Watchung Hills' DiAndrea falls in 132 state wrestling final

Watchung Hills' Anthony DiAndrea reaches the podium in Atlantic City for the fourth time.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 10:05pm

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Watchung Hills' Anthony DiAndrea fell to Delsea's 21st-seeded Greyson Pettit in the 132-pound state final at the NJSIAA Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City. DiAndrea, the third seed and defending state champion, was unable to finish his takedown attempts as Pettit scored two slick takedowns to win 12-3. Despite the loss, DiAndrea finishes his high school career with a 149-13 record and four state medals.

Why it matters

DiAndrea was one of the top wrestlers in New Jersey, having won four Somerset County Tournament titles, four district crowns, and three region titles. His loss in the state final is a surprising upset, as the 21st-seeded Pettit took down several higher-ranked opponents on his way to the championship match.

The details

DiAndrea, calm and deliberate in his movements, was unable to get past Pettit's quick and explosive style. Pettit scored two takedowns off a duck under and a slide-by, while DiAndrea had two takedown chances in the first and second periods but couldn't finish. Watchung Hills coach Dan Smith praised Pettit's performance, saying the Delsea wrestler 'wrestled a really good match' and got to the things he wanted to do.

  • The NJSIAA Wrestling Championships took place on March 14, 2026 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The players

Anthony DiAndrea

A wrestler for Watchung Hills High School who finished his high school career with a 149-13 record and four state medals, including a third-place finish in 2025 and a fifth-place finish in 2024.

Greyson Pettit

A 21st-seeded wrestler from Delsea High School who pulled off several upsets to reach the 132-pound state final, including a win over the defending state champion.

Dan Smith

The head wrestling coach at Watchung Hills High School.

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What they’re saying

“The kid wrestled a great match. We couldn't get to our hand fight and couldn't get past his hands and kid's like super quick and explosive. He wrestled a really good match. … He got to some of the things that he wanted to get to and we didn't.”

— Dan Smith, Watchung Hills head wrestling coach

“Like I just told him, like he has nothing to be ashamed of. One of the best careers we've ever had anybody have at Watchung Hills and I told him this is just part of his journey in wrestling. This is just the start and now he moves on to college at the University of Pennsylvania. As much as it hurts now, I told him this is going to help him. This is going to help fuel him through college and make him just a better wrestler in the future.”

— Dan Smith, Watchung Hills head wrestling coach

What’s next

DiAndrea will continue his wrestling career at the University of Pennsylvania.

The takeaway

Despite the disappointing loss in the state final, DiAndrea's impressive high school career, which included four state medals and numerous other accolades, has set him up for continued success at the collegiate level. His coach's comments suggest the defeat will only motivate him to become an even better wrestler in the future.