Tis the season to be jolly … and for the 2024-25 high school wrestling season.

The Morris and Sussex season kicks off this week with duals and tournaments. Coaches have been kind enough to provide me with their projected lineups (also on Big State Sports).

The big news of the 2024-25 preseason is Delbarton not returning to the Morris County Tournament, which will be held Jan. 24-25 at Mount Olive High School. The Green Wave have won 15 MCT team titles in a row but won’t be back to extend it.

How impressive was Delbarton’s run? Well, Jefferson had once held the record with seven in a row (1990-96) — and that seemed like it would last forever.  

Delbarton was a slam dunk to win it again if it had entered the MCT but the streak will end because the Green Wave have chosen to compete in a quad at traditional powerhouse St. Edwards (Ohio) the weekend of Jan. 24-25.

The Green Wave have grown into a national monster and overran Morris County teams at the county tournament. True wrestling purists loved watching top-notch Green Wave kids come out weight class after weight class. In many weights, it was almost a free clinic.

But to other fans, watching Delbarton kids – many of them not from Morris County – run over local kids got a little old. Plenty of people (coaches and fans) approached me over the years and wondered why Delbarton kept coming back.

Mount Olive is now a big favorite to win the team title, but many weight classes are now up in the air. Delbarton has a state contender at many weights and those same kids would have cruised through the MCT.

Top 20 returning wrestlers (listed in alphabetical order)

  1. Donny Ameyda (Pope John) – Almeyda transferred in from St. Joe’s-Montvale, where he was fourth in the state at 138 last year. 
  2. Carl Betz (Delbarton) – Betz reached the state quarterfinals last year and placed in the Top 12. He gives the Green Wave a big gun in the upper weights.
  3. Tommy Borgia (West Morris) – Borgia was a Top 12 finisher in AC at 215 but hopes to get to the top of the podium at heavyweight this time.
  4. Nick Clayton (High Point) – Clayton placed in the Top 16 in New Jersey and could be podium-bound at Boardwalk Hall in 2025.
  5. Ethan Dalling (Kittatinny) – Dalling won two matches in AC last year and the Top 16 placer looks to lead the Cougars to a big season.
  6. Santino Danise (Hanover Park) – Danise returns to Hanover after qualifying for the states at Don Bosco and gives the Hornets a strong middle weight presence.  
  7. Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton) – DeGeorge won it all last year and is one of the key returnees in a loaded lineup. 
  8. Nick DiFrancescantonio (Hanover Park) – DiFran placed in the Top 12 at Boardwalk Hall and looks to get high up on the podium this March.
  9. Jake Holly (Pope John) – The Lions should be solid in the lower weights this year with the presence of Holly, who was eighth in the state last year.
  10. Jayden James (Delbarton) – James gave St. Peter’s Prep’s Caedyn Ricciardi quite a battle in the state finals before placing second.
  11. Trevor Jones (Delbarton) – Jones had the misfortune of running into Rumson’s eventual state champion Sonny Amato in the pre-quarterfinals before placing in the Top 16 in New Jersey.
  12. Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park) – If all goes according to plan, LaValle appears headed for a state final rematch with Brick Memorial standout Harvey Ludington.
  13. Elbrus Majagah (Delbarton) – The Green Wave will miss state champion Vinny Lee and state finalist Connor Martin in the upper weights but the return of Majagah (Top 16 in the state at 190) will ease the loss.
  14. Brody Neill (West Morris) – Neill became the first Wolfpack freshman to place in the state (seventh) last year. He is aiming for much more this year.
  15. Chase Quenault (Delbarton) – Quenault gave Pope John’s tough Carson Walsh all he could handle in the state quarters before taking seventh overall.
  16. Alessio Perentin (Delbarton) – The two-time state champion is the favorite to make it three in March.
  17. Anthony Piemonte (Mount Olive) – While teammate Tyeler Hagensen was winning a state championship last year, Piemonte quietly worked his way into a Top 12 finish in the state. 
  18. Cameron Sontz (Delbarton) – Sontz (39-4) had a major decision in the state finals in a 9-1 win over Southern’s Anthony Mason. How great is Sontz? Well, you don’t see many majors in state finals, that’s for sure.
  19. Carson Walsh (Pope John) – Walsh made it to the finals at 132 and hopes to make it one final step this year. 
  20. Dalton Weber (Pope John) – Weber gave Delbarton’s eventual state champion Ryan DeGeorge a good match in the state semifinals before beating Camden Catholic’s Sammy Spaulding for third (fall in 1:55).

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Dates to keep

Jan 11. – Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg

Jan. 24-25 – Morris County Tournament at Mount Olive

Feb. 10 – State team tournament for Publics, Rounds 1 and 2 at higher seeds

Feb. 11 – State team tournament for Non-Public schools, Rounds 1 and 2 at higher seeds

Feb. 12 – Sectional finals for Publics, at higher seed.

Feb. 13 – State semifinals for Non-Publics, at higher seed.

Feb. 14 – State semifinals for Publics, at higher seed

Feb. 16 – State finals for Publics and Non-Publics, at Rutgers.

Feb. 22 – Districts.

Feb. 28-March 1 – Regions.

March 6-8 – State Tournament in Atlantic City.