Wrestling – NJSIAA Team Championships Preview

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The state tournament has arrived, and tonight the quest begins for 19 Shore Conference teams seeking to become one of seven NJSIAA state group champions.

The Shore’s teams are spread across nine different sections where there are three No. 1 seeds and five No. 2 seeds that will receive first-round byes. The conference is all but guaranteed to have at least two sectional champions (South Jersey Group V and Central Jersey Group IV) and has a realistic chance at having as many as eight sectional champions. After not having a group champion last season to snap a 12-year run of producing at least one state championship team, the Shore Conference should get back on the board in 2015.

In our preview of the 2015 NJSIAA Team Championships, we’ll take a look at seven storylines to follow for the Shore Conference during championship week along with the week’s schedule and matchups in all 24 sections around New Jersey.

1. Which team will come out on top in South Jersey Group V?

The creation of Group V shifted Brick Memorial and Howell into this section to join Southern, which had owned South Jersey Group IV for the past decade. For Brick Memorial and Howell they essentially swapped Jackson Memorial for Southern in being shifted out of Central Jersey Group IV, so they are no strangers to a brutal section.

Brick Memorial finishing one-tenth of a point ahead of Howell for the top seed was one of the biggest storylines to come out of the NJSIAA seeding meeting. Howell looked to have the top seed locked up after beating Hunterdon Central on the day of the state tournament cutoff to accumulate power points, but it turned out many of Brick Memorial’s opponents had not submitted all their results prior to the meeting. Once all the results were tabulated, the Mustangs leap-frogged the Rebels for the No. 1 seed. That means Howell’s road is significantly tougher. It will more than likely host third-seeded Southern in the semifinals once the Rams take care of sixth-seeded Cherokee. Howell won the regular-season meeting, 29-21. The winner gets Brick Memorial, which only needs to defeat the winner of fifth-seeded Eastern and fourth-seeded Egg Harbor Township to host the sectional final.

The Howell-Southern semifinal and the sectional championship match will be among the best duals of the week, and the whichever team makes it out will be the heavy favorite to win Group V. Howell’s first sectional title came last season and the program has never won an overall state championship. Southern has won 10 sectional titles in the last 11 years, and won its only group title in 2005. Brick Memorial has 14 sectional titles and eight group titles, both of which are the top totals in Shore Conference history. The Mustangs’ last sectional and group titles came in 2013.

2. Who wins the Jackson Memorial-Brick rematch?

Even before the seeds were finalized it was pretty clear the Central Jersey Group IV title was going to be decided between Jackson Memorial and Brick. The Dragons won the regular-season match, 29-28 on criteria, thanks to Tommy Costanza’s five-point move at the buzzer for a 5-4 win.

Can Brick do it again? Jackson has since risen to No. 2 in the Shore and reached the Shore Conference Tournament final. Brick has been up and down in its biggest matches since, and has also had a lineup that has been fluid because of injuries. Brick is loaded from 152 to 195 pounds, so the potential for bonus points during that stretch could be enough to put the Dragons over the top. Jackson has the more balanced lineup but also has bonus potential throughout, including a dominant heavyweight in senior Brody Graham.

Brick was its third sectional title last season and advanced to the Group III final before losing to Clearview, which is now also up in Group IV. Jackson Memorial’s last sectional title came in 2011 when it also won its second of back-to-back Group IV championships. Brick has never won a group title while Jackson has won Group IV four times

3. Can Wall or Long Branch run the gauntlet to win the Group III title?

Group III is wide open, but don’t mistake that for it being a cakewalk. There are probably seven teams with a realistic chance of winning the Group III title, and that includes Wall and Long Branch. To get to the top, however, both teams will have to beat some serious competition. I’m sure both teams would rather have somewhat of an easier road, but their two sectional brackets at least make it feel like a true championship is being earned instead of a watered-down formality like in many other sections.

Long Branch is the No. 3 seed in Central Jersey Group III and hosts sixth-seeded Somerville on Monday in the quarterfinals. Win there and the Green Wave will travel to second-seeded Cranford, which is led by state runner-up Gavin Murray at 152 pounds. If Long Branch can get past the Cougars they will most likely have to face South Plainfield in the final. The Tigers need no introduction as the owners of eight overall group championships. Long Branch has five sectional titles in its history, all of which have come since 2008. The Green Wave won three straight Group II titles from 2008 through 2010.

Wall is the No. 3 seed in South Jersey Group III and will host sixth-seeded Clayton in the quarterfinals. Wall won its first sectional title in program history last season when it beat Long Branch to win Central Jersey Group II. The Knights also had to defeat Raritan in the semifinals last season, so they know what it takes to win a tough section. Those were familiar Shore Conference opponents, however. This year, should they defeat Clayton, will travel to Highland for a semifinal match with the winner likely getting top-seeded Delsea.

4. Can a young Raritan team go on the road and beat Delaware Valley?

Raritan head coach Rob Nucci could probably make the drive to Delaware Valley blindfolded at this point. The Rockets and Terriers seem to always find a way to meet in the sectional tournament, and if they do again this year, as expected, it will be their eighth meeting in the state tournament. Delaware Valley is 4-3 in those matches, will all of them coming in its home gym. That will again be the case this season as DelVal snagged the top seed in Central Jersey Group II with Raritan as the No. 2 seed.

Raritan is a talented but young team, and has had its ups and downs during the season. What the Rockets have going for them is being battle-tested. They’ve wrestled Brick Memorial, Roxbury, Long Branch, Howell and Phillipsburg, so they’ve seen teams as good as or better than the’ll encounter the rest of the way. As a program, they also know they can go into Delaware Valley and win, as they’ve already done it twice (2004 and 2012).

Raritan will host the winner of sixth-seeded Middlesex and third-seeded Delran in the semifinals. If the Rockets can pull it off with a win in Frenchtown it would also deliver Nucci his 300th career victory as he enters the tournament at 298.

5. Will Point Beach win its first sectional title?

Now that Point Beach and the rest of the small schools in Central Jersey Group I don’t have to deal with juggernaut Bound Brook, the door is open for several teams to win their first sectional title.

Point Beach is the No. 2 seed in CJ-I and will host the winner of sixth-seeded Maple Shade and third-seeded Bordentown in the semifinals. The Garnet Gulls’ main obstacle is top-seeded Cinnaminson, which was undefeated until losing to Collingswood on Saturday. Point Beach was also undefeated until a 34-32 loss to Point Boro on Friday. Cinnaminson has also never won a sectional title.

6. Can CBA get by a tough St. Augustine Prep team in Non-Public A?

The Colts are the top seed in the South Jersey, Non-Public A tournament, and will face the winner of fifth-seeded Bishop Ahr and fourth-seeded Paul VI in the semifinals. This bracket is about two teams, however: CBA and St. Augustine. The Hermits are the No. 2 seed and will host the winner of sixth-seeded Red Bank Catholic and third-seeded St. John Vianney.

St. Augustine Prep just took down state No. 2 Don Bosco Prep on criteria on Friday, so the Hermits are coming in hot and undaunted by any opponent. CBA will need a balanced effort along with their top wrestlers picking up bonus points if the Colts are to win their fourth sectional title.

The unfortunate reality for either CBA or St. Augustine is that they are essentially wrestling for second place. Bergen Catholic is the heavy favorite to win the North Jersey, Non-Public A section and will be an even bigger favorite against the South Jersey winner. The Crusaders have won the last three Non-Public A titles, are ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and are in the top 10 in the nation.

7. Is there a Shore Conference team that can make a surprising run?

The individual nature of wrestling usually prevents monumental upsets from happening, and that will almost certainly be the case again this season. A few teams have that potential, but would need the stars to align in a serious way.

Jackson Liberty is the No. 3 seed in Central Jersey Group IV and will host sixth-seeded Colts Neck. A win there would get them a rematch with rival Jackson Memorial in the semifinals. The Jaguars beat the Lions 53-12 when they met on Jan. 15, however, so its almost impossible for it to go the other way if there’s a second meeting.

Middletown North is the No. 5 seed in North Jersey Section 2, Group IV, and will travel to fourth-seeded Mendham for a quarterfinal match. The Lions prize if they win will a trip to “The Pit” in Phillipsburg, which is widely considered the toughest place to wrestle in New Jersey. Long odds, for sure.

The team that has the most potential to make a run as a bottom three seed is Shore Regional in Central Jersey Group I. The fourth-seeded Blue Devils host fifth-seeded South River in the quarterfinals, and already own a 38-35 win over the Rams this season. The huge task would be taking out top-seeded Cinnaminson on the road in the semifinals, but it’s a far from impossible goal. There is the potential for a rematch with Point Beach in the sectional final. The Garnet Gulls won their regular-season Class B Central match, 38-33. Shore has never won a sectional title.

The schedule and matchups are as follows:

Monday, Feb. 9

Sectional quarterfinals, seeds No. 6 at No. 3 and No. 5 at No. 4

Wednesday, Feb. 9

Sectional semifinals hosted by seeds No. 1 and No. 2

Friday, Feb. 13

Sectional final at the site of the highest remaining seed

Sunday, Feb. 15

NJSIAA Group Championships at Sun National Bank Center, Trenton. 

-Session 1, 10 a.m.

(weigh-ins at 8:30 a.m.)

*Group III semifinals on mats 1-2

*Group II semifinals on mats 3-4

*Group V semifinals on mats 5-6

-Session 2, 12:30 p.m.

(weigh-ins at 11 a.m.)

*Group IV semifinals on mats 1-2

*Group 1 semifinals on mats 3-4

-Session 3, 3:30 p.m.

*Group III final on mat 1

*Group II Final on mat 2

*Non-Public A final on mat 3

*Group V final on Mat 4

-Session 4, 6 p.m.

*Group IV final on mat 1

*Group I final on mat 2

*Non-Public B final on mat 3

Sectional Tournaments

North Jersey, Non-Public A

Matchups: 6-Seton Hall Prep at 3-Delbarton, winner at 2-St. Peter’s Prep; 5-St. Joseph Regional at 4-Don Bosco Prep, winner at 1-Bergen Catholic.

North Jersey, Non-Public B

Matchups: 5-Christ the King at 4-Hudson Catholic, winner at 1-DePaul; 3-Pingry at 2-Queen of Peace.

South Jersey, Non-Public A

Matchups: 6-Red Bank Catholic at 3-St. John Vianney, winner at 2-St. Augustine Prep; 5-Bishop Ahr at 4-Paul VI, winner at 1-Christian Brothers Academy.

South Jersey, Non-Public B

Matchups: 3-Holy Spirit at 2-Camden Catholic; 4-St. Joseph (Hammonton) at 1-Holy Cross.

North Jersey Section 1

Group V

Matchups: 6-Bloomfield at 3-Clifton, winner vs. 2-Hackensack; 5-Passaic Tech at 4-West Orange, winner at 1-North Bergen.

Group IV

Matchups: 6-Wayne Valley at 3-Old Tappan, winner at 2-Morris Knolls; 5-Passaic Valley at 4-Ridgewood, winner at 1-Roxbury.

Group III

Matchups: 7-West Milford at 2-Sparta; 6-Demarest at 3-River Dell; 4-Garfield at 4-Bergenfield, winner at 1-Paramus.

Group II

Matchups: 6-High Point at 3-Kittatinny winner at 2-Pequannock; 4-Emerson/Park Ridge at 5-Pascack Hills, winner at 1-Lenape Valley.

Group I

Matchups: 6-New Milford at 3-Cresskill, winner at 2-Cedar Grove; 5-Hawthorne at 4-Newton, winner at 1-Pompton Lakes.

North Jersey Section 2

Group V

Matchups: 6-Union at 3-Bridgewater-Raritan, winner at 2-Watchung Hills; 5-Linden at 4-Westfield, winner at 1-North Hunterdon.

Group IV

Matchups: 6-Woodbridge at 3-West Morris, winner at 2-Scotch Plains-Fanwood; 5-Middletown North at 4-Mendham, winner at 1-Phillipsburg.

Group III

Matchups: 6-Lyndhurst at 3-West Essex, winner at 2-Nutley; 5-Irvington at 4-Warren Hills, winner at 1-Voorhees.

Group II

Matchups: 6-Hasbrouck Heights at 3-Gov. Livingston, winner at 2-Parsippany; 5-Caldwell at 4-Hackettstown, winner at 1-Hanover Park.

Group I

Matchups: 6-Belvidere at 3-New Providence, winner at 2-Roselle Park; 5-Whippany Park at 4-Manville, winner at 1-Bound Brook.

Central Jersey

Group V

Matchups: 6-Sayreville at 3-Old Bridge, winner at 2-Monroe; 5-Edison at 4-Hillsborough, winner at 1-Hunterdon Central.

Group IV

Matchups: 6-Colts Neck at 3-Jackson Liberty, winner at 2-Jackson Memorial; 5-Northern Burlington at 4-Pennsauken, winner at 1-Brick.

Group III

Matchups: 6-Somerville at 3-Long Branch, winner at 2-Cranford; 5-Hopewell Valley at 4-Ocean, winner at 1-South Plainfield.

Group II

Matchups: 6-Middlesex at 3-Delran, winner at 2-Raritan; 5-Point Boro at 4-Rahway, winner at 1-Delaware Valley.

Group I

Matchups: 6-Maple Shade at 3-Bordentown, winner at 2-Point Pleasant Beach; 5-South River at 4-Shore, winner at 1-Cinnaminson.

South Jersey

Group V

Matchups: 6-Cherokee at 3-Southern Regional, winner at 2-Howell; 5-Eastern at 4-Egg Harbor, winner at 1-Brick Memorial.

Group IV

Matchups: 6-Moorestown at 3-Kingsway, winner at 2-Toms River South; 5-Cherry Hill West at 4-Millville, winner at 1-Clearview.

Group III

Matchups: 6-Clayton at 3-Wall, winner at 2-Highland; 5-Seneca at 4-Ocean City, winner at 1-Delsea.

Group II

Matchups: 6-Sterling at 3-Haddonfield, winner at 2-Gateway; 5-Pemberton at 4-West Deptford, winner at 1-Buena.

Group I

Matchups: 7-Pitman at 2-Haddon Township; 6-Gloucester City at 3-Collingswood; 5-Schalick at 4-Woodstown, winner at 1-Paulsboro.