SOL Wrestling Notebook (12-15-16)

Glenn Kaiser recaps some of the highlights of the opening weekend of the wrestling season.

By Glenn Kaiser

WALKERS LEAD UPPER MORELAND TO STRONG FINISH AT NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY

The Upper Moreland Bears were the runner-up to the Haverford School in the team standings at the New Hope-Solebury Tournament. Lightweights led the way with Chris Walker (120) and Jason Amy (126) garnering gold medals.  Amanda Walker, Chris Walker’s sister was second at 113-pounds, and sister Caitlyn Walker finished third at 106-lbs with a 9-2 decision over D12’s Gianni Scancella of Conwell Egan.  The Golden Bears also put John Richter (138) and Hunter Williams (160) on the podium with bronze finishes, and Alex Bermudez finished fourth at 132.  Bermudez dropped a 9-5 decision to Philly’s D12 Isiah Vizcarrondo from George Washington.

UM Head Coach John DeFranco stated he “was looking forward to the New Hope -Solebury Tournament because it would be the first time I'd see the Walker twins, Caitlyn and Chris, wrestle in a folk style competition. Like their older sister Amanda, their freestyle/Greco training shows in their wrestling style.  All three Walkers were on the podium Saturday afternoon.  Chris was 120 pound Tournament champion, Amanda was the 113 pound runner-up and Caitlyn placed third.”

Keep an eye on Upper Dublin’s Mason Novak this season as he is up at 160-pounds in his sophomore season.  Novak defeated Overbrook’s Terron Whitaker 2-0 in the finals.  Novak posted 26 wins last year, and finished sixth at Districts as a freshman.  

Ryan Tiernan up at 152-pounds for Central Bucks West got his season off to a hot start with a title after finishing fifth a year ago at Districts.  The Bucks’ Ryan Heiber reached the finals but dropped a 4-2 decision to Phoenixville’s Tanner Romance.  Abington crowned one champ with Shane Rose squeaking by the Haverford School’s Chris Hervada 3-2 in the finals.

Nine different schools had champs at this longstanding tournament.  SOL Schools had five Champs with two from Upper Moreland while Abington, Central Bucks West and Upper Dublin had one each.

NH-S Championship Final Results:

Team Standings

(1) Haverford School 158.5, (2) Upper Moreland 136.0, (3) Faith Christian Academy 114.0, (4) Abington 93.5, (5) George Washington 76.0, (6) Overbrook 75.5, (7) Central Bucks West 71.0, (8) New Hope-Solebury 66.0, (9) Phoenixville 64.0, (10) Bristol 56.5, (11) Pope John Paul II 56.0, (12) Upper Dublin 54.0, (13) Conwell Egan 46.0, (14) Thomas A. Edison 17.0, (15) Solebury School 4.0

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH EXCELS AT CUMBERLAND VALLEY KICK OFF

Typically, the first tournament of the season does not indicate which weight class wrestlers will end up in at the end of the season, but it certainly starts to shape up where they could be when it all plays out at the Giant Center in March.  Council Rock South shed some light on how it will do this season, finishing fifth as a team and capturing two individual titles at Cumberland Valley High School.  The CV Kickoff Classic always has some of the best teams in the state competing, and this year was no different as CV, Easton, Bishop McDevitt and Cannon McMillan finished ahead of the Golden Hawks respectively in the team race. 

CR South’s Zack Trampe (138), a two-time PIAA (AAA) medalist, and Joe Doyle (220), a 2016 medalist, started the 2016-17 campaign where they left off last season - by winning titles.  Trampe downed Cannon Mac’s Tim Hritsko 12-5 in the finals, and Doyle decked Wilson West Lawn’s Hector Torres in the first period to finish atop the podium at CV.  Lightweights always seem to be a CRS strength, and once again this year they look to keep that intact as Maximino Mendez finished third, blanking CV’s Patrick DeMark 7-0.  Riley Palmer, who is up at 152 lbs, had a third place finish, and Tyler Gettman finished fourth to Pennridge’s Paul O’Neil, falling in the third place match 3-1.  The Golden Hawks finished the scoring with Ben Radner (126) dropping his fifth place bout to McDevitt’s Tanner Updegraff.  CR South’s strong core of grapplers appears to be one of the best here in D1.

Pennridge placed as a team in the top ten as they finished 8^th overall riding the strength of two champs in Matty Parker (120) and Josh Stillings (160).  Both wrestlers will most likely stay at these weight classes respectively throughout 2016-17.  The Rams also boasted bronze medalist Paul O’Neil, who dropped a major decision 12-4 to fellow D1 wrestler Cole Zapf from Downingtown West in the 182-pound championship semifinals, but he downed Gettman for third place. The ‘Ridge also had 138-pounder Evan Widing, only a sophomore, go deep in the tournament as well, scoring points for the Rams.

SOL OPENING WEEKEND NOTES:

Plymouth-Whitmarsh won the Viking Winter Classic at Upper Merion, P-W was the best in this 11-team individual tourney, edging Radnor 150-140.5.  The Colonials’ Marco DiBattista won the title at 120, Nick Sudell was third at 220, and Scott Horry finished fifth at 182-pounds.

At the 19^th Annual Solanco Mule Classic, Hatboro-Horsham’s Nick Chapman avenged a first round lost to Donegal’s Keegan McCord, winning 5-2 in the consi-semis to reach the bronze medal match.  Chapman finished third in style with a fall over Solanco’s Kaleb Tucker to go 5-1 over the two-day tourney.

Council Rock North notched some wins at Boyertown High School competing in the Brian Bealer Memorial Duals, but the Indians were not able to run with the big boys (Boyertown & Owen J Roberts) from the Pioneer Athletic Conference .  CR North went 3-2 on the day with key victories over Unionville 47-36 and Governor Mifflin 46-36 for fifth place.  But the Indians could not hang with OJR, suffering a lopsided 53-19 defeat.   Three forfeits and the absence of Aiden Burke did not help their cause. 

As tournament action continues in week two of the season, keep your eyes peeled to the mats as the King of the Mountain, the Beast of the East, and Flo X-Calibur top the billing with the nation’s best wrestlers competing.  Council Rock South travels to the KOM at Central Mountain H.S., while Pennridge heads to the Beast.  Flo at Wilkes University will feature North Penn and Quakertown.  D1 Abington will host the Ghost Town Duals featuring Upper Moreland, Wissahickon and Pennsbury.