#2 Angelo Messina (Freehold Boro) vs. #7 Blake Tarnowski (Ocean Twp)

Tallmadge is one of the top 106-pounders in the nation, and is my pick here. Should be a great battle for the remaining slots.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Tallmadge / 2. Messina / 3. Savur / 4. Tarnowski

Anonymous: Tallmadge

#1 Tyler Klinsky (Middletown North) vs. #9 Cory Stallwoerth (Trenton Central)

#4 Demetri Poniros (Ocean Twp) vs. #5 Vincent Principe (CBA)

#3 Garrett Totten (Northern Burlington) vs. #6 Salvatore Famularo (Steinert)

#2 Cole Meyer (Wall) vs. #7 Dylan Kelleher (Long Branch)

Another weight with a nationally ranked wrestler as the top seed. I'll go with him.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Klinsky / 2. Meyer / 3. Poniros / 4. Totten

Anonymous: Klinsky

#1 Joey Lamparelli (Allentown) vs. #8 James Latendorf (Pt Boro)

#4 Dorian Hall (Jackson Liberty) vs. #5 Gio Poniros (Ocean Twp)

#3 Sebastiano Nini (CBA) vs. #6 Hector Santiago (Freehold Twp)

#2 Fred Luchs (Middletown North) vs. #7 Blake Geibel (Northern Burlington)

The 2-time champ, Lamparelli and 2-time State qualifier, Luchs, are the strong favorites to make the finals. The two met in the D22 Final, with Lamparelli winning 9-3

PICKS

Despo: 1. Lamparelli / 2. Luchs / 3. Nini / 4. Hall

Anonymous: Lamparelli

#1 Nico Messina (Freehold Boro) vs. #8 Ethan Wisnewski (Burlington Twp)

#4 Drake Torrington (Robbinsville) vs. #5 Romeo Willis-Parreott (Jackson Liberty)

#3 Thomas O'Keefe (Middletown North) vs. #6 Mike Bruno (Wall)

#2 Julian George (CBA) vs. #7 Joseph Conlon (Long Branch)

This should be a pretty fun weight. George beat Messina in a dual earlier this season, but Messina avenged the loss in the SCT, where Messina also beat O'Keefe on his way to the SCT Title. George also beat O'Keefe in a dual, but O'Keefe avenged that one in last week's D22 Final.

PICKS

Despo: 1 Messina / 2. O'Keefe / 3. George / 4. Torrington

Anonymous: O'Keefe

#1 Jack Nies (Ocean Twp) vs. #8 Angel Bonnano (Long Branch)

#4 Riley Simon (Pt Beach) vs. #5 Zander Silva (CBA)

#3 Kether Thornton (Hightstown) vs. #6 Nicholas Moldaver (Colts Neck)

#2 Joseph Fiordaliso (Monroe) vs. #7 Tyler Ferris (Wall)

Top-seeded Nies holds a pair of wins over #2 Fiordaliso. The 3rd-seeded Thornton is a quick pinning machine, with just a single loss. The top four seeds all open here with good spoiler candidates. This could be another fun weight.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Nies / 2. Thornton / 3. Fiordaliso / 4. Silva

Anonymous: Nies

#1 Logan Waller (Colts Neck) vs. #8 Mason Louderbeack (Notre Dame)

#4 Michael Lonnay (Raritan) vs. #5 Reece Schenck (Lawrence)

#3 Alex Poniros (Ocean Twp) vs. #6 Kip Lovgren (Pt Beach)

#2 Ryan Zimmerman (Long Branch) vs. #7 Zachary Zuckerman (Delran)

Zimmerman has been a machine this year, but Waller seemed to have his number in the SCT Finals. 3rd-seeded Poniros was 7th in NJ two seasons ago. He dropped a 3-0 decision to Zimmerman at the SCT.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Waller / 2. Zimmerman / 3. Poniros / 4. Lonnay

Anonymous: Waller

#1 Avery Clarke (Freehold Twp) vs. #8 Malachi McNeil-Ways (Delran)

#4 Matt Paglia (Allentown) vs. #5 Nicolas Zamaloff (Wall)

#3 Jesse Bowers (Pt Beach) vs. #11 Anthony Profaci (Monroe)

#2 Tyler Barrett (CBA) vs. #7 Chris McCarthy (Middletown North)

My gut tells me one of CBA's frosh is going to get a title, so I'll go here, in what might be the most balanced weight in the tournament.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Barrett / 2. Paglia / 3. Clarke / 4. Bowers

Anonymous: Clarke

#1 Nico Vargas (Wall) vs. #9 Steven Schmitz (Jackson Liberty)

#4 Ryan Carey (Long Branch) vs. #5 Eren Ibas (Delran)

#3 Jack Bailey (Pt Boro) vs. #6 Eddie Farrell (Middletown North)

#2 Ian McCabe (Monroe) vs. #7 Jared Kerr (Pt Beach)

The top 2 seeds here, Vargas & McCabe, met way back on opening weekend with Vargas getting a 4-2 win against McCabe, who is a returning champ. I think Vargas goes out with a Region Title to his name.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Vargas / 2. McCabe / 3. Carey / 4. Bailey

Anonymous: McCabe

#1 Ty Bailey (Pt Boro) vs. #8 Sabino Portella (RBC)

 #4 Jake Gallarda (Lawrence) vs. #5 Chris Fanelli (Monroe)

#3 Alex Stavrou (Hightstown) vs. #6 Jared Tracey (Ocean Twp)

#2 Nicholas Golden (Allentown) vs. #10 Joseph Barsky (Colts Neck)

Did you know I once beat Ty Bailey's uncle in an arm-wrestling match with my left arm? Go ahead and ask him, he'll tell you.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Bailey / 2. Stavrou / 3. Fanelli / 4. Golden

Anonymous: Bailey

#1 Brendan Newbury (Wall) vs. #8 Ryan Bennet (Hamilton West)

#4 James Ball (Burlington City) vs. #5 John Liotta (Pt Beach)

#3 Te'Amo Nazario (Trenton Central) vs. #6 Jack Friedman (Long Branch)

#2 Anthony Bailey (Raritan) vs. #10 Paskal Miga (Allentown)

I want to go outside the box with a champ somewhere, so I'm going here.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Friedman / 2. Newbury / 3. Bailey / 4. Ball

Anonymous: Ball

#1 Luke Rada (Colts Neck) vs. #8 Chimdindu Molokwu (Jackson Liberty)

#4 Nicholas Aquilano (Raritan) vs. #5 Andrew Conklin (Long Branch)

#3 Jason Sherlock (Pt Beach) vs. #6 Gavin O'Connor (Pt Boro)

#2 Jacob Whitworth (Wall) vs. #10 Jason Baldorossi (Bordentown)

Potential Whitworth/Sherlock semi might be one of the best of the tourney, and would be a rematch from the SCT, won by Whitworth, 8-6. Rada defeated Whitworth there, 10-2.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Rada / 2. Whitworth / 3. Sherlock / 4. Aquilano

Anonymous: Rada

#1 Kenneth Koenig (Colts Neck) vs. #8 Brandon Rzuczek (Northern Burlington)

#5 Patrick O'Dwyer (Long Branch) vs. #13 Louis Pilla (Wall)

#3 Hao Tang (Brick Twp) vs. #6 Chris Stavrou (Hightstown)

#2 Aidan Meyler-McAuliffe (RBC) vs. #7 Tyler Travis (Delran)

Meyler-McAuliffe is attempting to become the Casey's first champ since 1983. Koenig is the top seed here, and I think he wins in what turns out to be a huge day for the Cougars.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Koenig / 2. Meyler-McAuliffe / 3. O'Dwyer / 4. Tang

Anonymous: Koenig

#1 Tracey Taylor (Long Branch) vs. #8 Kei'sun Sanders (Wall)

#4 Sean Theis (Delran) vs. #5 Nico Cerbo (Middletown North)

#3 Bryan Bonilla (Hightstown) vs. #6 Ray Santiago (Colts Neck)

#2 Ameir Pittman (Burlington City) vs. #7 Kevin Lind (Raritan)

Before the seeds came out, I penciled in Cerbo/Taylor as my final. If it happens, we're getting it in the semis.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Cerbo / 2. Pittman / 3. Taylor / 4. Theis

Anonymous: Taylor

#1 Joseph Teresi (Ocean Twp) vs. #9 Matt Cody (RBC)

#4 Antonio Martinez (Freehold Twp) vs. #5 Thomas Lidondici (Colts Neck)

#3 Liam Buday (Pt Beach) vs. #6 Isaias Thomas-Palafox (Neptune)

#2 Brenden Hansen (Hightstown) vs. #7 Moaamen Nasr (Lawrence)

Man, it could be a REALLY huge day for the Cougars, but you can call me a homer on this one if you'd like.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Teresi / 2. Hansen / 3. Lidondici / 4. Martinez

Anonymous: Lidondici