Area 2016-2017Wrestling Preview
Boyertown
Head coach: Peter Ventresca, 12th year. Last year’s record: 9-0PAC-10, 22-1overall. Wrestlers to watch: Chris Berry, Sr., 152; David Campbell, Sr., 126; Jakob Campbell, Sr., 132; J.T. Cooley, Sr., 145; Hunter Vogels, Sr., 160; Elijah Jones, Jr., 195; Matt Wilde, Jr., 113.
Outlook: The Bears parted company with a stellar Class of 2016, headed by state champion and four-time PIAA medalist Jordan Wood, state runner-up Tommy Killoran and multi-time PIAA medalist Gregg Harvey. But they return the Campbell brothers, Cooley, Jones and Wilde — all of whom were part of the program’s “Phenonme-Nine” state-tournament qualifiers from the previous winter. ... “Despite losing a great group of wrestlers to graduation last year,” Ventresca said, “Boyertown looks to compete for its fourth straight District I team and PAC title while trying again to place at the PIAA Team States. The PAC is District I’s toughest wrestling league. Any team has the ability to step up and knock each other off on any given match. We are hoping that we are up for the challenge.”
Daniel Boone
Head coach: Kevin Oswalt, fourth year. Last year’s record: 2-5Berks Conference, 5-8overall. Wrestlers to watch:
220-285;Spalding, Sr., Dylan 120; Horshak,Jack Jesse Zummo,Sr., Enck,170; Sr., ConnorSr., 138; Jon Arms,Ring, Jr., Jr., 160; 220-285;Sam Zummo,Steve Keim,So., 113.Jr., 145; Ty
Outlook: Enck was a state medalist (seventh place) and All-Berks County pick last year. ... “We took a big hit with graduation last year,” Oswalt said. “We will have a mix of underclass-last-second win against Shippensburg’s (Enck, Spalding, Zummo, Horshak) to lead the way. We will need to have a few of our freshmen and sophomores step up this year for team success. Themain goal of the team this year is to get better each night and improve ourselves.”
Hill School
Head coach: Mark Pearson, eighth year. Last year’s record: 2-2Mid-Atlantic Prep League, 15-6overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Dymir Davis-Carruth, Sr., 220; Will Hare, Sr., 285; Devin Calhoun, Jr., 170-182; Kyle Gorant, Jr., 132-138; Ted Kennedy, Jr., 120.
Outlook: The Blues got their 2016-17season off to a good start with a 48-36win over Westtown and a solid showing in the Caruso Invitational at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J. Davis-Carruth was runner-up at 220. Gorant (138) and Calhoun (182) placed fourth and Hare was fifth in the Caruso competition. Davis-Carruth is within reach of the 100win plateau, coming into the season with 79victories. ... “The Hill School wrestling team enters the 2016-2017wrestling season with the goal of returning to the front ranks of National Prep wrestling,” Pearson said. “With three returning National Prep place winners (Gorant, Davis-Carruth, Hare) plus National Prep qualifier Ted Kennedy (120), in addition to Georgia state place-winner Devin Calhoun (170), the Blues aimto break into the top tier at The National Prep Championships in February.”
Methacton
Head coach: A.J. Maida, ninth year. Last year’s record: 5-4PAC-10, 9-5 overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Joe Donahue, Sr., 220; Dylan Henry, Sr., 138; Brendan Marion, Sr., 182; Salaam McNair, Sr., 160; Bryce Reddington, Sr., 152.
Outlook: Reddington is a returning Southeast AAA Regional champion and state qualifier. He stands in reach of the 100-win plateau for his scholastic career, coming into the season with 91off last year’s 31-6finish. ... Henry and Marion were other Warriors who qualified at the regional level. ... “Like every other team we’re trying to get in shape and fill our lineup,” Maida said. “We have some fantastic senior leadership, and they’ve done a fantastic job of creating a culture in the room where everybody works hard.”
Norristown
Head coach: Mark Harner, 13th year. Last year’s record: 7-0Suburban One League, 13-8overall. Wrestlers to watch: Justin Altrogge, Sr., 106; Eric Fuentes, Sr., 132; Rich Maggio, Jr. 182.
Outlook: Altrogge and Fuentes both qualified for the 2016Southeast AAA Regional tournament off solid finishes in the District 1-AAA Central Tournament. ... Fuentes and Maggio were both champions at the SOL’s American Conference championship tourney. ... Harner termed the Eagles’ outlook for the upcoming season “not very promising” at this time. ”We had 13starters returning from last year’s squad,” he said, “but only seven of those wrestlers are on the roster this year.”
Owen J. Roberts
Head Coach: Steve DeRafelo, 14th year. Last Year’s Record: 8-1PAC-10, 12-5 overall.
Wrestlers ToWatch: Alex Acosta, Sr., 285; Nick Duliakas, Sr., 195; Griffin Gerber, Sr., 170; Luke Resnick, Sr., 120; Ryan Resnick, Sr., 152.
Outlook: Duliakas and the Resnick brothers all qualified for the Southeast AAA Regional Tournament last year. ... Ryan Resnick stands in reach of the 100-win plateau for his scholastic career, coming into the season with 92. ... “The Pioneer Athletic Conference, which was already a tough league, just became more competitive with the addition of Upper Merion and Norristown,” DeRafelo said. “The league is full of great wrestlers with excellent coaches. We are going to have to be on top of our game every week if we hope to be competitive in the league. We are looking for strong leadership from our seniors, and growth from our underclassmen.”
Perkiomen Valley
Head coach: Jared Dubbs, third season. Last year’s record: 3-6PAC-10, 7-9 overall. Wrestlers to watch:
Drew Rowley, Sr., Austin Paul Rowley, Pearce, So. Sr.,
Outlook: Austin Rowley and Pearce were both District 1-AAAWest qualifiers last winter. ... The Vikings look to replace the likes of Nate Balog, Matt Kenney, Jake Latchum and Quinn Verbeke, all of whom graduated with the Class of 2016. ... “We are looking to build with a strong group of young wrestlers,” excitedly Dubbs competingsaid.to get ”Everyoneand out workingon the in the mat.”to get room better.is constant-We’re
Phoenixville
Head coach: Alec Bown, third year. Last year’s record: 1-8PAC-10, 2-15 overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Thomas Fell, Sr., 170; Tanner Romance, Sr., 195; Bryce Thompson, Jr., 182.
Outlook: Romance qualified for the District 1-AAA West Tournament in 2016. ... “With just over 20wrestlers on the roster, the numbers are up a bit from last season,” Bown said. “Led by senior Tanner Romance, the Phantoms should be strongest in the mid to upper weights as experienced starters Bryce Thompson and Thomas Fell also return. A handful of additional starters are back from a year ago to help provide stability in an otherwise mostly young and inexperienced line-up.”
Pope John Paul II
Head Coach: TomHontz, first year. Last year’s record: 0-9PAC-10, 5-19overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Mike Schreiner, Sr., 170; Brendan Rau, Sr., 195-220; Nick Yerger, Sr., 138-145; A.J. Natale, So., 182; Chris Salvo, So., 126; Ryan Vulakh, So., 132-138.
Outlook: Hontz returns to head a PAC wrestling team three years after retiring from a 23-year tenure at the helm of the Upper Perkiomenmat program. The onetime Quakertown standout’s time with the Indians was marked by nine PAC championships and three individual PIAA titlists he coached. ... Chris Sheetz, a former wrestler (2005PIAA state champion) and Hontz’s assistant at Upper Perkiomen, follows his old coach to PJP. ... The Golden Panthers are waiting on a hearing by District 1to determine if Vulakh, a transfer from North Penn, will be eligible to wrestle with the program this season. ... “We do not have a lot of numbers this year and will probably forfeit 3-4weight classes,” Hontz said, “but the individuals we do have will hopefully see growth and improvement from last season, as we begin our efforts to create a competitive team.”
Pottsgrove
Head coach: Jeff Madden, ninth year. Last year’s record: 2-7PAC-10, 6-12 overall. Wrestlers to watch:
182; Chase Banyai, Jr., Ryan 126-132; Finn, SkylarSr., 170McLeod, Jr., 195-220.
Outlook: Finn, Banyai and McLeod all placed fifth in last year’s District 1-AAA West Tournament. ... Finn posted a gaudy 28-6record as a junior. ... The Falcons will look to fill gaps in their lineup left by the graduation of Chris DeFrancesco, Christian Pace, Chris Quintrell and Kylif Underwood. ... “The new league format will have two divisions and crossover conference duals,” Madden noted. “It will be a new way of looking at league match-ups.”
Pottstown
Head coach: Brad Clark, first year. Last year’s record: 5-4PAC-10, 12-7overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Isaiah Mayes, Sr., 170; Alex Caballero, Jr., 126; Andrew Ecker, Jr., 138; Anthony Wiggins, Jr., 145.
Outlook: Freshman Aiden Weber, described by Clark as an “experienced, successful, talented athlete who has set high goals and standards for himself as he enters high school,” is looking to be a factor at 152. ... Clark takes over the Trojan program from Brad Bechtel. The 2007Methacton graduate was a three-time PIAA medalist before moving on to Liberty University, where he was a member of the mat program the three years prior to its discontinuation. He served as a Pottstown assistant coach under Jamie Gill in 2011-2012, then went on to a three-year tenure at Kutztown University as a volunteer assistant. ... “As a team, last year we lost a core group of seniors that were successful,” Clark said. “I look to build that type of core group with this young team. We are led by Isaiah Mayes (33-12, Southeast AAA Regional qualifier), who has goals to reach the PIAA state tournament this year. Our junior class is talented and has potential to make a impact in the PACs as they develop throughout the year.”
Spring-Ford
Head coach: Tim Seislove, 18th year. Last year’s record: 7-2PAC-10, 16-6 overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Oscar Granese, Sr., 132; Tim Moran, Sr., 195; Jon Westlake, Sr., 145; Matt Lepore, Jr., 285; Brandon Meredith, Jr., 120; Dirk Nugent, So., 126; Chase Smith, So., 182.
Outlook: Meredith was a fourth-place state medalist at 106last winter, after emerging as a PAC and Southeast AAA Regional champion. Smith was another regional qualifier at 182. ... Meredith, who won in excess of 30matches his first two high-school seasons, stands in position to reach the 100-win plateau this year. He comes into the 2016-17 campaign with 71 victories. ... Granese, Moran, Westlake, Lepore and Nugent were all district-tournament qualifiers last year. ... “We lost a strong group of seniors to graduation last year,” Seislove noted. “Right now, we are just trying to fill all 14weight classes to be competitive in the toughest league in District 1.”
Upper Merion
Head coach: Marcus Johnson, fifth year. Last year’s record: 3-4Suburban One League, 8-8overall. Wrestlers to watch: Tim Cheng, Sr., 145-152; Zach DeSanto, Sr., 126-132; Matt Koresko, Sr., 138; Anthony Yacovetti, Jr., 152-160. Outlook: Yacovetti had a promising sophomore season, compiling a 28-9record and placing sixth in the District 1-AAA Central Tournament. ... DeSanto was another district qualifier. ... “Coming off of the most wins this team has seen in a long time, the Vikings are excited for this season and to keep building up our program,” Johnson said. “Moving to such a great conference as the PAC, we look forward to the new challenges.”
Upper Perkiomen
Head coach: Sam Walters, third year. Last year’s record: 5-4PAC-10, 9-10overall.
Wrestlers to watch: Jake Folk, Sr., 160; Mike Modugno, Sr., 220; Jared Kuhns, Jr., 113; D.J. McIlvaine, Jr., 145; Ryan Rossiter, Jr., 132-138; Jarek Svanson, Jr., 132.
Outlook: Modugno was a state qualifier in 2016while Folk, Kuhns and Svanson all reached the Southeast AAA Regional Tournament. ... Incoming freshmen Matt Reinhart (120) and Zach Rozanski (126) also figure to be in the mix for UP. ... “We have a solid core group of juniors and seniors that we will be leaning on this year,” Walters said. “We add a couple tough freshmen to our roster as well. Our numbers are up from 12wrestlers last season to 23this season. The added depth gives us a bump for dual meet competition. We look to add to our success from last season where we saw seven wrestlers qualify for regionals and one advance to the state tournament. We have a good group of kids who work hard, and that have bought into the program. My hope is to see the four returning regional qualifiers take the next step and qualify, and possibly even medal at states this season. I also believe we will see a couple of our young guys surprise this season.”