Pennsbury Wrestling

Trentonian By Rick Fortenbaugh Howard’s reversal as buzzer sounds saves Falcons LANGHORNE, Pa. --It’s the way quality matches are supposed to be with overmatched wrestlers fighting like heck to avoid giving up bonus and many bouts still in doubt until the third-period buzzer. Ranked No. 1 in the area, the Pennsbury High wrestling team (19-2) is now almost certain to win yet another Suburban One Patriot Division championship. Unlike last year, however, when the Falcons cruised through their league and Lower Bucks, this time Pennsbury really had to sweat in a thrilling 30-25 win at Neshaminy last night. How close was it? Consider in what turned out to be the key bout of the evening, Neshaminy 189-pounder Abe Brooks was just two seconds away from riding out Corey Howard for a one-point victory that would have put Neshaminy in a great shape. Instead, Howard was able to break a power half and pop out his head for a reversal at the 6:00 mark for a 4-3 win. Instead of being down by 11 points, Pennsbury now trailed, 25-20, and was able to complete the comeback on consecutive decisions by the favored Joe Bergen (215), heavyweight Tyrus O’Neill and Lee Milas (103). "He had it in real tight," said Howard after the biggest win in his wrestling career. "I heard the announcer say 10 seconds and I knew I had to get going. I was just able to get my head out." It was that kind of evening as Pennsbury bolted out to a quick 13-point lead, started juggling and Neshaminy stormed back. In hindsight, the big heroes for Pennsbury in addition to Howard were several wrestlers who were able to avoid giving up a lot of bonus points. After Chris Lincoln hip tossed Ryan Funk to his back for a pin at 130 pounds to put Neshaminy on the board, Pennsbury’s Pirman Lord dropped only a 5-1 decision to Ed Termyna. Ben Rees also did a nice job at 140 pounds in a 6-5 loss to Jeff Warusz. The difference in this bout were stalling points against the Pennsbury wrestler. Bill Trimble, who normally goes 140 pounds for Pennsbury, won a major decision at 145, but then Mike Ortman Jr.’s Neshaminy squad got three straight wins to take a 25-17 lead into 189 pounds. At 152 pounds, Neshaminy’s Brian Rowan was forced to settle for an 18-6 win over Joe Bolger and the best Redskin 160-pounder Kyle Karpinski could get was a 6-1 win over Pennsbury freshman Dan Bergen. Pennsbury coach Joe Kiefer’s strategy looked pretty good at this point, but the match then took a shocking turn when Neshaminy’s Peter Beck decked Chris Ryan at the 5:08 mark at 171 pounds. It wasn’t so much that Beck won, but rather the way it occurred. Entering the third period, the score was tied at 2-all. Beck, however, got in on a reversal and instead of cutting his losses and going to his stomach, Ryan kept looking for his cement job. Needless to say, it didn’t work. The fact Ryan bumped to 171 meant one Pennsbury regular had to sit out of the match. It turned out to be 189-pounder Bill Bramwell, who gave way to Howard in the bout of the night. "It was a last minute decision," said Howard. "It was a tough match, but it ended up working out. We weren’t happy with the way we wrestled against Pennridge (Wednesday night). We came here looking to pick it up." Echoed Kiefer; "It was a great high school event. I’m not super pleased with some of the things I saw out there, but I’m super pleased that we won." Although Pennsbury might still be the king of Lower Bucks dual match wrestling, there’s no doubt Neshaminy has really closed the gap.

Yardley News By Joe Gleeson Though many scholastic athletes dream of joining the elite in their given sport, few ever reach such a lofty height. On Saturday, Jan. 2, Joe Bergen, Pennsbury's 215-pound grappler did just that. He became only the 32nd area wrestler to earn 100 career wins. The feat in itself is laudable and places Joe in the ranks of such late area greats as Ed Curran, Scott Stay, Brian Sellers, Kip Keifer and Mike Pirozzola. The total list reads like a Who's Who in the history of Lower Bucks wrestling with Council Rock's Rocky Mantella leading the pack with 144 victories. What is particularly noticeable about Joe's entry into the wrestling all-stars is that he is one of the few heavyweights in the group. At first glance, what may seem unimportant, gains in significance when you consider Joe's first two years at Pennsbury. As a burly boy who never competed in any weight lower than the 189-pound class, the freshmen neophyte faced many an experienced, upper class opponent. Logic would seem to favor the veterans. Joe recognizes the odds that were stacked against his hitting the century mark in wins. "It felt great getting my hundredth win. Going into this season, I had 83 wins so I knew if I stayed healthy, I'd eventually get it. What made it especially great is that if you look at the guys in our area with a hundred wins, most are in the lightweight classes. Heavier guys wrestle much older kids their freshman and sophomore year. As a freshman, I only had 16 wins. A lot of freshmen coming in chalk up 25 or 30 wins." What especially gratifies Joe is logging victories while a member of the Pennsbury team -- a perennial powerhouse in wrestling. Joe's big win placed him with former Falcon greats, Brian Sellers, Chuck Connor, Kip Kiefer, Joe Bowman, Paul Sujdak, Pat Frain and Scott Miller. That means that close to one-third of the elite Lower Bucks 100-plus win club are products of the Pennsbury program. "It is real special wrestling for Pennsbury. Since my freshmen year, I think we've only lost three meets. It's quite an accomplishment to wrestle for this team. We're known both statewide and on a national level. We have around 70 kids wrestling every year and have been doing it since around 1940." Last year's results serve as ample support for Joe's appraisal. Pennsbury finished the year with an overall 27-1 record. They were 11-0 in the SOL. The Falcons were Section One tournament champs and District One Dual meet Tournament champions. They finished the season ranked 38th in the nation and second in the state. Getting to the top requires real dedication. For Joe, it's a labor of love. While also a star defensive end on the football team, Joe's passion is wrestling. "Its different than any other sport. It really builds character, self-control, and discipline. I personally think its one of the toughest three sports out there. It's a fight with rules. You're in a fight every match. When you're out there, it's just you and the other guy. There's no one to hide behind." The requisite discipline includes a good deal of personal sacrifice. "The toughest part is practice. For example, we practiced over vacation at 8:30 every morning. During Christmas time, when other kids leave school for two weeks, we technically didn't get a break. We even had a practice Christmas Eve." Where practices are physically demanding, actual meets can sap a wrestler's mental energy. You tend to live each match both before and after they actually take place. Joe is no exception. "Before a match I go through in my head what I am going to do to beat the other kid. I visualize what I'm going to do. I imagine the other guys as a robot and I decide what will work or not. I think about the match afterwards. If I lose, I can't even watch it on film. I get so mad and start throwing the remote. If I lose, it's usually by a point or two so I get so mad because it's usually one little thing I could have done." Obviously, Joe could rerun films of his hundredth victory over and over again. The big moment came at the expense of Council Rock North's Tom Edinger. Appropriately enough, Joe's 215-pound bout was the first on the card. "I really like that. I like mixing up when you are going to wrestle. As for my opponent, I didn't know much about him. I knew he was a tough kid and wouldn't roll over. Once I took him down a couple of times, I felt I had the match locked up as long as I stayed smart." The 12-4 decision brought Joe's season record to 17-2. More importantly, the victory assured Joe a solid place among the best grapplers in the history of Lower Bucks Wrestling.

Bucks County Courier Times By Tom Waring FAIRLESS HILLS - In his eight years as the Pennridge High School wrestling coach, John Rittenhouse hasn't had much luck against Pennsbury. "They've always dominated us. It's never even been close against them," he said. Last night was a different story. An already strong Pennridge team, strengthened in the off-season by transfers, captured 11 of the 14 bouts en route to a 44-15 victory over Pennsbury. The long bus trip back to Perkasie was an enjoyable one for the Rams. "It's nice to come down here and dominate them," said Rittenhouse, who is assisted by former Bensalem star Solomon Webb. Pennridge's goal was a 30-point victory. "We fell one point short," Rittenhouse said. Pennridge improved to 13-1 (5-0 Suburban One League Colonial Division). The Rams have lost only to Upper Perkiomen and would love to get another shot at the Indians in the District One Class AAA Dual Meet Tournament final. Pennsbury (18-2, 4-1 SOL Patriot) saw its 29-match SOL winning streak come to a crashing end. Coach Joe Kiefer could see it coming. "I'm not that surprised by the results. I knew it could be that bad or worse," he said. While both teams entered the match with just one loss, Rittenhouse believes the Rams' tougher schedule prepared them well for the showdown. Pennsbury's only winners were Bill Trimble (140 pounds), who remained undefeated with a 10-4 decision over Todd Stevens, and Dan Bergen (152) and Corey Howard (171), both of whom won by pin. Pennridge had won the first seven bouts and built a 25-0 lead before Trimble's win. "They pretty much outwrestled us," Trimble said. The match was decided early. It started at 275 pounds, and Rittenhouse sent out 190-pound Dan Goetter to take on 250-pound Ty O'Neill. Despite giving up 60 pounds, Goetter scored a takedown, reversal and back points on his way to a 10-4 win. Pennridge freshman Eric McCann (103) followed with a five-point move in the closing seconds to down Lee Milas, 9-4. Teammate Eddie Geib earned a decision at 112 to give the Rams a 9-0 lead. "We felt we had to win all three of those," Kiefer said. "It turned out we didn't win any of those." Trimble believes the Falcons can recover to win their third consecutive district dual meet title, but they have a big match tomorrow before they can look ahead to the postseason. Pennsbury will visit Neshaminy tomorrow night, with the winner all but certain to capture the SOL Patriot crown. "It'll be close, but if we're on our game, I think we can do it," Trimble said. Pennridge clobbered Neshaminy, 44-18, a week ago. Comparing the scores, Kiefer think tomorrow's match will be a good one. "I expect it to be a typical Pennsbury-Neshaminy tight match," he said.

Trentonian This is a huge week for top-ranked Pennsbury, with a home match against Pennridge tomorrow and then an away date at Neshaminy Friday. The Trentonian saw Pennridge take apart Neshaminy last week and the transfer-filled Perkasie squad is tough. Especially in the upper weights where its coach, John Rittenhouse, says he’s got as fine a 189-215-275 combination as can be found in Pennsylvania. This is nonsense when you compare what Pennridge has up top to Northampton, but it’s going to be difficult for the Falcons to crack Pennridge in this area. In short, just about everything must fall right for Pennsbury to upset Pennridge. Pennsbury should have enough to get past Neshaminy, though. On the other hand, whenever these hated rivals tangle in just about any sport, predictions are difficult. By the way, both matches along with Pennsbury’s match against Souderton on Saturday will be broadcast on WBCB, which can be found at 1490 on the AM dial.

Philadelphia Inquirer 103 Pounds 1. Rick Rappo, Council Rock South 18-2 2. Matt Moley, Spring-Ford 21-0 3. Lee Milas, Pennsbury 20-2 4. Chris Sheetz, Upper Perkiomen 19-0 5. Eric McCann, Pennridge 15-3 112 Pounds 1. Joe Weygand, Archbishop Wood 17-0 2. Jake Bucha, Norristown 27-3 3. Mike Trznadel, Wissahickon 18-1 4. Zack Kemmerer, Upper Perkiomen 18-2 5. Mike Rappo, Council Rock South 16-5 119 Pounds 1. Tim Harner, Norristown 28-0 2. Joe Coughlin, Hatboro-Horsham 16-0 3. Brandon Clemmer, Upper Perkiomen 18-1 4. Paul Bacci, Conestoga 13-4 5. Garth Ladley, Octorara 17-0 125 Pounds 1. Nate Nauroth, Quakertown 18-2 2. Jerry Balasco, Council Rock South 16-2 3. Brett McCurdy, Germantown Academy 16-2 4. Jarrett Hostetter, Oxford 21-3 5. Sam Paul, Pennridge 14-3 130 Pounds 1. Mike Moley, Spring-Ford 20-2 2. Mike Tavani, West Chester East 18-1 3. Sean Reed, Springfield (Delco) 17-1 4. Steve Biggin, Conestoga 15-3 5. Eric Anderson, Pennridge 15-2 135 Pounds 1. Darren Kern, Upper Perkiomen 18-1 2. Jeff Warusz, Neshaminy 18-2 3. Scott D'Annunzio, Great Valley 10-1 4. Nick Salvo, Malvern Prep 14-4 5. Anthony Wendt, North Catholic 17-4 140 Pounds 1. Mustafa Flemming, Academy Park 19-0 2. Bill Trimble, Pennsbury 22-0 3. Alex Bimes, Quakertown 17-3 4. Nick Martin, Council Rock North 18-3 5. Josh Pagano, Norristown 24-4 145 Pounds 1. Chris Chambers, Council Rock South 20-2 2. Andy Knerr, Norristown 28-0 3. Mike Letts, Octorara 18-0 4. Corey Blake, Coatesville 16-1 5. Kyle Wireman, Pennridge 13-5 152 Pounds 1. Dan Geib, Pennridge 16-3 2. Brian Rowan, Neshaminy 15-3 3. Tony Fuschino, Owen J. Roberts 15-0 4. Alex Shafer, Upper Perkiomen 18-4 5. Austin Carter, Council Rock South 17-7 160 Pounds 1. Ryan Kennett, Haverford School 18-0 2. Dave Schreiner, William Tennent 19-1 3. Kyle Karpinski, Neshaminy 16-3 4. Harry Keyser, Norristown 25-2 5. Rick Mascino, North Catholic 12-1 171 Pounds 1. Pat Flynn, Quakertown 18-2 2. Curtis Beardsell, William Tennent 20-0 3. Colin Hitschler, Penn Charter 20-2 4. Ray Resnick, Haverford School 16-2 5. J.J. Hansen, Conestoga 12-2 189 Pounds 1. Dennis Drury, Germantown Academy 25-2 2. Dan Goetter, Pennridge 15-2 3. Jake Engle, Upper Perkiomen 16-4 4. Nick Shute, Upper Moreland 17-0 5. Kevin Orr, Quakertown 17-3 215 Pounds 1. Pat Fisher, Haverford School 17-1 2. Joe Bergen, Pennsbury 20-2 3. Zach McCann, St. Pius X 15-0 4. Steve Van Alstine, Perkiomen Valley 14-2 5. Derek Bennett, Upper Perkiomen 14-7 Heavyweight 1. Doug Weidner, Pennridge 15-3 2. Brian Nicholson, Radnor 12-0 3. Shane Seaver, Conestoga 18-3 4. Mike Konn, Cardinal O'Hara 14-0 5. Matt Intoccia, Malvern Prep 18-2 Top 10 Teams 1. Upper Perkiomen 11-0 2. Pennridge 12-1 3. Norristown 13-2 4. Conestoga 13-2 5. Pennsbury 18-1 6. Neshaminy 5-4 7. Haverford School 8-1 8. Council Rock South 7-5 9. Quakertown 5-3 10. Plymouth Whitemarsh 9-2