Written By: Michael Blouse
Express Times
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hi wrasslin' fans. Hopefully this column will keep all
of you content because tonight's mat matchups are certain to be
"weathered-out." (I am also an accurate weatherman. Ha!)
So,
without further ado, here is an extended version of the fan-favorite "My 2
Cents."
The
Easton-Phillipsburg showdown, as expected, was an outstanding event. The
Stateliners prevailed 30-21 Saturday night and broke a 10-match losing streak
to the Red Rovers.
A
week ago, I wrote about the poor sportsmanship displayed by Long Branch (N.J.)
wrestlers during the P'burg-Long Branch match.
Today,
the focus is on a positive show of sportsmanship at the Easton-Phillipsburg
dual -- more specifically the conduct of the participants in the heavyweight
bout.
Stateliners
senior Jim Tersigni upset Red Rovers senior Justin Grant, then the No. 1-ranked
285-pounder in The Express-Times region, 6-4 in overtime.
The
intensity and competitiveness displayed during that bout was the climax of a
dramatic night.
With
a packed crowd of 1,300 at "The Pit" watching, the hopes of both
teams -- and both communities -- were riding on the broad shoulders of Tersigni
and Grant.
In
the one-minute overtime period, Grant tried to land a headlock and missed.
Tersigni, who was almost taken down at the end of regulation, took down his
off-balance opponent for two points. Justifiably, the P'burg faithful went
wild.
Amid
the chaos, Tersigni and Grant, who battled fiercely for six-plus minutes,
showed what rivalries are all about.
Grant
laid face-down on the mat for several seconds before he picked himself up,
walked to the middle of the mat, offered his hand in congratulations then
joined Tersigni in a heavyweight-sized embrace. (From what I've seen and been
told, both Tersigni and Grant are exceptional young men.)
While
the Stateliners' student section chanted "Jimmy T" in the direction
of a smiling Tersigni, Grant intently listened to post-bout instruction from
Red Rovers assistant coach Jamarr Billman.
The
overload of emotion for both heavyweights lingered the rest of the evening.
Grant
shed tears with his family before regaining his composure and cheering on his
teammates. Meanwhile, Tersigni, the Brad Weaver Memorial Award recipient as the
meet's most outstanding wrestler, was mobbed by classmates and P'burg fans
during a post-match celebration.
Their
display of sportsmanship -- how to win graciously and lose with dignity --
should serve as a lesson for everyone who witnessed the match.
*On
the absolute opposite end of the sportsmanship spectrum, I witnessed a match in
which a fan -- the wrestler's father, presumably -- stood behind that team's
bench and hollered detailed instructions, loudly, for the full six minutes.
Then, as the losing wrestler walked off the mat the overzealous observer led
the already-upset athlete into a gymnasium corner and berated him, loudly.
In
a word: Despicable.
I
understand winning, but isn't it supposed to be fun, too?
*Looks
like the Anthony Marino-Zach Horan matchup is going to happen. Marino,
Liberty's 22-0 junior, is dropping from 119 pounds to 112, which means he will
almost certainly meet Nazareth sophomore Zach Horan, at 22-3, in the upcoming
District 11 and Northeast Regional tournaments. (And maybe the state meet,
though that's a long way away.)
Marino
and Horan might be the two most talented, and exciting, wrestlers in any weight
class in the Lehigh Valley. (Saucon Valley's Brandon Palik and Northwestern's
Evan Yenolevich would have legitimate arguments.)
Marino
is unbeaten, but I'll take Horan.
*A
Phillipsburg-Northampton showdown, which will not take place, would be a
classic. I like to rile up the P'burg fans (which is rather easy), but the 15-0
Stateliners would seem to have a shot at the 16-0 Konkrete Kids.
Northampton
is No. 1 in the region; P'burg is No. 2.
There'd
be a lot of great matchups, but if the dual started at 103 pounds,
Northampton's Joe Piro vs. P'burg's Jared Crouse at 189, Aaron Chamberlain vs.
Matt Santinti at 215 and Erik Schaffer vs. Jim Tersigni at 285 would be a great
ending.
*Usually,
almost always actually, the best wrestlers get the most attention -- and
deservedly so. But here's a printed pat on the back to all the wrestlers who
keep fightin' off their backs without any attention.
You
know who you are.
Wrestling
isn't an easy sport, and it's commendable to keep going out there on the mat
bout after bout when your opponent is usually the one getting his (or, God
forbid, her) hand raised.
Your
commitment will serve you well later in life.
District
duals
The
District 11 Duals seeding meeting is set for 9 a.m. Thursday at Freedom High
School.
Teams
earn berths in the tournament based on a points system but a nine-person
committee determines the seedings, according to wrestling chairman Bob Hartman,
also the AD at Whitehall.
In
Class AAA, Hartman said the top 10 teams as of today, in order of points, are
Northampton, Blue Mountain, Easton, Parkland, Whitehall, Stroudsburg, Pleasant
Valley, Liberty, Pocono Mountain East and Nazareth.
In
Class AA, the top 11 teams as of today, in order of points, are Bethlehem
Catholic, Pen Argyl, Wilson, Pius X, Lehighton, Saucon Valley, Northern Lehigh,
Tri-Valley, Northwestern, Catasauqua and Tamaqua. Catasauqua leads Tamaqua but
the race for the final spot still has not been decided.
"Our
goal, as a committee, is to seed the teams fairly and to get the best four
teams in the semifinals," Hartman said. "Obviously, there could be
upsets but we try to get the most deserving teams the highest seeds."
The
district tournament starts 4:30 p.m. Friday at Freedom with first-round
matchups in each class. The Class AA semifinals are 11 a.m. Saturday, the Class
AAA semis are 1 p.m., with the finals in both classes at 6 p.m.
P'burg
power
One
thing nobody in New Jersey can say about Phillipsburg wrestling is the
Stateliners put together a soft schedule.
Coach
Jason Magditch's team defeated Long Branch 28-21 on Jan. 17, and the
Stateliners meet High Point in "The Pit" on Saturday. They had other
dual meets against Kittatinny, Absegami and Lenape Valley, among other state
powers. Phillipsburg also competed in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of
Championships and the Escape the Rock Tournament.
Long
Branch was No. 2 when the teams met; High Point was No. 1 until last week's
loss to Long Branch. (Expect P'burg to be No. 1 when the Star-Ledger's state
rankings are released today.)
Even
if P'burg defeats High Point on Saturday -- no sure thing -- the Stateliners
could have to beat both squads again in the upcoming team championships to earn
the title of the Garden State's best.
Michael
Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at
mblouse@express-times.com.