On the boardwalk in Atlantic City last March, Jefferson’s Dan Vallimont and High Point’s Dave Zabriskie had their hands raised as state champions while Kittatinny had a quartet of grapplers capture bronze medals in Will Livingston, Dan Tramontozzo, Tommy Spellman and Zach Weinrich. Livingston and Spellman return to the Cougars’ mats and will challenge for gold medals at the end of the NJIAA Road to the Gold that will be contested in March at the Boardwalk Convention Hall. One reason that SCIL grapplers excel from year-to-year in the states is that none of the teams duck anyone when the athletic directors put together schedules that include non-league matches against the best programs in the Middle Atlantic region. High Point will participate once again in the 16-team field at the Zephyr Duals in White Hall, Pa. against elite teams from the Keystone State. Kittatinny again opens its mat campaign in the prestigious Caldwell Tournament that annually pits the top teams of the Garden State in an individual format, while Wallkill Valley’s non-league matches include perennial powerhouses from Don Bosco Prep and West Essex. Jefferson and Newton open in the Mount Olive Tournament, while Pope John travels to Atlantic County during the season to clash with the Hermits of St. Augustine Prep. Lenape Valley hosts the Stateliners from Phillipsburg on Jan. 28, while the Spartans will do battle in the Warren Hills Tournament over the Christmas holiday break. Returning NJSIAA State Qualifiers 112-Pounds: Tyler Molinas, Jr. Jefferson 125-Pounds: John Barnett, Jr. Jefferson; Will Livingston, Sr. Kittatinny 152-Pounds: Tommy Spellman, Jr. Kittatinny 160-Pounds: Jimmy Celi, Sr. Kittatinny 171-Pounds: Mike Roselle, Sr. Sparta; D.J. Russo, Sr. Lenape Valley 275-Pounds: Zack Rey, Jr. Hopatcong