passaic Valley, Paterson Eastside, Paterson Kennedy, Roxbury, Saddle Brook, St. Joseph-Montvale, Teaneck, Tenafly, Wayne Valley.

Szamreta looks to be WH's 1st repeat champ since 2015

Returning champions (9): Jr. Augie Szamreta (113), Warren Hills (106 in 2024); Jr. Charles Esposito (113), St. Joseph-Montvale (106 in '24); Jr. Mikey Bautista (126), St. Joseph-Montvale (120 in '24); Sr. Vincent Paino (132), St. Joseph-Montvale (126 in '24, 106 in '22); Sr. Adrian DeJesus (138), St. Joseph-Montvale (132 in '24, 120 in '23); Jr. Joseph Paretti (165), St. Joseph-Montvale (165 in '24); Sr. Ryan Burton (175), St. Joseph-Montvale (175 in '24, 165 in '23).

Previous champions (2): Jr. Johnathon McGinty (120), St. Joseph-Montvale (106 in '23); Sr. Anthony Harris (215), St. Joseph-Montvale (190 in '23, 165 in '22).

Friday schedule: Preliminaries (four mats), 5 p.m.; quarterfinals to follow (four mats).

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (four mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations, plus championship finals (three mats) to follow at the conclusion of wrestlebacks.

Ticket prices: $10 adults/seniors, $8 students (Friday and Saturday). Online prices are the same for each day and sold separately (no all-sessions options).

Region 3

At West Orange High School

Area schools: Belvidere, Hackettstown, Pope John.

Rest of the field: Barringer, Becton-Wood-Ridge, Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cliffside Park-Ridgefield, Cranford, Delbarton, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Governor Livingston, Hanover Park, Hoboken, Kearny, Livingston, Lyndhurst-North Arlington, Madison, Mendham, Montclair, Morristown, Newark Academy, Newark Collegiate, North Bergen, Nutley, Orange, Randolph, Rutherford, St. Benedict's Prep, St. Mary-Rutherford, Secaucus, Union City, Verona, Weehawken, West Morris, West Orange, Whippany Park.

Kyle Blew is the 8th County Seater to log 100+ wins

Returning champions (13): So. Cameron Sontz (113), Delbarton (106 in 2024); Jr. Michael Daly (113), Cranford (106 in 2024); So. Ryan DeGeorge (132), Delbarton (126 in '24); Sr. Carson Walsh (138), Pope John (132 in '24, 126 in '23, 113 in '22); Sr. Chase Quenault (138), Delbarton (132 in '24, 126 in '23); Sr. Donny Almeyda (144), Pope John (138 in '24, 132 in '23, 120 in '22); Jr. Jayden James (150), Delbarton (138 in '24, 113 in '23); Sr. Alessio Perentin (165), Delbarton (165 in '24, 157 in '23, 138 in '22); Sr. Jordan Chapman (175), Cranford (165 in '24, 157 in '23); Sr. Temuulen Mendbileg (175), St. Benedict's Prep (175 in '24); Jr. Carl Betz (190), Delbarton (157 in '24); Sr. Vincenzo LaValle (190), Hanover Park (190 in '24, 190 in '23, 190 in '22); Jr. Tommy Borgia (285), West Morris (215 in '24).

Previous champions (1): Jr. Dalton Weber (132), Pope John (113 in '23).

Friday schedule: Preliminaries (three mats), 4:30 p.m.; quarterfinals to follow (three mats).

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (three mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations, plus championship finals (three mats), approximately 2 p.m.

Ticket prices: $12 adults/seniors, $10 students (Friday and Saturday). Online prices are the same for each day and sold separately (no all-sessions options).

Region 4

At Union High School

Area schools: Delaware Valley, North Hunterdon, South Hunterdon, Voorhees.

Rest of the field: Abraham Clark, Bayonne, Bernards, Bound Brook, Brearley-Dayton, Bridgewater-Raritan, Carteret, Colonia, Columbia, Elizabeth, Hillside, Irvington, JFK-Iselin, Johnson, J.P. Stevens, Linden, Middlesex-Dunellen, Millburn, Newark East Side, New Providence, North Plainfield, Paramus Catholic, Pingry, Plainfield, Rahway, Ridge, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Seton Hall Prep, Somerville, South Plainfield, Summit-Chatham, Union, Watchung Hills, Weequahic, Westfield.

Returning champions (3): Jr. Anthony DiAndrea (126), Watchung Hills (113 in 2024); Jr. Jaden Perez (126), Delaware Valley (126 in '24); Jr. Nicholas Pallitto (132), Paramus Catholic (132 in '24).

NH's season record for champs is 4 (1985 and 2002)

Friday schedule: Preliminaries (four mats), 5 p.m.; quarterfinals to follow (four mats).

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (four mats), 9 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations, plus championship finals (three mats), 2 p.m.

Ticket prices: $12 adults/seniors, $10 students (Friday and Saturday). Online prices are the same for each day and sold separately (no all-sessions options).

Region 5

At Franklin High School

Area school: Hunterdon Central.

Rest of the field: East Brunswick, Edison, Franklin, Highland Park, Hillsborough, Holmdel, Hopewell Valley, Keansburg, Keyport-Hudson, Manville, Marlboro, Matawan, Metuchen, Middletown North, Middletown South, Monmouth, Monroe, Montgomery, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Princeton, Raritan, Red Bank Regional, Rumson-Fair Haven, Rutgers Prep, Sayreville, South Brunswick, South River, Spotswood, St. Joseph-Metuchen, St. Peter's Prep, West Windsor North, West Windsor South, Woodbridge.

Washleski looks to raise HC's total of 106 champs

Returning champions (9): Jr. Giovanni Schinina (132), St. Peter's Prep (132 in '24); Sr. Zachary Beadling (132), St. Joseph-Metuchen (126 in 2024); Sr. Caedyn Ricciardi (138), St. Peter's Prep (138 in '24, 126 in '23, 126 in '22); So. Sonny Amato (144), Rumson-Fair Haven (144 in '24); Jr. Rhett Washleski (150), Hunterdon Central (150 in '24, 144 in '23); Sr. Maxwell Nevlin (157), St. Peter's Prep (157 in '24); Jr. Anthony Verdi (175), St. Peter's Prep (175 in '24); Jr. Alexander Reyes (190), Holmdel (190 in '24); Sr. Connor Reynolds (285), St. Peter's Prep (285 in '24).

Friday schedule: Preliminaries (four mats), 4 p.m.; quarterfinals to follow (four mats).

Saturday schedule: Semifinals and wrestlebacks (four mats), 10 a.m.; third-place and fifth-place consolations (four mats), approximately 12:15 p.m.; championship finals, 2 p.m.

Ticket prices: $12 adults/seniors, $10 students (Friday and Saturday). Online prices are the same for each day and sold separately (no all-sessions options).

Monday, February 24, 2025

Wrestling: District recap for HWS by the numbers

Let's review what happened in the eight districts that house teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. There are 99 local wrestlers still competing, down eight from the previous two seasons.

Overall, here are the area qualifiers by season since realignment (which now changes every year) was introduced in 2017 -- 118 in '17 and '18; 125 in '19; 113 in '20 (no district tournaments in '21 due to the pandemic); 122 in '22, 107 in '23 and '24. The eight-year average is 114.

High Point advanced a Sussex County-best 11 to R1

The top three at each weight class advanced to the region tournaments on Friday and Saturday. Region 1 is at West Milford, Region 2 at Mount Olive, Region 3 at West Orange, Region 4 at Union and Region 5 at Franklin are those involving HWS wrestlers.

Here's the team-by team breakdown of qualifiers:

We had five schools win team championships: Phillipsburg (D1), High Point (D4), Pope John (D12), North Hunterdon (D14), Delaware Valley (D15).

Here's a closer look by the numbers:

Redfield celebrates his 100th career win

11 -- Washington High School became Warren Hills following the 1966-67 school year. Since then, only two wrestlers have won four district titles for the Blue Streaks. Senior Tyler Redfield (32-3) is now the second to do so wearing a Hills singlet as the District 7 champion at 132 pounds -- while also becoming the 11th member of the program's 100-wins club. Redfield and Dave Richmond (2003-06) are the only ones to four-peat since '68. Three others did so for Washington -- Vince Fucci (1938-41), Harry Pambianchi (1939-42) and Johnston Oberly (1954-57). Streaks junior Augie Szamreta (31-3 at 113), one of six Region 2 qualifiers for Hills, won his second district title and will aim to become only the 23rd to win at least three for the Warren County school in 2026. Junior Davey Rhinehart (29-5 at 126) ended his family's title drought with his first championship. In some alumni news, former Blue Streak Sean O'Neill's son, Sean, a senior at Somerville, won his first title at 190 pounds in District 15. His dad was a sophomore on the 1989-90 Warren Hills team that finished No. 1 in the state and capped his career with a fourth-place finish in District 1 at 152 pounds in 1992.

391 -- Phillipsburg steamrolled the field in District 1, as the host crowned an area-best eight champions, including senior Gavin Hawk (33-1 at 157), who became only the ninth Stateliner to win four titles -- joining Bob Jiorle (1968-71), Rick Thompson (1970-73), John Margeson (1976-79), Justin Koeller (2000-03), Dave Post (2000-03), Luke Grassi (2005-08), John Horak (2007-10) and Brian Meyer (2015-18). Hawk also raised his program records for wins (143) and pins (92), while earning OW honors. Fellow senior ace Luke Geleta (33-1 at 144) joined 33 others who have won at least three titles, while his younger brother, Gavin (28-6 at 150), won his second. Sophomore Owen Garriques (26-9 at 132) also repeated, while freshman Zack Swingle (26-8 at 106), sophomore Anthony Pettinelli (31-6 at 113) and juniors Massimo Gonzalez (28-10 at 126) and Ben Ellis (23-12 at 285) got on the board with their first as P'burg, which has produced at least seven winners in seven straight tournaments since 2018, raised its overall total to 391. Ellis made it a family affair as his father, Stephen, won back-to-back titles at heavyweight in 1973 and '74, for the 'Liners. Garriques' father, John, won three district titles (one at Hackettstown in 1994 and two for P'burg in '96 and '97). Tim Longacre was named District 1 Coach of the Year.

NH had 6-plus champs for the 4th time since 2017

31 -- North Hunterdon, which has gone just one season without a district winner (2008), added six more to the list as junior Reid Buzby (29-8 at 126) won his second title, while sophomores Cayden Wadle (28-8 at 106) and Aidan Yarussi (33-4 at 132) and seniors Joseph Celentano (23-13 at 120), Joshua Joubert (25-13 at 157) and Evan Kinney (31-3 at 175) all won their first golds. The Group 4 champion Lions, now with 240 champs overall in their 68-season history, moved a co-HWS-best 12 wrestlers onto Region 4. Wadle earned the seventh championship for his family as older brother, Logan (2020, '22 and '23), and their father, Rudy (1991-93), all won three for the Lions. Dave Bell was named District 14 Coach of the Year for the host team, while assistant Andrew Gapas, a former state medalist, won a pair of titles for North in 2017 and '18. In all, 31 wrestlers from Hunterdon County schools will compete at the region level.

21 -- High Point extended its streak with at least one district winner to 21 straight tournaments as freshman Logan Takach (20-10 at 106) won his first, while senior star Nick Clayton (28-3 at 150) picked up his second in head coach Billy Smith's first season at the helm. Clayton is the school's first repeat winner since three-time state champ Brian Soldano won his third and Clayton Utter his second in 2022. Smith, a former state champion (2011) and four-time NCAA qualifier at Rutgers is also among 15 to win three or more district titles for the 'Cats, along with assistant coach Billy Talmadge (2017-19). High Point, which rolled to the team title in District 4 at West Essex High School, boast 134 champs overall and haven't been shut out at the district level since 2003, as the 'Cats advanced a tournament-best 11 to Region 1 at West Milford High School.

Del Val edged Watchung Hills, 238-226, in D15

27 -- Delaware Valley won a tight team race with host Watchung Hills in District 15 with a tournament-best six champions, including senior Jackson Bush (30-4 at 150), who won his second career title and first since 2023 after a runner-up finish last season. Juniors Tristan Fawhtrop (106), Michael Hasson (138), Sebastian Dobak (144) and Olivier Paul (165), along with senior Luke Sinkewicz (157), all won their first titles. Senior ace Jaden Perez (32-2) suffered his second loss this season to Watchung Hills state medalist Anthony DiAndrea, who won OW honors with an 8-4 win in their title matchup at 126 pounds. The Group 1 champion Terriers have had at least one winner in 27 straight tournaments since missing in 1997, and they produced six champs for the fourth time in program history, joining the 2006, '23 and '24 squads, one shy of a record seven (1993). Del Val coach Andy Fitz, who has coached 57 of the school's 139 champs, won a district title for the Terriers at 160 pounds in 1990.

131 -- Voorhees junior Christian Bollette (29-6 at 132) won his second straight title -- the first in his family to do so -- while sophomore Johnny D'Andrea (27-6 at 113) picked up his first at District 15, as the pair of Vikes raised the program's total to 131 over 50 seasons. Runners-up Cole Dahl (21-13 at 106) and Dimos Maroulis (17-15 at 215), also advanced to Region 4 at Union. Bollette's father, J.P., was a 1997 district champion for Kittatinny at 130 pounds, while uncles, Eric and Brian, are also former standouts for the Cougars and head coaches at Newton and Morris Hills. J.P. and Eric ('94) were also seventh-eighth place medalists.

Ethan Dalling

6 -- Kittatinny senior Ethan Dalling (34-2 at 175) extended the program's run of at least one district champ to 31 straight tournaments, while becoming only the sixth to capture four titles with his finals victory in District 3 at Kittatinny Regional High School. Dalling, a three-time state qualifier and 129-23 overall, decked Bergen Catholic senior Genti Idrizi in 2:17 to earn OW honors and move past Kittatinny great Matt Valenti (127-7 from 1998-2002) for eighth place on the school's career wins list. Dalling's father, Steve, a two-time state champion, was the first four-time winner (1988-91) and the last sole champion in a district tournament for the Cougars in his senior season. John Gill, whose program has produced at least one champion each season since missing in 1993, was named District 3 Coach of the Year. Kittatinny advanced four wrestlers to Region 1, amazingly its fewest number of qualifiers since 1998 (four).

7 -- Pope John extended its streak with at least five champions to seven straight tournaments by matching a program-record seven in easily winning the District 12 team title at Morristown High School. Senior Carson Walsh (30-1 at 138), a three-time state medal winner and Pitt recruit who is 129-15 overall, became only the sixth at his school to win four titles -- joining Mike Frick (1969-72), Hugh Albora (1972-75), Brian Unkert (1987-90), Jake Rotunda (2015-18) and Eddie Ventresca (2017-20). Walsh also moved past former state champ Robbie Garcia (126-23 from 2015-19) for fourth place on the school's career wins list. Fellow senior Donny Almeyda (13-0 at 144) also claimed his fourth district gold (three at St. Joseph-Montvale) and first for the Sparta-based school. Junior Dalton Weber (20-3 at 132) matched 10 other Lions who have won at least three titles, including assistant coach JoJo Aragona (2016, '18 and '19), while senior Jake Holly (19-5 at 113) won his second. Sophomores Lukas Katsigiannis (22-9 at 150) and Braydan Lombreglia (17-6 at 157), along with junior Cole Dunham (27-3 at 165) each picked up their first championships. Lombreglia's father, Dan, won a district title at 171 pounds in 1998 for the Lions.

104 -- Hunterdon Central junior Rhett Washleski (34-2 at 150) won his third title, while junior Grant Thompson (27-5 at 157) and senior Nehemiah Bugasch (22-10 at 175) were first-time winners as the Red Devils advanced five out of District 20 in Matawan. Freshman Aidan Thompson (7-5 at 144) saw his first action since December and placed third to earn his first Region 5 appearance. The Thompson brothers' father, Matt, was a three-time state placewinner for Central. Washleski, now 104-12 overall, is one win shy of matching Matt Thompson (105-18 from 1989-93) for 20th place on the school's all-time list.

Kyle Blew is a two-time region qualifier

9 -- Belvidere, Newton and Vernon combined for nine region qualifiers. County Seaters senior Kyle Blew (31-7 at 190), champion last season, finished third in District 12 and became the eighth member of the school's 100-wins club at 101-39 overall. Blew's pin of North Star Academy's Haamid Shakoor was a milestone moment as the first to reach the century mark since all-time leader Quinn Melofchik (142-119 from 2015-19). Newton, which was shut out in the finals for a second straight season and third time since 2013, advanced seven to Region 1 by going 5-0 in the consolation round in District 3. Senior Keegan Murtagh (23-6 at 126) and sophomores Joey Melillo (18-15 at 144) and Sean Brown (22-13 at 285) are first-time qualifiers. Junior Tyler Morodan (16-7 at 157) placed third for a second straight season, while senior Aaron Stone (22-7 at 165) got his third district medal. Freshman Layne Smith (9-12 at 106) and senior Mason Bucci (25-9 at 150) were runners-up. Vernon senior Daniel Rendon (21-4 at 190) was his school's lone qualifier in District 3.

3 -- Sparta, which sent five to the championship round at District 3, came away with three gold medals for the second straight season as juniors Ryan Hrenenko (31-4 at 132) and Luke Brown (14-10 at 190) won their second titles, while Sean Brown (25-6 at 144) picked up his first. Hrenenko and Brown are the first to repeat at the Sussex County school since Garrett Stewart and Spencer Stewart went back-to-back in 2019 and '20. The Spartans have logged 23 district winners since 2014 after being shut out from 2008-13 and in '22. Senior Logan Hrenenko (29-6 at 138), a two-time runner-up and champ in 2024 who is 114-41 overall, moved past Phil Takacs-Senske (112-27 from 1999-2003) for seventh on the school's all-time wins list.

Graziano on the top step in D7

79 -- Lenape Valley's streak with at least one champion ended at 19 straight tournaments last season as the Patriots were shut out for the first time since 2003. Now combined with Hopatcong, Lenape Valley advanced three to the Region 2 Tournament at Mount Olive High School, including senior Gage Graziano (33-5 at 144), a two-time winner who became the program's 79th champ overall with a first-period pin in District 7. Senior Marc Pavese (27-12 at 138) placed third for a third straight season after a runner-up finish in 2022.

8 -- Hackettstown, which did not have a champ for the second straight year and third since 2015, advanced five to Region 3 at West Orange. Sophomores Joseph Rowinski (28-7 at 113) and Giovanni Gutierrez (26-8 at 120) were runners-up for a second consecutive year, while sophomore Steven Vidal (28-7 at 106) also reached the finals in District 12 at Morristown. Sophomores Bryan Dougherty (21-8 at 126) and Adrian Pinto (17-14 at 144) were third-place finishers. North Warren advanced three to Region 1 as junior Conor Hallowich (26-8 at 113), a district champion in 2024, and sophomore Cole Castles (27-7 at 132) reached the finals, while senior Logan Garriques (25-4 at 175) placed third in District 3. In all, 27 wrestlers from Warren County moved on to the region level.

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Wrestling: Graziano adds his name to Patriots lore

WASHINGTON TWP. -- The Graziano name is no stranger to Sussex County wrestling.

But senior Gage Graziano has carved his own path within the Hopatcong-Lenape Valley program -- winning his second career title in style with a flashy pin at 144 pounds on Saturday afternoon in the District 7 Tournament at Warren Hills Regional High School.

Graziano, who was nearly taken down to his back, was able to roll through and deck Passaic Tech senior Ali Abuharthieh with a headlock in 1:07. Graziano is the Patriots' 79th champion overall and the first to win at least two since state medalist Daniel Haws (2019, '20, '22) got his third after Eric Falleni won in consecutive seasons in 2019-20. Incidentally, he's the second Graziano to win two district titles as Doug Graziano (no relation) went back-to-back in 1997-98.

"It's definitely a big win," said Gage Graziano (33-5), a three-time district finalist who won at 138 pounds in 2023, whose father, David, wrestled for Roxbury. "Coming off last year taking third. It means a lot."

Hopatcong-Lenape Valley, which has been a co-op for the past three seasons, advanced three to next weekend's Region 2 Tournament at Mount Olive High School. Joining Graziano are senior Marc Pavese (138), also a member of the 100-wins club, and junior Alexzander Bachtler (175), who both finished third. Bachtler was involved in the wildest bout of the day -- a 26-24 win over Wayne Valley's George Calgua in the consolation round.

Graziano, now 108-32 overall, matched assistant coach Paul Grogan (108-31 from 2003-07), a two-time district champion, along with state medalists Gary Mikolay (108-17 from 1994-98) and Derek Nagy (108-22 from 1994-98) for ninth place on the Pats' all-time wins list.

But it wasn't easy as Graziano's latest finals win was perhaps the most harrowing and nearly ended in disaster.

"I don't know what happened, but it worked out," Graziano said with a laugh. 'I went for an outside trip [against Abuharthieh] and it did not go well. Once I fell, I knew I had him as weird as it was."

It made being a two-time district champion -- one of 23 to win at least two titles for the Pats -- all the more satisfying to do so with such a flourish.

"It's pretty big," Graziano said, "since getting 100 wins and all of that. I wrestled some good guys, got bumped up [in the lineup for dual meets]. Lost some, won a lot more, so it's definitely big for me [winning a district title]. Probably the highlight of my wrestling career."

Graziano, who didn't advance past the first round of wrestlebacks in three previous region appearances, is aiming a bit higher to cap such a notable career.

"My goal is to place top 12 at states," he said. "First, I have to get down there. Not a lot of guys know me, know my moves. It's definitely my goal."

District 7 results

Team standings

1. Wayne Valley (WV) 207 1/2; 2. Passaic Tech (PT) 158; 3. Warren Hills (WH) 138; 4. Roxbury (R) 133 1/2; 5. Cedar Grove (CG) 130; 6. Hopatcong-Lenape Valley (HLV) 64 1/2; 7. Mountain Lakes (ML) 54 1/2; 8. Dover (D) 45; 9. Parsippany (P) 20.

Region 2 qualifiers by school

Wayne Valley 4+2+3=9; Passaic Tech 2+3+4=9; Warren Hills 3+2+1=6; Cedar Grove 1+3+2=6; Roxbury 2+3+0=5; Hopatcong-Lenape Valley 1+0+2=3; Mountain Lakes 1+0+1=2; Dover 0+1+1=2; Parsippany 0+0+0=0

Championships

175 -- 1-Sr. Rinaldo DiGiacopo (37-4), ML, p. 2-Sr. Anthony Fedorchak (24-8), R, 3:42.

190 -- 1-Sr. Sean Van Dalinda (27-2), WV, md. 2-So. Nicolas Costantini (28-8), CG, 15-6.

215 -- 1-Sr. Adam Noufal (26-6), WV, p. 3-So. Patrick Shivas (17-15), R, :53.

285 -- 1-Sr. Jason Dixon (18-4), PT, d. 3-Jr. Benedetto Cooper (19-13), WV, 5-3.

106 -- 1-Fr. Rocco Caputo (33-3), CG, tf. 3-So. Alex Holdfield (27-6), WV, 17-1, 4:17.

113 -- 1-Jr. Augie Szamreta (31-3), WH, d. 2-Jr. Muhammad Abuhadba (25-9), 7-2.

120 -- 2-Sr. Daniel Visha (29-4), R, d. 1-Sr. Charlie Piccione (30-3), WH, 9-6.

126 -- 1-Jr. Davey Rhinehart (29-5), WH, p. 2-Jr. Malik Abuharthieh (17-16), PT, 3:52.

132 -- 1-Sr. Tyler Redfield (32-3), WH, d. 2-Sr. Connor Kerney (28-8), CG, 1-0.

138 -- 1-Sr. Noah Zindaki (32-2), WV, md. 2-So. Aidan Webb (26-9), WH, 15-4.

144 -- 1-Sr. Gage Graziano (33-5), HLV, p. 3-Sr. Ali Abuharthieh (24-10), PT, 1:07.

150 -- 1-Sr. James Conklin (31-5), PT, tf. 2-Jr. Charlie Bacinsky (28-5), R, 15-0, 1:46.

157 -- 2-Sr. Nicholas Kemmerer (26-6), R, md. 4-Jr. Pierce Asfalg (26-10), CG, 13-5.

165 -- 1-Sr. Alexander Perez (31-3), WV, md. 2-Sr. Angel Bonilla (25-10), D, 14-0.

Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Daniel Visha, Roxbury.

Coach of the Year -- Todd Schroeder, Wayne Valley.

Assistant Coach of the Year -- Rami Ratel, Wayne Valley.

Third-place consolations

106 -- 2-Fr. Nicholas Nguyen (25-11), PT, d. 4-Fr. Jaedon Montalvo (21-8), R, 3-2 UTB.

113 -- 4-Sr. Jayden Mendez (31-8), D, p. 3-Sr. Francesco DeMary (30-2), P, 1:54.

120 -- 4-Jr. Rayan Mohammad (22-13), PT, d. 3-Fr. Johnny Pignataro (21-11), WV, 5-4.

126 -- 3-Jr. Richie Galioto (20-16), CG, d. 5-Fr. Justin Tuhari (16-14), WV, 10-8.

132 -- 3-Jr. Dominic Lally (29-7), WV, md. 5-Jr. Trace Roberts (12-21), R, 12-0.

138 -- 3-Sr. Marc Pavese (27-12), HLV, d. 4-Jr. Gerard Immersi (23-13), CG, 6-3.

144 -- 2-Sr. Cole Perry (23-10), WV, d. 5-Sr. Ethan Drazek (15-19), WH, 12-5.

150 -- 3-Sr. Adam Suzay (29-4), WV, tf. 4-Jr. Jerry D'Alessio (15-17), CG, 19-4, 2:00.

157 -- 3-Jr. Tyler Whartnaby (26-9), PT, p. 1-Sr. Jakob Bell (16-15), HLV, 2:51.

165 -- 3-Sr. Tyler O'Neill (26-12), WH, p. 4-So. Nolan Monaghan (13-11), R, 5:27.

175 -- 3-Jr. Alexzander Bachtler (14-9), HLV, d. 4-Sr. George Calagua (8-9), WV, 26-24.

190 -- 6-So. Joe DiPompeo (16-15), ML, p. 4-Sr. Jeffrey Almendarez (15-17), D, 2:21.

215 -- 4-Sr. Brandon Ramirez (11-7), PT, p. 2-Sr. Sebastian Borie (14-9), ML, 3:22.

285 -- 2-Jr. Jake Saraiva (22-13), CG, p. 4-Jr. Mostafa Abdelhamed (22-12), P, 3:44.

Wrestling: Redfield joins elite Streaks 4-timers club

WASHINGTON TWP. -- Warren Hills senior Tyler Redfield can appreciate being one of a select few to accomplish a rare wrestling feat at such a tradition-rich program.

Redfield became just the fifth Blue Streak to win four titles with a narrow 1-0 decision at 132 pounds on Saturday afternoon in the District 7 Tournament at Warren Hills Regional High School. He joined Vince Fucci (1938-41), Harry Pambianchi (1939-42), Johnston Oberly (1954-57) and Dave Richmond (2003-06) as the only four-time winners for the Streaks. Richmond and Redfield are the only two to do so for Warren Hills, formerly Washington High School, starting with the 1967-68 season.

The Redfields celebrate Tyler's 100th victory

"It's very special," said Redfield, who rode out Cedar Grove senior Connor Kerney in the third period to make history with his 100th career victory. "Four times -- second ever in [Warren Hills] history -- is definitely a big win and one hundred wins in Jersey is very hard, especially with the schedule we wrestle. To see my name next to those guys is definitely special."

Warren Hills, which finished third in the team standings behind first-place Wayne Valley and Passaic Tech, advanced a total of six wrestlers to next weekend's Region 2 Tournament at Mount Olive High School. Junior Augie Szamreta (113) won his second district title, while junior Davey Rhinehart (126) made family history with his first. Streaks senior Charlie Piccione (120) settled for a third straight runner-up finish after winning as a freshman and sophomore Aidan Webb (138) also came up short in his first finals appearance. Senior Tyler O'Neill (165) placed third to earn his first trip to regions.

Redfield, who acknowledged the home fans by holding up four fingers on each hand after getting his hand raised, celebrated with his family on the mat as they took pictures with a beautifully done 100 wins banner. His older brother, Shawn, won a pair of district titles for Hills in 2022 and '23.

The one-point finals win was the slimmest margin among all 14 title bouts, but Tyler Redfield found a way to dig down deep with a lot personally riding on the outcome.

Rhinehart and Redfield gave WH at least 2 champs in 11 straight seasons

"I was just trying to wrestle at my pace," said Redfield, now 100-31 overall. "Tried to get things going and couldn't get any shots off ... but definitely working on top all season has paid off.

Redfield admitted that he was a bit anxious heading into the final bout in his home gym as he also became the 11th member of the Streaks' century club for wins. He's the second to do it this season as Piccione accomplished that same feat in winning his first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title on Jan. 11.

"Definitely more nerves," Redfield said. "I wanted to go out there and stick him in the first 30 seconds. But I did what I had to. I got out on bottom and rode him out. Definitely not really happy [about the final score], but I can't be upset about this win."

Redfield, who is looking to make a deep run in the postseason and make it back to the state tournament for the first time since his sophomore season, said this one should get him going in that direction after a fifth-place region finish a year ago.

"It's definitely a big booster going into this postseason," Redfield said. "I'm trying to get on that [state] podium this year."