Last year, we bade farewell to Delbarton from the Morris County Tournament.
This year, the Green Wave will no longer wrestle in the NJAC, either.
Coach Bryan Stoll’s team, which sent all 14 of its wrestlers to the state tournament (just the second time in New Jersey history that has ever happened) has gone the national schedule route but will compete in District 9, where it will host the district for the first time.
The squad is as loaded as always and will likely begin the year in the No. 1 spot in any Top 20 poll. The team has proven talent up and down the lineup (this year’s weight in parentheses):
- Two-time state champion Cameron Sontz (120) returns
- Returning state champion (and 2023 runnerup) Jayden James (165) is back.
- Peter Terranova (132) was fifth at 106.
- Tommy Marchetti (126) was third at 120.
- Ryan DeGeorge (144), a state champion two years ago, was a runnerup last year.
- Nicholas Schwartz (150) was sixth at 144.
- Trevor Jones (157) was eighth at 157.
- Carl Betz (190) was fourth at 190.
- Meanwhile, Braden Jones (138) and August Moser (285) were state qualifiers.
- Gabe Logan (175), meanwhile, is a recent Michigan commit and a state contender.
HERE AND THERE
1. Mount Olive, one of the best public school teams in the state last year, is loaded with talented returnees and is another probable Top 20 team in New Jersey.
Last year, Coach Sean Smyth’s team sent a NJ-state high 10 wrestlers to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and reached the sectional finals in North 1, Group IV before losing to mighty Phillipsburg. Amazingly, the team is once again in the same section as the Stateliners as well as Ridge.
Much of the team returns from a talented squad that finished 15-4, including:
- Cole Rebels (113), a three-time New Jersey youth state champion.
- Anthony Piemonte (132), a two-time state qualifier, a region champion, and two-time Morris County Tournament champion.
- Colin Smyth (157), a district champion, region runnerup, and state qualifier.
- Drew Coppolo (165), a region 2 runnerup and state qualifier.
- Justin Bullock (175-190), a region 2 runnerup and state tournament qualifier.
- Nico Gonzalez (215), who was fourth in the state last year and a region runnerup.
- Jared Martini (285), who is a returning state qualifier.
The Marauders are the favorite in the imposing NJAC-American with the likes of Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Pope John, Sparta, and West Morris.
Smyth (370-154-1 lifetime record) has his team competing against a rugged schedule. It opens the season at the Robin Leff Tournament at Southern Regional as well as the Sam Cali and Mustang Classic at Brick Memorial. All three are considered among the best in-season tournaments in all of New Jersey.
2. It’s never too early to discuss the best weight classes. One of the best ones I can see in the early going is at heavyweight, with Tommy Borgia (West Morris), Jared Martini (Mount Olive) and Gavin Mericle (High Point) all returning state qualifiers.
The Princeton-bound Borgia, who concluded a marvelous four-year career as a lineman on three Wolfpack sectional championship teams, placed seventh in the state last year, majoring Ocean City’s Clifford Dirkes for seventh, 9-1.
The leading returnee at 285 is runnerup Cristian Alvarez of St. Joe’s-Montvale. Woodstown’s Mateo Vinciguerra took third.
Martini and Mericle, two other football standouts (Mericle played at Sussex Tech, by the way), both won a round in the wrestlebacks in AC and finished in the Top 16.
3. Hanover Park and High Point won sectional titles last year. Will they repeat? Quite possibly. Here is a look at the sections where local teams have a shot. At first glance, this could be a great year for area schools when it comes to sectional championships.
Here is a very, very early look at the sections. We’ll know more in a week or two.
NORTH 1
Group I-Kittatinny (34 sectional championships) is the favorite, but I wouldn’t count out Newton, which should be in the hunt this year as well.
Group II-High Point has won 30 sectional titles … dare we think any other school can match the Wildcats balance and depth?
Group III-Montville is always a team to watch and they most certainly should be in the hunt here, along with Wayne Valley.
Group IV-Mount Olive would win about 95 percent of the sections in New Jersey but this is one where the Marauders’ work is cut out with the presence of Phillipsburg and Ridge.
NORTH 2
Group I-Hanover Park lost senior leadership but has enough left to make a run to the school’s 17th sectional crown.
Group II-West Morris and Parsippany Hills have strong teams and will be in the mix, along with Gov. Livingston and Caldwell. Tough section to call.
Group III-Morris Hills and Roxbury are looking forward to good seasons, but this section is very deep with the likes of South Plainfield, Warren Hills, and West Essex.
Non Public
Group A-Delbarton is the pick to win the section over … who? It seems like Bergen County’s Catholic school wrestlers are constantly on the move. It is difficult to track down who is where until the season starts. So I’d make the Green Wave the team to beat right now with the usual powerful mix of Bergen Catholic, defending champion St. Joe-Montvale, and Don Bosco.
Group B-Pope John has a lot returning and is a contender along with Camden Catholic, DePaul and Immaculata.
DATES TO KEEP
Jan. 10-Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at P-Burg.
Jan. 24-Morris County Tournament at Warren Hills
Feb. 16-Public school sectional quarters and semifinals at higher seed
Feb. 17-Non-public sectional quarters and semifinals at higher seed
Feb. 18-Public sectional finals at higher seed
Feb. 19-Non-public state semifinals at higher seed
Feb. 20-Public state Group semifinals at higher seed
Feb. 22-State Group Public and Non-Public finals, site to be determined
Feb. 28-Districts
March 6-7-Regions
March 12-14-State tournament at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
