Sports roundup: High Point wins sectional title

After a one-year absence, the High Point Regional High School boys wrestling team once again earned a sectional championship as it claimed the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 title, edging Pascack Valley, 33-31, at home Feb. 12.

The sectional crown is the 31st overall for the Wildcats, who have won seven of the past eight tournaments.

High Point lost to Jefferson, 32-29, in last year’s sectional final, and no tournament was held in 2021.

The Wildcats, seeking their second overall Group 2 title in three seasons, then bowed to Caldwell, 38-30, in a Group 2 semifinal Friday, Feb. 14.

They concluded their dual meet season with a 19-6 record under first-year head coach Billy Smith.

Against second-seeded Pascack Valley, High Point raced to a 15-0 lead on pins by Michael Tidona (138 pounds) and Nick Clayton (150) and a decision by Jesse Huelbig (144).

Carter Drouin’s pin fall victory at 120 pounds gave the Wildcats a 33-22 lead with two bouts remaining. With his team up, 33-28, High Point’s Sean Licata stayed off his back and avoided a pin fall against Adan Cedeno in a 12-7 loss in the final bout at 132 pounds to clinch the victory.

High Point, the section’s top seed, had defeated eighth-seeded Lakeland, 66-12, in the first round and fourth-seeded Westwood, 75-6, in the semifinal round at home Feb. 10 to reach the sectional final for the 16th straight season.

The individual portion of the wrestling season begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. High Point will be participating in the NJSIAA District 4 Tournament along with Butler, Hawthorne, Kinnelon, New Milford, Northern Highlands, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Wayne Hills and host West Essex.

Here’s how other High Point teams fared recently:

Boys basketball

Tucker Berry totaled 14 points and 13 rebounds; Aiden Hamilton added 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks; Colin Tennant collected 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals; Kyle Morsel had seven points, three rebounds and six assists; and Dylan Jenkins added four points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals to lift High Point to a 42-41 victory over Whippany Park on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 15 at home.

The Wildcats have won six of their past eight games to improve to 11-10.

High Point will play host to Pope John at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21.

Girls basketball

Brooke Wagner (17 points), Claire Sieminski (13 points) and Ashley Schell (13 points) led a balanced attack as High Point powered past Koinonia, 62-34, on Feb. 8 at home.

Abi Amick (six points), Grace Elston (five points), Kennedy Shepherd (four points), Rhiannon Conover (three points) and Taylor Coleman (one point) aided the win for the Wildcats.

High Point (13-10) will play host to Newark Tech at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 before welcoming Kinnelon at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24.

Ice hockey

The second-seeded High Point/Wallkill Valley/Kittatinny tri-op squad bowed to top-seeded Roxbury, 4-2, in the championship game of the Haas Cup on Feb. 10 at Mennen Arena in Morris Township.

Roxbury scored twice in the final two minutes to snap a 2-2 tie and win its first title since 2008. Brady Reid and Alex Sonvico each scored for the Wildcats.

Sonvico (30 goals, 22 assists), Anthony Tokar (19 goals, 21 assists) and Reid (11 goals, 21 assists) led High Point/Wallkill Valley/Kittatinny in scoring with goalie Landon Healy (0.862 save percentage, three shutouts) anchoring the defense.