Hatboro-Horsham Wrestling Has Something To Prove
H-H Wrestling Warriors Look for Redemption
by Glenn Kaiser
A year ago, the 20th Annual Wetzel Holiday Wrestling Classic was cancelled, along with the Hatboro-Horsham wrestling team’s season. Yep, you guessed it, COVID was the culprit. H-H was one of several teams in the area that were shut down due to COVID concerns. Yet the majority of the Suburban One League teams competed, and with little to no issues. The PIAA, District One and the SOL all took great pride and utmost priority on safety of their athletes, and proceeded to conduct a wrestling season, although abbreviated for some. Nonetheless, teams and individuals competed, and finished in Hershey as always with the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships.
While H-H wrestlers sat home, basketball played on, as did other winter sports. H-H administration acted abruptly and without due diligence on the part of gathering data and planning for a wrestling season as other SOL schools moved forward and wrestled. Wrestling has always been the cleanest and most health-conscious sport when it comes to personal hygiene. Many protocols for mat cleaning, body protection and body cleaning have been in place for three decades.
Turn the clock forward and here we are still in a pandemic, but H-H wrestlers have returned to the mat. They have a chip on their shoulders and are ready to do battle. It appears they have embraced the opportunity to wrestle this season, despite losing valuable time on the mat last year. H-H is off to a 2-1 dual meet start, with their only loss to a tough Pennsbury squad back on Dec. 18. They opened the individual season with a seventh place finish at the Pottstown Invitational, and now it is time for the Wetzel Classic. H-H has hosted the tournament for over 20 years in honor of legendary Hall of Fame Coach Ralph Wetzel.
H-H has traditionally done very well at the Wetzel, and this year’s expectations will be no different. Senior wrestlers Joe Martini, III (152-pounds) and Hunter Long (189) will be in the hunt for Wetzel gold. Martini, who transferred to H-H his sophomore season, is currently 8-1 and was a regional qualifier in 2019 while at Central HS. He missed out in 2020, but was 18-8 that season (and injured) and had great expectations to return last year. But the opportunity was taken away, and now it’s all or nothing in his senior campaign. Martini is not looking back, however, as he is staying focused, positive and opportunistic. He described that he just did all he could outdoors during the pandemic. Despite being injured here and there, he stayed in shape, and wrestled when he could. He has prepared this pre-season to get back to regionals and on to Hershey. Martini is 8-1 overall with a third place finish at the Pottstown Invitational.
Senior Hunter Long is living an athletic nightmare as an outstanding football player, as well as a promising wrestler. As we know last season his wrestling was eliminated, and this past fall Hatboro-Horsham’s football team had a shortened season that was eventually cancelled. So he’s hungry, and I’m guessing angry. But speaking to him you wouldn’t identify his frustration, as he just wants to compete. He seems poised to do his best on the mat, while the team comes back together. He stressed the team approach and camaraderie, as well as Coach Mongillo’s focus to get the program back in order. Long is 7-2/3rd at Pottstown heading into the Wetzel, which will be a loaded tournament.
Seniors were not the only ones affected by the loss of an entire season a year ago. Orion Newell, now a junior was coming off a fifth place finish at Districts with high expectations for the 2020-21 season. Newell has had some early success as well here in 2021-22 and is 6-3/5th at Pottstown wrestling at 138-pounds. Probably the most affected by missing last season was 132-pounder Chris Staub, who would have been a freshman. Now, as a sophomore he begins his scholastic career in the PIAA. He has not disappointed, as he only has one loss (by a point) and stands at 7-1/3rd at Pottstown. Both Newell and Staub came up thru the H-H Wrestling Club ranks, and both their fathers (and mothers of course) have contributed immensely to the H-H wrestling program and represent a very strong wrestling community here in the HHSD. Orion’s dad, Jim, is currently a H-H assistant coach.
Looking to the future, Ryan Allgeier had to be concerned as an incoming freshman here in 2021-22. Surprisingly, no H-H wrestlers transferred out, as they all stuck with the program and waited for their chance to get back on the mat. Allgeier has done nothing but give it his all early this season, as he looks to have a great future as a grappler. He won the Pottstown Invitational at 106-pounds and is 5-1 with his only loss to Pennsbury’s rugged Kyle Von Schmidt. Allgeier has already got early state recognition being ranked by PA Power Wrestling.
Senior Russell Lilly is also back on the mat, returning against Upper Moreland in the Battle of the Border with a pin at 145-pounds in H-H’s 45-24 win. The team seems to be jelling, and are conditioned to compete for a spot in the District One Team Championships in 2022. They will have plenty of challenges right here in the SOL Liberty Division with Quakertown, Plymouth-Whitemarsh and Abington all with strong programs.
Head Coach Trent Mongillo is also sighing in relief with the team’s return to the mat and hosting the Wetzel Classic. Mongillo, an assistant H-H football coach, has seen the last two-seasons as a coach go up in smoke at H-H. Mongillo has been resilient, and appears poised to lead his squad into battle this season. He too has not dwelled on the past and stayed positive focused with the team approach. He stressed that just having the team back in the wrestling room has been enjoyable and promising. He has not lowered the bar or expectations for his team as they journey into 2021-22 after missing a whole year of wrestling. He has tremendous confidence in his seniors and young talent.
As 2021 comes to a close, hopefully wrestling stays afloat with the increasing COVID concerns, and H-H can showcase their talent deep into the post-season.
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