Frinzi remains on point
Bethlehem Catholic junior staying confident at Escape the Rock
HOLLAND, Bucks County — Marco Frinzi's phone lit up late Wednesday night with a lengthy text from Bethlehem Catholic teammate Keanu Dillard.
Dillard, a returning PIAA Class 3A champion, wanted to make sure Frinzi knew his teammates had confidence in him.
“A lot of my teammates and coaches know confidence is a big thing with me,” Frinzi said. “I overthink things.”
Frinzi lost the final bout earlier that night in a 30-26 loss to Easton. Following in the footsteps of brothers who were 100-match winners at Bethlehem Catholic, the firstyear varsity starter's self-confidence has wavered.
“I was excited,” the junior 139-pounder said about Wednesday's opportunity. “But I start talking to myself and talk myself out of things. When I don't think and just wrestle, it's a lot better.”
Frinzi wrestled a lot better Saturday on the first day of the Escape the Rock tournament at Council Rock South High School. He won three matches, including 4-1 over Delaware Valley's Dom Moyer to reach the semifinals.
The No. 14 seed also knocked off No. 3 Mason Wagner of Faith Christian in the round of 16. Frinzi faces No. 2 Tyler Traves of Mountain View in Sunday morning's semifinals at 10:30 a.m.
Action begins Sunday with fourth-round consolations at 9, followed by the semis and fifthround consolations. Consolation semis and seventh-place matches are at 12:10 p.m., with the rest of the medal round set for 2.
Bethlehem Catholic (Frinzi, Dillard at 121 and Kollin Rath at 152), Quakertown (Mason Ziegler at 127, Collin Gaj at 152 and Calvin Lachman at 285) and Faith Christian (Gauge Botero at 121, Cael Weidemoyer at 160 and Adam Waters at 172) each have three semifinalists.
Notre Dame-GP (Ayden Smith at 114) and Pennridge (Colby Martinelli at 107) have one each.
Rath, Gaj, Waters and Smith are returning champions.
Frinzi is trying to win his first varsity tournament title of any kind. He spent his first two seasons as one of the region's best backups in a loaded Bethlehem Catholic lineup that won consecutive PIAA 3A team titles.
His grind through his first year as a starter has had its ups and downs mentally, but there has been progress as he's built up mat time against the nation's best at the Ironman and Beast of the East tournaments and now Escape the Rock.
Frinzi's confidence is there. It just sometimes gets lost in his head.
“I've used the last two years and now Wednesday night as fire,” he said. “It ate at me a little bit. I didn't sleep at all that night. But you learn from it. I sometimes lack confidence. It kind of messes me up. I have to trust myself, trust my ability on the mat and then I feel like no one can beat me.”