Advertisement

Team with 10 returning state qualifiers is No. 1 in preseason New Jersey wrestling Top 20

steven falk, tom mcgurk, sean farrell and andy mendlowitz, asbury park press
·2 min read

The first New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 of the 2023-24 season has the same look at the top as the final one of the 2022-23 season did.

St. Joseph (Montvale), which upended then No. 1 Delbarton 28-24 in a classic NJSIAA Non Public A championship match, begins the season ranked No. 1.

The Green Knights have nine state placewinners and 10 state qualifiers from 2023 in their lineup. They began the season by finishing fourth in the team standings in the Beast of the East Tournament and had seven medal winners, led by 175-pound champion Ryan Burton.

Delbarton, which has four 2023 state placewinners, led by returning champion Alessio Perentin and Louis Cerchio, is No. 2.

The Green Wave finished sixth at the Beast of the East and had four medal winners, led by 138-pound champion Jayden James.

St. Peter's Prep looks like a team that could give both St. Joseph (Montvale) and Delbarton a run for the money. The Marauders return six state placewinners and 10 state qualifiers.

They finished seventh at the Beast of the East - two points behind Delbarton - and had two medal winners, led by 132 pound runner up Caedyn Ricciardi.

Defending NJSIAA Group 5 champion Southern is the top ranked public school team and is ranked sixth.

The Rams, who finished as the top public school team in last year's NJWWA Top 20, have seven returning state qualifiers and three state medal winners, led by 2023 150 pound state champion Matt Henrich.

Southern began its season with a 73-6 win over Brick Township and had eight champions in its Robin Leff Tournament. That tournament included wrestlers from state-ranked Camden Catholic, Delsea and Mount Olive.

Here is the preseason NJWWA Top 20. The first regular season rankings will be posted on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

The poll will then run on Tuesdays throughout the rest of the regular season beginning Jan. 9.

NJWWA voting members in alphabetical order: Donald J. Brower (gardenstatehswrestling.com; Frank D'Esposito (shoreconferencewrestling.com); Steven Falk (Asbury Park Press and app.com); Sean Farrell (The Record and NorthJersey.com); Tom McGurk (Courier Post and courierpostonline.com); Andy Mendlowitz (Home News Tribune, Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com); Michael Weilaman (Open Mike and mikeopen.blogspot.com); Brad Wilson (lehighvalleylive.com/The Express Times).

1. St. Joseph (Montvale) (1-0)

St. Joseph (Montvale) begins the season ranked No. 1 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.
St. Joseph (Montvale) begins the season ranked No. 1 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.

2. Delbarton (0-0)

3. St. Peter's Prep (0-0)

4. Bergen Catholic (0-0)

5. Paramus Catholic (0-0)

6. Southern (1-0)

7. Don Bosco Prep (0-0)

8. Camden Catholic (0-0)

9. Christian Brothers Academy (1-0)

10. Phillipsburg (0-0)

11. St. John Vianney (0-0)

12. Hunterdon Central (1-0)

13. Delaware Valley (0-0)

14. Delsea (0-0)

15. Seton Hall Prep (0-0)

16. St. Joseph (Metuchen) (2-0)

17. Brick Memorial (1-0)

18. Cranford (0-0)

19. Paulsboro (0-0)

20. Mount Olive (0-0)

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ wrestling: St. Joseph tops 1st NJWWA poll, Southern leads publics