2019-2020 Class A North Wrestling Preview

CLASS A NORTH

Teams and coaches

CBA: Billy Ashnault, second season

Freehold: Matt Shephard, 16^th season

Freehold Township: Jesse Heubel, third season

Howell: John Gagliano, 23^rd season

Long Branch: Dan George, 30^th season

Manalapan: Scott Pressman, 13^th season

Marlboro: Charlie Frankel, fourth season

Middletown South: Anton Atterbury, fourth season

THE FAVORITE: Howell

The Rebels have won 14^th consecutive Class A North division titles, 13 of them outright, and with several standouts returning the Rebels remain the clear favorite to add another banner to its already large collection.

Senior Shane Reitsma, a two-time state medalist, two-time region champ, three-time district champ and returning state runner-up, leads a lineup that will feature four returning state qualifiers and seven wrestlers who won 18 or more bouts a season ago. Reitsma, who is committed to Rider University, enters the season ranked No. 19 in the country at 170 pounds. He’ll enter the season with 123 career victories and the singular goal of going out with a state championship.

Senior Justin Wright at heavyweight is another returning starter among the upperweights after going 21-8 and placing second in District 25.

Down low, senior Ethan Liptzin (106) anchors what has traditionally been an exceptionally strong area of the lineup for the Rebels. Liptzin was 31-9 and two wins from a state medal last season. Junior Kyle Nase (120) had a solid season in going 19-11 and is a candidate to have a breakout year. Junior Neiko Malone (132) had a great debut season for Howell last season after transferring into the school, winning a Shore Conference Tournament title and reaching the state tournament with a 30-10 record.

In the middle of the lineup, Howell is led by junior Paul Jakub, who won a District 25 title and placed second in Region 7 to reach the state tournament. Jakub was 33-8 last season and returns at 152 pounds. The Rebels also have junior James McGee at 138 pounds, who had a solid sophomore year with an 18-8 record and will look to break through in the postseason.

The other seven spots in the lineup are unknown commodities but Howell is known for building great program depth. Wrestlers who rarely see the mat their first two years have come in as junior or even seniors and made an immediate impact, so there are surely a few wrestlers who will do just that in 2020.

Howell has jacked up its out-of-division schedule, as well, with duals against Class A South contenders Toms River North and Jackson Memorial and nonconference matchups with fellow state powers High Point and South Plainfield. Howell will also once again compete in the season-opening Paulsboro Tournament and head back to Pennsylvania for the prestigious PowerAde Tournament.

CONTENDERS: Long Branch and Manalapan 

Long Branch is no stranger to success both in the Shore and on a statewide level. The Green Wave are a usual top-10 team locally and have won six NJSIAA state sectional championship and three Group 2 state championships since 2008. They were used to duking it out with familiar rivals Ocean and Wall in Class B North for many years before being realigned to A North last season and having to deal with Howell.

The Green Wave graduated five wrestlers who won 15 or more bouts last season, four of whom were region qualifiers and two of which were state qualifiers. Six region qualifiers buoy the lineup this year for Long Branch, led by senior Ryan Zimmerman at 145 pounds. Zimmerman was 35-5 and a District 23 and Region 6 champion last year and enters the season with 106 career wins.

Senior Dylan Kelleher (113) had a sub-.500 record last season but turned it up in the postseason to place second in District 23 and win a match in the Region 6 Tournament. Junior Joseph Conlon (126) was 17-5 and won a District 23 title last season. Bolstering the middle of the lineup along with Zimmerman is senior Ryan Carey at 152 pounds. Carey went 20-10 and placed second in District 23 last season. Junior Jack Friedman is at 170 pounds after going 20-13 and winning a District 23 title last season and senior Tracey Taylor is at 220 pounds and was 27-7 with a second-place district finish last year.

Taking down Howell will be a tall order for Long Branch but so will staking a claim as the top contender with a talented Manalapan team lurking. Long Branch and Manalapan had a wild dual last season with Long Branch coming away with a close victory. The Braves will try to reverse that result when the two teams meet on Jan. 4.

Manalapan returns three state qualifiers and four additional region qualifiers, led by senior state medalist Matt Benedetti at 170 pounds. Benedetti placed sixth in the state at 160 pounds last year to cap a season that saw him go 41-7, win a District 21 title and finish second in Region 5 and at the SCT. Benedetti anchors a strong group of upperweights that also includes senior Gavin Claro (195), who went 34-11 and reached the state tournament last season, plus senior Dylan Waller at 182 and senior Matt Kovacs at heavyweight. Waller was 30-12 and a region qualifier and Kovacs was 20-9. Junior George Zavalnik (195) was a double-digit bout winner a season ago.

The Braves had a potentially strong group of lowerweights, as well, with juniors Chris Balzano (113) and Calvin Burke (126) returning and senior twins Justin (120) and Jason Schifter (132) transferring into the program from Freehold Township. Burke was 17-8 and a Region 5 qualifier while the Jason Schifter was 23-6 and Justin Schifter was 15-6, both reaching the Region 6 Tournament. Balzano posted a 22-15 record.

Leading the group from 138-160 is senior Hunter Konstantoulas, who was 30-10, a District 21 champ and a state qualifier last season. He’ll be at 145 pounds with junior James Grande (152) adding an experienced presence.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Christian Brothers Academy

CBA won just three duals last season, graduated its most accomplished wrestler and will be a very young team in 2019-2020. However, the Colts are in the building state under second-year head coach Billy Ashnault and have some very promising underclassmen who could certainly open eyes this season.

Senior Maximus Bean (120/126) is the lone holdover with postseason accolades after placing third in District 22 last season. Senior Ethan Diamond won 14 bouts last season and returns at 170/182 pounds. CBA also welcomes junior Sam Nini, who was 28-8 and District 22 runner-up at Allentown last season.

CBA has a big freshman presence in its wrestling room, led by highly-touted middleweight Tyler Barrett (138/145) and 182/195-pounder Robert Canterino.

After a great three-year run from 2014-2016 followed by some down years, CBA is once again a very attractive school to wrestle at. The Ashnault name carries a ton of weight and Billy Ashnault, who was a standout at South Plainfield and cut his coaching teeth at Rutgers after a collegiate career with the Scarlet Knights, is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. And with volunteers like NCAA champion and four-time undefeated New Jersey state champion Anthony Ashnault and two-time state champion Vinny DelleFave in the room, it sure seems like a matter of when, not if, CBA will be back among the Shore’s elite.

WRESTLERS TO WATCH (In weight order)

Ethan Liptzin, Sr., 106, Howell: 31-9, 2^nd D25, 4^th R7, NJ-WB3

Harrison Gordon, Jr., 106/113, Marlboro: 32-5, 1^st D19

Isaiah Sweeny, Sr., 113, Freehold: 19-12, 3^rd D21

Dylan Kelleher, Sr., 113, Long Branch: 16-19, 2^nd D23

Travis Tuminelli, So., 113, Middletown South: 29-6

Justin Schifter, Sr., 120, Manalapan: 15-6, 2^nd D21

Max Bean, Sr., 120/126, CBA: 12-19, 3^rd D22

Sam Nini, Jr., 120/126, CBA: 28-8, 2^nd D22

Nico Messina, Sr., 126, Freehold: 34-6, 4^th SCT, 1^st D21, 1^st R6, NJ-WB4

Joseph Conlon, Jr., 126, Long Branch: 17-5, 1^st D23

Calvin Burke, Jr., 126, Manalapan: 17-8, 3^rd D20

Neiko Malone, Jr., 132, Howell: 30-10, 1^st SCT, 2^nd D25, 4^th R7, NJ-WB1

Jason Schifter, Sr., 132, Manalapan: 23-6, 2^nd D21

Michael Holland, Sr., 132, Middletown South: 26-13, 3^rd D19

Keegan Roche, Sr., 138/145, Freehold: 10-10, 3^rd D21

Tyler Barrett, Fr., 138/145, CBA

Zach Vasile, Jr., 138/145, Marlboro: 26-7, 2^nd D19

Avery Clarke, Jr., 145, Freehold Township: 30-12, 3^rd D21, 3^rd R6, NJ-WB1

Ryan Zimmerman, Sr., 145, Long Branch: 35-5, 1^st D23, 1^st R6, NJ-WB2

Hunter Konstantoulas, Sr., 145, Manalapan: 30-10, 1^st D20, 4^th R5, NJ-WB2

Paul Jakub, Jr., 152, Howell: 33-8, 1^st SCT, 1^st D25, 2^nd R7, NJ-WB2

Ryan Carey, Sr., 152, Long Branch: 20-10, 2^nd D23

Edward Jang, Sr., 160/170, Marlboro: 20-15, 2^nd D19

Shane Reitsma, Sr., 170, Howell: 42-2, 1^st SCT, D25 1^st, R7 1^st, 2^nd NJ

Matt Benedetti, Sr., 170, Manalapan: 41-7, 2^nd SCT, 1^st D20, 2^nd R5, 6^th NJ

Jack Friedman, Jr., 170, Long Branch: 20-13, 1^st D23

Dylan Waller, Sr., 182, Manalapan: 30-12, 3^rd D20

Gavin Claro, Jr., 195, Manalapan: 34-11, 2^nd D20, 4^th R5, NJ-WB2

Jarrid Markowitz, Sr., 195, Freehold Township: 17-11, 2^nd D21

Tracey Taylor, Sr., 220, Long Branch: 27-7, 2^nd D23

Justin Wright, Sr., Hwt, Howell: 21-8, 4^th SCT, 2^nd D25

KEY DATES 

Dec. 21

CBA at Colt Classic (CBA)

Freehold at Gator Tournament (Gateway HS)

Freehold Township, Marlboro at Old Bridge Icebreaker

Howell at John and Betty Vogeding Tournament (Paulsboro HS)

Long Branch at Battle of the Bay (Bayonne HS)

Manalapan at Nottingham Tournament

Middletown South at TCNJ Pride Tournament (Middletown South HS)

Dec. 27

CBA at Collingswood Tournament

Freehold Township at East Brunswick Bear Invitational

Howell at PowerAde Tournament (Canon-McMillan HS, PA)

Long Branch at Mustang Classic (Brick Memorial HS)

Middletown South at Walter Woods Tournament (Middletown South HS)

Dec. 28

Howell at PowerAde Tournament (Canon-McMillan HS, PA)

Jan. 2

Toms River North at Howell

Jan. 4

Manalapan at Long Branch

Jan. 7

Howell at High Point

Jan. 8

Long Branch at Raritan

Jan. 10

Jackson Memorial at Howell

Jan. 14

CBA at Freehold Township

Manalapan at Colts Neck

Jan. 17-18

Howell, Long Branch at Jack Welch Duals (Moorestown HS)

Jan. 18

Manalapan at Wall

Jan. 21

Long Branch at Howell

Jan. 24

Middletown South at Middletown North

Jan. 25

South Plainfield at Howell

Jan. 29

Howell at Manalapan

CBA at Middletown South

Jan. 31-Feb. 1

Shore Conference Tournament at Red Bank Regional HS

Feb. 5

Freehold Township at Freehold

Feb. 10

NJSIAA sectional quarterfinals

Feb. 12

NJSIAA sectional semifinals

Feb. 14

NJSIAA sectional finals

Feb. 16

NJSIAA state semifinals and finals at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena (Toms River North HS)

Feb. 22

NJSIAA district tournaments

Feb. 26, 28-29

NJSIAA region tournaments

March 5-7

NJSIAA state tournament at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City

Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.