Wrestling: 'Liners, Streaks set for Pin Cancer clash

The Phillipsburg and Warren Hills wrestling teams have you covered if you're a hardcore fan who needs a wrestling fix. On Friday, the two rivals will square off under the lights -- outdoors style -- in a charity match to benefit the "Pin Cancer" foundation.

The match will be held on the football field at the Athletic Complex across the street from Warren Hills Regional High School. The event starts at 7 p.m.

A match between the middle school teams will take place before the main event at 6. Ticket price, which includes both matches, is $5.

Blue Streaks coach Jarrett Hosbach is very excited, as is most of the community, for this unique event. Hosbach anticipates a good-sized crowd. P'burg fans are well-known supporters and travelers when it comes to their wrestling program.

Phillipsburg defeated Warren Hills, 50-7, when the teams met during the 2011-12 season in Washington.

Probable high school lineups (Warren Hills listed first):

107 -- Christian Wanamaker vs. Tyler Agans
115 -- Max Nauta vs. Zach Fisher
123 -- John Fluck vs. Steve Friedman
130 -- Tai Adetula vs. Jorge Higueros
135 -- Joe Kratochvil vs. Donald Agans
140 -- Shane Deemer vs. Anthony Johnson
145 -- Tom Rush vs. Andrew Kaluzny
150 -- Kevin Bundschuh vs. Max Elling
154 -- Anthony Roessner vs. Jimmy Schuitema
162 -- Evan Butka vs. Jake Kocsis
173 -- Ryan Ostir vs. Broderick Bupivi
185 -- Xavier Adetula vs. Joe Maso
197 -- Ryan Witner vs. Kyle Kinney
220 -- Tyler Bridygham vs. Tim Hinkle
285 -- Andrew Pacheco vs. Jarrett Williams


Streaks, Wildcats set to tangle in quad

High Point and Warren Hills will meet in a quad match during the 2012-13 regular season on Dec. 22 in Washington. South Jersey power Timber Creek and Shore Conference heavyweight Howell.

"We set out looking for a tri-meet and Howell contacted me, then we lost a match, so I opened that date up to the whole state," Hosbach said. "High Point called that morning and Timber Creek later that same afternoon."

High Point, which is was not invited back to the rugged King of the Mountain Tournament in Pennsylvania, will open its season at the Colt Classic. Coach John Gardner's Wildcats are a young and talented bunch, returning Region 1 qualifiers Collin Grimm, Mike Derin, Jason Gaccione, Kyle Stoll and Gunther Wassong.

Timber Creek and High Point have been regulars at the Group 3 and Group 2 championships at Toms River the last several years. Timber Creek is coming off back-to-back losses in the Group 3 semis to South Plainfield, while High Point lost in the Group 2 semis to champion Raritan last season.

"It should be a neat day and a neat atmosphere," Hosbach said.

Baseball: Hunterdon Central lone local standing

And then there was one.

Hunterdon Central's baseball team is the only one among the three local counties still going in the sectional playoffs. Coach Mike Raymond's Red Devils will battle Hillsborough in an All-Skyland Conference tilt for the North 2, Group 4 championship on Friday.

Central (22-6) advanced to its first sectional final since winning the second of its back-to-back Group 4 titles in 2009. On Thursday, the Red Devils beat Hillsborough, 8-1, in a regular-season clash with the Delaware Division title still up for grabs.

Evan Klimchak and Brett Bonn, along with Geggie Russomagno are on fire for a Central offense that is averaging eight runs per game in the state playoffs. Klimchak was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the Devils' 7-0 win over Sayreville in the sectional semis, while Russomagno went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in that one.

Delaware Division chase


Immaculata sits in first place with a 12-3 division mark after beating North Hunterdon, 9-2, on Wednesday and Phillipsburg, 8-6, on Thursday. The Somerset County power has one game left against Hunterdon Central and can wrap up the championship by winning that one on Monday. An Immaculata loss would create a three-way tie for the title between Immaculata, Central and Watchung Hills, which wrapped up its Delaware slate at 12-4.

Raritan and Valley titles declared

Pingry claimed the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title with a 10-2 mark, while Bernards ran the table at a perfect 12-0 to win the Valley crown -- beating North Warren, 5-4, on Saturday to make it official.

Hopatcong, Jefferson claim NJAC crowns

It was a long time coming, but Hopatcong claimed its first league title since 1998 with a 7-6 win over Kittatinny on Tuesday to win the NJAC Freedom Division championship.

Coach Chris Buglovsky's Chiefs were unceremoniously ousted from the North 1, Group 2 playoffs with a 7-0 loss to Freedom rival Lenape Valley four days earlier. The Patriots, who finished fourth in the conference standings, beat the Chiefs in two of three meetings this season. A.J. Nolan got the complete-game win in the state game.

Jefferson won its first American Division title with a 13-1 mark, as Pope John lost its NJAC finale against Morris Hills, 6-4, on Wednesday. The Lions finished second at 12-2. The difference was the Falcons winning both meetings against Morris Hills after splitting with PJ in the regular season.

State exits

Here's how all of the local teams fared in the state playoffs:

Belvidere -- County Seaters lost 8-5 to Dunellen in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs. Coach Aaron Feldman's team finished the season at 8-17 overall and 6-6 in the Skyland Valley Division.

Delaware Valley -- Terriers lost 1-0 to Raritan in the Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs. Senior Tom Chiswick batted .414 with 14 RBIs and was 4-1 with a 4.44 ERA on the mound this season for coach Marty White's club, which finished 10-11 after winning only two games in 2011.

High Point -- Tough draw for the Wildcats, who lost 2-1 to Old Tappan in the North 1, Group 3 playoffs. Old Tappan, the No. 8 seed, is playing for the title on Friday. Coach Mickey Thomas' team finished 10-11 overall and 6-8 in the NJAC American Division.

Hopatcong -- After a 4-1 win over Dumont in the opening round, the Chiefs fell, 7-0, to Lenape Valley in the North 1, Group 2 quarters. Somewhere former coach Tony Richards is smiling about the Chiefs winning their first league title since he guided the 1998 Hopatcong club, which featured Pete Toto and Danny Sherlock, to the Sussex County Interscholastic crown with a perfect 18-0 mark.

Jefferson -- Second-seeded Falcons rolled to a 12-1 win over Tenafly before a 7-2 loss to No. 7 Wayne Hills in the North 1, Group 3 quarters. Coach Jason Kalish's team posted 22 wins after back-to-back losing seasons since winning 21 in a run to the sectional final in 2009 under former coach Jason Klebez, now the AD at Belvidere. Jon Kristoffersen set a school record with 46 hits this season.

Kittatinny -- Cougars enjoyed a fine season, their first of the winning variety in quite a spell, as first-year coach Brian Bosworth led the Hampton school to an 11-10-1 mark and a third-place finish in the NJAC Freedom Division. Their state playoff run ended quickly with a 1-0 loss to finalist Mahwah in the North 1, Group 2 first round.

Lenape Valley -- How 'bout the Pats? No one saw their run to the North 1, Group 2 semifinals coming after losing three straight and seven of nine entering the postseason. Coach Bob Klinck's troops, seeded 15th, opened with a 6-5 win over No. 2 Hawthorne, followed by a 7-0 win over No. 10 Hopatcong. The season ended with an 8-6 loss to No. 3 Mahwah, but it was some ride.

North Hunterdon -- Lions lost to a familiar foe in the North 2, Group 4 draw, falling 10-6 to Bridgewater-Raritan. Talented outfielder Derek Jenkins went 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in that one, his final state game of a fine career. North still has one Delaware Division game remaining against Ridge.

North Warren -- Coach Jim Haupt's Pats didn't scare anyone with their No. 1 seed, certainly not No. 16 Pascack Hills, which won their first-round meeting, 5-0. It was the second first-round exit since 2009 for North on its home field -- losing 7-5 to Wallkill Valley in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs in '09. Garret Becker lost his first on the mound this season in six decisions against Pascack Hills.

Phillipsburg -- Stateliners knocked off Edison, 12-9, before a heartbreaking 5-4 loss in 15 innings to top-seeded Sayreville in the North 2, Group 4 quarters. Lefty ace Anthony Ciavarella went nine frames and struck out 18 in the loss, reportedly throwing an absurd 160 pitches. The Monmouth recruit holds the P'burg  single-season record for K's with 99 and one more start likely against Ridge on Friday. Center fielder Chris Trent went a combined 5-for-7 with four walks in the two state games.

Pope John -- The defending Non-Public North A champs beat DePaul, 3-1, in the opening round before a 13-1 loss to state power Don Bosco in the quarters on Tuesday. The Lions actually had a shot to make that one interesting, trailing 2-1 early on with the bases loaded. They failed to score, however, and that was a pivotal turning point. The loss to Morris Hills on Wednesday ended their bid for the school's first NJAC American Division title. Outstanding shortstop Matt Tietz went 2-for-2 with an RBI in his final high school game before heading to Rutgers in the fall.

South Hunterdon -- Eagles qualified for the Central Jersey, Group 1 playoffs despite a 2-12 record at the cutoff. Coach Toby Jefferis' team lost, 11-1, to Metuchen and finished the season at 2-13. Not sure why South played so few games and even its final two Skyland Conference Valley Division games against Bound Brook and Manville were not rescheduled after rainouts.

Sparta -- Spartans lost a tough 6-5 decision to Paramus in the North 1, Group 3 playoffs and finished 12-12 overall and 6-8 in the NJAC American Division standings. Coach Sam Slobodzian's team lost two heartbreakers to crosstown rival Pope John this season and dropped six of its last seven down the stretch.

Sussex Tech -- Mustangs enjoyed a winning season at 10-8 overall, falling 2-0 to Verona in the North 1, Group 1 playoffs -- an 8-9 matchup.

Voorhees -- Vikings (13-11) had a nice little run to the Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs -- beating Johnson, 10-0, to start and Point Pleasant Boro, 6-3, to reach the semis. Coach Spark Mattson's team saw its season end with a 9-4 loss to Raritan. Ronnie Honickel, who suffered a shoulder injury, went 4-for-6 with three RBIs in the two wins and got the victory on the mound with seven K's against Point Boro. Tyler Duplaga, who was the team's offensive MVP, homered and had four RBIs in the games against Point Boro and Raritan. Trey Conroy went 1-1 on the mound in the postseason.

Wallkill Valley -- Rangers dropped a tough 2-1 contest with No. 4 River Dell in the North 1, Group 2 draw as coach Kevin Lukich's team finished up 14-11 overall and second in the NJAC Freedom Division with a 7-3 mark. Wallkill finished up strong by winning three of its last four, including wins over division champion Hopatcong and Lenape Valley.

Warren Hills -- Blue Streaks limped down the stretch, losing seven of their last eight, including a 1-0 loss to South Plainfield in the North 2, Group 3 playoffs to finish 9-14 overall. Coach Mike Quinto's bunch beat North Plainfield, 8-2, in the previous game to snap a six-game skid. Mark Apgar and Kyle Allen were a tough 1-2 punch on the mound this season, combining for a 7-7 pitching mark.

Ace of baseball: Ciavarella fires P'burg to HWS title

In the brief three-year history of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex baseball tournament, no player earned the distinction of Most Valuable Player more than Phillipsburg's Anthony Ciavarella.

The left-hander owned this year's event, racking up three wins and a total of 46 strikeouts in four tournament starts, including 12 K's in the Stateliners' 2-1 win over Hunterdon Central in Saturday's championship game at Diamond Nation in Flemington.

It was Phillipsburg's second county title and first since 2006, when coach John Stillo's team claimed the Hunterdon-Warren crown. What did this one mean to the Warren County school?

"It's huge," said third-year P'burg coach Dave Hinkle, whose team defeated 2011 champion Pope John in the quarterfinals and three-time finalist Hunterdon Central during its title run. "I told them that [Phillipsburg] is not supposed to do this in baseball. Especially with this team. I don't think may people expected this."

Well, maybe those that hadn't seen Ciavarella in action this season. For those who have, it really came as little surprise that he was able to dominate as he's done all season.

But Hinkle said the final was his ace's masterpiece on the mound.

"Just when you thought he couldn't pitch any better ... he does that," Hinkle said. "He was ahead of every hitter and just in total control. We needed everything he had. In the last inning, he blew away the side. It was the best I've ever seen him throw."

In two previous meetings this season, Hunterdon Central dominated P'burg in wins of 15-3 and 10-0, and carried a six-game win streak over the 'Liners since their 10-9 win over the Red Devils on April 15, 2010 -- Hinkle's eight game at the helm. Central also suffered just its second loss in 12 HWS games, while P'burg improved to 6-2 overall in county games -- second in wins behind Central.

But this one was uniquely different.

"We didn't have Ciavarella on the mound in those [losses]," said Hinkle, whose 2011 team lost three times to Central, including a 6-0 loss in the HWS quarterfinals. "He gives us a chance against anybody."

And Phillipsburg's four HWS opponents had very little chance. Only Pope John managed more than one run against Ciavarella, rallying back from a 5-2 deficit for three runs in the seventh to force extra frames in an eventual 6-5 loss in 12 innings. It was the only county start in which Ciavarella did not earn the win, despite fanning 10 Lions that day.

There have been other heroes during Phillipsburg's run. Junior right-hander Tyler Woscek coming on in the eighth and no-hitting Pope John the rest of the way for his first varsity win ranks up there with the best of them. Center fielder Chris Trent has been solid with the bat. And how about Sahil Patel? He had two RBIs against PJ and drove in P'burg's second run on Saturday with a single to center.

How big was that second run with Ciavarella on the hill?

"Once we got that second run I really felt at ease," Hinkle said. "[Central] came back and got one, but that second run was huge. Once we got that run I felt like we were going to [win]."

In typical P'burg fashion, 'Liner Nation was out in full force rooting on their team. Hinkle said Diamond Nation got awfully loud, especially with each strikeout.

"The P'burg gathering was unbelievable," Hinkle said. "It was overwhelming the amount of support we had."

Overall, Ciavarella has 80 strikeouts in seven starts and one relief appearance. The Monmouth recruit has fanned at least 10 in six straight starts, including a season-high 14 against Hopatcong in the opening round.

The only drawback from Saturday's win is that Ciavarella won't be available for P'burg's first state playoff game on Monday against Edison in the North 2, Group 4 draw. The starting duties fall on Mike Ciesla for that one at the Phillipsburg Athletic Complex.

However, should the 'Liners get by that one, they'll have their ace on the hill for Friday's quarterfinals and likely from then on out.

"We have to get by that first one [with Edison]," the coach cautioned. "We have Ciesla going and we feel confident. He's a bulldog. But after that one, boy, doesn't that get interesting. When [Ciavarella] pitches we're a different team."

Baseball: State playoff pairings, seeds announced

The pairings and seeds for the NJSIAA sectional baseball tournaments were released on Thursday.

In all, 16 of the 19 schools in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area qualified for the postseason. First-round action in public sections begins on Monday at 4 p.m. Non-Public brackets will open play on Friday, May 25.

Second-round public contests will be played on Friday, May 25. The semifinals are slated for Tuesday, May 29 and championship games will be contested on Friday, June 1.

Second-round Non-Public games will be played on Tuesday, May 29. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, June 1 and the championship games on Tuesday, June 5.

The public state semifinals are set for Tuesday, June 5 and the state finals on Saturday, June 9 at Toms River.

Here are the matchups involving the local teams:

North 1, Group 3

9-High Point at 8-Old Tappan

12-Sparta at 5-Paramus

North 1, Group 2

16-Pascack Hills at 1-North Warren

13-Wallkill Valley at 4-River Dell

14-Kittatinny at 3-Mahwah

10-Hopatcong at 7-Dumont

15-Lenape Valley at 2-Hawthorne

North 1, Group 1

9-Sussex Tech at 8-Verona

North 2, Group 4

9-Edison at 8-Phillipsburg

12-Elizabeth at 5-Hunterdon Central

10-North Hunterdon at 7-Bridgewater-Raritan

North 2, Group 3

13-Warren Hills at 4-South Plainfield

North 2, Group 1

16-Belvidere at 1-Dunellen

Central Jersey, Group 2

9-Johnson at 8-Voorhees
13-Delaware Valley at 4-Raritan
Central Jersey, Group 1
15-South Hunterdon at 2-Metuchen

Non-Public A North Jersey

10-DePaul at 7-Pope John

Baseball: Rangers spoil Chiefs' celebratory plans

Wallkill Valley's baseball team didn't earn any style points for its 8-6 win over Hopatcong on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, coach Kevin Lukich's team kept its slim title hopes alive with the victory at Harold Sisco Field.

Despite seven errors, the Rangers (13-10, 6-3) handed Hopatcong just its second loss in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division standings.

"This is what happens when you haven't practiced in awhile," said Lukich, whose team had been idle since a 6-0 win over Newton on May 7. "The last time we hit ground balls and did defensive drills was two weeks ago. I kind of expected this a little bit. We came through when we needed to."

In fact, Wallkill came up with one of the defensive plays of the game to seal the win. Closer Tommy Sweller got into a seventh-inning jam as a walk and two errors loaded the bases with one out. But Sweller got Hopatcong's Ricky Prestifilippo to line out into a 6-4 double play to end the threat. Wallkill shortstop Jake Konopka snared the liner and flipped to second baseman Brian Niedergall to force Dave Testa, who strayed too far from the second-base bag.

Konopka was the offensive hero with his two-run single in a four-run fifth that gave Wallkill an 8-6 lead. Five straight Rangers reached base to start the inning, four via walks. Brandon Grabkowski singled in a run and Brendan Drexler drew a bases-loaded walk off reliever Scootie Fischer, who came on for starter Hunter Guard after Grabkowski's single.

"Jake's had a great year and has come up huge for us," Lukich said. "He was down on himself after [going 0-for-2 in three previous plate appearances] and just had to refocus."

Reliever Rob Stecher picked up the win, while Sweller got the save. Starter Casey Jervis only gave up two earned runs in four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth after giving up a leadoff homer to Guard and walking Frank Fendrock. Stecher (2-0) allowed a sacrifice fly to Testa that gave Hopatcong a 6-4 lead, but otherwise, was solid in not allowing a hit with two strikeouts in two frames.

"I felt like my pitches were good today. I tend to try and stick with my fastball to overpower people," said Stecher, a junior. "We're a really good team, despite some bad games, we've been in the thick of things."

Konopka, who had struck out and flied out to left before executing a sacrifice bunt, was happy to redeem himself and keep the Rangers alive for a share of the division title.

"It's a great feeling," Konopka said. "I knew it was a big at-bat. As soon as I saw the ball come in I knew I was going to hit it. When games come down to the wire, this team has a lot of guts. This is not the first time we've done this. We just had to dig deep."

The Chiefs (11-7, 6-2), playing its first game of the month, weren't much better in the field with four errors, showing the kind of rust you'd expect from a team that had last taken the field in a 3-2 win over Lenape Valley on April 30.

Hopatcong erased a four-run deficit with a four-run fourth as Fischer delivered the big blow with a bases-clearing double that left fielder Brandon Moore lost in the sun. Wallkill also kept the inning alive when catcher Drexler and Jervis let Fischer's pop-up behind home plate drop between them.

Wallkill Valley tagged Guard, who dropped to 5-2 with the loss, for four runs in the bottom of the first as Eric Blain plated two with a double to the left-center field gap. Grabkowski also tripled in a run to cap the frame.

Coach Chris Buglovsky's team, which battled back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit, still controls its own destiny in the Freedom race. A win at Newton on Thursday would give the Chiefs a share of the title and a victory over Kittatinny on Wednesday would clinch the program's first conference title since the late 1990s when it won the Sussex County Interscholastic League crown under former coach Toby Richards.

Wallkill Valley needs some help to force a three-way tie for the championship, along with Kittatinny, which is also 6-3 in the division. The Rangers need to beat Lenape Valley on Thursday and hope that either Newton or Kittatinny can knock off Hopatcong. But first thing's first.

"We need to win our game against Lenape," Lukich said.


Hopatcong (11-7)               000     420    0  --  6    7   4

Wallkill Valley (13-10)       400     040    x  --  8    9   7

HOPATCONG (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Fischer ss-p 3-0-2-3, Frace 3b-rf 4-0-0-0, Guard p-3b 4-1-2-1, Fendrock c 3-0-1-0, Bishop cr 0-0-0-0, Bongiovanni pr 0-0-0-0, Annett 1b 1-1-0-0, Colabella 2b-ss 3-1-0-0, Testa rf-2b 3-1-1-2, Prestifilippo lf 4-1-1-0, McLagan cf 3-0-0-0. Totals: 28-6-7-6.

WALLKILL VALLEY (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Konopka ss 3-0-1-2, Sweller 2b-p 3-1-1-0, Penque 3b 4-1-1-0, Blain 1b 3-2-2-2, Moore lf 3-2-1-1, Grabkowski dh/Castellucci rf 2-1-2-2, Jervis p 2-0-0-0, Stecher p 0-0-0-0, Niedergall cr 0-1-0-0, Drexler c 2-0-0-1, Law cf 3-0-1-0. Totals: 25-8-9-8.

E -- Frace 2, Testa, Annett; Drexler 3, Konopka, Sweller, Niedergall, Moore. DP -- Hopatcong 1 (Colabella-Testa-Annett); Wallkill Valley 1 (Konopka-Niedergall). LOB -- Hopatcong 8, Wallkill Valley 6. 2B -- Fischer; Blain. 3B -- Grabkowski. HR -- Guard. Sac -- Annett; Konopka. SF -- Testa.

Guard, Fischer (5) and Fendrock. Jervis, Stecher (5), Sweller (7) and Drexler. W -- Stecher (2-0). L -- Guard (5-2). SO-BB -- Guard 5-4, Fischer 4-2; Jervis 4-2, Stecher 2-1, Sweller 0-1. PB -- Drexler. HBP -- Fischer (by Stecher).

Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

State Tournament time is upon us. The third annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex championship will be decided this Saturday at Diamond Nation. Lots of good stuff coming our way on the local baseball scene.

Unfortunately, it looks like rain will be a problem to start the week. It's actually been more like April, than May, this month weather-wise. We have a big slate of games to open the week, but it thins out considerably as we head into the postseason action.

On Saturday, Hunterdon Central goes for its second HWS crown against first-time finalist Phillipsburg. Game time is 7:30 p.m. The Red Devils have beaten the Stateliners twice this season by wide margins, 15-3 and 10-0. The first game on April 10 saw P'burg ace Anthony Ciavarella strike out 10 in a loss.

The lefty will go in the title game and he always gives the 'Liners a chance. In his six starts this season, Ciavarella has 65 K's, along with three more in a relief appearance for a season total of 68. Central, making its third trip to the title game, features a potent lineup with Brett Bonn, Kenny Wilson, Jeremy Ake and Geggie Russomagno.

Both Central and P'burg have four games scheduled in advance of Saturday's title tilt.

Should be a good one in Flemington.

Now, on to this week's rankings:

1. Hunterdon Central (17-4) -- Red Devils stumbled this week in a 6-2 loss at North Hunterdon on Thursday. But coach Mike Raymond's team rebounded with a 7-2 win over No. 6 High Point in the HWS semifinals on Saturday. Central also beat No. 2 Phillipsburg, 10-0 on Tuesday, and No. 10 Warren Hills, 5-3, last Monday. Bonn continued to stay hot at the plate with a pair of doubles against High Point, while getting his first career win on the mound against the Blue Streaks.

Up next for the Red Devils -- at Chatham on Tuesday; Ridge at home on Thursday; Cherokee at home on Friday; Phillipsburg in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex final at Diamond Nation on Saturday.

2. Phillipsburg (10-8) -- Stateliners have been playing well of late, outside some tough losses in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, where coach Dave Hinkle's team owns a 4-6 record this season. Ciavarella has been money in the HWS games, striking out 10 in Saturday's win over North Hunterdon. In three tourney starts, the lefty compiled 34 K's in two wins. He struck out 10 in a no-decision against Pope John in the quarters.

Up next for the Stateliners -- Watchung Hills at home on Tuesday; at Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday; Somerville at home on Friday; Hunterdon Central in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex final at Diamond Nation on Saturday.

3. North Hunterdon (10-12) -- Lions were halted by a good pitcher in a 3-1 loss to Phillipsburg on Saturday in the HWS. North ace Ben Stine (4-4), who has been solid in three tourney starts, was the tough-luck losing pitcher with 11 K's. Coach Mike Kane's team was coming off a 6-2 win over No. 1 Central two days earlier. Derek Jenkins is heating up at the plate with a homer against Central and North's lone RBI on Saturday.

Up next for the Lions -- at Ridge on Tuesday; Hillsborough at home on Thursday; at Montgomery on Saturday.

4. Pope John (13-6) -- Lions had a short week with Wednesday's thrilling 5-4 walk-off win against crosstown rival Sparta as their lone contest. Rutgers-bound shortstop Matt Tietz came through in the clutch with a two-run single to left to give PJ a win in the bottom of the seventh. Glenn Gavan and Mike Young sparked the rally with back-to-back doubles to start the inning. Freshman Matt Piwko provided solid relief work for the win.

Up next for the Lions -- at Montville on Tuesday; at Roxbury on Thursday; Morris Hills at home on Friday.

5. High Point (10-9) -- Wildcats made a good showing in their first HWS semifinal, despite a 7-2 loss to No. 1 Hunterdon Central. Coach Mickey Thomas' club went 2-1 prior to that one, with wins over Vernon (5-2 on Friday) and Montville (15-6 on Thursday). Ryan Schulok belted a two-run homer against Vernon, while Brett Fundell went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the loss to Central.

Up next for the Wildcats -- at Kittatinny on Wednesday; Mount Olive at home on Thursday.

6. Voorhees (9-10) -- Vikings are a tough team to figure like several others in the Open Mike area. Coach Spark Mattson's team opened last week with a 14-7 win at Princeton, then proceeded to lose three straight games to Somerville (3-1 on Tuesday); Pingry (3-1 on Thursday) and Mount Olive (7-6 on Saturday). The first two losses took them out of contention for a second straight Skyland Conference Raritan Division title. Tyler Duplaga continued his fine season with an RBI double against the 'Ville and a double and two RBIs against MO.

Up next for the Vikings -- at Delaware Valley on Tuesday; West Morris at home on Thursday.

7. Sparta (11-10) -- Spartans suffered another late loss to crosstown rival Pope John, 5-4, on Wednesday. Coach Sam Slobodzian's team was three outs away and seemingly in control after second baseman Austin Unglaub made a diving stop on a hot smash up the middle to start a nice 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth. Starter Kevin Foulds was slowing in the latter innings and gave up back-to-back doubles to start the seventh before being pulled. In their first meeting, Pope John rallied for a five-run inning to erase a 4-2 deficit en route to an 8-4 win. Sparta closed the week with a 4-3 loss to Jefferson.

Up next for the Spartans -- at Roxbury on Tuesday; Vernon at home on Wednesday; Montville at home on Thursday; Hopatcong at home on Friday.

8. Hopatcong (11-6) -- Chiefs haven't lost a game in May. That's because coach Chris Buglovsky's team hadn't played since April 30 (a 3-2 win over Lenape Valley) entering this week. But the Sussex County school is on the brink of its first NJAC Freedom Division title, needing a win at Wallkill Valley on Tuesday to clinch a share of the prize. In addition, a win over Newton on Thursday would clinch the title outright.

Up next for the Chiefs -- at Wallkill Valley on Tuesday; at Newton on Thursday; at Sparta on Friday.

9. Delaware Valley (8-8) -- Terriers avenged an earlier loss with Saturday's 9-6 win over Warren Hills. The win was certainly satisfying for coach Marty White, a 1991 graduate of the Warren County school. Tom Chiswick led the way by going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and an RBI. He also got his fourth win in five decisions on the mound. Dennis Martell was 2-for-3 with an RBI as well in the win.

Up next for the Terriers -- Voorhees at home on Tuesday; at Somerville on Thursday; Belvidere at home on Saturday.

10. Warren Hills (8-12) -- Blue Streaks are free-falling following an 0-3 week that stretched their losing streak to five in a row. The fact that coach Mike Quinto's team, which has gone 2-8 in its last 10, plays a very tough schedule is the biggest factor why it is still here. After a close 5-3 loss to No. 1 Hunterdon Central on Monday, Hills was pounded by Ridge, 18-1, on Friday in a game played at TD Bank Park in Somerset. The Streaks dropped a 9-6 decision to Del Val at home on Saturday, a team they beat 12-1 back on April 12.

Up next for the Blue Streaks -- Franklin at home on Tuesday; at North Plainfield on Thursday.

On the bubble: Kittatinny (10-8-1); North Warren (13-4); Lenape Valley (10-9); Wallkill Valley (12-10).

Wrestling: NJSIAA cutbacks should start in-house

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association claims it's hemorrhaging money, the result of lower ticket prices and expensive tournament hosting fees for the state wrestling championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Now, the association is bidding out the wrestling tournament for 2013 and beyond, along with creating more football championships. Director Steve Timko has officially pressed the panic button and says he's now doing things in the best financial interest of the NJSIAA.

What about doing the best for high school sports? If finances are killing the NJSIAA, then a good starting point on how to curb expenditures is cutting back on salaries for its own employees. For too long, this regime has padded its own salaries, while collecting publicly-funded pensions on top of the cake.

Remember Timko's predecessor, Boyd Sands? He resigned from the NJSIAA in January 2006 with a tidy little retirement package of $549,000. Maybe Sands would like to make a charitable contribution to his former employer? Don't hold your breath.

Memo to Timko and the NJSIAA: Don't start making knee-jerk decisions that hurt athletics across the board.

Why do we need additional state titles in football? Twenty weren't enough, so now we need 24? Forget about scaling back and playing to one state champion in the four (now five) Groups like they do in other sports. That ain't happening now.

Starting this fall, we go from 128 schools to 160 that qualify for the sectional football tournaments. You don't have to be a math major to figure 32 more schools paying entrance fees adds up to more money for the NJSIAA.

Timko recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer that "We've cut to the bare bones." Really? Is the NJSIAA taking pay cuts? Are they taking unpaid furloughs like my brethren in the newspaper business? Timko claims they have frozen salaries, along with not replacing the retired Bob Baly's position. It's not enough to freeze already overblown salaries.

The NJSIAA even contradicts itself when blaming things on the reduced ticket prices that started in 2010. The association reportedly lost nearly $1 million between 2006 and '07 (thanks largely to Sands' retirement windfall), yet business administrator Gary Zarrilli gave this response: "It all comes down to ticket prices," to the Inquirer as to why the association was losing money.

How is this so, when this group was operating in the red prior to 2010?

Don't get me wrong. I like Timko and feel he's done a lot of positive things for athletics since Sands shuffled off in 2006. Timko has always been very approachable and genuinely cares about the concerns of coaches, athletes, media and fans.

But the NJSIAA has to start getting real and cutting back where it needs to. Otherwise, it may not be around much longer.

But don't make the ultimate mistake of destroying high school sports on the way out the door.