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Nazareth plots new course to title
PIAA TEAM WRESTLING. Blue Eagles vow district title defeat won't derail their
state destination.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
By MIKE WEILAMANN
The Express-Times
The Nazareth Blue Eagles saw their season take a slight detour on Saturday.
However coach Dave Crowell's team has been here before and is confident they can still reach their destination
on the Road to Hershey.
Nazareth begins another title quest 7 p.m. tonight when it hosts Pennsbury in a PIAA Class AAA first-round match
at Freedom High School.
The winner advances to meet District 9 champion DuBois in Friday's second round at the Giant Center.
"You have to look at it like we have another chance," said Crowell, whose team's repeat bid was spoiled
with a 29-26 loss to Easton in Saturday's District 11 final at Freedom.
"I personally believe these things happen for a reason."
In Class AA, Bethlehem Catholic meets Line Mountain in a first-round clash at Shikellamy.
Coach Brian Nesfeder's Golden Hawks (15-3) are making their first state appearance. Becahi lost 36-26 to Northwestern
in Saturday's District 11 final.
Nazareth (17-2) will follow the same path it did two years ago after losing to Easton in the district final --
wrestling two matches before the quarterfinals.
Easton (16-2), which has lost two of the last three finals, is already in the quarters. The Red Rovers will meet
whichever team emerges between Shikellamy, Cumberland Valley and Hazleton.
The Blue Eagles finished third in the state tournament last year -- losing 27-26 to Upper Perkiomen in the final
seconds of the final bout in the semifinals.
Nazareth also lost 35-19 to eventual champion Connellsville in the 2005 semifinals.
The Red Rovers, who won four straight titles from 2001-04, could be headed for another showdown with Upper Perk,
provided both reach the semifinals.
Easton, which lost to Upper Perk 46-19 in last year's final, beat the Indians 32-28 on Jan. 13.
Nazareth must first get by a good Pennsbury team tonight.
The Falcons (32-2), who finished third in District 1, are making their first PIAA appearance since 2003.
"They've got some pretty good guys," Crowell said of Pennsbury. "You hope by this time of year that
the tests you need get you tough for this time of year."
The only common opponent between these two is Council Rock South.
Nazareth pounded CR South 41-18 on Dec. 9. Pennsbury has lost twice to the Golden Hawks -- 39-27 and most recently
34-29 in the District 1 semifinals.
Nazareth is still smarting from Saturday's loss to Easton. The Eagles beat the Rovers 30-28 on Jan 24.
One-point losses at 130 and 285 hurt the Eagles in the rematch.
Easton's Ju-Ju Drummond beat Bobby Ward 3-2 with a takedown in the final seconds at 130, while Chris Wilson beat
Nazareth's Jim Mutch 2-1 on a locked hands penalty.
Mutch beat Wilson 4-1 to seal Nazareth's win in the first go-round.
"I don't think we wrestled poorly -- for the most part," Crowell said. "We wrestled an extremely
good team. We didn't wrestle quite well enough to win. A lot of the match was predictable except for those two
matches. We lost both of them."
Maybe this is the year for the first All-District 11 state final.
"We want to win the state title," said Nazareth 135-pounder Mike Greck. "We've worked all season
to get there."
Mike Weilamann can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at mweilamann@express-times.com.
Nazareth dominates Pennsbury
The Blue Eagles open the Class 3A Team Wrestling Championships with a resounding
victory.
By Beth Hudson Of The Morning Call
Nazareth junior Eric Sergent said being in the same practice room with seniors Tim Darling, Thad Frick and David
Crowell — one state champion and two state silver medalists, respectively — has had a profound effect on him.
''I work a lot harder,'' Sergent said. ''Being with Tim, Dave and Thad, you can't really slack, or you'll get beaten
pretty badly. My entire game has gotten better.''
In fact, Nazareth's entire game looked pretty strong on Tuesday night.
Sergent won 8-3 over Pennsbury's Matt Johnson at 189 pounds and helped the Blue Eagles soundly defeat the Falcons,
55-10, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A Team Wrestling Championships at Freedom High School.
''It gets us ready for the weekend — kind of loosens us up,'' Sergent said. ''It was nice to bounce back from a
loss.''
Nazareth, the District 11 runner-up, will face District 9 champion DuBois at 10 a.m. Friday at the Giant Center
in Hershey. District 11 champion Easton and District One champion Upper Perkiomen earned byes into the Friday afternoon
quarterfinals.
Nazareth coach Dave Crowell wasn't sure yet if his team was over its three-point loss to Easton in the district
final, but his wrestlers had few problems dispatching the third-place team from District One.
Nazareth won 12 of 14 bouts, including pins from Colin Fischl (130), Bobby Ward (135), Darling (160), Greg Flamisch
(103) and Eric Hurd (112). Mike Greck (140), Andrew Ritchie (145) and Frick (171) also turned in bonus-point victories.
''They did OK,'' Crowell said. ''Pennsbury has some decent kids there. You don't win 30 matches by luck.''
Even so, the Blue Eagles had this one under control from the opening bout — Fischl's second-period fall over Mark
Nicholson at 130.
How dominant were they?
Nazareth had a 34-0 lead before Pennsbury scored its first points for anything more than an escape. Johnson reversed
Nazareth's Sergent in the first period at 189 (the eighth bout of the night) before eventually losing the decision.
Pennsbury didn't score its first takedown until the ninth bout, when Bill Farrell won a major decision over Nazareth's
David Crowell. Crowell, ranked fourth in the state at 189 by Off The Mat, moved up a weight class to face the fifth-ranked
wrestler at 215.
''Adam Counterman could not wrestle 145,'' coach Crowell said, referring to the fact that Counterman had wrestled
at 152 over the weekend. ''With the weight loss plan … the lowest he could weigh [Tuesday] was 1471/2. He couldn't
weigh in at 145.''
This caused a ripple effect, with Nazareth wrestlers moving up throughout the lineup. Even so, they won easily
and had only a few close victories.
Counterman (152) scored a takedown with 40 seconds left in the third period to defeat Matt Cutchineal, 3-2. Sergent
used two takedowns and two reversals to defeat Johnson.
Jim Mutch (285) had the lone takedown in his 3-1 decision over Pennsbury's Joe Erb. And Dave Dotter used a two-point
near fall in the third to beat Matt Funk, 3-2, at 119.
''You work on doing the things that you do, you try to get into a rhythm of wrestling your best,'' Crowell said.
''Hopefully, you try to cut down on your mistakes.''
The goal, of course, is to get another shot at a state title.
Nazareth finished third at the state duals in 2006 and then won the team trophy at individual states in March.
If the Blue Eagles beat DuBois, they'll face District 3 champion Lower Dauphin in the quarterfinals. District 7
champ Hempfield is also in the lower half of the state bracket.
Upper Perk and Easton are in the upper half.
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
Blue Eagles back on track
NAZARETH 55, PENNSBURY 10. District 1 school provides few problems for District
11 power.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
By NICK FIERRO
The Express-Times
BETHLEHEM TWP. | If any athletes on the Nazareth High School wrestling team were still troubled by Saturday night's
loss to Easton in the finals of the District 11 Duals, it sure was hard to tell Tuesday night.
Forced by that setback into a first-round match against Pennsbury from District 1, the Blue Eagles responded with
some of their most inspired wrestling of the season, winning all but two bouts in a 55-10 romp at Freedom.
Pennsbury, which came in with 32 dual-meet victories, finished with just four takedowns and didn't get its first
one until the ninth bout. By then, the match was out of reach.
"They were trying to win every one," veteran Pennsbury coach Joe Kiefer said, "and they almost did
it."
Not helping Pennsbury's cause was the rejection at weigh-ins of sophomore Jason Ongradi at 112 pounds due to a
skin rash. Winless freshman Steve Healy was plugged in to take his place and lasted just 3 minutes, 29 seconds
against Eric Hurd, who scored one of Nazareth's five pins.
Smelling blood from the opening bout, Blue Eagles coach Dave Crowell began bumping his guys up a weight class to
get better matchups and try for the shutout.
Colin Fischl went first at 130 instead of his usual 125 and pinned Mark Nicholson in the second period. Bobby Ward
bumped to 135 and pinned Tyler Stanhope in just 37 seconds. Mike Greck bumped to 140, where he came through with
a takedown at the buzzer to get a 13-5 major decision over Ed Shupe, who would have wrestled at 135 but came in
overweight.
Everyone else through 215 also wrestled up a weight, with only the coach's son, David Crowell, paying the price
against undefeated senior Bill Farrell at 215. Farrell, who won with surprising ease, was able to get an 11-2 major
decision with the help of Crowell backing away following a neutral restart with 7 seconds remaining and getting
hit with his fourth stall warning, worth two points.
"He wasn't feeling too good tonight," the coach said.
On the other hand, junior Eric Sergent was feeling great, albeit exhausted, after going a tough six minutes in
an 8-3 win over bigger, stronger Matt Johnson at 215.
"He's definitely one of the strongest kids I wrestled this year," said Sergent, who claims the loss to
Easton helped raise the team's level on this night.
"All it did was motivate us to work harder in the room," he said. "We came out Monday and ran harder
and we were ready to go but we always try to wrestle better than the last time."
Another reason for the weight bumps was the new weight-loss rule that prohibited Adam Counterman, who weighed in
at 148.5 but was allowed to compete at 145 with the allowance on Saturday, was not allowed to weigh in at 145 for
this match.
No problem. He went out at 152 and outlasted Matt Cutchineal, 3-2, in a one-takedown match.
Also getting falls for the Blue Eagles were Tim Darling at 160 and Greg Flamisch at 103.
Nick Fierro can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at nfierro@express-times.com.
Easton, Nazareth among favorites
to win 3A title
By Beth Hudson Of The Morning Call
February 9, 2007
Losing to one of your fiercest rivals is frustrating, but the wrestlers from
Easton and Nazareth don't dwell on those losses for long. They can't afford to.
''It's not too bad,'' Nazareth junior Eric Sergent said. ''We go back and forth a lot with them. Losing to them
just makes us want to work harder.''
That's what the Blue Eagles decided after falling to the Red Rovers by three points last Saturday in the District
11 Class 3A dual-meet final. And it's what Easton said after losing to Nazareth by two points during the regular
season.
Maybe they'll break the tie this weekend.
The third edition of the 2007 Easton-Nazareth rivalry could play out on Saturday at the PIAA Team Championships
in Hershey. Even so, there are at least four or five other talented teams that have a shot at derailing the District
11 squads along the way.
Easton and Nazareth — along with 2006 state champion Upper Perkiomen, District 7 champ Hempfield and District 3
champ Lower Dauphin — are the favorites among the 12 teams heading into today's action at the Giant Center. Hempfield
is No. 1 in the Off The Mat rankings, followed by No. 2 Easton, No. 3 Nazareth, No. 4 Upper Perk and No. 5 Lower
Dauphin.
Upper Perk, Easton, Hempfield and Lower Dauphin have one clear advantage: By winning their districts, they earned
byes into today's quarterfinals and will not wrestle until 2 p.m.
Nazareth, on the other hand, will take a longer road if it's to reach the state final. After easily beating Pennsbury
in Tuesday night's opening round, the Blue Eagles will meet District 9 champion DuBois at 10 a.m.
Here's a look at the top contenders:
Easton understands better than anyone what it takes to win the dual-meet title. The Red Rovers won it four consecutive
years from 2001-04 and then finished second the past two seasons.
Easton enjoys a distinct advantage at the lower weights with seniors Desmond Moore (103) and JuJu Drummond (130),
juniors Kegan Handlovic (112) and 2006 state champ Jordan Oliver (119) and freshman Mark Hartenstine (125). The
Rovers, who earned a four-point victory over Upper Perk earlier this season, will wrestle the winner of the Hazleton-Cumberland
Valley match in the quarterfinals.
Upper Perk, meanwhile, could have another shot at Easton in the semifinals — if the Indians defeat the winner of
the Penn Trafford-McDowell match, that is.
Like the Red Rovers, the Indians have experience on their side. Seniors Zack Kemmerer (140) and Chris Sheetz (119)
have won individual state titles, and Upper Perk defeated Easton in the state dual-meet final last year.
Sophomore Ryan Kemmerer is one of the top-ranked 135-pounders in the state, and Bruce Augustine (25-6), Brian Keyser
(31-10), Shane Smith (34-7) and Anthony Uhrik (25-10) have been strong contributors as well. Upper Perk is the
first team to win four straight District One titles.
Then there's Nazareth, paced by two-time state champion Tim Darling and state runners-up Thad Frick and David Crowell.
If the Blue Eagles beat both DuBois and Lower Dauphin, they're likely to meet Hempfield in the semifinals.
Nazareth is formidable in the middle with Mike Greck (second in the state at 135), Andrew Ritchie (fourth at 140),
Darling (first at 152) and Frick (second at 160). Crowell is ranked fourth in the state at 189. Nazareth finished
third at last year's duals after a 27-26 loss to Upper Perk in the semifinals.
Lower Dauphin won its first District 3 title since 1995 and also ended Cumberland Valley's four-year reign as the
district champ. Top wrestlers include Jonathan Crawford at 125 and Jarred Kane at 140.
Hempfield, meanwhile, became an improved team through unusual circumstances.
Several of its top wrestlers competed for Greensburg Central Catholic last year. Transfers are hardly unheard of
in Pennsylvania, but this wasn't a typical transfer situation. In this case, the PIAA permitted wrestlers from
Greensburg Central Catholic to join Hempfield's squad after the Catholic school dropped its wrestling program.
Returning state runner-up Nico Cortese (119), Travis Uncapher (160), T.J. Valore (215) and Steve Santia (285) are
ranked among the top six in Pennsylvania at their respective weights.
The Spartans should get a serious challenge if they face Council Rock South in the quarterfinals. But if the state
rankings hold, Easton would take on Upper Perk in one semifinal, while Hempfield would wrestle Nazareth in the
other.
Semifinals will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place match at 1 p.m.
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
Tigers carry banner for area teams in 2A
By Gary R. Blockus Of The Morning Call
February 9, 2007
This time, the Tigers prowl alone.
Northwestern will continue its quest for its first-ever PIAA Team Wrestling Championship today at the Giant Center
in Hershey.
The Tigers will meet District 9 champion Ridgway in an 8 a.m. match. Should they win, the Tigers (20-0) will advance
to the noon quarterfinals against District 3 champion Boiling Springs.
The District 11- and Colonial League-champion Tigers are looking to make some noise at the tournament this year.
Last season, Northwestern finished fourth in the state after a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Reynolds,
which is the District 10 champion again.
Northwestern is in the top half of the bracket, Reynolds in the lower half, so that means that as long as the teams
win, they will not meet until the champion final at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Last year, Northern Lehigh lost to Reynolds in the finals. The Bulldogs were the District 11 champions and Northwestern
was the district runner-up. Bethlehem Catholic (17-4) knocked off the Bulldogs in the district semifinals last
week, then lost to Northwestern for the district title. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they suffered a loss to Line
Mountain in the opening round of the PIAA tournament at Shikellamy on Tuesday and did not advance to today's action.
That means that Northwestern is the lone Class 2A team representing the area at the PIAA Championships.
Last year, Northwestern beat Greenville and North Star in Friday's consolation rounds, then defeated Boiling Springs
38-20 in the consolation semifinals.
Northwestern coach Mike Williams knows his team cannot afford to look past anyone in Hershey.
Ridgway, which is coached by Gary Gerber, has several wrestlers ranked highly in the state according to Off The
Mat Rankings, including senior Brock Leitzel (No. 9 at 130), senior Colby Pisani (No. 2 at 135), senior Nikko Leitzel
(No. 1 at 145) and junior Jericho Weitzel (No. 2 at 189). Ridgway is ranked No. 5 in the state according to Off
The Mat.
Should Northwestern, which is ranked No. 2 in the state, get past Ridgway, the task looks a bit easier on paper
against seventh-ranked Boiling Springs. Despite the lopsided victory last season, coach Rod Wright's Bubblers have
improved greatly this season.
Boiling Springs' state-ranked wrestlers include freshman Joe Spisak (No. 9 at 103), senior Josh Cook (No. 20 at
171) and senior heavyweight Gabe Nurtorff (No. 7).
The Tigers, who trail only Reynolds in the state rankings, also have several wrestlers ranked highly in the state:
sophomore Evan Yenolevich (No. 10 at 112), junior Victor Konno (No. 13 at 125), senior Scott Clymer (No. 1 at 135),
senior Ben Marich (No. 10 at 145), senior Brandon Williams (No. 8 at 160), junior Ben Clymer (No. 7 at 171), senior
Garrett Sukanick (No. 14 at 189) and senior Tony Culp (No. 12 at 285).
The 8 a.m. matchup against Ridgway could feature a preview of the state finals in March at 135. Northwestern's
Scott Clymer, a returning state champion, is ranked No. 1 and will take on second-ranked Colby Pisani if neither
coach juggles his lineup.
Northwestern wrestlers: Fr. Eddie Faust (9-6), Fr. Dylan Long (8-2), So. Evan Yenolevich (32-3), So. Eddie Keichel
(13-6), Sr. Scott Eby (1-2), Jr. Victor Konno (19-10), Jr. Adam Bandel (26-9), Sr. Scott Clymer (31-3), Kyle Hill
(1-0), Sr. Brad Snyder (1-0), So. Ricky Williams (22-11), Sr. Ben Marich (31-6), Jr. Noah Billig (0-7), Jr. Dalton
Shorts (15-11), Sr. Brandon Williams (19-7), Jr. Ben Clymer (31-6), Sr. Garrett Sukanick (22-5), Sr. Madison Kubat
(4-4), Sr. Brian Barr (0-1), So. Tyler Sell (19-8), Sr. Tony Culp (29-7).
gary.blockus@mcall.com
610-820-6782
Easton's Dailey: It's our time
PIAA WRESTLING. Path to state final for Easton and Nazareth loaded with stiff
competition.
Friday, February 09, 2007
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
Colin Dailey remembers watching from the stands as Easton Area High School's wrestling team made winning state
dual-meet titles an annual event.
Dailey was an eighth grader when the Red Rovers completed their run of four straight team championships in 2004.
"I still remember watching those great teams and thinking that someday I could be out there," Dailey
said. "I definitely wanted to be part of it."
Dailey will get his chance starting today when the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships get under way at the
Giant Center in Hershey.
The Red Rovers (16-2) get a bye into the quarterfinals, where they'll face the winner of the Hazleton-Cumberland
Valley second-round match at 2 p.m.
Dailey, now Easton's starting 145-pounder, realizes winning it all isn't as easy as it looked way back then.
"The goal every season is to win it," Dailey said. "We haven't done it since I got to high school.
I think it's our time."
"Colin has been here before," Easton coach Steve Powell said. "He's been a leader for us all year.
He works hard and knows what it takes to win this tournament."
Easton, which was elevated to the No. 1 spot in The Express-Times rankings this week after claiming the District
11 duals championship with a 29-26 win over Nazareth last Saturday, has reached the state finals six straight seasons.
The last two ended in defeat, including last year's 46-19 loss to Upper Perkiomen -- a possible semifinal opponent
on Saturday morning should both teams advance.
Dailey (30-5) was in the lineup for both of the Red Rover losses.
He lost by a 17-5 major decision to former PIAA state champion Ashtin Primus when Easton was stunned by Connellsville
(34-25) in 2005. And last season he dropped a 9-2 decision to Upper Perk's Sam Martin.
Cory Rutt was also part of those teams.
"We got to the finals last year and lost. That makes us hungry to get back," Rutt said. "We had
a young team and Upper Perk was so loaded. This year is a different mindset."
The Rovers know all too well, however, that they can't get caught looking ahead to the semifinals.
"We have to get by some very tough competition before we think about Upper Perk," Powell said. "Cumberland
Valley beat Northampton (39-21) earlier this year and we saw them at the Manheim Tournament. We know they're tough.
And the other side of the bracket is loaded. There are a lot of obstacles out there."
Nazareth, which finished third a year ago after dropping a 27-26 semifinal heartbreaker to Upper Perk, squares
off against District 9 champ DuBois in the second round at 10 this morning.
The Blue Eagles (18-2), ranked No. 2 in region, punched their ticket to Hershey with a 55-10 win over Pennsbury
at Freedom High School on Tuesday.
A Nazareth win would set up a quarterfinal-round match with Lower Dauphin (14-0), which defeated Cumberland Valley
34-21 in the District 3 final.
The winner of that match will advance to face Hempfield, the top-ranked Class AAA team in Pennsylvania in the quarters.
Hempfield (17-0), the WPIAL AAA champion, benefited when neighboring Greensburg Central Catholic dropped its wrestling
program after last season, prompting a slew of transfer activity prior to last fall.
The Spartans, who are making their first trip to Hershey, absorbed five starters from Greensburg C.C., including
PIAA qualifiers Nico Cortese (119), Rudy Chelednick (130), Travis Uncapher (160) and T.J. Valore (215).
Cortese was beaten by Easton's Jordan Oliver in last season's 103-pound state final in March.
"They have five quality kids that came over," Powell said. "We don't know a whole lot about them
except that they've beaten everyone they've wrestled by 15 or 20 points."
Easton senior Ju-Ju Drummond has his own opinion about how things will shake out this weekend.
"I don't see anyone beating Nazareth until the finals," said Drummond, whose 3-2 decision over Nazareth's
Bobby Ward at 130 pounds led the Rovers over the Blue Eagles last weekend. "And that would be us."
Brian Fortner can be reached by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
Northwestern totes banner for Colonial
Saturday, February 10, 2007
By NICK FIERRO and BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | The Northwestern Tigers are two matches away from becoming the third Colonial League team to win
a Class AA state dual-meet championship.
Coach Mike Williams' squad improved to 22-0 Friday with a pair of impressive victories.
After knocking off District 9 champion Ridgway 37-24 in the second round, Northwestern won 11 of 14 bouts in a
53-15 blowout of previously undefeated District 3 champion Boiling Springs.
Senior state champ Scott Clymer kicked off the Tigers' win over Ridgway with a second-period fall over Jake Bogacki
before capping the win over Boiling Springs by pinning Corey Mattila in 4:43.
Evan Yenolevich (112), Eddie Keichel (119), Victor Konno (125), Ben Marich (145-152), Brandon Williams (160-171),
Ben Clymer (171-189) and Garrett Sukanick (1189-215) also went 2-0 for the Tigers.
Next up for the Tigers is District 2 runner-up Greenville in today's 9 a.m. semifinals.
Perennial title contender Reynolds (17-0) faces District 7 champion Burrell in the other semifinal matchup.
A Tigers win would assure District 11 a Class AA finalist for the third straight season.
Northern Lehigh won the 2005 title by beating Reynolds 35-22 in the finals. Last season, the Bulldogs were beaten
38-19 by the Raiders in the rematch.
Wilson won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002 under Dave Crowell, who now coaches Nazareth and has the Blue Eagles
two wins away from the first state dual-meet title in school history.
Upper Perkiomen is battling a little adversity that could be a factor in this morning's Class AAA semifinal matchup
against Easton.
During weigh-ins on Friday, freshman 189-pounder Nick Hale was not cleared to compete due to a skin condition.
At first inspection, officials made the same ruling for heavyweight Bruce Augustine. But a doctor overruled the
decision on Augustine after examining him later.
Augustine competed in his team's 39-20 quarterfinal win over Penn-Trafford, winning a 7-2 decision over Drew Theys.
The Indians also were without 20-match winner David Irwin at 112. Irwin was declared ineligible by the school to
compete on Friday. However, sources say it's possible Irwin might be eligible to wrestle today.
Hear all about it
WGPA (1100 AM) radio host Jack Logic will do his weekly show from the Giant Center this morning, providing live
updates throughout. He'll be on from 9 to 11. ... On the Internet, get the match breakdowns on www.d11wrestling.com.
Nick Fierro and Brian Fortner can be reached by e-mail at sports@express-times.com.
Ju-Ju juices up Rovers
Easton 37, Cumberland Valley 21. Ju-Ju Drummond leads the Red Rovers to a matchup with Upper Perk.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | The Easton Red Rovers should know what it takes to win a championship in state dual meet wrestling.
If they've forgotten, all they have to do is follow the lead of Ju-Ju Drummond.
Easton's senior 130-pounder was the picture of precision Friday afternoon, pinning Cumberland Valley's state place-winner
Bryce Busler. Drummond's performance led the Red Rovers to a 37-21 victory over the Eagles in the quarterfinals
of the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center.
Easton (17-2), which has reached the championship match six consecutive years, advanced to this morning's semifinal
round and will meet defending champion Upper Perkiomen at 9.
The winner moves on to face either Nazareth or Hempfield at 1 p.m. Those two square off in the morning's other
semifinal.
Nazareth (20-2) was impressive in winning a pair of Friday matches. The Blue Eagles defeated DuBois 52-14 and Lower
Dauphin 41-13. Hempfield (18-0), the WPIAL champion, beat Council Rock South 36-26 in a quarterfinal.
Upper Perkiomen (20-4), which defeated Easton 46-19 in last season's title match, reached the semifinals with a
39-20 win over Penn Trafford. Easton and Upper Perk met Jan. 13 for a regular-season dual, which the Red Rovers
won 32-28 at 25th Street Gym.
Drummond (30-6) clinched Friday's victory by pinning Busler with a perfectly-executed tight-waist tilt in 5:49.
Both wrestlers placed sixth -- Busler at 112 and Drummond at 125 -- in last year's state tournament in March.
"I guess they thought they had a better chance with (Busler) on me," Drummond said. "I really didn't
know who I'd be wrestling until I saw who Jordan (Oliver) had. They matched up pretty well against us, but we were
able to pick up bonus points that helped."
Easton, ranked No. 1 in The Express-Times region, won nine bouts in dominating a solid Cumberland Valley squad
that defeated Northampton 39-21 earlier in the season.
"They were trying to get their state place-winner away from Jordan," Easton coach Steve Powell said.
"But then you have to beat Ju-Ju. I like to think our schedule prepares us for this weekend. We've improved
steadily over the course of the season."
The Eagles (18-4) took an early 15-6 lead before Powell opted to forfeit at 189
and bump junior Cory Rutt up to 215. Rutt sparked a run of four straight Easton wins with a 3-0 decision over Jake
Martin.
"We were looking at winning two of three from 189 to 285," Powell said. "It turned out to be a 6-6
split there. We had seven bouts left at that point and we were favored in five."
Chris Wilson followed Rutt with a 6-4 win over Travis Friend at heavyweight before back-to-back technical falls
by Desmond Moore (103) and Kegan Handlovic (112) gave the Rovers a 22-15 lead.
Moore had 13 takedowns to pound Ian Ritchie 26-11 in 5:07. Handlovic used a similar strategy, racking up nine takedowns
to go with a reversal and three-point nearfall in a 24-8 rout of Gavin Reilly.
"I was trying to take (Ritchie) down to his back for a while, but then I just concentrated on the tech,"
Moore said. "I didn't want to waste time and maybe lose a bonus point trying for a pin."
Easton's Colin Dailey opened the match with a 3-0 win over Tristan Warner at 145.
Cumberland Valley, the District 3 runner-up, took the lead briefly when freshman Mike Evans pinned Jeremy Snyder
in 1:14 at 152, but it was all Easton from there.
Jules Knighton (160) and Tevin Gibson (135) also won for the Red Rovers.
"We're right where we want to be," Moore said. "I think we're a better team now than when we wrestled
(Upper Perk) the last time. We just have to keep doing what do every match."
Brian Fortner can be reached by e-mail at sports@express-times.com.
Eagles' big day: Easton looming
Nazareth 41, Lower Dauphin 13. But first, the Blue Eagles must beat Hempfield Area.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
By NICK FIERRO
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | Maybe the Blue Eagles of Nazareth Area High School have discovered the difference between looking
ahead and looking forward.
Maybe they were just due to wrestle one of their best matches.
Whatever the case, they went above and beyond all expectations Friday when they steamrolled previously unbeaten
District 3 champion Lower Dauphin 41-13 in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships
at the Giant Center.
The victory kept them on a collision course with neighboring archrival Easton for the state crown after the Red
Rovers dispatched Cumberland Valley 37-21 in one of the other quarterfinals. Nazareth will face Hempfield Area
of District 7 and Easton will take on defending champion Upper Perkiomen in this morning's quarterfinals.
Earlier, Nazareth was a 52-14 winner over DuBois in the second round.
"I thought this (Lower Dauphin match) was definitely going to come right down to the wire," Nazareth
coach Dave Crowell said. "I thought our guys wrestled very well. I was just very, very proud of the kids.
They wrestled extremely well."
Nazareth won 11 bouts, three after giving up the first takedown.
Eric Sergent started that trend by coming back to earn a 4-3 decision over Dalton Tonkin at 189 pounds. The difference
was Sergent's ability to ride Tonkin out for the final 48 seconds after a second-period takedown, and Tonkin's
inability to do the same after his one takedown in the first.
Jim Mutch followed suit two bouts later with an 8-5 decision over James Miller at heavyweight, and Eric Hurd rebounded
even more spectacularly by pinning Taylor Stuart at 112.
"Jim Mutch wrestled great," Crowell said. "That kid (Miller) was pretty good. And Eric Hurd ...
and (Dave) Dotter was not feeling well at all and he scratched out a tough win (2-1 over Peter Kulp at 119).
"Sergent is another guy who wrestled a great match. Oh, man!"
Mutch, who weighed in at 205 on Friday, bumped up only because his twin brother Mike, one of the region's and state's
best heavyweights, is out for the season with a knee injury.
"I figure I'll just go where the coaches tell me to go, and I don't really mind wrestling bigger guys,"
Mutch said. "It's a little bit of a challenge, actually."
Encouraging results were everywhere.
At 215, David Crowell worked a methodical 14-5 major decision over Jared Phoenix, securing the bonus points with
a late takedown.
At 130, Ray Ward survived an overtime bout against Nick Kristich, winning 3-2.
And at 135, Mike Greck took down Jason Kane in overtime to earn an 8-6 decision.
"I think, as a team, we're really starting to work together good right now," Hurd said. "We're just
trying to take it one match at a time. It definitely is hard not to look ahead and stuff, but we really want to
win this."
Thanks to countless peak performances, they'll have a very good chance if they can re-create that kind of magic
today.
"Twenty years from now, how are we going to remember tomorrow?" Mutch said. "That's really what
it's going to come down to. We're going to go to sleep easy tonight, but when we wake up tomorrow, we're going
to know that we have a big day ahead of us."
Nick Fierro can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at nfierro@express-times.com.
Northwestern wins twice, advances
to 2A semifinals
The Tigers roll to victories over Ridgway and Boiling Springs in the quarterfinals.
By Gary R. Blockus Of The Morning Call
Scott Clymer knows pressure. As a returning PIAA Class 2A state champion, the Northwestern senior has had a bull's-eye
on his singlet all season, but hasn't let it affect his performance.
His team is doing the exact same thing at the right time.
''It's this team we have right now,'' Clymer, the 33-3 senior said after Northwestern crushed Boiling Springs 53-15
in the quarterfinals Friday of the PIAA Class 2A Team Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center. ''Don't get
me wrong. We're hungry, but we're laid back.''
That laid-back attitude — never too high after a pin, never too low after giving up a takedown — has the District
11 Tigers (22-0) in today's 9 a.m. semifinals against District 10 runner-up Greenville. The winner faces the winner
of the Burrell-Reynolds match for the state title.
Clymer got the Tigers off to a big start in the morning's first match, a 37-24 win over District 9 champion Ridgway.
Clymer decked Jake Bogacki in 2:33 at 135, the first bout of the day.
''Greenville, Burrell and Reynolds are all really good teams,'' Clymer said. ''We're not taking anything for granted,
but everybody's starting to mellow out right now. If you do give up a takedown or a reverse, you just keep wrestling
and pushing your pace.''
That strategy worked extremely well for the undefeated Tigers on Friday. After the tough win over Ridgway, the
Tigers won 10 of 13 bouts to pound previously unbeaten District 3 champion Boiling Springs.
Sophomore Evan Yenolevich (112) clinched the victory with a pin to give Northwestern a 41-9 lead with four bouts
remaining, quieting a very loud contingent of Bubblers' fans.
''I would say we're wrestling like we need to wrestle to keep advancing,'' coach Mike Williams said. ''Greenville
looks tough, and Reynolds was up in the stands taping our whole match. Let's wrestle that first match [today] before
worrying about [Reynolds].''
Last year, the Tigers beat Greenville 48-12 in the consolation round after losing to Reynolds 42-12 in the quarterfinals.
Today will be another big match.
''I don't get psyched up or pumped up for the big matches,'' Clymer said. ''This is my sixth trip out here, and
I'm comfortable. I'm doing what I like to do.''
So is the rest of Northwestern's talented team. Fellow senior Brandon Williams (160) picked up his 100th career
win with a pin in the win over Ridgway just a week after his father won his 100th match as a head coach.
''It's great to get it out here, and the pin was a nice bonus,'' Mike Williams said. ''Certain people are peaking
at the right time. I'd like to see them keep it going for a few more weeks.''
Mike Williams used a straight-up lineup out here last year, never bothering to bump anyone a weight class. He served
notice on Friday, however, that he is willing to do that. Ridgway declined to send second-ranked Colby Pisani after
Clymer, which started a brief period of Northwestern wrestlers bumping up a weight class.
Northwestern sent Matt Rabenold against Ridgway's Nikko Leitzel at 145. Leitzel, a returning PIAA champion, earned
a pin in 21 seconds to give Ridgway a 9-6 team lead.
''We definitely didn't want [Ben] Marich going out against Leitzel,'' Williams admitted. ''[Leitzel] weighed in
at 140. … We already planned to bump Marich away if we could and bump everybody up.''
That allowed Northwestern to bump Marich to 145. The Lehigh-bound Marich missed a major by one-point with a 9-2
decision over Roy Krise to tie the match at 9.
The big payoff for the Tigers came at 189, when Ben Clymer, normally a 171-pounder, knocked off Jerico Weitzel,
ranked No. 2 in the state, at 189. Clymer, a junior and the brother of Scott, earned a reverse with 37 seconds
left in the second period.
Weitzel scored a controversial escape with 41 seconds left, but it didn't matter as Clymer held on for the 2-1
win despite giving away 15 pounds.
Garrett Sukanick (215) earned the third pin of the morning as the Tigers gained a nine-point lead.
Eddie Keichel (119) clinched the second-round victory for the Tigers with an 11-8 decision over Ed Buhler, giving
Northwestern an insurmountable 33-20 lead with two bouts remaining.
Mat notes: District 11 referees Vic Lesky and Barry Rutt are officiating in the Class 2A tournament. Lesky, the
high school principal at Nazareth, and Rutt, whose son Cory wrestles at Easton, will not be given a 3A match because
of those connections. That didn't stop Lesky, a native of DuBois, from enjoying the 3A second round match between
Nazareth and DuBois.
gary.blockus@mcall.com
610-820-6782
Hershey has local flavor in semifinal round
Easton, Nazareth, Upper Perkiomen all advance.
By Beth Hudson Of The Morning Call
| Easton senior Ju Ju Drummond said the Class 3A wrestling teams didn't have much time to warm up before their
state quarterfinal matches on Friday afternoon at the Giant Center.
For Drummond, that meant a slower start than he would have liked against Cumberland Valley sophomore Bryce Busler.
''I felt a little weird on my feet,'' he said. ''Every time I had his leg, it was the end of the period.''
But Drummond eventually got what he wanted.
He took his first lead, 3-2, with a takedown at the second-period buzzer and then tilted Busler for the pin with
11 seconds remaining in the 130-pound match. He also gave the Red Rovers an insurmountable 16-point lead with two
bouts to go.
The District 11 champions defeated Cumberland Valley, 37-21, and advanced to today's 9 a.m. semifinals against
District One champion Upper Perkiomen. The Indians beat Penn Trafford, 39-20.
Nazareth, the District 11 runner-up, will take on District 7 champ Hempfield in the other semifinal. The Blue Eagles
advanced with a 41-13 win over Lower Dauphin, while Hempfield knocked off Council Rock South, 36-26.
In other words, the state's top four teams (according to Off The Mat's rankings) will compete for gold medals today
at the PIAA Team Championships. The final and third-place match will begin at 1 p.m.
Easton coach Steve Powell wasn't surprised that Cumberland Valley stayed close until the end; after all, the Eagles
beat Northampton by 18 points in early December.
Cumberland Valley took a 15-6 lead after Easton forfeited to Derrick Hockensmith at 189. The Eagles trailed by
just four points with four bouts to go, but Easton won three of them — including pins by Jordan Oliver (125) and
Drummond.
''Ju Ju got a real nice win when we needed it against a state place-winner,'' Powell said. ''And Tevin Gibson did
a great job for us at the end.''
Gibson, a 6-3 winner over Tom Wiechelt, was one of five Red Rovers to win a close match (three points or fewer),
and Desmond Moore (103) and Kegan Handlovic (112) won technical falls.
Easton's now in position to wrestle one — possibly two — rematches. The Rovers beat Upper Perk by four points in
January and split a pair of contests with Nazareth (losing by two points and then winning by three). Easton won
four consecutive state dual-meet titles from 2001-04 and finished second the past two years.
''We know what we're facing,'' Powell said. ''Turning matches around [in a rematch] is always key. I like to think
that our kids have been out here enough [at states] that there is a level of confidence, no matter who they're
wrestling.''
Upper Perk coach Tom Hontz and his wrestlers have enjoyed a similar lift since winning last year's state title
— the first in District One history.
''We do have some new guys in the lineup who haven't been here,'' Hontz said. ''I told them to lean on the veterans.
Chris Sheetz, Zack Kemmerer and Shane Smith, they've been here four years in a row as a team. … That definitely
helps.''
To no one's surprise, that group came through against Penn Trafford as well.
The Warriors had a 20-15 edge with five matches left, but Sheetz (119), Ryan Johnston (125) and Smith (130) won
with bonus points. And the Kemmerer brothers — sophomore Ryan and senior Zack — closed with a decision and a forfeit
victory, respectively.
Hontz said his team has improved since the first Easton match; then again, he added, so have the Red Rovers.
''We were coming off a tough weekend in Virginia,'' he said, referring to the Battlefield Duals. ''We matured a
little bit there. … Likewise, Easton's been phenomenal. It's typical Easton, finishing strong.''
Nazareth, meanwhile, woke up early to beat DuBois, 52-14, in the second round on Friday morning (Easton and Upper
Perk had byes in that round). The Blue Eagles also won decisively in the afternoon, taking 11 of 14 bouts over
the District 3 champion Falcons.
Andrew Ritchie (145), Adam Counterman (152), Tim Darling (160), Thad Frick (171), David Crowell (215) and Eric
Hurd (112) won with bonus points, while Eric Sergent (189), Jim Mutch (285), Dave Dotter (119), Bobby Ward (130)
and Mike Greck (135) earned decisions.
Hempfield won nine bouts against Council Rock South, including a pin by Steve Santia at 285.
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
Tigers hope to prowl at AA districts
PIAA NOTEBOOK
Sunday, February 11, 2007
By BRIAN FORTNER AND NICK FIERRO
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | Northwestern's perfect wrestling season came to an end in the match it wanted most, but the Tigers'
33-26 loss to Reynolds in the PIAA Class AA final only temporarily spoiled what has been an outstanding season
for the Colonial League champions.
The Tigers finished 24-1 and had some chances to steal an upset before succumbing in the title match.
Close losses by Evan Yenolevich (to Cody Kelly, 9-8, at 112 pounds) and Victor Konno (to Rob Miller, 8-4, in OT
at 125) hurt a little. Giving up a pair of pins and three major decisions hurt more.
"You have to get bonus points and you can't give up bonus points," coach Mike Williams said. "Two
strong teams, it can go either way. You just can't do that with the caliber of kids you're dealing with.
"Nobody dominated this match by any means. I mean, we had them on the ropes, and then they come back. You
can't do that. You've got to win matches."
Still, the coach remains convinced Northwestern will win more than its share when the individual postseason tournaments
begin in two weeks.
Williams was particularly pleased with Ben Clymer, whose evolution into an elite wrestler took another giant step
with a 1-0 decision over Reynolds' Lawrence Beckman at 171.
"His last two matches, his stock probably went through the roof here," Williams said. "If he's not
being recruited (already), he will now for sure. It's amazing how that kid performed here this weekend.
"Garrett (Sukanick), awesome weekend too. ... We're going to have a lot of kids out here (at the individual
state tournament next month). That's what I'm looking forward to."
Revenge for Rovers
Easton disposed of defending champion Upper Perkiomen 35-24 in the morning semifinals, avenging last season's 46-19
loss to the Indians in the title match.
The Rovers got key victories by state champ Jordan Oliver (119), Tevin Gibson (135) and Eric Burgey (140).
Oliver won a 3-2 overtime thriller over Upper Perk's Chris Sheetz in the day's marquee matchup of PIAA champs.
Oliver, last season's 103-pound winner, rode out Sheetz in the fourth overtime to give Easton a 23-9 lead at the
halfway point.
Sheetz, who won the 112-pound state title in 2005, is ranked fifth in the country by Amateur Wrestling News. Oliver
is ranked No. 3.
But no win was bigger than Gibson's 3-2 decision over the heavily-favored Ryan Kemmerer.
Easton led 26-16 with at the time when Gibson scored a second-period takedown, then broke a 2-2 tie early in the
third to pull the upset.
Burgey slipped a headlock attempt by Dustin Kern with 36 seconds left to break a 1-1 tie and defeat the senior
for the second time this season.
Burgey also beat Kern in overtime in Easton's 32-28 win over Upper Perk earlier this season.
Weight matters
The one change Nazareth made at weigh-ins on Saturday was moving Thad Frick up to 171. That helped change the complexion
of both its semifinal win over Hempfield and its victory over Easton in the championship match, according to coach
Dave Crowell.
"It was a good weigh-in for Hempfield because that way we could get either Thad or Tim (Darling) on (Travis)
Uncapher," Crowell said. "We knew we had to beat some big guys, and we could bump David (Crowell) up
to meet that good 215-pounder (T.J. Valore). It worked out, but it could have blown up, too."
Frick opened the Hempfield match with a solid 7-4 decision over Uncapher. Crowell wound up beating Valore, 9-8.
Brian Fortner and Nick Fierro can be reached by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
Eagles soar to the top
Nazareth tames Red Rovers for Class AAA title.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | The expression on Bobby Ward's face told the story.
The Nazareth Area High School junior and his Blue Eagle teammates had just become state champions and it was too
hard to hide his emotions.
Ward came through with a pivotal decision over Easton's Ju-Ju Drummond -- one of several big wins -- as Nazareth
rolled to a 40-21 victory over the Red Rovers in the first-ever all District 11 final at the PIAA Class AAA Team
Championships.
It's the first state title for Nazareth (22-2), which put on an impressive weekend-long display of wrestling at
the Giant Center.
"We really wrestled great all weekend," coach Dave Crowell said. "We beat a couple of real good
teams (Friday) and the kids carried it over until today."
After dominating wins over DuBois (52-14) and Lower Dauphin (41-13) on Friday, Crowell's squad dispatched unbeaten
WPIAL champion Hempfield, 29-21, in the semifinals.
Ward's 4-1 win avenged a pair of losses to Drummond earlier this season, including a 3-2 decision in last weekend's
District 11 final. Easton beat Nazareth 29-26 in that one to avenge a 30-28 dual-meet loss to the Blue Eagles on
Jan. 24.
"I went out figuring if I lost we could still win the match," Ward said. "I just went out and wrestled
loose, like I didn't have anything to lose."
After a scoreless first period, Ward gave Drummond a taste of his own medicine, tilting the Red Rover for a three-point
nearfall to take a 3-0 lead into the third period.
In what looked like a serious tactical error, Ward chose bottom to start the third period -- a dangerous choice
considering Drummond is deadly with a hazard tilt from the top position.
"I don't usually get turned that easily and I don't get tilted much," Ward said. "I figured the
worst that could happen was maybe a stall call or it would just end 3-0."
The strategy was flawless.
The Blue Eagles got a huge lift from the start when sophomore 215-pounder Tim Murphy decked Easton's Nick Williams
in what was considered a tossup bout.
"That was enormous," said Crowell, who won back-to-back Class AA crowns at Wilson in 2000 and 2001. "We
agonized with what to do there. We had three scenarios laid out as to which way we would go, depending on who Easton
sent out. A pin was the last thing we expected there."
Murphy built an 18-12 lead by dominating Williams on his feet before pinning him.
The lead increased to 9-0 with Jim Mutch's 4-3 overtime win over Chris Wilson at heavyweight. Mutch, who is 2-1
against Wilson this season, now leads 3-2 in their series dating to last year.
Easton (18-3), making its seventh-straight title match appearance, rallied to take a 15-9 lead on Desmond Moore's
8-3 decision over Greg Flamisch at 103. The Rovers followed with three-straight major decisions by Kegan Handlovic
(112), Mark Hartenstine (119) and Jordan Oliver (125).
Ward's win made it 15-12 Easton, but the emotional affect on both benches was bigger than the three team points
that came with it.
Nazareth senior Mike Greck tied the match with a 6-4 decision over Tevin Gibson at 135 and Andrew Ritchie put the
Eagles back on top 21-15 by pinning Eric Burgey as time expired in the first period.
Colin Dailey pulled the Rovers even at 21 with a 39-second fall at 145 -- Easton's last victory with four bouts
left.
Adam Counterman, who sealed the semifinal win over Hempfield with a major decision a few hours earlier, manhandled
Jeremy Snyder 13-1 at 152.
Two-time state champ Tim Darling followed by pinning Jules Knighton with a cradle in 3:02 to extend the Eagles'
lead to 31-21. Senior Thad Frick put the match away by decking Joe Piro in 1:39 and the Nazareth faithful erupted.
"Last weekend was a bit of a letdown and a huge kick in the butt," Darling said. "We were hoping
to get Easton again in the finals. This way, there are no excuses. We wrestled great all weekend. Everybody did
their job. We beat everybody we had to beat, but we finished it up just the way we were hoping."
"We knew we were in great shape," Ritchie said. "After Bobby's win, there was a sense that we weren't
going to lose. It's a great feeling, especially after last year."
Nazareth, which won the District 11 crown last year, was considered as one of the front-runners for the state title
last season. But a devastating 27-26 semifinal loss to eventual champ Upper Perkiomen wiped the Eagles out.
Easton defeated Upper Perk 35-24 in this year's semifinals and the Indians had to settle for fourth place after
losing 34-32 to Cumberland Valley in the consolation final.
Upper Perk (21-6) defeated Easton 46-19 in the 2006 title match.
Brian Fortner can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at sports@express-times.com.
Shed no tears for Northwestern's
second place
The Tigers beat Greenville but lose to Reynolds in the final.
By Gary R. Blockus Of The Morning Call
Northwestern assistant wrestling coach Bryan Klass did something very unusual on Saturday.
He shed tears.
Klass, a state champion at Wilson High School and a two-time Division III collegiate All-American, never shed a
tear during his climbs to the podium as a competitor, but Saturday was very different.
When Ben Marich's 6-2 decision over Greenville's Justin Ferguson locked up a championship finals berth for the
Tigers, Klass cried in joy, hugging the senior wrestler in congratulations.
''I put my life into this program,'' Klass, a fourth-year assistant, said while fighting back tears. ''These kids
have earned it. They worked hard. Everything they've gotten this year, they deserve.''
Despite losing 33-26 to Reynolds in the championship match, the Tigers made a statement by making the finals competitive
and bringing home a silver medal from the PIAA Class 2A Team Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center.
Even though the Tigers (23-1) lost to top-ranked Reynolds, junior 171-pounder Ben Clymer knocked off top-ranked
Lawrence Beckman 1-0 to quiet some rather boisterous Reynolds fans.
Northwestern coach Mike Williams took his team's first loss of the season in stride.
''This isn't a bad place to do it,'' he said of the first loss occurring in the state finals. ''We've performed
unbelievably. This group is so tight.''
Reynolds (20-0) won eight bouts to six for Northwestern. Despite watching Beckman lose, the Raiders also picked
up an upset of their own when Aaron Nestor, ranked third in the state at 145, pinned the 10th-ranked Marich. The
upset was not in the win, but in the pin, which carried three team bonus points.
The Tigers started the championship match against Reynolds at a deficit when Tyler Sell lost by major decision
to Wil Ringer, who is ranked 24th in the state according to Off The Mat Rankings.
Then thunder struck. Northwestern heavyweight Tony Culp hit a lateral drop for a pin in 2:55 to get the Northwestern
fans celebrating a 6-4 lead in the team race. Eddie Faust (103) followed with another pin for a 12-4 lead.
In a matchup of two stars at 112, Northwestern's 10th-ranked Evan Yenolevich gave up a reverse with 20 seconds
left in 9-8 loss to fourth-ranked Cody Kelly, then Reynolds' Sam Fuchs, ranked 10th at 119, pinned Eddie Keichel
to give the undefeated Raiders a 13-12 lead.
In a thrilling bout at 125, Victor Konno took second-ranked Rob Miller of Reynolds to overtime before losing by
decision.
By the time Northwestern sent returning state champion Scott Clymer out at 135, Reynolds decided to not chance
sending out its ranked wrestler, Steven Nestor, and instead sent Tony D'Urso, hoping to avoid a pin. Clymer had
no trouble rolling up a technical fall to cut the Tigers' deficit to two points at 19-17. Nestor then rolled up
a major decision on Ricky Williams.
Williams had considered bumping his lineup, but changed his mind before the match.
''I said the guys that got us here to the finals, that's who I was going with,'' he said. ''We knew, and even the
boys said, we matched up pretty good with them. Nobody dominated this match.''
If there were Northwestern tears shed in the loss, they weren't made in public. The tears that did come on Saturday
were tears of joy for making the finals, and it was Marich's win against Greenville that clinched that berth.
''I knew if I won, we'd be going to the state finals,'' he said, ''but I didn't try to think about it and I just
tried to wrestle my own match.''
One of the biggest wins in the semifinal victory over Greenville came at heavyweight, where Culp, trailing 2-0,
reversed with five seconds left and earned backpoints for 5-2 decision.
''That was a weird turnaround,'' Williams said. Williams pointed to Eddie Faust
(103), Eddie Keichel (119), Adam Bandel (130), Garrett Sukanick (189) and Culp for key wins in the semifinals.
''We're just very fortunate that our kids can dig down and reach that level,'' Williams said. ''And the best thing
is that it's not the same kids every time.''
gary.blockus@mcall.com
610-820-6782
For Nazareth, a championship to remember
Blue Eagles top Easton 40-21 to win their first PIAA 3A team duals title.
By Beth Hudson Of The Morning Call
Tim Darling has two individual state titles, but the Nazareth senior couldn't stop thinking about the one championship
that was missing from his prodigious collection: The one he could share.
''I've been dreaming about this for so long,'' he said. ''To be able to go out to wrestle for the other guys on
this team, it's such a sweet feeling. Now we have 20-some guys who have gold medals, and they're going to have
them for the rest of their lives.''
Needless to say, Darling's dream became reality Saturday afternoon at the Giant Center. The Blues Eagles put together
an inspired performance — four in a row, actually — to win their first PIAA Team Wrestling Championship with a
resounding 40-21 victory over Easton in the Class 3A final.
It was the culmination of an almost flawless weekend for Nazareth, which beat DuBois and Lower Dauphin with relative
ease on Friday but still saved its best effort for the biggest matches. The Blue Eagles won their closest contest
in the semifinals — 29-21 over District 7 champion Hempfield — and then had four falls against their District 11
rivals.
''This team has gone through some ups and downs,'' said Nazareth coach Dave Crowell, who won two 2A state titles
with Wilson. ''I'm still trying to come to grips with [heavyweight] Mike Mutch's injury. To have them come together
for this week, it was definitely special.''
The highs and lows date to 2006, when Nazareth fell to eventual state champ Upper Perkiomen in the semifinals and
ended up finishing third at the team tournament. The Blue Eagles regrouped, won the team title at individual states
and came into this season as the 3A favorite.
But Mutch, a state medalist last year, sustained a season-ending knee injury in December at the Beast of the East.
Then Nazareth lost to Easton by three points in last Saturday's District 11 final (Nazareth won the regular-season
match by two).
Still, the Blue Eagles remained confident.
Darling said the first thing Crowell told them after the Easton loss was that they would have to do far more at
states to avoid a repeat of districts. On that note, sophomore 215-pounder Tim Murphy opened the final with a stunning
third-period pin over Easton senior Nick Williams.
Jim Mutch followed with an overtime decision over Easton's Chris Wilson, and — just like that — Nazareth was in
a much better position than it was a week ago.
''That was just, you know, wow,'' Crowell said of Murphy's pin, raising his arms for emphasis. ''First, it was
unexpected. We thought it was the least likely thing that would happen at 215.
''We knew they had three guys. We thought they were going to put out [Cory] Rutt. ... We had the scenarios written
out. With Tim, it's not like he's a guy who's wrestled three years.''
Then it was up to the lightweights, who did precisely what they needed to do: avoid giving up excessive bonus points.
Easton's Desmond Moore (103), Kegan Handlovic (112), Mark Hartenstine (119) and Jordan Oliver (125) combined for
a decision and three majors, and the Red Rovers took a 15-9 lead into the pivotal 130 bout.
Easton's Ju Ju Drummond won two one-point decisions over Bobby Ward earlier this season, but the Nazareth junior
prevailed 4-1 this time, thanks to a three-point near-fall.
''I knew as long as I didn't get taken down, it would be another one-point match,'' Ward said. ''He picked bottom
[in the second period]. He got out on me both of the other times. ... I knew if I wrestled tough, I might be able
to turn him.
''It feels really good. It was a pretty tough loss last week.''
Mike Greck (135) lifted Nazareth into a tie with his decision over Tevin Gibson, and the Blue Eagles finally knew
this was their year. They won five of the final six matches, getting pins from Andrew Ritchie (140), Darling (160)
and Thad Frick (171).
Easton enjoyed its seventh consecutive trip to the dual-meet final and took second for the third straight year.
Oliver had a big day, too, winning in overtime against Upper Perk's Chris Sheetz in a battle of the state's top
119-pounders (Oliver is No. 1, Sheetz No. 2).
Upper Perk, last year's champion, lost to Cumberland Valley, 34-32, in the third-place match.
The resilient Blue Eagles?
They were the ones smiling and flashing their gold medals. They have a state
dual-meet championship to go with the title they won at the 2006 individual tournament. And Darling has some company,
20-plus teammates who can call themselves ''state champs.''
''You lose in the past, and it hurts,'' Crowell said. ''But if you win at the end, it washes it all away.''
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
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