By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
ATLANTIC CITY — Delsea Regional High senior Greyson Pettit, the No. 21 seed at 132 pounds, capped off a stunning run on Saturday, becoming the lowest seed in New Jersey history to ever win a state individual wrestling title.
After recording a major one-point upset over 2025 state champion Sammy Spaulding of Camden Catholic in the semifinals on Friday night, Pettit made sure the final bout of his career wouldn’t be nearly as close.
Pettit, who is known throughout the Crusaders’ community as “Greyfox,” methodically handled No. 3-seeded Anthony DiAndrea of Watchung Hills en route to a 12-3 major decision in the championship bout at Boardwalk Hall.
“This is everything I wanted. This is it. This was the end,” said Pettit, who still remains uncommitted to a college wrestling program. “It’s just believing in myself. I knew this whole tournament I wasn’t going to be satisfied with one match.”
Pettit — who missed the individual state tournament last year because of a torn ACL, tore through a daunting gauntlet, knocking off No. 5 Colton Hagerty of Washington Township, 4-2, and No. 4 Richard DeLorenzo II of Toms River East, 7-4, before taking out Spaulding and DiAndrea.
Delsea, the No. 1-ranked public school program in South Jersey, had several state-ranked wrestlers enter the tournament with title aspirations. Pettit was the only one to reach, let alone win, the final, in one of the most competitive individual tournaments in the nation.
“A state title, everyone wants it. I had to go get it. The only people that had faith in my group was that group of guys right there,” Pettit said while pointing to his teammates and coaching staff. “All I needed was just a few guys who believed in me, and myself. It takes you a long way.”
Pettit preached that the tournament would finally be his time to prove himself after a disheartening end to his junior season.
“He believed in himself. He trusted what we said the entire time,” Delsea first-year coach Kurt DeWoody said. “Wrestle six minutes on your feet, be prepared to break opponents and trust your conditioning.
“The faith in everything he’s done, a state champion result, it’s unbelievable.”
