Delbarton Dominates Catholic School Duals for Third Consecutive Title

After three years of competition, the N.J. Catholic School Duals have become a proving ground for some of the state’s top wrestling programs. This year, Sportify No. 1-ranked Delbarton once again proved its dominance by securing its third consecutive title. The Green Wave defeated host and No. 4 Christian Brothers in the championship match with a final score of 41-26. St. Peter’s Prep, which had been the runner-up in the previous two seasons, finished as the second-place team.

Delbarton’s victory was particularly impressive given that it came without four key starters: junior state champion Ryan DeGeorge (144), junior state medalists PJ Terranova (132) and Gabe Logan (175), as well as star freshman Nico Marchetti (138). Despite this, the Green Wave improved to an undefeated 8-0 on the season, with five of those wins coming against some of the nation’s best teams.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” said Delbarton head coach Bryan Stoll. “CBA is now a Top-10 team in the country, St. Joe’s is a Top-20 team in the country, St. Peter’s is in there, and Bergen Catholic is in there. I’m really proud of the kids.”

Terranova and Marchetti both competed in Delbarton’s 49-13 semifinals win over No. 3 St. Peter’s Prep earlier in the afternoon. DeGeorge and Logan wrestled in Friday’s Pool B play, and Stoll mentioned that all four players will be evaluated during next week’s matches.

The Green Wave won eight of the 14 bouts, with seven of those victories coming by bonus points. Junior state champion Cam Sontz (120) and junior heavyweight Auggie Moser accepted forfeits, while sophomore Braden Jones (138) and senior CJ Betz (190) secured wins by fall. Sophomore Tommy Marchetti (120) and senior Sportify Wrestler of the Year Jayden James (165) each won by technical fall, and sophomore Nick Schwartz claimed a major decision.

The only bout decided by a single point came from senior Trevor Jones at 157. The Davidson commit went into an ultimate tiebreaker with fellow senior Jimmy Jakub and managed to ride him out in the final 30 seconds.

The Pompton Lakes native prides himself on his endurance in matches that go deep. “One of my best attributes is my gas tank,” Jones said. “I’m willing to go the distance and put it all out there. It’s something we definitely strive for in the room with extra sprints after practice to be ready to go the full nine minutes.”

Delbarton, which won 10 bouts in its win over St. Peter’s Prep, also defeated Holy Cross Prep (81-0) and Red Bank Catholic (68-0) on Friday.

Over the past three years, the event has offered a unique glimpse into how Non-Public A could play out in February or at least be seeded. However, it doesn’t always predict what happens in the postseason. For example, Delbarton’s state title in 2024 was sandwiched between two St. Joseph (Mont.) championships.

Regardless of the unpredictability, the event once again highlighted the strength of the top teams in the state. “I think there are six really, really good teams in Non-Public A,” Stoll said. “Everyone’s going to have to be healthy or put a team out that can win. We weren’t healthy today, but we put a team out that could win. Once you get to sectionals, it’s a little more all hands on deck. We’ll enjoy this today, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if CBA was the team we run into in the quarterfinals, semifinals, or finals. They’re building something really special there.”

Delbarton’s schedule continues with upcoming tournaments such as the Doc Buchanan Tournament in Clovis (CA), followed by the Jack Welch Duals and duals against Faith Christian Academy (PA), Malvern Prep (PA), Blair, and Wyoming Seminary (PA).

The Green Wave’s challenging path continues, but so do their winning ways. “This team is really special,” said Jones. “We have a really good group and we’re all there for each other. We have a great brotherhood. Losing [in the state title] last year is always in the back of our minds. And my freshman year, even that still stings. We’ll get it done this year though.”