WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep wrestling team had one medal winner and one wrestler finish in the top 12 at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association/IBEW Local 102 2026 State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, March 12-14.
Senior 215-pound Rocco Salerno earned his third medal with his sixth-place finish, while fellow senior 132-pound Andre Morero finished in the top 12, getting eliminated in the “blood round.”
Salerno went 4-3 at the state championships. He decisioned Nick Mignone (Pope John XXIII) 11-1, pinned in 1:54 over Matthew Morrissey (Old Tappan), lost 8-4 to Tyler Palumbo (Christian Brothers Academy), pinned Brody Ismael (Delbarton) in 1:36, decisioned Andria Tatishvili (Fair Lawn) 12-5, lost 5-2 in sudden victory to Dante Deluca (Don Bosco Prep), and lost 7-3 to Palumbo in the fifth-sixth place bout.
Salerno had an outstanding season with a record of 37-8 and a career record of 122-26.
Morero went 3-2. He pinned Jeremy Negron (Edison) in 5:57, lost 10-0 to Anthony DiAndrea (Watchung Hills), beat Dylan Hersh (Hopewell Valley) 10-2, defeated Ed Glover (Lower Cape May) 5-1, and lost 6-2 to Peter Tereranova (Delbarton). He completed his season with a 34-10 record and an 88-41 career record.
The Pirates had other competitors at the state championships.
Freshman 120-pound Noah Hernandez was 0-2 and completed his season with a 27-12 record.
Senior 126-pound Joseph Viola went 1-2. He was pinned in 5:10 by Joseph Pellicci (Paramus Catholic), defeated Yankee Mabee (Caldwell) 4-2, and lost 10-3 to Christian Hoopes (Washington Township). Viola completed his season with a 24-13 record and 67-39 career record.
Junior 144-pound Tyler Yildiz went 1-2. He defeated Jackson Fearon (Middletown North) 8-2, lost 17-5 to Ryan DeGeorge (Delbarton), and lost to Anthony Barrett (Caldwell) 9-6. He finished his season with a 30-11 record, while his career record stands at 56-27.
Senior 157-pound August Katz went 2-2. He lost 7-4 to Louis DellaVolpe (Nutley), defeated Youssef Elgarhi (Bayonne) 20-8, pinned in :49 over Johnny Chirico (St. Augustine), and was eliminated by Luke Stempkowski (Pascack Valley) 11-5. He finished his season with a 24-7 record and his outstanding career at Columbia (three years) and SHP (one year) at 129-29.
Senior 165-pound Brandon Papa was 1-2. He pinned Nico Cordova (Middletown North) in 1:00, was pinned by Morgan Schwarz (St. Joseph–Metuchen) in 4:53, and lost 12-2 to Lukas Katsigiannis (Pope John XXIII).
Papa finished the season with a 29-13 record and a career record of 95-45 at New Providence (one year) and SHP (three years).
Some of Salerno’s highlights include:
- Four-time Essex County Tournament champion. Only current SHP head wrestling coach Lou Mascola (2008-2011) and Angelo DiLeo (2001-2005) have accomplished that feat for SHP.
- Four-time district champion. He is the fifth SHP wrestler to accomplish that feat. The others were Aidan Monteverdi (2014-17), Brenden Calas (2010-2013), Mascola (2008-2011) and Tom Eidel (2003-06.)
- Three-time state medalist: The only other SHP wrestler to accomplish this feat was Calas in 2011-13.
- Four-time state tournament qualifier. The others were Calas and Mascola.
Salerno also is third in most wins in a season (37 wins) in school history. Monteverdi had 40 wins in 2016-17 and Mascola had 38 in 2008-09, as well as 37 in 2007-08 and 2010-11.
Salerno is fourth in all-time wins at SHP. Mascola was 144-15, Monteverdi was 127-38, DiLeo was 125-18, Charlie Cunningham (2014-18) was 125-31 and Salerno finished 122-26.
Morero was a two-time district champion, as well as a three-time ECT champion.
Photos Courtesy of PJ Candido/Seton Hall Prep
Seton Hall Prep’s Rocco Salerno and Andre Morero compete at the state championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, March 12-14.
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