Wrestling: Streaks-'Liners set for Pin Cancer clash

Action from the third annual match. (Courtesy of Pin Cancer)

The fourth annual Pin Cancer match between Washington and Phillipsburg will be held on Friday, July 24 at Maloney Stadium. There will be 11 junior high bouts starting at 6 p.m., with the high school match to follow.

Phillipsburg defeated Warren Hills, 58-6, when the teams met during the 2014-15 high school season at The Pit.

Phillipsburg won the three previous Pin Cancer matches, including a 34-19 victory last year in Washington.

"It should be a good night," said P'burg coach Dave Post, whose team won the Lycoming Camp competition this offseason. "We will have cheerleaders from both schools and the coaches involved. Tommy Kosar's mom got a grant from Kohl's [department store] and our local store is supporting the event. They will have at least five volunteers at the event and all of the donation goes to the charity."

One notable absence for Phillipsburg in this year's event is two-time New Jersey state placewinner Brandon Paetzell, who competed in the past three Pin Cancer matches. Paetzell, a rising senior who missed most of his junior season due to a hand injury, is lessening his offseason workload. The Rutgers recruit, who is 88-9 overall and projects to start the high school season at 126 pounds, also will miss the upcoming 1000 Islands Summer Duals on July 31-Aug. 2 in Clayton, New York.

The weight classes for the Pin Cancer match are designed to follow those used at 1000 Island Duals, according to Post.

"It's a little variation because New York has that 100-pound weight class," Post said. "We do away with that and put an extra class in the middle."

Ticket price is $5. All proceeds go to cancer research and development. Check out http://www.pincancer.org/ for more information on this tremendous organization.

Tentative matchups are listed below with Washington listed first.

107 -- Cody Harrison vs. Cullen Day
115 -- Kyle Wulff vs. Tom Kosar
123 -- Codey O'Rourke vs. Kyle Markus
130 -- Pedro Cruz vs. Lance Wissing
135 -- Matt Valli vs. Kyle Tino
140 -- Cameron Nauta vs. Tyler Agans
145 -- Zach Nauta vs. Brian Meyer
154 -- Jarod Ostir vs. Chris Ruiz
162 -- Anthony Roessner vs. DJ Wissing
173 -- Brandon Winger vs. Austin Roth
185 -- Nick Galka vs. Mario Higueros
197 -- Brody Oberly vs. Drew Horun
220 -- Kurt Nemeth vs. Robert Melise
285 -- Taylan Zafis vs. Kyle Nothnagel

(Box from this past season's high school dual)

PHILLIPSBURG 58, WARREN HILLS 6

182 -- Jimmy Schuitema, P, p. Brody Oberly, 2:49.
195 -- Drew Horun, P, p. Kurt Nemeth, 4:43.
220 -- Robert Melise, P, p. Taylan Zafis, :40.
285 -- Kyle Nothnagel, P, d. Andrew Pacheco, 6-1 OT3.
106 -- Jacob DiNapoli, WH, d. Cullen Day, 4-3 OT3.
113 -- Tom Kosar, P, md. Codey O'Rourke, 16-7.
120 -- Tyler Agans, P, p. Pedro Cruz, 1:12.
126 -- John Fluck, WH, d. Brian Meyer, 7-6.
132 -- Donald Agans, P, d. Zach Nauta, 6-4.
138 -- DJ Wissing, P, d. Max Nauta, 6-4.
145 -- Steve Friedman, P, p. Austin Pidoto, 3:23.
152 -- John Kaluzny, P, d. Jarod Ostir, 5-2.
160 -- Max Elling, P, p. Anthony Roessner, 1:34.
170 -- Yann Ondele, P, forfeit.

Field hockey: Warren Hills continues quest for coach

Nearly two weeks after the last Open Mike post, Warren Hills' state championship field hockey program is still without a head coach just weeks away from the official start of the fall season on Monday, Aug. 10.

According to multiple sources and what has been reported here previously, several candidates have either applied or interviewed for the position, which opened when former head coach Laurie Kerr surprisingly stepped down due to family reasons in early June.

Former Blue Streaks standout Toni Popinko was among the candidates to interview. Popinko, an assistant coach at Phillipsburg, recently withdrew her name from consideration. One sticking point in this process is there are no health and physical education openings at Warren Hills.

Popinko, a four-year starter from 2006-09 and a key player on the '09 team that won a sectional title and reached the Group 3 final, ranks fifth all-time on the Streaks' career points list with 117 and is among the top 10 in career goals (39) and assists (27).

Other candidates to at least inquire about the Warren Hills coaching job, according to multiple sources, include Hackettstown coach Stephen Speirs, who sources said interviewed with Streaks athletic director Peter Lubrecht late last week. Lubrecht, who is on vacation until later this month, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment on Thursday.

Speirs, a 1980 Warren Hills graduate, would neither confirm nor deny that he in fact interviewed at his alma mater, but emphatically stated that he isn't leaving Hackettstown.

"I'm flattered that Warren Hills would be interested, but I'm in a great position where I am," Speirs said during a phone conversation on Wednesday evening. "I'm very loyal to the players and people that have gotten [the program] to that place. I have a lot of support from my superintendent [David Mango] and athletic director [Bob Grauso]. I wish Warren Hills and the players all the best in the search."

In five seasons under Speirs, Hackettstown is 50-43-2 overall, including a 15-5 campaign this past season in which the Tigers reached the North 1, Group 2 semifinals, beating Parsippany, 3-1, in the quarterfinals for the program's first state playoff victory since 2010. The 15 wins were the most for the Tigers since 2009. In addition, the Tigers reached the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex final in 2013, dropping a 1-0 decision to Warren Hills. His daughter, Lexie, scored the game-winning goal for Hackettstown in its 2004 Hunterdon-Warren title win at Warren Hills -- the first of the Tigers' only two county championships.

Speirs' teams are 0-6 against Warren Hills and have been outscored 24-1 in those meetings, which include two HWS matchups in 2013 and '14. The Streaks hold a commanding 39-4-3 edge in the all-time series dating to 1969, including a pair of 3-0 wins in '14. The Tigers' last win was 2-1 in '06.

Warren Hills, which opens the season at home against Madison on Friday, Sept. 4, will travel to Hackettstown for an independent contest the following Thursday.

Selena Agnor, a former player at Wallkill Valley and a volunteer assistant coach on Speirs' staff last season was also said to have interviewed for the Warren Hills job. Agnor, who also played at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa., is a teacher at Mansfield Elementary school in the Warren Hills district.

Warren Hills is coming off its most successful campaign in 50 seasons, finishing 23-4 -- a school single-season record for wins -- and capturing both its 12th sectional title and the program's first state title with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win against nemesis Ocean City in the Group 3 final. It's also the first state championship in any female sport for the Warren County school.

Kerr, a former star player at Warren Hills and 1987 graduate, turned the program into a state powerhouse during her 15 seasons at the helm. Her teams went 264-71-12 overall and won or shared six Skyland Conference Delaware or Raritan Division titles and the school's only county championships in 2009, '11, '13 and '14.

In addition, the Streaks claimed eight of their 12 sectional titles and appeared the Group 3 finals seven times under Kerr, who surpassed her predecessor and coach Luanne Ferenci (226-101-41 from 1981-99) as the winningest coach in program history.

The Washington/Warren Hills program is 601-250-92 overall in 50 seasons. The 600th win came on Nov. 12, 2014, a 6-1 victory over Northern Highlands in the Group 3 semifinals. A 4-2 loss to Oak Knoll in the school's first Tournament of Champions appearance ended an 11-game win streak.

Wrestling: Local greats to attend Newton camp

The third annual Newton High School Wrestling Camp will be held July 13-17 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each session.

Chris Skretkowicz instructing at last year's clinic. (Courtesy of Eric Bollette)

Former New Jersey state champions Chris Skretkowicz and Dan Vallimont will be among the guest clinicians, along with two-time runner-up and Division III national champion Kodie Silvestri.

Former state runner-up and current Braves assistant coach Ted Sibblies, and West Morris head coach Ken Rossi, a four-time state placewinner, round out the stellar group.

"We've been fortunate to have great groups every year," Newton coach Eric Bollette said. "We have had D1 and D3 national champs, All-Americans, as well as great coaches."

Up first on July 13 is Skretkowicz, the former Wallkill Valley standout and two-time state finalist. Skretkowicz, who compiled a career mark of 124-13 from 1997-2001, went on to become a two-time NCAA All-American at Hoftsra under coach Tom Ryan, who guided Ohio State to its first national championship this past season. Skretkowicz is now the head coach at Virginia Military Institute.

Vallimont, who will appear on July 14, was a two-time state champion at Jefferson Township High School and a two-time All-American at Penn State, where he qualified four times for the NCAA Tournament and placed second in 2010. He's now an assistant coach at Hofstra.

Rossi also was a star at Jefferson in the early 1990s and a member of the 1992-93 team that won the Group 2 title and was ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today. He will appear at the camp on July 15, with Sibblies slated for July 16.

Rounding out the five-day event will be Silvestri, a former star at Wallkill Valley (145-18 career mark from 2005-09) who went onto a successful collegiate career at Wartburg, where he also was a national runner-up.

The camp is open to grades 4-12 and registration fee is $200 per family. Walk-ins are welcome. For information, or to register, contact Bollette via e-mail at ebollette@newtonnj.org.

Goles fills out lineup

The 58th annual John Goles Invitational, slated for Monday, Dec. 28 at Warren Hills, will have two new additions this season.

Pope John is back in the tournament after a two-year absence. The Lions, coached by Mark Piotrowsky, were Goles members for 10 straight years from 2002-11, before joining the Mountain Lakes Holiday Tournament.

Warren Hills coach Jarrett Hosbach on Monday confirmed that Palisades (Pa.) will round out the 10-team field.

In addition to Pope John, Palisades and Warren Hills, the 2015 field includes Delaware Valley, Newton and North Hunterdon, along with Edison, Millburn, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and West Morris.

Tournament time

Pending construction at the high school, the 24th annual Kittatinny Tournament is tentatively set for Saturday, July 18. It's a round-robin format and the pre-registration entry fee is $20 (postmarked by July 10). There is a $25 walk-in fee. For information, contact Michele Molfetto at 862-354-4009 or e-mail at tdc3@ptd.net.

The 29th annual Warren County Farmers' Fair Tournament is slated for Saturday, Aug. 1 at the Fair Grounds in Harmony Township. There are youth and high school divisions. High school weights are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 171, 182, 195, 220 and HWT. Weigh-ins will be conducted using the Madison system. Fee is $27 (pre-registered by July 30). No walk-ins.

First session (8-under, 10-under, 12-under) begins at 9 a.m., followed by the 14-and-under and high school divisions at 2 p.m. A $500 college scholarship will be awarded to the outstanding senior wrestler. For information, contact Ron Nauta at 908-684-8853 or send an e-mail to warrenhillswrestlingclub@yahoo.com.

The Red Devil Classic will be held Saturday, July 25 at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. There are youth and high school divisions. Weigh-ins will be conducted using the Madison system and weight classes will be determined after. Fee is $25 (pre-registered or postmarked by July 18) and $30 at the door. You can register online at flemingtonwrestling.com. For information, email flemingtonelkswrestling@gmail.com.

Field hockey: Warren Hills still searching for coach

It isn't exactly ideal to be conducting the search for a new head coach in early July.

But that's what Warren Hills' field hockey program is faced with after last month's surprising resignation by Laurie Kerr, who stepped down after 15 highly successful seasons in charge at her alma mater due to "family reasons." The move was first reported by Open Mike.

The Blue Streaks are coming off their most successful campaign in 50 seasons, finishing 23-4 -- a school single-season record for wins -- and capturing both its 12th sectional title and the program's first state title with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win against nemesis Ocean City in the Group 3 final. It's also the first state championship in any female sport for the Warren County school.

Warren Hills athletic director Pete Lubrecht said "a few" candidates have applied or interviewed for the job, but he declined to reveal names. According to multiple sources, former Warren Hills star player Toni Popinko, now an assistant coach at Phillipsburg, interviewed for the Streaks' job.

Popinko, a four-year starter from 2006-09 and a key player on the '09 team that won a sectional title and reached the Group 3 final, ranks fifth all-time on the Streaks' career points list with 117 and is among the top 10 in career goals (39) and assists (27).

"This is an important spot, we recognize that. But it's important to strike a balance. We are giving it our due diligence like any other position, but we don't want to sacrifice being thorough to rushing into something. We are sensitive to the time [of year] and I don't want to be here in August having the same conversation."

Kerr's top assistant coach Josie Potter (nee Schantzenbach), another former standout player for the Streaks and team MVP in 1998, also resigned from the coaching staff in June. Laura Blackwell, who is highly regarded as the program's middle school coach, supposedly has not applied for the varsity job.

Another in-house candidate, Courtney Hoffman (nee Fritts) and former top player for the Streaks, confirmed via text message that she will not seek the job due to family reasons. Hoffman was an assistant coach at Ocean Township for several seasons.

One potential sticking point for a new hire is also getting a teaching position. Currently, there are no physical education openings at Warren Hills and most positions for the next school year are typically filled during the spring. The superintendent of schools can approve a coaching hire at any time to expedite the process. The next board of education meeting is scheduled for Aug. 23.

With the fall sports season scheduled to officially begin in mid-August, time is certainly of the essence to getting a head coach into place. Lubrecht said there is no specific time frame to hire a coach, as the school wants to get the best person for what's been a high profile program in all of New Jersey.

Kerr, a former star player at Warren Hills and 1987 graduate, turned the program into a state powerhouse during her 15 seasons at the helm. Her teams went 264-71-12 overall and won or shared six Skyland Conference Delaware or Raritan Division titles and the school's only county championships in 2009, '11, '13 and '14.

In addition, the Streaks claimed eight of their 12 sectional titles and appeared the Group 3 finals seven times under Kerr, who surpassed her predecessor and coach Luanne Ferenci (226-101-41 from 1981-99) as the winningest coach in program history.

The Washington/Warren Hills program is 601-250-92 overall in 50 seasons. The 600th win came on Nov. 12, 2014, a 6-1 victory over Northern Highlands in the Group 3 semifinals. A 4-2 loss to Oak Knoll in the school's first Tournament of Champions appearance ended an 11-game win streak.

Wrestling: Phillipsburg sets schedule for 2015-16

Phillipsburg coach Dave Post confirmed that his schedule for the 2015-16 season is complete. 

Post said that Hanover Park, which came to The Pit last season, is back on the schedule after the Group 2 champion Hornets switched around some dates to allow the Stateliners to come to Morris County this season for the rematch on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, the final day of the regular season.

Phillipsburg, the defending Group 4 champ, scored a 32-21 victory over Hanover Park on Feb. 4 in the first meeting between the schools.

Post said both Group 5 champion Brick Memorial and Group 2 champion Delsea were interested in wrestling Phillipsburg, which had no open dates to accommodate those schools, had that Saturday date in February opened up. P'burg has gone a combined 37-1 the last two years, including 19-1 this past season.

"We would have loved to wrestle those schools -- Brick Memorial being the Group 5 champ and Delsea the Group 3 champion -- but Hanover Park came to The Pit last season and we wanted to return the favor" said Post, whose teams are 79-14 overall with four sectional and two Group 4 titles in his five seasons in charge of his alma mater.

One notable new addition is Lenape Valley, the Group 2 runner-up last season. Coach Doug Vetter's Patriots dropped a 48-18 decision to Hanover Park in the state title match in Trenton. P'burg leads 3-1 in the all-time series dating to 2005, including a 38-24 win at The Pit in the last meeting on Jan. 17, 2009. Lenape's lone victory was 37-24 at home in 2006.

The annual matches against Pennsylvania's District 11 are also on the docket -- Northampton (Jan. 2), Parkland (Jan. 6) and Easton (Jan. 16). The 'Liners have beaten Easton the last two seasons, including a 30-23 victory on Jan. 17. It was the first time they've earned back-to-back wins in the series since ripping off nine in a row against the Red Rovers from 1963-71. However, Easton still leads 62-16 overall since the storied rivalry began in 1947.

In addition, P'burg will once again open the season at the Beast of East Tournament in Delaware.

Here's the complete P'burg schedule:

Dec. 19-20 -- at Beast of the East Tournament in Newark, Del.
Dec. 22 -- West Morris
Dec. 23 -- Voorhees
Dec. 28-29 -- at Bethlehem (Pa.) Holiday Classic (Liberty High School)
Jan. 2 -- Northampton (Pa.)
Jan. 6 -- at Parkland (Pa.)
Jan. 7 -- Raritan
Jan. 9 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament (at Hunterdon Central)
Jan. 13 -- Delaware Valley
Jan. 14 -- Howell
Jan. 16 -- at Easton (Pa.)
Jan. 20 -- at Bound Brook
Jan. 21 -- North Hunterdon
Jan. 23 -- High Point
Jan. 27 -- at Hunterdon Central
Jan. 29 -- at Warren Hills
Jan. 30 -- Southern
Feb. 3 -- at Kittatinny
Feb. 4 -- Lenape Valley
Feb. 6 -- at Hanover Park
Feb. 10 -- Sectional semifinals
Feb. 12 -- Sectional finals
Feb. 14 -- Group championships at Toms River North
Feb. 19-20 -- District 1 Tournament at Warren Hills
Feb. 24, 26-27 -- Region 1 Tournament at Wallkill Valley
March 4-6 -- State Tournament at Atlantic City

Note: Bold indicates Skyland Conference Raritan Division matches.

Field hockey: Kerr to resign as Warren Hills coach

There's something to be said for going out on top.

For Laurie Kerr, the time was right to step down at Warren Hills after 15 seasons guiding one of New Jersey's premier field hockey programs.

"I'm doing it for family reasons," Kerr said during a phone conversation on Saturday evening. "I told the team [I was stepping down]."

Laurie Kerr with her team after winning the North 2, Group 3 title.

Kerr, who also stepped down as the girls lacrosse coach, said her resignation has not been made official. All fall coaching positions at the Warren County school per its policy are open, and any new hires will be pending board of education approval. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9.

Kerr said that assistant coach Josie Potter (nee Schantzenbach), another former standout player for the Streaks and team MVP in 1998, is also resigning from the coaching staff.

Athletic director Pete Lubrecht would not comment on any potential hires or resignations when reached earlier this week.

Warren Hills completed the greatest field hockey season in its history last fall, finishing 23-4 -- a school single-season record for wins -- and capturing both its 12th sectional title and the program's first state title with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win against nemesis Ocean City in the Group 3 final. It's also the first state championship in any female sport for the Blue Streaks.

Kerr, a former star player at Warren Hills and 1987 graduate, turned the program into a state powerhouse during her 15 seasons at the helm. Her teams went 264-71-12 overall and won or shared six Skyland Conference Delaware or Raritan Division titles and the school's only county championships in 2009, '11, '13 and '14.

In addition, the Streaks claimed eight of their 12 sectional titles and appeared the Group 3 finals seven times under Kerr, who surpassed her predecessor and coach Luanne Ferenci (226-101-41 from 1981-99) as the winningest coach in program history.

The Washington/Warren Hills program is 601-250-92 overall in 50 seasons. The 600th win came on Nov. 12, 2014, a 6-1 victory over Northern Highlands in the Group 3 semifinals. A 4-2 loss to Oak Knoll in the school's first Tournament of Champions appearance ended an 11-game win streak.

Warren Hills will sorely miss both Kerr and her six graduating seniors -- Nikki Profita (Rutgers), Jessica Nissen, Sydney Muntone (Drexel), Amanda Crampton (East Stroudsburg University), Amanda Oberly (Southern Connecticut) and Allie Brouhard (Sacred Heart).

Crampton, a stellar defensive player, scored the game-winning goal against Ocean City.

"Those girls have been like my own daughters," Kerr said.

Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings

   (Through Friday's games)

Skyland Conference
Delaware Division
		Overall	Division
x-Bridgewater-Raritan		(21-6)	(12-1)
Hunterdon Central		(23-7-1)	(8-4-1)
Immaculata		(15-13)	(8-5)
y-Hillsborough		(12-11)	(6-7)
Watchung Hills		(16-13)	(3-10)
Raritan Division
		Overall	Division
x-Ridge		(18-9-1)	(9-3-1)
Montgomery		(15-11)	(8-5)
y-North Hunterdon		(21-9)	(7-6)
Franklin		(5-15)	(2-11)
Phillipsburg		(6-19)	(1-12)
Valley Division
		Overall	Division
x-Somerville		(18-9)	(10-0)
Bernards		(21-6)	(7-3)
Delaware Valley		(11-14)	(4-6)
Voorhees		(9-13)	(4-6)
Warren Hills		(9-16)	(3-7)
Rutgers Prep		(9-16)	(2-8)
Mountain Division
		Overall	Division
x-Gill St. Bernard's		(21-8)	(10-2)
Pingry		(16-11)	(9-3)
North Plainfield		(11-11)	(8-4)
Belvidere		(14-10)	(7-5)
Bound Brook		(6-15)	(4-8)
South Hunterdon		(6-16)	(4-8)
Manville		(4-14)	(0-12)
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Freedom Division
		Overall	Division
x-Hackettstown		(19-6)	(6-2)
High Point		(16-9)	(5-3)
Jefferson		(19-10)	(5-3)
Lenape Valley		(7-14)	(4-4)
Sussex Tech		(8-19)	(0-8)
American Division
		Overall	Division
x-Pope John		(16-14)	(6-2)
x-Mount Olive		(21-10)	(6-2)
Morris Hills		(11-18)	(3-5)
Vernon		(10-15)	(3-5)
Sparta		(8-16)	(2-6)
Colonial Division
		Overall	Division
x-Wallkill Valley		(12-12)	(6-2)
x-Newton		(11-11)	(6-2)
x-North Warren		(10-12)	(6-2)
Hopatcong		(7-14)	(1-7)
Kittatinny		(3-22)	(1-7)
x-division champion
y-county champion