Delbarton's Middle Weights Power Through CBA for Non-Public A Crown

photo by: Marco Morales | coverage by: AJ Morales

When the top two teams in the state collide at Rutgers, the margins are supposed to be razor thin. Early on, it looked exactly like that. But once Delbarton found its rhythm in the middle of the lineup, the Green Wave turned a tight battle into a decisive 34–20 win over Christian Brothers Academy to claim the Non-Public A championship.

The dual opened at 132 with Sean Kenny giving CBA an early boost, edging Braden Jones 8–6 to put the Colts on the board first. Delbarton answered at 138 with a technical fall from Nico Marchetti to swing momentum, but Robert Duffy’s 6–2 win at 144 pushed CBA back in front, 6–5. Through three bouts, it felt like a back-and-forth war between two evenly matched programs.

Then Delbarton took control.

Starting at 150, the Green Wave began a six-match run that ultimately decided the championship. Nicholas Schwartz and Trevor Jones picked up tough decisions at 150 and 157, flipping the lead and applying pressure. At 165, Penn State commit Jayden James delivered a dominant 17–2 technical fall, widening the gap and igniting the Delbarton bench.

Gabe Logan’s return at 175 proved to be one of the defining moments of the match. After battling injury and not being at full strength, Logan stepped onto the mat and delivered a fall at 3:34, securing six critical team points and pushing the lead to 22–6.

“I may not be at 100%, but I knew I just had to be out there and do what needs to be done for my team,” Logan said afterward.

Delbarton kept pouring it on. Carl Betz added a technical fall at 190, and then came one of the night’s biggest swing bouts at 215. Jesse DeNegri faced Brock Oizerowitz in a matchup that carried major momentum implications. The bout was tight early, but DeNegri separated himself with a takedown near the edge of the mat and then capitalized late in the period, throwing by off a shot attempt to extend his lead. His 7–2 decision didn’t just add three points, it pushed Delbarton’s run to six straight wins from 150 through 215 and extended the advantage to 30–6.

From there, CBA tried to claw back.

Tyler Palumbo picked up a tiebreaker win at heavyweight. Santino Edgar followed with a gritty 4–1 decision at 106. Shiloh Joyce added a technical fall at 113, and suddenly the Colts had cut into the deficit. But even as CBA strung together wins, Delbarton never allowed the door to fully reopen. Alex Rosciano’s ability to prevent a fall at 113 kept the team margin intact and ensured the comeback would stall.

Cameron Sontz sealed it for the Green Wave at 120 with a major decision, mathematically locking up the team title before Paul Kenny closed out the dual with a win at 126 for CBA. By then, the outcome was decided.

For Jayden James, who capped his high school team career with another championship performance, the moment carried extra weight.

“It’s awesome. I like to set a great example for these guys,” James said. “This is my last chance here. I’ve been here four times. Those losses we had earlier in my career hurt, but they build us for moments like this. No one trains harder than us. No one has a better brotherhood.”

Delbarton’s dominance in the middle weights told the story. In a dual that began evenly, the Green Wave’s depth, physicality, and experience from 150 through 215 created a run CBA could not overcome. The lineup delivered when it mattered most, and the return of key contributors only amplified the effort.

The season isn’t over, but the message was clear at Rutgers. When the stakes are highest and the spotlight brightest, Delbarton finds another level.