Get ready for NJSIAA regional tournament with our preview, predictions
The second leg of the state individual tournament is here.
Eight regions from across the Garden State will be in the spotlight as wrestlers vie for the opportunity to advance to Atlantic City.
The top four place winners in each region will advance to the state tournament, which will be held March 2-4 at Boardwalk Hall.
More:Region 7 seedings for South Jersey high school wrestling
Here's a look at the top local regions:
Region 7
At Cherry Hill East
Friday: Doors open for spectators at 4 p.m., wrestling starts at 5 p.m. Pre-quarterfinals and quarterfinals.
Saturday: Doors open for spectators at 8 a.m., wrestling starts at 9 a.m. Semifinals, consolation quarterfinals and semifinals; consolation finals approximately at 3 p.m. with championship finals to follow.
Tickets: $8 for adults; $3 for students and seniors; Children under 5 are admitted for free. Tickets must be purchased at https://www.njsiaa.org/tickets
Returning state qualifiers: Kurt Wehner*, Donovan Catholic; Luke Sherlock Shawnee; Dom DiGiacomo, Camden Catholic; Jackson Bauer, Seneca; Dezmond Lenaghan, Donovan Catholic; Trey Friedman, Lenape; Conor Collins* Southern; Jackson Young, Camden Catholic; Chase Bish, Paulsboro; Brett Balzan, Shawnee; Wyatt Stout*, Southern; Wayne Rold, Camden Catholic; Hayden Hochstresser, Southern; Matt Henrich*, Southern; Richie DeFulvio, Holy Cross; Michael Williams, Highland/Triton; Jason Brown, Cherokee; Drew Roskos, Delran; Jacob Zearfoss, Gloucester City; Roman Onorato, Paulsboro; Cole Velardi*, Southern; Taylor Donnelly, Audubon; Renaldo King, Rancocas Valley; Max Borton, Seneca; Matt Coon, Lacey; Scott Lynch, Audubon; Cosmo Zaccaro, Lacey Township; Riley O’Boyle, Southern; Jonathan Graham, Highland/Triton; Anthony Evangelista, Southern.
* Defending champs
Toughest weight classes
At 106, Shawnee’s Jordan Segal is the top seed in a talented field that includes 10 wrestlers with 20-or-more-wins including Haddonfield’s Michael Lamb, who is 29-1 and could only garner a seventh seed. Lamb may come in quiet as a low seed, but has a chance to leave the tournament as a lion if he can maneuver his way on a likely tough road that includes Camden Catholic’s Lazarus Joyce (10-6), Seneca’s Jackson Bauer (33-4) and Segal (31-5).
At 132, all 12 wrestlers have at least 22 wins, including a bracket-best 34 for Seneca’s Daniel Bogardus, who is a fifth-seed with a 34-2 record.
At 138, after Holy Cross’ Richie DeFulvio (28-1), the original top seed, had to withdraw with an injury, Camden Catholic’s Wayne Rold (29-5) leads a talented fields that includes Cherokee’s Jason Brown (22-9), Haddonfield’s Alex Hurly (30-2), Donovan Catholic’s Richard Davis (22-9), Toms River South’s Ray Gardner and Cherry Hill West’s Ryan Schimpf (34-5).
At 144, Gloucester’s Jacob Zearfoss is the favorite as the top seed, but the field is stacked with any of the top six seeds holding a legitimate chance to make a serious run.
Don’t miss quarterfinal bouts
At 106, Lamb-Joyce is one of the must-see bouts for Friday night.
At 113, Paulsboro’s Hayden Holmes, a district champ, advances to the quarterfinal round where he’ll likely face Camden Catholic’s Dom DiGiacomo.
At 144, Highland/Triton’s Michael Williams injury-defaulted from the district final last week. He’ll try to work through a foot injury at regions. If he wins his pre-quarterfinal bout, he’ll take on Camden Catholic’s Michael Craft in the quarters.
At 157, the winner between Southern's Nick Bennet and Toms River East's Nicholas DeLorenzo were originally on a path to meet in the quarterfinals. However, following Audubon's Taylor Donnelly exiting the tournament with a knee injury, Bennet-DeLorenzo will likely be the semifinal showdown in this weight class.
At 190, Audubon’s Sam Myers (31-7) meets Cherry Hill West’s Anthony Horiates (35-4) in a showdown of district champs with a berth in the semifinal round on the line.
In the semifinal round, is there a better potential semifinal bout than Delran’s Drew Roskos and Paulsboro’s Roman Onorato at 150? And best finals will come at 126 and 132 where a pair of Camden Catholic and Southern standouts are very evenly matched and might be two of the premier title bouts in the state.
By the numbers
28: Pins by South Jersey leader Andrew Shemelia, of Pemberton. Audubon’s Scott Lynch and Gloucester’s Jake Zearfoss are one off the pace while Shawnee’s Jackson Harris and Seneca’s Max Borton are two behind.
13: Wrestlers advanced to this region by Southern. Camden Catholic, Gloucester City, Paulsboro, Seneca and West Deptford all have 11 wrestlers remaining to this leg of the state tournament.
Predictions
106: Southern’s Anthony Mason over Haddonfield's Michael Lamb
113: Donovan Catholic’s Kurt Wehner over Shawnee’s Luke Sherlock
120: Camden Catholic’s Sammy Spaulding over Donovan Catholic’s Dezmond Lenaghan
126: Southern’s Conor Collins over Camden Catholic’s Jackson Young
132: Camden Catholic’s Kage Jones over Southern’s Wyatt Stout
138: Camden Catholic’s Wayne Rold over Cherokee's Jason Brown
144: Gloucester City’s Jacob Zearfoss over Rancocas Valley’s Renaldo King
150: Southern’s Matt Henrich over Delran’s Drew Roskos
157: Camden Catholic’s Austin Craft over Southern’s Nick Bennet
165: Southern’s Cole Velardi over Gloucester City’s Kaleb Wright
175: Seneca’s Max Borton over Lenape’s Ty Smith
190: Lacey Township’s Matt Coon over Cherry Hill West’s Anthony Horiates
215: Southern’s Riley O’Boyle over Highland/Triton's Jonathan Graham
285: Audubon’s Scott Lynch over Southern’s Anthony Evangelista
More:Region 8 seedings for South Jersey high school wrestling
Region 8
At Egg Harbor Twp.
Friday: Doors open for spectators at 3:30 p.m, wrestling begins at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: Doors open for spectators at 9 a.m., wrestling begins at 10 a.m.
Tickets: $8 for adults; $3 for students and seniors; Children under 5 are admitted for free. Tickets must be purchased at https://www.njsiaa.org/tickets
Returning state qualifiers: Gage Summers, Delsea; Tyler Hildebrandt, Williamstown; Kaden Naame, St. Augustine; Max Elton, Holy Spirit; Nathan Taylor*, Kingsway; Mason Livio, Pinelands; Jamar Dixon Jr.*, Delsea; Gavin Haegele, Eastern; Branden Palcko, Paul VI; Ryan Datz, Pitman; Richie Grungo, St. Augustine; DJ DiPietro, Kingsway; Jake Slotnick(, St. Augustine; Andres Cortes, Gateway/Woodbury; Sean Cowan, Absegami; Justin Hatton, Washington Township; Brock Zurawski*, Lower Cape May; Dennis Virelli, St. Augustine; Tyson Derenberger, Delsea; Nicholas Sindoni, Clearview; Jared Schoppe*, Delsea; George Rhodes, Absegami; Danny DiGiovecchino*, Delsea; Rocco Bennett*, Delsea; Ike Sholders, Gateway/Woodbury.
* Defending champs
Toughest weight classes
At 132, Lower Cape May’s Chase Hansen takes a 37-0 record into the tournament and is the top seed. On the other side of the bracket, Kingsway’s Brendan Callahan (27-8), Washington Township’s Jackson Hoopes (30-5) and Eastern’s Gavin Haegele (29-5) should be a dogfight for the right to advance the final.
At 138, Kingsway’s DJ DiPietro is the favorite as the top seed, but the bracket is loaded, including second-seeded Branden Palcko (21-1), of Paul VI, and third-seeded Tyler Lucia (19-6), of Washington Township.
At 144, it should be a two-wrestler race but it could develop into one of the best finals of the tournament with top-seeded Richie Grungo (22-2), of St. Augustine, and second-seeded Jamar Dixon Jr. (36-2), of Delsea. Grungo scored a 3-2 decision over Dixon on Feb. 1. Dixon is a returning region champ.
How tough is this bracket at 190? A defending Region 8 champ is a third seed with Delsea’s Danny DiGiovecchino. Absegami’s George Rhodes was denied a region title last year, losing to Delsea’s Jared Schoppe 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker. Lower Cape May’s Brock Zurawski is another returning region champ and is the second seed.
At 285, Delsea’s Rocco Bennett won the title last year as a 13th seed. The field might not be as deep this time around, but one can never tell with the big fellas. Keep an eye on the other side of the bracket where Millville’s Edison Andino (24-4) and Gateway/Woodbury’s Ike Sholders (32-2). Andino pinned his way to a district title, including a fall over Bennett in the final. Sholders hasn’t lost since Jan. 7, winning 22 straight bouts.
By the numbers
4: Undefeated wrestlers in this region – Deptford’s Elijah Clark and Noah Pagaduan, Lower Cape May’s Chase Hansen and Absegami’s George Rhodes all enter the regional tournament without a blemish on their record. At Region 7, there isn’t an undefeated wrestler remaining.
6: Regional champs for the 1983 Highland squad – a South Jersey record.
8: Wrestlers with sub-.500 records in this region.
14: Wrestlers Delsea advanced to the regional – its entire lineup. Kingsway, St. Augustine and Washington Township each advanced 12 wrestlers.
26: Pins for Lower Cape May’s Chase Hansen, tops for a wrestler heading into the Region 8 tournament. Delsea’s Jared Schoppe is second with 25.
Predictions
106: Washington Township’s Colton Hagerty over Delsea’s Gage Summers
113: St. Augustine’s Kaden Naame over Washington Township’s Christian Hoopes
120: Holy Spirit’s Max Elton over St. Augustine’s Jackson Slotnick
126: Kingsway’s Nathan Taylor over St. Augustine’s Anthony DePaul
132: Lower Cape May’s Chase Hansen over Eastern’s Gavin Haegele
138: Kingsway’s DJ DiPietro over Paul VI’s Branden Palcko
144: St. Augustine’s Richie Grungo over Delsea’s Jamar Dixon Jr.
150: St Augustine’s Brady Conlin over Middle Township’s Adrien Laboy
157: St. Augustine’s Dennis Virelli over Pitman’s Ryan Datz
165: St. Augustine’s Jake Slotnick over Absegami's Sean Cowan
175: Delsea’s Jared Schoppe over Pineland’s Gavin Wagner
190: Absegami’s George Rhodes over Lower Cape May’s Brock Zurawski
215: Woodstown’s John Vinciguerra over Gateway/Woodbury’s Joey Toner
285: Delsea’s Rocco Bennett over Millville's Edison Andino
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Region 7 and 8 wrestling preview, predictions
