Delaware Valley denied 3rd straight state title
PISCATAWAY >> For the third straight year, the Delaware Valley High School wrestling team was not at its best against Paulsboro when it took to the mat Sunday for the Group I Group state championship at Rutgers’ Jersey Mike’s Arena.
The huge difference was this time around Delaware Valley did not get it away with it and the result was a 33-25 loss that deprived the Hunterdon County school of a third straight state title.
Although it put together an outstanding 20-2 season, there’s no way to put a positive spin on what transpired Sunday.
Paulsboro beat Delaware Valley on the scale by sucking down its lightweights. Paulsboro decisively beat DelVal on its feet with a big takedown advantage after compiling a 36-7 advantage in that department in a semifinal victory over Kittatinny on Friday.
And Paulsboro (22-2) most certainly beat DelVal on the team scoreboard by winning five of the first six bouts to take a commanding 15-4 lead. In the end, DelVal was able to win only four of the 13 bouts that were actually wrestled.
After DelVal’s Anderson Olcott opened with a major decision at 190, things quickly unraveled for the Terriers when they dropped close decisions at 215 and heavyweight against two of Paulsboro’s less-heralded wrestlers.
It only got worse from there as Paulsboro swept the three lower weights, including a 4-2 win by Aundre Hill over Jake Taylor (20-6) at 120.
DelVal did come back to take a 16-15 lead on pins by Tye Falkenstein (126) and Jayden Perez (132), but the problem was Paulsboro’s biggest guns were still on deck.
DelVal remained alive when a heavily favored Matt Roche beat Sean Daniels, 117, at 138, but even this was a struggle as Roche was nearly pinned for much of the first period.
It was here where Paulsboro then really went to work, starting with Logan Sichelstiel’s second-period pin of Jackson Bush at 144 pounds.
Two decisions and a pin by Roman Onorato followed in the next three weights, giving Paulsboro an insurmountable 33-19 lead and revenge from the frustrating losses to DelVal the pre- vious two seasons.
The fact Paulsboro was on a mission was not lost on Delaware Valley coach Andy Fitz.
“It was just a disappointing way to end an otherwise wonderful year,” said Del- Val coach Andy Fitz. “We lost the toss. We lost to a team that was hungrier than us. You can’t take anything for granted in athletics. It just didn’t go our way today. It’s too bad.”
Paulsboro 33, Delaware Valley 25
190-Olcott (DV) d.. Metz, 14-4; 215-Willets (P) d. Newman, 8-5; Hvy-Hazel (P) d. 113-Holmes (P) d. Beyers, 9-3; 120-HIll (P) d. Taylor, 4-2; 126-Falkenstein (DV) p. Palmer, 1:53; 132-Perez (DV) p. Cooper, 2:41; 138-Roche (DV) d. Daniels, 11-7; 144-Sichelstiel (P) p. Bush, 3:27; 150— Harvey (P) d. Dobak, 6 -4 sudden victory; 157-Bish (P) d. Levy, 6-3; 165-Onorato (P) p. Sutter. :47; 175-Roman (DV) inj. default Cabanas.