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By Alex Frazier
Bob Poleshuk was wrestling his first match in nearly a month.The Central Bucks East 215-pounder had torn his labrum and was just coming back Wednesday night when the Patriots squared off at Pennridge.
By the time he stepped on the mat, his team was clinging to a narrow 20-16 lead.
The Rams’ Anthony Fecondo took a 3-2 lead before taking Poleshuk to his back with about 1 minute and 20 seconds left in the first period. Poleshuk fought and squirmed, managing to keep his shoulders off the mat. But just as the buzzer sounded, the referee slapped the mat.
Poleshuk thought he had been pinned.
“I heard the slap and I got up and saw the time had run out,” he said.
But the official conferred at the table and determined that his whistle sounded after the buzzer went off. So instead of a pin, Fecondo just got three back points to take an 8-2 lead into the second period.
“I had a second chance to come back and capitalize,” said Poleshuk. “I thought, ‘All right, here’s my shot. I have to make it and help my team out.’”
Fecondo chose neutral and was caught in a headlock, but managed to escape still leading by 9-4 into the final two minutes.
Midway through the third period, Poleshuk was still struggling to get off the mat.
“I remember looking up at the score with a minute to go and I said, ‘I have to do something here,’” said Poleshuk.
And he did.
Poleshuk stood, reached back and caught Fecondo’s head, taking him to the mat and pinning him at the 5:09 mark.
“Coming out there was pretty rough the first two minutes,” said Poleshuk. “The guy was really strong and it took me 30 seconds to get used to it and he caught me. I figured that the only way to get the points for my team was to get the pin, so I got him in the headlock and brought him down. I only thought about holding him down and getting the pin.”
After wrestling jayvee last year, Poleshuk is now 4-1 in his first varsity season as a senior.
That 12-point swing eventually cost Pennridge the match as the Rams fell to East, 36-31.
“Overall, we have a lot of work to do,” said Pennridge coach Derek Sola. “It’s a step in the right direction. This was a very good team. We competed with a good team.”
Sola didn’t necessarily agree with the decision, but he was disappointed that Fecondo couldn’t hold a five-point lead and win the bout.
“There’s nothing you can argue,” he said. “He (the referee) made his mind up. He had a big lead and had to maintain that lead and win the match, not get pinned. A lot of that is our fault because he wrestled a jayvee match earlier and was kind of tired.”
East coach Dave Scarpil knew the match would hinge on wins from Poleshuk, Joe Burke and Nick Dau—and all three pulled through.
Poleshuk and Burke switched off at 215 and 285. Scarpil took a chance by bumping Burke up and allowing Poleshuk to wrestle 215.
After Poleshuk’s pin, Burke edged Pennridge’s Joe Winters 3-1 when he sprawled on Winters’ single leg attempt and spun behind for the takedown with just three seconds on the clock.“I knew I had to gamble,” said Scarpil. “We could easily have lost both of them. That gamble paid off big time. We were very fortunate to get both wins.”
Pennridge still had a chance to win the match when Dau stepped on the mat at 119 with two bouts left and the Rams trailing 32-22.
But Dau proved too strong for Alex Paraday as he racked up two takedowns, two reversals and two sets of back points in a 12-4 major decision.
“That was another tossup, but I knew we had to win that match,” said Scarpil.
Pennridge roared back by winning the last two bouts, but it was too late. Josh Konz decisioned Ian Gill 11-4 and might have had a major had he not given up a penalty point for an illegal body figure four.
Andrew Ray closed out the night at 130 when he headlocked Mike Smith for the fall at 1:54.
As expected, the Rams’ received wins from their top three wrestlers. Rich Jazinksi started the night at 135 cradling up Brian Brennan at the three-minute mark.
“He had a strong tournament down at the Beast of the East,” said Sola. “He’s definitely showing promise.”
Brad Herrmann also decked Joe Mannino with a double grapevine and half with 33 seconds left at 152.
Colin McConnell had some trouble putting away a feisty Dan Priest and had to settle for a 14-5 major decision at 160. East ducked McConnell and bumped Andrew Foltyn to 171 and Devon Passman to 189. Foltyn majored and Passman pinned.
“In a match like this, you have to get as many wins as possible,” said Scarpil. “I couldn’t have Foltyn on McConnell. Priest did a great job. He wrestled a state-caliber kid and doesn’t get pinned. I told him when he got off the mat that he had a moral victory.”
Both teams are now 2-1 in the league. Quakertown is the odds-on favorite to win the league, so the battle is now for second place, unless the Panthers stumble.
East already lost to Quakertown and Pennridge has yet to face the Panthers.
“A majority of our team is sophomores,” said Sola. “They’re coming along pretty good.”
NOTES: Before the match started, Sola presented Colin McConnell with a plaque commemorating his 100th win, which came at the Beast of the East Tournament.
Central Bucks East 36, Pennridge 31
135—Ken Jazinski (P) pinned Brian Brennan, 3:00
140—Jon Brodzik (CBE) pinned Tyler Ginther, 4:25
145—Jarrett Sanders (CBE) major dec. Dylan Moore, 11-0
152—Brad Herrman (P) pinned Joe Mannino, 5:27
160—Colin McConnell (P) major dec. Dan Priest, 14-5
171—Andrew Foltyn (CBE) pinned Randell Harrison, 1:51
189—Devon Passman (CBE) pinned Greg Warden, 5:09
215—Bob Poleshuk (CBE) pinned Anthony Fecondo, 5:09
285—Joe Burke (CBE) dec. Joe Winters, 3-1
103—Ridge Foltz (CBE) won by forfeit
112—Dan Silveria (CBE) dec. Andrew Hough, 12-5
119—Nick Dau (CBE) major dec. Alex Paraday, 12-4
125—Josh Konz dec. Ian Gill, 11-4
130—Andrew Ray pinned Mike Smith, 1:54
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