By Alex Frazier
It’s that time of the year.
The time that Council Rock South shines.
The Golden Hawks surged to their second straight post-season victory Saturday night at Oxford, scoring 132 points to win the Class AAA Southeast Regional title.
“At the beginning of the year he (coach Brad Silimperi) told us we were going to win district and regional titles this year,” said 125-pounder Matt Rappo. “We started out on a bumpy road at the beginning of the season. We knew our time would come.”
Council Rock South brought six district champions to the tournament and advanced all of them to states with three champions, two runners-up and a third.
“We couldn’t have done much better,” said 160-pounder Ed Shupe.
Rappo took the 125-pound title, his first after getting eliminated in the consolation finals last year.
“It all started at the district dual meet tournament,” said Rappo, who became the fourth in his family to win a regional title. “I wrestled really well there. My coach talked to me and told me this was my time.”
Rappo bounced around at the beginning of the year trying to take up the slack for Matt Martoccio, who was out of the lineup with a broken thumb, but when Martoccio returned to the lineup, Rappo settled nicely into 125.
“It gave me a lot of help, wrestling bigger guys,” he said. “It made me tougher. I knew I had one of the toughest brackets in the region. I knew it would be a tough fight, but I fought through it.”
Jim Vollrath won a heart stopping 2-1 overtime victory at 160 for his first regional title. And he did it after dislocating his finger in his semifinal match against Boyertown’s Tim Feroe.
“That got me a little upset, but I pulled myself together,” he said. “I tried to wrestle safe and smart because I didn’t want to do anything to this finger to damage it. I just tried to wrestle my best. During the first period it was a little sore, but after my adrenalin got going I didn’t feel it.”
Vollrath’s bout came to a dramatic end in the first overtime period. He shot in on Owen J. Robert’s Nick Fuschino. When he tried to go out the back door, Fuschino scissored his head and the ref stopped the match and awarded Vollrath a penalty point and the 2-1 victory.
“I knew he was going to stop the match, but I forgot it was a point,” said Vollrath, “but I’ll take it.”
Ed Shupe claimed his second regional title at 160 by knocking off undefeated John Staudenmayer of Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Shupe wasted no time making his statement as he took Staudenmayer down and racked up two sets of back points en route to an 11-3 major decision.
“I wanted to prove something because I read the forum in which they said I was an underdog or he would be the upsetter,” said Shupe. “I just wanted to get the win like I thought I should.”
Shupe could easily have been named OW for his regional performance in which he pinned two, tech falled another and majored a fourth opponent.
Penncrest’s Jim Resnick, however, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. He had one pin, one technical fall, one major and one injury default on his way to the 171-pound title.
Quakertown’s Kurt Handel was name Class AAA Coach of the Year. He took the Panthers to the Continental Conference and District Dual Meet championships.
Unfortunately, his team didn’t fare as well at regionals as only Colin Bynum and Eric Koch qualified for states. Bynum finished second at 125, losing to Rappo, while Koch won the 140 title, edging Norristown’s Brandon Parker on an escape in the third period.
“I’m overwhelmed,” said Koch. “My goal was Hershey. I thought I set it high this season, but winning regionals, I’m looking for a medal maybe.”
Koch built a 5-0 lead in the first period, but gave up five to Parker on a Peterson roll in the second. In the third he got an escape and held off Parker for the win.
David Osei was one of the happiest wrestlers of the night. Even before the finals began, the Abington heavyweight was honored by the Southeast Wrestling Coaches Association with the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.
Then in the finals he evened his career mark against Upper Perkiomen’s Jared Bennett at 3-3 with a 4-3 victory for his first regional championship.
“I was expecting a tough match,” said Osei. “Me and him are always one-point matches.”
After a scoreless first period, Osei reversed Bennett and picked up two back points before Bennett reversed. Bennett escaped in the third, and Osei managed to lock him up and hold him off for the win.
Last year he lost to Bennett in the regional finals.
“This is the one I’ve been looking for all year,” he said. “If I was going to states, I wanted to win regionals.”
Zac Haynes became the first Council Rock North wrestler to win a district title when he defeated Boyertown’s Matt Malfaro in the 119-pound finals, 9-4.
Later in the evening, teammate Jamie Callender avenged a pair of losses to Springfield’s Andre Petroski with a 3-2 victory.
“I wasn’t going to push it as hard as last time (at district duals),” said Callender. “I’m going to let the match come to me and take it easy.”
Callender’s diving low single at the edge of the mat in the third period was the difference.
“I thought I could get in on the ankle,” he said.
Harry S Truman’s James Bak won his third post-season title in a row with a 6-2 decision of Central Bucks South’s Mike Mathis in the 103-pound final.
“Each week the competition gets tougher,” he said. “I felt really confident coming in. I definitely felt I was the best in the weight class. I’ve been working my tail off all year long just to get to this point and higher. It feels good to actually win and not take second all the time.”
Pennridge’s Colin McConnell also won his first regional title at 145 after three previous appearances with a sound drubbing of Council Rock South’s Marc Helfrich.
“I’m real happy,” he said. “This has been a goal to come here and win this. Now that I have, I just have one more goal to achieve and that’s gold at states.”
Class AAA Southeast Regional Wrestling Tournament
Class AAA Team Scoring
Council Rock South 132, Boyertown 103, La Salle 88, Springfield (D) 86, Council Rock North 77.5, Great Valley 77, Quakertown 69.5, Penncrest 59, Central Bucks East 45, Abington 42, Norristown 40, North Catholic 39.5, Owen J. Roberts 39, Pennridge 39, Garnet Valley 38, Unionville 38, Oxford 36, Upper Perkiomen 35, Truman 30, Hatboro-Horsham 30.
Championship Finals
103—James Bak, Harry S. Truman, dec. Mike Mathis, Central Bucks South, 6-2
112—Dan Dortone, Springfield Delco, dec. Jeremy Minich, Boyertown, 2-0
119—Zac Haynes, Council Rock North, dec. Matt Malfaro, Boyertown, 9-4
125—Matt Rappo, Council Rock South, dec. Colin Bynum, Quakertown, 5-2
130—Alex Pellicciotti, Boyertown, dec. Mason Popham, Unionville, 4-0
135—Kyle Bove, Kennett, dec. Will Resnick, Penncrest, 5-0
140—Eric Koch, Quakertown, dec. Brandon Parker, Norristown, 6-5
145—Colin McConnell, Pennridge, maj. dec. Marc Helfrich, Council Rock South, 15-3
152—Jim Vollrath, Council Rock South, dec. Nick Fuschino, Owen J. Roberts, 2-1 SV
160—Ed Shupe, Council Rock South, maj. dec. John Staudenmayer, Plymouth Whitemarsh, 11-3
171—Jim Resnick, Penncrest, won by tech. fall over Bobby Lavelle, Council Rock South, 2:59, 16-0
189 Jamie Callender, Council Rock North, dec. Andre Petroski, Springfield Delco, 3-2
215—Carl Buchholz, Great Valley, dec. Kaje Sponheimer, Springfield Delco, 3-2
285—David Osei, Abington, dec. Jared Bennett, Upper Perkiomen, 4-3
Third Place
103—Casey Kent, LaSalle, dec. Corey McQuiston, West Chester Rustin, 6-0
112—Chris McGinley, Central Bucks West, dec. Nick Bongard, Monsignor Bonner, 6-2
119 Joe Bonaduce, Unionville, pinned Dave Irwin, Norristown, 1:35
125—Chris Alexander, Cardinal O'Hara, dec. Ryan Ginsburg, LaSalle, 7-3
130—Matt Martoccio, Council Rock South, dec. Rich Jasinski, Pennridge, 1-0
135—Joe Mazzi, LaSalle, pinned Jon Brodzik, Central Bucks East, 2:31
140—Joe Marino, Garnet Valley, dec. Billy Heemer, Downingtown East, 9-2
145—Matt Dugan, Northeast Catholic, dec. Brandon Loro, Springfield Delco, 4-2
152—Tim Feroe, Boyertown, pinned Travis Donnor, Great Valley, 2:42
160—Kevin Mallon, Northeast Catholic, dec. Devon Passman, Central Bucks East, 10-7
171—Hunter Smith, West Chester Henderson, dec. Scott Schretzenmaier, Great Valley, 3-1 SV
189—Nick Ruggear, Oxford Area, dec. Joe Stolfi, Souderton, 4-2
215—Greg Gruschow, Conestoga, won by inj. default over Scott Syrek, Owen J. Roberts, 0:01
285—Alex Myers, Hatboro Horsham, pinned Kyle DiGiacobbe, LaSalle, 2:05
Fifth Place
103—Daniel Rodenberger, Upper Perkiomen, dec. Adam Slezak, Council Rock North, 6-3
112—Matt Harkins, Hatboro Horsham, dec. Shane Longstreth, Council Rock North, 8-4
119—Tim Santry, Upper Moreland, dec. Matt Cimato, LaSalle, 2-0
125—Cory Brennan, Oxford Area, maj. dec. Frank Lippincott, Bensalem, 10-2
130—Kyle Moran, Oxford Area, dec. Will Dill, Upper Moreland, 4-3
135—Anthony White, Frankford, won by forfeit
140—Shane Springer, LaSalle, won by forfeit
145—Nick Papa, Penncrest, dec. Dom DeRobertis, Great Valley, 3-1 OT
152—Max Barsky, Abington, won by inj. default over Josh Marquard, Sun Valley, 0:01
160—Curtis Loeb, Garnet Valley, won by forfeit
171—Andrew Scholer, William Tennent, won by forfeit
189—Zach Heffner, Boyertown, won by forfeit
215—Amro Elansari, Downingtown East, dec. John Kaschak, Council Rock North, 11-6
285—Elvis Diaz, Frankford, dec. Joshua Mitchell, Pennsbury, 6-3
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