|
Tylor
Mutton's key victory advances Pen Argyl in PIAA Class AA wrestling
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
SUNBURY, Pa. | Tylor Mutton thought the Pen Argyl Area High School wrestling team needed a pin at 152 pounds. And
he expected to get one.
"I was planning on a pin," the senior said, "but I didn't know who he was."
Turns out, Mutton was wrestling one of the top 145-pounders in Pennsylvania and his 9-6 decision was exactly what
the team needed.
Mutton's heroics -- and then clutch back-to-back pins from two underclassmen -- sparked Pen Argyl to a 35-33 win
over District 4's Montoursville in a PIAA Class AA first-round match Tuesday night at Shikellamy High School.
"I was expecting someone else, a kid with a worse record and I thought I needed a pin," said Mutton,
who outpointed Eli Ruscyzk 3-1 in the decisive second period of their bout. "But I was OK settling for a win.
It was a pretty big match."
It was. Very big.
Pen Argyl coach Scott Kupec called Mutton's bout the "turning point" and Montoursville coach Jamie Yonkin
said "we needed to win at both 119 and 152."
The Green Knights, who improved to 13-2, won both duels and advance in the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships to
Friday's 8 a.m. second round at Hershey's Giant Center. Pen Argyl meets District 6 champion Westmont Hilltop.
Mutton's decision got the Green Knights within 24-23 and freshman Dylan Evans and sophomore Tyler Horn followed
with consecutive falls at 160 and 171 pounds. Evans flattened James Welliver in 66 seconds and Horn decked Frank
Insinga in 2:30.
Pen Argyl's 10-point deficit after eight bouts turned into a 35-24 advantage with two remaining.
Sophomore Ryan Barry clinched the Green Knights' first-ever trip to Hershey with a 5-4 loss to Tyler Albert. The
faithful Pen Argyl fans, about 150 or so, who made the scenic two-hour trek west let loose in celebration.
"I was going out and going for a big move," said Horn, who called Mutton's decision over the 21-8 Ruscyzk
"inspiring." "I hit a concrete special. It felt great."
Two of three toss-ups went Montoursville's way early on and the Warriors led 24-20 entering the 152-pound bout.
(The match started at 285.)
One toss up that went the Green Knights' way was Derek Beckage's 3-1 decision over Dave Batkowski at 119. Other
Pen Argyl winners were the team's big three of Jamie Welsh at 103 pounds, Austin Williams at 135 and Phil Racciato
at 145.
Welsh prevailed by technical fall, and Williams and Racciato both received forfeits as Montoursville tried to find
the best possible matchups. Williams' win was the 100th of his career.
"I was pretty worried when we were down by 10," Mutton said, "but I knew we'd have an advantage
up top."
"We didn't get some calls early on but our kids stayed focused," Kupec said. "Mutton's win was the
turning point. That opened up the floodgates. Dylan and Tyler came through big, especially for underclassmen."
Pen Argyl was forced to forfeit at 285 pounds as Kirby Mutton was out with an illness. Montoursville, now 14-2,
was without suspended 189-pounder Sam Shaheen, a senior with a 22-7 record.
Tuesday's performance probably wasn't Pen Argyl at its absolute best, but it was good enough. And the Green Knight
coaches, wrestlers and fans were plenty satisfied.
"We told the kids, second in the district is great and it's been a really wonderful season," Kupec said.
"But we wanted to make it to Hershey. It's going to be a great experience."
"It's awesome," Mutton said. "I don't know what to think. It hasn't even hit me yet."
BLUE MOUNTAIN 38, LOWER DAUPHIN
30
Freshman seals win for Blue Mountain, exit for Falcons
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
BY BOB FLOUNDERS
Of The Patriot-News
BETHLEHEM - Ed Neiswender knew the Blue Mountain wrestling team would be a tough out in the PIAA Class AAA team
championships.
"Those guys are really tough," the Lower Dauphin head coach said Tuesday night after the Falcons' first-round
match at Freedom High School. "They're really good from 103 to 140."
And they're pretty plucky at 145, too.
That weight is home to freshman Travis Moyer, and his 4-3 win over LD senior Michael English clinched Blue Mountain's
38-30 win.
Blue Mountain will face Clearfield in the second round Friday at Giant Center. Clearfield knocked off Hempfield
Area on criteria.
LD (23-3) and Blue Mountain were flirting with the possibility of a criteria win. The match started at 160 pounds,
and with two bouts to go -- 145 and 152 -- Blue Mountain led 35-26.
The Falcons weren't done, especially with heavily favored Jason Kane (29-5) looming at 152.
But LD needed a win at 145. And Moyer wasn't having any of it.
He scored the bout's only takedown with 1:19 left in the second period and broke a 3-3 tie with an escape with
a minute to go.
English (22-6) tried to turn Moyer in the first 60 seconds of the third period before opting to cut him loose.
But he couldn't score from his feet.
"I knew I wasn't getting turned," Moyer said. "I had put in a
lot of work in the [wrestling] room, and I was just going to keep fighting. We needed the win. I did feel a lot
of pressure. But all you can really do is try and wrestle tough."
"He's a tough kid," Neiswender said of Moyer.
"I think Mike, he's trying for a four-point win. We needed a four and a six to win the match. We would have
lost on criteria if we ended in a tie. But don't take anything away from the kid that beat him."
For the record, Blue Mountain had more falls and ultimately won more bouts, eight to six.
The Falcons led 11-0 after two bouts on the strength of Jonathan Germany's technical fall at 160 and a forfeit
awarded to Chad Savage at 171.
But Blue Mountain's balance began to show after that. It won the next four bouts -- two by pin and one an impressive
10-1 major decision by freshman Corey Keener over LD's Robert Higgins at 103 -- before the Main Event broke at
112.
There, LD's Blaine Shutt (32-2) was extended to the limit by Brandon Choate before winning 3-2. Shutt scored the
bout's only takedown with 34 seconds left in the second and also had an escape. Choate finished with two escapes.
But there were some tremendous flurries and close calls.
Afterward, Shutt became lightheaded after exerting so much energy and required medical attention. But he was fine,
according to Neiswender, as LD prepared to head home.
"Ultimately, they deserved to win and we gave up too many falls," said Neiswender, who also got wins
from Zachary Barrick at 119, Justin Crawford at 135 and Kane at 152.
"I'm just so proud of this team. We've been a solid team all the way through, and I'm just so pleased with
what they have done."
Wilson Area High School senior Chad
Little a key ingredient for the District 11 champion Warriors.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
"It isn't the things you do in life that you regret, it's the things that you
don't do."
It's a quote that applies perfectly to the wrestling career of Wilson Area High School senior Chad Little.
Little did not wrestle as a freshman or sophomore at Wilson, but after watching his close friend Mike Fleck excel
on the mat at Easton, he decided to give the sport a try between his sophomore and junior years.
At the urging of Fleck and several of his other wrestling cronies, Little entered in an offseason tournament --
and won his first match.
"The best feeling ever," he called it.
Since then, Little "breathes, eats and sleeps" wrestling, according to Wilson coach Tom Mertz.
"I used to like playing basketball ... I really don't know why I didn't wrestle before then, though,"
Little said with a smile. "I'm really mad that I didn't do it before."
Little is not the best wrestler on the Warriors' team; he is, though, one of the most important wrestlers on Wilson's
squad.
Mertz's District 11 champion Warriors lack depth in the upper weights this season, so Little's contributions are
one reason why 18-2 Wilson is competing in the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships this weekend at Hershey's Giant
Center.
Little and Co. begin their quest for a Class AA state title against District 5 champion Bedford in a second round
match at 8 a.m. Friday.
"I'm really pumped up from last weekend ... I'm still on Cloud-9," Little said before Wednesday night's
Colonial League match against Saucon Valley. "It was my dream to wrestle in Hershey, and it has come true."
He certainly did his part to make it happen.
Little, who has a 14-12 record, scored two key wins -- and one equally important loss -- in Wilson's three district
victories.
Against Northern Lehigh in a 34-33 quarterfinal-round win, Little defeated Troy Silfies by a 9-7 score at 285 pounds.
Silfies had pinned Little in 38 seconds during a league match.
Against Bethlehem Catholic in a 34-32 semifinal-round win, Little lost 7-1 to Robert Wallace at 285 but avoided
yielding bonus points in the match's last bout to secure the team triumph.
Against Pen Argyl in a 29-27 championship-round win, Little decisioned Ryan Barry 3-0 at 215 pounds to put the
team up 29-18 with two bouts remaining.
"Last season Chad had a spot but it was one of those things where anyone on our team would've had that spot
because we didn't have anyone else," said Mertz, whose team is led by the senior trio of Alex Depew, D.J.
Hartrum and Austin Warman. "He pals around with Austin and Alex, and I told those guys last year if he puts
in the work during the offseason, he has potential to be a 20-match winner. Well, he's real close this year.
"Chad's been a huge addition to our team because he works hard and has a great attitude."
Little calls his decision to start a wrestling career before his junior year one of the best choices he's ever
made.
"I'm just really glad I got into it," he said. "Austin and Alex are two of my best friends. Alex
worked with me all summer and he's the one who made me a lot better wrestler. Austin was there to encourage me
not to quit because there were times when I wanted to because it was so hard. Wrestling isn't an easy sport but
I love it."
There was no quit in the Warriors last weekend, and Mertz promises his squad will wrestle with the same aggressive
style starting Friday morning.
Still, it'll be a tough road for Wilson in the state's loaded Class AA bracket.
Bedford is 15-0 overall and considered a big favorite against the Warriors, who are making their first appearance
in the state duals since 2004.
"I think for the first time since I've been here, the kids are wrestling as a team rather than as individuals,"
Mertz said. "As a staff, we've preached team to them. Before, I think they'd rather win their match and the
team lose than vice versa. But that's not the case anymore."
Pen Argyl, with a 35-33 win over Montoursville in Tuesday night's first-round state match, will meet District 6
champion Westmont Hilltop in the second round at 8 a.m. Friday.
The double-elimination tournament concludes with Saturday's 1 p.m. final.
Michael Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at mblouse@express-times.com.
Northampton Area High School wrestling
team faces major challenges in state's Class AAA team tournament
Thursday, February 05, 2009
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
For the first time this season, Northampton Area High School wrestling coach Terry
Daubert expects to trot out his full starting lineup at this weekend's PIAA Team Wrestling Championships at the
Giant Center in Hershey.
"I'm looking forward to all 14 of our starters wrestling in the same match," Daubert said after the Konkrete
Kids' practice Wednesday night. "It hasn't happened this year but I'm hoping it happens this weekend."
Daubert's District 11 champion K-Kids will try to navigate their way through the "difficult" side of
the Class AAA bracket and into Saturday's state championship match.
Northampton, at 19-0 overall and ranked No. 1 in The Express-Times region, opens Friday in a 2 p.m. quarterfinal
against either Central Mountain or Boyertown.
Central Mountain and Boyertown meet in a 10 a.m. second-round match.
If indeed the Konkrete Kids are finally at full strength, they feature a talented, experienced and balanced lineup.
Northampton has six senior 20-match winners in its lineup: 130-pounder Josh Yurasits (20-5), 160-pounder Jimmy
Sheptock (28-2), 171-pounder Seth Csaszar (21-5), 189-pounder Joe Piro (25-4), 215-pounder Aaron Chamberlain (23-5)
and 285-pounder Erik Schaffer (27-4).
Other 20-match winners are freshman 119-pounder Jason Stephen (20-9), junior 125-pounder Jordan Glykas (21-5) and
junior 135-pounder Austin Sommer (26-4).
Three other K-Kids would likely be 20-match winners expect for injuries. Junior Greg Rinker (9-4) at 112 pounds,
senior Phil Marano (8-1) at 140 and senior Shane Fenningham (12-5) at 145 all won 30-plus matches last season.
"It's been very stressful for me," Daubert said of the injuries, "and very frustrating for the kids."
Rinker had a compound fracture in his finger while Marano and Fenningham were both out with knee injuries.
"It was very frustrating, especially since this is my senior year," Marano said. "I missed out on
a few things I'd hoped to accomplish. But I was never frustrated with my teammates, they did a great job. I'm just
excited we're all back now."
Even at full strength, Northampton will face some major challenges in Hershey.
The first one is likely to be 10-0 Central Mountain, which features the Alton brothers. Junior Dylan Alton is 29-0
with 14 pins and eight technical falls at 145 pounds and junior Andrew Alton is 28-0 with 22 pins at 140.
The Wildcats finished third at the state tournament last season.
"Central Mountain is very good but they haven't wrestled a whole lot of dual meets," Daubert said. "But
we're somewhat familiar with what they've got."
If the Konkrete Kids survive the District 6 champion, 14-0 District 3 champion Central Dauphin is expected to be
waiting in the 1 p.m. semifinals.
The Rams, who beat Northampton 37-21 in last year's state final, must defeat Connellsville to advance to the final
four.
"We're going out there with one goal in mind," Daubert said. "We want to win. But I'd say Central
Dauphin is the favorite since they won it last season."
"Revenge is definitely on our minds," said Marano, who is 79-38 in his career. "It's unavoidable
with people talking about it all over the internet. They're ranked very high in the country and we're up there,
too. It's a match we're definitely looking forward to. We're going to do our best to win it."
Central Dauphin, coached by Jeff Sweigard, is led by unbeaten junior Marshall Peppelman, who is 35-0 at 152 pounds.
The Class AAA state final is 1 p.m. Saturday.
"I'm very confident we're going to win it this year," Marano said.
Michael Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at mblouse@express-times.com.
AREA WRESTLING STANDINGS K-Kids have
revenge on their minds
February 6, 2009
1 2 3 next PIAA TEAM WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Central Dauphin remains vivid in Northampton's wrestling memory, having ended the
team's unbeaten season in the state-championship match last year.
''That was heartbreaking,'' senior Erik Schaffer said. ''We've been working even harder this year to get back to
team states and show what we can do.''
If the Konkrete Kids get another chance this weekend, it will be in the semifinals. This year's PIAA Class 3A Team
Wrestling Tournament has positioned Northampton and Central Dauphin in the same half of the bracket, meaning a
rematch would not be for the state title.
Not that anyone's looking ahead to 9 a.m. Saturday, but it's difficult to ignore. Central Dauphin beat Northampton
37-21 for last year's title, and both teams stand out at this weekend's 12-team tournament at the Giant Center
in Hershey.
To secure their rematch, both teams need to win their quarterfinal-round matches Friday. Northampton meets the
winner of Central Mountain-Boyertown second-round match, and Central Dauphin faces the Connellsville-Council Rock
North winner.
Central Dauphin and Northampton, both unbeaten, are ranked fourth and fifth in the country by Amateur Wrestling
News. Their match last year came down to a series of close bouts: The Rams won 10 overall but four by only two
points.
''We have to win more of the close bouts this year,'' Northampton coach Terry Daubert said. ''We lost a bundle
of them last year.''
A Central Dauphin-Northampton rematch likely would be decided by bonus points and middleweights. The Rams' lineup
is strong from 103-125, where the starters average 29 wins apiece.
But the Kids can make up ground in the upper weights, particularly with Seth Csaszar (171), Aaron Chamberlain (215)
and Schaffer (285). Two bouts to watch, if they happen, pit Northampton's Jimmy Sheptock (28-2) against Central
Dauphin's Kenny Courts (31-3) at 160 and Joe Piro (25-4) against Tony Dallago (33-3) at 189.
''We're looking forward to wrestling them,'' Northampton's Greg Rinker said. ''Last year, they controlled the match,
but we've been working hard to prevent what happened.''
THE NEXT STEP
Quakertown makes its first trip to Hershey for state duals this weekend, giving coach Kurt Handel a chance to acclimate
his young roster to the Giant Center -- just in case.
''With eight juniors on this team, this experience is going to be phenomenal,'' Handel said. ''An opportunity to
wrestle in the Giant Center is something that will come in handy when it's time to qualify for states.''
Quakertown (19-2) steamrolled through last weekend's District One duals, beating Upper Perkiomen and Council Rock
South for its first duals title. Last year, the Panthers qualified for states but fell to Nazareth in the preliminary
round and did not reach Hershey.
''For us, this is a great step for the entire program,'' Handel said. ''It's very rare to get 14 guys on a team
who are all varsity wrestlers. These guys committed to weight classes, and some had to lose more weight than others,
but they made the team sacrifice.''
By winning the District One title, Quakertown received a bye into today's quarterfinal round, where it will wrestle
the Blue Mountain-Clearfield winner. District 3 runnerup Cumberland Valley and District 7 champ Bethel Park are
among Quakertown's challengers to reach the championship match.
EARLY START
Wilson gets a quick turnaround after its win over Saucon Valley on Wednesday, taking on District 5 champ Bedford
in the 2A second round at 8 a.m. today. Pen Argyl is on the same schedule, meeting District 6 champ Westmont-Hilltop
in its second-round match.
IN WAITING
The Ches-Mont League this week suspended the remainder of its dual-meet season following an outbreak of herpes
gladiatorum, or mat herpes. The eight-day suspension was a cautionary procedure, and the league's 14 member teams
are scheduled to be cleared for District One's individual sectional tournaments next week.
Great Valley was among the first schools affected and withdrew from last week's district duals. West Chester Henderson
also withdrew.
mark.wogenrich@mcall.com
Northampton wrestling team advances
in PIAA Class AAA Team Tournament
Saturday, February 07, 2009
By BETH HUDSON
The Express-Times
HERSHEY | Seth Csaszar and his teammates know one advantage of being on an undefeated,
senior-heavy team: The match rarely comes down to a specific bout or a solitary wrestler, because the Northampton
High School squad typically wins decisively.
Before the quarterfinals at the PIAA Class AAA Team Championships, Northampton's slimmest margin of victory in
a dual meet was eight points against Cumberland Valley in December. So, imagine Csaszar's surprise when Northampton's
collective fate fell squarely into his hands in the final weight class against District 6 champion Central Mountain.
"That was the first time," Csaszar said. "I've been wrestling since I was 5, and that's the first
time it came down to me. Usually by the time it gets to me, it doesn't really matter."
It meant everything this time, and Csaszar handled the situation like a veteran, earning an 11-7 decision over
Jacob Parks at 171 pounds to give the Konkrete Kids a 31-27 victory over the Wildcats on Friday at the Giant Center.
Northampton improved to 20-0 and will take on Central Dauphin at 9 a.m. today -- a rematch of the 2008 state final,
which the Rams won, 37-21. Blue Mountain will wrestle Cumberland Valley in the other semifinal. The championship
is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Northampton won eight of 14 bouts against Central Mountain and was clinging to a 28-27 advantage following Jimmy
Sheptock's major decision over Michael Walizer at 160. But, as Northampton coach Terry Daubert said, young wrestlers
don't grow up dreaming about competing in the final bout when the score is 70-0.
"You want to go out there and decide the match," Daubert said. "He had the whole match in his hands."
Csaszar took down Parks just 20 seconds into it, but found himself locked in a 6-6 tie after two periods. Parks
gave up the escape to start the third, and then Csaszar started to pull away. He countered Parks' takedown attempt
with about 30 seconds left.
"After that, I let him up and got another takedown," Csaszar said. "Sometimes, I should forget about
the score and just wrestle."
His win was one of several subplots for Northampton, which wrestled without senior heavyweight Erik Schaffer (he's
expected to be back today). In his absence, Northampton defensive end Galen Clemons offered to help. Clemons, who
signed a letter of intent earlier this week to play football for Central Michigan, never wrestled before this week
and weighed in at just under 244 pounds.
"He's a big, strong kid," Daubert said. "He wanted to give it a shot."
And, while Central Mountain's Zach Corl pinned Clemons in 40 seconds, the Konkrete Kids appreciated their new teammate's
effort. They also liked seeing senior 145-pounder Shane Fenningham back in the lineup. Fenningham, a fifth-place
state medalist last year, has been recovering from a knee injury since late December. He bumped up to 152 and lost
to Tyler Buckwalter in triple overtime.
"He hasn't been able to go live too much at all," Daubert said. "He'll be a whole lot better tomorrow.
We asked a lot of him."
Freshman Cole Sheptock and junior Greg Rinker earned back-to-back falls at 103 and 112, respectively, Josh Yurasits
won by major decision at 130, and Joe Piro, Jason Stephen and Austin Sommer added decisions for the Konkrete Kids.
Glenn Barnes and Andrew Alton joined Corl with pins for the Wildcats.
Central Dauphin won both team titles (dual meet in February and individual states in March) in 2008 and has a strong
lineup that includes returning state champ Marshall Peppelman. The Rams easily beat Connellsville, 53-13, in the
quarterfinals and had time to watch Northampton's last few bouts.
Beth Hudson can be reached by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
Wilson, Pen Argyl bow out in PIAA
Class AA Team Wrestling Championships
Saturday, February 07, 2009
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | Austin Williams, a senior on the Pen Argyl Area High School wrestling
team, wishes he had one more match and one more year.
But all good things come to an end sometime.
And, for Williams and the Green Knights, that sometime was Friday in the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships at the
Giant Center.
Pen Argyl and Wilson went 0-2 and were ousted from the state's Class AA tournament. The Green Knights lost to Westmont
Hilltop 49-13 in the morning and Bedford 39-28 in the afternoon, while the Warriors fell to Bedford 44-20 and Burrell
34-20.
Coach Scott Kupec's Pen Argyl program finished 0-for-2 in its first appearance at the PIAA event but Williams --
a captain who is one of only four senior starters on a team full of underclassmen -- believes big things are ahead
for his school.
"This is the only winning team I've been on in any sport since sixth grade," said Williams, a standout
130-pounder who was also a key contributor on the Green Knights' football team. "I just wish we had another
match here, or maybe even another year. ... This season's been a lot of fun.
"For the next four or five years nobody in the Colonial League, and maybe even the state, is going to touch
Pen Argyl. There's a lot of good sophomores and freshmen and a whole lot more in junior high. They'll be back here
next year."
This season's state tournament appearance comes one year after the Green Knights' 5-10 campaign.
Despite the two losses, Friday's experience could be beneficial in the future.
Pen Argyl, which enters its Colonial League finale Monday against Salisbury with a 13-4 record overall and a chance
to claim or share the league title with Wilson, seemed to struggle with the early-bird 8 a.m. start. The Green
Knights failed to score even one point in the first five bouts.
Senior Derek Beckage at 119 pounds, Williams at 130 and freshman Dylan Evans at 160 provided the three wins.
"I guess waking up at 5:30 in the morning is a little too early for us," Williams said of the pre-dawn
wakeup call. "We looked like we were still sleeping."
Pen Argyl rebounded strong against a Bedford team that routed the Warriors. The Green Knights led 28-21 entering
the final three bouts until consecutive falls locked it up for Bedford.
James Elphick at 103 pounds, Williams, Phil Racciato at 140, Tylor Mutton at 152, Evans and Tyler Horn at 171 were
winners for the Green Knights.
Elphick, Racciato, Evans and Horn all are underclassmen. Williams' wins were the 101st and 102nd of his career.
"The kids wrestled really well this afternoon," Kupec said. "We didn't wrestle to our potential
this morning but we showed a lot of heart coming back strong. It was a great experience for our freshmen, sophomores
and juniors. I want them to expect to be here."
While Pen Argyl is a predominantly a young squad, the Warriors are a senior-laden team that won the District 11
tournament with three wins by a total of five points.
Wilson, which is 18-4 overall entering its league finale Tuesday at Northwestern, won five bouts against Bedford.
Brandon Hartrum prevailed at 103 pounds, Mike Calantoni at 140, Austin Warman at 145, Matt Hunter at 160 and Alex
Depew at 171 were Warrior winners.
"We're real disappointed," said Warman, who improved to 29-2. "We had high hopes and expectations
coming out here. We have a lot of seniors but there's nothing else we can do about today now. Everyone tried their
best. Now, it's time to focus on individual tournaments."
In the afternoon coach Tom Mertz's squad met defending state champion Burrell in a consolation match. Brandon and
D.J. Hartrum, Warman, Hunter, Depew and Chad Little all picked up victoriess.
"It's been a tough week for our kids with the district tournament last weekend, then Saucon Valley on Wednesday
night," Mertz said. "I think the kids were a little bit flat today and that might have something to do
with our performance. And, we ran into some tough competition. But I'm proud of our team."
Michael Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at sports@express-times.com
Kids dodge upset bid
Saturday, February 07, 2009
BY ROD FRISCO
Of The Patriot-News
Central Mountain head wrestling coach Doug Buckwalter chalked it up to a "life
lesson," but like so many of those lessons, maybe this one was a little too harshly learned.
What happened to Buckwalter's team Friday afternoon at Giant Center was a 31-27 loss to Northampton in a terrific
battle of unbeatens, but not without that wincing, what-if moment for the losing Wildcats.
With Northampton leading 18-15 at the halfway point, Buckwalter inserted Cody Ream at 130 pounds and decided to
bump up the remainder of his lineup to try to grab some more bonus points against the tough Konkrete Kids.
Ream was 4-4 and a considerable underdog to senior Josh Yurasits (20-5). And Yurasits was obliging, piling up an
8-0 lead early in the second period.
But Ream stunned Yurasits with a big move that had the Kid in huge trouble, very close to being pinned.
The fall never came, courtesy of Yurasits calling for an injury timeout while (very nearly) flat on his back.
As expected, the large contingent of Central Mountain fans erupted. But the rule calls for immediate stoppage if
a wrestler indicates he's injured, no matter how suspicious it appears to opposing fans. Or neutral reporters,
for that matter.
You probably know the rest of the story. Yurasits recovered and went on to win 15-7 (his 15th point, a last-second
penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, was also controversial) and Northampton was able to hold off the Wildcats.
"It was definitely a tight hold," Buckwalter said. "Once a kid asks for injury time, there's nothing
an official can do, and I understand that. But I was wondering if [Yurasits] might have been pinned before [he
asked for injury time]."
Buckwalter certainly wasn't alone. But the call was the call, and the bottom line is that Northampton won where
it needed to in order to advance to this morning's semifinals against defending champion Central Dauphin.
"[Northampton] picked up some bonus points we didn't expect to give up, so that's part of this match, too,"
Buckwalter said. "It's just one of those life lessons that come out that you have to accept and learn from."
NOD TO CLEARFIELD: OK, so Friday didn't work out that great for 9-AAA champion Clearfield in its 47-24 second-round
loss to 11-AAA champion Blue Mountai ; the loss was Clearfield's first of the season.
But you have to pat Clearfield head coach Jeff Aveni for getting the Bison here in the first place.
Clearfield, despite its rich history (a state-best 40 individual champs, more than 600 dual-meet victories since
1935), had not won a PIAA Team Championship match in its first four tries.
On Tuesday, the Bison met District 7 third-place team Hempfield Area and found themselves leading the Spartans
33-21 in the first-round match with two bouts to go.
Hempfield was likely to get bonus points, and quite possibly 12 points, in those final two bouts with defending
PIAA champion Jake Kemerer and Dante Nania coming out at 160 and 171.
Aveni, at the suggestion of some fans, checked the criteria and found out that with two six-point wins, Clearfield
had the tiebreaker advantage -- Criteria H, most takedowns -- but only if the Hempfield wrestlers didn't rack up
certain bout points in the process.
The only way to ensure that was to keep the Spartans from actually wrestling. So rather than risk losing the criteria
his team had in hand, Aveni gave up consecutive forfeits to end the match at 33-33 ... and the Bison moved on.
ROD FRISCO: 255-8122 or rfrisco@patriot-news.com
Csaszar's win puts K-Kids into semis
vs. Central Dauphin
Revenge match: Northampton lost in team finals last year.
By Mark Wogenrich | Of The Morning Call
February 7, 2009
Seth Csaszar has been wrestling since he was 5 years old but has never faced a match's
deciding bout. That his first time came at the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships naturally made him jittery.
''I tried not to let it show or affect my stamina,'' the Northampton senior said, ''but I had some nerves.''
But Csaszar fought them off, along with Central Mountain's Jacob Parks, for an 11-7 decision that lifted the Konkrete
Kids to a 31-27 victory in the Class 3A quarterfinals Friday at the Giant Center.
The victory gave Northampton (20-0) a shot at the rematch it wants. The Kids will face Central Dauphin at 9 a.m.
today in the semifinals. The winner advances to the title match at 1 p.m. Central Dauphin, which overwhelmed Connellsville
53-13 on Friday, defeated Northampton 37-21 in last year's state-title match.
''I just hope we come back here tomorrow with a better effort,'' Northampton coach Terry Daubert said. ''We'd better
wake up bright and early.''
Elsewhere in Class 3A, District 11 runnerup Blue Mountain topped Quakertown 38-25 to earn a spot in the semis against
Cumberland Valley. In the evening consolation round, Boyertown won the last two bouts to eliminate Quakertown 32-30.
The Bears' win avenged a 54-16 loss to Quakertown in last week's District One duals final.
In Class 2A, Pen Argyl and Wilson lost their first two bouts Friday and were eliminated.
Central Mountain, the District 6 champ ranked sixth in the nation behind Central Dauphin (No. 4) and Northampton
(No. 5), took the Kids to the brink of their first loss this season. The Wildcats (10-1) led 27-24 with two bouts
remaining, though those last two for Northampton were Jimmy Sheptock (160 pounds) and Csaszar.
After Sheptock gave the Kids a 28-27 lead with a major decision, Daubert sent Csaszar to the mat.
''Although that situation is a little stressful, it's why you wrestle,'' Daubert said. ''If you're a little kid
talking about wrestling when the score is 70-0, there's something wrong with you.''
Csaszar and Parks (19-9) were evenly matched, taking a 6-6 tie into the final period. Parks gave up an escape point
to start the period, then took a shot 90 seconds later.
Csaszar (22-5) dodged it, though, and countered with a takedown to take a 9-6 advantage with 30 seconds left. He
added another takedown in the last 15 seconds to seal the victory.
''That's the first time a match has ever come down to me,'' Csaszar said. ''Guess I made it count.''
Northampton made a few moves with its lineup, the most interesting at heavyweight. Senior Galen Clemons, who has
never wrestled a high school bout, took over for Erik Schaffer, who missed the match for personal reasons.
On Wednesday, Clemons signed a letter of intent to play football at Central Michigan. The next day, the wrestling
team recruited him as an emergency fill-in. Despite a game effort, Clemons was pinned in 40 seconds by Central
Mountain's Zach Corl. Daubert said he hopes Schaffer is available today.
At 152, senior Shane Fenningham wrestled his first bout since sustaining a knee injury Dec. 30. Fenningham, wrestling
up a weight class, took Central Mountain's Tyler Buckwalter to overtime, where he lost 6-1.
''We asked a lot of Shane, and I thought he did enough to win,'' Daubert said. ''He'll be a whole lot better tomorrow.''
The Kids' lightweights were vital to the win. Cole Sheptock (103) and Greg Rinker (112) won by falls, and Jason
Stephen (119) delivered a crucial 7-6 victory in overtime. And Josh Yurasits, nearly pinned in the second period,
rebounded for a major decision at 130.
A week of wrestling matches to the wire caught up with Wilson on Friday. The Warriors fell to Bedford 44-20 in
the morning round and to Burrell 34-20 in the consolation bracket.
''It has been tough for the kids to keep responding,'' Wilson coach Tom Mertz said. ''Out here, the competition
was just at a higher level, and that was difficult to overcome.''
Pen Argyl coach Scott Kupec said his was proud of his team's reaction to its 49-13 loss to Westmont-Hilltop in
the morning's second round. The Green Knights (13-4) won six bouts in falling 39-28 to Bedford in the consolations.
Austin Williams and Dylan Evans were two-bout winners.
''We didn't wrestle well in the morning, but the kids showed a lot of heart coming back,'' Kupec said. ''This was
a great experience. Now I just want them to expect to come back here.''
mark.wogenrich@mcall.com
Northampton Area High School falls
short in bid for PIAA Class AAA team wrestling title
Sunday, February 08, 2009
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
HERSHEY, Pa. | Joe Piro, one of eight senior starters on Northampton Area High School's
wrestling team, couldn't find the right words to sum up the Konkrete Kids' loss Saturday to Central Dauphin in
the semifinals of the PIAA Class AAA Team Wrestling Championships.
"I don't know how to explain it," Piro said. "It's very disappointing and it hurts a lot. We came
in here really confident ... we really thought this was our year."
But once again, it was Central Dauphin's year.
The District 3 champion Rams defeated Northampton 31-28 in the semifinals, then won their 30th consecutive match
with a 34-30 championship victory over Cumberland Valley to cap the two-day event at the Giant Center.
Central Dauphin also won last season's state dual-meet title with a 37-21 win over the Konkrete Kids.
Coach Terry Daubert's squad responded well from the devastating loss to beat Boyertown 44-18 in the consolation
bracket and Central Mountain 36-16 in the third-place match.
Northampton also defeated Central Mountain 31-27 in Friday's quarterfinals.
"The team did a hell of a job against Central Mountain under some difficult circumstances," said Daubert,
whose K-Kids wrestled three matches in a six-hour span. "A whole lot better than the first day. I was disappointed
with the Central Dauphin match, obviously, but pleased with the way we came back."
Seth Csaszar at 171 pounds, Piro at 215, Erik Schaffer at 285, Cole Sheptock at 103, Greg Rinker at 112, Jason
Stephen at 119, Josh Yurasits at 130, Austin Sommer at 135, Shane Fenningham at 152 and Jimmy Sheptock at 160 were
Northampton winners against the Wildcats.
The rematch of last year's championship was not as close as the 31-28 score indicates.
Central Dauphin dominated the Konkrete Kids in many bouts and built a sizable 21-point advantage entering the final
four bouts.
Josh Yurasits and Austin Sommer won at 130 and 135 pounds, respectively, for Northampton but those three-point
decisions locked up the semifinal-round victory for coach Jeff Sweigard's Rams. Phil Marano and Shane Fenningham
both pinned Central Dauphin backups in the final two bouts to close the considerable margin to a respectable final
tally.
"Like last year, we didn't win enough bouts," Daubert said. "I really thought we needed to break
through somewhere down at the bottom. We knew we'd be finishing up with a couple of hammers at the end but we were
too far behind."
"We wrestled a great match I thought, one of our best all season," said Rams senior Tony Dallago, who
won by technical fall at 189 pounds. "Northampton's a tough team but this was our year."
From 285 to 125 pounds, Central Dauphin prevailed in all five bouts and Northampton wrestlers managed a total of
just four points -- all coming on escapes. The match started at 152 with Rams junior Marshall Peppelman, who is
37-0, registering a 64-second fall.
Jimmy Sheptock at 160 pounds and Piro at 215 were other winners for the K-Kids. Sheptock won by pin and Piro by
major decision.
Central Dauphin (17-0) is ranked fourth in the country by Amateur Wrestling News; Northampton (22-1) is fifth.
"I thought we came out flat and that's very disappointing," Piro said before receiving his bronze medal.
"I felt like I should have pinned my opponent, so I let the team down, too. We have some freshmen and first-year
wrestlers and maybe they were a little shocked. We wrestled a little nervous ... I don't know why."
The season is not over for Northampton, however.
The Konkrete Kids finish their Lehigh Valley Conference season against Nazareth on Thursday, and then there is
the three-week individual postseason.
Piro believes he and his teammates will come back strong.
"It's been an excellent experience," Piro said. "The coaches have been great and I love these guys.
It's sad it's almost over but these next couple weeks, we want to make them special."
Michael Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at mblouse@express-times.com.
K-Kids can't get past Central Dauphin
Repeat: In 2008, Northampton lost to the Rams in the final.
By Mark Wogenrich | Of The Morning Call
February 8, 2009
Joe Piro had a cut over his right eye and a look of disappointment on his face,
but with the individual postseason looming, neither will linger.
''Sure, we wanted the gold, but we can still get one [at individual states],'' the Northampton senior said.
After falling to Central Dauphin for the second straight season, the Konkrete Kids bounced back to win their last
two matches for the bronze medal at the PIAA Class 3A Team Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center.
Central Dauphin won the coin flip and eight of the first 10 bouts in defeating Northampton 31-28 in the morning
semifinals. Northampton (22-1) rebounded with consolation-bracket wins over Boyertown (44-18) and Central Mountain
(36-16) to place third.
Central Dauphin, which defeated Northampton in last year's 3A state final, won its second straight title, topping
Cumberland Valley 34-30. Afterward, the teams took a collective group photo, celebrating the first all-District
3 championship match in team duals history. This was the first year since the inaugural tournament in 1999 that
a District 11 team has not wrestled in the title match.
''District 11 is still District 11, in my book,'' Central Dauphin coach Jeff Sweigard said. ''They're still tough
as nails. But I think District 3 earned some respect after this weekend.''
When the state-duals brackets were released, Sweigard said he ''complained for about a minute'' about the potential
Central Dauphin-Northampton semifinal before beginning to analyze matchups.
''Because if the kids see that the coaches are concerned,'' Sweigard said, ''then they get concerned.''
The semifinal turned in the upper weights, where, after winning the coin flip, Central Dauphin got the matchups
it wanted. Piro, who normally wrestles 189, gave up nearly 25 pounds against the Rams' Seidu Issah at 215. Despite
the gash above his eye, Piro won his bout 15-10 but, because of the weight difference, could not pick up bonus
points.
''I wanted to wrestle [Central Dauphin's Tony Dallago at 189], but we took a chance on moving me away to help the
team,'' Piro said. ''I was disappointed I didn't get the pin, but that's a lot of weight to give up.''
At heavyweight, Kyle Wolfe decisioned Northampton's Erik Schaffer 5-1, beginning a run of five straight wins that
gave Central Dauphin a 31-10 lead. Northampton won the remaining four bouts, getting pins from Phil Marano (140)
and Shane Fenningham (145), but the deficit was too big by that point.
''We needed to win the coin flip to change the matchups [at 215 and 285] but didn't get it,'' Northampton coach
Terry Daubert said. ''We wanted the opposite matchups of what we got there. Then, we needed to win one more bout
but just couldn't do it.''
Sweigard said his other move that worked was wrestling Kenny Courts at 171 against Seth Csaszar. Sweigard's assistants
wanted to pair Courts with Northampton's Jimmy Sheptock at 160, but Sweigard said he felt Courts had a better chance
at 171. Courts scored a 14-5 decision, earning a bonus point for the major.
Following the loss, Northampton needed a quick turnaround to wrestle Boyertown in the consolation semis. Though
Daubert thought they looked sluggish, the Kids took 11 of 14 bouts to win decisively.
That set up a rematch for third with Central Mountain, which Northampton edged on the final bout Friday night.
This time Northampton dominated, winning 10 of the first 12 for a 20-point victory.
''I wish we could have wrestled like that against Central Dauphin,'' said Piro, who won four bouts during the two-day
tournament.
Sheptock (160) and Austin Sommer (135) also went 4-0 for the Kids. In the semis, Sommer scored a 4-2 win over Central
Dauphin's Kenny Stank, to whom he lost 8-2 in last year's state-duals final.
Northampton wrestles Nazareth on Thursday, then looks to get healthy for the individual postseason, which begins
Feb. 20 with districts. Two promising signs: Marano and Fenningham, who both missed significant time with knee
injuries this season, came through the weekend well.
''For the amount they've practiced, I thought they looked outstanding,'' Daubert said. ''This group has missed
more practice time [because of injury] than any team I've ever had. We've been holding guys back, but they fought
through things well.''
mark.wogenrich@mcall.com
CD adds 2nd dual-meet title
to 2 straight tournament team championships
Sunday, February 08, 2009
BY BOB FLOUNDERS
Of The Patriot-News
Central Dauphin's gold-medal wrestling run is now at two. Or is it four? Depends
on who you talk to.
Jeff Sweigard's 17-0 Rams captured their second straight PIAA Class AAA Team Championship Saturday at Giant Center,
slaying District 11 giant Northampton 31-28 in the morning semifinals and subduing backyard rival Cumberland Valley
34-30 in the all-District 3 afternoon final.
But the number that most reflects CD's dominance of the sport is four, not two. These guys, in case you forgot,
are pretty good in individual tournaments, too.
"That's four," Sweigard said. "Tournament [gold], dual [gold], tournament [gold], dual [gold]."
Indeed, his math skills are impressive. The Rams have also won the last two PIAA Class AAA tournament team titles
to go with the dual-meet championships.
Five straight wins -- from 285 pounds to 125 -- enabled CD to put away Northampton (22-1) as the Rams led 31-10
with four bouts to go.
And CD actually handled CV in Saturday's final. It was 34-15 with three bouts to go, and then a couple of the Eagles'
hammers, state champion Joey Napoli and Bryce Busler, recorded first-period falls against Rams backups to spark
a futile 15-0 run.
The late results did not exactly thrill the CV fans, who were unhappy Sweigard held out state champ Marshall Peppelman
(36-0) against Napoli at 152 and promising 160-pound sophomore Kenny Courts (33-3) against Busler, the runner-up
to Peppelman at 140 last year.
"Not my call," Peppelman said to reporters along press row after learning he would not be competing.
The bottom line is this: When you're in control, you make the rules. And Sweigard said he didn't want to risk either
one of his stars getting hurt.
"This is team wrestling. We'll see them down the road," Sweigard said.
"I need my kids healthy for sections and districts. I'm a wrestling fan, too, as well as a coach. I want to
see those matchups, too. But why do it?"
"Yes and no," Cumberland Valley coach Dave Heckard responded when asked if he understood the absences
of Peppelman and Courts.
"I thought we'd at least get a good match with Joey and Marshall and Bryce and Kenny, but I guess they're
maybe trying to protect them from injury. ... They didn't have to wrestle us."
No, this one was probably all but over after the second bout. The match started at 171, where CV's Tristan Warner
scored a major decision over Zach Koller 20-8.
But things began to get away from the Eagles when Heckard bumped previously unbeaten Mike Evans up from 171 to
face CD blue-chip 189-pounder Tony Dallago, a three-time state placewinner.
Evans (33-1) beat Dallago 3-1 earlier in the year, but Dallago's four-point move in the first period set the tone
for his workmanlike 6-1 win. He sealed the victory on a takedown with 20 seconds left.
CV still led 4-3, but all the momentum was on CD's side. Along with most of the better wrestlers.
"That was a match that we knew we had to get in order for us to get a [team] win, and they got it," said
Heckard, whose team beat Blue Mountain 35-30 in the morning semis.
"That was big. ... They're two good wrestlers going at it. You win some, you lose some."
"That first takedown is crucial, and I gave it up last time [against Evans] and I got it this time,"
said Dallago, who called his four-point move a "Jonesy," which is "pretty much trying to put a whizzer
in, then kick over [him] and get back points."
Buoyed by Dallago's reversal of fortune against Evans, CD soon began to assert itself by totaling a huge amount
of bonus points in its seven total wins.
There were falls from Kyle Wolfe at 285 and Tyler Buckman at 125, and technical falls from Kevin Gooding at 112
and Kenny Stank at 135.
At 119, the Rams' Simon Rice, a heavy favorite, worked CV's Ian Ritchie for an injury default in 59 seconds. The
final three points came from A.J. Sweigard at 140, where his three-point nearfall off a first-period cradle set
up his 9-4 victory over James Bennett.
A.J. Sweigard's win clinched the gold for CD.
The win over CV (18-4) was the Rams' third of the season. The teams know each other well, and the mutual respect
is obvious.
Both teams got together at the center of the mat to pose for a group picture, medals in hand.
The 2008-09 Class AAA wrestling season belonged to District 3.
"I thought that was pretty exciting," Dallago said of the combined photo. "It used to be District
11 was the area to beat, but District 3 wrestling is getting a lot better.
"I'm actually pretty proud of both District 3 teams."
"When a team beats you three times in one year, they're better than you," Heckard said.
"They're a better team."
BOB FLOUNDERS: bflounders@patriot-news.com
Reynolds takes 3rd AA crown
Sunday, February 08, 2009
BY BOB FLOUNDERS AND ROD FRISCO
Of The Patriot-News
If there is such a thing as a PIAA Class AA wrestling dynasty, Reynolds is it.
The Raiders became the first program to win three gold medals in the Class AA Team Championships Saturday at Giant
Center, hammering Shady Side Academy 42-18 in the final.
Reynolds (22-0) allowed just 36 team points total in beating Bermudian Springs (43-9), Westmont Hilltop (45-9)
and Shady Side, which found trouble in the lighter weights.
Reynolds won five of six bouts from 103 to 135, and nine matches total.
Leading the way for the champs were Luke Taylor at 145 and three-time state placewinner Cody Kelly at 130. Both
earned falls.
"It wasn't just our really good guys who really wrestled well for us in the tournament," Reynolds coach
Brian Hills said. "We had some second-tier guys step up. If they didn't win, they wrestled tough."
Reynolds, which has claimed four PIAA team titles at the individual tournament, has also won five straight District
10 team titles, and Hills is a big reason for the success. His career record is 332-33-1.
Said Hills: "This three-match run might be as good as it's been for us here at Reynolds."
Shady Side (22-5), the District 7 runner-up, also should be proud of its tourney run. Defending champ Burrell,
the District 7 champ, was upset in the quarters by Westmont Hilltop (40-25), but Shady Side beat District 4 champ
Troy 40-26 in the quarters and edged District 3 champion Schuylkill Valley 30-27 in the semifinals.
Hills congratulated Shady Side for its two-day effort in Hershey and acknowledged the Indians were beat up.
But, really, would it have mattered?
In Class AA wrestling, there is Reynolds, and there is everybody else.
Bedford wrestled six matches -- the max -- this weekend at the PIAA Team Championships, but Bison senior Josh Krupa
couldn't tell. The once-beaten heavyweight received four forfeits -- including two from third-place team Schuylkill
Valley -- in Bedford's six outings. He'd received just one forfeit in 28 bouts prior to the weekend.
SPEAKING OF FORFEITS:
It's not often that a match for a spot in the state finals ends in a forfeit, especially with the match at least
mathematically in doubt. But Cumberland Valley's final victory in its 35-30 triumph over Blue Mountain in a fine
dual was a forfeit at 145 to PIAA champ Joey Napoli.
That spot, 145 or 152, had been Blue Mountain's weakest all season, and coach Tod Kindig really didn't have a viable
wrestler to send out even though Blue Mountain held a 30-29 lead.
That made for a frustrating day for Napoli, who was denied the chance to wrestle CD's state champion, Marshall
Peppelman, at 152 when CD head coach Jeff Sweigard made the decision to withhold Peppelman and Kenny Courts at
160. Napoli waved a "c'mon out" gesture at the CD bench as he was headed to the table to report, but
Sweigard wasn't swayed by that or the booing from the CV crowd.
LUCKY NO. 27:
Shady Side Academy's defending PIAA champion at 189, Roman SanDoval, established a Team Championships record for
points when he racked up 27 in a technical fall in the finals against Reynolds.
BOB FLOUNDERS: bflounders@patriot-news.com
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