|
Rovers take 2nd; Nazareth denied
PIAA AAA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS. Upper Perkiomen wins
rematch with Easton; a last-second loss for Blue Eagles.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | It wasn't exactly the goal Easton Area High School's wrestling team set for it this season, but
just getting to the finals of the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships will have do.
For the sixth consecutive season, the Red Rovers advanced to the state title match Saturday. And for the second
year in a row they were denied gold, falling 46-19 to Upper Perkiomen at the Giant Center.
Nazareth had itself positioned to be in the finals only to lose to Upper Perkiomen 27-26 in the semifinals as time
ran out in the final bout.
"We never set out to finish in second place," Red Rovers coach Steve Powell said. "But what this
young team has accomplished is remarkable. It's unheard of for a team with this much lack of varsity experience
to get here. I'm real proud."
Upper Perkiomen (29-1) shook off a serious scare in the morning semifinals against Nazareth to dominate Easton
for the second time this season, and in the process claim the Bucks County school's first state wrestling championship.
"We lost a lot of heartbreakers in this arena and we finally got that monkey off our backs," Upper Perkiomen
coach Tom Hontz said. "We made it the semifinals the past two seasons and lost. When we cleared that hurdle
we felt pretty confident. To win a state title by knocking off two quality District 11 teams makes this extra special."
The Indians, ranked No. 1 in the state by Gold Medal Rankings and No. 4 nationally by InterMat Wrestling, won a
27-26 thriller with a major decision in the last bout of the match just to make to the finals.
The Red Rovers (21-7), ranked second in The Express-Times region, had won four straight state titles from 2001-04
before they were stunned by Connellsville 34-25 last year.
"It's a whole different animal, losing here today," Powell said. "We expected to be here -- and
win it all -- last year. This weekend, we won a whole lot of close matches. We won a bunch of matches in overtime.
We really had to come together as a team to get here and these guys did it."
Upper Perk, with a lineup that features six wrestlers with more than 100 wins, racked up six falls against the
Red Rovers -- one short of the seven the Indians had in a 49-26 regular season win on Dec. 23.
Easton kept it close for a while, trailing 15-13 after seven
bouts when Derek Bennett (215) and Bruce Augustine (275) produced back-to-back falls to give the Indians a 14-point
lead with five bouts left.
Sophomore Jordan Oliver kept the Red Rovers' hopes flickering with a second-period fall over Mike McStravick at
103 to make it 27-19.
Indians 112-pounder Shane Smith countered in a hurry by headlocking Kegan Handlovic and pinning him in 38 seconds.
Just like that it was 33-19 Indians.
Powell may have sensed the end when he held out three-time Class AA placewinner Russ Souders to rest his injured
knee.
Instead he sent out reserve senior Jeff Dorsey at 119 to face state champ Chris Sheetz.
Sheetz, who majored Nazareth's Andrew Flegler in the semifinals to allow the Indians to make it to the finals,
followed Smith's lead and pinned Dorsey with a headlock in 2:17 to make it 39-19 and seal the match.
"Russ wasn't in any shape to go out there at that point," Powell said. "We didn't want to risk anything
more serious and jeopardize his postseason."
Souders (34-3) sprained the medial collateral knee ligament in Friday's second-round match against General McLane's
Eric Zelina.
The Red Rovers already were competing without senior 130-pounder Mike Biase, who had knee surgery last week.
Upper Perkiomen's win over Nazareth will go down as one of
the best matches in state duals history. Nazareth, the region's top-ranked team, led 26-23 with one bout remaining
and senior Andrew Flegler taking the mat to face Sheetz.
Flegler needed only avoid bonus points for the match to finish in a 26-26. The Blue Eagles would win on criterion
No. 6 -- total number of first points scored from each bout.
Sheetz (34-6), who won the 112-pound state title last season, led 11-5 with 30 seconds left in the bout when Flegler
shot in on a deep single leg. He was unable to convert a takedown, and a stalemate was called with four seconds
to go.
On the restart, Sheetz lunged for a headlock, landed on top of Flegler and was awarded a takedown as time expired.
The final bout score was 13-5 -- a major decision -- and the Indians were on their way to the finals with a one-point
victory.
"There's a lot of ways we could've won the match," Blue Eagles coach Dave Crowell said. "We lost
a couple one-point matches at 125 and 140. If we get one of those, we win. We gave up a technical fall. If we can
hold them to a major there, we win. We get pinned at 103 because our regular guy didn't make weight. So you can't
blame it one person or one match."
Crowell appeared to have everything set up by weighing in Tim Darling with Phil Santee at 152, hoping to get him
on Upper Perkiomen star Brent Fiorito at 160.
Santee came out at 152 and decisioned Ryan LaPish 6-2, prepping the crowd for a Darling-Fiorito showdown.
Hantz instead moved Fiorito up to 171 to face Frick, and sent little-used Hoyt Emmons out against Darling.
Darling (33-2) worked Emmons for an 18-1 technical fall, and Fiorito came out at 171 where he scored a hard-fought
3-1 decision over Frick to tie the match at 14.
"We looked at the matchups and we knew we had to find a way to win every matchup we could," Crowell said.
"That's what happens in big matches."
Brian Fortner can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
Reynolds keeps N. Lehigh from gold
repeat
Northwestern is fifth in the PIAA Class 2A Team Championships.
By Gary R. Blockus
Of The Morning Call
HERSHEY | Silver doesn't taste so sweet, not when you're after gold in Chocolatetown, anyway.
Northern Lehigh's bid to repeat as the PIAA Class 2A Team champion came up just short on Saturday afternoon. The
Bulldogs lost a heartbreaking 38-19 match to Reynolds in a re-match of last year's final.
But silver isn't hard to take, either.
''It's not really that tough,'' said Scott Snyder, Northern Lehigh's 215-pounder who is top-ranked in the state.
''We wrestled Reynolds last year and we beat them in the finals. We were just hoping to pull another one out again
today.''
Reynolds has beaten the Bulldogs at the Ultimate Duals in Brookville the last two years. The Raiders handled the
Bulldogs 37-19 in the opening match at the Ultimate Duals three weeks ago and, while Northern Lehigh managed to
change two matchups, it couldn't change the final result.
The end came at 119, when junior Andrew Arnold, who suffered leg cramps during the semifinal win over Boiling Springs,
gave up the deciding points in the final seconds against Paul Kulka, a 7-5 decision that gave the Raiders an insurmountable
34-15 lead with two bouts remaining. In fairness, Arnold needed a pin to keep the Bulldogs hopes alive.
Both Northern Lehigh and Northwestern won morning bouts to advance into the medals round. The Bulldogs whipped
District 3 champion Boiling Springs 45-12. Northwestern, wrestling in the consolation bracket, battered Boiling
Springs 38-20, then lost to Mount Pleasant 33-27 in the bronze medal match.
''Two teams out of the Colonial League, right in our backyard, are second and fourth in the state,'' Herzog proclaimed.
Northern Lehigh defeated Northwestern in both the league season and the District 11 finals.
More than that, a District 11 team made the mat in every medals match as Easton and Nazareth competed for the gold
and bronze in the Class 3A action.
''We were talking about that earlier,'' Herzog said. ''It certainly makes a case for seeding the tournament instead
of going by the straight bracketing. If you're looking [to rate] strength, there's your case. Count how many state
champions and runners-up from each district and add them up
rather than just bracket it.''
Northern Lehigh (24-3) had a more pleasant experience in the semifinals against the District 3 champion Bubblers,
whose vocal crowd was hushed from the get-go after senior Adam Hluschak scored a technical fall on Jimmy Kreiger,
one of their toughest wrestlers.
''That was the game plan, to burst their bubble, so to speak,'' Herzog joked. ''When we found out we drew 125 [to
start the match], I thought that was a perfect position. We ended up either beating their better kids or not giving
up any bonus points to their better kids.''
In that match, seniors and Frank Heffernan (160) and Snyder both picked up their 100th career victories.
''It felt great to win my 100th match, but it felt really great to win it on the same day as my good friend, Frank
Heffernan,'' Snyder said.
''When Scott got his 100th win,'' Herzog said, ''that sealed the deal for us. It clinched the match to put us into
the state final. That's something to remember, your 100th win putting your team into the state final.''
Northwestern put together some memorable moments as well. In the bronze medal match at 145, the Tigers' Dan Konno
edged defending state champion Donnie Ament of Mt. Pleasant 3-2 on a third-period escape, a win that will surely
earn him statewide recognition.
In the win over Bowling Springs that got the Tigers (18-7) into the bronze medal match, Northwestern head coach
Mike Williams didn't bother to juggle any of his kids, preferring to go straight up with his lineup after watching
what Northern Lehigh had done to the Bubblers immediately before that match.
And other than Reynolds' win over Mount Pleasant, Northwestern gave the Vikings their toughest bout of the tournament.
''The thing I'm most proud of,'' said Williams, ''is that the Reynolds coach [Brian Hills] came over to me after
our match and said we had them worried and that we wrestled them hard.''
gary.blockus@mcall.com
610-820-6782
Sheet's feat helps U.P. to title
His semifinal victory ignites Indian's charge
at PIAA 3A duals.
By Beth Hudson
Of The Morning Call
HERSHEY | When the Upper Perkiomen wrestlers needed a small miracle, they called on their state champion, 119-pound
junior Chris Sheetz.
Almost a year ago, Sheetz earned a Class 3A title at 112. On Saturday morning, he made one move that changed, well,
just about everything in the PIAA 3A Team Championships at the Giant Center.
Buoyed by Sheetz's critical victory, the Indians beat Nazareth 27-26 in the semifinals before clinching their first
state dual-meet title with a 46-19 victory over Easton, which made an unprecedented sixth consecutive trip to the
final.
Trailing the top-ranked Blue Eagles 26-23, the second-seeded Indians needed a major decision in the final bout
to win and advance to the final. As time ran low in the third period, Sheetz held an 11-5 lead over Andrew Flegler.
He was desperate.
''There were four seconds left,'' said Sheetz, who looked to coach Tom Hontz for direction. ''He told me to do
that flying headlock.''
Sheetz did, and Flegler fell to the mat.
The referee signaled two points with no time remaining, Sheetz won 13-5 and the Upper Perk sideline erupted into
joyful delirium.
Clearly, the day belonged to Upper Perk and Sheetz. Though he lost six bouts this season, Sheetz has won 15 straight
matches and seems to be in top form.
''This is his time of year,'' Hontz said. ''I think he was just getting adjusted to the weight class. He's such
a gamer. That headlock is as dangerous as it gets, and he proved that in both matches.
''We saw Chris down in Virginia [at the Battlefield Duals] against a Great Bridge kid, and he hit a similar sort
of headlock jumped out of his shoes and got the thing.''
In the semifinals, it meant everything.
Nazareth coach Dave Crowell was concerned about Upper Perk's ''pinning ability,'' but the Blue Eagles gave up few
bonus points. Mike McStravick (103) had the Indians' only pin, and Zack Kemmerer (135) had the only technical fall.
Instead, Upper Perk stayed with Nazareth by winning tight matches: Ryan Kemmerer over Mario Giordano, Sam Walters
over Andrew Ritchie, Brent Fiorito over Thad Frick and Derek Bennett over Jim Mutch.
After Nazareth's Bobby Ward edged Shane Smith 2-0 at 112, it was up to Sheetz.
''Last year, I was more nervous,'' he said. ''This year, I came out and I wasn't nervous or anything. I figured
I might as well try to relax and [set an example] for the younger guys who are here for the first time.''
Still, facing Easton in the final tends to be a daunting task for anyone especially considering the Red Rovers
won four consecutive state titles from 2001-04 and finished second last year.
''They've been improving all year long,'' said Hontz, whose team beat Easton 49-26 in December. ''Coach [Steve]
Powell is such an awesome coach. Those kids are getting tougher and tougher. We had seven pins last time. I didn't
think that would happen again.''
Well, not quite. Six Indians (Zack Kemmerer, Fiorito, Bennett, Bruce Augustine, Smith and Sheetz) posted falls
this time. Easton was close, trailing 15-13 after Cory Rutt's 5-2 victory over Brian Keyser at 189, but Upper Perk
pinned in four of the next five bouts.
''They're certainly a really talented team, and they have a whole lot of experience,'' Powell said. ''Even seven
wins against Upper Perk or Nazareth isn't enough. You're looking at having to get nine.''
Despite the loss, Powell and his wrestlers were smiling something they weren't doing after last year's loss to
Connellsville.
The Red Rovers reached the final with a 38-19 victory over Penn Trafford. Having lost to Nazareth (twice) and Upper
Perk this season, Easton knew it was the underdog.
''It's a little different kind of second place,'' Powell said. ''The kids just did a great job.''
Nazareth beat Bald Eagle Area, 28-25, for third place.
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
Bulldogs battle way into semis; Northwestern
going for bronze
By Gary R. Blockus
Of The Morning Call
HERSHEY | Rob Marlatt's record is hovering around the .500 mark, but the Northern Lehigh senior knows a thing or
two about coming back from adversity.
Marlatt found adversity Friday morning when he gave up a takedown to Greenville's Brandon Stephens with nine seconds
left in a 4-3 loss.
In the afternoon at the PIAA Team Championships in the Giant Center, he found redemption.
Marlatt (15-16) reversed Cody Geise and then stuck him to his back for a pin in 3:34 to clinch Northern Lehigh's
44-26 win over Line Mountain as the defending PIAA Class 2A champion Bulldogs won two matches and advanced to this
morning's semifinals.
The District 11 champion Bulldogs (23-2) will meet District 3 champion Boiling Springs in the 9 a.m. semifinals
while Reynolds, which defeated Northwestern 42-12 in the quarters, will meet Mount Pleasant in the other semifinal.
Don't expect the Bulldogs to take Boiling Springs lightly. The Bubblers brought a loud cheering section on Friday,
as well as cheerleaders, to inspire their team.
''That's something,'' Northern Lehigh coach Todd Herzog said of the vocal Boiling Springs contingent that turned
the arena into a virtual home match for the Bubblers. ''It creates a great atmosphere, but we've been in those
fights before. With loud gyms, the best thing to do is go out and put up points and keep it going. It doesn't get
much louder than Northwestern-Northern Lehigh or Northern Lehigh-Wilson, so we're comfortable with that.''
The Bulldogs are resilient in hostile situations, which helped Marlatt recover for the match-clinching win. Northern
Lehigh edged Greenville 33-26 in the 8 a.m. opening match.
''It wasn't too difficult to get my confidence back for that second match,'' Marlatt said. ''Coach always tells
me to put that in my back pocket and go out and wrestle like it's your first match of the day all over again. And
go hard.''
''That's why it's a team sport,'' Herzog said. ''You can't let those kind of things get you down. One minute you're
on top, the next you're scrambling around for a teammate to come through.''
The difference in the morning win came from bonus points: Adam Hluschak (125) and Casey Hedash (189) scored pins,
Scott Snyder (215) picked up a technical fall, Nick Hosford (171) recorded a major decision and Frank Heffernan
won by forfeit.
In the win over Line Mountain, it looked much different.
Sechler recorded a pin at 152; Heffernan, one of the state's top-ranked 160-pounders, edged very tough freshman
Jon Fausey on a takedown with six seconds left; Hosford added an overtime rideout victory over Fausey's older brother,
Shawn, at 171; Hedash (189) received a forfeit; and Snyder pinned his opponent in the first period fort a gaping
23-6 lead.
In a big upset at 119, Northern Lehigh's Andrew Arnold was leading 5-1 when he got caught in a cement job and was
pinned by Chad Thorpe in 2:30. Hluschak thwarted that rally with a technical fall, which led way to Marlatt's pin.
Northwestern was scheduled to meet District 6 champion Richland at 8 a.m., but Richland was forced to withdraw
from the tournament late Thursday.
Richland (20-3) apparently used an academically ineligible wrestler in the District 6 tournament, and the information
came too late in the week to substitute District 6 runner-up Westmont Hilltop.
Northwestern advanced to the quarters, where Reynolds, the top-ranked Class 2A team in the state, won 42-12.
''I thought we wrestled unbelievably,'' Northwestern coach Mike Williams said. ''I think we wrestled them better
than anyone else has wrestled them all year. It could have been a blowout, but our guys wrestled well.''
Williams was upset that a referee missed a second-period pin by 112-pounder Victor Konno, who ended up losing a
4-3 decision to Sam Fuchs.
The loss to Reynolds saw the end of the unbeaten run of Tiger frosh Evan Yenolevich (27-1), who lost 5-0 to freshman
Cody Kelly. Yenolevich acquitted himself with a major decision over Greenville's Brian Goda in the next round.
The Tigers are still alive for the bronze medal. They crushed Greenville 42-12 and advanced to the second consolation
round, where they battered District 5 champion North Star. Northwestern will face the loser of the Northern Lehigh-Boiling
Spring match at 11 a.m. today, with the winner advancing to the bronze-medal match.
Mat notes: For those who can't make it here today because of the expected snowstorm can follow a live Webcast of
the bouts on http://www.D6wrestling.com . Semifinals are scheduled for 9 a.m. with the finals and consolation finals
slated for 1 p.m.
gary.blockus@mcall.com
610-820-6782
Nazareth, Upper Perk to square off in semifinals
Two top teams in state rankings will meet;
Easton also in semis.
By Beth Hudson
Of The Morning Call
HERSHEY | They've glanced at each other's names in the rankings.
They've compared scores and considered matchups.
Today, No. 1 Nazareth and No. 2 Upper Perkiomen the two top-ranked Class 3A wrestling teams in the state finally
will meet on the mat.
And Upper Perk junior Zack Kemmerer summed up the mood: ''This is the day we've been looking forward to all season.''
Of course, coaches typically don't want their athletes to think too far into the future.
So Nazareth's Dave Crowell and Upper Perk's Tom Hontz did their best to avoid speculation over the last two months.
The Blue Eagles beat District 11 rivals Northampton and Easton along the way, while the Indians won their third
consecutive District One dual-meet title.
''I've tried to keep them from even mentioning the N-word,'' Hontz said. ''We've done a good job of that.''
On Friday, however, the word ''Nazareth'' became fair game.
The Blue Eagles knocked off District 6 champion Bald Eagle Area, 36-19, in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Team Championships,
and the Indians rolled over District 9 champ DuBois, 55-9, to set up today's 9 a.m. semifinal at the Giant Center
in Hershey.
Third-ranked Easton advanced with a 35-15 victory over Cumberland Valley and will face District 7 champion Penn
Trafford in the other semifinal. The championship is set for 1 p.m.
Before that happens, though, the Blue Eagles and Indians are expected to stage a can't-miss semifinal with many
compelling bouts (potentially), including Nazareth's Bobby Ward and Upper Perk's Shane Smith at 112, Andrew Flegler
and Chris Sheetz at 119, Mario Giordano and Ryan Kemmerer at 125, Ray Ward and Austin Reed at 130, Mike Greck and
Zack Kemmerer at 135, Andrew Ritchie and Sam Walters at 140, and Thad Frick and Brent Fiorito at 160 (all are ranked
by The Morning Call).
''They have four matches where they're favored,'' Zack Kemmerer said. ''We have two or three where we're favored.''
''I think it's going to be going straight at them,'' Hontz said. ''Hopefully, we can win the tossups.''
Still, one thought lingers with Crowell: ''They're so dangerous,'' he said. ''That's the part that worries me
they're so dangerous with their pinning ability.''
Upper Perk's Ryan Lapish (152), Fiorito, Brian Keyser (189) and Bruce Augustine (275) won by fall on Friday, and
Derek Bennett (215), Smith, Sheetz, Ryan Kemmerer and Austin Reed also scored bonus points against DuBois.
Nazareth, meanwhile, was impressive against Bald Eagle Area.
State champion Tim Darling (145) opened with a major decision over Quentin Wright and Phil Santee (152) pinned
Ryan McNamara. Following decisions by Frick and David Crowell (171), the Blue Eagles led 16-0.
''Actually, for our team and their team, I think the matchups worked well,'' Dave Crowell said. ''It was their
best guys versus our best guys.''
And, in yet another part of the arena, the District 11 runner-up Red Rovers quietly did what they had to do.
Easton won nine of 14 bouts against Cumberland Valley, including Colin Dailey's overtime decision over Brenden
Hardy at 152 and Russ Souders' third-period pin of Billy Chamberlain at 119.
If Easton beats Penn Trafford, the Red Rovers will be in the state title match for the sixth consecutive year.
Easton won gold from 2001-04 and took silver last year.
The other semifinalists are attempting to win their first state dual-meet title.
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
Easton, Eagles advance to semis
CLASS AAA TEAM. Red Rovers meet Penn Trafford
and Nazareth opposes Upper Perk.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | It was the matchup everyone was waiting to see: Nazareth Area High School's Tim Darling against
Bald Eagle Area's Quentin Wright.
Wright had pushed Darling to the limit earlier this season before succumbing to the Blue Eagles' state champion
in overtime at the Beast of the East Tournament.
The rematch was billed as one of the key bouts when Nazareth and Bald Eagle met Friday in the quarterfinals of
the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships.
This time around it wasn't close.
Darling worked Wright for an 8-0 major decision to spark Nazareth to a 36-19 victory at the Giant Center.
"I use matches like that (6-5 overtime win over Wright at The Beast) that were closer than they should have
been for motivation," said Darling, the 130-pound state champ last season who improved to 31-2 with the win.
"I've been working hard to improve in areas where I was weak. I'm not weak there anymore."
Nazareth (20-1) joins Easton in today's semifinals, which are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. The tournament concludes
at 1 p.m. with championship matches and consolations for third place in both AA and AAA.
The Blue Eagles meet District 1 champ Upper Perkiomen. Upper Perk (27-1), which defeated Easton 49-26 on Dec. 23,
is the odds-on favorite to win it all.
Easton (20-6) advanced to the semis and will oppose District 7 champ Penn Trafford. The Red Rovers beat General
McLane 41-25 in the second round and Cumberland Valley 35-15 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Nazareth, ranked No. 1 in The Express-Times region, built a 16-0 lead on Bald Eagle with a pin by Phil Santee (152)
and decisions by Thad Frick (160) and David Crowell (171), all following Darling's major.
"It started with the coin flip," Nazareth coach
Dave Crowell said. "We wanted to get Darling on (Quentin) Wright, and that would allow us to keep Santee in
the lineup. If they bump up away from Darling, it might have been a different story."
Santee (25-4) made it 10-0 when he pinned Ryan MacNamra in 5:09.
Frick increased the lead to 13-0 by dominating Landis Wright, Quentin's older brother, 12-7 with four takedowns
and a nearfall.
"I heard (Wright) was real good on top," Frick said. "Once I got the lead in the first, I stayed
on my feet."
"We got a lot of momentum at the start," Dave Crowell said. "We matched some of our best with some
of their best and we came out on top."
Easton, meanwhile, was in the process of building a similar margin on Cumberland Valley.
Braylin Williams scored a 21-8 major decision over Eric Andrews at 145 to start the match, and Colin Dailey (152)
and Jules Knighton (160) won decisions to put Easton up 10-0.
Bald Eagle (18-2) cut Nazareth's lead to 13-6 before Mike Mutch won another tossup bout at 275 for the Blue Eagles,
breaking a 1-1 tie with a five-point move in overtime for a 6-1 decision over Kevin Struble.
Struble beat Mutch 2-1 in overtime at the Beast.
Nazareth also got bonus-point wins from Andrew Flegler (119) and Andrew Ritchie (140) down the stretch to end any
Bald Eagle comeback threat.
Flegler (25-6) sat out last weekend's District 11 Duals with
a sore left shoulder but looked healthy Friday, cruising to a 13-0 major decision over Rusty Fetzer.
Ritchie pinned Shawn Switzer in 5:04.
Easton, winner of four straight state duals titles before losing last year in the finals to Connellsville, led
17-9 after eight bouts when 112-pounder Kegan Handlovic came back from a 4-0 deficit to score a 6-4 overtime decision
over Bryce Busler.
Russ Souders made it 26-9 by pinning highly-regarded Billy Chamberlain at 119.
Locked in a scoreless tie after two periods, Chamberlain chose bottom to start the third. But Souders turned and
pinned him with a leg ride and half-nelson in 5:35.
Souders (32-3), a three-time Class AA placewinner at Wilson before transferring to Easton this summer, was essentially
wrestling on one leg. He sprained the medial collateral ligament in his knee against General McLane's Eric Zelina
in the morning session.
"I was surprised (Chamberlain) took bottom in the third," Souders said. "He was tweaking my knee
the whole second period and I expected him to take neutral. He helped me out."
Handlovic's win was Easton's second overtime victory of the match.
Colin Dailey's 4-2 decision over Brenden Hardy at 152, however, was extra costly for Cumberland Valley because
the Eagles lost a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"I was confident on my feet because I knew (Hardy) was getting tired," Dailey said. "I was hoping
to turn him over, but I couldn't."
Brian Fortner can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
Northern Lehigh on course for a repeat
Saturday, February 11, 2006
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | Despite a lot of talk about a state final rematch between Northern Lehigh and Reynolds, Bulldogs
coach Todd Herzog knows for the dream matchup to happen his team has to get there first.
The Bulldogs (23-2), ranked fifth in The Express-Times region, took the first steps in that direction Friday with
a pair of victories in the PIAA Class AA Team Championship at the Giant Center.
Northern Lehigh, the District 11 and defending Class AA state champion, defeated District 2 runner-up Greenville
33-26 in second-round action before disposing of Line Mountain 44-26 in the quarterfinals.
"Everyone's talking about wrestling in the finals -- and Reynolds -- but we weren't looking past Greenville
or Line Mountain," Herzog said. "We're where we want to be, though. There are some things we need to
fix or we won't get to the finals."
Northern Lehigh, which defeated Reynolds 35-22 to win the title last season, takes on unbeaten Boiling Springs
in the semifinals at 9 this morning. The tournament concludes with the championship and third-place matches at
1 p.m.
Senior Scott Snyder ran his unbeaten record to 32-0 with a pair of convincing wins for the Bulldogs.
Snyder, ranked No. 3 at 189 by The Express-Times, won at 215 by a 20-5 technical fall over Greenville's Kody McInturt
in 4:22 in the morning round before pinning Line Mountain's Shane Hart in 1:36 in the quarterfinals.
Reynolds (17-0) sent Northwestern, the other Colonial League representative, out of the winners bracket with a
42-12 victory in the quarterfinals and will meet Mount Pleasant this morning in the semifinals.
Northwestern made it to the quarterfinals with a forfeit victory over District 6 champion Richland, which used
an ineligible wrestler last weekend during its district title run.
The Tigers stayed alive for a bronze medal with wins over Greenville, 48-12, and North Star, 44-22, in the evening
wrestlebacks.
PIAA CLASS AAA DUALS. Nazareth stuck
with tough draw while Easton faces difficult task.
Friday, February 10, 2006
By BRIAN FORTNER
The Express-Times
The date was Dec. 11, 2005.
The Easton Area High School Red Rovers had just put the finishing touches on an impressive 5-for-5 day of wrestling
with a 37-24 victory over Council Rock South -- ranked No. 4 in Pennsylvania at the time -- at the Escape the Rock
Duals.
Senior Braylin Williams and the rest of his Easton teammates had an obvious cause for celebration -- or so one
would think.
Instead, the day's events served as an eye-opener for Williams.
"I just wasn't happy with the way I wrestled," the 140-pound said. "I didn't wrestle to my potential."
Williams went 5-0 that day, but sometimes just winning isn't good enough.
"This is my senior year and I don't want to come off the mat feeling like I didn't give it my best,"
said Williams, a four-year starter and PIAA Class AAA state medal winner.
It's just this type of drive that carried the Red Rovers to four-straight state dual meet titles from 2001-04.
And it's just this type of standard that makes Easton dangerous this weekend at the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling
Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
"It would be foolish for any team to take Easton for granted," Nazareth coach Dave Crowell said. "They
have a great track record in this tournament. They're not the favorites, but they're still Easton."
Crowell's Blue Eagles defeated Easton 37-21 last Saturday to claim their first District 11 title since 1997 and
secure a second straight trip to states.
Easton (18-6) faces District 10 champion General McLane in second-round action at 10 a.m. today while Nazareth
awaits the winner of the second-round match between Dallastown and Bald Eagle Area.
Defending champ Northern Lehigh (21-2) and Northwestern (15-5) are the District 11 representatives in Class AA.
The tournament concludes 1 p.m. Saturday with championship and consolation finals in both AA and AAA.
"Teams may be looking past us a little," Easton coach Steve Powell said. "We haven't been a prohibitive
favorite all year. We have a lot of guys in the lineup that haven't been on this stage before."
The Red Rovers, ranked No. 2 in The Express-Times region, earned their sixth-straight trip to Hershey by beating
Council Rock North 43-18 Tuesday night in the tournament's opening round.
Easton won four straight AAA championships before losing to Connellsville 34-25 in the finals last season.
A return trip to the top of medal podium, however, will be no easy task for the Red Rovers.
Perennial District 1 champ Upper Perkiomen is the odds-on favorite to win it all along with Nazareth, Bald Eagle
Area and Cumberland Valley heading the list of legitimate contenders.
The Blue Eagles' second victory over Easton in four days landed them in the top-half of the pairings along with
Upper Perk (26-1) and Bald Eagle Area (18-1).
"It's definitely accepted that we're in the tougher side of bracket," Crowell said. "It appears
that the three best teams are on that side, but it's a pre-determined draw. That's the way it falls."
"It looks like we may have gotten an easier draw by finishing second (in the district)," said Williams,
who became Easton's 25th member of the 100-win club on Tuesday with his 5-4 decision over General McLane's Dave
Zeek. "That doesn't mean we're over confident. We learned last year that anything can happen."
An Easton win sets up a quarterfinal date with District 3 champ Cumberland Valley.
Cumberland Valley (19-1) lost to Nazareth 35-16, but defeated Northampton 32-24 at the Cement Town Duals on Dec.
10.
Nazareth and Bald Eagle saw each other at the Beast of the East Tournament in December -- where Nazareth placed
eighth and Bald Eagle ninth.
One key matchup that could materialize on Saturday is a rematch between Nazareth state champ Tim Darling and Bald
Eagle's Quentin Wright.
Darling nipped Wright 6-5 in overtime in the wrestleback semifinals on his way to a third-place finish at 145.
"There are no cakewalks in this event," Powell said. "This is Pennsylvania high school wrestling.
General McLane wouldn't be here if they weren't quality."
Brian Fortner can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
No easy path to PIAA team tournament title
Friday, February 10, 2006
By Beth Hudson
The Morning Call
Steve Powell wasn't buying it.
Last Saturday, the Easton wrestling coach was asked if there was a ''bright side'' to his team losing in the District
11 Class 3A dual-meet final, and Powell said exactly what you'd expect an experienced coach to say.
The gist: Winners want to win.
Powell talked about the perils of looking at the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships bracket (they're pre-determined)
and trying to choose the ''easy'' route to the final.
He talked about wrestlers attempting to do that for individual states thinking they'd get a more favorable draw
if they lost in the regional final, only to discover that the wrestler they were hoping to avoid lost in his regional
final as well.
Finally, Powell talked about the difficulty of winning a state championship from the District 11 runner-up position.
His team has won four of the past five state dual-meet titles.
''Pennsylvania is so talented, so balanced and so deep,'' he said. ''You get the extra match on Tuesday night [because
of the loss]. You get the extra match Friday morning. There are a whole lot of negatives.''
The Red Rovers beat Council Rock North, 43-18, in Tuesday's opening round of states and will take on District 10
champion General McLane at 10 a.m. today at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Meanwhile, District 11 champion Nazareth has a bye until today's 2 p.m. quarterfinals.
Still, there is one advantage to being on Easton's side of the bracket this weekend: Nazareth and Upper Perkiomen,
the state's first- and second-ranked 3A teams, respectively, are on the other side.
While those two are expected to meet in the semifinals, third-ranked Easton clearly has an opportunity to reach
the final.
Of course, if Powell's team defeats General McLane, it will have to face Cumberland Valley in the quarterfinals.
In addition to winning the District 3 title, the Eagles defeated Northampton, 32-24, in December. Ranked fourth
by Off The Mat, Cumberland Valley's top wrestlers include Billy Chamberlain (ranked sixth in the state at 119 pounds)
and Brenden Hardy (fifth at 145).
Should Easton clear that hurdle, the Red Rovers likely will face the winner of a quarterfinal between District
7 champ Penn Trafford and District One runner-up Council Rock South.
However, Council Rock South must beat District 2's Abington Heights to reach the quarters.
Nazareth will open the tournament against the winner of the Bald Eagle Area-Dallastown match, and Upper Perkiomen
will take on the winner of Canon-McMillan and DuBois.
The semifinals are scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, and finals in both classes will start at 1 p.m.
Assuming the Nazareth-Upper Perkiomen match happens, the winner of that match will be favored to win the title.
Upper Perk beat Easton, 49-26, on Dec. 23, and the Blue Eagles beat the Red Rovers twice last week (by scores of
44-15 and 37-21).
Even so, thanks to the draw, Easton's a favorite to win at least silver, while the loser in a potential Nazareth
and Upper Perk semifinal will be fighting for third.
Northern Lehigh's road: Like the Red Rovers, the District 11 champion Bulldogs are trying to duplicate recent success
at the PIAA Team Tournament. Northern Lehigh won the 2A championship last year, 35-22, over Reynolds.
Reynolds, the District 10 champion, is undefeated and ranked
No. 1 going into today, and District 7 champ Mount Pleasant is No. 2. However, if those teams advance this afternoon,
they'll meet in the Saturday morning semifinals.
Northern Lehigh opens at 8 a.m. today against District 10 runner-up Greenville, and the winner of that match will
face District 4's winner, Line Mountain.
Five Reynolds wrestlers are ranked in the top four in the state: Steve Nestor, third at 130; Aaron Nestor, third
at 140; Matt Dunn, first at 145; Lawrence Beckman, second at 160; and Mike Edwards, fourth at 275.
Reynolds defeated Northern Lehigh, 37-19, at last month's Brookville Duals. Mount Pleasant also beat the Bulldogs,
35-23, at that event.
Richland forfeits: District 6 Class 2A champion Richland (20-3) notified the PIAA on Thursday morning that it would
forfeit all of its district matches from last Saturday, because of its use of an ineligible wrestler.
Richland was scheduled to meet District 11 runner-up Northwestern at 8 a.m. today. Instead, the Tigers will receive
a bye into the quarterfinals, where they will face Reynolds at noon.
Calling all officials: Matt Billy is trying to get updated information (addresses and phone numbers) for retired
wrestling officials in the area. They're requested to call him at (610) 760-6280.
Making her-story: The latest edition of Sports Illustrated includes a short story on Alaska's Michaela Hutchison,
the first girl in U.S. history to win a state wrestling championship competing against boys.
The 16-year-old Hutchison, ranked No. 1 in the state at 103 going into the tournament, had 33 pins this season.
Her older brothers, Eli and Zeb, are both state champions, and her older sister, Melina, became the first girl
to compete in the Alaska high school wrestling championships in 1999.
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
Sukanick's win lifts Northwestern to 34-31 triumph over Towanda
Tigers edge Towanda to advance to second round
By JOE PLASKO
jplasko@tnonline.com
SUNBURY - Garrett Sukanick had it all fall on his shoulders.
The Northwestern junior took to the mat in the final bout of Tuesday night's PIAA Class AA First Round match with
Towanda with the score deadlocked and a spot in the Second Round on the line.
Sukanick responded with a pressure-packed 6-2 decision over Casey Abbott at 171 pounds to life the Tigers to a
tight 34-31 victory at Shikellamy High School.
Northwestern (15-5), the District 11 AA runner-up, will take on District 6 champion Richland at Hershey's Giant
Center Friday morning at 8 a.m.
But first, the Tigers had to get past Towanda (25-5), the District 4 runner-up, and the Black Knights proved a
formidable opponent.
Both teams won seven matches. The difference was that Northwestern had four falls to three for the Knights, with
those three bonus points providing the final margin of victory.
Evan Yenolevich (103), Victor Konno (112), Scott Clymer (125) and Brandon Williams (152) registered the mat slaps
for the Tigers.
Still, it wasn't until Sukanick (19-4) outlasted Abbott that the Tigers escaped with the triumph.
I don't know why we wait until the end to do things like that, said a relieved Northwestern coach Mike Williams.
Brandon went out there and was solid, and he can put you away if you make a mistake. The Konnos (Dan and Victor)
keep wrestling well for us, Evan is still on a roll, and I feel Scotty Clymer is back on track. All of those guys,
and Ben Marich, can put six up for us.
With the match starting at 189, Tiger soph Ben Clymer (25-6), ranked 21st in AA by Off the Mat, scored a reversal
with 1:02 left to edge Darin Rockwell 3-2.
The Knights surged ahead behind a pair of state-ranked heavies.
Steve Vischensky (23rd OTM) put away Brian Barr with a cradle at 215, and Brock Nichols (9th OTM) outdueled the
Tigers' Tony Culp (15th OTM) by an 8-7 count in the heavyweight bout, scoring the winning takedown with 50 seconds
left.
Down 9-3, Northwestern answered behind freshman sensation Yenolevich (7th OTM), who is 28-0 after packing away
Caleb Spencer in 53 seconds, and soph Victor Konno (25-8, 16th OTM), who used an arm bar to crank Dustin Logan
to his back in 1:50.
A late tilt for a two-point nearfall by the Knights' Caleb Vanderpool (16th OTM) resulted in bonus points at 119
in a 10-2 major against Ed Keichel.
Scott Clymer (27-5, 6th OTM) got those back and more at 125 by decking Justin Sluyter, wrapping up the head and
arm to show Sluyter the lights at 3:37.
Towanda then ran off three straight wins, with state-ranked Tyler Leljedal (4th OTM) taking out Adam Bandel with
a cradle at 130; Josh Vanderpool using two third-period backpoints to nip Noah Billig 5-4 at 135; and Mike Maurer
taking down Marich to his back for a five-point move in a 9-4 win at 140 in a battle of state-rated stalwarts (Marich
10th, Maurer 12th).
With Towanda up 25-21, senior Dan Konno (30-4, 1th OTM) racked up a 12-1 major over Ethan Sexton at 145 to even
the score. Williams (24-8, 11th OTM) made swift work of Ron Chesla at 152, pressing him to the mat in 1:13.
The Tigers appeared poised to put the win on ice when Madison Kubat jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Jake Lamphere
at 160 before Lamphere reversed him onto his back for a stunning pin, drawing the sides even at 31.
That left it up to Sukanick (19-4), and he immediately took down Abbott into a cradle. While he didn't receive
back points, Sukanick had drawn first blood.
Abbott cut it to 2-1 with a second period escape, but Sukanick once again got him off his feet to make it 4-1.
Sukanick added a third period reversal to clinch it.
Ironically, Sukanick suffered a tough loss to another Casey, Northern Lehigh soph Casey Hedash, on a rideout in
the District 11 final setback to the Bulldogs, and the clinching win helped make amends.
I don't know if anything is going to ease that, but I knew what I had to do to get us to states, and I wanted
to make it happen, said Sukanick. I knew I had to step up and wrestle my best. The whole team wrestled hard to
get us through this.
I'm pumped. We're going to Hershey, and there's no better feeling than being out there.
Williams advances Easton to Hershey
EASTON 43, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 18.
Braylin Williams' 100th win helps Rovers move ahead in state duals.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
By NICK FIERRO
The Express-Times
BETHLEHEM | Fittingly, Easton Area High School's wrestling team finished off its first opponent in the PIAA Class
AAA State Duals by defeating Council Rock North's top two winners Tuesday night at Bethlehem Catholic.
First, senior Braylin Williams recovered from giving up the first takedown against defending state medalist David
Zeek at 140 pounds to come back for a stirring 5-4 decision and his 100th career win.
Three bouts later, freshman Joe Piro may have come of age by cranking Jared Vivacqua to his back with a flying
cement job and pinning him with a minute remaining in the third period of their match-closing clash at 160, lifting
Easton to a convincing 43-18 victory.
The win sends the Red Rovers (18-6) to Hershey on Friday, when they'll face District 10 champion General McLane
in a second-round match at the Giant Center.
"With the schedule Lehigh Valley teams wrestle," Easton coach Steve Powell said, "certainly records
can be deceiving and might not mean a lot."
Which explains how someone like Brandon Veres, who had 14 wins coming in, could find a way to overcome Oliver Hertzel,
who had 31, in a close match at 125, or how heavyweight Mike Varju (7-17) could almost pull off an upset over Randall
Lee (18-8) before succumbing late by an 11-9 margin.
But it doesn't explain how Piro (18-16) handed Vivacqua just his fourth loss in 34 matches this season.
"Everybody was saying, 'just don't give up six,' " Piro said. "But the freshman excuses are over.
I'm almost a sophomore now, and it's time to start wrestling like one."
Piro spent the first two periods expertly cutting Vivacqua off on their tie-ups and could feel his opponent beginning
to grow frustrated as they were locked in a 1-1 tie early in the third period.
"I was getting tired and it was a close match and I figured if he got in deep, why not try it?" Piro
said. "I knew he was setting up a shot, so what the heck. Once I got him on his back, I knew it was over."
"My son's going to be really mad on that ride home," said Jared's father,
Tom Vivacqua, the Indians' coach. "He got impatient, then he got in real deep on that shot and I saw (Piro)
slip that cement job in there."
Piro's victory was icing on the cake, since the outcome already had been decided.
Williams' win was much more pivotal.
Trailing 3-1 after giving up an escape early in the third period, Williams won it by taking Zeek down twice, the
final time with more than half a minute remaining. He was able to ride him the rest of the way and avoid overtime.
Following a restart with 12.8 seconds remaining, he threw legs in and Zeek never had a chance to get out.
"My coaches told me he was going to gas and to just keep going at him," Williams said. "That's what
I did."
While Williams insisted his milestone win didn't mean any more to him than any other, coach Steve Powell pointed
out its significance.
"That 100th was symbolic of how he got the other 99," Powell said. "We wrestle a tough schedule.
He earned that 100."
After Williams won, Colin Dailey clinched the win for the Red Rovers by scoring a 4-0 decision over Earl Longstreth
at 145, and Easton's Jules Knighton followed with a 9-3 decision at 152 over Mark Rosenblatt, missing a major by
2 seconds as he turned him to his back right before the buzzer.
Nick Fierro can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at nfierro@express-times.com
Williams' 100th win highlights Rovers' night
With 43-18 win over C.R. North, Easton advances in 3A duals.
By Beth Hudson
Of The Morning Call
About 20 different people stopped to congratulate Braylin Williams after he won his 100th varsity wrestling match
Tuesday night.
Each time it looked as though the Easton fans were done complimenting the senior, one more person arrived with
a hug or handshake. So imagine what will happen if Williams reaches his ultimate goal a state championship
next month.
Williams laughed at the notion. But before he can entertain those thoughts seriously, he has to handle team business
namely, the PIAA Class 3A Team Wrestling Championships.
The Red Rovers, winners of four of the past five state team titles, advanced to Hershey with a 43-18 victory over
Council Rock North at Bethlehem Catholic.
Easton won 10 of 14 bouts against the Indians and will face General McLane, the District 10 champion, Friday at
the Giant Center. The winner of that match will take on District 3 champion Cumberland Valley in the quarterfinals.
''With our lineup, we know we can't give up falls,'' Easton coach Steve Powell said. ''The match of the night was
Braylin getting his 100th win. How he got it was very symbolic of his other 99. It's not 100 wins against fish.
He's earned that 100.''
In fact, Williams (29-3) got exactly what he was hoping for in the 140-pound bout a matchup with Council Rock
North's Dave Zeek, a 2005 state placewinner.
Though Zeek scored the first takedown in the second period, Williams believed he had a good chance to take control
in the third.
''Honestly, my coaches told me he was going to gas at the end,'' he said. ''I just kept going at him and going
at him. He got tired in the third period. The last minute or so, I started shooting, and good things happened.''
Williams got two third-period takedowns, including one with 39 seconds remaining to clinch his 5-4 decision.
''It means nothing to me until the state title,'' Williams said. ''It's a good victory. [But] I've just got to
keep moving from here.''
The Red Rovers will, too.
Council Rock North, the third-place team from District One, took advantage of the starting weight (171) and built
a 14-3 lead.
Dan Collins opened with a technical fall over Keenan Walls at 171, Jack Callender pinned Chris Wilson at 215 and
Randall Lee (275) scored a late takedown to edge Easton's Mike Varju 11-9.
As always, though, Easton's lightweights made the difference.
The Rovers scored bonus points in four of the five lower weights, including pins from Kegan Handlovic (112) and
Russ Souders (119). Jordan Oliver (103) and JuJu Drummond (130) added technical falls, giving Easton a 28-14 lead
after 130.
Joe Piro ended the match on a high note for Easton, pinning Council Rock North's Jared Vivacqua (30-3 coming into
the bout) at the five-minute mark. Vivacqua took a shot, but Piro (18-16) came out on top.
''He was scrapping really well,'' Powell said. ''Taking a look at the records, he probably had no business being
in the match. [But] he wrestled really well tonight.
''Matching up records, we got some big upset wins. Sometimes Lehigh Valley records are deceiving [because of the
competition]. Records don't mean a whole lot.
''It's going to take a total team effort [in Hershey]. We have some very good kids, but we don't have seven sure
wins in every match.''
beth.hudson@mcall.com
610-820-6501
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