NJWWA Top 20 – Week of Jan. 12, 2026 – Garden State HS Wrestling

The traditonally strong West Jersey region is becoming difficult to get a gauge on for voters in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20.

The storied Phillipsburg program, which has one of the youngest teams it has ever had, followed up defeat to Howell on Jan. 5, with a stirring 35-30 win over defending NJSIAA Group 4 champion North Hunterdon.

North Hunterdon, which has wrestled one of the toughest schedules in the state, defeated the Stateliners twice last season, including in the Group 4 championship match.

Mount Olive. which is in the same section – North 1 Group 4 – as Phillpsburg, is gradually getting its full lineup together. The Marauders, at full strength, are probably the favorites to win Group 4. Mount Olive was scheduled to wrestle in a tri meet earlier this season at Phillipsburg against the Stateliners and Middletown North. The meet was canceled due to skin issues with Phillipsburg.

Mount Olive does have an early season defeat to No. 11 Pope John and a defeat to Southern.

Phillipsburg, which wrestled at three-time defending Group 5 champion and old rival Southern Monday night and North Hunterdon, which has close defeats to No. 8 Southern and No. 10 Howell are major parts of a Group 4 puzzle that also includes No. 12 Mount Olive and unranked Middletown North, which dropped out of the rankings this week after two defeats last weekend.’

Among last week’s key results: Was No. 7 Paramus Catholic sweeping a quad meet with No. 9 Delsea and No. 16 St. Joseph (Metuchen). Delsea went 2-1 in that quad and St. Joseph (Metuchen) was 1-2.

Also, last week, No. 4 St. Joseph (Montvale), still wrestling without returning state champion JoJo Burke defeated No. 13 Don Bosco Prep 42-29; Christian Brothers Academy, ranked No. 2 routed No. 17 Rumson-Fair Haven 61-15 in a match that had six forfeits, five by Rumson-Fair Haven and Southern defeated Rumson-Fair Haven 42-25.

West Jersey has some key matches this week. Delaware Valley, ranked No. 19, will wrestle at North Hunterdon Tuesday night and at Phillipsburg Friday night.

Here is this week’s NJWWA Top 20 with first place votes in parentheses followed by voting points.

The poll will be posted each Tuesday at 5 a.m. through the dual meet season.

NJWWA voting members in alphabetical order: Donald J. Brower (gardenstatehswrestling.com); Frank D’Esposito (shoreconferencewrestling.com); Steven Falk (Asbury Park Press and app.com); Sean Farrell (The Record and NorthJersey.com); Tom McGurk (Courier Post and courierpostonline.com); Andy Mendlowitz (Home News Tribune, Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com); Michael Weilamann (Open Mike and mikeopen.blogspot.com); Brad Wilson (lehighvalleylive.com

1 . Delbarton (8-0) (8) 160

2. Christian Brothers Academy (7-1) 151

3. St. Peter’s Prep (4-1) 145

4. St. Joseph (Montvale) (7-4) 134

5. Camden Catholic (8-0) 130

6. Bergen Catholic (4-1) 120

7. Paramus Catholic (7-1) 112

8. Southern (5-0) 104

9. Delsea (8-1) 96

10. Howell (11-1) 88

11. Pope John (6-2) 80

12. Mount Olive (6-2) 66