This week’s notebook features CR North’s PJ Steinmetz and includes notes from Regionals and a look at the returning state qualifiers.
By Alex Frazier
Meet…P.J. Steinmetz
Slow as molasses.
That’s the moniker Council Rock South’s coaches and wrestlers have bestowed on P.J. Steinmetz.
“He’s such an easy going kid,” said South coach Brad Silimperi. “He’s the last one in the room every day, but once he gets in the room, he’s one of the hardest workers. He probably goes through four or five shirts at practice because he sweats so much from working hard.”
Steinmetz transferred to Council Rock South this year after wrestling at LaSalle for the past two years.
“I didn’t have a big reason for it,” he said. “LaSalle just wasn’t my school.”
Rock seems to be.
“I love it at South,” he said. “It’s great.”
Silimperi was certainly glad to have him come on board.
“It was a big surprise,” said the coach. “He helped our team greatly and hopefully we helped him achieve his goals.”
Steinmetz started wrestling in fifth grade. His father was a wrestler.
“He asked me if I had any interest in it and I said, ‘Yes,’” said Steinmetz.
A junior, Steinmetz will be making his first trip to states. He has lost just three matches this year.
“I didn’t expect to do as good right from the start because I knew I was coming in out of shape,” he said, “but my goal was definitely to get to states this year.”
Last Saturday’s, regional semifinal match against Norristown’s Larry Gordon was the first time Steinmetz was wrestling for a state berth. He had wrestled Gordon twice before this year, beating him twice.
Midway through the semis, though, he found himself behind on a pair of takedowns.
Steinmetz kept focused and came back with an 11-6 win.
“He weathered the storm and got back on track,” said Silimperi. “It showed a lot of character.”
Steinmetz is a well-rounded wrestler.
“He’s good in all positions,” said Silimperi. “He’s really good on his feet; he’s hard to score on. On top he’s really good; he has a good tilt series and he’s good with legs. On bottom, I haven’t seen anybody ride him. He’s talented in all positions.”
Steinmetz also plays fullback and defensive end for the Rock football team.
At this point he thinks he will pursue wrestling rather than football in college.
“I‘m better at it,” he said. “I haven’t made up my mind yet. I’d go either way.”
This weekend may just be the deciding factor.
His first match is against Hazelton’s Chad Hoffman, whom he has wrestled three previous times.
“Every match has been real close and I’ve come out on top every time,” said Steinmetz. “I know he wants a rematch. He’s gunning for me.”
Certainly, Steinmetz can’t take him for granted.
“My game plan is not look ahead of anyone,” he said. “I have Hoffman first match and that’s all I’m thinking about right now.”
You can bet he won’t show up “slow as molasses.”
“He definitely flicks the switch when he’s in the wrestling room and when he’s wrestling,” said Silimperi.
Regional Notes
• Some people were of the mind that District One South would dominate this year. Not true. Of 56 state qualifiers, 30 were from the North. Of the remaining 26, four of them were from District 12.
• Norristown’s Shane Springer grew up idolizing Upper Perkiomen’s Mark Smith because of the wicked headlock he had perfected, one that led to a state record number of pins.
Well, ironically enough, Smith was sitting on the floor at Oxford High School to watch Springer use a headlock to defeat Central Bucks South’s Dominic Rigous in the 170-pound finals.
Smith had been inducted into the Southeast Regional Wrestling Hall of Fame in a pre-finals ceremony.
“I remember growing up that everybody was saying he got the pin record with the headlock,” said Springer. “I thought, ‘That’s what I usually hit. I like him.’ It was a motivator for me.
“How weird is that, that at my last regional match he happened to be in the stands. It was pretty cool.”
• Also inducted into the Hall of Fame were former Abington coach Jeff Franko and former Council Rock assistant Bob King.
• Three wrestlers entered regionals undefeated—Damon Blackshear of Frankford (7-0), Seth Ehlo of CB West (36-0) and Chris Jastrzebski of CB West (31-0). Ironically Jastrzebski’s younger brother Bryan beat Blackshear in the first round. Ehlo lost in the finals, and Chris Jastrzebski remains the only SE Regional wrestler to go to states undefeated.
• Council Rock South senior 220-pounder Tim Riley was forced to default out of the tournament.
In his first match against Brendon Vaikeli of West Chester East, Riley headlocked Vaikeli and tossed him to his back. Vaikeli rolled through and in the process Riley banged his head on the mat.
“He had a little history of concussions,” said South coach Brad Silimperi. “He got dinged a little bit and it’s too risky at this point, so the right thing to do is look to the future. It was an unfortunate way to end your career, but your health is way more important. You have to err on the side of caution.”
Returning State Qualifiers
There are nine returning state qualifiers from the Suburban One League.
106—Zach Fuentes, Norristown, finished first in sectionals and districts and second at regionals. Last year he placed fourth at states.
113—Billy Rappo, Council Rock South (State champion), has won all three post-season tournaments, including his second regional title.
“I hope to be on top of the podium next week,” said Rappo. “That’s when it all counts.”
Almost as important as winning another state title is getting the opportunity to wrestle in the Dapper Dan Tournament, which pits Pa. All-Stars against the rest of the country.
“That’s what I’m really going for,” he said. “That’s my big mission.”
Three of his older brothers wrestled in the tournament.
“It’s a little family tradition,” he said.
One he hopes he won’t break.
120—Jason Bing, Pennsbury (0-2), nearly didn’t get back. He eked out a 1-0 win over Marple Newtown’s Aaron Moldoff in the consolation semifinals to ensure a return trip to Hershey.
“Losing the semifinal (against Garnet Valley’s Michael Marino 3-0) gave me all the motivation to come out and win this one,” said Bing.
Last year Bing got sick the Tuesday before states.
With a year of experience behind him, he is hoping for a better finish this year.
“I made sure I’m healthier now so I’ll be ready to wrestle and do my best,” he said. “It was definitely nerve-wracking being a first-year varsity wrestler up there. It’s a completely different world.”
126—Josh DiSanto, Pennsbury, cruised to his second regional title and his third championship of the post-season. He has been to states twice winning one match each time.
“I feel like I’ve changed a lot,” he said. “I’m definitely better than I was last year and better than I was at the beginning of the season.”
Unlike many wrestlers, DiSanto doesn’t go out of his way to scope out the competition.
“I have to wrestle either way,” he said. “No point in looking at it.”
132—John Dutrow, Council Rock North, has also won all three post-season tournaments. He has been to states twice before, winning a match each time.
“Every time you go there it’s totally the same,” he said. “You never get used to it, being in front of all the fans in a huge arena like that. I’m lucky to go there three times.”
He’s hoping the third time is the charm.
“I’m definitely wrestling good,” he said. “There are a bunch of real good kids there, but there’s nobody that’s unbeatable.”
145—Last year Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Justin Staudenmayer went 1-2 at states. After losing a tough 1-0 bout to Owen J. Robert’s Andrew Kinney in the regional semis, he knew he had to win his next match to return to Hershey.
“I had about zero offense in that match,” he said. “It definitely put some fire under my belt.”
That’s an understatement.
Staudenmayer blasted his next two opponents with technical falls to place third and leave no doubt he deserved a return trip to Hershey.
“I realized the season was on the line and I had to pick it up,” he said.
Last year he missed a medal at states by a few seconds. He put his opponent on his back just as time ran out and lost 10-8.
152—Seth Ehlo, Central Bucks West, placed eighth at states as a sophomore, but didn’t get out of regionals last year. Ehlo suffered his first loss of the year in the regional finals to four-time state qualifier Casey Kent of LaSalle, 6-2.
“It was gratifying to come back after missing it last year,” said Ehlo. “Just getting back there was one of my major goals this year.”
Ehlo said his sophomore experience would help him.
“I’ll take a more mature look at it and be more understanding about what you have to do to be in medal contention,“ he said. “I just want to get back on the podium, whatever it is. The goal is to get a medal.”
160—Norristown’s Brett Harner won his second regional championship. Last year he finished fourth at states and is looking to improve on that this year.
“I’m going to try and go as hard as I can and finish my season like I’d like to,” he said “I’m getting better and better every week.”
170—Shane Springer of Norristown will be making his third trip to states. Last year he finished fifth wrestling for LaSalle.
First Timers
There are 14 new SOL wrestlers who will be heading to states this week.
Only the top four wrestlers at regionals qualify for states. The crucial bout for all those who did not make it to the championship finals was the consolation semifinals.
106—Pennridge’s Scott Parker not only made it to the finals but also won the title, avenging a loss to Norristown’s Zach Fuentes in the district final.
“It feels good,” said Parker. “He’s always been one of the best wrestlers. It feels good to put myself in that category. I’m confident going into next week. I’m on a roll right now.”
Fuentes knocked off Council Rock South’s Dan Martoccio in the semifinals, but Martoccio came back with a 9-0 win in the consi semifinals and went on to take third with a 4-0 win over a highly touted Jim Long of Henderson.
“If you lose here, your whole season is basically over,” said Martoccio. “I try not to think about it. I try to stay calm and relaxed and take one match at a time “
His older brother Matt made states three years, placing eighth as a sophomore and sixth as a junior, and has served as an inspiration.
“I learned from his experiences, watching him last year,” he said. “I took the advice he gave me throughout the year. His experience has helped me a lot.”
A sophomore himself, Dan is hoping to eventually outdo his brother.
120—This is a deep weight class for the SOL. Pennsbury’s Anthony DiEmidio has had a great post-season. He made it to the regional finals where he lost to top-ranked Corey McQuiston of Rustin.
Bensalem’s Tommy Stokes lost to McQuiston in the semifinals and beat Marple-Newtown’s Ryan Flynn 3-1 in the consolation semifinals to make the state cut.
His consolation finals opponent was Souderton’s Kolton Veit, who beat LaSalle’s Bryan Planz 4-2 on a late takedown in the consi semifinals.
“My goal was to win it,” said Veit. “I didn’t stop moving and kept it mental. I wanted it more. I feel good about it. Now I have to push myself and try to place in states. I’ll take it one match at a time and do the best I can.”
In the consi finals, Stokes nipped Veit 5-3 on a takedown in overtime.
138—By virtue of beating Quakertown’s Tyler Seislove in the consi semifinals, Norristown’s Mikey Springer will have the first and last opportunity to wrestle with his brother at states.
“I was confident but I still had to work for it,” said Springer. “I was working the moves that work for me and I’ve been drilling them all week.”
Springer went on to take third with a 5-2 win over Adam Moser of Spring-Ford.
170—William Tennent’s Dominic Rigous has certainly had a string of bad luck the past two weeks. In the district finals he lost to Norristown’s Shane Springer in the last seconds on a reversal. In the regional finals, leading 5-2, he shot in on Springer, who headlocked him to his back for five points and another championship.
Hopefully his luck will change at states.
182—Chris Jastrzebski of CB West has had an incredible post-season. He has won all three tournaments and enters states as the only undefeated SE Regional wrestler (34-0).
He dominated regionals with a tech fall and two pins to earn Outstanding Wrestler.
“It’s really starting to show that I’m right there with everybody else,” he said, “and I’m finally going beyond that point. I’m picking it up in the practice room and going hard every day so I could do what I did today.”
He knows it will only get tougher this week.
“Everybody is going to be tough,” he said. “It’s my last chance to wrestle in high school so I have to leave everything out on the mat.”
182—Norristown senior Tyler Letrinko also will be making his first and last trip to Hershey. Letrinko majored Father Judge’s Tim Maguire 10-2 in the consi semis to punch his ticket.
“It’s what I wanted to do, just make it,” said Letrinko. “After I lost in the semis it helped. It gave me a mindset, knowing I had to win. I went out there and gave it my all.”
He went on to nip Upper Perk’s Dalton Fleming 3-2 to earn third place.
195—P.J. Steinmetz of Council Rock South made it three in a row with a 6-0 win over Devon Dhoble in the finals. He had teched Dhoble the week before in the district finals.
“It feels awesome,” said Steinmetz. “It’s going to be a tough tournament. I’ll have to come ready to wrestle.”
195—For Devon Dhoble, he will be the first Upper Dublin wrestler to make states since Jason Parisi placed fourth at heavyweight in 2005. Dhoble racked up a pair of pins en route to the finals at regionals.
“I’m doing a lot to get ready for this tournament,” he said. “I wouldn’t have felt satisfied if I hadn’t made it to states. I realized I had the potential. I just had to make that decision. Commitment, determination and hard work pay off. It’s definitely a dream come true. It was on my personal list of goals.”
220—Tyler Callender of Council Rock North came up a bit short of a post-season trifecta as he lost to Coatesvile’s Mike Boykin in the regional finals 3-2 on a takedown with just 15 seconds left in the match.
“I’m excited,” said Callender. “I want to be on the podium. I think I can. Hopefully if I wrestle better I can climb up there.”
Callender is the youngest of three brothers. Jack (’08) and Jamie (‘10) were both state qualifiers. Jamie placed second as a junior and won the 189-pound championship as a senior. The two of them are his greatest supporters.
“They’re always in my ear,” he said. “They make me ready for the match. They give me a strategy, what I need to do, and it helps a lot.”
Both were there at regionals to cheer him on.
“They’re the two crazy guys screaming from the side,” said Callender. “They’re always moving and jumping up and down.”
220—En route to the finals, Callender nipped an old friend Matt Jorgenson of Quakertown, who had beaten him last year in districts. After losing to Callender in the semis, Jorgenson edged LaSalle’s Antonio Pelusi in the consi semis with a takedown on the edge of the mat to earn his trip to states.
“I just kept going after him,” he said. “I couldn’t get much going. I was expecting it to go into overtime. I kept going out of bounds and was trying to get my toes in. I had no idea I had the takedown until I looked at my coaches and they were freaking out. Once I got the takedown I knew I had sealed the deal.”
He then lost to Jake Cooper of Archbishop Wood 3-1 in overtime to place fourth.
285—William Tennent’s Andrew Vanbuskirk didn’t even make it out of sections last year. A year later he’s headed to states. The match that decided it for him came in the semifinals when he avenged a loss to Council Rock South’s Tommy Trampe with a 7-6 win.
“Beating Trampe was huge, huge,” said Vanbuskirk. “Just getting out of sections was a huge deal for me.”
285—Tommy Trampe finished third to earn his trip to states with a 7-1 win over Interboro’s Matt Gould, who was decidedly taller and bigger than Trampe who goes about 210.
Regional Predictions
This is a very sore subject for me. I didn’t think it was possible to do worse than I did for districts, especially with all the time and effort I put into the preparation, but I have managed to outdo even my poorest expectations.
Of 56 places, I correctly guessed 19. I’m not even going to do the math. It’s too depressing. My best weight classes were 132 and 138 where I guessed all four correctly. My poorest, on the other hand, were 220 and heavyweight where I bombed.
Of course there’s always a bright side. Of 56 possible place winners, I identified 46, although not necessarily in the correct order. Does that matter?
Oh well. I’m already looking forward to making a fool of myself again next year.
A masochist you say?
First Round State match-ups
106—Scott Parker, Pennridge vs. Nick Shields (South Central third place) Dallastown freshman 32-11
106—Zach Fuentes, Norristown vs. Zach Elvin (SC-2) Central Dauphin freshman 41-7
113—Billy Rappo, Council Rock South vs. John Ciotti (NW-3) Erie Cathedral Prep sophomore 38-2
113—Jason Bing, Pennsbury vs. Anthony Vizza (NW-1) DuBois senior 29-9
120—Anthony DiEmidio, Pennsbury vs. Thomas Traxler (NW-2) Bellefonte senior 35-6
120—Kolton Veit, Souderton vs. Conner Schram, (SW-1) Canon McMillan junior 22-0
120—Tommy Stokes, Bensalem vs. Godwin Nyama (NW-1) Brashear senior 34-2
126—Josh DiSanto, Pennsbury vs. Josh Maruca (SW-3) Franklin Regional freshman 33-5
132—John Dutrow, Council Rock North vs. Daniel King (SC-3) Susquehanna Twp. Senior 37-6
138—Mikey Springer, Norristown vs. Steve Spearman (NW-1) McDowell senior 34-2
145—Justin Staudenmayer, Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. TC Warner (SC-2) Cumberland Valley sophomore 30-7
152—Seth Ehlo, Central Bucks West vs. Dilon Gavlock (NW-3) Central Mountain senior 21-1
160—Brett Harner, Norristown vs. Tyler Hendricks (NW-3) General McLane junior 30-8
170—Shane Springer, Norristown vs. Mitch Myers (NE-3) Blue Mountain junior 42-7
170—Dominic Rigous, William Tennent vs. Nezar Haddad (NE-2) Parkland sophomore 33-9
182—Chris Jastrzebski, Central Bucks West vs. Blaze Buckwalter (NW-3) Central Mountain junior 33-9
182—Tyler Letrinko, Norristown vs. Matt McCutcheon, (SW-1) Kiski Area junior 37-1
195—Larry Gordon, Norristown vs. David Wilkie, (NE-1) Nazareth senior 18-6
195—P.J. Steinmetz, Council Rock South vs. Chad Hoffman (NE-3) Hazelton senior 34-4
195—Devon Dhoble, Upper Dublin vs. Aaron Varner (NW-3) Bald Eagle junior 27-10
195—George Shipp, North Penn vs. Landon Hanna (NW-1) DuBois junior 32-2
220—Tyler Callender, Council Rock North vs. Shaun Heist (NE-3) Parkland junior 38-5
220—Matt Jorgenson, Quakertown vs. Aaron Bradley (NE-1) Nazareth junior 21-1
285—Andrew Vanbuskirk, William Tennent vs. Averee Johnson (SC-2) Susquehanna Twp. senior 38-3
285—Tommy Trampe, Council Rock South vs. Cody Klempay (SW-1) Canon McMillan senior 38-1
SOL Post-Season Top 5
1. Norristown
2. Council Rock South
3. Pennsbury
4. Council Rock North
5. Central Bucks South
Post-Season Top Guns
106—Scott Parker, Pennridge
113— Billy Rappo, Council Rock South
120—Anthony DiEmidio, Pennsbury
126—Josh DiSanto, Pennsbury
132—John Dutrow, Council Rock North
138—Mike Springer, Norristown
145—Justin Staudenmayer, Plymouth Whitemarsh
152—Seth Ehlo, Central Bucks West
160—Brett Harner, Norristown
170—Shane Springer, Norristown
182—Chris Jastrzebski, Central Bucks West
195—P.J. Steinmetz, Council Rock South
220—Tyler Callender, Council Rock South
285—Andrew Vanbuskirk, William Tennent
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