Watchung Hills' Anthony DiAndrea reaches state wrestling final

The senior wrestler advances to the 132-pound state championship match

Mar. 14, 2026 at 2:07am

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Watchung Hills High School senior Anthony DiAndrea reached the state wrestling 132-pound final after defeating the No. 2 seed Johnathon McGinty of St. Joseph (Montvale) in the semifinal match. DiAndrea, the No. 3 seed, won 7-0 with an escape and two takedowns, advancing to face the No. 21 seed Greyson Pettit of Delsea in the championship.

Why it matters

DiAndrea's methodical and disciplined wrestling style has helped him steadily improve his state tournament finishes each year, going from 7th as a freshman to 5th, 3rd, and now the finals. His ability to stick to his game plan and avoid risky moves has made him a consistent contender, even as an underdog seed.

The details

In the semifinal match, DiAndrea scored an escape and a takedown on the edge of the mat in the second period to take a 4-0 lead over McGinty, who was the state runner-up at 120 pounds last year. DiAndrea then added another takedown early in the third period and rode out McGinty for the 7-0 victory.

  • The state wrestling finals are scheduled to start approximately at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
  • DiAndrea reached the state 132-pound semifinal on Friday, March 13, 2026.

The players

Anthony DiAndrea

A senior wrestler at Watchung Hills High School who has steadily improved his state tournament finishes each year, going from 7th as a freshman to 5th, 3rd, and now the finals.

Johnathon McGinty

The No. 2 seed wrestler from St. Joseph (Montvale) who was the state runner-up at 120 pounds last year.

Greyson Pettit

The No. 21 seed wrestler from Delsea High School who upset the defending state champion and No. 1 seed Sammy Spaulding of Camden Catholic to advance to the 132-pound state final.

Dan Smith

The head coach of the Watchung Hills wrestling team.

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What they’re saying

“That was boring – and we loved it”

— One of our coaches

“I just try to wrestle my best and just work on getting the next point, next point, next point”

— Anthony DiAndrea

“It's a number. It's a number next to my name – that's what seeding is. I mean, you just saw the 21 seed is in the finals with me. Seedings all a number. It's ultimately the guy that goes out there and gets it that's going to win”

— Anthony DiAndrea

“I'm just excited to be in the finals for once. It's going to be awesome. I can't even imagine. I mean wrestling in the semis is amazing but I can't imagine the finals. I worked my whole life for this so I'm super excited”

— Anthony DiAndrea

“He's wrestled a great tournament. He's focused, he knows what he needs to do to win. Every match he's got a game plan in terms of what he needs to do to get the win and he's just wrestling really well right now”

— Dan Smith, Watchung Hills head coach

What’s next

The 132-pound state championship match between Anthony DiAndrea and Greyson Pettit is scheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The takeaway

Anthony DiAndrea's disciplined and methodical wrestling style has helped him steadily improve his state tournament finishes each year, culminating in his first appearance in the state championship match. His ability to stick to his game plan and avoid risky moves has made him a consistent contender, even as an underdog seed.