#4 Mason Heck (Lacey) vs. #12 Brandon Flory (Seneca)

#3 Dante Onorato (Paulsboro) vs. #6 Jared Brunner (Eastern)

#2 Brett Blaess (Jackson Memorial) vs. #7 Justin Murray (TR South)

Currently ranked #4 in the country, the undefeated Santaniello is a huge favorite here.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Santaniello / 2. Onorato / 3. Blaess / 4. Brunner

Anonymous: Santaniello

#1 Ryan Rosenthal (TR North) vs. #8 Isiah Shafer (Paul VI)

#5 Jackson Sichelstiel (Paulsboro) vs. #13 Nicholas Aromando (Cherokee)

#3 Colin Bradshaw (Howell) vs. #6 Braden Scott (Brick Memorial)

#2 Samuel Kotch (Cinnaminson) vs. #10 Lucas Lipari (Jackson Memorial)

Rosenthal has finished in the Top 5 at Regions twice, and was a win away from a spot on the podium in AC last season. 2nd-seeded Kotch finished 6th in the Region last year at Camden Catholic, and is unbeaten since joining the lineup on 1/18. 

PICKS

Despo: 1. Rosenthal / 2. Kotch / 3. Bradshaw / 4. Sichelstiel

Anonymous: Kotch

#1 Vin Santaniello (Brick Memorial) vs. #8 Jake Rosenthal (TR North)

#4 Kyle Nase (Howell) vs. #5 Gavin Haegele (Eastern)

#3 Chase Casey (Camden Catholic) vs. #6 Luke Temple (Jackson Memorial)

#2 Georgio Mazzeo (Paulsboro) vs. #7 Dominic Rodriguez (Pemberton)

#1 Michael Richardson (Brick Memorial) vs. #8 Anthony Rosano (Paulsboro)

#4 AJ Parent (Gloucester City) vs. #5 Jayden Gonzalez (Rancocas Valley)

#3 Cael Rankin (Donovan Catholic) vs. #6 Joe McCullough (TR East)

#2 Neiko Malone (Howell) vs. #7 Evan Brown (Cherokee)

The Top 3 seeds here have all been to AC before. Richardson won by fall over Malone in the SCT, but I'm going with my gut and say Malone avenges that loss. The 3/6 quarter is also a rematch, in which McCullough won, 6-4 in sudden victory.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Malone / 2. Richardson / 3. Rankin / 4. Gonzalez

Anonymous: Richardson

#1 Michael Conklin (TR East) vs. #8 Jacob Maroukis (Donovan Catholic)

#4 Ryan Smith (Brick Memorial) vs. #12 Isaiah Fenton (Howell)

#3 Tyler Pepe (Central) vs. #6 Nick Arena (Paul VI)

#2 Andrew Aromando (Cherokee) vs. #7 Collin Rolak (Lacey)

This is a very deep weight, and if we're to get another round of Conklin/Pepe, both wrestlers have work to do. If Pepe can win his first bout, he gets the winner of Aromando and Rolak. Aromando is a 2-time State qualifier, and Rolak has had a very strong season for Lacey this year. If Conklin wins his opener, he gets the winner of Smith, a State qualifier for the Stangs last season, and Howell's talented freshman, Fenton.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Conklin / 2. Aromando / 3. Pepe / 4. Smith

Anonymous: Aromando

#1 Jacob Perez-Eli (Paulsboro) vs. #8 Joe Zaccaro (Central)

#4 John Howe (Cherry Hill West) vs. #5 Nico Bogardus (Seneca)

#3 Cooper Pontelandolfo (Cherokee) vs. #6 Thomas Blanch (Moorestown)

#2 Cody Walsh (Camden Catholic) vs. #7 Nick White (Jackson Memorial)

A loaded Top 4 that is going to be awfully tough to crack. A four top seeds have previously been to AC, with Perez-Eli finishing 2nd last season, while Pontelandolfo placed 6th. Walsh defeated Pontelandolfo in a dual this season, 3-2.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Perez-Eli / 2. Walsh / 3. Pontelandolfo / 4. Howe

Anonymous: Walsh

#1 Andrew Clark (Collingswood) vs. #8 Anthony Lawrence (TR East)

#4 Conlan Holt (Cinnaminson) vs. #5 Ryan Bolletino (Haddonfield)

#3 Dante Monaco (Camden Catholic) vs. #6 Ronald McCoy (Moorestown)

#2 Gabe Onorato (Paulsboro) vs. #7 Kory Seidle (Seneca)

Top-seeded Clark is a 2-time State medal winner, finishing 8th and 4th. Onorato is a 3-time State qualifier, coming one win shy of a medal last season. Monaco went to AC in 2018. The group behind them is pretty solid, but this is a tough Top 3 to crack. That said, keep an eye on McCoy here.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Clark / 2. Onorato / 3. McCoy / 4. Monaco

Anonymous: Clark

#1 Brandon Mooney (Camden Catholic) vs. #8 Jason Lucci (Paulsboro)

#4 Matthew Still (Lenape) vs. #5 Aiden Weingrad (Cherry Hill East)

#3 Zach Kitchell (Collingswood) vs. #6 Mike Rauch (Jackson Memorial)

#2 Nick Boggiano (TR North) vs. #10 Max Borton (Seneca)

If the seeds hold, you have another potential great final here in Mooney, who was 5th in NJ at this weight last year, and the undefeated Boggiano, who finished 8th at 145.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Boggiano / 2. Mooney / 3. Kitchell / 4. Still

Anonymous: Mooney

#1 Harrison Hinojosa (Camden Catholic) vs. #9 Steven McGauley (Central)

#4 Shawn Williams (Paulsboro) vs. #5 Nathan Lapinski (Cherokee)

#3 Constatntinos Pavlides (Eastern) vs. #6 Matt Spalletta (TR North)

#2 Declan Skelly (Haddonfield) vs. #7 Riley Santino (Lenape)

Hinojosa was two wins away from a medal in AC last season. Skelly and Pavlides are also returning State qualifiers. These two split a pair of bouts this season, with Pavlides taking the most recent meeting in last week's D28 Finals.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Hinojosa / 2. Pavlides / 3. Skelly / 4. Williams

Anonymous: Hinojosa

#1 Shane Reitsma (Howell) vs. #8 Michael Gregg (Collingswood)

#4 Austin Raynor (Camden Catholic) vs. #5 Hunter Smith (Jackson Memorial)

#3 Jackson Brandt (Lacey) vs. #6 Nicholas Sura (Central)

#2 Luke Benedict (Haddonfield) vs. #7 Justin Burkert (TR North)

Go Reitsma!

PICKS

Despo: 1. Reitsma / 2. Benedict / 3. Raynor / 4. Brandt

Anonymous: Reitsma

#1 Joe Colon (Brick Memorial) vs. #9 Vincent Dallicardillo (Central)

#4 Jamel Miles-Benjamin (Paulsboro) vs. #5 Nick DiNoia (Haddonfield)

#3 Gavin Shields (West Deptford) vs. #6 Mason Worrell (Eastern)

#2 Isaac Dean (Shawnee) vs. #7 Jeremiah Davis (Sterling)

Colon is the only one here that has been to AC, and he's got their twice. He's a pretty strong favorite here.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Colon / 2. Shields / 3. DiNoia / 4. Dean

Anonymous: Colon

#1 Martin Cosgrove (Camden Catholic) vs. #9 James Elias (TR North)

#4 John Dalmass (Moorestown) vs. #5 Drew Hutchinson (Haddonfield)

#3 David Szuba (Brick Memorial) vs. #11 Kevin Langlois (Lenape)

#2 Kyle Epperly (Jackson Memorial) vs. #7 Hunter Lino (Howell)

Top-seeded Cosgrove finished 3rd in AC last year at 170. Epperly finished 7th in AC at this weight last season. If the seeds hold, we get another an SCT Final rematch between Epperly and Szuba, which was won by Epperly, 10-3. 

PICKS

Despo: 1. Cosgrove / 2. Epperly / 3. Szuba / 4. Dalmass

Anonymous: Epperly

#1 Robert Damerjian (Moorestown) vs. #8 Jacob Jordan (Audobon)

#4 Mike Nakano (TR North) vs. #5 Cody Thurston (West Deptford)

#3 Hunter Suter (Camden Catholic) vs. #6 Michael Carey (Haddonfield)

#2 Vin Ceglie (Lacey) vs. #7 Jacob Clark (Cinnaminson)

Damerjian missed most of the season due to injury, but has been dominant in the brief time he has been back. Both Ceglie and Suter are NJ-WB1's, with Ceglie getting their last year, and Suter in 2018. The 4-5 bout is solid with Nakano and Thurston, who only lost to Suter by 1 in last week's D25 Final. The field behind them is strong as well, making this a very strong, balanced bracket.

PICKS

Despo: 1. Suter / 2. Damerjian / 3. Ceglie / 4. Nakano

Anonymous: Damerjian

#1 Brad Galassi (Jackson Memorial) vs. #9 Alex Pfeifer (Shawnee)

#4 Mark Loveland (Lenape) vs. #5 Tasir Money (West Deptford)

#3 Jeffery Jordan (Audobon) vs. #6 John O'Donnell (TR North)

#2 Justin Wright (Howell) vs. #10 Terrance Salami (Holy Cross)