REGIONALS:
Ten top area wrestlers headed to states
Photo by Sue Donohue
Council Rock South senior Jim Vollrath, seen here in a bout with Randy Haun of North Penn, captured a regional title at 152 pounds.
Council Rock South senior Jim Vollrath, seen here in a bout with Randy Haun of North Penn, captured a regional title at 152 pounds.
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
To no one’s surprise, lower Bucks high schools dominated last weekend’s Southeastern Regional Class AA tournament.
In all, 10 area wrestlers will be heading to states, starting with Harry S Truman senior James Bak, who captured the 103-pound regional title.
At 39-2 on the season, the Tigers lightweight went 4-0, starting with a pin of Garnet Valley’s Kyle Loeb. In his opening bout, Bak pinned the GV freshman in 51 seconds.
Bak posted three consecutive decision wins starting with a 4-1 win over Upper Perkiomen sophomore Daniel Rodenberger. A 6-1 triumph over West Chester Rustin freshman Corey McQuiston followed by a 6-2 win over CB South sophomore Mike Mathis which earned Bak a second trip to states in as many seasons. James medaled in the tournament a year ago at Hershey’s Giant Center.
Council Rock South was the team champion with 132 points. The Golden Hawks crowned three regional champs including sophomore 125-pounder Matt Rappo (37-8), along with senior 152-pounder Jim Vollrath (39-1) and 160-pounder Ed Shupe (36-3). All three were also district champions.
Rappo captured his regional trophy with a 5-2 win over Quakertown junior Colin Bynum. Vollrath took his with a 2-1 win over Owen J. Roberts senior Nick Fuschino and Shupe took his after pinning North Catholic senior Kevin Mallon in the semis followed by an 11-3 decision over Plymouth Whitemarsh sophomore John Staudenmayer.
In addition, senior 145-pounder Marc Helfrich (33-8) and junior 171-pounder Bobby Lavelle (33-11), also district champions in their respective weight classes, fell to the runner-up position at regionals.
In their regional title bouts, Helfrich lost a major decision to Pennridge senior Colin McConnell and Lavelle got tech-falled by Penncrest senior Jim Resnick, The 171-pounder for Penncrest was later named Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament after winning his weight class.
Meanwhile, CR South sophomore Matt Martoccio (22-3) placed third at 130 pounds. After winning his first two bouts, Martoccio dropped a close decision to Boyertown junior Alex Pellicciotti, who went on to take the regional title.
Matt wrestled his way back however, taking a 5-0 decision from Oxford Area junior Kyle Moran and a 1-0 win from Pennridge sophomore Rich Jasinski.
All six wrestlers for the Hawks have qualified for the PIAA championships, which start Thursday, March 5 at the Giant Center in Hershey and continue through to March 7.
CR North senior Zac Haynes, the Indians’ only district champion, captured the regional prize at 119 pounds, only this time was joined by North junior Jamie Callender, who captured regional gold at 189.
Callender turned the tables on Springfield DelCo junior Andre Petroski, who won an 8-6 decision over the North grappler in the district finale. In the regional championship, however, Callender edged Petroski, 3-2.
Callender made his way to the regional championship with a 10-3 decision over Northeast Catholic's AJ Vizcorrando, a 15-0 tech-fall win over Joe Stolfi, of Souderton and a 7-0 victory Oxford Area junior Nick Ruggear.
Haynes decisioned Boyertown junior Matt Malfaro, 9-4, to earn his title belt.
Pennsbury junior Josh Mitchell, the Falcons only regional qualifier at 285 pounds, wound up in sixth place after going 3-3 on the day. Mitchell’s wins included a 3-0 decision over Garnet Valley's Brendan Walsh, a second period pin over Norristown junior Marcus Robbins and an overtime victory over William Tennent senior Rich Dracup. Josh defeated the Panthers wrestler 3-1 in a battle for third place at districts. He used a rideout to get past the Tennent heavyweight at regionals.
Josh’s day ended after he dropped a close decision to Alex Myers, Hatboro Horsham and a 6-3 loss to Frankford junior Elvis Diaz.
Mitchell finished his season at 32-12.
The day also finished disappointedly for Truman sophomore Sean Edmonson (34-6). Coming in as the district runnerup, Sean had hoped to reach states. But after pinning Conwell-Egan’s Pat Hecker (24-10), Sean got himself pinned by Boyertown sophomore Jeremy Minich.
After bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Upper Moreland junior Jacob Ellis, Edmondson’s day ended with a 1-0 loss to CR North sophomore Shane Longstreth (28-18) who finished in sixth place.
CR North sophomore Adam Slezak also finished in 6th-place after going 3-3 on the day. The 103-pounder for the Indians and the district runnerup finished his season at 18-9.
North senior John Kaschak finished his final season on the mat at 28-18. Another D-I South runnerup, John went 3-3 at regionals, finishing sixth.
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