Wrestling: Newton at Phillipsburg preview

What: Newton Braves at Phillipsburg Stateliners.

Where: Phillipsburg High School, Lopatcong Twp.

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Live feed: Stateliner Sports Network

Conference: Independent.

Records: Newton 2-0; Phillipsburg 1-0.

Rankings: Newton No. 7; Phillipsburg No. 1 (Open Mike).

Coaches: Eric Bollette (210-174-1, 17th season); Dave Post (113-18, eighth season).

Series history: Newton leads 8-6-1 dating to 1947 -- including a 37-21 victory in the last meeting on Dec. 30, 2009 -- and is among just a few NJSIAA schools with a series advantage over Phillipsburg, which won the last single dual in the series -- 67-3 in 2004 at Newton. The Stateliners' other most recent victories came as part of a tri-meet that included Roxbury -- 38-23 in 2007 and 41-18 in '08. Teams wrestled nine times from 1947-56 (Braves went 7-1-1 in that span) before the series briefly resumed in 1986 and '87.

Probable lineups: Newton wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- Fr. Nathan Fitt (1-4) vs. Fr. Logan Maczko (4-2).

113 -- Fr. Danny Cleary (2-2) vs. Sr. Cullen Day (5-1).

120 -- Fr. JoJo Lotruglio (3-1) vs. Jr. Travis Jones (4-3).

126 -- Jr. Matthew Rosa (4-1) vs. Fr. Tyler Marason (4-2).

132 -- Jr. Michael Freda (3-2) vs. Jr. Brenden Fox (0-2) or Jr. Luke Hardin (0-1).

138 -- Sr. Tim Houlihan (1-3) vs. Jr. Kyle Tino (1-0).

145 -- So. Trevor Aughenbaugh (0-1) vs. Jr. Cody Harrison (5-1).

152 -- Jr. Wyatt McCarthy (5-0) vs. Jr. Jayson Zinsmeister (4-2).

160 -- Sr. Jonathon Borgognoni (5-0) vs. Sr. Brian Meyer (5-1) or Sr. Josh Ramos (4-2).

170 -- Jr. Nick Brigante (3-2) vs. Sr. Lance Wissing (8-1).

182 -- Sr. Joseph DeLuca (4-1) vs. Sr. Shamyr Brodders (3-2).

195 -- Jr. Ryan Kaiser (0-1) vs. Jr. Austin Roth (0-1).

220 -- Jr. Luke Fischer (5-0) vs. So. Cody Cruts (2-2).

285 -- Jr. Jimmy Harding (3-1) vs. Sr. Patrick Sharpe (6-2).

Breakdown: Great to see this renewal between two of the state's oldest and most storied programs. Newton leads New Jersey with 82 individual state champions, the last being current assistant coach Andy Iliff (1986-87), and was founded under legendary coach Henry Boresch. Assistant coach Ted Sibblies is the school's last state finalist (130 pounds in 1989). Phillipsburg, which opened its dual season against Delaware Valley in a return to The Pit on Friday night, is seeking its 22nd state team championship and fifth in a row in Group 4. The 'Liners have a little too much firepower for the young Braves, whose future is bright with some talented wrestlers, including state medal contender McCarthy and a promising rookie in Lotruglio, whose father, Joe, was a district champion for Lenape Valley in 1992. However, there should be several highly contested weight classes in this one. Straight up, Newton gets the nod at 126, 132, 152, 182 and 220. P'burg is favored at 106, 113, 120, 138, 145, 160 (with Meyer), 170, 195 and 285. A McCarthy-Meyer matchup would have been the highlight of the evening, but Post is giving Meyer, a state third-place finisher last season with 96 career wins, a break from weigh-ins at 152 this weekend. That's a bummer and we'll likely have to wait until the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament (Jan. 13) to see that one as they are clearly the odds-on finals favorites at 152. Borgognoni is a solid 160, however, while Newton's upper weights will eventually be even stronger with the return of Devin Mager (195), who is out with a shoulder injury sustained playing football during the school's run to its first sectional championship. Braves could bump up Borgognoni in order to go for a sweep from 170 through 220. That would potentially certainly make this a lot closer (possibly an 11-point margin on the final score). P'burg could also counter by running Ramos to 170, Wissing to 182 and Brodders to 195 -- as it did in a 64--6 win against Del Val on Friday at The Pit -- to try to win two of the three.

Prediction: Phillipsburg, 43-21.

Wrestling: North Hunterdon at Hunt. Central preview

What: North Hunterdon Lions at Hunterdon Central Red Devils.

Where: Hunterdon Central Field House, Raritan Twp.

When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Conference: Skyland Raritan Division.

Records: North Hunterdon 1-0, 0-0 division; Hunterdon Central 1-0, 1-0.

Rankings (Open Mike): North Hunterdon No. 5; Hunterdon Central No. 3.

Coaches: Chris Hrunka (1-0, first season); Jon Cantagallo-Rohm (61-14, fourth season).

Series history: Hunterdon Central has won three straight meetings -- including a 37-31 barnburner in the last matchup on Jan. 27, 2017, while the other two were 10-point victories. North Hunterdon's last win was 28-27 on Jan. 7, 2014, at the Field House.

Probable lineups: North Hunterdon wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- Jr. Connor Robinson (3-1) vs. Fr. Brett Ungar (4-0).

113 -- Fr. Frank Diesso (2-1) or Fr. Connor Quinn (1-0) vs. Fr. Colton Washleski (3-0).

120 -- So. Drew Doscher (1-3) vs. Jr. Jack Bauer (2-0).

126 -- So. Evan Klimas (1-0) vs. So. Anthony Romaniello (3-0).

132 -- So. Kyle Anderson (2-2) vs. Sr. Hunter Graf (2-0).

138 -- Sr. Andrew Gapas (4-0) vs. Sr. Tyler McManus (1-2).

145 -- Jr. Michael Wilson (4-0) vs. Jr. Nick Brunetti (0-2).

152 -- Sr. Tucker Kirchberger (4-0) vs. Jr. Vincent Romaniello (3-1).

160 -- Fr. James Holder (0-1) vs. Sr. Kevin Ciresa (2-1).

170 -- So. Nathaniel Fossett (3-2) vs. Jr. Dan Furmato (3-1).

182 -- Sr. John Spies (2-2) vs. Jr. Kyle Barrett (2-2).

195 -- Jr. Richard Kimmick (0-1) vs. Sr. Reese Young (2-1).

220 -- Jr. Lorenzo Becerril (1-0) vs. So. Lukas Bakerian (4-0).

285 -- Jr. Francis Vitelli (0-1) vs. Jr. Ryan Joyce (1-3).

Breakdown: Rare early season matchup between these longtime rivals and it should be the match of the year in the county. This December meeting benefits Hunterdon Central considering North, which opened its dual season with a 36-23 win over Allentown on Tuesday, will be without four starters, including some key upper weights. Seniors Noah Quental (182-195) and Yousef Abbas (195-220) opted not to wrestle this season after helping the school capture a sectional title in football, while Brinton Gibbons (285) and William Hughes (152-160) are on the shelf with injuries. Central, which easily won the Caldwell Tournament team title this past Saturday, is pretty balanced, and will get senior Angelo Crespo (220) back this weekend coming off football. Straight up, the hosts will be favored at 106, 113, 120, 132, 160, 195, 220 and 285. North has the edge at 126, 138 and 145. That leaves 152, 170 and 182 as tossups. Vincent Romaniello scored a 12-4 victory over Kirchberger two seasons ago in the dual for what it's worth. Figure a split of the tossups, but bonus points favor the Red Devils (especially up top) in what should be a raucous home environment.

Prediction: Hunterdon Central, 40-21.

Wrestling: DV state champ Lightner out for season

Will he or won't he? That seemed to be the big question around the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area regarding Delaware Valley senior and Rutgers University recruit Kyle Lightner, who sustained a knee injury during the offseason.

We got the disappointing answer on Thursday as Terriers coach Andy Fitz confirmed what had been speculation for weeks -- Lightner, last season's state champion at 195 pounds, is out for the season.

"He will be unable to wrestle this year due to a knee injury," said Fitz, whose team rallied for a 36-33 win at Warren Hills on Wednesday night on the heels of a 46-19 independent loss to Hopewell Valley on Tuesday.

HWS state champs Kyle Lightner and Nick Palumbo.

Lightner went 42-2 while winning district and region titles before and capturing Delaware Valley's ninth state championship last season -- its first since Dan Kelly won at 112 pounds in 2007. Lightner (68-10 overall) was one of two winners for the HWS area, joining Lenape Valley's Nick Palumbo, who rolled to his school's first title at 145 pounds.

Among those previous champs for Del Val are two-time winners Jamie Wicks (1987-88) and Brent Conly (1992-93). Lightner, who is Hunterdon County's first champ since Hunterdon Central's Alex Shaffer won at 119 in 2010, was eager to attempt to become just the third at his school to win back-to-back titles.

"This feels great. It feels amazing to be up there with the legends at Del Val," Lightner said shortly after a 5-1 win over Collingswood senior Michael Taulane at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. "They are the people I always wanted to be like. I wanted to be Jamie Wicks."

Delaware Valley (1-1), which won its first Group 2 title since 1999 last season, has been battling inexperience and several injuries. Along with Lightner, seniors Shawne Ramsby (170) and Eli Kalfaian (195) are also on the shelf with knee issues. Kalfaian is expected to miss at least a few weeks, including Friday night's match against Phillipsburg at The Pit. Del Val will be a heavy underdog in that one as Kalfaian and junior A.J. DeRosa (132) figured to be favorites at their respective weights against the Stateliners.

"We're just going to keep plugging away with our season," Fitz said. "[Losing Kalfaian] just puts another inexperienced guy on the mat."

Wrestling: Terriers pin down late win over Streaks

WASHINGTON TWP. -- Delaware Valley's wrestling team hopes these growing pains will turn into gains later in the season.

In a battle between young, rebuilding programs, the Terriers pulled out a 36-33 win over Warren Hills in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup that came down to the 14th bout on Wednesday night at Warren Hills Regional High School.

Delaware Valley (1-1, 1-0 division), last season's Group 2 champion which has been hampered by a rash of early injuries, was in need of some positive momentum coming off a lopsided 46-19 loss at home against Hopewell Valley on Tuesday.

"We are going to have to fight for every win this year," said Terriers coach Andy Fitz, whose program owns a 30-19 edge in the series by winning back-to-back meetings dating to last season and 16 of the last 18 against the Blue Streaks, who ended their six-match skid in the series with a 40-18 win 2016.

"We have a lot of new wrestlers. We only have a couple of veteran kids on the mat. We recognize that we will have a couple of tough nights [during the rest of the season]."

Del Val sophomore Derek Schepens pinned freshman Walker Heller with a near-side cradle in 55 seconds in the last bout at 106 pounds to seal it.

Warren Hills (0-1, 0-1), which had the momentum after junior Duro Ajayi's pin at 285 gave the Streaks a 33-30 lead, is in the same boat regarding inexperience in the lineup.

Coach Jarrett Hosbach's team knew it faced a tall order in terms of the individual matchups. Things didn't go well from the start with a loss in a pivotal second bout at 120, where sophomore Greg Slivka dropped a 9-5 decision to talented Del Val freshman Corey Crater. Slivka, who has improved markedly since the start of a 9-21 freshman campaign, held leads of 4-1 in the second and 5-4 in the third period before giving up a decisive takedown and three back points.

In addition the Blue Streaks gave up 12 bonus points, not including a forfeit at 160, in their seven individual losses. One was a stunning pin at 132 pounds as Del Val junior A.J. DeRosa, a state qualifier as a freshman, decked senior Kyle Wulff, sixth in Region 3 last season, in 1:09.

"Both teams are still trying to find their way," said Hosbach, whose team will try to bounce back at Bound Brook on Friday night. "Both are hoping to be better in February than December. It would have been nice to get this one. Del Val took advantage of some bonus points where we weren't able to. We had to limit bonus points and try to score more ourselves."

After Gage Crater's 6-2 win at 138 gave Del Val an 18-6 lead through five bouts, Warren Hills got back in the match in the middle weights behind wins from junior Chris Ostir (145), Geir Nemeth (152) and Nick Hildabrant (170), both sophomores. Nemeth, who logged just one varsity bout last season, scored a 5-3 win over freshman Anthony DeRosa on the strength of a two-point nearfall in the third period.

"Geir is wrestling really well for us ... and the guys who got pins," said Hosbach, now 2-11 all-time against Del Val. "We will work to improve in other spots."

After trading pins at 182 and 195, junior Nick Galka set the stage for a potential comeback with an 11-6 decision over Eli Kalfaian at 220. Ajayi's pin at 285 put the pressure on Schepens to get a bonus-point victory to win it for Del Val. A decision would have meant a 33-33 tie with Warren Hills winning on most first points (14-10).

"We lost the toss and I was hoping to win one at 145 or 152," said Fitz, who improved to 9-2 overall in this rivalry. "[A.J. DeRosa] has put in so much work and got the pin against Wulff. When we lost 145 and 52, I knew this match was going to get real tight."

Fitz is hoping for a speedy return by senior 170-pounder Shawne Ramsby, who sustained a knee injury this past Saturday while winning a title in the Wendy Pandy-Leh Tournament. CJ Heaps, who opened this match with a pin at 113, is nursing a shoulder injury, while returning senior state champion and Rutgers recruit Kyle Lightner (knee) has yet to be cleared to wrestle.

It won't get any easier from here as Del Val will be a heavy underdog when it travels to Phillipsburg on Friday night for a return to The Pit -- a one-night only event which has that town buzzing.

"We're hoping it's not long term [with Ramsby]," Fitz said. "He goes for an MRI [on Thursday] and then we'll know more."

DELAWARE VALLEY 36, WARREN HILLS 33

113 -- Sr. CJ Heaps (1-2), DV, p. Fr. Michael Wonski (0-1), 1:42.
120 -- Fr. Corey Crater (2-3), DV, d. So. Greg Slivka (1-2), 9-5.
126 -- Sr. Codey O'Rourke (3-1), WH, p. Jr. Tommy Schlittler (2-3), 1:01.
132 -- Jr. A.J. DeRosa (5-0), DV, p. Sr. Kyle Wulff (1-3), 1:09.
138 -- So. Gage Crater (4-1), DV, d. So. Logan Nauta (2-2), 6-2.
145 -- Jr. Chris Ostir (3-2), WH, d. Jr. Tommy Horn (2-5), 7-2.
152 -- So. Geir Nemeth (4-1), WH, d. Fr. Anthony DeRosa (3-4), 5-3.
160 -- Sr. Joseph Desapio (4-1), DV, forfeit.
170 -- So. Nick Hildebrant (3-2), WH, p. So. Nick Ferri (0-1), 4:23.
182 -- Sr. Jarod Ostir (4-0), WH, p. Jr. Liam Miller (0-1), :42.
195 -- Jr. Kyle Carney (3-2), DV, p. Fr. Logan Polcari (0-1), 1:54.
220 -- Jr. Nick Galka (3-1), WH, d. Sr. Eli Kalfaian (4-1), 11-6.
285 -- Jr. Duro Ajayi (2-1), WH, p. So. Matt Rushak (1-3), 2:47.
106 -- So. Derek Schepens (3-2), DV, p. Fr. Walker Heller (0-1), :55.
Records -- Delaware Valley 1-1, 1-0; Warren Hills 0-1, 0-1.
Official -- Frank Leitner.

Wrestling: Delaware Valley at Warren Hills preview

What: Delaware Valley Terriers at Warren Hills Blue Streaks.

Where: Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington Twp.

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Conference: Skyland Raritan Division.

Records: Delaware Valley 0-1; Warren Hills 0-0.

Coaches: Andy Fitz (180-57, 11th season); Jarrett Hosbach (158-122, 13th season).

Series history: Delaware Valley leads 29-19 dating to 1963, including a 37-21 victory at home last season on Jan. 6, 2017. Terriers, who had their six-match winning streak in the series snapped by a 40-18 loss at Warren Hills on Jan. 6, 2016, have won 15 of the past 17 meetings since the Streaks rattled off four in a row from 1995-98. Teams did not meet in 2007 or 2008 after wrestling continuously from 1972 to 2006.

Note: Delaware Valley wrestlers listed first with season records in parentheses.

106 -- So. Derek Schepens (2-2) vs. Fr. Walker Heller (0-0).

113 -- Sr. CJ Heaps (0-2) or So. Stephen Em (0-1) vs. Fr. Michael Wonski (0-0).

120 -- Fr. Corey Crater (1-3) vs. So. Greg Slivka (1-1).

126 -- Jr. Tommy Schlittler (2-2) vs. Sr. Codey O'Rourke (2-1).

132 -- Jr. A.J. DeRosa (4-0) vs. Jr. Kyle Wulff (1-2).

138 -- So. Gage Crater (3-1) vs. So. Logan Nauta (2-1).

145 -- Fr. Anthony DeRosa (3-3) or Jr. Tommy Horn (2-4) vs. Jr. Chris Ostir (2-2).

152 -- So. Mason Sorge (0-0) vs. So. Geir Nemeth (3-1).

160 -- Sr. Joseph Desapio (3-1) vs. Fr. Chad Joyce (0-0).

170 -- Jr. Shawne Ramsby (2-0) or Sr. Alexander Harris (0-1) vs. So. Nick Hildebrant (2-2).

182 -- Jr. Kyle Carney (2-2) vs. Sr. Jarod Ostir (3-0).

195 -- Sr. Eli Kalfaian (4-0) or Jr. Brandon Helper (2-2) vs. Fr. Logan Polcari (0-0).

220 -- Sr. Karl Burke (1-1) vs. Jr. Nick Galka (2-1).

285 -- So. Matt Ruchak (1-2) vs. Jr. Duro Ajayi (1-1).

Breakdown: These teams are in a bit of a rebuilding mode so getting an early-season win would be huge with some of the tougher meets on tap for both in the coming weeks. Delaware Valley, coming off a 46-19 loss to Hopewell Valley on Tuesday, has been hit hard by injuries, including senior state champ Kyle Lightner (knee), who is out indefinitely. Still, it has enough to win this one as it matches up well. Teams that are average to above average down low and up top will give the Terriers trouble, but Warren Hills is struggling there as well and the lineup in flux due to descent plans. In fact, we could see a couple of forfeits. Del Val will be favored at 106, 113, 132, 138, 152 (DeRosa) 160 and 195, while Warren Hills has the edge at 126, 145, 170, 182 and 220. Let's call 120 and 285 tossups. Good matchups at 132 and 138, two weights that Warren Hills normally counts on winning. Look for Del Val to bump Anthony DeRosa in order to split 145 and 152. Fitz could also try to take 195 and 220 by bumping Carney away from Ostir and Kalfaian up for a tough matchup vs. Galka. The Streaks will likely need an upset somewhere -- even if they win both of the tossups -- in order to pull off the victory. Even with a 7-7 split, the Terriers find a way.

Prediction: Delaware Valley, 36-27.

Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

And we're off.

The high school wrestling season is underway and we move right into the dual meet portion of the season this week with some dandy matchups and our first set of weekly team rankings, which should be interesting to watch as we go along. The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference and Skyland Conference open on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, so check our calendar for all of the important dates and times.

Let's take a brief look at some of the big ones on tap in the next few days. We will have a more in-depth look at some matchups later in the week.

Delaware Valley, which hosts Hopewell Valley on Tuesday, will travel to Washington on Wednesday for a key Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup against Warren Hills. The Terriers, who will close out the week against Phillipsburg at The Pit, have won 15 of the past 17 meetings against the Blue Streaks, including a 37-21 win at home last season.

Newton hosts Sparta on Tuesday in a non-divisional matchup in the NJAC. The Braves, seeking their first win over the Spartans since 2009, hold a 31-12-1 edge in the all-time series dating to 1961. The teams did not meet from 2010-13 after the Sussex County Interscholastic League folded following the 2008-09 season. Coach Eric Bollette's team will head to Warren County later in the week to take on Phillipsburg on Saturday. We could see a matchup between two of the state's best 152-pounders in Newton junior Wyatt McCarthy and P'burg senior Brian Meyer, who finished third in New Jersey at 145 last season and is sitting on 96 career wins.

P'burg coach Dave Post liked what he saw from his team at the King of the Mountain Tournament on Friday and Saturday, particularly seniors Lance Wissing (third at 170) and Patrick Sharpe (seventh at 285), who has rejoined the team after a two-year absence.

"We knew what we were getting out of our good guys, so we weren't surprised there," he said. "I would have been happy with just one surprise. Lance was a huge surprise, especially not being seeded. We knew he was going to be good wrestling at a bigger weight [he was a 138-pounder as a junior].

"Sharpe is as good of a heavyweight as we've had. He doesn't have the size or power like Kyle Nothnagel [a former district champion and region runner-up in 2016 for the 'Liners], but [Sharpe] is mat savvy. He was our backup as a ninth-grader behind Nothnagel, and he would have been a starter for us last year."

In what should be the match of the year in Hunterdon County takes place on Friday at 6:30 p.m., when North Hunterdon travels to Hunterdon Central for another big Skyland Conference Raritan Division matchup at the Field House. At first glance, that one will be decided in the upper weights.

Now, onto the rankings:

1. Phillipsburg (0-0) -- Stateliners, who were the only New Jersey team in the field, finished second in their return to the King of the Mountain Tournament in Pennsylvania. Logan Maczko (seventh at 106), Cullen Day (third at 113), Travis Jones (sixth at 120), Cody Harrison (second at 138), Brian Meyer (second at 152), Josh Ramos (fourth at 160) also joined Wissing and Sharpe on the medal stand. Everyone around town is buzzing as the team will open the dual season on Friday night as a heavy favorite in a return to The Pit for one night only this season.

Up next: Delaware Valley at The Pit on Friday; Newton at home on Saturday.

2. Pope John (0-0) -- Lions finished seventh in the rugged Beast of the East over the weekend in Delaware behind four placewinners -- Eddie Ventresca (fourth at 113), Jake Rotunda (fifth at 132), Joe Aragona (third at 138) and Robbie Garcia (seventh at 145). Rotunda (96) is closing in on 100 career wins. Coach Mark Piotrowsky's team will head to the South Jersey Duals on Saturday at Kingsway.

Up next: Camden Catholic, Northern Burlington and Ocean Township on Saturday.

3. Hunterdon Central (0-0) -- Red Devils cruised to the team title on Saturday at the Caldwell Tournament, besting second-place Kittatinny (227-172) behind six champions in Brett Ungar (106), Colton Washleski (113), Jack Bauer (120), Anthony Romaniello (126), Hunter Graf (132) and Lukas Bakerian (220), while Kevin Ciresa (160) and Reese Young (195) finished second. Third-place finishers were Vincent Romaniello (152), Dan Furmato (170) and Kyle Barrett (182).

Up next: at Bound Brook on Wednesday; North Hunterdon at home on Friday; Bishop Ahr, Hillsborough and Middletown North at home on Saturday.

4. High Point (0-0) -- Wildcats opened their season by winning the Colt Classic team championship at Christian Brothers Academy on Saturday -- 247.5 to 171.5 over second-place Hopewell Valley -- putting nine in the finals and crowning five individual champs in Devon Liebl (106), Brandon LaRue (113), Shane Kobis (138), Grayson Sabo (182) and Thomas Hubmaster (285). Finishing second were Devin Flannery (120), Maverick Liebl (126), Billy Talmadge (132) and Hunter Flores (195). Coach John Gardner's team is four wins shy of 700 as a program and could hit that mark as early as this weekend.

Up next: Mount Olive at home on Tuesday; at West Morris on Thursday; Atlantic City, Woodstown at Southern on Saturday.

5. North Hunterdon (0-0) -- Lions finished fourth among a pretty solid field at the Neptune Classic on Saturday. Winning individual titles were Andrew Gapas (138), Michael Wilson (145) and Tucker Kirchberger (152), while Connor Robinson (106) and Frank Diesso (113) finished third. Coach Chris Hrunka will seek his first dual meet win on Tuesday before the big showdown with Hunterdon Central later this week.

Up next: at Allentown on Tuesday; at Hunterdon Central on Friday.

6. Kittatinny (0-0) -- Cougars opened with a second-place finish in the Caldwell Tournament on Saturday behind six finalists, including champion Zach Mafaro (182). Runners-up were Derek Molfetto (126), Mike Callahan (138), Calvin Brook (152), Josh Hiler (170) and Jacob Mafaro (220), while Brian Hanna (132), Perry Maio (145), Shane Smith (160) and Jackson Crawn (195) all placed third.

Up next: at Wayne Hills on Wednesday; Kinnelon, Wayne Valley at West Milford on Thursday.

7. Newton (0-0) -- Braves are set up for a big week after a third-place team finish in the Battle at the Bay at Bayonne on Saturday. Wyatt McCarthy (160), Jonathon Borgognoni (170) and Luke Fischer (220) won individual titles. Joseph DeLuca (195) finished second, while Matthew Rosa (126), Michael Freda (138), Nick Brigante (182) and Jimmy Harding (285) placed third.

Up next: Sparta at home on Tuesday; at Roxbury on Thursday; at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

8. Delaware Valley (0-0) -- Terriers are struggling with injuries and inexperience to open the season, but they have some winnable matches early on. Coach Andy Fitz's team finished third-place in the program's Wendy Pandy-Leh Tournament on Saturday. A.J. DeRosa (132), Joseph Desapio (160), Shawne Ramsby (170) and Eli Kalfaian (195) won titles, while Gage Crater (138) and Kyle Carney (182) placed third.

Up next: Hopewell Valley at home on Tuesday; at Warren Hills on Wednesday; at Phillipsburg on Friday.

9. Warren Hills (0-0) -- Blue Streaks are another team with a lot of inexperience and lineup in flux due to some wrestlers coming down on the descent plan. Coach Jarrett Hosbach's squad finished second in the Nottingham Tournament on Saturday with senior state qualifier Jarod Ostir winning the 182-pound title. Nick Galka (220) was a runner-up, while  Codey O'Rourke (126), Logan Nauta (138) and Geir Nemeth (152) finished third.

Up next: Delaware Valley at home on Wednesday; at Bound Brook on Friday.

10. Sparta (0-0) -- Spartans won the team title at the Hopatcong Tournament on Saturday. Cooper Stewart (106), Chris Hwang (120), Garrett Stewart (132) and Robbie Gennat (195) captured individual titles. Gennat earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award for weights 152-285. Kevin Berlin (160) was a runner-up and Carter Sheridan (145) finished third.

Up next: at Newton on Tuesday; Howell on Saturday.

Wrestling: HWS schedule for Dec. 15-23

Friday, Dec. 15

Phillipsburg at King of the Mountain Tournament, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16

(All matches and tournaments 9 a.m., unless noted)

Phillipsburg at King of the Mountain Tournament

High Point in Colt Classic at Christian Brothers Academy

Hackettstown, Hunterdon Central, Kittatinny at Caldwell Tournament

Newton at Bayonne Invitational
Belvidere, Sparta at Hopatcong Tournament, 10 a.m.

Lenape Valley, North Warren at Dover Tournament
Wallkill Valley at Morris Knolls Tournament

Wendy Pandy-Leh Tournament at Delaware Valley, 9:45 a.m.

Warren Hills at Nottingham Tournament

North Hunterdon at Neptune Classic

Pope John at Beast of the East Tournament, 7:45 a.m.

Independent

Voorhees, Hillsborough, Emerson-Park Ridge at South Brunswick

Sunday, Dec. 17

Pope John at Beast of the East Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 19

(All matches 7 p.m.)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Sparta at Newton
Mount Olive at High Point
Vernon at Hopatcong

Independent

Hopewell Valley at Delaware Valley

Voorhees at West Morris
North Hunterdon at Allentown

Wednesday, Dec. 20

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

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Vernon at Boonton, 6 p.m.

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at Warren Hills

Hunterdon Central at Bound Brook

Voorhees at Manville

Independent

Newark Collegiate Academy at Belvidere

Lenape Valley at Hasbrouck Heights
Kittatinny at Wayne Hills
Pascack Valley at Hackettstown

Thursday, Dec. 21

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

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

High Point at West Morris

Newton at Roxbury

Morris Catholic at North Warren, 6 p.m.
Morris Hills at Wallkill Valley, 6 p.m.

Independent

Belvidere at Mendham
Kittatinny, Kinnelon, Wayne Valley at West Milford, 4 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 22

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

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley vs. Phillipsburg at The Pit

North Hunterdon at Hunterdon Central, 6:30 p.m.

Warren Hills at Bound Brook

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Hopatcong at Mount Olive, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23

(All matches, tris and quads 9 a.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Kittatinny at Hanover Park, 11 a.m.

Independent

Newton at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.
Howell, Don Bosco Prep at Sparta

Cresskill, Demarest, Mahwah at Vernon, 10 a.m.

High Point, Atlantic City, Woodstown at Southern
Bloomfield, Lyndhurst-North Arlington, Mendham at Hackettstown

Bishop Ahr, Hillsborough, Middletown North at Hunterdon Central, 9:30 a.m.

Voorhees, Pequannock, Secaucus at Randolph, 8:30 a.m.

Pope John at Kingsway Duals, 10 a.m.