Princeton, Hightstown set to duke it out again

A year ago Princeton dethroned Hightstown as the Colonial Valley Conference’s Colonial Division champion and you can expect those teams to fight it out again for the league title.

Neither team is exactly what you would call a complete package, but both have their strong points. As such, the division title could simply come down to how they match up against each other.

In terms of the rest of the CVC’s Colonial Division, keep an eye on improving Notre Dame.

HIGHTSTOWN

Coach: Mike Russo.

Last year: (14-8), No. 15 ranking in the area.

106-Michael Hall (So.), Alex Mikita (Fr.) 113/ 120-Jack Kane (Jr.), Jason DeSantis (Jr.)

126-Sam Lohouse (Jr.)

126/ 132-Christopher Cropanese (So.) 138-Dennis Bustos, Jr. (Jr.), Matt Ramos (So.)

144-Daniel Young (Fr.) 150-Chase Montgomery (Jr.) 157-Devron Lewis (Jr.) 165-Franki Garcia (Jr.) 175⁄190-Joe Opoku (Sr.), Kevin Lancaster (Sr.), Abraham Gonzalez (So.) 215-Iker Reyes (Fr.) Hvy-Sterling Newlin (So.)

Strengths: The team is experienced in the lightweights with the return of Kane (22-12), DeSantis (14-12) and Cropanese (23-11, second in the district). Through the middle the Rams have returned Bustos (13 wins), Ramos, Montgomery

(18-12) and Lewis (25-9, third at districts). Garcia posted 17 wins a year ago. Freshmen Young and Iker Reyes, the younger brother of MCT winner Luis Ryes, look like impact wrestlers right away. Young, Opoku, and Newlin are all football players who have a lot of athletic ability.

Outlook: As the newcomers gain experience, Hightstown will develop into a pretty tough team. A league title is an attainable goal along with a sectional berth.

NOTRE DAME

Coach: E.J. Nemeth

Last year: (11-18), Parochial A sectional qualifier.

106-Trent Ethridge (So.) 113-Jacob Sudol (So.) 120-Sebastian Molina (So.), Josh Ferdetta (Sr.)

126-Liam Krimmel (So.)

132-Jack Madigan-Green (Sr.), Tyler Stefanisko (So.)

138-Andrew Usmiani (So.), Jayden Hunt (So.)

144-Mike Mulray (So.)

150-Ryan Peterson (So.), KJ Honnig (So.) 157-Red Franzen (Sr.), Frank Hosmer (Jr.) 165-Logan Whitlock (Sr.), Jeff Merendino (So.)

175-Jordan Dillard (So.), John Maria (So.) 190-Ben Gaylord (Jr.), Will Napier (So.) 215-Will Renda (So.), Zach Hammerstone (Fr.)

Hvy-Nick Csillan (Sr.), Andy Onzik (So.) Strengths: Notre Dame has much better depth with 39 wrestlers in the room. Franzen is a defending county champ who went 33-8 and won a district title. Madigan-Green won 16 bouts and team has welcomed back heavyweight Nick Csillan. Sophomores Molina, Mulray, Krimmel and Peterson as well as junior Gaylord all were in double digits in terms of wins. Nine promising freshman are also in the fold.

Outlook: If things fall right, there’s the potential for a winning season. The team is definitely better and on its way up. Freshman 134-pounder Maddy Everett is hoping to make an impact in girls tournaments.

PRINCETON

Coach: Jess Monzo

Last year: (18-5), CVC Colonial Division champion, Central Jersey Group III sectional qualifier, No. 13 ranking in the area.

106-Josh Hannan (So.)

113-Ava Rose (Sr.), Atticus Ayres (Fr.) 120-Cole Rose (So.)

126-Tyler Ehee (Sr.)

132-Blase Mele (So.) 138-Marty Brophy (Sr.) 144-Harry Ehee (Sr.) 150-Calvin Tien (So.) 157-Christian Paul (Jr.) 165-Chase Hammerschlag (Fr.) 175-Jordy Paredes (Sr.), Luca Petrecca 190-Noah Kassas (So.)

220-Leon Wu (Sr.)

Strengths: The Tigers will again be tough in the lower and middle weights. Cole Rose was 30-4, a Mercer County Tournament champion and third at districts. Older sister Ava Rose was fourth in the county and easily won a girls state championship. Mele was 17-4, second in his district and third at regions. Tyer Ehee was 21-12, Harrison Ehee was 18-11 and Brophy went 26-7 while advancing to regions.

Outlook: There are going to be a lot of individual highlights for this group of wrestlers, who clearly have a shot at another league title. Whether Princeton can beat top teams will largely hinge on the development of its unproved upperweights.

STEINERT

Coach: Joe Panfili

Last year: (6-11)

106-Alex Castano (Fr.)

113-Joey Mahon (So.), Anthony Ricigliano (Fr.)

120-Dana Volb (Jr.) 126-Anthony Famularo (Sr.), Nate Bigger (So.)

132-Devin Liriano (Sr.), Alex Stefaniak (So)

138-Anthony LaPiana (Sr.) 144-Alex Hart (So.), Cristian Grana (Sr.) 150-Anthony Mottola (Jr.), Hunter Wadsworth (Sr.)

157-Greg Konopka (Sr.)

165-Joe Carabelli (Jr.), Anthony Giglio (So.)

175-Elliot Morris (So.) 190-Dream Hemingway (Jr.), Keiven Rezkalla (Sr.)

215-Louis Bilardo (Sr.) Hvy-Ryan McMullen (Sr.), Max Power (So.)

Strengths: Bilardo will anchor the upperweights after going 17-4 and advancing to regions with a third at districts. The team has good seniors leadership with the return of Liriano (11 wins) and LaPiana. Mottola and Hart were both in the .500 range a year ago, while newcomers, Castano, Mahon, Ricigliano, Famularo and Carabelli look ready to contribute. Outlook: The Spartans still have a ways to go, but will be more competitive this year.

TRENTON

Coach: Rob Prunetti

Last year: (5-13) 106-Princessstorm Woody (Fr.) 120-Akbar Devine (So.) 126-Miguel Cifuentes (Jr.) 138-J’Veiyon Parker (So.) 150-George Zodua (Jr.)

157-Eric Gudiel (Jr.), Fabricio Vega-Lima (Sr.)

165/ 175-Najay Sinclair (Jr.), Christian Reyes (Sr.)

190-Cesar Ramirez (Sr.) 215-Issiah Jones (Sr.) Hvy-Leudys Gomez (Sr.), Miguel Lopez (Sr.)

Additional girls: 107-Jennifer Lopez (So.), 120-Gueurid López (Sr.), 145-Sa’Jada Simmons (Sr.), 165-Hillary Jones (Sr.) Strengths: Woody is a very promising freshman who will be a force on the girls’ statewide scene. Sinclair and Reyes both posted eight wins a year ago. There are several other returning starters.

Outlook: There are a lot of inexperienced wrestlers in the room and they are going to need some time to develop. The good news is both the boys and girls teams can fill most of the weights.

WEST WINDSOR NORTH

Coach: Bill Furlong

Last year: (2-18)

106-Dylan Gurra (So.), Evan Knepper (So.)

113-William Lopez (Jr.) 120-Ryan Brown (So.), Arnav Katiyar (So.), Joshua Kosukhin (Jr.), Joshua Kosukhim (Jr.), Brayden Woodward (So.) 126-Austin Coyle (So.), Mohamed Moubarek (Fr.), Zachary Owens (So.) 132-Rehan Jahangir (Jr.) 138-Justin Musmanno (Sr.), Trisha Nakka (Jr.), Kieran Sattiraju (Sr.), Ashutosh Tripathi (Fr.)

144-Tytus Hurd (Fr.)

150-Evan DeJong (So.), Elijah Perez (Fr.) 157-Austin Max (So.), Theo Johnson (Fr.), Isaac Shum (Sr.)

165-Lucas Kempler (So.), Jacob Lasky (Sr.), Piero Medrano (So.), Darren DeJong (So.), Julian Sanchez (Fr.) 170-Aditya Tripathi (Jr.), Alex Varnavas (Sr.)

195-Krish Saini (Fr.)

Hvy-Afua Apau (So.), Anthony Pachas (Sr.), Daniyal Siddiqui (Sr.).

Strengths: Musmanno is a force who went 27-4 last year. Sattiraju was 20-7, and along with Lasky (nine wins) and Owens (10 wins) will help head up the team’s strength in the middlweights. Brown also won 10 bouts as a freshman. Outlook: The Knights will continue to struggle against higher-level teams, but should improve on last season’s win total.

WEST WINDSOR SOUTH

Coach: Sean Thompson

Last year: (1-18)

106-Syed Arif (Jr.), Mark Rebelo (Fr.) 113-Ashkay Bhat (Jr.).

120-Jack Weinberger (Jr.), Rayan Afridi (Jr.)

126-Colin Cote (So.), Pratham Sitti (Jr.), Jacob Lee (Fr.) 132-Christian Tadieu (Jr.), Seji Yoshihara (Fr.), Brandon Aleman (Fr.), Daniel Cifuentes (Fr.)

138-Jordan Blaise (Jr.), Jayden Johnson (Jr.)

144-Aaryan Dhruv (Fr.), Idris Nawala (Fr.) 150-Ishan Kaluskar (Fr.), Humza Khalid (So.)

157-Darwin Cifuentes (Jr.), Varun Vijayakumar (So.)

165-Vedant Trivedi (Fr.), Jeffrin John (Sr.), Saket Kuchadi (So.) 175-Soorya Krishman (Fr.), Saket Kuchadi (So.), Manidhar Yeluri (Sr.) 190-Rocco Valentine (Sr.), Shyam Kumar (Sr.), Sushin Bandha (Sr.), Nayan Yadav (Jr.)

215-Jason George (Jr.)

Hvy-Alan Edwards (Fr.)

Strengths: A host of these wrestlers started last season and should benefit from a year’s experience. Cote is the top returning gun. He was 22-6 last season and second at districts.

Outlook: West Windsor South is a lot like sister-school West Windsor North. There’s still much work to be done, but progress is being made.

Local schedule

HS GIRLS BASKETBALL Germantown Friends at Hun: 4:15

Peddie at Stuart:

HS ICE HOCKEY

Hopewell Valley/Montgomer v.s Lawrence/Ewing/Hightstown, at MCP: 3:30 Christian Brothers Academy at Princeton Day: 4:00 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Princeton vs. Iona, at Harwood Arena, Union: 7:00 4:30

On the air

CHL HOCKEY

Rogle Angelholm at Tappara Tampere: 11:30 a.m., NHLN Skelleftea AIK at Frolunda Gothenburg: 2 p.m., NHLN COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

Furman at NC State: 6:30 p.m., ACCN

The Citadel at North Carolina: 7 p.m., ESPN2

Southern U. at Xavier: 7 p.m., FS1

NC Central at LSU: 7 p.m., SECN

SC-Upstate at Florida St.: 8:30p.m., ACCN

Texas A&M-CC at Arizona: 8:30p.m., PAC-12N

Memphis at Alabama:

ESPN2

Cal Poly at Washington: 10:30 p.m., PAC-12N

NBA

Sacramento at 76ERS: 7 p.m., NBCSP+

Golden State at Milwaukee: 7:30 p.m., TNT

Boston at LA Lakers: 10 p.m., TNT

NBA G-LEAGUE

Lakeland at Memphis: 8 p.m., NBATV

NHL

Dallas at DEVILS: 7p.m., MSG FLYERS at Colorado: 9 p.m., NBCSP

Washington at Chicago: 9 p.m., ESPN

SOCCER (MEN’S)

FIFA World Cup, Argentina vs. Croatia, Semifinal, Lusail, Qatar: 2 p.m., FOX 9 p.m.,