St. Joseph Regional Captures Non-Public A Title with Gritty Comeback Win Over Delbarton

If there was ever a team that embodied the phrase "it's not how you start, but how you finish," it’s the 2024-25 St. Joseph Regional wrestling squad. After a rollercoaster season filled with injuries, eligibility issues, and early disappointments, the Green Knights defied the odds to claim the NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship, defeating Delbarton 30-26 on Sunday at Rutgers University.

At the start of the season, most rankings had St. Joseph Regional pegged as one of the best teams in the nation, with some placing them as high as No. 3. However, a slow start at the Beast of the East tournament, where they finished sixth, and struggles at PowerAde—where they didn’t crack the top 10—led to a slip in the rankings. Losses at the Catholic School Duals to Christian Brothers Academy and Bergen Catholic only added to their woes, dropping them to the No. 8 spot nationally.

Meanwhile, Delbarton was soaring. A runner-up finish at the National Hall of Fame Duals, a third-place showing at PowerAde, and a landmark win over Blair Academy pushed the Green Wave into the No. 5 spot nationally, making them the clear favorite heading into the Non-Public A bracket.

A Climb Back to the Top

The postseason, however, provided St. Joseph Regional the opportunity to prove that their struggles were temporary. Entering the Non-Public A tournament as the No. 6 seed, they cruised past Seton Hall Prep (62-10) and avenged their earlier loss to Christian Brothers Academy with a dominant 46-29 victory. A 39-21 semifinal win over St. Peter’s Prep set up a championship showdown with top-seeded Delbarton.

The final marked the third straight year that these two powerhouse programs faced off for the state title. Delbarton had claimed the crown in 2024, while St. Joe’s had won in 2023. The Green Wave were favored to repeat, but the Green Knights had other plans.

The Championship Showdown

The dual started at 113 pounds, where Delbarton's Cam Sontz, ranked No. 5 in the country, put the Green Wave on the board with an 8-3 decision over Charles Esposito. But St. Joseph Regional immediately answered, with No. 17 Johnathon McGinty dominating Tommy Marchetti 8-2 at 120 pounds.

Momentum swung in St. Joe’s favor as Mikey Bautista secured a 9-0 major decision at 126, followed by a thrilling upset at 132, where Vincent Paino edged No. 30 Ryan DeGeorge in ultimate tiebreaker, 5-3. That put the Green Knights ahead 10-3.

Delbarton struck back at 138 when Chase Quenault stunned St. Joe’s No. 6 Adrian DeJesus with a 9-2 decision, taking advantage of an apparent injury to DeJesus. But St. Joe’s regained control at 144, where Ryan Mitchell, despite limited mat time this season, delivered a 9-2 victory over Nicholas Schwartz.

Delbarton responded with a surge of its own. No. 2 Jayden James pinned Angelo Paino in 56 seconds at 150, and at 157, Trevor Jones poured it on with a 19-3 tech fall over Joseph Paretti. A forfeit at 165 gave Delbarton its biggest lead of the match, 23-13.

St. Joe’s needed a spark, and they got it at 175 when No. 4 Ryan Burton delivered a dominant 20-5 tech fall. But Delbarton’s No. 8 Carl Betz countered at 190, taking out Kaleb Jackson 5-1, pushing the Green Wave’s lead to 26-18 with just three matches remaining.

The Final Push

With everything on the line, St. Joseph Regional turned to their biggest names to complete the comeback. At 215, No. 5 Anthony Harris came through in the clutch, pinning Elbrus Majagah at 3:09. That brought the team score to 26-24.

No. 13 Cristian Alvarez kept the momentum rolling at heavyweight, controlling August Moser in an 8-1 decision. Suddenly, St. Joe’s had the lead, 27-26, with one match left.

That left it all up to No. 3 JoJo Burke at 106 against No. 20 PJ Terranova. Burke jumped out to an early lead, but Terranova refused to go away quietly. In the end, Burke held on for a tight 8-6 victory, sealing the championship for St. Joseph Regional.

What started as a season of missed opportunities and setbacks ended in triumph. St. Joe’s turnaround from a shaky start to a state championship cements their status as New Jersey’s best team. It wasn’t always pretty, but when it mattered most, the Green Knights delivered.

Box Score

113 lb Cameron Sontz (Delbarton) DEC 8-3 Charles Esposito (SJR)

120 lb Johnathon McGinty (SJR) DEC 8-2 Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton)

126 lb Mikey Bautista (SJR) MD 9-0

132 lb Vincent Paino (SJR) UTB 5-3 Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton)

138 lb Chase Quenault (Delbarton) DEC 9-2 Adrian DeJesus (SJR)

144 lb Ryan Mitchell (SJR) DEC 9-2 Nicholas Schwartz (Delbarton)

150 lb Jayden James (Delbarton) FALL :56 Angelo Paino (SJR)

157 lb Trevor Jones (Delbarton) TF 19-3 Joseph Paretti (SJR)

165 lb Alessio Perentin won by forfeit

175 lb Ryan Burton (SJR) TF 20-5

190 lb Carl Betz (Delbarton) DEC 5-1 Kaleb Jackson (SJR)

215 lb Anthony Harris (SJR) FALL 3:09 Elbrus Majagah (Delbarton)

285 lb Cristian Alvarez (SJR) DEC 8-1 August Moser (Delbarton)

106 lb JoJo Burke (SJR) DEC 8-6 PJ Terranova (Delbarton)