Third Round Notes
Team race still wide open
Despite holding a lead heading into Day Two of the Beast of the East, Blair Academy's hold on the top spot is still very much in jeopardy. Ironman runners-up St. Edward nips at Blair's heels, eight points behind heading into the quarterfinals. Bald Eagle Area, Christiansburg, Upper Perkiomen, Great Bridge, Graham, Nazareth, Reynolds and Caesar Rodney round out the Top 10. With six wrestlers still in the championship rounds, Bishop Lynch's 12th-place standing is deceiving, since a semifinal win is worth big points in tournaments. Blair is still in the best position to claim a team title, putting eight wrestlers into the quarterfinals. St. Edward, Bishop Lynch and Christiansburg have six in the quarters, while Nazareth has five.
Preliminary round underway (The preliminary round is being run on all 11 mats).
Riley Adamson of Bishop Lynch became the first quarterfinalist with a first period fall over Zane Gardner of Bald Eagle Area at 103. Freshman David Taylor of Graham was impressive with a fall with a cement mixer in 1:38.
Sheetz scores fall after trailing at 119
Chris Sheetz of Upper Perk trailed Greensburg Central's Rudy Chelednik 5-1 midway through the second period. Chelednik was in on a deep shot and was close to scoring when Sheetz in a scramble situation hit a headlock and scored the fall at 3:54 to advance to the quarters.
Chamberlin edges Flegler at 119
In a match between PA state place winners Billy Chamberlin of Cumberland Valley used the strength of an escape to eke out a 1-0 win over Nazareth's Andrew Flegler.
Rosen scores a reversal from Ironman
Matt Rosen of Great Bridge was able to avenge a loss to Blair Academy's Alex Cournoyer from the Ironman, with a 5-0 victory.
Ashmore advances at 119
Bishop Lynch's Ben Ashmore advanced to the quarters with a workmanlike 6-0 win over Brian Dean of SVSM. Ashmore won the match on the strength of takedowns in the first and third periods.
Grey breaks open tight match
After setting the New Jersey pin record in his previous match, Delbarton's Mike Grey saw Wheeling's Abbie Rush put up a strong effort before pulling away to win 11-4. Grey actually trailed 4-0 early in the match after Rush took Grey to his back. Grey began battling back and lead 8-4 before getting a final three point turn in the waning seconds.
PA stars battle at 125
Two of Pennsylvania's top 125 wrestlers met in the third round with ninth-seeded Kyle Fluke of State College pulling out the 6-3 win over Middletown's Tyler Nauman, the eighth-seed . Fluke had 5-3 lead after two periods and added a third period escape to take the win.
Admanson's two for two
Dak Adamson of Bishop Lynch joined his brother in the quarterfinals with a 4-0 win over Delaware state champion Jeremey Shaw of St. Marks. Shaw is the son of tournament director Bob Shaw.
Wright pins Dunn
Quentin Wright of Bald Eagle Area trailed Reynolds' Matt Dunn 4-3 in the third period when he reversed Dunn to his back with a headlock and scored the fall at 5:04. Dunn is a former PA State Champion and was the Ironman champion last week.
Trause defeats top seed at 112
Joe Trause of Bergen Catholic was the first wrestler to defeat a number one seed with a 9-3 win over top seed Eric Olanowski of Kellam at 112.
Koepp scores defensive fall at 145
Bishop Lynch's Johnny Koepp moved into the quarters with a fall just over 30 seconds into the bout. Koepp was in on a deep shot on Matt Cathell of Cesar Rodney and was able to stack Cathell to his back with no control for the fall.
Bacci scores another upset
Kevin Bacci of Conestoga pulled off his second upset to move into the quarters with a 9-0 win over Corey Stewart of Loomis Chaffee.
Rakes prevents Adamson trifecta
Christiansburg's Sam Rakes prevented the trio of brothers from having three in the quarterfinals with a 4-2 win over Ace Adamson at 152.
Nazareth garners a key win at 160
Nazareth's 11th seed Thad Frick pulled off a mild upset with a 2-1 overtime win over Cadet National Champion Luke Rebertus of Caravel Academy.
Lowther starts strong at 125
Trinity's Grant Lowther had a strong first day of the Beast by scoring a 9-8 win over nationally-ranked Dan White of Peddie and then a 11-6 win over Cesar Rodney's Ian Moser in the preliminary round.
Cesar Rodney turns the table at 130
After Lowther's upset of Moser at 125, Chris Diaz of Cesar Rodney pulled a 3-2 win over fourth-seeded Kalvin Shultz of Trinity at 130.
All top eight seeds stay alive at 135
The 135 weight class stayed true to its seeds as all top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals. Kentucky state champion Jacob Murton of Lawrence County scored a :32 second fall in the preliminary round. Also represented in the quarterfinals is Thomas Knapp of Collins Hill in Georgia.
Prep showdown set in the quarterfinals at 140
Sean Bilodeau of Brooks School and Mario Mason of Blair both won preliminary matches to set up a quarterfinal battle between the national prep stars. Bilodeau was a Cadet National Runner-up at 130 while Mason was a cadet national champion at 135.
Pennsylvania District I upset at 160
Pennridge's A.J. Detweiler made a major statement in District I by knocking off District Champion and PA State placewinner Brent Fiorito in the quarterfinals 6-4. Fiorito was the third seed at the weight and is a University of Virginia signee.
Ashmore breaks open in the third period
Luke Ashmore of Bishop Lynch held a tight 5-4 lead over Eddie Geib of Pennridge entering the third period and with Geib on bottom to start the period. Ashmore broke open the tight match with a penalty point, two takedowns, and a three point near fall to win going away 15-7.
Jones advancing at 189
Two-time Delaware state champion and now Winslow Township junior Jamelle Jones moved into the quarterfinals with a 12-2 win over Dave Hoggard of Kellam.
Dobranksy knocks off fourth seed at 275
Bryan Dobranksy of Ocean Township moved into the quarterfinals with a 3-2 overtime win over fourth seed Mike Edwards of Reynolds.
Early Afternoon Notes
Not wasting any time
The 103-pounders are pretty active here at "The Bob" on Saturday. The second round saw two quick falls -- John Cobos of St. Edward scored an eight-second fall over Dane Korte of Absegami, while Zane Gardner of Bald Eagle Area needed just 14 seconds to get past Pat Owens of North Penn. Also at 103 pounds, eighth-seeded Austin Clouse of Mt. St. Joseph's was sent to the consolations after a being dealt a 12-0 major decision by Loomis-Chaffee's Sean Boyle. Seventh-seeded Bryan Smith of Pemberville Eastwood was knocked out of the championship bracket by Reynold's Cody Kelly 4-2.
Of note ...
None of the tournament's heavy hitters went unscathed during the tournament's first sesson. Blair Academy, St. Edward, Graham, Great Bridge, Christiansburg, Bishop Lynch and Nazareth all had kids lose in the early rounds, however, Germantown Academy (Pa.) has all seven of their entries in the championship bracket. Other teams that didn't drop a bout in the early morning: Tabb (Va.) has all three of its entries alive, Winslow Township (N.J.) has its four still going as do Delaware schools Cape Henlopen and Caravel Academy. Toughest opening round of the day has to be North Penn and Hayfield. North Penn has three wrestlers alive in the championship and 11 in the consolations, while Hayfield has four and 10.
Sheetz Survives
Pennsylvania state champion Chris Sheetz of Upper Perk had to battle to eke out a tight 4-3 win over Mt. St. Joseph's, Danny Whitenak in the second round.
4th seed falls at 125
Waynesburg Nick Garber recorded the first upset of top four seed with a 9-4 win over Ben Jordan of Graham. Mike Robinson of Lewistown will face Garber in the third round after Robinson earned a 9-4 decision over Great Bridge's Derek Gillespie, the 13th-seed. Ben Llanas of Eastwood knocked off scrappy Upper Perk freshman Ryan Kemmerer 5-4 in sudden victory to advance to face fellow Ohioan Quentin Keyes of Walsh Jesuit.
Gonsor making an impact
St. Edward didn't get the services of Dan Gonsor last weekend at the Ironman, but he's making his presence felt at the Beast, scoring two major decisions in his first two bouts. Gosnor beat Brian Leggott of Parkersburg 14-0 before dispensing with Tabb's David Wise 10-2. Gonsor will face gritty Danny Lopes of Ocean Township, the fifth seed, in the third round. Lopes broke his leg in the state tournament in New Jersey last year, wrestled through it to get to the semifinals before defaulting to sixth. That's just tough.
Shanaman escapes
Blair Academy's Max Shanaman got past a pesky Josh Long of Middletown 1-0 in the second round at 135 pounds. Second-seeded Jacob Murton of Lawrence County, Ky., is hanging tough, picking up a major decision and a fall in his first two bouts. He'll face McDonogh's Shane Milam in round three.
The horses are still in the race
Only one of the top 12 seeds at 145 pounds lost an early round match, and unfortunately for Camden Catholic, it was Tony Palmeri, a former Beast placewinner. Conestoga's lone championship wrestler, Kevin Bacci, knocked Palmeri into the wrestlebacks with a 2-0 match. One thing Pennsylvania residents might relate with Conestoga is the Turkey Hill factory sits of Route 999 in Conestoga. The third round will see seeded wrestlers hit each other in three of the eight bouts, with Utah state champion Josh Wilson of Morgan and Christiansburg freshman Andrew Clement meet in the 8-9 match, while last week's Ironman champion Matt Dunn, will face 12th-seeded Quentin Wright of Bald Eagle Area. Matt Cathell of Caesar Rodney, the seventh-seed, will face Johnny Koepp, the 10th seed, from Bishop Lynch.
Eight goes down at 160
Older brother Ryan came to the Beast in 2000, ripping apart the field, but for Northwestern-signee and St. Edward senior, it's Kyle Bertin with a chance to perform under the lights at The Bob. Bertin knocked off eighth-seeded Jeremy Foster of Eastwood 8-4 to advance to face Reynolds' Lawrence Beckman, a 15-0 winner over Milford's Darrell Wisseman.
Excuse me, Mr. Jones
Fifth-seeded Matt Jones of Robinson (Va.) was sent to the consolations after a 5-3 overtime loss to Waynesburg's Clint Podish at 171. Graham's David Thompson has looked better in his first two opening bouts than he did at last week's Ironman, advancing to the third round with a 7-3 victory over Brecksville's Mike Pushpak. Thompson's the third seed, despite is sub-par outing last week.
Back on the mat, but a tad rusty
Second-seeded Joey Lindamood of Parkersburg is still slowed from an injury sustained during the Big Red's football season and his mat rush showed in a 1-0 victory over St. Edward's Ben Rios. Lindamood should get back on track quickly, facing Cape Henlopen's Brian Riggins in round three.
Number three at heavy goes down
Great Bridge heavyweight Matt Richardson always seems to wrestle well at the Ironman, but at the Beast, its a different story. The third-seeded junior fell 7-4 to Mt. St. Joseph's Andrew DePalma. All other top eight seeds continued on.
On the air
It's something Kevin Dresser has done since he first arrived in Virginia -- get his team's matches on the radio for folks to listen in. Dresser calls upon the services of his father, Skip Dresser , to do the play-by-play for Christiansburg's wrestling matches when the Blue Demons venture away from the New River Valley in Southwest Virginia. The elder Dresser is no stranger to the radio, he's broadcast dozens of Iowa high school state tournaments. Before Christiansburg, Skip would often come to Grundy, Dresser's former stomping ground, to broadcast matches. This weekend, Skip and Shane Hall ventured to Delaware for the second straight year. And while Dresser doesn't coach there anymore and Grundy's not at the Beast, the Golden Wave still broadcast their matches as well.
Morning Notes
Beast gets underway
Wrestling at the 12th annual Sharpie Beast of the East got going on Saturday morning with over 830 wrestlers competing on 12 mats at the Bob Carpenter Center. Nothing monumental has occurred in the first half hour of the event, but Northern Highlands' Tom Murphy registered the first victory of the tournament with a fall at 3:59 over Sussex Tech's Ryelan Pavlik at 119 pounds.
Quick Falls
Bishop Lynch's Riley Adamson made his Beast debut with a fall at 23 seconds in the first round at 103. Top-seeded Eric Olanowski of Kellam (Va.) was slightly slower, with a 25 second fall to start competition 112.
Seeds already starting to fall
The first seeded wrestler to lose was ninth-seeded Brett Fiskus of Cox (Va.) Fiskus fell to Lewistown's Matt Snyder by fall at 5:23. Fiskus led 6-4 before Snyder started riding legs and using a power half to tie the score at 6-6. Fiskus tried to pick the head and earn a defensive fall, but Snyder cleared his head and crossfaced hard before gaining control of Fiskus' head and snatching him down to the mat to gain the fall.
State preview already?
A second round matchup that has some fans down in Virginia interested pits two of the state's best freshman against each other right away. Tabb freshman Andrew Williams will face Christiansburg freshman Ian Squires, an Ironman placewinner, next round. Squires won his first round bout over Dalton Montoney of Walsh Jesuit by technicall fall. Williams, the 10th seed, had a bye. The pair are already favorites to challenge for the Group AA state championship.
UPDATE: Williams scored a fall at 2:18 to advance.
Two falls for the Yocco's
Brandywine Heights' Matt Yocco scored a fall at :58 seconds at 103 over Delbarton's Colin Hayes, while brother Nick Yocco needed more time, 5:08, to dispense with State College's Luke Harding at 112 pounds. Matt Yocco is the fifth-seed at 103, while Nick is unseeded at 112.
More wrestlebacks for Parkersburg's Wilson
Things didn't go well early on for Parkersburg sophomore Brandon Wilson last week at the Ironman. Wilson lost his first round bout before wrestling all the way back for third place in Ohio. This week might be a bit more problematic, as Wilson again lost in the first round to Bishop Lynch's David Staines 10-8 in overtime. Wilson, the 10th seed, will need to win nine matches in the consolations to match last week's performance. Staines is a displaced wrestler from Hurricane Katrina and was a state runner-up last year for Louisiana's Archbishop Rummell High School.
Blair Staff
Lehigh University's third ranked Cory Cooperman is using the Christmas break period to help his alma mater by assisting with the Blair Academy team at the Beast.
Late scratch at 152
Sixth seed Alex Ward was a late scratch at 152lbs. The seed was not replaced.
7th seed goes down at 130
Peddie's Joe Moreale recorded a first period fall in 1:35 over 7th seed Chase Skonieczny of Walsh Jesuit. Skonieczny, a fourth place finisher in the Ohio state tournament had placed third in last weekend's Ironman.
8th seed falls at 171
Timberlane's Derek Sickel scored a 12-4 major decision over 8th seed Tim Hill of Great Bridge. Hill was a 6th place finisher at the Ironman.
Take a bow, with a fall
Delbarton's Mike Grey broke the New Jersey state record for career falls, picking up his 102nd career stick in a second round victory over Joey Napoli of Cumberland Valley. Grey is looking for his second Beast title, after falling in the finals last season and beating Lance Palmer in the finals in 2003.
More "upsets"
It was a takedown early in the extra period that lifted unseeded Sam Walters of Upper Perk past Pat Mineo of Scotch Plains in the opening round at 140 ... John Dale of North Penn scored a fall over 12th-seeded Matt Littleton of Parkersburg in their first round bout at 152 pounds. ... Cody Smith of Graham pinned eighth-seeded Scott Miller of DeMatha at 5:54 at 189 pounds.
Early matches can prove problematic
While on paper its an upset, Bobby Ward of Nazareth edged Beast and Ironman placewinner Jayk Cobbs of Great Bridge 4-3 in the second round at 112 pounds. While Cobbs was seeded, Ward is an accomplished wrestler that will definately help bolster the Blue Eagles lineup this season. The two could meet again next month at the Virginia Duals.
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