Stillings brings home gold for Pennridge
Stillings brings home first state gold for Pennridge since ‘05
And just like that, the number of Pennridge state wrestling champions doubled.
It’s been 13 years since Dan Goetter became the first Pennridge wrestler to win a state championship. The Rams have seen a few come close over that span, but no one quite got over the hump until Saturday night when Josh Stillings claimed the gold at 182-pounds with a 3-1 win over Tim Wallace of Albert Gallatin.
“This is just absolute bliss,” said Pennridge coach RP Norley. “Josh is such an inspiration to all the young kids in our program. He’s an absolutely amazing role model for the kids. He’s always had the goal of being a state champion and I just couldn’t be more excited to see him reach that goal.”
The match itself was the most tightly contested Stillings has had in months. Scoreless after one, Stillings took down to start the second. Though Wallace rode tough for a good chunk of the period, Stillings eventually wriggled free for an escape, then bumped the lead to 3-0 with a takedown.
“I knew he was good at setting the pace of his matches, so the first thing I wanted to do was make sure I put the match at my pace,” said Stillings. “I’m confident that I can take anyone down if I’m wrestling my match, and if I got one takedown, it was going to be enough to win.”
Stillings survived a scare late in the period. Locked in his trademark crab ride, Wallace began to squirm out, and had Stillings hanging on for dear life. Had he
“Josh is such an inspiration to all the young kids in our program. He’s an absolutely amazing role model for the kids. He’s always had the goal of being a state champion and I just couldn’t be more excited to see him reach that goal.” — Pennridge coach RP Norley
not hung on to the crab ride, the period may have ended with Stillings on his back and down on the scoreboard. But Stillings was just plain unfazed, and never lost control, and avoided a reversal call.
“That claw position is something I’ve been working on probably since freshman year,” said Stillings. “RP (Norley) and I work on that position a lot in practice, and I know I can ride pretty much anyone with it. I know it probably looked bad there, but I was honestly comfortable and knew I could hold it.”
Wallace managed an escape late in the third, but it was too little, too late, and Stillings held on for the victory.
“I was trying to stay calm, but I have to admit I was really tense before the match,” said Stillings. “This is just an amazing feeling. It’s something I’ve worked for so long. I’m so excited to accomplish something I’ve worked for my whole life.”
While Norley won’t have Stillings, who will continue his academic and wrestling career at nearby Drexel, in the room on a daily basis any more, he knows that the first state champion of his coaching career will never stray too far from Pennridge wrestling
“Josh and I work really well together,” said Norley. “And I think he’s got coaching in his blood. The kids in our youth program really look up to him. He’s real, not just a guy they see wrestle on TV. I think we’ve rubbed off on each other and I think he’ll always have a hand in where this program goes, whenever he can find a way to get back in the room.”
NOTES » Several other area wrestlers picked up medals Saturday night. Souderton’s Tyler Williams lost 3-0 to Nick Coy of Penn Trafford in the fifth place match. Pope John Paul II’s Ryan Vulakh rode a strong second period to a bronze medal, picking up an escape, then taking down Northern York’s Micah Hoffman to his back for a pair of near fall to earn a 5-0 victory. North Penn’s Patrick O’Neill finished seventh at 160 with a pin in 1:14 over Southwestern’s Ethan Baney. William Tennent’s Yusuf Aladinov decked Mitchell Talbot of Central Dauphin for seventh at 195. Garrett Zobel of LaSalle grabbed a fifth place medal at 285 with a 3-1 win in sudden victory overtime over Warwick’s Ryan Stewart, and Ryan Cody wound up eighth at 285 after falling 1-0 to Roman Catholic’s Michael Leyland. Championship Finals 106 — Alejandro Herrera, Seneca Valley, dec. Kurtis Phipps, Norwin, 1-0 OT UTB 113 — Ryan Sullivan, Shaler, dec. Killian Delaney, WC Henderson, 4-3 120 — Logan Macri, Canon McMillan, dec. Doug Zapf, Downingtown West, 3-2 126 — Sam Hillegas, North Hills, dec. Chris Wright, Central Dauphin, 4-2 132 — Jeffrey Boyd, Erie McDowell, dec. Colton Camacho, Franklin Regional, 5-4 138 — Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic, won by tech. fall over Seth Koleno, Bald Eagle Area, 20-4 4:34 145 — Sammy Sasso, Nazareth, pinned Kolby Ho, DuBois, 5:22 152 — William Evanitsky, Scranton, dec. Gage McClenahan, Bald Eagle Area, 5-2 160 — Carter Starocci, Erie Cathedral Prep, dec. Zachary Hartman, Belle Vernon, 6-4 OT SV 170 — Trent Hidlay, Mifflin County, dec. Luke Nichter, Chambersburg, 11-5 182 — Joshua Stillings, Pennridge, dec. Tim Wallace, Albert Gallatin, 3-1 195 — Luke McGonigal, Clearfield, pinned Cole Urbas, State College, 1:37 220 — Hunter Catka, Sun Valley, dec. Parker McClellan, Altoona, 7-5 285 —Isaac Reid, Kiski Area, dec. Kawaun Deboe, Erie Cathedral Prep, 3-1 Third Place 106 Tal-Reese Flemming, Bethlehem Liberty, dec. Matt Mayer, Bethlehem Catholic, 5-4 113 Kyle Burkholder, Hempfield Area, pinned Cole Wilson, Northeastern, 3:29 120 Sean Pierson, Nazareth, dec. J.J. Wilson, Cedar Cliff, 2-0 126 Dalton Rohrbaugh, Spring Grove, dec. Kenny Herrmann, Bethlehem Catholic, 7-5 132 Devon Britton, Northampton, dec. Andrew Wert, Central Dauphin, 5-2 138 Noah Levett, Kiski Area, dec. Paul Feite, Northern York, 4-2 OT UTB 145 Ryan Vulakh, Pope John Paul II, dec. Micah Hoffman, Northern York, 5-0 152 Luke Kemerer, Hempfield Area, pinned Daniel Mancini, Owen J. Roberts, 2:40 160 Gerrit Nijenhuis, Canon McMillan, dec. Luke Stout, Mount Lebanon, 3-0 170 Cade Wilson, Nazareth, dec. Jesse Quatse, Greensburg Salem, 3-0 182 Max Shaw, Thomas Jefferson, dec. Christian Sequete, Butler, 7-2 195 Jake Koser, Northern York, dec. Elijah Jones, Boyertown, 7-5 220 Greg Bensley, Pocono Mountain West, dec. Cole Forrester, Shippensburg, 5-4 OT UTB 285 Gerald Brown, West Mifflin, pinned Michael Wolfgram, Central York, 1:43 Fifth Place 106 Kyle Waterman, Council Rock South, dec. Ben Monn, Cumberland Valley, 2-0 113 Matthew Maloney, Bethlehem Liberty, dec. Andrew Smith, Nazareth, 6-3 120 Wyatt Henson, Waynesburg Central, dec. Cameron Enriquez, Stroudsburg, 3-1 OT SV 126 Jacob Ealy, Hopewell, dec. Gabe Willochell, Greater Latrobe, 11-5 132 Nick Coy, Penn Trafford, dec. Tyler Williams, Souderton, 3-0 138 Cameron Robinson, Council Rock North, dec. Nathan Stefanik, Nazareth, 9-2 145 Jobe Chishko, Penn Trafford, dec. Cole Handlovic, Bethlehem Catholic, 8-3 152 Clayton Ulrey, Lower Dauphin, dec. Ty McGeary, West Allegheny, 8-6 OT SV 160 Jacob Burgette, Scranton, dec. AJ Wilson, Solanco, 10-3 170 Scott Joll, Belle Vernon, dec. Maximus Hale, Downingtown West, 8-5 182 Donovon Ball, Cedar Cliff, dec. Josh Krieger, Shikellamy, 6-3 195 Dorian Crosby, Erie Cathedral Prep, dec. Nate Ansell, Connellsville, 3-1 220 Ian Edenfield, Laurel Highlands, dec. Denny Karas, Exeter, 2-1 285 Garrett Zobel, LaSalle, dec. Ryan Stewart, Warwick, 3-1 OT SV Seventh Place 106 Matt Sarbo, Altoona, dec. Matt Vulakh, Pope John Paul II, 6-1 113 Will Betancourt, Manheim Central, won by inj. default over Christian Fisher, Miffin County 120 Louis Newell, Seneca Valley, dec. Paniro Johnson, Erie Cathedral Prep, 7-1 126 Caleb Morris, Waynesburg Central, dec. Gunnar Fuss, Harry S. Truman, 5-3 OT SV 132 Ben Radner, Council Rock South, won by forfeit over Jonathan Miers, Easton 138 Zach Ortman, Parkland, dec. Leno Ciotti, Erie McDowell, 4-2 145 Cam Connor, Kiski Area, dec. Alexander Hornfeck, Mars, 2-1 152 Luca Frinzi, Bethlehem Catholic, dec. Cole Spencer, Pine-Richland, 6-4 160 Patrick O’Neill, North Penn, pinned Ethan Baney, South Western, 1:14 170 Ben Root, Solanco, dec. Tyler Mousaw, Unionville, 9-6 182 Brendan Shaffer, Lower Dauphin, dec. Mason McCready, Hollidaysburg, 3-2 195 Yusuf Aladinov, William Tennent, pinned Mitchell Talbott, Central Dauphin, 2:37 220 Jake Slinger, Upper St. Clair, dec. Nate Schon, Selinsgrove, 7-5 OT SV 285 Michael Leyland, Roman Catholic, dec. Ryan Cody, North Penn, 1-0