Five SOL wrestlers claimed titles at the 11th Annual Wetzel Classic. Check out all the results. To view photos of the tournament, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Alex Frazier
As an undersized 103-pounder last year, Hatboro-Horsham’s Phil Torresani never got the chance to stand atop the awards podium.
Thursday night, he made his debut, winning his first high school tournament. And he did it in his home gym at the 11th Annual Ralph Wetzel Holiday Classic.
Torresani was one of just five Suburban One League wrestlers to claim titles. Freshman Evan Wilson of C.B. East also won his first high school tournament at 113, Upper Moreland’s Zach Lyall took top honors at 120 and Upper Dublin crowned two champions—Steve Volovar at 132 and Devon Dhoble at 195.
Methacton won the team title with 170 points, followed by Cape Henlopen (Del.) with 163, Malvern Prep with 129.5 and Upper Moreland with 128.
Methacton also claimed both individual awards. Brett Duvemois (120) won the Most Falls in the Least Time Award and teammate Joe Staley (126) was voted the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
The Golden Bears advanced 10 wrestlers to the medal rounds, producing one champion.
Suburban One wrestlers were involved in two of the tensest finals matches of the night.
Torresani faced a familiar foe in Methacton’s Joe Savella. The two had faced off four previous times.
Ironically, Torresani lost to Savella twice at the Wetzel last year, but avenged those losses later in a dual meet (in another ultimate tiebreaker) and 12-8 decision in the sectional semifinal.
“We were 2-2 coming in, so I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Torresani.
But he did have a plan.
He knew that if he could fend Savella off on his feet, he could probably win in the event of overtime.
“My main takedown he knew very well and could block it,” said Torresani, “so I was looking for any openings, but he wasn’t giving me anything.”
After a scoreless first period, Torresani was going to defer, but his coaches told him to take down, so that if he scored the first points in the match, he would get his choice in an ultimate tiebreaker.
The plan worked to perfection.
Both wrestlers escaped in regulation and in overtime. Savella did get in a couple of good shots on his feet, but Torresani fended them off.
When it came time for the ultimate period, Torresani chose bottom and escaped in six seconds to claim his first tournament title.
“It’s amazing. I’m feeling on top of the world right now,” said Torresani following the award’s ceremony.
Wilson’s championship final wasn’t quite as dramatic. He built a quick 5-0 lead in the first with a takedown and a tilt.
“I felt like it was my match and I had him under control,” said Wilson. “I felt like I could tire him out and win in the end.”
Jared Leonetti of Downingtown East pulled to within three with a late second-period takedown, but Wilson came back strong, escaping in the third and countering a heel pick with a head lock, good for five points and an 11-4 major decision.
“I felt pretty strong,” said Wilson, who was basking in his first high school tournament title. “I wasn’t coming out here expecting to win. I wrestled my best and got my reward.”
With the championship, Wilson ran his undefeated streak to 12 wins. The lanky freshman expects to drop to 106 once the two-pound allowance kicks in. He should be even tougher there.
Lyall, a senior, continued the SOL streak at 120. And like the other two, it was his first high school tournament win. He is now 12-3.
He led Malvern Prep’s Duvemois, who had pinned all three of his previous opponents, the whole way. Lyall took him down in the first period and turned him for three back points late in the second.
“I always like to get ahead in the beginning, then if I do make mistakes I still have a buffer,” said Lyall.
Duvemois let him up and took him down in the third, but Lyall reversed at the buzzer for an 8-2 decision.
“I’ve wrestled him Greco and freestyle,” said Lyall. “We’re always close.”
Bensalem’s Tommy Stokes lost a close one to tournament MVP Staley. After Staley got a first period takedown, the match was even up until Stokes made a desperation shot late in the third in an attempt to tie it but gave up the takedown in a 4-0 loss.
Stokes won the tournament last year at 103 and has since bounced all the way up to 126.
“I should have gone at 120 for this tournament,” he said. “The bigger kids are harder to take down.”
The loss brought Stokes’ record to 9-2.
Volovar got the SOL back on track at 132. After giving up a first-period takedown, Volovar rallied to take a 5-2 lead and extended that in the third period with a takedown and three back points for an 11-4 decision over Lower Moreland’s Timmy Lu.
“It was close up until the end,” said Volovar.
It was the second consecutive tournament the Upper Dublin senior has won this year.
“I have to go all out this year,” he said.
Hatboro-Horsham’s Dan Adelsberger had to settle for second at 138, as did Wissahickon’s Pat Fennell and Brennan Weiss at 145 and 152, respectively.
Fennell came back from a 3-1 deficit to tie it in the third period and send the bout into overtime. After a scoreless neutral period, Fennell chose bottom but couldn’t escape. Perk Valley’s Nick Giangiulo reversed with a switch in the final period for the 5-3 win.
“He wrestled a great match,” said Fennell, “but I feel I could have wrestled a lot better than I did. I didn’t open up enough, I was sloppy and gave up points I shouldn’t have. There’s stuff to work on.”
Fennell is also wrestling up two weights from last year.
“I’m in a tougher weight class than I was last year,” he said, but I think I’m doing pretty well.” Fennell is now 14-3.
Weiss also had a close match, losing 4-3 to Cape Henlopen’s Sammy Mohr. Weiss was within striking distance as a late takedown was called off the mat.
A last-second takedown also proved the difference in Dhoble’s match at 195. But that one went in the Upper Dublin senior’s favor.
After two periods of upper body pushing and maneuvering, the score was tied at one apiece. With just 10 seconds left in the bout, Dhoble snapped Chestnut Hill’s Desmond Johnson down on the edge of the mat and spun behind for the 3-1 victory.
“That was actually the plan,” said Dhoble. “He’s actually a judo guy and has a good standup.”
Dhoble is off to his best high school season and remains undefeated at 12-0. Last year he was eliminated from the medal rounds at the Wetzel Tournament.
“I’m pretty satisfied,” he said. “I’ll be more satisfied if I stay undefeated through these next two upcoming duals the next two weeks.”
11th Annual Ralph Wetzel Holiday Classic
Team standings
1. Methacton 170, 2. Cape Henlopen 163, 3. Malvern Prep 129.5, 4. Upper Moreland 128, 5. Downingtown East 126, 6. West Chester east 105, 7. Wissahickon 98, 8. Upper Dublin 97.5, 9. Abington 95.5, 10. Central Bucks East 93.5
Championship Finals
106—Phil Torresani (Hatboro-Horsham) dec. Joe Savella (Methacton), 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker
113—Evan Wilson (Central Bucks East) major dec. Jared Leonetti (Downingtown East), 11-4
120—Zack Lyall (Upper Moreland) dec. Brett Duvemois (Methacton), 8-2
126—Joe Staley (Methacton) dec. Tommy Stokes (Bensalem) 4-0
132—Steve Volovar (Upper Dublin) dec. Timmy Yu (lower Moreland), 11-4
138—Grant Smith (Cape Henlopen) pinned Dan Adelsburger (Hatboro-Horsham) 4:59
145—Nick Giangiulo (Perkiomen Valley) dec. Pat Fennell (Wissahickon), 5-3 OT
152—Sammy Mohr (Cape Henlopen) dec. Brennan Weiss (Wissahickon), 4-3
160—Connor Burns (Malvern Prep) major dec. Hank Campbell (Lower Moreland), 9-0
170—Greg Bacci (Malvern Prep) dec. Aaron Dennis (Cape Henlopen) 8-5
182—Mike Baccaro (Methacton) pinned Van Barrett (West Chester East) 2:39
195—Devin Dhoble (Upper Dublin) dec. Desmond Johnson (Chestnut Hill Academy), 3-1
220—Thomas Ott (Cape Henlopen) dec. Harry Mauk (Malvern Prep), 9-4
285—Tracey Green (Methacton) dec. Brandon Vaikeli (West Chester East), 4-3
Consolation Finals
106—Tyler Brickner (Bensalem) pinned Austin Lillis (Downingtown East). 3:58
113—Sean Ginsburg (Upper Merion) pinned Mike Pritchard (Bensalem) 2:55
120—Matt Cascioli (Central Bucks east) dec. Mike Hughes (St. Joe’s Prep), 5-2
126—Aaron Rodriguez (Wissahickon) dec. Bobby Harmon (Upper Moreland), 12-7
132—Mike McCaughey (Abington) dec. Jesse Rogers (West Chester East), 3-1
138—Francesco Fabozzi (Central Bucks East) pinned Mike McKenna (Lower Moreland) 3:35
145—Justin Lopez (Cape Henlopen) dec. Derek Jones (Upper Dublin), 5-3
152—Shane Hughes (Bensalem) dec. Eric Berger (Penn Charter), 14-7
160—Paul Scott (Upper Moreland) dec. Tadeo Gonzalez (Cape Henlopen) 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker
170—Chris Kline (Perkiomen valley) pinned Tyler Sewall (West Chester East), 2:18
182—Jake Anderson (Malvern Prep) dec. Brandon Scheitrun (Abington), 7-0
195—Alfredo Giannaccari (Malvern Prep) pinned Marshall Jenkins (West Chester East) 2>28
220—Matt Bartolotta (Downingtown East) pinned Sebastian medina (Upper Moreland) 2:27
285—Angel Carlo (Abington) dec. Steve Soto (Edison), 8-1
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