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By Alex Frazier
It was a little redemption for Hatboro-Horsham’s Matt Harkins.
After getting pinned in the finals of the Wetzel Holiday Classic last year, which prevented him from becoming a four-time champion, he rallied to not only win this year’s 10th Annual but to also be named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
“It definitely feels good getting an outstanding wrestler my senior year,” he said.
Incidentally, the kid that pinned him last year, Malvern Prep’s Ricky Durso, won his second straight, leading the Friars to the team title.
While Harkins did not win his fourth title, Upper Moreland’s John Bolich did. The Golden Bear 189-pounder stretched his season undefeated streak to 14-0 with a pin, two technical falls and a 10-2 decision over Downingtown East’s Jim Warta in the finals.
“I usually go for the pin, but I was going for a couple of techs today, get a couple more takedowns,” said Bolich. “I was feeling good so there was no hurry to get off the mat.”
Bolich said this year’s win felt different than his first way back in ninth grade.
“Coming in as a freshman I was nervous every single match,” he said. “Now I’m still trying to perform at my best, but there’s a little less pressure. It doesn’t get easier, but I’ve gotten better.”
Abington’s Bryan Osei, who finished third at 215, earned the Most Falls in the Shortest Time Award. Osei had four falls in an aggregate time of 6 minutes and 42 seconds. His fastest pin was 36 seconds over Hatboro-Horsham freshman Steve Tritsch. Osei is now 10-1 with 10 falls.
For Harkins, the OW was his second this year, the other coming in the Abington Duals, and his third overall (last year’s sections).
“It still feels good,” said Harkins.
His toughest match came in the quarterfinals against undefeated Malvern Prep freshman, Joey Gelasso, who eventually finished third. A takedown at the edge of the mat proved to be the difference in a 3-1 decision.
“He’s a tough freshman,” said Harkins. “It was a low single at the edge of the mat. He fell over and I just hung on.”
Harkins also had a pin and a tech fall before a 10-4 finals decision over Bensalem’s Shane Hughes, who was seeing his first action of the year after breaking his thumb in preseason. Hughes hung in until the third period when Harkins racked up six of his 10 points.
“I felt good today,” said Harkins. “I definitely wanted to win it this year and come back from the loss last year.”
Harkins is now looking forward to some even tougher competition at the Escape the Rock Tournament in two weeks. He may drop to 121 for that tournament.
Besides winning a state title, Harkins’ goals are to go undefeated and win a career 150 matches. He’s now at 122.
Easily the most dramatic match of the tournament came at 103, where a pair of undefeated wrestlers knocked heads.
Pennridge’s Scott Parker came into the tournament at 6-0, while Bensalem’s Tommy Stokes sported a 12-0 mark.
While Stokes held a distinct size advantage, Parker may have been the quicker. The two were evenly matched technically.
“He was still strong, but not as strong as me,” said Stokes, “but he was really fast.”
Parker took the only shot of the first period, which ended in a scoreless tie. Stokes fought off Parker’s switch in the second, but gave up a point for taking Parker off the mat.
“I was just trying to take him down,” said Stokes. “It was just hard.”
Trailing 1-0 in the third, Stokes countered Parker’s leg ride into a reversal to take the lead. But with seven seconds left, Parker reversed and in a wild scramble, Stokes escaped to make it 3-3 as the buzzer sounded.
“I stood up and scrambled and tried to get out and get that one point,” said Stokes.
In three overtimes, neither wrestler could score. Parker had his choice for the fourth period and chose bottom, but Stokes held on for the rideout win.
If he had had his choice, Stokes would have chosen top anyway.
“He’s a leg rider and hard to get out on,” he said. “I felt it would be easier to hold him down.”
This was Stokes’ third tournament win. He’s now 15-0.
“It feels great,” said Stokes, “but I still have a long season.”
Wissahickon’s Aaron Rodriguez won his first varsity tournament title at 112, defeating Upper Moreland’s Bob Harmon, 10-6. Despite smashing his nose in a collision, Rodriguez was dominant on his feet, scoring three takedowns in the win.
“That’s probably where I’m most comfortable,” he said. “I’m feeling great, a little hurt nose but no big deal.”
Rodriguez is now 13-1 in his second year on the varsity. After wrestling 112 last year and dropping to 103 for the post-season, he’s now jumped to 119.
“The guys feel a little heavier,” he said.
Bensalem’s Nick Lippincott may have underestimated his competition in the 140-pound finals. Downingtown East’s Will Goldman came into the tournament as the fourth seed but upset Wissahickon’s Sean Saunders (third) 6-2 in the semifinals. Lippincott scored six points in the third period to win 7-2.
“I went into it thinking it would be a little bit easier,” he said. “I couldn’t hit my moves.”
Lippincott said he relied on his conditioning to pull it out in the third.
“Usually later in the match people start dying,” he said. “We condition a lot. Third period I’m peaking and most people are starting to slow down.”
After finishing fourth a year ago, Hatboro-Horsham’s Mike Lynch won his second varsity tournament; his first was last year at sectionals. After pinning his first two opponents, Lynch won his semifinal 6-2 over Episcopal Academy’s Carl Lampe.
His final was a nailbiter. After picking up a penalty point in the first period when Wissahickon’s Paul Wisloski was called for fleeing the mat, Lynch escaped in the second for a 2-0 lead. Wisloski made it interesting in the third when he escaped to close the gap to one. The match ended with Lynch fighting off a deep single.
“I’ve been working on my shot defense and it really paid off,” said Lynch. “I knew once I got him to flee the mat for a free point, I just had to outwrestle him and it worked out.”
The SOL’s final champion came in the last match of the night. Central Bucks East’s Zak Mysza turned a 0-0 match into a 3-0 win in the closing seconds of the third period.
“I’m a little tired right now, but it feels good,” said Mysza, following his match. “He was a great wrestler. I got a little bit tired after holding him down that whole second period.”
When Abington’s Angel Carb, trailing 1-0 with about a minute left, shot in on a single, Mysza countered.
“I sprawled, snapped and got behind,” said Mysza. “There were only a couple of seconds left after that.”
For Mysza it was his second tournament win after winning his own tournament last year. He placed second last year at the Wetzel.
10th Annual Wetzel Classic Wrestling Tournament
Championship finals
103 – Tommy Stokes (Bensalem) dec. Scott Parker (Pennridge), 4-3, ultimate rideout
112 –Rob D’Annunzio (Methacton) dec. Luke Broomen (Episcopal) 10-4
119 – Aaron Rodriguez (Wissahickon) dec. Bob Harmon (Upper Moreland) 10-6
125 – Matt Harkins (Hatboro-Horsham) dec. Shane Hughes (Bensalem) 10-4
130 – Ricky Durso (Malvern Prep) dec. Anthony Prisco (Bensalem) 6-1
135 – Jimmy Stowell (Malvern Prep) dec. Pat Fennell (Wissahickon) 6-2
140 – Nick Lippincott (Bensalem) dec. Will Goldman (Downingtown East) 7-2
145 – Greg Bacci (Malvern Prep) dec. Gavin Milligan (Perkiomen Valley) 5-1
152 – Connor Burns (Malvern Prep) dec. Dylan Moore (Pennridge) 10-6
160 – Anthony DiElsi (Perkiomen Valley) dec. Anthony Felziani (Episcopal) 3-0
171 – Mike Lynch (Hatboro-Horsham) dec. Paul Wisloski (Wissahickon) 2-1
189 – John Bolich (Upper Moreland) major dec. Jim Warta (Downingtown East) 10-2
215 – Brandan Clark (Methacton) pinned Ryan Hopkins (Upper Dublin) :12
285 – Zak Mysza (Central Bucks East) dec. Angel Carb (Abington) 3-0
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