22 weights to watch in the NJSIAA District Wrestling Tournaments for Shore Conference teams

The three-weekend dash to Atlantic City and the NJSIAA Boys Individual Wrestling Championships begins Saturday with the 32 district tournaments.

The eight region tournaments will take place next weekend and the Individual Championships, along with the Girls Individual Championships, will be Feb. 29-March 2 at venerable Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

Shore Conference teams are in 11 districts – Districts 17-27 – spread over three Regions 5, 6 and 7.

Here is a look at the best weights where Shore Conference wrestlers are contenders in the district tournaments.

(The listed weights are at least 2-3 deep. That means weights such as 215 in District 20, 190 in District 22, 157 in District 25 and 120 in District 26 – where Shore Conference past state champions are expected to dominate – will not be listed. We’re also listing other weights where there are intriguing potential finals.)

Weights are listed by order of district.

Updated start times for these tournaments:

District 17 at Middletown South, 10 a.m.; District 18 at Middletown North, 10 a.m; District 19 at Matawan, 10 a.m.; District 20 at East Brunswick, 11 a.m; District 21 at Robbinsville, 1 p.m.; District 22 at Wall, 12 p.m.; District 23 at Lakewood, 1 p.m.; District 24 at Point Pleasant Borough, 11 a.m.’ District 27 at Seneca, 2:30 p.m.

More: Shore Conference Wrestling Top 15 final ranking. Who made the cut?

District 17

157

Middletown South’s Alec Holland, fifth in Region 5 at 144 last year, is the top seed.

However, Delbarton freshman Gabe Logan is the favorite. Logan was eighth at the Beast of the East and defeated St. Joseph (Montvale’s returning state sixth-place finisher Zach Ballante last Sunday in the Green Wave’s 30-22 win in the Non Public A championship match.

District 19

126

Keansburg’s Dominic Terraciano (29-1) is the top seed. He was a region fifth-place finisher at 138 in 2022. His only defeat was to St. John Vianney’s two-time state medal Patrick O’Keefe in the Shore Conference Tournament 132-pound semifinal.

Terraciano also pinned Matawan’s two-time state qualifier and No. 2 seed here, Lawrence Liss in the SCT 132 third-place bout.

District 20

120

Red Bank Catholic’s Noah Michaels is a returning state qualifier and top seed. Rumson-Fair Haven’s Elijah Bayne is the No. 2 seed and was a two-time state champion in Oregon.

157

Red Bank Catholic’s Frank Romeo, who was the Region 5 5th place finisher at 165 last year, is the top seed. He is dropping down after weighing in at 165 and wrestling some at 175 most of the season.

Old Bridge’s Jake Tenebruso was a state qualifier last year at 144.

Rumson-Fair Haven’s Evan Ridgway helped solidfiy the Group 2 Bulldog’ lineup when he returned in mid-January.

285

Rumson-Fair Haven’s Matt Smith handed Red Bank Catholic’s two-time Region 5 champion and 2022 state seventh-place finisher Lorenzo Portella his only defeat of the season with a 5-4 win on Jan. 17. That result earned Smith the top seed over Portella. He has two defeats since.

District 21

175

The top three seeds – Robbinsville’s unbeaten Richard Esterly – Long Branch’s Tornick Kajaia and St. Peter’s Prep’s Anthony Verdi – all went 1-2 in the state tournament last year.

District 22

138

Manasquan’s Michael O’Connor is the top seed. He was the Region 6 fifth-place finisher at 120 in 2022. He beat No. 2 seed Parker Quinn of Wall 4-2 in the SCT third-place bout.

Quinn, a freshman, has a pin over 144-pound No. 2 seed Boomer Volek of Ocean.

144

We list this because Wall’s Donovan DiStefano, a two-time region champion who has twice been one win away from a state medal, drops in here after weighing in at 150 all season.

285

There are no state contenders here, but this is a wide, wide-open weight.

The top three seeds – Iquann Crawford of Asbury Park, Marcos Kaifas of Point Pleasant Beach and William Walsh of Brick – all moved up from 215 and away from Brick Memorial’s Ben Szuba.

Word is the No. 9 seed – Styve Vergelin of Neptune – has the talent to be a factor even though he has wrestled just two bouts. He won both of those bouts by pin.

Ocean’s Abimael Andre and Brick Memorial’s Steven Gobriaiel – the No. 4 and 6 seeds – are capable of winning the weight.

Anything can happen here.

District 23

120

Donovan Catholic’s two-time state medal winner Kurt Wehner is the top seed.

Allentown’s returning state qualifier Charles Case and Bordentown’s 2022 region fifth-place finisher Cameron Williams are the second and third seeds.

126

Northern Burlington’s Galliano Zeppadoro is the top seed and Jackson Memorial’s Jonathan Espinosa, a state qualifier in 2022 and region sixth-place finisher last year, is the No. 2 seed.

District 24

113

Point Pleasant Borough’s two-time state qualifier Joey DeAngelo and Jackson Liberty’s returning state qualifier Anthony Urso are the top two seeds. DeAngelo has two wins over Urso this season, including a 5-2 win in the SCT final.

Point Pleasant Borough’s Joseph DeAbgelo and Jackson Liberty’s Anthony Urso, shown wrestling each other on Jan. 31, are expected to meet in the District 24 113-pound final.

120

Both Manalapan’s Andrew Mucciolo and Jackson Liberty’s Armani McCann are returning region fifth-place finishers.

126

Jackson Liberty’s returning state qualifier Tucker Pazinko and Point Borough’s two-time state qualifier Frankie Burgio have split two bouts this season Burgio majored Pazinko 9-1 in the SCT third-place bout. Pazinko’s 4-3 win over Burgion was a key result in Jackson Liberty’s Shore Conference Class B South title-clinching win on the 10th criteria on Jan. 31.

Point Pleasant Borough’s Frankie Burgio (facing the camera) is expected to face Jackson Liberty’s Tucker Pazinko in the District 24 126-poun final. The two are shown wrestling each other on Jan. 31.

132

Freehold Township’s Ryan Dubnik was a state qualifier at 113 in 2022. Burlington Township’s Anthony Cook was a region fifth-place finisher at 113 in Region 7 last year.

157

Point Borough’s Jake Clayton has been one of the Shore’s best freshman this season and won the SCT title. Jackson Liberty’s Jordan Ayyash was fifth in Region 6 at 150 last year. Jackson Liberty bumped Ayyash away from Clayton at the Point Borough dual meet.

District 25

106

Southern’s Anthony Mason is a defending region champion, who went 2-2 in last year’s state tournament. Toms River East freshman Richard DeLorenzo was third in the SCT.

Southern’s Anthony Mason (top) is the favorite to win the District 25 106-pound title.

Mason is ranked No. 15 nationally by flowrestling.org.

138

Southern’s Scottie Sari defeated Toms River North’s Joe Dolci 3-0 on Jan. 30. Both are returing state qualifiers. Dolci is a two-time state qualifier.

District 26

144

Holy Cross’s Richie DeFulvio went 2-2 in the 2022 state tournament at 138.

St. John Vianney’s Dezmond Lenaghan was 2-2 in the last two state tournaments at 113 and 120 while at Donovan Catholic.

165

Two two-time state qualifiers are lined up to meet in the final.

Gloucester City’s Jacob Zearfross was sixth in the state at 144 in 2022.

St. John Vianney’s Cole Stangle was one win from a state medal at 150 last year.

District 27

106

Shawnee’s Jordan Segal is a returning state qualifier and the top seed.

Christian Brothers Academy freshman Killian Coluccio is ranked No. 12 nationally and recently defeated No. 4 ranked nationally Cameron Sontz of Delbarton.

175

Cherokee senior Johh Hangey, the son of Rider University head coach John Hangey, is the top seed and was a state qualifier last year.

CBA freshman Brock Oizerowitz has recent wins over Kajaia (8-2) and a 10-1 major decision over Don Bosco Prep’s returning state qualifier Michael Fuccilli.

More: Who were the Shore Conference wrestling stars from state team championship week?

Districts for Shore Conference teams

District 17

Delbarton

Middletown South

Bound Brook

Franklin

Hopewell Valley

Manville

Montgomery

Princeton

West Windsor-Plainsboro North

West Windsor-Plainsboro South

District 18

Howell

Middletown North

Edison

Metuchen

New Brunswick

Perth Amboy

Piscataway

Sayreville

Woodbridge

District 19

Raritan

Hillsborough

Holmdel

Keansburg

Keyport

Marlboro

Matawan

Red Bank

Rutgers Prep

District 20

Old Bridge

Rumson-Fair Haven

Red Bank Catholic

East Brunswick

Highland Park

Monroe

North Brunswick

South Brunswick

South River

Spotswood

District 21

St. Peter’s Prep

Long Branch

Ewing

Hamilton East

Hamilton North

Lawrence

Notre Dame

Robbinsville

Trenton

District 22

Brick Memorial

Wall

Ocean

Manasquan

Point Pleasant Beach

Shore

Neptune

Asbury Park

District 23

Jackson Memorial

Donovan Catholic

Allentown

Bordentown

Burlington City

Hamilton West

Hightstown

Lakewood

Northern Burlington

Riverside

District 24

Point Pleasant Borough

Jackson Liberty

Manalapan

Colts Neck

Burlington Township

Freehold

Freehold Township

Monmouth

New Egypt

District 25

Southern

Lacey

Toms River East

Toms River North

Toms River South

Manchester

Central

Pinelands

Barnegat

District 26

St. John Vianney

BCIT

Cinnaminson

Delran

Gloucester City

Holy Cross

Moorestown

Palmyra

Rancocas Valley

Willingboro

District 27

Christian Brothers Academy

Cherokee

Cherry Hill East

Cherry Hill West

Lenape

Maple Shade

Pemberton

Seneca

Shawnee

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: 22 weights to watch in the NJSIAA District Wrestling Tournaments for Shore Conference teams