Pennsbury Wrestling

Trentonian Showcasing the best from five different counties and 48 high schools, today The Trentonian presents its annual All-Area Wrestling Teams. There are two Wrestlers of the Year, as New Jersey state champions Ricky Frondorf of North Hunterdon and Adam Cooney of Holy Cross share the award. Both won state titles for the second year in a row. The Coach of the Year is North Hunterdon’s Jason Hawk. Pennsbury has the most wrestlers on our first team after going 27-1 and capturing Suburban One and District 1 Dual Match titles. DAN SCOTTON Burlington Twp. The Burlington Township wrestler came on strong to finish with a 22-6 record and take a second in Region VII after a decision over Cherokee’s second-teamer Voris Tejada in the semifinals. Scotton is just a sophomore. Lawrence’s Matt Friedman is the third teamer after finishing fourth in his region. KYLE MILANESE Delran The Delran junior had another fine season at 112 pounds. Milanese was first at his district, first at Region VII and went onto finish fifth in the state. His final record was 33-3. Behind Milanese is state qualifier Ross Gitomer of Hunterdon Central and Pennsbury sectional champ Chris Strickland. BRIAN SELLERS Pennsbury The Pennsbury senior set a school record for career wins and concluded his stellar season with a 43-3 record. Sellers was a region champion and lost on a rideout in the PIAA Class AAA Tournament to the eventual state champ. In the second spot is Peddie’s outstanding freshman Nick Weaver, followed by Delaware Valley’s Region V finalist Chris Kelly. MATT RIZZO Truman Truman’s sophomore buzzsaw went 28-3 and won a sectional title. He was also second at his district before being ejected from regions. Rizzo gets the nod in a talented weight that includes Cinnaminson’s Sean Cullen, who beat third-teamer and Region V champion Mark Savino of Lawrence in the pre-quarterfinal round at the state tournament. BILL TRIMBLE Pennsbury The nod here went to Pennsbury sophomore Trimble, who went 32-9, was first at sections, second at districts and then took a third at regions. Next up is Hunterdon Central District 17 champ Greg Alparone and Lenape state qualfier Wes Juelg. STEVE SEEMULLER Cinnaminson This was a close call beween Seemuller and Delran’s Josh Sabol. Both qualified for states at 135 pounds and Sabol finished higher in the region, but Seemuller (26-4) beat Sabol for a district championship. In the third spot is Hunterdon Central District 17 champion Jordan Nettuno. RYAN POPE Rancocas Valley A senior at Rancocas Valley, Pope concluded an oustanding career by finishing fifth in the state at 140 pounds. Pope was a district and region champ and went 30-4. Neshaminy state qualifier Brian Rowan is the second team choice and Hunterdon Central district champ Kyle Brewer is on the third team. JOE BOWMAN Pennsbury Another standout for Pennsbury, Bowman went 42-5 in his senior year. Bowman was first in his section, first in districts and fourth in his region after placing in the PIAA states the year before. This weight is also deep with two state qualifiers in North Hunterdon’s Allen Cozze and Moorestown’s Bill Darling. RICKY FRONDORF North Hunderdon The second two-time state champion in North Hunterdon history, Frondorf went back-to-back by pretty cruising to the 152-pound title in Atlantic City over the weekend. Frondorf went undefeated for the second year in a row and has received a scholarship to Lock Haven. Pemberton’s Antoine Ketler finished third in the state, but is on the second team here. Rancocas Valley’s Region VII champ Eric Richardson is the third-team selection. IAN McCLEAF Pemberton Only a sophomore, McCleaf gave a big indication of what’s to come by finishing 29-3 and capturing a region championship. The Pemberton wrestler ended up eighth in the state. Next up is Region V champ Mike Valentino of South Brunswick, who beat third-teamer Andrew Cosgrove of North Hunterdon in the region final. DOUG UMBEHAUER Lenape This is another deep weight, but the Lenape junior is the clear choice after going 35-2 and winning a region title. Umbehauer also finished fourth in the state. Hunterdon Central’s Mike Somma is next after winning a region title and taking a sixth in the state. Council Rock North’s state qualifier Jon Kokinda rounds out this weight. ZEB DAVIS Lenape Davis burst on the scene last year as a sophomore and there’s no telling what he might accomplish in his senior year. This season, Davis went 36-1, captured a Region VII championship and took a third in the state. Bensalem state qualifier Joe Maroney is the second team choice, followed by Delaware Valley’s Region V champion George Peterson. MARK EBERSTEIN Hunterdon Central The Hunterdon Central senior came as close as you get to a state title and a perfect season before falling in double overtime in the 215-pound state final to Paulsboro’s Isaac Redman. Eberstein finished 37-1. Two state qualifiers in Council Rock North’s Ryan Collins and Pennsbury’s Joe Bergen are the second and third team choices at 215. ADAM COONEY Holy Cross Cooney capped a huge career at Holy Cross by winning a second straight state championship, this time at heavyweight. He finished 35-2 to become his school’s first two-time state champ. In the second spot is NeshaminyGeoff Donahue, who won districts before seeing his season come to an end because of a knee injury. Hopewell Valley region runner-up Mike Williams is the third-team choice. JASON HAWK North Hunterdon Coach of the Year Our Coach of the Year, Hawk led North Hunterdon to an 18-2 record and the No. 1 spot in The Trentonian’s Area Ratings. North Hunterdon was also the runner-up in the Group III Groups. The Lions’ biggest victory came in the Hunterdon Central Fieldhouse, a result that earned the Lions a share of a Skyland Conference Delaware Division crown. North Hunterdon also ended up as the fourth-ranked team in New Jersey.

Trentonian The Delaware Valley Wrestling Officials Meet of Champions will once again be held this Thursday at Truman High in Bristol Township, Pa. The match gets under way at 7:30 p.m. The New Jersey team consisting of wrestlers from Region VII is led by two state champs in Camden Catholic’s Ed Giosa (125) and Holy Cross heavyweight Adam Cooney. The Pennsylvania team, which is made up of wrestlers from the Suburban One League, is led by Pennsbury standouts Brian Sellers (119) and Joe Bowman (145). Here are the matchups: 112 - Chris Strickland (Pennsbury) vs. Jeff Verity (No. Burlington) 119 - Sellers (Pennsbury) vs. Steve Barton (No. Burlington) 125 - Dan Vagnozzi (Pennsbury) vs. Giosa (Camden Cath.) 130 - Matt Flannery (Upper Moreland) vs. Ivan Wiggins (Sterling) 135 - Jake Meyer (Upper Dublin) vs. Dennis Kelly (Camden Cath.) 140 - Mike Olds (Truman) vs. Ryan Pope (Rancocas Valley) 145 - Bowman (Pennsbury) vs. Joe DiLiberto (Collingswood) 152 - Kyle Allen (Pennsbury) vs. Antoine Ketler (Pemberton) 160 - Nick Wolk (Neshaminy) vs. Greg McGaurn (Collingswood) 171 - Jon Kokinda (Council Rock North) vs. Joe Cranmer (Holy Cross) 189 - Joe Maroney (Bensalem) vs. Mike Berger (Holy Cross) 215 - Ryan Collins (Council Rock North) vs. Matt Dalessio (Cherokee) Hvy - Sean Reynolds (Bensalem) vs. Cooney (Holy Cross)

Philadelphia Inquirer By Joe Santoliquito Pennsbury coach Joe Kiefer knew two years ago that he had a special group of wrestlers. He assembled a collection of sophomores and threw them into varsity matches. Those wrestlers took some lumps at first, but the Falcons have matured into the best wrestling team in the area. For the second straight season, Pennsbury is the wrestling team of the year in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Falcons achieved a school record for victories by finishing the season 27-1. The Falcons' previous best was 22 wins in season, set last year. The Falcons also won the District 1 Class AAA team title for the second straight season as well as the Section I and District 1 North crowns. "Probably the most phenomenal thing about this year is that we had 30 wins by 10 different wrestlers," Kiefer said. "The kids certainly accomplished all of the things we were hoping to accomplish, until the regional and state level. That was a real disappointment, and one of the few disappointments of this season. It's without a doubt the best team we've ever had, in terms of overall balance." Kiefer also was pleased that a number of his wrestlers will make all-academic teams in the state. "This is a team we won't forget for a while," Kiefer said. "The kids who will be in our room in the future will get tired of hearing about this '03 team and their exploits, like this team was tired of hearing about the exploits of the '92 team. This group without a doubt made history." Ten Falcons wrestlers registered 30 wins or more: 103-pounder Lee Milas (33 wins); 112-pounder Chris Strickland (30); 119-pounder Brian Sellers (44); 125-pounder Dan Vagnozzi (30); 130-pounder Bill Trimble (32); 140-pounder Ben Rees (32); 145-pounder Joe Bowman (42); 160-pound Kyle Allen (34); 189-pounder Pat Frain (32); and 215-pounder Joe Bergen (37). Milas, Trimble and Rees are sophomores; Bergen is a junior.

Intelligencer 103: 1. Bill Spencer, Highlands; 2. Seth Ciasulli, Easton; 3. Steve Mytych, Pleasant Valley; 4. Joe Radicioni, North Penn. 112: 1. Coleman Scott, Waynesburg; 2. Brad Pataky, Clearfield; 3. Nate Nauroth, Quakertown; 4. Tim Harner, Norristown. 119: 1. Mark McKnight, Chartiers Valley; 2. Mike Sees, Shikellamy; 3. Sean Clair, Plum; 4. Brian Sellers, Pennsbury. 125: 1. Tim Haas, Cedar Cliff; 2. Clint Shirk, Bald Eagle Area; 3. Darren Kern, Upper Perkiomen; 4. Mitch Weaver, Hempfield. 130: 1. Clint Collins, Upper Merion; 2. Bryan Hart, Easton; 3. Jay Morrison, Whitehall; 4. Matt Fittery, Cocalico. 135: 1. Doug Surra, St. Marys; 2. Darren Murray, Central Dauphin; 3. Nathan Kennedy, McGuffey; 4. Joey Ecklof, Northampton. 140: 1. Mike Rogers, Easton; 2. Scott Heckman, Bangor; 3. Matt Kocher, State College; 4. Matt Barnett, Hempfield. 145: 1. Jeff Ecklof, Northampton; 2. Kirk Main, McGuffey; 3. Ben Young, Downingtown; 4. Joe Bowman, Pennsbury. 152: 1. Taylor Letters, Shaler; 2. Jarrod King, Connellsville; 3. Brandon Hill, North Penn; 4. Sean Richmond, Easton. 160: 1.Zac Fryling, North Penn; 2. Anthony Angeline, Lampeter Strasburg; 3. Jon Ptak, Albert Gallatin; 4. Dan Goetter, Pennridge. 171: 1. Josh Weitzel, Oxford; 2. Jake Herbert, North Allegheny; 3. Mike Metzger, Governor Mifflin; 4. Joe Ammendola, Wissahickon. 189: 1. Josh Haines, Northampton; 2. Phillip Davis, Harrisburg; 3. Kyle Narkiewicz, Warwick; 4. Pat Heim, Conestoga. 215: 1. Adam Lopiccolo, Susquehannock; 2. Jon Oplinger, Northampton; 3. Marcus Millen, Easton; 4. Doug Weidner, Pennridge. 275: 1. Joel Yoder, Bald Eagle Area; 2. Ryan Marovich, McDowell; 3. Tyler Rees, Northern; 4. Callahan Bright, Glen Mills. NOTES - One local wrestler who had to be happy about District One receiving four bids to states this year instead of three is Pennsbury's Joe Bowman. A year ago in Hershey, Bowman, despite battling injuries, finished eighth at 140. This year, he lost in the regional semifinals to eventual-runner-up Chris Tate of Garnet Valley at 145, then dropped his consolation finale to Wissahickon's Eddie Scholtz. In seasons past, the loss to Scholtz would have eliminated the trip to Hershey. Now he still has a chance. Bowman, a senior, faces Lower Dauphin's Rob Melly, the Southcentral Regional champ, in the first round. Don't be shocked if Bowman wins that one and goes on to place again.

Bucks County Courier Times By TOM WARING Pennsylvania high school wrestling begins a new era this week as the PIAA championships move from venerable Hersheypark Arena to the modern Giant Center. Eleven local wrestlers will help christen the facility for the state's individual championships. The group will be competing in the Class AAA field, with first-round matchups scheduled for today at 4 p.m. For four area competitors, it will be their second visit to the new arena. Pennsbury's Brian Sellers, Bill Trimble, Joe Bowman and Joe Bergen wrestled there when the Falcons fell to State College in the first round of the PIAA dual meet tournament. Sellers (119 pounds) is the only local wrestler who won a Class AAA Southeast Regional title. His reward? A first-round meeting with Mark McKnight of Chartiers Valley. Both are returning state medalists. Sellers took fifth at 112 pounds, while McKnight was third at 103. Both have lost just once this season. If Sellers wins, it would be his 44th victory this season, tying the school record held by himself (2002) and Chuckie Connor (1996). He'd also advance to a very winnable quarterfinal. "He can win the whole thing," said coach Joe Kiefer, adding that a number of other wrestlers in the bracket also have a chance at a gold medal. Trimble (130) has a daunting challenge, taking on Whitehall's Jay Morrison, who's No. 1 in the Off the Mat rankings. Bowman (145) and Bergen (215) both placed fourth at the regional. They would not have reached states in previous years, when the Southeast Region sent only three wrestlers. The Southwest Region isn't happy that it had to surrender a spot to the Southeast, which earned the fourth berth by virtue of having more schools. The Southwest and Northeast regions believe - and few would argue - that they have the best wrestling in the state. Those regions will undoubtedly be counting to see how many, if any, fourth-place wrestlers from the Southeast win their first-round bouts. Bowman seems to have a good chance to make certain that Southeast fourth-placers don't go 0-14 in the first round. By losing the regional consolation final, he avoided a matchup with Bald Eagle Area's Brandon Guenot and will instead have what appears to be an easier date with Lower Dauphin's Rob Melly. Assuming Bowman wrestles better than he did at regionals, he could advance to a semifinal matchup with Northampton's top-ranked Jeff Ecklof, a 2001 state champ. Bergen has a very tough task. His first opponent is Susquehannock's Adam LoPiccolo, who was the state runner-up at 275 pounds as a freshman and sophomore before placing third at 189 last season. LoPiccolo, who is undefeated, pinned Bergen twice earlier this season at tournaments. Win or lose, Bergen will then face either Kiski Area's Scott McKillop or Easton's Marcus Millen in the next round. Both are highly ranked in the state. The top eight finishers in the 16-man brackets win medals. IF YOU GO What: PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships When: Today through Saturday Where: Giant Center, Hershey Who: Pennsbury's Brian Sellers (119 pounds), Bill Trimble (130), Joe Bowman (145) and Joe Bergen (215) Schedule: Today: Preliminaries, 4 p.m.; first-round consolations, 7:30 p.m. Tomorrow: Quarterfinals, 1:30 p.m.; second-round consolations, 3 p.m. Saturday: Semifinals and third-round consolations, 9 a.m.; fourth-round consolations, 10:30 a.m.; third-, fifth- and seventh-place consolations, 6 p.m.; finals, 8 p.m. Directions: Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike west to Exit 266 (the former Exit 20). Make a left on Lebanon Road. Continue on Route 72 North to Route 322 West. Make a right on Homestead Road. Make a left on E. Chocolate Avenue (Route 422 West). Make a right on Park Avenue (Route 743). Make a left on Park Boulevard.