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JACKSON - Luke Johnston did not exactly receive the easiest path to the NJSIAA Region 6 113-pound championship match even though he is the No. 1 seed.
Johnston, a junior at Howell High School and the state sixth-place finisher at 106 last season, will have to wrestle Christian Brothers Academy's talented freshman Shiloh Joyce Saturday morning in a marquee semifinal at Jackson Township High School.
"To stress over it like it's life and death, that's not ultimately what it is,'' Johnston said Friday night after he defeated Allentown's Vincenzo Baldino by technical fall in the quarterfinal. "You've just got to have fun and wrestle.''
Johnston was one of eight Howell wrestlers who advanced to the semifinals, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The finals in the 14 weight classes will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
More: Full coverage, results from 2026 NJ wrestling region championships
Joyce, who defeated Northern Burlington's Chase Millan by technical fall, was one of 12 CBA wrestlers to advance to the semifinal.
All of the No. 1 and 2 seeds and 10 of the No. 3 seeds advanced.
NJSIAA Region 6 Tournament Boys Wrestling Results
Despite wrestling some of the best wrestlers in the country, Joyce (30-6) was seeded fourth because he did not have past state or region criteria.
Brick Memorial senior Michael Napolitano was seeded No. 2 because he is a two-time state qualifier and is in the region tournament for the fourth straight season.
Wall's Omar Carrillo-Solano was seeded third because he is in his third region tournament. He was pinned by No. 11 seed Preston Nitche of Seton Hall Prep in the quarterfinal.
The result of all of that was a semifinal matchup between Johnston and Joyce - the two wrestlers that many feel are the two best at the weight in the region.
"I feel like that could definitely be a state final,'' Johnston said.
Johnston said he and Joyce have known each other for a long time.
"Shiloh just happens to be a kid I grew up with, trained with for a while,'' Johnston said. "He is very good. You kind of know when a guy's a freshman, no matter how good they are, they're probably going to be seeded low. You see it all the time. It happened to me and Hodgins (Howell's standout junior 215-pounder Tanner Hodgins) our freshman year where we didn't get the best of draws.
"It is what it is. You've just got to go out there and wrestle. My goal is not to take second or third. I've got to beat him anyway so it doesn't really matter (when he wrestles Joyce). ''
Johnston dropped down to 113 late in the season after wrestling much of the season at 120 pounds.
"At the beginning of the year, I thought 20 (120) was the right weight, but I didn't feel like I was at my best,'' Johnston said. "I feel good down a weight. It was a good decision for the team. We had a couple of guys up in the lineup that were a little small (junior Shane Maghan dropped down to 120 from 132 and senior Will Stapleton dropped down to 132 from 138). I decided to drop down not only for myself, but for the kids I love and care for. That's ultimately what it came down to.''
Johnston did admit the cut to 113, which is really 115 with the two-pound allowance that kicked in Jan. 1 and will be 116 Saturday with an additional one-pound allowance for wrestling on consecutive days, is not easy.
"It was a little tougher than I thought,'' Johnston said. "I try not to complain about it. There's definitely some long, hard days. I plan on getting bigger after this season. This is one last cut coming down. This is a tough weight class.''
Nitche, who also rallied from a 7-0 deficit for a 15-8 win in sudden victory over Jackson Township's Axel Ramos in the pre-quarterfinal, was one of two No. 11 seeds who advanced to the semifinal.
The other was Manasquan's Torrin Tracey (157). He defeated No. 3 and District 22 champion Jeremy Marsella of Wall 4-1 in sudden victory in the quarterfinal after he pinned Northern Burlington's Nathan Hyman in the pre-quarterfinal.
Two No. 6 seeds - Bordentown's Joseph Hartz (150) and Allentown's Nicholas Laquara (heavyweight) - advanced.
Hartz knocked off No. 3 and 2024 state qualifier Parker Quinn of Wall 4-3 in the quarterfinal.
Laquara defeated Freehold Borough's Onesimo Nieto 5-4 on an escape with eight seconds left.
Hartz was part of a big night for Bordentown. Senior Hunter Novoa (138) denied CBA a perfect night when he rallied for a 12-9 win in sudden victory over Cael Dutton.
Novoa tied the bout on a takedown with 30 seconds left in regulation and then won it on a takedown with four seconds left in the sudden victory period.
Six No. 5 seeds knocked off No. 4 seeds.
They were:
Northern Burlington's Jason Marasco (126); Manalapan's Gage Grant (132); Seton Hall Prep's Tyler Yildiz (144); Ocean's Jake Volek (150); Ocean's Nicholas Allen (175) and Ewing's Cephus Horton (heavyweight).
Riverside's Eduardo Oliveira was a No. 4 seed who avoided defeat after he trailed Burlington Township's Nicholas Davis 10-1 in the second period. Oliveira cradled Davis with 28 seconds left in the bout.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore wrestling: CBA, Howell dominate Region 6 opening night
Continue reading...
Johnston, a junior at Howell High School and the state sixth-place finisher at 106 last season, will have to wrestle Christian Brothers Academy's talented freshman Shiloh Joyce Saturday morning in a marquee semifinal at Jackson Township High School.
"To stress over it like it's life and death, that's not ultimately what it is,'' Johnston said Friday night after he defeated Allentown's Vincenzo Baldino by technical fall in the quarterfinal. "You've just got to have fun and wrestle.''
Johnston was one of eight Howell wrestlers who advanced to the semifinals, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The finals in the 14 weight classes will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
More: Full coverage, results from 2026 NJ wrestling region championships
Joyce, who defeated Northern Burlington's Chase Millan by technical fall, was one of 12 CBA wrestlers to advance to the semifinal.
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All of the No. 1 and 2 seeds and 10 of the No. 3 seeds advanced.
NJSIAA Region 6 Tournament Boys Wrestling Results
Why Joyce is only the No. 4 seed.
Despite wrestling some of the best wrestlers in the country, Joyce (30-6) was seeded fourth because he did not have past state or region criteria.
Brick Memorial senior Michael Napolitano was seeded No. 2 because he is a two-time state qualifier and is in the region tournament for the fourth straight season.
Wall's Omar Carrillo-Solano was seeded third because he is in his third region tournament. He was pinned by No. 11 seed Preston Nitche of Seton Hall Prep in the quarterfinal.
The result of all of that was a semifinal matchup between Johnston and Joyce - the two wrestlers that many feel are the two best at the weight in the region.
"I feel like that could definitely be a state final,'' Johnston said.
Johnston said he and Joyce have known each other for a long time.
"Shiloh just happens to be a kid I grew up with, trained with for a while,'' Johnston said. "He is very good. You kind of know when a guy's a freshman, no matter how good they are, they're probably going to be seeded low. You see it all the time. It happened to me and Hodgins (Howell's standout junior 215-pounder Tanner Hodgins) our freshman year where we didn't get the best of draws.
"It is what it is. You've just got to go out there and wrestle. My goal is not to take second or third. I've got to beat him anyway so it doesn't really matter (when he wrestles Joyce). ''
Johnston's decision to drop down a weight for the post season.
Johnston dropped down to 113 late in the season after wrestling much of the season at 120 pounds.
"At the beginning of the year, I thought 20 (120) was the right weight, but I didn't feel like I was at my best,'' Johnston said. "I feel good down a weight. It was a good decision for the team. We had a couple of guys up in the lineup that were a little small (junior Shane Maghan dropped down to 120 from 132 and senior Will Stapleton dropped down to 132 from 138). I decided to drop down not only for myself, but for the kids I love and care for. That's ultimately what it came down to.''
Johnston did admit the cut to 113, which is really 115 with the two-pound allowance that kicked in Jan. 1 and will be 116 Saturday with an additional one-pound allowance for wrestling on consecutive days, is not easy.
"It was a little tougher than I thought,'' Johnston said. "I try not to complain about it. There's definitely some long, hard days. I plan on getting bigger after this season. This is one last cut coming down. This is a tough weight class.''
Bracket busters
Nitche, who also rallied from a 7-0 deficit for a 15-8 win in sudden victory over Jackson Township's Axel Ramos in the pre-quarterfinal, was one of two No. 11 seeds who advanced to the semifinal.
You must be registered for see images attach
The other was Manasquan's Torrin Tracey (157). He defeated No. 3 and District 22 champion Jeremy Marsella of Wall 4-1 in sudden victory in the quarterfinal after he pinned Northern Burlington's Nathan Hyman in the pre-quarterfinal.
Two No. 6 seeds - Bordentown's Joseph Hartz (150) and Allentown's Nicholas Laquara (heavyweight) - advanced.
Hartz knocked off No. 3 and 2024 state qualifier Parker Quinn of Wall 4-3 in the quarterfinal.
Laquara defeated Freehold Borough's Onesimo Nieto 5-4 on an escape with eight seconds left.
Hartz was part of a big night for Bordentown. Senior Hunter Novoa (138) denied CBA a perfect night when he rallied for a 12-9 win in sudden victory over Cael Dutton.
Novoa tied the bout on a takedown with 30 seconds left in regulation and then won it on a takedown with four seconds left in the sudden victory period.
Six No. 5 seeds knocked off No. 4 seeds.
You must be registered for see images attach
They were:
Northern Burlington's Jason Marasco (126); Manalapan's Gage Grant (132); Seton Hall Prep's Tyler Yildiz (144); Ocean's Jake Volek (150); Ocean's Nicholas Allen (175) and Ewing's Cephus Horton (heavyweight).
Riverside's Eduardo Oliveira was a No. 4 seed who avoided defeat after he trailed Burlington Township's Nicholas Davis 10-1 in the second period. Oliveira cradled Davis with 28 seconds left in the bout.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore wrestling: CBA, Howell dominate Region 6 opening night
Continue reading...
