Delbarton wrestling crowns four champions, scores most team points at NJ state tournament

ATLANTIC CITY – Delbarton is all alone at the top.

The Morristown parochial school crowned a team-high and modern-day state tournament record four individual champions, and finished first in the overall and unofficial team standings, at the 90th NJSIAA wrestling tournament on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall.

The Green Wave went four-for-five in title bouts and won the final three championship matches to finish with a team-high 205 points, edging runner-up St. Joseph-Montvale (203.5).

Senior Tyler Vazquez (138) started the gold-medal run, repeating as state champion when he captured the 138-pound title. Sophomore Alessio Perentin (157), junior Louis Cerchio (165) and senior Simon Ruiz (175), closed out the three-day event. Ruiz won his second straight crown.

“We were following the unofficial team score and we looked at it and said we had to win the last three if we were going to finish first. That means a lot to us considering how we lost a couple of weeks ago,” Delbarton coach Bryan Stoll said. “I know we don’t get a trophy for it and we can’t put a banner in the school or get rings or anything, but I think we proved over the weekend that we’re certainly in the argument as one of the best teams in the country and in the state.”

Delbarton’s four champions tied Brick Memorial (2021), Bergen Catholic (2015 and 2016) and High Point (2011) for the most individual champions in a season in the modern era.

Though Stoll was hesitant to say that this is the best Delbarton team ever, he admits they're in the argument.

“It’s really hard to compare teams. What I will tell you is that we’ve continued to improve every year," he said. "The first two years, we were a little low and then we started cracking the Top 20 in the state. Then we win a state championship in 2011. Then we start cracking the national rankings. We constantly continued to move up. It’s going to be hard to top the talent on this team.

"We’re going to miss all our seniors. Obviously, Tyler [Vazquez] and Simon [Ruiz] are both two-time state champs. It’s going to be tough to replace them in the lineup. I don’t like to compare the teams, but if you were to, you could say this team is certainly very close to the top.”

Tyler Vazquez goes back-to-back

Vazquez capped off his prep career in grand fashion, capturing the 138-pound title for his second straight state crown.

Vazquez edged senior Giovanni Alejandro of St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1-0 on an escape just 40 seconds into the third period.

A four-time state medalist, Vazquez placed third in the state at 106 pounds in 2020 and was third at 120 pounds in 2021. He captured his first gold medal last March at 132 pounds.

Vazquez closed out the season with a 40-3 record and concludes his career at 121-10.

Alessio Perentin strikes gold

Perentin, a sophomore, captured his first state title, defeating senior Zander Silva of Christian Brothers Academy, 5-2 in the 157-pound title bout.

The Clark resident scored two takedowns in the first period and an escape to start the third.

“I wasn’t too happy wrestling him [Silva]. He’s one of my good friends," Perentin said. "But that doesn’t matter in the state finals. You have to go out there and give it your all. I got my two takedowns and he couldn’t come back from that.

“This is an awesome feeling. I won the Beast [Beast of the East] title and it didn’t feel as good as this. All my fans and friends were able to watch me. This is so great.”

Perentin, a fourth-place finisher at 138 pounds in 2022, is a two-time region and district champion. He closes out the season with a 41-1 record and is 73-6 in his career.

Cerchio stays perfect

After placing sixth as a freshman in 2021 and fourth last year, Cerchio reached the top of the summit in his third attempt.

Cerchio scored a 5-0 win over Jasiah Queen of St. John Vianney in the 165-pound title match to claim his first state title. It’s the second time this season the junior defeated Queen, also earning a 9-1 win over the senior in the Beast of the East finals in December.

“I felt pretty confident going out there. I put a lot of preparation in with my dad and coaches. I just did what I have to do every day in the practice room and I knew it would pay off," Cerchio said. "I’ve been coming to this tournament since I was 6 months old being pushed around in a stroller. It’s nice to finally get on top. It’s been my dream for pretty much my whole life. I remember coming down here and falling in love with the scenery.”

Cerchio capped off a perfect season at 39-0. He is 81-9 in his career.

Ruiz reaches the century mark

Ruiz captured a second straight title, holding off fellow returning champion Harvey Ludington of Brick Memorial, 3-2 in the 175-pound championship.

Clinging to a one-point lead to start the third period, Ruiz rode out the sophomore for the entire two minutes.

“I’m so confident on top that I can ride anyone. It’s just about being gritty. It was very important to repeat. Like my coaches say, there’s nothing sweeter than a repeater,” the Cornell-bound Ruiz said. “I wanted to get that feeling. It feels good to get it done in a weight class that everyone will remember for a long time.”

The accomplishment was satisfying to Ruiz, who missed the first six weeks of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee in the offseason.

“I never had any doubts. I felt good coming back for the Blair match [in February] and bumped it up a little more, which is why I’m wearing this heavier brace,” said Ruiz, a Morristown resident. “But I never had any doubts. I’m pretty flexible and even with a bum knee, I’m a lot more flexible than most guys.”

A four-time medalist, Ruiz placed third in the state in 2020 at 132 pounds and was second as a sophomore at 145 pounds. He is a three-time region and district champion.

He closed out this season with a 30-0 record and finished his career with a 100-11 mark.

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Delbarton NJ wrestling crowns four champs at state tournament