FENCING UNDEFEATED, RANKED FIRST

Columbia's men's fencing team has quietly gone undefeated and reached #1 status statewide:

THE STAR-LEDGER TOP 10

1-Columbia (14-0)
2-Mendham (16-1)
3-Gov. Livingston (16-5)
4-Montclair (9-2)
5-Montgomery (13-3)
6-Ridge (10-2)
7-Watchung Hills (9-2)
8-Millburn (8-4)
9-Hunterdon Central (9-2)
10-Bernards (11-7)

After defeating fourth-seeded Don Bosco Prep in the first round of the NJSIAA/Bollinger tournament, 13th-seeded Montclair continues its quest to return to the state finals Tuesday against fifth-seeded Gov. Livingston. 

It will be the first meeting between the teams this winter and should be very close. Montclair expects big things out of Chris Murphy on the sabre line and Chase Mitchell in foil, but the team will look to its epee line—arguably the strength of the team--to give better than it gets against a solid Gov. Livingston epee unit. 

If Montclair can get by Gov. Livingston it might have the momentum it needs against likely foe Columbia, the defending state champion, in the next round.

FENCERS TO WATCH

When the sixth seed, Watchung Hills, travels to face third-seeded Montgomery Tuesday in the NJSIAA/Bollinger tournament, three sabre fencers for Watchung Hills --Cole Degeorges, Alex Sadowski and Sampson Ho -- should have one thing on their mind: how to beat Montgomery’s Nick Sledeski. 

Sledeski, the District 2 sabre champion, went 3-0 against those three in the teams' last meeting, a 14-13 battle that Montgomery won on Jan.10.  One sabre victory from either of the three against Sledeski could be the difference between Watchung Hills advancing to the next round or becoming bystanders in the playoffs.

MATCH TO WATCH

Tenth-seeded Bernards will travel to face second-seeded Mendham in a battle of District 1 rivals Tuesday in the NJSIAA/Bollinger tournament in Mendham. 

Mendham was dominant in the teams' last meeting, a 17-10 Mendham victory on Jan. 16, but Bernards would like nothing better than to spoil Mendham’s bid for a state championship. 

Mendham holds a distinct edge in epee and hung in with Bernards enough in sabre last time out to stifle Bernards’ chances. If Mendham gets a repeat performance in sabre and the Campos brothers, Adam and Julian, hold the edge in foil, then the results will not change. If Bernards can strike in sabre and steal a few bouts in epee, then the tournament's second seed could be headed home early

--Erik Daur