For the third consecutive year, a showdown between nationally ranked wrestling powerhouses Delbarton School and Blair Academy came down to the wire. This time, however, it was Delbarton’s turn to celebrate, as the Green Wave secured a dramatic 30-29 victory over the visiting Buccaneers in front of a packed and electrified crowd in Morristown, New Jersey.
Blair had taken the last two meetings, but Delbarton, ranked No. 7 and favored for the first time in recent history over the No. 10 Bucs, flipped the script in a match filled with wild momentum swings and high-stakes drama.
Early Exchanges Set the Tone
Delbarton started strong as expected, winning the first two bouts. At 106 pounds, No. 20 PJ Terranova controlled No. 29 Eddie George in an 8-2 decision. No. 5 Cam Sontz followed at 113 with an early 4-0 lead but had to fend off a strong comeback from No. 18 Michael Batista before clinching a 5-4 victory.
Blair responded in emphatic fashion, collecting back-to-back bonus-point victories. No. 1 Leo DeLuca dominated honorable mention Tommy Marchetti at 120, racking up six takedowns en route to a 20-3 technical fall. At 126, No. 14 Vince Anello used a fast-paced first period to overwhelm Braden Jones, earning a 13-3 major decision.
Momentum Swings in the Middleweights
Trailing 9-6, Delbarton’s honorable mention Ryan DeGeorge (132) delivered a steady 7-1 decision over unranked Ellis Kirsch, knotting the team score at 9-9.
Then came one of the night’s most thrilling matches. At 138, No. 29 Weston Borgers found himself in an 8-1 hole after the first period against honorable mention Chase Quenault. But a furious second-half rally saw Borgers storm back to an 11-10 decision, igniting the crowd and briefly putting Blair ahead 12-9.
Delbarton quickly erased that deficit. At 144, Nick Schwartz delivered a dominant 14-2 major decision over Vedwin Nivas. No. 2 Jayden James followed with a first-period pin in just 1:23 over Ryan Meier at 150, sending the home fans into a frenzy and pushing Delbarton ahead 19-12.
Blair Claws Back in Upper Weights
Blair answered in stunning fashion at 157, where Joseph Schinder needed only eight seconds to pin Cole Jasinkiewicz, cutting the team score to 19-18.
Delbarton’s No. 5 Alessio Perentin (165) countered with a commanding 23-4 technical fall over Benjamin Koch, nearly securing a pin in the final seconds. That gave the Green Wave a 24-18 cushion.
Blair made a strategic lineup shift, bumping Barry Norman and No. 3 William Henckel up a weight class. The move paid dividends. Norman (175) built momentum gradually before overwhelming Jesse DeNegri in a 20-5 technical fall. Henckel (190) needed just 42 seconds to pin Brody Ishmael, putting Blair ahead 29-24 with two matches remaining.
Heavyweights Decide It All
With Blair holding a slight edge, Delbarton needed to win both remaining bouts. At 215, Elbrus Majagah delivered, jumping out to a 12-2 lead in the first period against Mark Scialla. Though the pace slowed, Majagah secured a 16-9 decision, bringing Delbarton within one, 29-27.
It all came down to the heavyweights. Unlike previous years when Blair had national No. 1 Carter Neves as a closer, the Bucs sent out TJ Kellas to face Delbarton’s August Moser in a true toss-up match.
After a scoreless first period, Moser seized control in the second, scoring a takedown for a 3-1 lead. Both wrestlers exchanged escapes in the third, but Moser sealed the victory with a late takedown, thrilling the home crowd and delivering Delbarton the 30-29 win.
Final Results: Delbarton 30, Blair Academy 29
106 – PJ Terranova (D) dec. Eddie George, 8-2
113 – Cam Sontz (D) dec. Michael Batista, 5-4
120 – Leo DeLuca (B) tech. fall Tommy Marchetti, 20-3
126 – Vince Anello (B) maj. dec. Braden Jones, 13-3
132 – Ryan DeGeorge (D) dec. Ellis Kirsch, 7-1
138 – Weston Borgers (B) dec. Chase Quenault, 11-10
144 – Nick Schwartz (D) maj. dec. Vedwin Nivas, 14-2
150 – Jayden James (D) pinned Ryan Meier, 1:23
157 – Joseph Schinder (B) pinned Cole Jasinkiewicz, :08
165 – Alessio Perentin (D) tech. fall Benjamin Koch, 23-4
175 – Barry Norman (B) tech. fall Jesse DeNegri, 20-5
190 – William Henckel (B) pinned Brody Ishmael, :42
215 – Elbrus Majagah (D) dec. Mark Scialla, 16-9
285 – August Moser (D) dec. TJ Kellas, 7-2
With the win, Delbarton flipped the recent script and proved its national standing, while Blair, despite the loss, showed its perennial toughness. In a rivalry defined by razor-thin margins, this latest chapter delivered another instant classic.
