Delbarton dominated New Jersey wrestling during the 2022-23 season and that carries over onto the Morris Sussex final wrestling All-Area, which features eight first-team members.

All Morris-Sussex Wrestling

FIRST TEAM:

106—Nick DFrancescantonio, Hanover Park. DiFrancescantonio (35-6) finished in the Top 12 in the state. He won two wrestleback matches at the state tournament in Atlantic City. He lost in the first round to Southern Regional’s Anthony Mason in overtime, 6-4, but bounced back to win twice in the wrestlebacks. He beat Hammonton’s Justin Flood, 7-1, and then Camden Catholic’s Lazarus Joyce, 8-5. DiFrancescantonio lost in the next round to Watchung Hills’ eventual state seventh-placer Anthony DiAndrea, 4-2.

113—Jayden James, Delbarton. James (34-3) reached the state semifinals and lost but then wrestled back for third place. He tecked Cranford’s Ryder Connors, 15-0 (2:31), tecked Matawan’s Richard Gomez, 15-0 (4:09), and then beat Pope John’s Dalton Webber, 4-1, before losing to Old Bridge’s eventual state champion Logan Roman, 5-3. James then beat Donovan Catholic’s Kurt Wehner, 6-2, and took third by beating St. Augustine’s Kaden Naame, 3-0.

120—Daniel Jones, Delbarton. Jones (34-5) took second in the state, losing to St. John Vianney’s Anthony Knox in the final, 10-2. He won four straight bouts in Atlantic City to reach the finals, tecking Morris Hills’ Jaydin Barreto, 16-0 (3:58), decisioning Donovan Catholic’s Dezmond Lenahand, 5-0, decisioning St. Joe-Montvale’s Vincent Paino, 4-3, and Holy Spirit’s Max Elton in the state semifinal, 4-1.

126—Luke Stanich, Roxbury. Stanich (40-0) became a state champion by beating St. Peter’s Prep’s Caedyn Ricciardi in the final, 1-0. In the semifinals, Stanich beat Pope John’s Carson Walsh, 6-1, one match after beating Middleton South’s Jack Zaleski, 4-1. Stanich won his first match in the tournament by beating Westfield’s Brandon Ribiero, 18-2 (3:33) before he pinned St. Joseph-Metuchen’s Morgan Schwarz in 2:45.

132—Jack Bastarrika, Mount Olive. Bastarrika (39-5) went on a tear at Boardwalk Hall and finished second in the state after losing to Brick Memorial’s eventual Outstanding Wrestler Antjony Santaniello, 10-0. Bastarrika tecked Lacey’s Aidan Ott, 17-2 (5:57) and then beat Pope John’s Jack Nauta, 6-1. In the state quarterfinals, Bastarrika beat St. John Vianney’s Patrick O’Keefe, 4-1, before beating St. Peter’s Prep’s Donovan Chavis in the state semifinals in overtime, 6-4.

138—Tyler Vazquez, Delbarton. Vazquez (41-3) repeated as state champion, beating St. Joseph-Metuchen’s Giovanni Alejandro in the finals, 1-0. Vazquez won pressure-packed overtime matches in the quarters and semifinals to reach the finals. He beat Bergen Catholic’s Joey Canova in the quarters, 4-3, and then defeated CBA’s Alex Nini to reach the finals, 3-1. In the first round, Vazquez majored Donovan Catholic’s Richard Davis, 12-1, and then decked Freehold Boro’s Angelo Messina in 3:09.

144—Brandon Jon Dean, West Morris. Dean won two matches in the winner’s bracket before losing and then battled back to take sixth in the state. He pinned Sparta’s Logan Hreneko in 1:59 before advancing to the next round by defeating Camden Catholic’s Michael Craft, 4-3. He lost to Bergen Catholic’s Ryan Ford in the state quarters, 8-6, but then won twice in the wrestlebacks, beating Gloucester City’s Jacob Zearfoss by fall in 1:59 and Southern’s Hayden Hochstrasser, 6-2. Dean lost in the state fifth-sixth match to St. Peter’s Prep’s Jonathan Fuller in overtime, 6-4.

150—Cross Wasilewski, Delbarton. Wasilewski (28-6) won three wrestleback matches and finished third in the state. He avenged an earlier loss in the tournament to St. Joseph-Montvale’s Frank DiBella in the third-place match in OT, 3-1. He beat Bergen Catholic’s Chris Bacchioni in the consolation semifinals, 3-0 and CBA’s Tyler Barrett in the quarters, 3-0. Wasilewski beat Morristown’s JuanDavid Argueta in the first round of the states by technical fall, 15-0 (4:12) and then majored St. Joe-Metuchen’s Evan Mendez in the next round, 12-1, before losing to DiBella, 3-2.

157—Alessio Perentin, Delbarton. Perentin (41-1) began a run of three straight Delbarton state champions when he beat CBA’s Zander Silva, 5-2. Perentin pinned his way to the finals. He decked Old Bridge’s Tyler Sagi in the semis in 1:25, Southern’s Nick Bennet in the quarters in 1:25, Voorhees’ Logan Wiecoreck in 2:22, and Phillipsburg’s Liam Packer in 54 seconds.

165—Louis Cerchio, Delbarton. Cerchio (39-0) won his 39th straight match of the year in the state finals, when he beat St. John Vianney’s Jasiah Queen, 4-1. Cerchio beat Westfield’s Michael Murphy in the state semifinals, 5-0, and majored St. Augustine’s Jake Slotnick in the quarters, 8-0. He began the tournament by pinning Trey Talmadge of Brick Memorial in 1:11 and then pinned Pascack Valley’s Ray Kohan in 3:39.

175—Simon Ruiz, Delbarton. Ruiz (30-0) won his second straight state championship when he beat Brick Memorial’s defending state champion Harvey Ludington, 3-2. Ruiz reached the finals by beating North Bergen’s Joshua Palacio in the state semifinals, 7-1. In the quarters, he majored Mount Olive’s Tyler Bienus, 13-4. Ruiz had two quick pins to begin the state tournament, needing just 31 seconds to beat West Deptford’s Andrew Tighe in first round and decking Warren Hills’ Michael Drazek in 1:17 in the next round.

190—Vincenzo LaValle, Hanover Park. LaValle wrestled back for third place for the second straight year. He beat Absegami’s George Rhodes in the state match for third place, 5-4. LaValle won in the consolation semifinals by beating Howell’s D.J. Henry, 5-2. He won three straight matches at the beginning of the tournament before he was knocked into the loser’s bracket. He pinned Gov. Livingston’s Nathan Faxon in 21 seconds before beating Bergen Catholic’s Pantaleo Varga, 6-1. LaValle beat Lower Cape May’s Brock Zurawski in the state quarters, 8-2, but lost in the semifinals to St. Peter’s Prep’s Anthony Harris, 3-2, knocking him into the wrestlebacks.

215—Anthony Moscatello, Mount Olive. Moscatello placed seventh in the state, beating CBA’s Robert Canterino, 3-1. Moscatello beat Woodstown’s John Vinciguerra in the wrestlebacks, 3-2, before losing in overtime to eventual third-place finisher Joe Abill of Clifton, 4-2. Moscatello beat West Morris’ Tommy Borgia in the first round of the states, 5-3, and then beat Ewing’s Colin Elam, 11-5. Moscatello lost in the state quarters in OT to Southern’s Riley O’Boyle by fall in 8:25.

285—Connor Martin, Delbarton. Martin beat Shawnee’s Jackson Harris in the first round of the states by a fall in 2:29 but then ran into eventual state champion Jimmy Mullen of St. Joe-Montvale, losing by fall in 1:17. Martin pinned Rutherford’s Gavin McGill in the wrestlebacks in 53 seconds before losing to Southern’s Anthony Evangelista, 9-7.

SECOND TEAM:

106—James McGinty, Parsippany Hills.

113—Tyeler Hagensen, Mount Olive.

120—Santino Danise, Hanover Park.

126—Carson Walsh, Pope John.

132—Jack Myers, Morristown.

138—Justin Holly, Pope John.

144—Joe Davi, Delbarton.

150—Tanner Perez, Mount Olive.

157—Thaylor Sibblies, Newton.

165—Matt Leslie, Morris Hills.

175—Tyler Bienus, Mount Olive.

190—Vin Lee, Delbarton.

215—Henry Forte, Delbarton.

285—Arik Hums, High Point.