Welcome to the weekly statewide shakeup with each new edition of the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.
North Hunterdon caused a ripple effect with its
34-24 victory over Phillipsburg on Wednesday as the No. 14 Lions (12-6) re-enter the rankings, which were released on Tuesday morning. Coach Dave Bell's team
has this week off in preparation for the North 2, Group 4 sectional tournament that begins on Monday.
Official pairings and seeds for the 20 public school brackets (North 1, North 2, Central and South) in five groups will be released on Tuesday. North is expected to be the No. 2 seed as it gears up for a run at the program's 18th sectional title.
Phillipsburg (13-3), which dropped four spots to No. 15 in the latest Top 20 poll, will be the top seed in the
North 1, Group 4 section, which includes No. 10 Mount Olive and Ridge, the Group 4 runner-up and champion last season and the likely Nos. 2 and 3 seeds.
The 'Liners have beaten both this season, but a potential rematch vs. Mount Olive, which was without two starters in a 32-30 loss on Dec. 21, figures to be a much tougher proposition. P'burg, which captured the
Skyland Conference Delaware Division title this season, also scored a 36-23 win over Ridge on Jan. 4.
"Not really happy with the [section alignment] as are a bunch of coaches, but it is what is," 'Liners coach Tim Longacre said following his team's
65-11 rout of Kittatinny on Monday night. "The cream rises to the top and we'll see how it all plays out."
Phillipsburg, which has won 41 of a possible 44 sectional titles (second only to Paulsboro's 43) since the tournaments formed in 1980, faces a much more dauting task in pursuit of the program's 24th state championship and first since 2022, after falling to Southern in the last two Group 5 finals.
North Hunterdon, which won its last Group 4 title in 2023, followed up its first win over P'burg since 2021 with a 35-29 over Ridge, despite losing eight bouts in that one. That victory also secured the Skyland Conference Raritan Division championship.
Delaware Valley (13-3), which dipped one spot to No. 18, has its sights set on the program's Hunterdon County-record 11th state championship as the Terriers look to avenge a 33-25 loss to Paulsboro in last season's Group 1 final.
Coach Andy Fitz's team looked sharp in a 45-22 waxing of Warren Hills on Saturday -- its third in a row against the Blue Streaks -- as Del Val improved to 34-22 all-time in that series dating to 1963.
| Rank | School | Record | Votes | Previous |
| 1 | Delbarton (8) | (21-3) | 160 | 1 |
| 2 | St. Peter's Prep | (15-1) | 147 | 2 |
| 3 | Christian Brothers Academy | (8-3) | 143 | 3 |
| 4 | St. Joseph-Montvale | (9-3) | 139 | 4 |
| 5 | Rumson-Fair Haven | (21-1) | 125 | 6 |
| 6 | Bergen Catholic | (10-3) | 123 | 5 |
| 7 | St. John Vianney | (11-4) | 114 | 7 |
| 8 | Camden Catholic | (13-0) | 105 | 8 |
| 9 | Southern | (12-3) | 96 | 10 |
| 10 | Mount Olive | (11-3) | 78 | 12 |
| 11 | St. Augustine | (13-6) | 77 | NR |
| 12 | Delsea | (16-2) | 75 | 9 |
| 13 | St. Joseph-Metuchen | (10-3) | 68 | 13 |
| 14 | North Hunterdon | (12-6) | 59 | NR |
| 15 | Phillipsburg | (13-3) | 50 | 11 |
| 16 | Brick Memorial | (10-4) | 43 | 15 |
| 17 | Cranford | (15-3) | 31 | 16 |
| 18 | Delaware Valley | (13-3) | 18 | 17 |
| 19 | Paramus Catholic | (6-7) | 17 | 18 |
| 20 | Caldwell | (16-1) | 7 | 20 |
Also receiving votes: Pope John (8-5) 6; Middletown North (17-1) 6; Don Bosco Prep (10-5) 5; High Point (15-5) 3.
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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