Wrestling: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings

(Through Saturday's matches)

Skyland Conference
Delaware Division
		Overall	Division
Hunterdon Central		(5-0)	(3-0)
Phillipsburg		(4-0)	(2-0)
Warren Hills		(4-1)	(1-1)
Watchung Hills		(0-3)	(0-0)
Hillsborough		(0-2)	(0-1)
Bridgewater-Raritan		(1-3)	(0-2)
North Hunterdon		(1-3)	(0-2)
Raritan Division
		Overall	Division
Delaware Valley		(3-0)	(2-0)
Ridge		(4-0)	(1-0)
Bernards		(3-1)	(2-1)
Voorhees		(1-3)	(1-1)
Franklin		(2-6)	(0-2)
Pingry		(0-2)	(0-2)
Valley Division
		Overall	Division
Montgomery		(2-0)	(1-0)
Somerville		(1-0)	(1-0)
Bound Brook		(1-4)	(1-1)
Manville		(1-2)	(1-1)
Rutgers Prep		(1-1)	(1-1)
Belvidere		(0-4)	(0-2)
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Freedom Division
		Overall	Division
Kittatinny		(5-0)	(1-0)
Jefferson		(2-3)	(1-0)
High Point		(1-0)	(0-0)
Hackettstown		(1-1)	(0-1)
Newton		(1-1)	(0-1)
American Division
		Overall	Division
Mount Olive		(4-1)	(1-0)
Pope John		(1-0)	(1-0)
Delbarton		(0-0)	(0-0)
Montville		(1-1)	(0-0)
Morris Hills		(1-2)	(0-1)
West Morris		(1-4)	(0-1)
Colonial Division
		Overall	Division
North Warren		(1-1)	(1-0)
Hopatcong-Lenape V		(1-0)	(0-0)
Wallkill Valley		(0-2)	(0-0)
Vernon		(0-2)	(0-1)
National Division
		Overall	Division
Sparta		(2-0)	(1-0)
Morris Knolls		(1-2)	(1-1)
Roxbury		(1-1)	(1-1)
Mendham		(1-1)	(0-0)
Randolph		(0-3)	(0-0)
Morristown		(0-3)	(0-1)

Wrestling: Hills wins dual thriller; P'burg quad on tap

It's been an eventful first week in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area and it's set to close with a bang as Phillipsburg hosts a powerhouse quad on Saturday that includes two other teams ranked in the season's first New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.  

Warren Hills is now 24-41 all-time vs. North.

Before we get to that one, how about Warren Hills' thrilling 32-30 win over North Hunterdon in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division clash on Wednesday night? I'm not a fan of the top locals meeting this early in the season, same with Hills vs. Hunterdon Central on opening weekend, but this was a dandy.

The Blue Streaks prevailed on blue-chip freshman Aidan Webb's pin in the final bout at 113 pounds. Webb, who trailed 6-3 against Lions junior Joseph Celentano, sent the home crowd into a frenzy by hitting a tight headlock for the stunning fall in 4:54.

Warren Hills (1-1), which is coming off back-to-back Group 3 runner-up finishes, is in somewhat of a rebuilding mode, much like reigning Group 4 champion North Hunterdon (1-1). Now under first-year head coach K.C. Wanamaker, the Streaks have battled some injuries and inexperience from 157-285, where they are a combined 5-26 in their careers on the varsity level. But from 106-150, this is a team that can be a handful for opponents.

Hills, which won eight bouts and finished with a 21-14 edge in takedowns, also got critical wins from Tyler O'Neill (4-2 at 150), Cyles Oyarce-Santiago (2-3 at 190) and Paul Hamas, who scored a 7-2 decision in his season debut at 285, to set the stage for Webb's heroics. The Streaks won consecutive meetings with the Lions (35-34 on most bouts won criterion last season) for the first time since a three-peat in 1989-91. North is 24-7 since '92, winning a series-tying-best six in a row from 1998-2003. 

Quad city

It's extremely rare for Phillipsburg to take part in a quad meet, but the Stateliners will be tested early against two-time defending Group 3 champion Delsea and North 1, Group 4 champion Mount Olive, which won its first state title in '22.

North Hunterdon will also join in the fun, though the Lions will not wrestle Delsea -- presumably because the teams could meet in a few weeks in the Henry Boresch Duals at Newton on Jan. 6.

P'burg (1-0), which is sitting on 1,030 wins overall, began its quest for the program's 24th state team championship with a 69-3 win in a Skyland Conference clash at Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the 'Liners, senior state qualifier Caleb Rivera (33-12 as a junior and 64-25 overall),  was lost for the season due to a knee injury sustained during the football season.

A strong group of upper weights hasn't missed a beat as junior Derek Stone is 5-0 at 190, while senior Nathan Smith is 4-1 at 215. 

Phillipsburg is 58-11-1 all-time vs. North dating to 1961, and 1-0 vs. Mount Olive (48-12 in the 2003 North 2, Group 3 sectional final), which features a pair of state medal winners in Tyeler Hagensen (6-0 at 120, fourth in 2022) and Tyler Bienus (5-0 at 190, seventh in 2023). 

This will be the Stateliners' first meeting against Delsea, which is led by junior Jamar Dixon Jr. (3-0 at 150), a seventh-place finisher in last season's state tournament.

Here's the schedule for Saturday: 

Round 1 at 10 a.m.: Phillipsburg vs. Delsea; North Hunterdon vs. Mount Olive

Round 2: Phillipsburg vs. North Hunterdon; Delsea vs. Mount Olive

Round 3: Phillipsburg vs. Mount Olive

Now, onto the season's first set of area rankings:

P'burg celebrates its 40th sectional title in 2023.

1. Phillipsburg (1-0) -- Stateliners, ranked No. 10 in the first New Jersey Wresting Writers Association Top 20, gave Tim Longacre his first win as a head coach with a 69-3 waxing of Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday. Sophomore Gavin Geleta (4-0 at 132) and senior Liam Packer (5-0 at 175) are off to fast starts, while junior Luke Geleta (4-0 at 144) and senior John Wargo (4-0 at 285) picked up their 70th career victories.

Up next: Delsea, Mount Olive and North Hunterdon at home on Saturday.

2. Hunterdon Central (2-0) -- Red Devils, ranked No. 12 in the NJWWA Top 20, followed up an impressive 48-22 season-opening victory over Warren Hills with a 44-28 win vs. Hillsborough on Wednesday. Sophomore Rhett Washleski (5-0 at 150) and seniors Anthony Rossi (5-0 at 120 and Thomas Brunetti (5-0 at 190) anchor a fairly balanced lineup.

Up next: Bridgewater-Raritan, Governor Livingston, Jefferson at home on Saturday.

3. Delaware Valley (2-0) -- Terriers, ranked No. 13 in the NJWWA Top 20, cruised to a 64-6 win over Hopewell Valley on Tuesday before a 63-9 victory against Pingry on Wednesday. Leading the way were seniors Matt Roche (5-0 at 132), Kevin Roman (5-0 at 175) and Anderson Olcott (5-0 at 190), along with junior Jackson Bush (5-0 at 144). 

Up next: Bernards at home on Saturday.

4. Pope John (1-0) -- Lions rolled to a 58-18 win over West Morris on Tuesday to open the dual meet season. Junior Jake Holly (4-2 at 106) picked up a 7-2 win over talented Wolfpack freshman Brody Neill, while junior Carson Walsh (7-2 at 132), a two-time state placewinner with 68 career wins, finished fourth at the rugged Beast of the East Tournament to open the season.

Up next: at Sam Cali Tournament on Dec. 27-28.

5. Warren Hills (1-1) -- Blue Streaks evened their record against Hunterdon County teams this season with a thrilling 32-30 win against North Hunterdon on Wednesday after dropping a 48-22 decision to Hunterdon Central in Friday's opener. Senior captain Josh Lee (5-0 at 144) sits at 68 career victories. Should be an interesting match with West Morris on Friday as the Wolfpack can match up in spots down low and figure to have an advantage up top.

Up next: Hanover Park and West Morris at Randolph on Friday.

6. North Hunterdon (1-1) -- Lions gave new head coach Dave Bell his first win at the helm with a 43-28 victory over rival Voorhees on Monday before losing in heartbreaking fashion, 32-30 at Warren Hills on Wednesday. Sophomore Reid Buzby (6-0 at 106) put North in a great spot with his 4-3 decision vs. Augie Szamreta in the next-to-last bout before yielding a decisive pin at 113. The schedule doesn't get any easier with two NJWWA Top 20 teams on tap this weekend.

Up next: Mount Olive at Phillipsburg on Saturday.

7. High Point (1-0) -- The reigning Group 2 champion Wildcats rolled to a 53-19 victory over West Morris on Wednesday to open the dual season in coach John Gardner's final campaign as the boys coach. This match figured to be tighter on paper as seniors Ty Woods (138) and Dalton Yetter (175) are out with injuries. Gardner was pleased with the overall effort, especially from juniors Michael Tidona (144) and Donald Weiss (215), who both saved team points in losses. Junior Nick Clayton (4-1 at 138) is one win shy of 60 in his career.

Up next: Mustang Classic at Brick Memorial on Wednesday.

Reece Smith won a Caldwell Tournament title at 157.

8. Kittatinny (2-0) -- Cougars began their dual meet campaign in legendary head coach John Gill's 44th season at the helm with a 59-12 victory at Hackettstown on Tuesday and followed that up with a tight 33-25 win over Morris Hills on Thursday (No. 639 for Gill). From 157 up, this team will be a problem for opponents with a combined record of 21-7 thus far -- seniors Reece Smith (5-0 at 157), Bryce Coesfeld (3-2 at 175), Kaleb Ogar (4-1 at 190), Tucker Lockburner (3-1 at 215-285), Alex Laoudis (2-2 at 215-285) and junior Ethan Dalling (4-1 at 165).

Up next: Wayne Valley, Passaic Tech at West Milford Duals on Friday.

9. Voorhees (1-2) -- Vikings followed a 60-18 season-opening win over Pingry with back-to-back losses to North Hunterdon (43-28 on Monday) and Bernards (45-31 on Wednesday). Coach Ricky Kurtz's team can pose problems for opponents with the Vikes' strong group up top led by seniors Logan Wiecoreck (5-0 at 165), Travis Cryan (4-2 at 175), Trevor Zabroski (6-0 at 215) and Cameron Baumann (6-0 at 285). Sophomore Christian Bollette (4-1 at 120) anchors a promising group down low.

Up next: at Monroe Township on Friday. 

10. Sparta (2-0) -- Spartans opened their dual meet season with a pair of 42-24 wins against Pompton Lakes (Dec. 14) and Roxbury (Tuesday). Sophomores Ryan Hrenenko (5-0 at 132) and Liam Hassloch (4-1 at 190), junior Logan Hrenenko (5-0 at 144) and senior Eugene Donnelly (4-1 at 138) are off to strong starts.

Up next: Randolph at home on Jan. 4.

Wrestling: HWS trio headline first NJWWA Top 20

We're off and running as the 2023-24 high school wrestling season got underway this past weekend with a myriad of tournaments and a smattering of dual meets.

The season's first New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 was released on Tuesday morning with three teams representing the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. 

Phillipsburg, last season's Group 5 state runner-up and fresh off a strong showing in the Vogeding Tournament at Paulsboro High School, checks in at No. 10 as the area's highest ranked team. 

The Stateliners, under first-year head coach Tim Longacre, had seven champions among their 11 finalists, including seniors Dawson McWilliams (2-0 at 126 pounds), Liam Packer (4-0 at 175) and John Wargo (3-0 at 285). Junior Luke Geleta (3-0 at 144) and Wargo are sitting on 69 career victories.

Perhaps even more significant was the fact that this was the first time that Phillipsburg traveled to Paulsboro since 2013. The traditional Garden State powers haven't met in dual meet since P'burg's 38-21 victory at The Pit in 2014. Paulsboro owns an 8-7 lead in a series that began in 1999. There was no meeting in '10.

Though the dual series ended under controversial circumstances nearly a decade ago, P'burg did a solid for Paulsboro during the 2016 Group championships, when the South Jersey team's bus was stuck at its hotel in Toms River.    

Phillipsburg opens its dual season at Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday before hosting a strong quad with No. 14 Delsea, No. 20 Mount Olive and unranked North Hunterdon on Saturday.

Hunterdon Central, which opened its season with an impressive 48-22 win over Warren Hills, checks in at No. 12. The Red Devils (1-0) followed up that performance by winning the Caldwell Tournament team championship on Saturday. Seniors Anthony Rossi (4-0 at 120), Evan Thompson (4-0 at 138) and Thomas Brunetti (4-0 at 190) are off to strong starts.

Delaware Valley rounds out the local contingent in the NJWWA Top 20. Coach Andy Fitz's senior-laden Terriers cruised to the team championship with six individual winners in their Wendy Pandy-Leh Tournament on Saturday. No. 13 Del Val, which opens the dual season at Hopewell Valley on Tuesday, is a strong favorite to win a third consecutive Group 1 championship. 

The Terriers won a program record four straight state titles in Group 2 from 1987-90 under longtime coach Vince Fitz (284-60-3 in 19 seasons from 1971-90). Andy, now in his 17th season in charge, is closing in on his father's program wins record at 266-93.

Two fixtures in recent seasons did not make the first Top 20. North Hunterdon, the reigning Group 4 champion and Warren Hills, which finished as the Group 3 runner-up the previous two seasons, have new head coaches and are in rebuilding mode. They'll meet in a Skyland Conference clash in Washington on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

North, now under longtime Bergen Catholic coach Dave Bell, finished third in the Ricky Iacono Memorial Tournament at Governor Livingston on Saturday behind a pair of champions -- sophomore Reid Buzby (5-0 at 106) and freshman Aiden Yarussi (4-0 at 120). North opened its dual season with a 43-28 win at home against rival Voorhees on Monday night. The Lions have won 10 straight in the series since a 26-25 loss in 2013 (teams did not wrestle during the 2021 Covid season), but it was the most points scored by the Vikings since a 38-26 victory over North in 2012. 

WH hosts North Hunterdon on Wednesday. (WH Facebook page) 

Warren Hills, which won five bouts in the loss to Hunterdon Central, finished third at the Caldwell Tournament on Saturday. The Blue Streaks can hang with a lot of teams from 106-144, but first-year coach K.C. Wanamaker's team is battling inexperience from 150 on up and is shorthanded at 215 and 285. Talented freshman Aidan Webb (4-0 at 113), who beat Hunterdon Central state qualifier Ryan Sherlock twice this weekend, is part of a strong group down low. Sophomore Davey Rhinehart (4-0 at 126), junior Tyler Redfield (4-0 at 132) and senior captain Josh Lee (4-0 at 144) are proven winners.

The first NJWWA Top 20 of the season has the same look at the top as the final one of the 2022-23 season.

St. Joseph-Montvale, which upended then No. 1 Delbarton 28-24 in a classic Non Public A championship match, begins the season ranked No. 1.

The Green Knights have nine state placewinners and 10 state qualifiers from last season in their lineup. They began the season by finishing fourth in the team standings in the Beast of the East Tournament and had seven medal winners, led by 175-pound champion Ryan Burton.

Delbarton, which has four 2023 state placewinners, led by returning champion Alessio Perentin and Louis Cerchio, is No. 2. The Green Wave finished sixth at the Beast of the East and had four medal winners, led by 138-pound champion Jayden James.

St. Peter's Prep looks like a team that could give both St. Joseph-Montvale and Delbarton a run for the money. The Marauders return six state placewinners and 10 state qualifiers. They finished seventh at the Beast of the East -- two points behind Delbarton -- and had two medal winners, led by 132-pound runner-up Caedyn Ricciardi.

Reigning Group 5 champion Southern is the top ranked public school team and opens at No. 6. The Rams, who finished as the top public school team in last year's NJWWA Top 20, have seven returning state qualifiers and three state medal winners, led by returning 150-pound state champion Matt Henrich.

Southern began its season with a 73-6 win over Brick Township and had eight champions in its Robin Leff Tournament. That tournament included wrestlers from state-ranked Camden Catholic, Delsea and Mount Olive.

Here is the preseason NJWWA Top 20. The first regular season rankings will be posted on Wednesday, Jan. 3. The poll will then run on Tuesdays throughout the rest of the regular season beginning Jan. 9.

Rank	School	Record
1	St. Joseph-Montvale	(1-0)
2	Delbarton	(0-0)
3	St. Peter's Prep	(0-0)
4	Bergen Catholic	(0-0)
5	Paramus Catholic	(0-0)
6	Southern	(1-0)
7	Don Bosco Prep	(0-0)
8	Camden Catholic	(0-0)
9	Christian Bros. Academy	(1-0)
10	Phillipsburg	(0-0)
11	St. John Vianney	(0-0)
12	Hunterdon Central	(1-0)
13	Delaware Valley	(0-0)
14	Delsea	(0-0)
15	Seton Hall Prep	(0-0)
16	St. Joseph-Metuchen	(2-0)
17	Brick Memorial	(1-0)
18	Cranford	(0-0)
19	Paulsboro	(0-0)
20	Mount Olive	(0-0)

Voting members listed in alphabetical order: Donald J. Brower (gardenstatehswrestling.com); Frank D’Esposito (shoreconferencewrestling.com); Steven Falk (Asbury Park Press and APP.com); Sean Farrell (The Record and NorthJersey.com); Tom McGurk (Courier Post and courierpostonline.com); Andy Mendlowitz (Courier News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com); Michael Weilamann (Open Mike and mikeopen.blogspot.com), Brad Wilson (lehighvalleylive.com/The Express-Times). 

Wrestling: HWS schedule for Dec. 14-23

Thursday, Dec. 14 

(All matches 6 p.m., unless noted)

Skyland Conference

Voorhees at Pingry

Independent

Sparta at Pompton Lakes, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 15

(All matches 6 p.m., unless noted)

Skyland Conference

Warren Hills at Hunterdon Central, 6:30 p.m.
Rutgers Prep at Belvidere

Saturday, Dec. 16

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

High Point in Robin Leff Tournament at Southern
Kittatinny, Hunterdon Central, Warren Hills at Caldwell Tournament
Hopatcong-Lenape Valley, North Warren in Kris Hicok Tournament at Dover
Newton at Mountain Lakes Tournament, 9:30 a.m.
Pope John at Beast of the East Tournament, 8:30 a.m.
Hackettstown, Sparta at Morris Knolls Tournament, 10 a.m.
Vernon in Mustang Invitational at Clifton
Wallkill Valley at Ramsey Tournament
Voorhees in Wendy Pandy-Leh Tournament at Delaware Valley
North Hunterdon in Rick Iacono Tournament at Governor Livingston
Phillipsburg in John Vogeding Tournament at Paulsboro
Belvidere in Mike Dessino Invitational at Middlesex

Sunday, Dec. 17

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

Monday, Dec. 18

Skyland Conference

Voorhees at North Hunterdon, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 19

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

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Kittatinny at Hackettstown, 6 p.m.
Newton at Jefferson
Vernon at North Warren, 5 p.m.
Pope John at West Morris
Roxbury at Sparta
Wallkill Valley at Parsippany, 6 p.m.

Independent

Delaware Valley at Hopewell Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Belvidere at Mendham

Wednesday, Dec. 20

(All matches 6 p.m., unless noted)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

West Morris at High Point

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at Pingry
Hillsborough at Hunterdon Central, 6:30 p.m.
North Hunterdon at Warren Hills, 7 p.m.
Phillipsburg at Bridgewater-Raritan
Voorhees at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Belvidere at Montgomery, 6:15 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 21

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

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Morris Hills at Kittatinny
Pequannock at Hopatcong-Lenape Valley
North Warren at Newton
Boonton at Vernon, 6 p.m.
Hackettstown at Wallkill Valley

Friday, Dec. 22

(All matches 5 p.m., unless noted)

Independent

Kittatinny at West Milford Duals, 3 p.m.
Voorhees at Monroe Township, 2 p.m.
Warren Hills, Hanover Park, West Morris at Randolph
Belvidere at Bangor (Pa.), 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23

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

Skyland Conference

Bernards at Delaware Valley, 11 a.m.

Independent
Bridgewater-Raritan, Governor Livingston, Jefferson at Hunterdon Central
North Hunterdon, Delsea, Mount Olive at Phillipsburg, 10 a.m.

Wrestling: Longacre choice to guide P'burg

Phillipsburg has a new leader, but the program didn't stray far in the search for its 14th head coach.

As first reported here on Aug. 16, longtime youth coach and high school assistant Tim Longacre was approved as the Stateliners' head coach during Monday night's scheduled Board of Education meeting.

P'burg won its 40th sectional title in 2023.

Earlier this month, after a wild offseason filled with coaching hires and future role reversals at several other prominent Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area programs, along with rumblings about a potential change at P'burg, Brad Gentzle resigned from his post as the Stateliners' head wrestling coach just months from the start of the 2023-24 season.

Perhaps even more stunning is that Gentzle is expected to remain on the Phillipsburg staff as Longacre's top assistant. According to sources, former P'burg wrestlers Bryan Kopesky and Jared Crouse are also staying on as assistants. Former two-time state finalist (three-time placewinner) and Lehigh University All-American Brandon Paetzell was also rumored to be joining the P'burg staff.

Longacre is a former P'burg wrestler and starter on the 1992 Group 3 championship team -- a run that included a 56-8 win over Belleville in an infamous sectional tournament final at The Pit in which there was a mid-match melee between fans and ended with six straight forfeits (eight in all) by the visiting team. 

Gentzle

Longacre received the second forfeit in that stretch at 152 pounds. He was a strong candidate the last time around, when Dave Post was not rehired shortly after the 2020-21 season. Gentzle, an assistant under Post, was hired on June 21, 2021 during what was then a trying offseason.

The hiring process this time around at P'burg was certainly brief.

According to several sources, there was only one round of interviews conducted this past Tuesday and Wednesday -- each lasting about 45 minutes. In addition to Longacre, at least five others were known to have applied for the job, but it was unclear if all were granted interviews. 

Former Phillipsburg great and head coach Rick Thompson was among those to submit an application, but was not granted an interview. Hunterdon Central head coach Jon Cantagallo-Rohm and longtime area assistant and South Hunterdon coach Leigh Hall, as well as Notre Dame (Pa.) coach Matt Veres and former Phillipsburg assistant Josh Haines also made inquiries. 

Phillipsburg (15-3) is coming off winning the program's 40th sectional championship and a Group 5 state runner-up finish last season.

Under Gentzle, the Stateliners went 31-4 over his two seasons at the helm, winning a pair of North 2, Group 5 sectional titles and the 2022 Group 5 championship, the program's 23rd state title. 

Maybe most importantly to Phillipsburg fans, Gentzle's teams went 2-0 against archrival Easton. The 'Liners have won four straight and seven of the past nine meetings in that storied series since 2014, but are just 21-62 against the Red Rovers in a series dating to 1948.

This has without doubt been one of the craziest HWS area wrestling offseasons in recent memory, as North Hunterdon (Dave Bell) and Warren Hills (KC Wanamaker) hired new head coaches, while High Point legend John Gardner is set to serve his final season as the boys' head coach.

Wrestling: Gentzle resigns, what's next for P'burg?

In a stunning move, Brad Gentzle resigned from his post as the head wrestling coach at Phillipsburg just months from the start of the 2023-24 season.

Gentzle informed the wrestlers and parents that he was stepping down on Wednesday afternoon. Both he and school officials were not immediately available for comment.

Phillipsburg (15-3) is coming off winning the program's 40th sectional championship and a Group 5 state runner-up finish last season.

P'burg will begin a search for its 14th head coach

Under Gentzle, the Stateliners went 31-4 over his two seasons at the helm, winning a pair of North 2, Group 5 sectional titles and the 2022 Group 5 championship, the program's 23rd state title. 

Maybe most importantly to Phillipsburg fans, Gentzle's teams went 2-0 against archrival Easton. The 'Liners have won four straight and seven of the past nine meetings in that storied series since 2014, but are just 21-62 against the Red Rovers in a series dating to 1948.

This has without doubt been one of the craziest Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area wrestling offseasons in recent memory, as North Hunterdon (Dave Bell) and Warren Hills (KC Wanamaker) hired new head coaches, while High Point legend John Gardner is set to serve his final season as the boys' head coach.

The search is on for Phillipsburg's 14th head coach as the program heads into its 76th season. Longtime youth coach and current assistant Tim Longacre appears to be the frontrunner to succeed Gentzle, who is expected to remain on staff. In essence, they would swap roles for 2023-24.

Longacre is a former P'burg wrestler and starter on the 1992 Group 3 championship team -- a run that included a 56-8 win over Belleville in an infamous sectional tournament final at The Pit in which there was a mid-match melee between fans and ended with six straight forfeits (eight in all) by the visiting team. 

Gentzle

Longacre received the second forfeit in that stretch at 152 pounds. He has gone on to become one of the most popular and respected coaches, and he worked well with former coach Dave Post and Gentzle. Longacre was a strong candidate the last time around, when the job opened following the 2020-21 season.

Gentzle, an assistant under Post, was hired on June 21, 2021 during a trying offseason. Former P'burg coach Rick Thompson, who served three terms with the Stateliners, also applied for the job but did not get an interview.

It will be interesting to see who applies this time around. Former P'burg star and state runner-up John Garriques' name surfaced back in 2021, but the longtime and successful Centenary University men's wrestling coach did not submit an application. His son, Owen, an accomplished youth wrestler, will enter Phillipsburg as a freshman this fall.

Wrestling: Wanamaker set to guide Warren Hills

We're just past the halfway point through another calendar year, and Warren Hills has the program's next leader in place for the 2023-24 season.

Longtime assistant coach and former wrestler KC Wanamaker was approved as the Blue Streaks' ninth head coach during a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening.

This move comes nearly two weeks after North Hunterdon landed Dave Bell, who previously guided national power Bergen Catholic. Bell was unanimously approved as the Lions' ninth head coach in program history at a BOE meeting on June 27.

"Above anything else, it's about the kids," Wanamaker said via phone interview on Tuesday afternoon. "We will put the kids at the center of everything we do." 

Wanamaker (far middle left) and Hills celebrate a sectional title

Warren Hills started its search when Dave Sbriscia resigned after five seasons on June 2. As first reported by Open Mike, Sbriscia was recently named the first head women's wrestling coach at Centenary University in Hackettstown. 

The Cyclones' inaugural season will be 2024-25. 

Wanamaker, a 2012 Warren Hills graduate (60 career victories and one-time Region 1 qualifier) and former wrestler at King's College, emerged as the Streaks' choice during a a second round of interviews conducted early last week. According to sources, fellow Streaks assistant coach Zach Fisher and former Paramus head coach Steve Klass were also in the mix.

The first round of interviews also included current Streaks head football coach Marcus Gurdineer, who was a wrestler during his high school days at Minisink Valley in Slate Hill, N.Y. 

Fisher, a former Phillipsburg standout, who also has served as a head coach in both boys cross country and track and field at Warren Hills, is employed by the district as a Social Studies teacher. Wanamaker does not work in the district, but he works from his home near the middle school. 

Wanamaker

Wanamaker, 29, said that Fisher, who is in the building, will stay on staff, which should make for a seamless transition. Both are currently with the team at a camp hosted by the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Wanamaker also said that Gurdineer will be part of the coaching staff, and that he would love for former Streaks state champion Marty White to also return.

"Zach and I are really close friends. We're going to do this together as a team," Wanamaker said during a break at camp. "He'll lead a lot of things and I will lead things. We're better together than apart. Zach and I are smaller guys so Marcus can help with the upperweights."

Klass, a former two-time PIAA Class AA state placewinner at Wilson Area High School in the Lehigh Valley, has served as an assistant on legendary coach Dave Crowell's staff at Nazareth (Pa.) for the past five years. 

Klass, a science teacher at Paramus and Easton (Pa.) resident, placed fourth (125 pounds in 1992) and second (135 in '93) in Pennsylvania during Crowell's tenure at Wilson. Klass, who went on to wrestle and graduate from Bucknell University, was also a candidate at Warren Hills when Sbriscia was hired as head coach in the spring of 2018. 

Klass previously coached at Wilson, Seton Hall Prep and Paramus, which became a major force in New Jersey during his 10 seasons at the Bergen County school. The Spartans made six sectional finals appearances and captured the North 1, Group 3 title in 2015 (finishing as the Group 3 runner-up and beating Sparta, 29-24, in the sectional final) during Klass' nine seasons at the helm. 

Hills won the Caldwell Tournament title in 2022.

Paramus also won a sectional title in 2012, the program's sixth overall and first since 1999. The 2016 also won a sectional championship that season after Klass' dismissal on Jan. 26 for using an ineligible wrestler. 

Under Sbriscia, Hills went 78-23 overall (earning the program's 800th victory in 2023) and enjoyed a bit of a rebirth with its back-to-back North 2, Group 3 sectional championship runs -- falling short to Delsea in 2022 and '23 in the quest for the Warren County school's third Group 3 title and first since 1997. 

Warren Hills (18-4) is coming off one its most successful seasons (the program's 87th overall) in which it captured the program's seventh sectional title overall and just its third since going back-to-back for the only other time in 1997 and '98. The Streaks ranked No. 13 (fifth among public schools) in the final New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.

The Streaks return five key wrestlers for 2023-24, including Region 3 runners-up Charlie Piccione (32-9 at 113) and Tyler Redfield (27-8 at 120), both juniors. Josh Lee (33-9), a senior with 63 career wins, finished third in Region 3 at 126 pounds. Augie Szamreta (25-13 at 106) and Davey Rhinehart (29-9 at 113 and 132), both sophomores, were Region 3 qualifiers.