Market Recap

YSSR North Jersey — Covering High School & College Sports in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, and Union Counties.

East Orange captured the North 1 Group 4 championship behind relentless defense and clutch performances from James Roberts,

Ramsey reached the Group 2 state final after a dramatic overtime victory over Lyndhurst.

Plainfield dominated North 2 Group 4.

Bergen Catholic reinforced its Non-Public dominance across the region.

The top private school was Blair Academy (Warren County) which delivered one of the most dominant prep seasons in North Jersey with a 25–1 record, winning the NJ Prep Open Championship and making a deep run in the National Prep Tournament. ]

Of course Blair Academy was led by Duke-committed five-star guard Deron Rippey Jr.

In wrestling, Bergen and Morris counties powered strong performances at the NJSIAA Individual State Championships.

Programs such as Bergen Catholic and Delbarton placed multiple wrestlers in medal contention, while North Hunterdon and Warren Hills contributed strong individual qualifiers.

Upper weight classes (215+) were particularly deep across North Jersey programs, highlighting the region’s continued strength in the sport.

Winter sports have concluded, and attention now shifts to spring track, baseball, lacrosse, and softball seasons across the region.

North Jersey Baseball & Softball Season Preview Next Week!


Boys Basketball Teams YSSR Rankings

YSSR Final Top 20 -

(Using the YSSR 100-Point Formula: Win % • Quality Wins • Recent Form • Margin • Strength of Schedule)

  1. Bergen Catholic (Bergen) — ~95

  2. St. Peter’s Prep (Hudson) — ~92

  3. Blair Academy (Warren) — ~90 (25-1 record, NJ Prep Open champions)

  4. East Orange (Essex) — ~88 (North 1 Group 4 Champions)

  5. Ramsey (Bergen) — ~85 (North 1 Group 2 Champions, State Finalist)

  6. Plainfield (Union) — ~83 (North 2 Group 4 Champions)

  7. St. Mary (Rutherford) (Bergen) — ~80

  8. Hackensack (Bergen) — ~78

  9. Lyndhurst (Bergen) — ~76

  10. Montclair (Essex) — ~74

  11. Morris Catholic (Morris) — ~72

  12. Union (Union) — ~70

  13. Piscataway — ~68

  14. Linden (Union) — ~66

  15. Newark Collegiate (Essex) — ~64

  16. Teaneck (Bergen) — ~62

  17. Northern Highlands (Bergen) — ~60

  18. Wayne Valley (Passaic) — ~58

  19. Glen Rock (Bergen) — ~56

  20. Demarest (Bergen) — ~54

Boys Basketball Players / Coaches Rankings

YSSR First Team North Jersey

  1. Johnny Chaname — Lyndhurst; Program all-time leading scorer and leader of the North 2 Group 2 championship run.

  2. James Roberts — East Orange; Double-doubles during the North 1 Group 4 championship run. Social: @jamesr.__

  3. Charlie Taylor — Ramsey; Led Ramsey to the North 1 Group 2 title and the Group 2 state final. Social: @charlietaylor_2

  4. Jamiko Smith — Hackensack; Elite scoring and late-game performances during Hackensack’s playoff run. Social: @jamiko_baller

  5. Deron Rippey Jr. — Blair Academy; Five-star point guard and Duke commit; McDonald’s All-American who led Blair’s dominant prep season; Social @deronrippeyjr

    Week

YSSR Secon Team - North Jersey

  1. Alieu Kelleh — Newark Collegiate

  2. Landon Pernell — Piscataway / Social: @landopernell

  3. Isaiah Fowler — Piscataway Social: @zay.fowler1

  4. Gavin Randall — Madison; Social: @_gavinrandall

  5. Joe Ceritelli — Westwood


    ext Week

YSSR Winter Awards

Coach of the Year

Billy Armstrong — Bergen Catholic

Armstrong led Bergen Catholic to another dominant Non-Public championship run, maintaining the program’s statewide prominence.

Team of the Year

East Orange (Essex County)

East Orange captured the North 1 Group 4 championship with one of the most impressive playoff runs in North Jersey behind a physical defensive identity and clutch performances from James Roberts.

Honorable Mentions

• Ramsey — North 1 Group 2 Champions & State Finalist
• Plainfield — North 2 Group 4 Champions

YSSR Wrestling

YSSR Final Top 10 North Jersey Wrestling Programs (2025-26)

Based on NJSIAA Individual State Championship results, medalists, and overall program depth.

  1. Bergen Catholic (Bergen County)
    State champion Gideon Gonzalez (138) and high placer Joey Canova (157) led the region’s top program.

  2. Delbarton (Morris County)
    Multiple deep state tournament runs including Nicholas Schwartz (157) and Cameron Sontz (120).

  3. North Hunterdon (Hunterdon County)
    Strong lower-weight presence led by Cayden Wadle (106).

  4. Warren Hills (Warren County)
    Key qualifier Augie Szamreta (126) highlighted the program’s strength.

  5. Hanover Park (Morris County)
    State contender Joey Monticello (157).

  6. Mount Olive (Morris County)
    Strong depth in upper weights.

  7. River Dell (Bergen County)
    Multiple qualifiers representing Bergen County depth.

  8. DePaul (Passaic County)
    Top Passaic County contributor with state qualifiers.

  9. Watchung Hills (Somerset County)
    Anthony DiAndrea (132) advanced to the finals bracket.

  10. High Point (Sussex County)
    Strong regional representation from Sussex County.

YSSR Wrestling Winners

These are the wrestlers who won their championship matches (1st place/state titles). The YSSR North Jersey highlighted those from your 10 North Jersey counties (Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Union) in bold for easy spotting.

  • 106 lbs: Thomas Blewett (Middletown North) dec. Will Cruz (Paulsboro), 10-4

  • 113 lbs: Killian Coluccio (Lacey) dec. Charles Esposito (St. Joseph Montvale), 7-1

  • 120 lbs: Cameron Sontz (Delbarton, Morris County) dec. JoJo Burke (St. Joseph Montvale), 8-1 SV-1

  • 126 lbs: Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers Academy) pin Tommy Marchetti (Delbarton), 3:38

  • 132 lbs: Greyson Pettit (Delsea) maj. dec. Anthony DiAndrea (Watchung Hills), 12-3

  • 138 lbs: Gideon Gonzalez (Bergen Catholic, Bergen County) dec. Brian Little (St. Joseph Montvale), 9-4

  • 144 lbs: Robert Duffy (Christian Brothers Academy) maj. dec. Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton), 14-1

  • 150 lbs: Sonny Amato (Rumson-Fair Haven) maj. dec. Nicholas Schwartz (Delbarton), 8-0

  • 157 lbs: Joey Canova (Bergen Catholic, Bergen County) dec. Joey Monticello (Hanover Park), 6-2 TB-1

  • 165 lbs: Jayden James (Delbarton, Morris County) pin Ryan Gavrish (St. John Vianney), 1:23

  • 175 lbs: Santino Rodriguez (Don Bosco Prep) maj. dec. Gabe Logan (Delbarton), 10-1

  • 190 lbs: Carl Betz (Delbarton, Morris County) dec. Nevin Mattessich (Don Bosco Prep), 6-2

  • 215 lbs: Tanner Hodgins (Howell) maj. dec. Nicolas Gonzalez (Mount Olive), 20-7

  • 285 lbs: Cristian Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale) dec. Mateo Vinciguerra (Woodstown), 8-1

Key North Jersey Highlights

  • Bergen County led with 2 champions: Gideon Gonzalez (138) from Bergen Catholic and Joey Canova (157) from Bergen Catholic.

  • Morris County had 3 champions: Cameron Sontz (120), Jayden James (165), and Carl Betz (190), all from Delbarton.

  • No champions from Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, or Union counties in the finals, - Hopefully next year!

Looking Ahead

Winter sports are complete.

Spring seasons are underway across North Jersey:

• Baseball
• Softball
• Lacrosse
• Track & Field

Remember next week is the North Jersey Baseball & Softball Season Preview - Please share it with fellow Yokals.

YSSR tracks winning teams and impact players — backed by the data we aggregate each week.

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