Wrestling: Hunt-Warren-Sussex schedule (Jan. 20-25)

Monday, Jan. 20

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Hackettstown at Wallkill Valley, 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 21

(All matches, 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

High Point at Montville

Jefferson at Kittatinny

Lenape Valley at Hopatcong, 6 p.m.

Newton at North Warren, ppd to Feb. 15

Sparta at Pope John

Independent

Voorhees at St. Benedict’s Prep, 6:30 p.m.

Ridge at Vernon, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 22

(All matches, 7 p.m.)

Skyland Conference

Phillipsburg at Warren Hills

Delaware Valley at North Hunterdon, ppd to Jan. 30

Somerville at Voorhees

Hunterdon Central at Bridgewater

Manville at Belvidere

Thursday, Jan. 23

(All matches, 7 p.m., unless noted)

Independent

Phillipsburg at Easton (Pa.)

Belvidere at North Warren

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Sparta at High Point

Kittatinny at Hopatcong

Wallkill Valley at Lenape Valley

Pope John at Vernon

Friday, Jan. 24

(All matches, 7 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Kittatinny at High Point

Skyland Conference

Montgomery at Delaware Valley

Independent

Hunterdon Central, Newton at Jack Welch Duals

Saturday, Jan. 25

(All matches, 10 a.m., unless noted)

Independent

Howell at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.
Butler at Pope John, 3 p.m.

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

North Warren at Mount Olive, TBA

Tri-meets and quads

Bergen Catholic, Bound Brook at High Point, 3:30 p.m.

Kittatinny, West Morris, Westfield at Delaware Valley

Warren Hills, Roselle Park, Paramus at Ramsey

Voorhees, Lenape Valley at Belvidere

Hunterdon Central, Newton at Jack Welch Duals, 9 a.m.

Wallkill Valley, Sparta, Hopatcong at Dover, 9 a.m.

North Hunterdon, Franklin, Hillsborough at Watchung Hills

Hackettstown, Morris Knolls, Mendham at Randolph, 9 a.m.

Vernon at Hasbrouck Heights quad

Wrestling: 'Liners are 'Cats meow in big road victory

WANTAGE -- Oh what a night for the Phillipsburg Stateliners. Everything that could go their way most certainly did in a 52-13 waxing of High Point on Saturday night in a clash between two of the state's top-ranked teams.

P'burg (6-0), ranked No. 4 by the New Jersey Wrestling writers, won 11 bouts and recorded five pins, as No. 7 High Point (5-1) managed just two decisions and a forfeit victory. The 'Liners dominated in every phase, winning the takedown battle by a 20-6 margin.

"We really came to wrestle," said fourth-year P'burg coach Dave Post, whose team jumped out to a 37-3 lead, winning eight of the first nine and six in a row until Kyle Stoll's 8-0 major of Tim Hinkle at 195 stopped the Stateliners' run. "I've been a coach on that end [when it starts to snowball] and it's hard to turn it around when it goes in that direction. It's like sharks smelling blood in the water. [High Point] is a tough team, but we're really clicking on all cylinders."

To be fair, High Point was without two of its starters -- sophomore Jared Kobis at 120 pounds (broken hand) and junior Dom Gallo (undisclosed injury). And in the irony or ironies, the first two bouts of the night were 120 and 126. But make no mistake, their presence would not have made a difference in the outcome.

Let's take a closer look at where P'burg -- now 16-1 all-time vs. High Point -- won this highly anticipated matchup and where it went wrong for the hosts.

1. Every big match usually has a hero or two and that man was P'burg senior 145-pounder Garrett Wolfinger. His 13-7 win over senior Chris Auer, a Region 1 qualifier last year, in a highly entertaining bout was a bit surprising, but not out of the realm for those who have seen Wolfinger this season. Pretty much a career JV wrestler, Wolfinger (6-2 this season and 10-4 career) is getting time with the varsity as the 'Liners continue to shift their lineup in duals to help cover for the lack of a legitimate heavyweight. Wolfinger led 2-1 after one period, before opening things up in the second with a reversal and three back points off a cradle, and getting another reversal and two back points late to take an 11-4 lead. Auer had just gotten a takedown with 18 seconds left before giving up the four-pointer. In a wild third period, Auer had Wolfinger on his back for three and nearly had him decked before Wolfinger got another reversal to seal it.

2. You'd have to say junior Jimmy Schuitema is 1B on the hero list to Wolfinger's 1A as Schuitema stood the place on its ear with a thrilling 5-3 win over High Point's Jason Gaccione at 152 in a truly great battle between Region 1 champions. Schuitema, known as a tremendous mat wrestler, got the winning and only takedown of the bout with two seconds left to win. Down 2-1, Gaccione, who weighed in at 145 and bumped up, got a reversal with 55 seconds left in the match to take the lead, but Schuitema escaped with 13 seconds remaining to tie it. A wrestler of few words, Schuitema took the win in stride. "I treat every match the same. I just go out and try to wrestle my match," he said. "I wanted that takedown. I didn't want to go into overtime." Wolfinger's big win certainly helped take the edge off, but Schuitema was more impressed with the team's effort. "[Wolfinger's victory] got some pressure off my back. I'm really proud of our team. It was a big match and we wanted to go out and show we were the best team."

3. Post continued to preach the importance of getting bonus points and not giving them up following Thursday's 41-18 win over Hunterdon Central. It certainly held true again for this one, as the Stateliners racked up five pins and a major, while yielding one major decision. Each team traded forfeits near the end -- more on that later. "It's the same philosophy, we've got to get bonus points where we can and don't give them up. High Point is a quality team with three state placewinners and we only gave up one bonus point [the major at 195]." DJ Wissing (120), Tylor Petchonka (126), Max Elling (160), Broderick Bupivi (170) and Tyler Agans (113) had the Stateliners' pins. Senior Jake Kocsis (182) had the major in a 10-2 rout of Antonio Porraspita. Schuitema, Elling, Bupivi, Kocsis and Joe Maso (220) all weighed in up one class.

4. It would be hard to believe that High Point has endured a more lopsided loss on its home mat -- at least in recent years. You'd likely have to go back to 1998, when P'burg made its last trip to Wantage and came away with a 62-6 win in a regular-season matchup. This one may very well have had a much different tone early on had Kobis and Gallo been in the lineup with junior Mike Derin right behind them with a 7-4 win over Steve Friedman at 132. Kobis' absence was no surprise, but Gallo didn't take the mat after weighing-in and going through per-match intros. "That was a shock to us," Post said. "We thought they were bumping him up to beat Friedman and Derin to 138 to wrestle [Corey] Zinsmeister." Nonetheless, it wasn't to be as the 'Liners jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back. Derin, a Region 1 champ who finished eighth in the state at 132 last season,  had his hands full with Friedman -- collecting three of the 'Cats' six takedowns on the night. The losses by Auer and Gaccione officially ended High Point's chances, but the outcome at 160 typified the evening, as P'burg junior Elling decked Tommy Hooker, who was ahead 6-5 at the time. Why Hooker insisted on staying on the mat with a dangerous mat wrestler -- whose big move just happens to be the chin whip that secured the pin -- is a mystery, considering Hooker had the only takedown of the bout in the second period. Also troubling was the win by Stoll -- a sixth-place state medalist last season -- who needed two stall points to get a major against 3-6 Tim Hinkle and Bobby McDonnell's 3-2 loss to Maso. McDonnell, a Region 1 runner-up last season, weighed in at 219 and 31 pounds heavier than his opponent. If there was a bright side, High Point won the coin toss and we got to see the matchup at 152.

5. It was sad to see the forfeits at the end of the match. Post, with the match in hand, said he didn't think it was fair to send freshman Drew Horun out at 285 -- spotting 55 pounds to Christian Campbell. Visibly frustrated by that move, High Point coach John Gardner waved to the officials and gave one back to Stateliners sophomore Brandon Paetzell, a state title contender at 106. I don't know what the answer is and I can certainly understand coaches trying to protect their wrestlers from injury, but if you have guys weighed in, then they should wrestle. It only hurts the sport when forfeits are awarded, especially in big matches. And these are two programs that traditionally frown on such practices. Anyway, Phillipsburg is certainly establishing itself as the favorite in the Group 4 title picture, while High Point, despite the lopsided loss, is still the team to beat in Group 2 after winning it all last season. The 'Cats have little time to dwell on this one with archrival Kittatinny coming to town on Friday. And believe me, they'd much rather win that one if given the choice. And speaking of rivalry matches, P'burg travels to Easton (Pa.) on Thursday for its annual showdown with the Red Rovers, who hold a 62-14 advantage in the all-time series.

PHILLIPSBURG 52, HIGH POINT 13
120 -- So. DJ Wissing (13-6), P, p. Fr. Aric Wingle (4-6), 2:59.
126 -- Sr. Tylor Petchonka (8-7), P, p. So. Garrett Fenlon (0-7), 1:22.
132 -- Jr. Mike Derin (15-6), HP, d. Jr. Steve Friedman (9-8), 7-4.
138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (13-3), P, d. Jr. Ryan Cullen (8-5), 7-2.
145 -- Sr. Garrett Wolfinger (6-2), P, d. Sr. Chris Auer (10-8), 13-7.
152 -- Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (12-3), P, d. Jr. Jason Gaccione (15-4), 5-3.
160 -- Jr. Max Elling (17-4), P, p. Sr. Tommy Hooker (11-8), 5:37.
170 -- Sr. Broderick Bupivi (15-7), P, p. Sr. Colby Brands (8-10), 3:00.
182 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (19-2), P, md. Sr. Antonio Porraspita (12-7), 10-2.
195 -- Sr. Kyle Stoll (16-5), HP, md. Jr. Tim Hinkle (3-6), 8-0.
220 -- Jr. Joe Maso (11-4), P, d. Sr. Bobby McDonnell (13-8), 3-2.
285 -- Sr. Christian Campbell (6-8), HP, forfeit.

106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (18-1), P, forfeit.
113 -- So. Tyler Agans (4-9), P, p. Sr. Michael Garrity (4-12), 3:05.
Records -- Phillipsburg 6-0; High Point 5-1.
Officials -- Frank Leitner and Doug Fisher.

Wrestling: Phillipsburg at High Point preview, lineups

What: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. High Point Wildcats.

Where: High Point Regional High School, Wantage Township.

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Conference: Independent.

TV/Radio/Internet: Service Electric Channel 10 (tape delay, Sussex only); MugsMedia.com.

Rankings (New Jersey Wrestling Writers): Phillipsburg No. 4; High Point No. 7.

Records: Phillipsburg 5-0; High Point 5-0.

Coaches: Dave Post (47-13, fourth season); John Gardner (273-73-2, 16th season).

Series history: Phillipsburg leads 15-1 dating to 1989, including six postseason meetings. High Point's only win came in last meeting in a regular-season dual on Jan. 31, 2009 -- 30-22 at The Pit. Stateliners' last victory was 45-22 in the 2003 Group 3 semifinals at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. P'burg is 4-0 on the road, including a 62-6 victory in its last trip to Wantage on Jan. 3, 1998.

Note: Phillipsburg wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (17-1) vs. Fr. Chase Babus (7-10) or Fr. Trevor Kocher (1-1).

113 -- So. Tyler Agans (3-9) vs. Sr. Michael Garrity (4-11).

120 -- So. DJ Wissing (12-6) vs. Jr. Dom Gallo (14-3) or Fr. Aric Wingle (4-5).

126 -- Sr. Tylor Petchonka (7-7) vs. So. Garrett Fenlon (0-6).

132 -- Jr. Steve Friedman (9-7) vs. Jr. Mike Derin (14-6).

138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (12-3) vs. Jr. Ryan Cullen (8-4).

145 -- Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (11-3) or Sr. Garrett Wolfinger (5-2) vs. Jr. Jason Gaccione (15-3) or Sr. Chris Auer (10-7).

152 -- Jr. Max Elling (16-4) or Jr. John Kaluzny (1-0) vs. Auer or Gaccione.

160 -- Sr. Broderick Bupivi (14-7) vs. Sr. Tommy Hooker (11-7).

170 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (18-2) vs. Sr. Colby Brands (8-9).

182 -- Jr. Tim Hinkle (3-5) vs. Sr. Antonio Porraspita (12-6).

195 -- Jr. Joe Maso (10-4) vs. Sr. Kyle Stoll (15-5).

220 -- Fr. Drew Horun (10-5) or Fr. Robert Melise (1-0) vs. Sr. Bobby McDonnell (13-7) or So. Kevin Lewis (2-1).

285 -- Horun or Melise vs. Sr. Gunny Wassong (7-4) or Sr. Christian Campbell (5-8).

Breakdown: This match has been a long time in the making since High Point's thrilling win at The Pit in 2009. 'Cats, unfortunately, are not at full strength with stellar sophomore 126-pounder Jared Kobis on the shelf with a broken hand. His absence may create a huge swing in points. Without him, P'burg rates the favorite in at least six weights -- 106, 126, 138, 152, 160 and 170. Give High Point the edge at 120, 132, 182, 195, 220 and 285. That leaves tossups at 113, though I'd give the visitors a slight advantage there, and 145 should we see Gaccione-Schuitema in a clash of Region 1 champs. Those two are basically locked into weighing in at 145, with Auer down from 152. Both teams could make some moves down low. If the 'Cats have any shot to win this match, they will need that matchup at 145 (coin flip is big) and win both tosses. They'd also like Hooker-Bupivi and Porraspita-Hinkle matchups. P'burg, if it gets the flip, would likely insert Wolfinger at 145 or 152 against Gaccione and bump from there. 'Liners would then be favorites at 145 or 152, along with 160, 170 and 182, and try to weather the storm from 195-285. Stoll beat Maso, 3-2, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals, but P'burg might opt for Hinkle there and take a chance with Maso vs. McDonnell at 220 to try and minimize the hosts' chance for bonus points up top. 'Liners certainly have the potential for more bonus points. With Kobis it's a lot tighter, but, barring some upsets, P'burg wins eight bouts and gets more bonus points to get the 'W.'

Prediction: Phillipsburg, 31-24.

Wrestling: 'Liners look sharp in tuneup for Wildcats

RARITAN TWP. -- Phillipsburg wasn't about to be caught looking ahead to Saturday night's big showdown at High Point. Fourth-year coach Dave Post saw to that, as his Stateliners cruised to a 41-18 victory over Hunterdon Central on Thursday at the Field House.

After all , the mere mention of last season's pair of losses to Central -- 34-30 at The Pit and 30-29 here in the North 2, Group 4 final -- really didn't require a long motivational speech.

"I mentioned it a little at practice on Tuesday," said Post, whose team improved to 5-0 on Thursday. "I just said, 'Remember.' They knew what I meant."

Phillipsburg now holds a 35-7-1 edge in the all-time series dating to 1962.

Let's take a closer look at this Stateliners victory and where it was won and lost:

1. It's been said a lot around these parts, but takedowns win matches. And the Stateliners sure looked crisp on their feet as they won the takedown battle, 14-7. Junior 138-pounder Corey Zinsmeister accounted for four of those in a slick 17-2 technical fall win in 4:33 over Central's Nick Taylor. "I was pleased with the way we wrestled," said Post, now 4-2 vs. Central. "We have been a little selective on our feet, but tonight I thought we really opened up a little more. We got to see how talented some of our guys are, like Corey Zinsmeister and [freshman] Drew Horun [a 4-2 winner over Dan Hausman at 285]." Getting to work out every day in practice with assistant coach Brad Gentzle, a former standout at Easton (Pa.) and a starter at the University of Pittsburgh, surely has helped Zinsmeister in his development. "Those two go at it hard every day," Post said.

2. Post has been preaching to his team about not giving up bonus points and getting them at opportune times. Message received, as the 'Liners recorded three pins and a technical fall against Central. The teams also traded forfeits at 106 (to P'burg sophomore Brandon Paetzell) and at 152 (to Central's Gary Dinmore) -- a pair of state title contenders. The forfeit was the only bonus points for the Red Devils in their five victories. "Coming into this one, we had given up a total of six bonus points [in four previous dual meets] combined. Central opted to bump freshman 106-pounder Peter Nace to 113 and gave the forfeit win to Paetzell, with backup Bryce Hall weighing in at 97 pounds. Post uncharacteristically, in turn, gave six to Dinmore with no available 152-pounder in reserve, as the 'Liners bumped Jake Kocsis from 170 to 182 to open the match, forcing junior Max Elling to move from 152 to 160 in order to cover the last two weights. "We would have had to bump up [senior Garrett Wolfinger who weighed in at 145] and we didn't think it was fair to him to wrestle one of the best kids in the state," Post said.

3. There were three rematches from this past Saturday's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament -- two again went Phillipsburg's way, as Zinsmeister beat Taylor after decking him the first time around, while junior Joe Maso scored a 7-2 win over Nick Suk at 220. Maso, who won, 5-3, on Saturday, dominated the rematch with three takedowns to none. The one reversal was Collin Boylan's 2-1 win over P'burg junior Jimmy Shuitema, who prevailed 1-0 in the HWS finals at 145. Boylan got the only takedown between the two in six periods early in the rematch and that was the difference. Interestingly, Boylan took bottom to start the second period up 2-0, putting Schuitema in his best position on top. Boylan was ridden out the entire period, but came close to coming out the back door late. After Schuitema escaped in the third period, neither wrestler came close to getting a takedown.

4. Matchups make the dual meet and Central was hard-pressed to find enough to make a legitimate run at the upset. Heck, it was a struggle for the hosts in all four of their wins on the mat. Besides Boylan's nail-biter, junior Nestor Crespo used a first-period takedown to earn a 4-2 win over Tim Hinkle at 195, while Peter Nace hit a five-point move in the third period to pull out a 7-3 win over Tyler Agans at 113. Nace's brother, Dylan, got a first-period takedown in a 3-0 win over Steve Friedman at 132 -- a bout that featured little action.

5. With Hunterdon Central out of the way, Phillipsburg turns its attention to High Point in a match that's been much-anticipated all season, and really since the spring when it was announced that the two traditional public school powerhouses would meet for the 17th time overall and first since the Wildcats scored a 30-22 victory at The Pit on Jan. 31, 2009 -- its first win in 16 meetings with the 'Liners. Post says a big key for this one will be doing more of what got P'burg the win against Central. "They're a super tough squad and they have a lot of guys that can score points," he said. "But they have some guys that give up points, too. We didn't get to see much [from High Point] at Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex]." The 'Cats were without six starters for Saturday's tournament, including sophomore 126-pounder Jared Kobis, who is sidelined with a broken hand. It's a potential big swing, as P'burg senior Tylor Petchonka will go from heavy underdog to being favored at 126.

PHILLIPSBURG 41, HUNTERDON CENTRAL 18
182 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (18-2), P,  p. Fr. Mike Iodice (0-1), :27.
195 -- Jr. Nestor Crespo (11-5), HC, d. Jr. Tim Hinkle (3-5), 4-2.
220 -- Jr. Joe Maso (10-4), P, d. Jr. Nick Suk (10-5), 7-2.
285 -- Fr. Drew Horun (10-6), P, d. Sr. Dan Hausman (8-7), 4-2.
106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (17-1), P, forfeit.

113 -- Fr. Peter Nace (12-4), HC, d. So. Tyler Agans (3-10), 7-3.
120 -- So. DJ Wissing (12-7), P, d. Jr. Kyler Rodriguez (9-7), 6-4.
126 -- Sr. Tylor Petchonka (7-7), P, p. Jr. Hunter Orr (5-8), 3:06.
132 -- Sr. Dylan Nace (14-1), HC, d. Jr. Steve Friedman (9-7), 3-0.
138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (12-3), P, tf. Jr. Nick Taylor (9-7), 17-2, 4:33.
145 -- Sr. Collin Boylan (17-1), HC, d. Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (11-3), 2-1.
152 -- Sr. Gary Dinmore (15-0), HC, forfeit.
160 -- Jr. Max Elling (16-4), P, p. Sr. Matt Suydam (5-7), :47.
170 -- Sr. Broderick Bupivi (14-7), P, d. Jr. Joe Scerbo (12-4), 1-0.
Records -- Phillipsburg 5-0; Hunterdon Central 5-2.
Official -- Anthony Zullo.

Wrestling: P'burg at Hunterdon Central (LIVE)

Records: Phillipsburg 4-0; Hunterdon Central 5-1.

Coaches: Dave Post (46-13, fourth season); Steve Gibble (334-114, 23rd season).

Series history: Phillipsburg leads 34-7-1 dating to 1962, including six postseason meetings. Red Devils have won four of the last seven meetings -- posting a 34-30 win at The Pit in a regular-season matchup and a 30-29 victory at home in the North 2, Group 4 final a year ago. Gibble's teams are 5-20 vs. the 'Liners, whose last win was 46-14 at the Field House in 2012. P'burg is 17-3 all-time at Central and 16-3-1 in meetings at The Pit. Two meetings were held at neutral sites -- P'burg's 25-23 win in 1981 at Princeton's Jadwin Gym and Central's 39-11 victory in the 2010 Group 4 semifinals at Toms River North.

We're live at the Hunterdon Central Field House for tonight's Skyland Conference clash between the Red Devils and the Phillipsburg Stateliners. Start time was slated for 6 p.m.. but there were a total of 16 junior varsity bouts -- which is great to see nowadays.

Just refresh often for updates as we get underway. Referee for tonight's match is Anthony Zullo. Starting weight class is 182.

Really raucous crowd on hand. Getting set for Runnin' with the Devil. Central won the flip.

Potential lineups (P'burg listed first):

182 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (18-2), P,  p. Fr. Mike Iodice (0-1), :27. (P'burg leads 6-0)

1-Kocsis with the early takedown and FALL!

195 -- Jr. Nestor Crespo (12-5), HC, d. Jr. Tim Hinkle (3-5), 4-2. (P'burg leads 6-3) 

1-So Central making the first move and will be home on the even bouts. Crespo with the takedown at 1:04. Hinkle escapes with 47 seconds to go. Crespo leads, 2-1.

2-Hinkle on bottom to start the period. He's out in a flash, 2-2. Penalty point for unnecessary roughness awarded to Crespo, he leads, 3-2. Crespo in on a single with 46 seconds left, but Hinkle fights it off.

3-Crespo on bottom. He's out in three seconds, leads 4-2. Both counter shots near the one-minute mark, still 4-2. They finish on their feet.

220 -- Jr. Joe Maso (10-4), P, d. Jr. Nick Suk (10-5), 7-2. (P'burg leads 9-3)

1-Maso won, 5-3, when they met at HWS on Saturday. Maso in on a single with 38 seconds near the edge, but can't convert. Scoreless after one period.

2-Maso down. He's out with 1:47 left. Maso converts the takedown at the edge with 1:04 left, he's up 3-0. Suk out with 55 seconds left, 3-1. Maso bear hugs and trips for another takedown with 5 seconds left, he leads 5-1.

3-Suk on bottom. He's out quickly, 5-2. Zullo bangs Suk for stalling near the one-minute mark. Suk shoots and Maso spins behind for a third takedown with 38 seconds left, 7-2.

285 -- Fr. Drew Horun (10-6), P, d. Sr. Dan Hausman (8-7), 4-2. (P'burg leads 12-3)

1-Scoreless after one period.

2-Hausman down. He's out, leads 1-0. Horun in on a single with 42 seconds left and puts Hausman to his back for FOUR!. Hausman is out, trails, 4-2.

3-Horun takes neutral. Smart move. Hausman with the definitive height advantage. Horun giving up 42 pounds as well. Hausman in on a single with 1:05 but they go out of bounds. Stall warning on Horun with 21 seconds left. Doesn't matter. Good win for the frosh.

106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (17-1), P, forfeit. (P'burg leads 18-3)

113 -- Fr. Peter Nace (12-4), HC, d. So. Tyler Agans (3-10), 7-3. (P'burg leads 18-6)

1-Nace bumps up here, gets the first takedown 24 seconds in. Agans out and nearly gets a takedown at the edge, Zullo calls Nace for fleeing the mat, 2-2. Agans nearly has two at the buzzer. Good one brewing here.

2-Agans down. Agans almost out and Nace called for illegal head scissor. Agans leads, 3-2.

3-Nace takes neutral. Gets the takedown with 1:37. Puts Agans on his back for three more -- wow, Agans looked flat. Nace up, 7-3. Nace working a bar, nearly turns Agans with 25 seconds left.

120 -- So. DJ Wissing (12-7), P, d. Jr. Kyler Rodriguez (9-7), 6-4. (P'burg leads 21-6)

1-Wissing with the opening takedown. P'burg coaches are really high on Wissing, he's due for a big win.

2-Wissing on bottom. He's out eight second in, leads 3-0. Rodriguez nearly has a takedown with 26 seconds left, but can't finish. Wissing with the merkle at the buzzer for two! He leads, 5-0.

3-Rodriguez takes neutral. Rodriguez gets a takedown with 1:29 to go, 5-2. Wissing out, he's up, 6-2 with 1:09 left. Another takedown for Rodriguez with 23 seconds left, 6-4. Wissing hangs on for the 'W.'

126 -- Sr. Tylor Petchonka (7-7), P, p. Jr. Hunter Orr (4-9), 3:06. (P'burg leads 27-6)

1-Petchonka with the first takedown and an escape for Orr, 2-1. Perchonka with his second takedown, leads, 4-1, near the one-minute mark. Gets too high and Orr gets the reversal with 30 seconds left, 4-3. Petchonka reverses with nine seconds left and gets two backs! Stateliner leads, 8-3.

2-Petchonka on bottom. Reversal and FALL!

132 -- Sr. Dylan Nace (14-1), HC, d. Jr. Steve Friedman (9-7), 3-0. (P'burg leads 27-9) 

1-Nace with the takedown at 1:02.

2-Nace on bottom. He's out quickly, 3-0. Stall warning on Friedman with 1:22. P'burg coach Dave Post doesn't like it and voices his displeasure with Zullo at the table.

3-Friedman takes feet. Nace coming off his first loss, 20-7, to former state champ Mike Magaldo of Watchung Hills.

138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (12-3), P, tf. Jr. Nick Taylor (9-7), 17-2, 4:33. (P'burg leads 32-9)

1-Zinsmeister with the quick takedown. Zinsmeister cuts him loose with 55 seconds left, 2-1. Gets his second takedown with 14 seconds left for a 4-1 lead.

2-Zinsmeister takes defense. He's out with 1:39 to go, 5-1. Zinsmeister with his third takedown, 7-1. Cuts Taylor again, 7-2. Zinsmeister with another takedown, too much for Taylor on their feet, and three backs to boot, 12-2.

3-Taylor takes feet. Zinsmeister with his fifth takedown, 14-2. And the three backs to end it.

145 -- Sr. Collin Boylan (17-1), HC, d. Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (11-3), P, 2-1. (P'burg leads 32-12) 

1-Rematch of Saturday's HWS final, won 1-0 by Schuitema. Boylan gets the first takedown with 57 seconds left, 2-0.

2-Boylan on bottom. This is where Schuitema is at his best. Boylan starts to come out in the final seconds, but no points.

3-Schuitema down. He's out with 57 seconds left, 2-1. Takedown either way may win it. Boylan hit for stalling with 11 seconds left. No matter.

152 -- Sr. Gary Dinmore (17-0), HC, forfeit. (P'burg 32-18)

160 -- Jr. Max Elling (16-4), P, p. Sr. Matt Suydam (6-7), :47. (P'burg 38-18)

1-Elling with the takedown and FALL!

170 -- Sr. Broderick Bupivi (14-7), P, d. Jr. Joe Scerbo (12-4), 1-0. (P'burg wins 41-18)

1-Bupivi in on a double near the buzzer, no points.

2-Bupivi takes defense. He's out quickly, 1-0. Stall warning on Scerbo with six seconds left.

3-Scerbo takes bottom. 

Wrestling: Phillipsburg at Hunterdon Central preview

What: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. Hunterdon Central Red Devils.

Where: Hunterdon Central Field House, Raritan Township.

When: Thursday, 6 p.m.

Conference: Skyland (crossover).

Records: Phillipsburg 4-0; Hunterdon Central 5-1.

Coaches: Dave Post (46-13, fourth season); Steve Gibble (334-114, 23rd season).

Series history: Phillipsburg leads 34-7-1 dating to 1962, including six postseason meetings. Red Devils have won four of the last seven meetings -- posting a 34-30 win at The Pit in a regular-season matchup and a 30-29 victory at home in the North 2, Group 4 final a year ago. Gibble's teams are 5-20 vs. the 'Liners, whose last win was 46-14 at the Field House in 2012. P'burg is 17-3 all-time at Central and 16-3-1 in meetings at The Pit. Two meetings were held at neutral sites -- P'burg's 25-23 win in 1981 at Princeton's Jadwin Gym and Central's 39-11 victory in the 2010 Group 4 semifinals at Toms River North.

Note: Phillipsburg wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- So. Brandon Paetzell (16-1) vs. Fr. Peter Nace (11-4) or Fr. Bryce Hall (1-1).

113 -- So. Tyler Agans (3-9) vs. Fr. Chris Taylor (2-3) or P. Nace.

120 -- So. DJ Wissing (11-7) vs. Jr. Kyler Rodriguez (9-6).

126 -- Sr. Tylor Petchonka (6-7) vs. Jr. Hunter Orr (4-8).

132 -- Jr. Steve Friedman (9-6) vs. Sr. Dylan Nace (13-1).

138 -- Jr. Corey Zinsmeister (11-3) vs. Jr. Nick Taylor (9-6).

145 -- Jr. Jimmy Schuitema (11-2) vs. Sr. Collin Boylan (16-1).

152 -- Jr. Max Elling (15-4) or Sr. Garrett Wolfinger (5-2) vs. Sr. Gary Dinmore (16-0).

160 -- Sr. Broderick Bupivi (13-7) vs. Sr. Matt Suydam (6-6).

170 -- Sr. Jake Kocsis (17-2) vs. Jr. Joe Scerbo (12-3).

182 -- Jr. Tim Hinkle (3-4) vs. Jr. Nestor Crespo (11-5).

195 -- Jr. Joe Maso (9-4) vs. Jr. Nick Suk (10-4).

220 -- Fr. Drew Horun (9-6) vs. Sr. Arturo Hernandez (4-6).

285 -- Fr. Robert Melise (1-0) vs. Sr. Dan Hausman (8-6).

Breakdown: P'burg should have no problem staying focused with the big match at High Point looming on Saturday. Stateliners seeking redemption here after a pair of losses to the Red Devils last season -- including just their second loss in 34 sectional finals appearances. P'burg rates as a heavy favorite, getting the nod in nine of the 14 bouts straight up. Look for Central to execute the same move it did against North Hunterdon by bumping up Peter Nace to 113 in order to try and gain a split of the first two. Red Devils need that and a win at 120, as that figures to be a tossup. Another big one at 145, where Schuitema beat Boylan, 1-0, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals on Saturday. Petchonka decked Orr, Zinsmeister pinned Taylor and Maso beat Suk, 5-3, at HWS. 'Liners should get their share of bonus points and could bump from 152 through 220 to get Elling away from Dinmore, a two-time state runner-up, in order to get a few more favorable matchups. Central will find wins tough to come by, let alone those with bonus points.

Prediction: Phillipsburg, 34-16.

Wrestling: Region 1 individual rankings

106 pounds

1. So. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg

2. So. Garrett O’Shea, Morris Knolls

3. So. Troy Stanich, Roxbury

4. Jr. Mojahed Hamdeh, Wayne Hills

5. Jr. Dominic Koert, Pope John

Notes: Paetzell is a returning Region 1 champ – beating O’Shea, 4-3, in the 2013 semifinals – and fifth-place finisher in the state tournament. Stanich was stuck behind Region 1 runner-up Stephen Caserta last season. He decked Hamdeh at the Newark Invitational Tournament. Hamdeh, a District 3 champion at 113 last season, earned a 6-4 win over Aumann in the Mountain Lakes Tournament final. Koert knocked off Hopatcong's Joe Aumann, 1-0, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex quarterfinals to avenge a 5-4 loss in overtime to Aumann on Dec. 21.

113 pounds

1. Sr. Austin Sisco, Pope John

2. Jr. Trevor Morales, Newton
3. Fr. Matt Valli, Warren Hills

4. Jr. Kyle Flynn, Pompton Lakes
5. Fr. Daniel Percelay, Morris Knolls

Notes: Wide open weight class. Sisco is a three-time Region 1 qualifier – all at 106. He finished second at the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, ahead of Morales, who finished third, and Valli, an impressive looking freshman, who placed fifth. Morales, fourth in District 3 at 106 last season, had been at 120 but dropped for the tri-county tournament. West Morris freshman Kade Loughney beat Roxbury freshman Richard Reimers, 7-6, on Tuesday. Valli beat Loughney, 11-0, at the John Goles Invitational on Dec. 27. Percelay is really a 106-pounder but that spot at Knolls belongs to O'Shea. He beat Mount Olive's Shane Murphy, who beat Loughney, 5-0.

120 pounds

1. Jr. A.J. Vindici, Randolph

2. Jr. William Kui, DePaul

3. Jr. Dom Gallo, High Point

4. So. Nick Klinger, Kittatinny

5. So. Joe Renne, Hackettstown

Notes: Stacked weight here. Vindici finished third in Region 1 at 113 last season and came back to place third in the state tournament. He has wins over Klinger and Renne this season. Kui decked Gallo in the region’s third-place bout at 106, with Gallo winning at the time. Klinger’s three losses this season are 4-2 to Vindici and 9-4 and 4-2 to Kui. Klinger owns two wins over Renne, including an 8-6 victory in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals.

126 pounds

1. Sr. Bryan Damon, Jefferson

2. Jr. Matt Noble, DePaul
3. Sr. Tyler Hrycak, Wayne Valley

4. So. Jared Kobis, High Point

5. Sr. Matt Ritchie, North Warren

Notes: Tough weight here. Damon, a Region 1 runner-up at 113 last season, gets the nod based on his fifth-place medal in the state tournament. Hrycak is a returning R1 champion – winning the 120-pound title. Kobis was having a great rookie campaign before an elbow injury ruined his chances in last season’s Region 1 Tournament. He's currently on the shelf with a broken hand. Noble transferred in from Region 5, where he placed third at 113 for Bridgewater-Raritan. Noble defeated Ritchie, who finished third in R1 at 120 last season, 5-2, in the Linn Crawn Classic, then knocked off Hrycak, 3-1, in the Newark Academy Invitational finals. Ritchie was second in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.

132 pounds

1. Jr. Mike Derin, High Point

2. Sr. Devon LaFranco, Roxbury

3. So. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny
4. Jr. Ian Burke, Sparta

5. Jr. Steve Friedman, Phillipsburg

Notes: Derin finished eighth in the state tournament at 132 last season after a great run to the Region 1 title. He was second at the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. LaFranco, who was a R1 quarterfinalist at 120 last season, earned a 5-2 win over Scrivani in the Linn Crawn Classic. Scrivani was a semifinalist at 126, beating Burke handily in the District 3 final. Burke looked good at 138 on Saturday, where he was pinned by Warren Hills' Max Nauta in the HWS finals. Burke has been as high as 145, so we'll see where he goes for the postseason. Scrivani earned a 13-6 win over Friedman for third at HWS.

138 pounds

1. Jr. Max Nauta, Warren Hills
2. Jr. Corey Zinsmeister, Phillipsburg
3. Jr. Anthony Fano, Montville
4. Jr. Eric Friedman, Mendham
5. Fr. Brandon Kui, DePaul

Notes: Deep weight with Glenn Haines of Lenape Valley, a Region 1 finalist two years ago, not in because he's sidelined with a shoulder injury. There's no timetable for his return. Nauta jumps up from 113, where he won district and region titles last season. He was trailing 6-3 before decking Zinsmeister in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals en route to the title. Friedman beat Kui, 5-0, in the Linn Crawn Classic, while Kui knocked off Roxbury's Jake Legotte, 5-2, in that tourney, and beat him 12-1 in a second meeting on Jan. 4. Zinsmeister sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and missed the postseason in 2013. Fano was third in the region at 126.

145 pounds

1. Jr. David McFadden, DePaul
2. Jr. Jason Gaccione, High Point

3. Jr. Jimmy Schuitema, Phillipsburg

4. So. Craig Roumes, Roxbury
5. Jr. David Migliaccio, West Morris

Notes: Loaded class here. Gaccione, McFadden and Schuitema are all returning Region 1 champions. Gaccione at this weight, Schuitema at 152 and McFadden, a state finalist as a freshman, won it at 126. McFadden has some impressive wins this season -- 3-1 over Bergen Catholic's Joe Grello and 6-3 over Delbarton's Dan Reed. Schuitema won the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament with a 1-0 win over Hunterdon Central's Collin Boylan, who came in unbeaten. Pope John's Tom Murphy, who transferred from Kittatinny, was fourth at 138 last season. He hasn't wrestled due to the 30-day transfer rule and will appear here when he does compete. Word has it that Murphy will be in the Lions' lineup next week. Roumes beat Migliaccio, who finished fourth at 126 last year, 1-0 on Tuesday.

152 pounds

1. Jr. Max Elling, Phillipsburg

2. Jr. Luke Bohn, Jefferson
3. Sr. Chris Auer, High Point
4. Sr. Ron Spera, Mount Olive

5. So. Luke Drugac, Morris Knolls

Notes: Elling, who was a R1 runner-up at 138 last season, finished third in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Kittatinny's Nick Romyns was second last year at 145, but lost in UTB to Drugac in a dual earlier this season. Romyns, who has been hampered by a knee injury, returned to the lineup Tuesday and will undoubtedly work his way in here at some point. Spera beat Drugac, 5-2, on Jan. 11. Bohn finished third at 152. Auer, a quarterfinalist 138 who lost in the wrestleback semifinals last year, scored a 12-3 major over Drugac on Tuesday. Sophomore Spencer Carey of DePaul bears watching at this weight. Both on the bubble for now.

160 pounds

1. Sr. Broderick Bupivi, Phillipsburg

2. Sr. Steven Acevedo, Morris Hills
3. So. Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills

4. Sr. Tommy Hooker, High Point

5. So. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls

Notes: Bupivi dropped down from 170, where he finished fourth in the region last season, and won the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title on Saturday. Acevedo finished fourth at 160, losing a highly controversial bout to P’burg’s Jake Kocsis for the bronze. Kilroy, who has a 2-1 loss to Acevedo, decked DePaul's Nick Carey, a quarterfinalist at 160, in the Newark Academy Invitational finals. Hooker and Drugac qualified for regions at 152. Hooker beat Drugac, 11-4, on Tuesday. West Milford sophomore Christian Dalcais is worthy of being ranked, so keep an eye on him.

170 pounds

1. Sr. Dillon Artigliere, Roxbury

2. Sr. Jake Kocsis, Phillipsburg
3. Sr. Kieran Gerrity, Kittatinny

4. Sr. Zach D’Apolito, Wayne Valley

5. Jr. Kevin Merle, Belvidere

Notes: No question about No. 1. Artigliere won the state title at 160 last season. Kocsis, who was third in R1 at 160, earned an impressive 5-3 win over Gerrity, who finished second at 170 in R1, in the finals of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Merle, who transferred from Stroudsburg, Pa., is an interesting story thus far. He dropped a 10-7 decision to R1 qualifier Al Falco of Sparta on opening day, then pinned Falco in a dual meet. Merle has three losses to Gerrity, losing by fall and by decsions of 8-5 and 11-3. Merle also decked Nick Carey in the Linn Crawn Classic. 

182 pounds

1. Sr. Sam Button, Mendham

2. Jr. Nick DePalma, DePaul

3. Jr. D.J. Barrett, Lenape Valley

4. Sr. Dylan Wunder, Kittatinny

5. Sr. Jose Delgado, Morris Hills

Notes: Button, who was the R1 runner-up behind Artigliere at 160 last season, beat DePalma, 5-1 in the Linn Crawn Classic finals on Dec. 27. DePalma, who was third in R1 at this weight a year ago, majored Wunder, 10-1, in the Linn Crawn Classic, and earned a 6-2 win in the rematch at the Newark Invitational Tournament. Barrett, who was a quarterfinalist at 170, beat Wunder, fourth at 195 last season, 3-1 in a recent dual meet. Barrett finished third in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament, while Wunder was second. They did not meet there. Delgado was a quarterfinalist at 195.

195 pounds

1. Sr. Kyle Stoll, High Point

2. Sr. Anthony Landberg, Wayne Valley

3. Sr. Garrett Armstrong, Kittatinny

4. Jr. Gus Protogeropoulos, Newton

5. Jr. Aaron Flitcroft, Mendham

Notes: Solid grouping here. Stoll, a two-time Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex champion, is a returning R1 champ and sixth-place finisher in the state tournament at this weight – scoring a 3-2 win over Landberg in last year’s R1 final. Armstrong is down from 220, where he qualified last season. Protogeropoulos bumped to 220 and won the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title with a 4-3 win over Region 1 runner-up Bobby McDonnell of High Point. We'll see where the Newton wrestler goes for the postseason. Flitcroft gets the nod at No. 5 after a 5-0 win over Jefferson's Tyler Zimmerman on Saturday.

220 pounds

1. Sr. Bobby McDonnell, High Point

2. Sr. Justin Walker, Wayne Valley

3. Sr. Jesse Windt, West Morris

4. So. Scott Lavelle, DePaul

5. Sr. Andrew Simpson, Kittatinny

Notes: McDonnell was an R1 finalist at this weight last season, beating Walker, 10-8 in overtime in the quarterfinals. Windt fell in the wrestleback semifinals at 195. Walker, who is 12-0 with nine pins, decked Lavelle in the finals of the Newark Invitational Tournament. Simpson is having a nice season so far, finishing third in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament by decking Warren Hills' Ryan Witner, a two-time R1 qualifier.

285 pounds

1. Sr. Noa Merritt, Pope John
2. Jr. Andrew Pacheco, Warren Hills

3. Sr. Gunny Wassong, High Point
4. Sr. Austin Behrens, Wayne Valley

5. Sr. Tom Smith, Kittatinny

Notes: Pacheco was a finalist last season, while Merritt finished third. Merritt turned the tables on Saturday with a 5-2 win in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament finals. Wassong was a wrestleback semifinalist. Fox and Smith also were R1 qualifiers. Wassong scored a 4-0 win over Smith in the HWS. The two split last season. Behrens has a double-loss to Merritt – 9-5 and 7-3, and beat Smith, 5-3, in the Newark Invitational semifinals.