Gloucester City hadn’t wrestled any duals before last week but wasted no time returning to the form that earned them the No. 4 spot in last year’s final Top 10 rankings.
The Lions won six duals last week, including a resounding 42-30 win over last week’s No. 3 Central Regional to move into the No. 6 spot this week.
That didn’t leave any room for last week’s No. 10, Bloomfield, whose problems fielding its complete lineup appear to continue to be troublesome.
Morris Hills also moves up to No. 3 after sweeping three more duals last week to improve to 7-0. The Knights will be hosting the Queen of the Hill Duals this Saturday which will include No. 1 Jackson Township, No. 2 High Point, No. 3 Morris Hills, No. 5 Gloucester, No. 7 Central, No. 9 Ramsey and No. 10 Passaic Tech.
1-Jackson Township (1-0)
It was a light week for the Jags with a 47-22 win over Trenton the only dual on the schedule. But things are going to heat up for Jackson this week. In addition to competing in the Queen of the Hill Duals, the Jags will host Howell and Southern this Wednesday and next, respectively, and will host the Shore Conference Tournament on Monday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
2-High Point (5-0)
The Wildcats scored a convincing 51-18 win over Mahwah in their only dual last week but will be sorely tested this week with a dual at Vernon on Wednesday and the Queen of the Hill Duals on Saturday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
3-Morris Hills (7-0)
The Knights were on a roll last week and jumped two spots as a result. They scored wins over North Hunterdon 42-27, Warren Hills 39-15 and Jefferson 37-23. After hosting the Queen of the Hill Duals on Saturday, Morris Hills hosts Dover in a dual next Wednesday.
Last week’s ranking: 5
4-Newton (2-2)
Newton has been struggling to get on track so far this season, but after beating Wallkill Valley 40-24 last week, the Brave will have a chance to sort it out this week with a tri meet against Jefferson and Lenape Valley on Wednesday and a quad meet at Bayonne, with Manchester Township and North Star Academy on Saturday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
5-Old Bridge (5-0)
The Knights had no duals last week but still jumped a spot due to Central’s slide to No. 7. This week, Old Bridge stays close to home, hosting St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday, East Brunswick on Friday and competing in the GMC Tournament on Sunday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
6-Gloucester City (6-0)
The Lions made their move last week, winning six duals without a loss and knocking off last week’s No. 3 Central Regional 42-30. In addition, Gloucester defeated Williamstown 42-30, Manchester Township 45-21, Raritan 60-9, Eastern 54-18 and Howell 60-11. This week the Lions host Trenton Wednesday, compete in the Queen of the Hill Duals on Saturday and host Paulsboro next Wednesday.
Last week’s ranking: Not ranked.
7-Central Regional (7-2)
After debuting at No. 3 last week, Central had a tough week, falling to Gloucester City 42-30 and needing to go to Criteria I to sneak past Eastern 37-36. The Golden Eagles picked up two other wins last week, beating Freehold Borough 51-9 and Howell 52-12. This week Central competes in the Queen of the Hill Duals on Saturday, the Shore Conference Tournament on Monday and hosts a dual with Manchester Township this Wednesday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
8-Ridgefield Park (4-0)
Ridgefield Park held its position with a 48-21 win over Fair Lawn last week. The Scarlets also squared off against both Orange and Dwight Morrow but did not wrestle the required seven bouts to constitute a dual meet. This week Ridgefield Park wrestles three duals, at home against Cliffside Park on Wednesday, and then on the road against Mahwah on Friday and Clifton next Wednesday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
9-Ramsey (2-1)
The Rams remain at No. 9 for the second week. They got the better of Northern Valley and Lakeland in a pair of matchups but failed to wrestle the required seven bouts in either match. This week, Ramsey competes in the Queen of the Hill Duals on Saturday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
10-Passaic Tech (8-1)
The Bulldogs went 4-0 last week but still slipped three spots as they struggled mightily to get past Mount Olive, Parsippany Hills and Vernon. After defeating Kearny 54-18, PCIT had to go to criteria to defeat Mount Olive and Parsippany Hills by identical 37-36 scores. The Bulldogs then barely got past Vernon, 36-35. This week, Passaic Tech hopes to regain lost ground at the Queen of the Hill Duals on Saturday . The Bulldogs will also wrestle duals at Clifton on Wednesday and Northern Valley the following Wednesday.
Last week’s ranking: No. 7