There are state champion wrestlers who are the best in their class that particular weekend.
And then there is Delbarton’s Jayden James.
The Green Wave senior 165-pounder was not just the best in his weight in New Jersey, but arguably the best in the country.
He not only won a New Jersey state championship, he obliterated the entire weight class to conclude one of the most overpowering and astonishing seasons a Morris-Sussex wrestler has ever had.
Delbarton wrestled a schedule that was as demanding as any across the country and James swept through all of his opponents to a final 31-0 record.
The Penn State-bound James is Big State Sports 2026 Wrestler of the Year.
His 2026 resume speaks for itself:
- He beat Bishop McCort’s highly-touted Melvin Miller to win the season-opening Ironman Tournament, 8-5.
- His other 30 wins this year were by pin or technical fall.
- He won the Doc Buchanan Invitational, by technical fall over Clovis’ James Caruso, 24-5 (3:44)
- He pinned St. John Vianney’s Ryan Gavrish in the state final in 1:23.
- He had three pins to win his district, one in 17 seconds, one in 37 seconds, and one in 1:03.
- He had a 10-second pin and two technical falls to win his fourth straight Region 3 title.
- He had two first-period pins and three technical falls to win the state championship.
- He won his final 74 matches in his school, finishing third as a freshman and second as a sophomore before winning both his junior and senior years.
TEAM OF THE YEAR (Private Schools)
I will break this category into two groups, private and public, because they get their athletes in completely different ways.
Delbarton had perhaps the best season any school has ever had in Morris County and, quite possibly, ever in New Jersey.
The Green Wave, who sent all 14 of their wrestlers to Boardwalk Hall for the second straight year, had a New Jersey-record seven finalists (equalling the modern-day record they set two years ago).
Jayden James (165), Cam Sontz (120), and Carl Betz (190) brought home state championships.
Other Green Wave wrestlers to reach the finals include Tommy Marchetti (126), Ryan DeGeorge (144), Nicolas Schwartz (150), and Gabe Logan (175). Delbarton had three other placers including Finn Anderson (seventh at 106), Peter Terranova (sixth at 132), and Trevor Jones (sixth at 157).
Ten wrestlers placing in the state tournament is simply unheard of.
If there was team scoring at the state tournament, Delbarton would have won the team title for the sixth time in seven years.
The Green Wave overcame a loaded field to win Non-Public Group A and the team went on to practically make the state tournament their own, scoring 235 points to beat out runnerup St. Joe-Montvale (173 points) by an amazing 62 points.
The point total and winning margin could well be state records. Delbarton had arguably the best showing a team has ever had in the state tournament.
TEAM OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC DIVISION)
One of the hardest things for a team to do is win a state Group championship – but Mount Olive pulled off the feat this year in impressive fashion, defeating Phillipsburg, North Hunterdon, and Toms River East in the process for the second Group title in school history and first since 2022.
Mount Olive joined Jefferson (1992-94), Randolph (1993), Hanover Park (2015), and Montville (2020) as public school Group champions from Morris County.
Mount Olive cruised to its seventh straight district championship and won the Morris County Tournament for the second straight year.
The team was led by Nicolas Gonzalez (215), Cole Rebels (120), Kristian Beres (126), Colin Smyth (150), Justin Bullock (165), Jack Bacigalupo (113), Anthony Piemonte (132), Scott Coppolo (157), Thomas McDonald (14), Stephen Hayek (175), Nahki Hernandez (138), Jack Rawa (106), and Jared Martini (285).
The team finished 10th in New Jersey in the state coaches poll (third among public schools), overwhelmed District 5 with nine champions, two seconds, and two thirds, and sent six wrestlers to Atlantic City.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Delbarton’s Bryan Stoll guided the team to an 18-2 record and swept through New Jersey to win the Non-Public Group A championship in impressive fashion. True, the Green Wave have a wealth of talent, but so do all of the Parochial schools. Stoll and his staff get the best out of all of them.
Before Stoll’s arrival in 2006, Delbarton was hardly considered a threat, but Stoll has built up the program to where it is arguably the best wrestling program in all of New Jersey.
Little by little, the team began to make its mark at Boardwalk Hall with Stoll leading the way.
This year, though, the team was way ahead of everyone else. The one constant during the entire stretch has been Stoll.
FINAL STATE COACHES POLL
I ran the poll in order in my state wrestling column earlier this week, but I think there should be a separation between public and private schools to REALLY see what kind of year Mount Olive had.
To wit:
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
1. Delbarton
2. CBA
3. St. Peter’s Prep
4. Bergen Catholic
5. St. Joe-Montvale
6. Camden Catholic
7. Bergen Catholic
8. Pope John
9. Seton Hall Prep
10. Immaculata
11. St. Joe-Metuchen
12. Don Bosco
13. St. Augustine
14. Red Bank Catholic
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1. Southern
2. Delsea
3. Mount Olive
4. Howell
5. Delaware Valley
6. Phillipsburg
7. Rumson
8. North Hunterdon
9. West Essex
10. Lower Cape May
11. Old Bridge
BIG STATE POSTSEASON HONORS
All-Area
(with Delbarton)
106-Finn Andersen (Delbarton)
113-Logan Forgatch (Parsippany Hills)
120-Cam Sontz (Delbarton)
126-Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton)
132-Nick DiFrancescantonio (Hanover Park)
138-Nicolas Marchetti (Delbarton)
144-Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton)
150-Nicolas Schwartz (Delbarton)
157-Joey Monticello (Hanover Park)
165-Jayden James (Delbarton)
175-Gabe Logan (Delbarton)
190-Carl Betz (Delbarton)
215-Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive)
285-Tommy Borgia (West Morris)
All-Area
(without Pope John/Delbarton)
106-Alex Spagnuolo (Hanover Park)
113-Logan Forgatch (Parsippany Hills)
120-Cole Rebels (Mount Olive)
126-Kristian Beres (Mount Olive)
132-Nick DiFrancescantonio (Hanover Park)
138-Brody Neil (West Morris)
144-Ryan Hrerenko (Sparta)
150-Colin Smyth (Mount Olive)
157-Joey Monticello (Hanover Park)
165-Justin Bullock (Mount Olive)
175-Luke Shivas (Morris Knolls)
190-Frank Dimarzio (Morris Hills)
215-Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive)
285-Tom Borgia (West Morris)
All-NJAC-Sussex
(includes Hackettstown and North Warren; with Pope John)
106-Steven Vidal (Hackettstown)
113-Jacob Campbell (Pope John)
120-Joe Rowinski (Hackettstown)
126-Dalton Weber (Pope John)
132-Patrick Bruseo (Sparta)
138-Adrian Pinto (Hackettstown)
144-Ryan Hrenenko (Sparta)
150-Daniel Arroyo (Pope John)
157-Brayden Lombreglia (Pope John)
165-Lukas Katsigiannis (Pope John)
175-Cole Dunham (Pope John)
190-True DiGuiseppe (Vernon)
215-Nick Mignone (Pope John)
285-Gavin Mericle (High Point)
All-NJAC-Sussex
(without Pope John)
106-Steven Vidal (Hackettstown)
113-Jacob McConnell (Newton)
120-Joe Rowinski (Hackettstown)
126-Connor Hallowich (North Warren)
132-Patrick Bruseo (Sparta)
138-Adrian Pinto (Hackettstown)
144-Ryan Hrenenko (Sparta)
150-Bryan Dougherty (Hackettstown)
157-Jayden Ruplall (High Point)
165-Scottie Weiss (Wallkill Valley)
175-Michael Witowski (Kittatinny)
190-True DiGuiseppe (Vernon)
215-Liam Hassloch (Sparta)
285-Gavin Mericle (High Point)
All-Morris
(without Delbarton)
106-Alex Spagnuolo (Hanover Park)
113-Logan Forgatch (Parsippany Hills)
120-Cole Rebels (Mount Olive)
126-Kristian Beres (Mount Olive)
132-Nick DiFrancescantonio (Hanover Park)
138-Brody Neil (West Morris)
144-Jacob Harrison (West Morris)
150-Colin Smyth (Mount Olive)
157-Joey Monticello (Hanover Park)
165-Justin Bullock (Mount Olive)
175-Luke Shivas (Morris Knolls)
190-Frank Dimarzio (Morris Hills)
215-Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive)
285-Tom Borgia (West Morris)
All-Morris
(with Delbarton)
106-Finn Andersen (Delbarton)
113-Logan Forgatch (Parsippany Hills)
120-Cam Sontz (Delbarton)
126-Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton)
132-Nick DiFrancescantonio (Hanover Park)
138-Nicolas Marchetti (Delbarton)
144-Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton)
150-Nicolas Schwartz (Delbarton)
157-Joey Monticello (Hanover Park)
165-Jayden James (Delbarton)
175-Gabe Logan (Delbarton)
190-Carl Betz (Delbarton)
215-Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive)
285-Tom Borgia (West Morris)
