ATLANTIC CITY – There is no question Paul Kenny is a dominant wrestler.
“I’m always trying to score. There’s not a defensive bone in my body,” Kenny said after he became Christian Brothers Academy’s first two-time NJSIAA champion with a pin of Delbarton’s Tommy Marchetti in the 126-pound final of the NJSIAA Boys Individual Championships Saturday at Boardwalk Hall. I just want to score. I want to score every second of the match.”
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Kenny left an overpowering trail through the post-season. From the District 21 Tournament-state tournament, Kenny had nine pins and two wins by technical fall in 11 bouts.
“That was the goal. I wanted to pin or tech my way through this whole tournament,” Kenny said.
CBA’s Paul Kenny celebrates after he won his second state championship Saturday.
This version of Paul Kenny is far different one that has admitted he was not aggressive in the 2024 state tournament, when he was defeated in the semifinal and finished third at 113 pounds, It is even a different Paul Kenny than the one who won 1-0 over St. Joseph (Montvale’s) Johnathan McGinty in last year’s 120-pound final.
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“I wanted to prove a point that I’m a different wrestler than freshman year,” Kenny, an Iowa recruit, said.
Kenny’s pin, which came in the final bout of the tournament, was the only one in the 14 state championship bouts.
Kenny was one of six state champions from the Shore. That is one off the Shore Conference record of seven set in 2008.
The Shore’s other state champions were:
Rumson-Fair Haven junior Sonny Amato (150); Howell junior Tanner Hodgins (215); Lacey junior Killian Coluccio (113); CBA senior Bobby Duffy (144) and Middletown North junior Thomas Blewett (105).
It is the second state title for Amato, who became Rumson-Fair Haven’s first two-time champion; It is the first state titles for Hodgins, Coluccio, Duffy and Blewett.
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Hodgins became Howell’s first champion since Hunter Mays won his second in 2022. Coluccio is Lacey’s first champion since Russ Witt in 1997 and just its second ever. With both Kenny and Duffy winning titles, it is the first time CBA has had two champions in the same year. Blewett is Middletown North’s first champion since Tyler Klinsky in 2020 and just its third all-time.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Middletown North’s Ryan Blewett defeats Bridgwater Raritan’s Andrew Adell in their 113 lbs. matchup. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Middletown North’s Ryan Blewett defeats Bridgwater Raritan’s Andrew Adell in their 113 lbs. matchup. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Rumson’s Eamon Fry defeated Alec Marado of Northern Valley in their 120 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Rumson’s Eamon Fry defeated Alec Marado of Northern Valley in their 120 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Rumson’s Eamon Fry defeated Alec Marado of Northern Valley in their 120 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Rumson’s Eamon Fry defeated Alec Marado of Northern Valley in their 120 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Southern’s Cade Collins defeated Collingswood’s in their 120 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Southern’s Anthony Mason falls to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Nicholas Campanelli in their 126 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Southern’s Anthony Mason falls to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Nicholas Campanelli in their 126 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Southern’s Anthony Mason falls to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Nicholas Campanelli in their 126 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
CBA’s Paul Kenny pins Glen Rock’s Roni Hubert in their 126s lb. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
CBA’s Paul Kenny pins Glen Rock’s Roni Hubert in their 126s lb. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Toms River East’s Richard DeLorenzo defeats Ocean City’s Wyatt Tolson in their 132 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Toms River East’s Richard DeLorenzo defeats Ocean City’s Wyatt Tolson in their 132 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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NJ state boys wrestling tournament Shore, Central Jersey photos
Jackson’s Tucker Pazinko defeats Red Bank Catholic Robbie Fritz in their 138 lbs bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Jackson’s Tucker Pazinko defeats Red Bank Catholic Robbie Fritz in their 138 lbs bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Jackson’s Tucker Pazinko defeats Red Bank Catholic Robbie Fritz in their 138 lbs bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Tyler Oden defeats Monroe’s Anthony Caponegro in their 138 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Tyler Oden defeats Monroe’s Anthony Caponegro in their 138 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Tyler Oden defeats Monroe’s Anthony Caponegro in their 138 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Immaculata’s Nate Miller defeated Wayne Valley’s Dominic Lally in their 144 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Immaculata’s Nate Miller defeated Wayne Valley’s Dominic Lally in their 144 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Jackson Fearon defeated Seton Hall Prep’s Tyler Yildiz in overtime. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Jackson Fearon defeated Seton Hall Prep’s Tyler Yildiz in overtime. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Jackson Fearon defeated Seton Hall Prep’s Tyler Yildiz in overtime. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Southern’s Anthony Molinaro vs Phillipsburg’s Owen Garriques in their 150 lbs match. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
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Middletown North’s Nicholas Wall defeated St. Augustine’s Jean Paul Bonnet in their 150 lbs. bout. Opening rounds of NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 12, 2026.
St. John Vianney junior Bubba Gavrish (165) was pinned by Delbarton’s sensational Penn State recruit Jayden James. James was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
How Kenny’s pin happened:
Kenny, who usually gets a quick takedown, was held without one in the first period. It was scoreless headed into the second period when Marchetti chose bottom to start the period. Marchetti did not get to his feet until after the bout was over.
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“Coach Delle (CBA assistant coach and Toms River East two-time state champion Vinnie DelleFave) told me ‘to grind him up top’,” Kenny said. “I knew that meant to go for something and not let him up.”
Kenny then ran an arm bar mixed in with a power half nelson.
“The bar, half is Vinnie DelleFave’s speciality,” Kenny said. “I sunk that half in and I don’t think he expected me to put the half in. He thought I was going to run the bar and he sat his hip up. I got it pretty deep.”
What’s next for Kenny
Kenny, who is a past Under 17 World Champion, said he will participate in the Under 20 U.S Open trials in late April in Las Vegas, which he hopes results in qualification for the finals.
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“I want to win make the youth 20 World team. I’ve still got the urge to win another world title,” Kenny said.
Amato gets back what is his
After he defeated Delbarton’s Nicholas Schwartz 8-0, Amato let everything go both emotionally and physically.
“I feel like every athlete gets these sort of butterflies,” Amato said. “Those butterflies in you are good nerves. There’s like a fire inside of you. You can either harness it and use it against your opponent or you can let it take over.”
“I didn let it really take over. I used it to the best of my ability and it won me a title.”
Rumson-Fair Haven’s Sonny Amato gets his hand raised by referee Ed Tonnessen after he won the 150-pound state championship Saturday.
Amato won the 144-pound state championship in 2024 and was named that tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. But, he has had to live with the painful memory for over a year of the 3-2 defeat to Princeton’s eventual state champion Blaise Mele in the 2025 144-pound state semifinal. Amato eventually finished third in that tournament.
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“I’m a little bit shaken up,” Amato said while fighing tears of joy. “Last year, I kind of lost myself and I was n’t in the best frame of mind. I didn’t a lot of sleep this whole past year. It felt like every night was hard on me. I really found myself. I’m really emotional.”
Amato won his last three bouts in the tournament by score of 2-0, 6-0 and 8-0. He was outstanding on the mat in those bouts. He rode opponents out and reversed them.
“Riding wins matches. You see that in college,” Amato, an Iowa recruit, said. “It’s (riding) only getting better every day.”
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ State Wrestling Tournament: 6 boys state champions for the Shore
