Wrestling: Team-by-team previews for 2023-24 season in North Jersey

Take a team-by-team look at wrestling teams from the Big North Conference and North Jersey Interscholastic Conference.

Big North American

Cliffside Park/Ridgefield (16-6): While the Red Raiders lost three scoring leaders to graduation, not much else has changed after the program's winningest season in over a decade. Junior Bryann Mejias and seniors David Alvarado and James Ramundo are three proven wrestlers who can set the tone.

Dumont (12-12): The Huskies will shoot for their third straight division title behind a trio of Bergen County medalists: sophomores Ryan McKenna (113) and Joseph Petriello (126) and senior Jeremy Quezada (150). Junior Matthew Mertz is another pillar for Dumont.

Fort Lee (4-13): The Bridgemen start a new era with Jonathan Melendez taking over the program. The former Montclair State coach will count on seniors Myles Beckerman and Gabriel Jimenez and junior Emilio Velazquez to build the foundation.

Big North Freedom

Northern Highlands (14-8): The Highlanders want to earn another trip to the state tournament and take advantage of what coach Dan Rehain called "an infusion of young talent". Senior state qualifier Ethan Mendel (215) will be the savvy veteran of that squad with support from Jake Gray, Justin Iannelli and Ryan Dyki.

Hackensack (3-23): Coach Charles Ferraro and the Comets will try to bounce back in his second year with a "strong junior class that is ready to take the next step". Senior Evan McGinnity and juniors Elioth Guarquila and GianLuca Mangano will be a big part of that equation.

Paramus (12-10): The Spartans will turn to senior state medalist Daniel Elyash at heavyweight to steer them in the right direction. Seniors William Banach, Daniel LaGrone and Chris Aykurt make up the supporting cast for a perennial contender.

Ramapo (13-10): The Raiders made history in coach Bill DiMauro's first season by sharing the league title and earning their first state tournament victory. Most of the lineup returns from that group, including Zak Darwish at 190 and district medalists Joey Fulco, Gino Gorga and CJ Anzaldo near the middle.

Ridgewood (16-5): The Maroons should be able to score in a number of ways after earning a share of the Freedom title last winter. There's plenty of talent in the lower to middleweights with Bergen County medalist AJ Tretola, junior Charles Shaddow and seniors Ryan Sullivan and Yunte Trattner.

Big North Independence

Fair Lawn (9-16): The Cutters will have some new faces after graduating three of their four region qualifiers from a big senior class. Junior Brody Bogues is the lone exception in that group and pairs up with Mark Calderio and Jayden Bonaccorso near the top.

Lakeland (13-10): The Lancers are shaping up to be a good tournament team after returning all three county champions: seniors Jack Bergmann and Sean Walker and junior Ryan Langenmayr. Junior Anthony Nyhuis will join them at 132 with a county silver on his mantle.

Passaic Valley (22-5): The Hornets are primed for a big season once again with seven wrestlers who won at least 20 matches a year ago. Senior Frankie Martino is the centerpiece as a county champion and re-unites with sophomore Will Capizzi and juniors Ayden Mulroony and Branden Rosario.

Wayne Hills (14-12): There's a lot to like about the Patriots who bring back state qualifier Sowzy Tsay at 132 and four straight district medalists near the bottom. Joseph Lucarello, Ashton Fava, Laith Ahmad and Adam Mashfej make up that supporting cast from 165 to 215.

Wayne Valley (12-10): Depth is expected to be a strength of the Indians after climbing back over .500 last season. Senior Nick Barone and junior Noah Zindaki can provide a dose of scoring as district medalists.

West Milford (18-5): The Independence co-champions will be solid up the middle with Nick Carbone and Passaic County champions Ben Marchetto and Colin Menier. Senior heavywight and state qualifier Spencer Ribitzki helps the cause as well.

Big North Liberty

Clifton (21-4): The Mustangs have a strong core in place after winning the Passaic County title and reaching a sectional final last winter. Half the lineup is back, including senior Najati Salim and high-scoring juniors Nick Doktor, Joseph Geleta and Isaac Cazimovski.

Passaic (13-17): The Indians pulled off a wrestling revival last year by going from one win to 13. Senior Chris Morales and junior James Brown will now lead their chase for a .500 record.

Passaic Tech (17-7): The Bulldogs have assembled another deep roster after winning the North 1, Group 5 title in the first year under coach Eyad Abdelaziz. The wave of talent starts with Ismael Vertedor and county champions James Conklin and Omar Tareky.

Big North National

Bergenfield (10-21): The Bears will count on their skill in the middle to upper weights to guide a young team. It starts with county group champion Nathan Quinones at 165 and continues with seniors Kalvin Acosta and Paul Mielke.

Demarest (10-16): The Norsemen are looking to be more competitive night in and night out with a lineup led by Kyle Davis at 113. Sophomore Alec Murado and junior Andrew Zwernemann will also spark a team with nine returning starters.

Old Tappan (16-5): The Golden Knights captured their first sectional title last season and don't appear to be slowing down after losing only two starters. The core of the team is its junior class led by brothers Nick and Jonathan Rotolo, Ryan Sullivan and Daniel Olivo.

Pascack Valley (13-10): A spike in turnout this year has boosted the outlook for a Panthers team that already returned nine starters. Four from that group clinched at least 20 victories a year ago: seniors Johnny Allmers and Antonio Cedeno, junior George Hamilton and sophomore Adan Cedeno.

Teaneck (7-18): The Highwaymen bring back two of their top three win leaders in senior AJ Ortiz and junior Jeremiah Harmit. Sending more wrestlers to regions and filling out the lineup are primary goals for coach Jim Nonas, who likes his team's attitude.

Tenafly (11-12): The Tigers are on the rise with a senior-heavy roster led by Jeremy Pitcock, who won a school-record 34 matches last year en route to becoming the team's first state qualifier in decades. Seniors Peter Binikos and Cole Mogensen and sophomore Guy Oelsner return with good pedigrees.

Big North Patriot

Indian Hills (6-25): A big focus for the Braves is to fill out more weight classes and get more competitive in dual meets. They are bolstered by the addition of freshman Chris Rosamond and the return of Dylan Asgarian and Brady Dransfield as upperclassmen.

Mahwah (4-20): The Thunderbirds have some room to grow after graduating only two seniors. Sophomore Cole Boruta will be a cornerstone this year at 126 pounds.

Pascack Hills (20-8): The Broncos will aim for their third straight division title with Columbia commit Jake Wacha anchoring a good group of wrestlers toward the bottom. Fares Daraghmeh, Tyler Duffy and Quinn Mercier strengthen that end of the lineup even more.

Ramsey (12-14): The Rams have some quality wrestlers to build around with a pair of state qualifiers in Christian Fojon and Anthony Cadicina. Seniors Owen Delgado and Van Schoening will also push Ramsey in the right direction on the heels of winning seasons.

River Dell (13-14): The Golden Hawks expect to vie for league and sectional titles with most of the lineup back and the addition of 19 freshmen. Evan Krakower, Liam Boyle and RJ Weiss form a nice trio as 20-plus match winners.

Westwood (15-8): The Cardinals will be one of the top public schools in North Jersey with only two seniors to replace. Senior Anthony Lavezzola is back as a state qualifier, seniors Tommy Kousis and Gavin Seiler strengthen the middle and junior Aidan Dugan returns after getting a school-record 28 pins last season.

Big North United

Bergen Catholic (13-4): Coach Dom Santoli will kick off his first full season at the helm after replacing the legendary Dave Bell before last year's district tournament. State medalists Nathan Braun, Ryan Ford, Benji Shue and Joey Canova all return to help the Crusaders reclaim the No. 1 ranking.

Don Bosco (10-5): The Ironmen re-emerged as a state power last year and now want to finish near the top after returning eight of their nine state qualifiers. The heart of the team is a brilliant sophomore class led by Santino Rodriguez in the middle and Nevin Mattessich, Dante DeLuca and Robert Ekins in the upperweights.

St. Joseph (17-2): The Non-Public A champions are loaded up again with seven returning state medalists and two more via transfer in Zach Ballante and Adrian DeJesus. Frank DiBella, Ryan Burton and Rocco Dellagatta add to a balanced lineup for a team that just finished No. 1 in the state.

Paramus Catholic (14-4): The Paladins will have one of the top lineups around with five returning state medalists and three transfers who made it down to Boardwalk Hall. Junior Xavier Williams was part of the contingent that made the podium in March along with seniors Dylan Ross, John Quinonez, Daniel Rella and Edward Terreri.

NJIC Colonial

Elmwood Park (8-15): The Crusaders may be young, but coach Tom Mulligan said they are "excited, driven and hungry" to take the rebuilding process to the next step after gaining some good experience. David Rojas and Gabe Alcocer will be the linchpins as upperclassmen and freshman Mohamed Makboul is a newcomer to watch.

Garfield (4-23): Coach Aaron Khan is hopeful that having better numbers and a productive offseason can get the program back on course. Senior Sean Lee will be a valuable asset at 120 and senior Jake DeMeester will be a huge lift at 126 after missing a year to injury.

Lodi (3-6): The Rams turn to a new coach in Jeff Rodriguez, who will count on the maturity of his senior class to mold a young group. Seniors Omar Asfour and Nick Castaneda and girls state champion Leeana Mercado have shown the ability to get the job done.

Rutherford (15-7): The Bulldogs will be a little inexperienced after winning the Colonial Division title, but still have some proven weapons. Senior heavyweight Gavin McGill is a state qualifier and joins a pair of district medalists in Joe Keeler and Jake Torre.

NJIC Liberty

Glen Rock (14-8): The Panthers will push for a division title and state tournament win with senior heavyweight Jake Rickett capping off a battle-tested roster. Their fate will also hinge on the work of sophomore Andrew Davidoff and juniors Eric Reznikov and Adrian Galvez.

Hawthorne (9-12): The Bears have the potential to go back over .500 with their experience and the addition of Don Bosco transfer Jack Lorper. Seniors Kaleb Ambrose, Cormac Smith and Antonio Sangama can rack up points as county medalists.

New Milford (10-8): The Knights are poised to build on a run to the conference final with all but two starters back. Juniors Devin and Jerzey Ryan are a dynamic duo at 120 and 132 and freshman Peter Psarianos has a bright future.

Pompton Lakes (19-8): The Cardinals are primed to be one of the top Group 1 programs thanks to their depth and continuity. Passaic County finalist Nicholas Laccitiello will be a key cog alongside Angelo Fusaro, Chris Ahlborn and Joseph Aungst.

Secaucus (17-13): The Patriots will fight for a spot in the state tournament with a big group of upperclassmen who've had time on the mat to develop. Santino Leon, Jake Orlando and CJ Krajewski all come back as juniors after eclipsing 20 wins a year ago.

NJIC Meadowlands

Butler (17-11): Coach Timothy Mickens comes over from Waldwick/Midland Park and inherits a program that's won six division titles in the last seven years. The talent level remains high starting with 30-match winners Jason Chrostowski, Logan Sykes and Luca Toriello.

Cresskill (18-9): The Cougars have to acclimate to a lot of roster turnover, but coach Nick Calandrino is encouraged by the numbers and hard work put forth by his squad. Senior Ron Presta will be a focal point at 157 and seniors Dean Suh and Josh Kim bring plenty of mat experience.

Hasbrouck Heights (20-5): The Aviators are expecting another deep run in the state tournament after back-to-back trips to the sectional final. The foundation is intact with the return of their four wins leaders: seniors Connor Scuilla and Anthony Cummings, junior Kyle Von Seidelmann and sophomore Nico Nipitella.

Saddle Brook (14-11): The Falcons almost tripled their win total in Mike Getto's first season, but lost a lot of scoring to graduation. Senior captain Jonathan Curry and sophomores Dylan Cerciello and Jake Rigolosi will step up now for a young team.

St. Mary (1-16): The Gaels took their lumps after getting back into wrestling last season, but now have a framework to build on. Sophomore Anthony Moreno is the face of the program as a district champion and freshmen Mario Del Vecchio and Christian Stocker have shown potential.

NJIC Patriot

Becton/Wood-Ridge (14-11): Coach Kenneth Herishen takes over the program this year and likes his balance from top to bottom. Seniors Jordan Stallone and Brandon DiMase will pave the way for a team that's eager to get back in the state tournament.

Bogota/Ridgefield Park (17-7): The Scarlet Bucs have welcomed in a new coach in Jarred Tolotti, a 2018 Dumont graduate who wrestled at Springfield College. Keep an eye on junior Dean Sinisgalli at 132 as well as seniors Derek Martinez and Nick Buda.

Emerson/Park Ridge (14-8): The beat rolled on last year under new coach Joe Mazzeo, who led the Cavos to division and conference titles and a spot in the sectional final. His team will look to carry on the legacy again with a push from seniors Ryan Messick, Luke Macfie Jacob Shannon and Matthew Constante.

Leonia/Palisades Park (13-12): The Lions have the chance to be more competitive with Bergen Catholic transfers Seach and August Hibler coming on board at 132 and 144, respectively. Senior Stav Fronimos headlines the returning core as a county medalist.

Lyndhurst/North Arlington (10-18): The Golden Bears turned to one of their former wrestlers to lead the program by hiring Matt DeMarco, a 2016 Lyndhurst graduate. He will lean on Evan McNeil and Nate Boyd in the lower weights and Kieran McNeil and Kevin Silva in the middle.

Waldwick/Midland Park (2-24): The Warriors have grown the roster from 10 to 17 wrestlers under new coach Jean DuBois, a state medalist at Clifton back in 2013. Colin Fowler and Jake Abramson will be the go-to guys along with freshman Giovanni Giardina (120), a rec state finalist.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey wrestling: Team-by-team previews for 2023-24 season