SHP’s Andre Morero, who has won ECT titles as a freshman in 2023 at 120, and as a junior in 2025 at 126, is another wrestler with a chance to earn a third ECT title this season.

SHP already owns a significant regular season win over county stronghold and Group 2 power Caldwell, winning eight straight bouts between 144 and 285 during a dominating finish in a 51-23 victory in the Chiefs gym in recent Super Essex Conference-American Division dual match action. The Pirates also roared past perennial county powerhouse West Essex, 41-22.

An Essex team appearing to be very much on the rise as the ECT approaches is Cedar Grove, which lost a tough 40-32 decision to Caldwell in December, but then came on strong in the end to edge West Essex, 33-31, in another significant SEC dual match.

Coach Mike Risimini’s roaring Panthers will look to make some noise of their own in the upcoming ECT.

All the while; however, the heavy favorite to capture yet another team title appears to be SHP with veterans Salerno and Morero helping to pave the way. 

A LOOK BACK AT LAST YEAR’S ECT WRESTLING FINALS: 

2025 ECT TEAM SCORES: SHP 236 ½; Caldwell 215; West Essex 195; Nutley 163 ½; CG 149; St. benedict’s 133 ½; West Orange 124 ½; Livingston 119; Columbia 95; Bloomfield 85 ½; East Side 76 ½; Verona 62; Glen Ridge 47; Newark Academy 44 ½; Newark Collegiate 41 ½; Belleville 36 ½; Montclair 26; Orange 26; East Orange Campus 14; Irvington 12; Millburn 7; North Star Academy 2; Barringer 0.

2025 Essex County Tournament final bouts:
106: Rocco Caputo CG dec. James Bonardi Livingston, 6-4
113: Carmine Sipper, Caldwell pin Jack Finklestein Nutley 3:36
120: Anthony Pellegrino, SHP, MD Dom Holler, Caldwell, 15-5
126: Andre Morero, SHP, dec. Christian Bastante, WE 7-3
132: Anthony Barrett, Caldwell, dec. Nick Bastante, WE 11-6
138: Nicholas Adams, West Orange dec. Solomon Soriente, Cald. 6-5
144: Reid Clausi, West Essex, MD AJ Maiden, Nutley 14-4
150: August Katz, Columbia, MD Aiden Rotbaum, Nutley 12-2
157: Louis Dellavolpe, Nutley dec. Alexander Diorio, Livingston 4-1
165: Zahier Chiles, St. Benedict’s, dec. Marcelo Gripi, East Side, 9-7
175: Temuulen Mendbileg, St. Benedict’s dec. Carmine Masi, 7-2
190: Clark Rich, SHP, tech fall Nicolas Constantini CG, 17-2
215: Rocco Salerno, SHP, pin Tuguldur Bayarkhuu, St. Benedict’s, :24
285: Gabriel McCulloch, Bloom., dec. John Stockelberg, Verona 5-2     

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