Will Emerson/Park Ridge defend its NJIC title?
Coach Stan Woods will start his 53rd season with the Cavos in a career that’s about to span seven decades. Over that time, the small-school program has won 39 league titles, 10 sectional titles and all three NJIC conference tournaments to date.
The Cavos graduated a lot of talent over the past two seasons, but will bring back nationally-ranked Nick Babin and Clarion-bound Logan Mazzeo. The Cavos should also be in the running in the Bergen Holiday Tournament as the returning runner-up.
NJIC Wrestlers to watch
Nick Babin
Emerson/Park Ridge
This Columbia-bound wrestler and two-time Bergen champion (114-13 career record) was the state runner-up last season at 113 pounds.
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Dylan Weaver
Lyndhurst/North Arlington junior
Weaver, another Rutgers commit and state third, will be one of the top public school wrestlers after a 36-2 season at 138 pounds.
Preseason Top 25 rankings
- Bergen Catholic 14-2
- St. Joseph 11-4
- DePaul 11-5
- Don Bosco 7-4
- Paramus Catholic 19-6
- Passaic Tech 18-3
- Fair Lawn 14-7
- Emerson/Park Ridge 16-6
- NV/Old Tappan 21-9
- River Dell 16-9
- Westwood 18-9
- Wayne Valley 18-5
- Paramus 13-10
- Pascack Valley 13-8
- Butler 19-4
- Clifton 17-10
- Northern Highlands 13-8
- Pascack Hills 17-7
- Ridgewood 13-9-1
- West Milford 16-8
- Ramsey 16-10
- Pompton Lakes 17-7
- Passaic Valley 9-10
- Lakeland 11-7
- Glen Rock 16-7
(Records from last season)
Take a team-by-team look at every wrestling team in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference.
Division-1
Bogota/Ridgefield Park
Top returners: senior Andre Ruiz, sophomores Adam Albino, Gabriel Nunez and Kevin Flores.
Outlook: The program will start its second season as a co-op with one senior and two juniors. State qualifier and 100-match winner Andre Ruiz gives the team a shot at a .500 season.
Emerson/Park Ridge
Top returners: seniors Nick Babin and Logan Mazzeo, juniors Brendan Hughes and Thomas Comeau.
Outlook: The Cavos made the sectional finals last season and should be the NJIC favorite again under 53rd-year coach Stan Woods. State runner-up and two-time Bergen champion Nick Babin headlines the lineup and freshman Louden Mazzeo will replace older brother Luke.
Leonia/Palisades Park
Top returners: senior Yaseen Abdelaziz and Dennis Bajanov, junior Stephano Hadoulis, sophomore Greg Hadoulis.
Outlook: The Lions have enough talent to improve on a 9-13 season since 10 starters are returning. With 220-pounder Dennis Bajanov back from an injury, the co-op should round into a solid team as the year goes on.
Lyndhurst/North Arlington
Top returners: senior Brandon Vitacco, juniors Grayson Jurado and Dylan Weaver, sophomore Eddie Ortiz.
Outlook: Rutgers commit and state third Dylan Weaver will be the face of the program after putting together a 36-2 season. The Golden Bears should be deep enough for another double-digit win season even with a few big pieces to replace.
Waldwick/Midland Park
Top returners: seniors Matthew Guerra and Varun Kumar, junior Shawn Grigsby, sophomore Myles Leonard.
Outlook: The Warriors should improve on a one-win season with four 20-match winners in the lineup. A freshman class with rec wrestling experience will also give the co-op some of the depth that’s been missing in years past.
Division-2
Elmwood Park
Top returners: seniors Eddie Alfieri, Zak Martinez, Abe Kario and Kevin Baker.
Outlook: Coach Tom Mulligan believes that this is the year for the Crusaders to take the next step. Numbers are up throughout the program and nine starters are back from a 17-win team.
Garfield
Top returners: seniors Michael Alfonso, Kacper Szuberski and Charles Davis, sophomore Nathaniel Tylki.
Outlook: The Boilermakers will be hard to beat in the upper weights with Bergen finalists Szuberski and Alfonso back in the lineup at 195 and 285, respectively. How the team’s eight new starters perform will determine if Garfield improves on a 10-11 record.
Glen Rock
Top returners: seniors Greg Schlett, Ryan Romeo and Bryan Novick, junior Angelo Piazza.
Outlook: Glen Rock is a contender for league and conference titles with 12 returning starters and some heavy hitters back from a 16-7 team. Schlett, a standout linebacker and two-time region fifth, will try to become the Panthers’ first state qualifier since 2013.
Lodi
Top returners: senior Armando Alvarez, juniors Ayden Lyubimov, Anthony Ascenscio and Joshua Valladares.
Outlook: The Rams are on the rise under coach Dale Fava, who won at least 10 matches in each of his first two seasons. Development will be the key this winter for a young Rams team with six returning starters.
Manchester
Top returners: seniors Christian Mendoza and Stanley Clark, juniors Peret Shed and Joe Graziano.
Outlook: Veteran coach David Heitman has taken over at Manchester will try to resurrect a program that won one of its last 27 matches. A good work ethic and high turnout should expedite the rebuilding process.
Rutherford
Top returners: juniors Wes Greenwood and Tom Kasparin, sophomores Vin Keeler and JJ Herninko.
Outlook: The Bulldogs should be in the middle after a 12-13 season. Longtime coach Jeff Rehain will rely on a good group of underclassmen to offset graduation losses.
Division-3
Hawthorne
Top returners: seniors Joe Aliano and Adam Deitrich, junior Declan Smith, sophomore Andrew Morzetta.
Outlook: The Bears have the potential for a winning season with stars up the middle and most of the team returning. How quickly sophomores and juniors develop will be key.
Pompton Lakes
Top returners: seniors Allan Devries, juniors Dan Malkinski and Ryan Almeida, sophomore Zachary Maksimiak.
Outlook: The Cardinals can remain in the top half of the conference after reaching the NJIC final. Veteran coach Scott Mahoney has some work to do after losing four 30-match winners to graduation or transfer.
Saddle Brook
Top returners: seniors Michael Faustini, Manny Ortiz and Robert Russo, junior Jonathan Lau.
Outlook: Expect a learning curve for the Falcons after being hit hard by graduation and losing state medalist Dean Setticase. New coach Matthew Jacobson inherits a 9-16 team and will look to freshmen to fill holes.
Secaucus
Top returners: senior Brianna Cervantes, junior Carlos Triana, sophomores Joe Leon and Tyler Giraldo.
Outlook: The Patriots can build on an 8-19 season if the middle of the lineup comes together. Cervantes will be one of the top girls wrestlers after placing sixth at the inaugural state tournament.
Division-4
Becton
Top returners: seniors Michael Rodriguez and Jesus Hidalgogato, junior Izabella Frezzo, sophomore Tommie Lee Minaya.
Outlook: The Wildcats must rebuild under new coach Daniel Farina after a three-win season. He is hoping to find a few diamonds in the rough to put alongside 113-pounder Michael Rodriguez, a returning county fifth.
Cresskill
Top returners: seniors Tim Coffey and Luke Munier, junior Luis Abreu, sophomore Sid Hamburger.
Outlook: The Cougars graduated about half the starting lineup from a team that went 22-6. They will need young wrestlers to step up and produce.
Butler
Top returners: seniors Julian Amadio and Jake Luciani, junior Justin Chrostowski, sophomore Brett Redner.
Outlook: The Bulldogs are averaging 17 wins a season under coach Jason Luciani and should remain successful. The goal for Butler is to defend its league title and send a few wrestlers down to Atlantic City.
Weehawken
Top returners: seniors Mateo Gonzalez and Andres Gonzalez, juniors Tristen Fitzgerald and JJ Santos.
Outlook: The Indians are looking to build an identity after an impressive 13-11 season in their first as an independent program. They will be young and still developing talent but would like to get back in the sectional tournament.
Sean Farrell is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app. Email: farrells@northjersey.com Twitter: @seanfarrell92
