Wrestling: State finals, consolation matchups

Pairings for the championship finals in the 83rd State Wresting Tournament to be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Boardwalk Hall.

Region breakdown for the finals: Region 2 with nine; Region 1 with five; Regions 3, 7 and 8 with three; Regions 5 and 6 with two; and Region 4 with one.

Finalists by school

Bergen Catholic 4; Phillipsburg 2; Bound Brook 2; Clearview 2; Delbarton 2; Don Bosco Prep 2; Morris Knolls 2; Hasbrouck Heights 1; Holy Cross 1; Christian Brothers 1; DePaul 1; Hanover Park 1; Northern Highlands 1; Paramus 1; Paulsboro 1; River Dell 1; Seneca 1; Steinert 1; Toms River East 1.

Medal count

Region 2 with 21; Regions 1 and 5 with 17; Region 4 with 14; Regions 6 and 8 with 12; Region 3 with 11; and Region 7 with eight.

Championships

106 pounds

So. Joe Manchio (41-0, R7-1), Seneca, vs. Sr. Nick Duca (34-5, R8-1), Paulsboro

113 pounds

So. Patrick Glory (38-2, R3-1), Delbarton, vs. Sr. Sebastian Rivera (30-1, R6-1), Christian Brothers

120 pounds

Sr. Brandon Cray (19-0, R7-1), Steinert, vs. Fr. Nick Raimo (30-1, R3-1), Hanover Park

126 pounds

Sr. Nick Suriano (37-0, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, vs. Sr. Ty Agaisse (26-2, R3-1), Delbarton

132 pounds

Sr. Zack Firestone (37-0, R8-1), Clearview, vs. Sr. Brandon Paetzell (15-3, R1-1), Phillipsburg

138 pounds

So. Shane Griffith (14-0, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, vs. Sr. Michael Van Brill (37-0, R8-1), Clearview

145 pounds

Jr. Mekhi Lewis (36-1, R5-1), Bound Brook, vs. So. Michael O'Malley (46-0, R4-1), Hasbrouck Heights

152 pounds

Jr. Stephan Glasgow (36-1, R5-1), Bound Brook, vs. Jr. Andrew Meyers (36-1, R6-1), Toms River East

160 pounds

Sr. Kyle Bierdumpfel (31-0, R2-1), Don Bosco Prep, vs. Sr. Kyle Cochran (32-2, R2-3), Paramus

170 pounds

Sr. Joe Grello (40-2, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, vs. Jr. Shane Sosinsky (41-3, R2-2), Northern Highlands

182 pounds

Jr. Brandon Kui (38-1, R1-1), DePaul, vs. Sr. Luke Drugac (38-2, R1-2), Morris Knolls

195 pounds

Sr. Kevin Mulligan (37-2, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, vs. Sr. Dean Drugac (38-0, R1-1), Morris Knolls

220 pounds

Sr. Matt Correnti (41-0, R7-1), Holy Cross, vs. Jr. Robert Melise (40-2, R1-1), Phillipsburg

285 pounds

Jr. Eric Chakonis (26-4, R2-1), Don Bosco Prep, vs. Sr. Joe Longobardi (38-2, R2-3), River Dell

Consolation semifinals

106 pounds

Michael Kelly, St. Peter's Prep vs. Chris Gural, Roselle Park
Joe Heilmann, South Plainfield vs. JoJo Aragona, Pope John
Seventh place: Dante Mininno, Gateway-Woodbury, vs. Luke Ecklof, St. John Vianney

113 pounds

Jonathan Tropea, St. Joseph-Montvale, vs. Carmen Ferrante, Bergen Catholic
Lucas Revano, Camden Catholic, vs. Dan Ortega, North Bergen
Seventh place: Hunter Graf, Hunterdon Central, vs. Daniel Percelay, DePaul

120 pounds

Gerard Angelo, Bergen Catholic, vs. Mark Schleifer, East Brunswick
Gianni Ghione, Brick Memorial, vs. Shane Metzler, West Morris
Seventh place: Ray Wetzel, Queen of Peace, vs. Joe Casey Bound Brook

126 pounds

Quinn Kinner, Kingsway, vs. Travis Layton, Woodstown
Anthony Foggia, Northern Burlington, vs. Troy Stanich, Roxbury
Seventh place: Kyle DiNapoli, Voorhees, vs. Lou Raimo, Hanover Park

132 pounds

Owen McClave, Toms River South, vs. Nick Farro, Delbarton
Sam Schneider, Emerson-Park Ridge, vs. Alec Kelly, St. Peter's Prep
Seventh place: Evan Drill, Somerville, vs. Robert Cleary, Edison

138 pounds

Mark McCormick, Camden Catholic, vs. Nick Maher, West Windsor South
Nicholas Santos, St. Peter's Prep, vs. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny
Seventh place: Cole Corrigan, Toms River South, vs. Benjamin Brisman, Pascack Hills

145 pounds

John Finnerty, Point Pleasant Beach, vs. Stanley Atkinson, Clearview
Nick Palumbo, Lenape Valley, vs. Mohammed Farhan, Clifton
Seventh place: Taylor Shay, Don Bosco Prep, vs. Nicholas Esposito, Cliffside Park

152 pounds

Avery DiNardi, Holy Cross, vs. Darwin Pena, Nutley
Lorenzo Ruggiero, Delsea, vs. Dominick Mandarino, Don Bosco Prep
Seventh place: Steve Bonsall, Newark Academy, vs. Garrett Beam, Queen of Peace

160 pounds

Bill Janzer, Delsea, vs. Tyler Mullen, Old Tappan
Bryan McLaughlin, Woodbridge, vs. Christian DalCais, West Milford
Seventh place: Michael Petite, Piscataway, vs. Connor Rogovich, Cherry Hill West

170 pounds

Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills, vs. Brett Donner, Wall
Anthony Oliveri, Hanover Park, vs. George Walton, Bound Brook
Seventh place: Spencer Carey, DePaul, vs. Ellias Vega, Carteret

182 pounds

Kyle Murphy, Bridgewater-Raritan, vs. Kyle Inlander, Ridgewood
Josh McKenzie, Bergen Catholic, vs. Anthony Vetrano, Middletown North
Seventh place: Louis Castellano, Delbarton, vs. Dominic Maniero, Queen of Peace

195 pounds

Joseph McKenzie, Wall, vs. Joseph Soreco, DePaul
Patrick Daly, Pequannock, vs. Sean O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights
Seventh place: Jack LaCorte, Christian Brothers, vs. Frank Wyshinski, Pennsville

220 pounds

James Brady, St. Augustine, vs. Victor Lacombe, Hunterdon Central
Scott Lavelle, DePaul, vs. Michael Carfagno, St. Joseph-Montvale
Seventh place: Eric Keosseian, Howell, vs. Zach DelVecchio, South Plainfield

285 pounds

Dylan D'Amore, Montgomery, vs. Anthony Porcaro, Sayreville
Jonathan Beltre, Union City, vs. Antonio Rodriguez, Buena
Seventh place: Jedh Downey, Old Tappan, vs. David Brown, Union

Wrestling: State semifinals results, stats

Wrestlers in the semis are guaranteed a top-six finish.

Region breakdown for the semis: Region 2 with 13; Region 1 with 11; Region 8 with seven; Regions 4 and 6 with six; Regions 5 and 7 with five; and Region 3 with three.

Semifinalists by school

Bergen Catholic 5; Bound Brook 3; Don Bosco Prep 3; Phillipsburg 2; Clearview 2; Delbarton 2; Hasbrouck Heights 2; Holy Cross 2; Morris Knolls 2; St. Joseph-Montvale 2; St. Peter's Prep 2; Kittatinny 1; Pope John 1; Bridgewater-Raritan 1; Buena 1; Camden Catholic 1; Christian Brothers 1; Clifton 1; Delsea 1; DePaul 1; Hanover Park 1; Kingsway 1; Middletown North 1; Montgomery 1; North Bergen 1; Northern Highlands 1; Paramus 1; Paulsboro 1; Point Pleasant Beach 1; River Dell 1; Roxbury 1; St. Augustine 1; Seneca 1; Steinert 1; Toms River East 1; Toms River South 1; Wall 1; Wayne Hills 1; West Milford 1; West Morris 1.

106 pounds

So. Joe Manchio (41-0, R7-1), Seneca, d. Fr. JoJo Aragona (38-1, R1-1), Pope John, 3-0.
Sr. Nick Duca (34-5, R8-1), Paulsboro, p. So. Michael Kelly (38-4, R4-1), St. Peter's Prep, 1:08.

113 pounds

So. Patrick Glory (38-2, R3-1), Delbarton, md. Sr. Dan Ortega (27-3, R4-1), North Bergen, 8-0.
Sr. Sebastian Rivera (30-1, R6-1), Christian Brothers, d. Sr. Jonathan Tropea (29-4, R2-1), St. Joseph-Montvale, 6-3.

120 pounds

Sr. Brandon Cray (19-0, R7-1), Steinert, d. Jr. Shane Metzler (37-1, R1-1), West Morris, 8-7 TB2.
 Fr. Nick Raimo (30-1, R3-1), Hanover Park, d. So. Gerard Angelo (28-4, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, 3-1.

126 pounds

Sr. Nick Suriano (37-0, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, tf. Sr. Troy Stanich (32-3, R1-1), Roxbury, 19-4, 6:00.
Sr. Ty Agaisse (26-2, R3-1), Delbarton, d. So. Quinn Kinner (38-2, R8-1), Kingsway, 4-2.

132 pounds

Sr. Zack Firestone (37-0, R8-1), Clearview, d. Sr. Alec Kelly (35-2, R4-1), St. Peter's Prep, 2-1.
Sr. Brandon Paetzell (15-3, R1-1), Phillipsburg, d. Sr. Owen McClave (36-2, R6-1), Toms River South, 2-1 TB2.

138 pounds

So. Shane Griffith (14-0, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, p. Sr. Austin Scrivani (36-2, R1-1), Kittatinny, 4:31.
Sr. Michael Van Brill (37-0, R8-1), Clearview, d. Sr. Mark McCormick (39-2, R7-1), Camden Catholic, 3-1 SV.

145 pounds

Jr. Mekhi Lewis (36-1, R5-1), Bound Brook, d. Sr. Mohammed Farhan (37-3, R4-2), Clifton, 3-0.
So. Michael O'Malley (46-0, R4-1), Hasbrouck Heights, p. Sr. John Finnerty (35-4, R6-1), Point Pleasant Beach, 2:50.

152 pounds

Jr. Stephan Glasgow (36-1, R5-1), Bound Brook, d. Jr. Dominick Mandarino (29-4, R2-1), Don Bosco Prep, 10-4.
Jr. Andrew Meyers (36-1, R6-1), Toms River East, d. Jr. Avery DiNardi (36-5, R7-1), Holy Cross, 3-2.

160 pounds

Sr. Kyle Bierdumpfel (31-0, R2-1), Don Bosco Prep, p. Sr. Christian DalCais (39-4, R1-2), West Milford, 2:36.
Sr. Kyle Cochran (32-2, R2-3), Paramus, d. So. Bill Janzer (38-3, R8-1), Delsea, 3-0.

170 pounds

Sr. Joe Grello (40-2, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, p. Jr. George Walton (32-4, R5-1), Bound Brook, 2:51.
Jr. Shane Sosinsky (41-3, R2-2), Northern Highlands, d. Sr. Daniel Kilroy (35-2, R1-1), Wayne Hills, 6-1.

182 pounds

Jr. Brandon Kui (38-1, R1-1), DePaul, d. Sr. Anthony Vetrano (36-3, R6-1), Middletown North, 10-4.
Sr. Luke Drugac (38-2, R1-2), Morris Knolls, d. Sr. Kyle Murphy (34-1, R5-1), Bridgewater-Raritan, 7-6.

195 pounds

Sr. Kevin Mulligan (37-2, R2-1), Bergen Catholic, d. Jr. Sean O'Malley (43-2, R4-1), Hasbrouck Heights, 3-0.
Sr. Dean Drugac (38-0, R1-1), Morris Knolls, d. Jr. Joseph McKenzie (34-3, R6-2), Wall, 4-3 UTB.

220 pounds

Sr. Matt Correnti (41-0, R7-1), Holy Cross, d. Sr. Michael Carfagno (24-4, R2-1), St. Joseph-Montvale, 10-9.
Jr. Robert Melise (40-2, R1-1), Phillipsburg, d. Sr. James Brady (32-8, R8-1), St. Augustine, 10-3.

285 pounds

Jr. Eric Chakonis (26-4, R2-1), Don Bosco Prep, d. Sr. Antonio Rodriguez (33-3, R8-1), Buena, 3-1.
Sr. Joe Longobardi (38-2, R2-3), River Dell, d. Sr. Dylan D'Amore (39-3, R5-2), Montgomery, 3-1.

Wrestling: Markus, Palumbo 'lock' up wins in AC

ATLANTIC CITY -- You have to love when a plan comes together. And Phillipsburg's Kyle Markus and Lenape Valley's Nick Palumbo made the most of their opportunities.

The headlock was the big move for both wrestlers, as they were among 10 from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area to advance with victories in the pre-quarterfinal round on Friday night at Boardwalk Hall.

Saturday's quarterfinals are slated for noon, with the semifinals set for 5 p.m. There are 22 area wrestlers still going in the wrestlebacks, with a chance to place as high as third.

Markus scored four points off a headlock in the third period to break open his match with Howell's Kyle Slendorn en route to a 7-5 decision at 113 pounds. Markus (34-7), who a Region 1 runner-up, was in a great deal of pain after the win, favoring his left shoulder and elbow. He had to take an injury timeout in the second period with 1:05 left on the clock after Slendorn tied it a 2-2 with a reversal.

"I feel good that I won, but I'm in a lot of pain," said Markus, who beat Slendorn, 4-2, in a dual meet on Jan. 14. "I didn't want to give up that reversal. It was bothering me wrestling in the region final [against DePaul's Daniel Percelay, who lost in the pre-quarters]."

In addition to Markus, senior Brandon Paetzell (132) and Robert Melise (220) moved into the quarters, with Brian Meyer (145), DJ Wissing (152) and Kyle Nothnagel (285) falling into the consolations.

Markus, who went 0-2 here at 106 last season, will get his shot at Glory on Saturday. That is, he will next face Delbarton's Patrick Glory, the state runner-up at 106 a year ago. Facing the No. 1 seed in the top bracket takes some of the pressure off, but Markus is ready for the challenge.

"It feels good getting [into the quarters]," Markus said. "It will be a good match. Hopefully, I can get an upset."

Speaking of upsets, Palumbo knocked off one of the two No. 2 seeds at 145 with a stunning pin of Don Bosco Prep's Taylor Shay in 4:46. Palumbo, who trailed, 4-0, in the first period, got a pair of escapes to make it 4-2 heading into the third. After cutting Shay to start the period, Palumbo hit a sweet headlock for the fall.

"That was the plan all along," said Palumbo, when asked if he gave Shay the immediate escape to go for the home-run move. "Just keep pushing the action. I knew he couldn't hang with me."

Palumbo (35-7) finished third in Region 1 and had to wrestle in the prelims, scoring a 13-4 major over Bishop Ahr's John Sheedy. But getting past Shay was a big hurdle, and now the bracket seems a bit more wide open. Palumbo will next face Point Pleasant Beach's John Finnerty (34-3), a Region 6 champion.

"I'm not looking past anyone, I just want to do my best," Palumbo said. "I'm taking the same approach as any other tournament, just wrestle as hard as I can."

Ciavarro on the move

It's been a tough season for North Hunterdon senior Derek Ciavarro, who has battled injuries and a disappointing third-place finish at 160 pounds in Region 5 this past weekend. In his semifinal match, Ciavarro was in the lead when he was decked by Piscataway's Michael Petite in 4:17.

Also moving into quarters from Hunterdon County were Voorhees' Kyle DiNapoli (126) and Hunterdon Central's Victor Lacombe (220).

Ciavarro isn't thinking about that one too much after battling his way into the state quarterfinals with a 3-2 win over West Morris' Caleb Isemann, who was third in Region 1. Ciavarro (26-2), who won his prelim, 3-1, over Westfield's Jarek Gozdieski, heeded some advice from older brother, Michael, who was a sixth-place finisher at 152 pounds in 2014.

"He was telling me to get every point possible in every match, just like when he wrestled," said Derek, who laughed when reminded that Michael had a penchant for tight, low-scoring matches, as he won twice by scores of 3-2 and 2-1 in his final matches in AC.

"Yeah, I have to knock that off."

Ciavarro, who had his left knee heavily wrapped, seems to be in a nice spot in the draw. He will face West Milford's Christian DalCais, a Region 1 runner-up, for the right to move into the semifinals.

"I'm in an amazing spot," Ciavarro said. "I'm extremely thankful. I knew that only taking third place in the regions that not many people would be picking me to make it far. I just need to believe in myself. Everyone is wrestling hurt down here. I just have to suck it up."

Sussex's core four

Kittatinny senior Austin Scrivani was among four wrestlers from Sussex County to reach the quarterfinals, joining Palumbo and Pope John's JoJo Aragona (106) and Jake Rotunda (120).

Scrivani, making his third appearance in AC, moved on with a 7-3 win over Passaic Tech's Nick Legreaux, coached by former Vernon state champ and High Point coach Jan Michaels.

Pope John, which hasn't had a state champ since 1990, has four wrestlers in the tournament as freshman Robert Garcia (126) and sophomore Jake Brown (182) fell into the wrestlebacks. Aragona (37-0), tabbed my many to win the title at 106, eased into the quarterfinals with an 8-2 decision over East Brunswick's Mitchell Polito, while Rotunda advanced with a 6-3 victory over Region 4 champ Ray Wetzel of Queen of Peace.

High Point's Kevin Lewis (285), a Region 1 champion who was pinned in 29 seconds in the pre-quarters, joined the two from Pope John in the consolations. In all, seven wrestlers from the county will have to fight their way back as Lenape Valley's Jacob Falleni (113), Hopatcong's Anthony Mastroeni (132), Sparta's Al Falco (170) and Newton's Adam Schlereth (220) can still finish as high as third.

Schlereth, who finished fourth in Region 1, but got the chance to wrestle here due to an injury to Roxbury's Todd Eckert, was leading, 10-2, in his preliminary bout against Cranford's Alex Esposito before getting decked in 2:41. It was shades of last weekend, when Schlereth led Eckert late in the third period before getting pinned in their third-place bout at Region 1.

Regions by the numbers

Region 2 has the most quarterfinalists with 19 (down 6 from last year), but Region 1 enjoyed a fine showing on Friday night with 17. The two regions were tops a year ago as well, as Region 8 came in third with 16, followed by Region 3 with 14, Regions 4 and 5 with 13 and Region 6 with 12. Region 7 is in last with eight, as it was in 2015.

Region 5 earned one of the night's best wins when Eliias Vega of Carteret stunned Wall's Brett Donner, 12-8, in the pre-quarterfinals at 170 pounds. Donner, a third-place finisher two years ago, was a trendy pick to win the state title. Vega (37-1) is looking to become the first-ever medal winner at his school.

Unlike last season, no region put all three of its wrestlers into the quarters at a weight class. Region 1 has at least one at every weight, sans 152 and 285. Region 2 only missed at 106 and 145, while Region 8 has no one at just 182.

Quarterfinals matchups (HWS only)

106 -- Aragona vs. Dante Minnino, Gateway-Woodbury
113 -- Markus vs. Glory
120 -- Rotunda vs. Gerard Angelo, Bergen Catholic
126 -- DiNapoli vs. Troy Stanich, Roxbury
132 -- Paetzell vs. Robert Cleary, Edison
138 -- Scrivani vs. Kris Lindemann, Howell
145 -- Palumbo vs. Finnerty
160 -- Ciavarro vs. DalCais
220 -- Melise vs. Michael Daniele, Paramus; Lacombe vs. Michael Carfagno, St. Joseph-Montvale

Wrestling: Top 8 medalist picks by weight class

What: 83rd State Wrestling Championships.

Where: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday's schedule: Preliminaries, 5 p.m.; pre-quarterfinals, to follow.

Saturday's schedule: Wrestlebacks (first-round losers on Friday), 10 a.m.; quarterfinals and second round of wrestlebacks, noon; semifinals and third round of wrestlebacks, 5 p.m.; fourth round of wrestlebacks, 7 p.m.

Sunday's schedule: Fifth round of wrestlebacks, 10 a.m.; consolation finals (third through eighth places), 11 a.m.; championships, 3 p.m.

Here are Open Mike's predictions for the top eight finishers at each of the 14 weight classes.

106 -- 1. Joe Heilmann, South Plainfield; 2. Joe Manchio, Seneca; 3. JoJo Aragona, Pope John; 4. Kyle Kaiser, Paramus; 5. Michael Kelly, St. Peter's Prep; 6. Nick Duca, Paulsboro; 7. Luke Ecklof, St. John Vianney; 8. Cody Harrison, Warren Hills.

113 -- 1. Sebastian Rivera, Christian Brothers; 2. Patrick Glory, Delbarton; 3. Jonathan Tropea, St. Joseph-Montvale; 4. Carmen Ferrante, Bergen Catholic; 5. Daniel Percelay, DePaul; 6. Kyle Markus, Phillipsburg; 7. Antonio Mininno, Gateway-Woodbury; 8. Jacob Falleni, Lenape Valley.

120 -- 1. Nick Raimo, Hanover Park; 2. Brandon Cray, Steinert; 3. Shane Metzler, West Morris; 4. Gerard Angelo, Bergen Catholic; 5. Gianni Ghione, Brick Memorial; 6. Richie Koehler, Christian Brothers; 7. Joe Casey, Bound Brook; 8. Jake Rotunda, Pope John.

126 -- 1. Nick Suriano, Bergen Catholic; 2. Ty Agaisse, Delbarton; 3. Kyle DiNapoli, Voorhees; 4. Troy Stanich, Roxbury; 5. Garrett O'Shea, Butler; 6. Quinn Kinner, Kingsway; 7. Robert Garcia, Pope John; 8. Anthony Foggia, Northern Burlington.

132 -- 1. Brandon Paetzell, Phillipsburg; 2. Zack Firestone, Clearview; 3. Christopher Foca, Bergen Catholic; 4. Evan Drill, Somerville; 5. Nick Farro, Delbarton; 6. Sam Schneider, Emerson-Park Ridge; 7. Robert Cleary, Edison; 8. Alec Kelly, St. Peter's Prep.

138 -- 1. Mark McCormick, Camden Catholic; 2. Shane Griffith, Bergen Catholic; 3. Michael Van Brill, Clearview; 4. Austin Scrivani, Kittatinny; 5. Kris Lindemann, Howell; 6. Nick Maher, West Windsor South; 7. Kyle Bythell, South Plainfield; 8. Matthew Dallara, Hasbrouck Heights.

145 -- 1. Mekhi Lewis, Bound Brook; 2. Michael O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights; 3. Mohammed Farhan, Clifton; 4. Nick Palumbo, Lenape Valley; 5. Dominic Fano, Montville; 6. Taylor Shay, Don Bosco Prep; 7. Stanley Atkinson, Clearview; 8. Phil Rogers, Delran.

152 -- 1. Stephan Glasgow, Bound Brook; 2. Lorenzo Ruggiero, Delsea; 3. Dominick Mandarino, Don Bosco Prep; 4. Alex Sebahie, Paramus; 5. Brady Ford, Bergen Catholic; 6. Avery DiNardi, Holy Cross; 7. Steve Bonsall, Newark Academy; 8. Andrew Meyers, Toms River East.

160 -- 1. Kyle Bierdumpfel, Don Bosco Prep; 2. Kyle Cochran, Paramus; 3. Craig Roumes, Roxbury; 4. Bryan McLaughlin, Woodbridge; 5. Tyler Mullen, Old Tappan; 6. Christian DalCais, West Milford; 7. Bill Janzer, Delsea; 8. TJ Calas, Seton Hall Prep.

170 -- 1. Daniel Kilroy, Wayne Hills; 2. Spencer Carey, DePaul; 3. Joe Grello, Bergen Catholic; 4. Brett Donner, Wall; 5. Jala 'a Darwish, Passaic Valley; 6. George Walton, Bound Brook; 7. Shane Sosinsky, Northern Highlands; 8. Bradley Dobzanski, Delsea.

182 -- 1. Brandon Kui, DePaul; 2. Josh McKenzie, Bergen Catholic; 3. Kyle Murphy, Bridgewater-Raritan; 4. Dominic Maniero, Queen of Peace; 5. Jose Soto, Millville; 6. Luke Drugac, Morris Knolls; 7. Jose Tabora, St. Augustine; 8. Anthony Vetrano, Middletown North.

195 -- 1. Kevin Mulligan, Bergen Catholic; 2. Dean Drugac, Morris Knolls; 3. Sean O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights; 4. Chad Watt, Woodstown; 5. Jack LaCorte, Christian Brothers; 6. Joseph McKenzie, Wall; 7. Joseph Soreco, DePaul; 8. Patrick Daly, Pequannock. 

220 -- 1. Matt Correnti, Holy Cross; 2. Robert Melise, Phillipsburg; 3. Michael Carfagno, St. Joseph-Montvale; 4. Scott Lavelle, DePaul; 5. James Brady, St. Augustine; 6. Zach DelVecchio, South Plainfield; 7. Eric Keosseian, Howell; 8. Elyezer Oliviery, Union City.

285 -- 1. Eric Chakonis, Don Bosco Prep; 2. Jonathan Beltre, Union City; 3. Kyle Nothnagel, Phillipsburg; 4. Keith Swartley, Cinnaminson; 5. Antonio Rodriguez, Buena; 6. Anthony Porcaro, Sayreville; 7. Nick Rivera, Brick Memorial; 8. William Oxley, Christian Brothers.

Wrestling: Newton's Schlereth will make trip to AC

Newton senior Adam Schlereth is getting a second chance.

Schlereth, who finished fourth at 220 pounds in Region 1, will get a chance to wrestle in the State Tournament at Boardwalk Hall this weekend in Atlantic City after Roxbury's Todd Eckert was forced to withdraw due to an injury on Thursday.

Schlereth (13-4) was winning late in the third period in that third-place match against Eckert, when Schlereth inexplicably tried to turn Eckert with a merkle. Eckert (30-2) then recorded a stunning fall in 5:04 to advance to Atlantic City.

Newton coach Eric Bollette, who received word of Eckert's injury from Roxbury coach Jim Dolan Thursday afternoon, will now have a state tournament participant for an 11th straight season.

Schlereth, who was at DePaul the last two seasons and had to sit 30 days at the start of the season due to transfer rules, is the second Sussex County wrestler to enter the State Tournament as a replacement.

On Tuesday, Sparta senior Al Falco (32-7), a District 1 champion, was entered at 170 in place of Warren Hills sophomore Jarod Ostir, who had to withdraw due to an elbow injury. Ostir won a 5-2 decision in their third-place bout in Region 1.

Wrestling: Ten best shots at medals in Atlantic City

Here is a look at the 10 wrestlers (actually 11) from the Open Mike area who have the best chances at capturing a medal this weekend in the 83rd New Jersey State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

In all, there are 31 qualifiers (up four from last year) among Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex schools. Unfortunately, Warren Hills sophomore Jarod Ostir is out with an elbow injury, which opens the door for Sparta senior Al Falco, who finished fourth in Region 1 at 170, to make his first trip to AC.

JoJo Aragona (36-0), Pope John -- The freshman may be the area's best hope for state gold as he will look to become his school's first state champ since Brian Unkert won at 145 pounds in 1990. Aragona, a District 3 and Region 1 champion, has a non-stop motor and is very skilled on his feet. Looking at the 106-pound bracket, the top half of the draw, where Aragona resides, is loaded. First, Aragona will face East Brunswick's Mitchell Polito (31-2), a Region 5 champ, and could see Kyle Kaiser of Paramus in the quarters. Warren Hills freshman Cody Harrison, who placed third in Region 1, is a common opponent, as he dropped a 7-0 decision to Kaiser and a 3-1 decision to Aragona in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex finals.

Career mark: 36-0.
Previous state appearances: None.

Kyle Markus (32-7), Phillipsburg -- Making his second appearance, last year at 106, Markus has the talent to make some noise here at 113 pounds. The senior and runner-up in Region 1, would see a familiar foe in the second round, provided he gets past a preliminary bout against Jackson Liberty's Nicholas Pellegrino (31-8), who was third in Region 6. The winner of that one will get the winner of a prelim between Howell's Jimmy Slendorn and Lenape Valley's Jacob Falleni, who was third in Region 1. Markus beat Slendorn, 4-2, on Jan. 14. Markus and Falleni did not meet at the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament -- Markus won the 113-pound title -- or at Region 1 this past Saturday. Delbarton state runner-up Patrick Glory should loom in the quarterfinal round.

Career mark: 62-23.
Previous state appearances: 0-2, first round of wrestlebacks.

Robert Garcia (32-5), Pope John -- This is one impressive freshman who has continuously gotten better throughout the season. After placing third at a very brutal weight class in Region 1, where he avenged a loss to Warren Hills' Matt Valli and beat Hackettstown's Joe Renne for a second time this season, Garcia seems poised to make a run at a state medal. Garcia is in a very difficult part of the draw, as he will face returning state placewinner John Burger of New Milford in Friday's prelims. Newton's Wyatt McCarthy is a common opponent, as he topped Burger, 3-1, on Feb. 13. Garcia handed McCarthy an 8-5 loss at the John Goles Invitational on Dec. 28.

Career mark: 32-5.
Previous state appearances: None.

Kyle DiNapoli (28-0), Voorhees -- After placing eighth last season at 120 pounds, DiNapoli is looking to become just the eighth wrestler to win multiple state medals for the Hunterdon County school. His coach, Eric Hall, finished second in 1996, fourth in '95 and seventh-eighth in '94. DiNapoli was sidelined with a concussion earlier this season, but he appears to be clicking on all cylinders after winning his first Region 5 title. He awaits the winner of the prelim between Lou Raimo of Hanover Park and Russell Benson of Raritan. Roxbury's Troy Stanich, voted the OW at Region 1 who was sixth in the state last year, should be there waiting in the quarterfinals.

Career mark: 124-26.
Previous state appearances: Eighth place at 120 pounds in 2015; went 1-2 and reached the second round of wrestlebacks at 113 in '14.

Brandon Paetzell (12-3), Phillipsburg -- Great to see the Phillipsburg senior get one more shot at winning that elusive gold medal after finishes of fifth and second at 106 pounds in 2013 and '14. Paetzell, now at 132, missed most of last season with a broken thumb, going 12-0 before sustaining the the injury, and was out of action for nearly two months this season after suffering a broken left hand during a match with DiNapoli on Dec. 23. Paetzell, who got his 100th career win in the Region 1 finals, drew the No. 2 seed in the bottom bracket. He awaits the winner of the prelim between Reid White of St. Augustine and Gerald Jones of Caldwell. In the quarters, a potential showdown with either Edison's Robert Cleary or Delaware Valley's Matt Kolonia could be on tap. Paetzell, who is looking to become the Stateliners' first three-time medal winner since John Garriques (fourth in '95, fifth-sixth in '96 and second in '97).

Career mark: 100-12.
Previous state appearances: Fifth place at 106 pounds in 2013; Second place at 106 in '14.

Austin Scrivani (34-1), Kittatinny -- Making his third straight trip to Atlantic City, Scrivani, who is tied for fifth on the Sussex County school's all-time wins list, is not to be overlooked at 138 pounds. The senior is dangerous from any position, and will be hungry to grab a medal after falling one win shy a year ago at 132. Scrivani, who rolled to his first Region 1 title, will face either Nick Legreaux of Passaic Tech or Vincent Hellthaler in the pre-quarterfinals. A second-round matchup with either Howell's Kris Lindemann or South Plainfield's Kyle Bythell would be a dandy.

Career mark: 130-27.
Previous state appearances: Went 0-2 at 132 pounds in 2014; Went 2-2, fourth round of wrestlebacks at 132 in '15.

Nick Palumbo (33-7), Lenape Valley -- After a third-place finish at 145 pounds in Region 1, Palumbo makes his first appearance at Boardwalk Hall. He will open against Bishop Ahr's John Sheedy, with the winner to face Don Bosco Prep's Taylor Shay (15-3) in the pre-quarterfinals. Of Palumbo's seven losses, just three have been at 145, including two to Montville junior Dominic Fano -- 5-2 and 2-1 in the District 2 finals and Region 1 semifinals.

Career mark: 83-26.
Previous state appearances: None.

Robert Melise (37-2), Phillipsburg -- After finishing fifth at 220 pounds last year, Melise is among the contenders at this weight class, coming off a 3-1 win in sudden-victory overtime against DePaul's Scott Lavelle, who placed third at 220 in 2015. Melise is the No. 2 seed in the bottom bracket due to a 5-2 loss to St. Augustine's James Brady at the Beast of the East on Dec. 20. Should Melise win his first two matchups as expected, he may get a rematch with Brady in the semis. But Brady will likely have to get past South Plainfield's Zach DelVecchio (35-1), a Region 3 champion who is one tough freshman. Holy Cross senior Matt Correnti, a runner-up last year, is the favorite to win it all here.

Career mark: 80-17.
Previous state appearances: Fifth place at 220 pounds in 2015.

Victor Lacombe (31-3), Hunterdon Central -- Really made a name for himself this season after going 16-10 as a sophomore. Lacombe has two losses in this weight class -- a 5-3 decision to Old Bridge's Dan Makagon on Feb. 10, which the Red Devil avenged in the Region 5 finals this past Saturday by the same score, and Lacombe was pinned in overtime by Melise in a dual meet on Jan. 27. After a first-round bye, Lacombe will likely face Lavelle in the pre-quarterfinals. St. Joseph-Montvale's Michael Carfagno also is lurking in this quarter of the draw. Lacombe also has a 7-3 victory over Middlesex's Jack Sweeney, who was third in Region 3, and a technical fall win over Delran's Devin Rolon, a third-place finisher in Region 7.

Career mark: 47-13.
Previous state appearances: None.

Kyle Nothnagel (35-5), Phillipsburg -- People are still buzzing after Nothnagel's 8-6 upset-loss to High Point's Kevin Lewis at 285 pounds in the Region 1 finals. Nothnagel, who beat Lewis for third last year to advance to AC, should be plenty motivated this weekend, considering he went 2-2 and was a round shy of a medal last season. Nothnagel will first face Perth Amboy's Jose Caceres in the prelims and the road seems open from there. Union City's Jonathan Beltre (30-0) could await in the quarterfinals. Beltre is coached by former Kittatinny standout Mike Mabel.

Career mark: 98-23.
Previous state appearances: Went 2-2, fourth round of wrestlebacks.

Kevin Lewis (29-8), High Point -- After his stunning victory over Nothnagel, Lewis put himself in the conversation for a state medal. Wrestling at 195 pounds most of the season should be a plus as Lewis was much quicker and had more gas in the tank than Nothnagel, who like most heavyweights is not used to going hard for six minutes against opponents who are as athletic. Lewis gets a tough one right out of the gate, as he'll face Don Bosco Prep's Eric Chakonis (23-4),  Region 2 champion and one of the title contenders here.

Career mark: 61-22.
Previous state appearances: None.

Other area qualifiers (20):

Delaware Valley -- AJ DeRosa (113), Matt Kolonia (132), Connor Mills (138), Kyle Lightner (182), Kyle Schlittler (195)
Hunterdon Central -- Jack Bauer (106), Hunter Graf (113), Kevin Ciresa (145), Michael Iodice (170)
Phillipsburg -- Brian Meyer (145), DJ Wissing (152)
Pope John -- Jake Rotunda (120), Jake Brown (182)
Hackettstown -- Alex Carida (132)
Hopatcong -- Anthony Mastroeni (132)
Lenape Valley -- Jacob Falleni (113)
North Hunterdon -- Derek Ciavarro (160)
North Warren -- Anthony Duardo (152)
Warren Hills -- Cody Harrison (106), Jarod Ostir (170, out with an elbow injury)

Wrestling: Atlantic City by the numbers

Let's go inside the numbers for the 83rd New Jersey State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall:

43 -- Number of wins for Hasbrouck Heights sophomore Michael O'Malley, the most for any wrestler in the field in Atlantic City. O'Malley (43-0), a Region 4 champion, finished fifth at 138 pounds last season. He is looking to become his school's third state champion -- joining Bill Spindler (1976) and Morgan Horner (2001). Those names should ring a bell with longtime fans in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. Spindler decked Warren Hills junior Dan Slack in the semifinals when it really was an unlimited class at heavyweight. Slack went on to win the title in '77. Horner pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history when he pinned returning champion Chris Skretkowicz of Wallkill Valley in the 189-pound final in '01. Skretkowicz, who went on to hammer Horner several times in college, was inducted into the Region 1 Hall of Fame this past Saturday.

Kyle Markus and Brandon Paetzell are still going for P'burg.

15 -- Amazingly, Region 2 has a tournament-best 15 returning medal winners, including the five champs from Bergen Catholic. Regions 1 and 8 have eight. Senior Brandon Paetzell, a two-time state placewinner, and junior Robert Melise, who was fifth at 220 last year, are looking to add their names to the list of Phillipsburg's state champs, which currently stands at 33. Brandon Hull is the last, winning at 220 in 2012. The Stateliners rank fourth all-time on the list of champions behind Newton (82), Washington/Warren Hills (46) and Union (40).

155 -- Career wins total for three-time champion Nick Suriano of Bergen Catholic, who will look to make New Jersey wrestling history this weekend by winning a fourth state title and finishing his outstanding career at 159-0. South Plainfield's Anthony Ashnault, now at Rutgers University, is currently the only unbeaten four-time state champion at 170-0.

25 -- Voorhees' Kyle DiNapoli (28-0 at 126), who placed eighth last year, is among 25 unbeaten wrestlers in this year's tournament, along with Pope John's JoJo Aragona (36-0 at 106), West Morris' Shane Metzler (35-0 at 120), Roxbury's Craig Roumes (31-0 at 160), Morris Knolls' Dean Drugac (35-0 at 195) of Region 1. The others are: O'Malley (43-0 at 145), Newark Academy's Steve Bonsall (39-0 at 152), New Providence's Tyler Gazaway (39-0 at 145), Holy Cross' Matt Correnti (38-0 at 220), South Plainfield's Joe Heilmann (38-0 at 106), West Windsor South's Nick Maher (38-0 at 138), Seneca's Joe Manchio (38-0 at 106), Wall's Brett Donner (35-0 at 170), Somerville's Evan Drill (35-0 at 132), Clearview's Zack Firestone (34-0 at 132), Suriano (34-0 at 126), Clearview's Michael Van Brill (34-0 at 138), Cinnaminson's Keith Swartley (33-0 at 285), Bridgewater-Raritan's Kyle Murphy (32-0 at 182), Haddon Township's Chris Wolf (32-0 at 132), Union City's Jonathan Beltre (30-0 at 285), Don Bosco Prep's Kyle Bierdumpfel (28-0 at 160), Union City's Elyezer Oliviery (27-0 at 220), Steinert's Brandon Cray (16-0 at 120) and Bergen Catholic's Shane Griffith (11-0 at 138).

8 -- Suriano is one of eight returning champions, including five from Bergen Catholic, to make it back to Boardwalk Hall. He will be joined by teammates Gerard Angelo (120), who won at 106 for Hanover Park last season, Shane Griffith (138), Joe Grello (170) and Kevin Mulligan (195). The others are: Cray, Bierdumpfel and Delbarton's Ty Agaisse, who won at 106 pounds in 2014.

7 -- Hanover Park is one of 10 schools with seven state champions in their program's history and highly regarded freshman Nick Raimo is one of the top contenders at 120 pounds, as well as Brick Memorial's Gianni Ghione, a runner-up last year. They will meet in Friday's pre-quarterfinals in a can't miss matchup. Camden Catholic's Mark McCormick (138) and Clifton's Mohammed Farhan (145) should also be in the hunt to claim title No. 8 for their schools.

31 -- Phillipsburg leads the way with six wrestlers as the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area will have 31 representatives this weekend at Boardwalk Hall. Delaware Valley and Hunterdon Central are next with five qualifiers, followed by Pope John with four.

22 -- Atlantic City will host the state tournament for a 22nd time this year -- only Princeton University's Jadwin Gym has hosted as many (22 from 1970-91). The event shifted to AC in '92 where it's been ever since, sans a two-year move to the Meadowlands in 2000 and '01, when Boardwalk Hall underwent renovations. Others sites include the Elizabeth Armory (nine times, 1947-55), Rutgers (seven from 1959-65) and Asbury Park Convention Hall (four from 1966-69). Ten high schools have hosted the tournament -- Union, Somerville, Roselle Park, Teaneck, Grover Cleveland Jr. (Elizabeth), Springfield, Thomas Jefferson, Rahway and Belvidere (1946). Union hosted the first four tournaments from 1934-37.

129 -- State champions produced by Union County, by far the leader. Westfield's Christian Barber (2011) is the last champ from the county. Union's Leo Moorman was the first at 95 pounds in 1935. Next up is Sussex with 113 (Ethan Orr is the last after capping High Point's amazing four-champion run in '11) and Bergen with 113. Warren County ranks fourth with 85, followed by Ocean (62), Somerset (61) and Morris (61), Gloucester (58), Camden (57), Middlesex (41), Monmouth (38), Hunterdon (36), Essex (34), Burlington (24), Passaic (22), Atlantic (20), Cumberland (12), Salem (8), Hudson (7), Cape May (4) and Mercer (3).

988 -- Total number of state champions in New Jersey history. This year's tournament is the 83rd overall since 1934 -- when Newton's Leo Snover won the first state title and started the Sussex County school's run to a state record 82 champs. Who will be No. 1,000 on Sunday?