It was a big year for the Morris-Sussex area in wrestling.

Some of the season’s highlights:

• Delbarton crowned three more state champions in Alessio Perentin, Jayden James, and Cameron Sontz. 
• Mount Olive sent 10 wrestlers to Atlantic City. 
• Hanover Park and High Point won sectional championships.

Here is a list of the best of the best for 2024-25.

Team of the Year (Parochial school division): The best team in the area by 100 miles was Delbarton. The Green Wave embarked on a national schedule and thrived. Coach Bryan Stoll’s team beat mighty Blair and sent its entire lineup to Atlantic City (only the second time in New Jersey history other than Bergen Catholic in 2023). 

Team of the Year (Public school division): Mount Olive fell short of winning the sectional title to Phillipsburg, but what a year it was for coach Sean Smyth’s Marauders, who sent a New Jersey public-school state-high 10 wrestlers to Boardwalk Hall and 13 wrestlers to the region while winning their seventh straight district title. Mount Olive won its first Morris County Tournament title in school history.

Wrestler of the Year: Alessio Perentin of Delbarton won his third straight state title and became just the third wrestler in the school’s illustrious history to have won that many. Mike Grey was the first in New Jersey to win four. Anthony Clark won three. Put it this way: How hard is it to win more than two? Stellar Green Wave greats over the years such as Antonio Mangione and Simon Ruiz won “only” two. Perentin has reached the upper stratosphere at a school whose recent history is second to none.

Coach of the Year: Steve Baig of Mendham guided the Minutemen from a 3-24 season last year to 14-8 this year. They qualified for the sectionals, took eighth at the MCT (15th last year), placed third in the district (seventh last year), sent five wrestlers to the region (two last year) and two to the states (one last year). The Minutemen also beat seven teams that beat them last year. That, my friends, is quite a turnaround.

Here are Big State Sports’ annual All-Morris-Sussex All-Area and All-County teams.

All Big State Sports

Morris-Sussex (all schools)

106-Peter Terranova (Delbarton)

113-Cameron Sontz (Delbarton)

120-Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton)

126-Braden Jones (Delbarton)

132-Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton)

138-Carson Walsh (Pope John)

144-Donny Almeyda (Pope John)

150-Jayden James (Delbarton)

157-Trevor Jones (Delbarton)

165-Alessio Perentin (Delbarton)

175-Ethan Dalling (Kittatinny)

190-Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park)

215-Nico Gonzalez (Mount Olive)

285-Tommy Borgia (West Morris)

All Morris (with Delbarton)

106-Peter Terranova (Delbarton)

113-Cameron Sontz (Delbarton)

120-Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton)

126-Braden Jones (Delbarton)

132-Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton)

138-Chase Quenault (Delbarton)

144-Nick Schwartz (Delbarton)

150-Jayden James (Delbarton)

157-Trevor Jones (Delbarton)

165-Alessio Perentin (Delbarton)

175-Jesse DeNegri (Delbarton)

190-Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park)

215-Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive)

285-Tommy Borgia (West Morris)

All Morris (Public only)

106-Logan Forgatch (Parsippany Hills)

113-Jayden Mendez (Dover)

120-James McGinty (Parsippany Hills)

126-Brody Frank (Morris Hills)

132-Santino Danise (Hanover Park)

138-Brandon Beres (Mount Olive)

144-Colin Smyth (Mount Olive)

150-Justin Bullock (Mount Olive)

157-Tanner Perez (Mount Olive)

165-Luke Shivas (Morris Knolls)

175-Rinaldo DiGiacopo (Mountain Lakes)

190-Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park)

215-Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive)

285-Tommy Borgia (West Morris)

All Sussex (with Pope John)

106-Logan Takach (High Point)

113-Jake Holly (Pope John)

120-Carter Drouin (High Point)

126-Keegan Murtagh (Newton)

132-Dalton Weber (Pope John)

138-Carson Walsh (Pope John)

144-Donny Almeyda (Pope John)

150-Nick Clayton (High Point)

157-Braydan Lombreglia (Pope John)

165-Cole Dunham (Pope John)

175-Ethan Dalling (Kittatinny)

190-Luke Brown (Sparta)

215-Donald Weiss (High Point)

285-Gavin Mericle (High Point)

All Sussex (Public only)

106-Logan Takach (High Point)

113-Kyle White (Kittatinny)

120-Carter Drouin (High Point)

126-Keegan Murtagh (Newton)

132-Ryan Hrenenko (Sparta) 

138-Logan Hrenenko (Sparta)

144-Gage Graziano (Lenape Valley)

150-Nick Clayton (High Point)

157-Tyler Morodon (Newton)

165-Jayden Ruplall (High Point)

175-Ethan Dalling (Kittatinny)

190-Luke Brown (Sparta)

215-Donald Weiss (High Point)

285-Gavin Mericle (High Point)