Rancocas Valley holds off scrappy Bordentown
BORDENTOWN » Although the Bordentown wrestling team was not able to pull off what would have been regarded as a big upset against Rancocas Valley on Wednesday night, it was encouraging for the Scotties the way they able to take the match down to the next to last bout.
In the end it was Rancocas Valley pulling away for a 45-27 victory in a dualmatch opener for both teams, but keep in mind those 27 points Bordentown scored were a lot more than many teams will against the Red Devils this year.
This point was not lost on RV coach Anthony Bowker, who as expected is steadily building up the program much like his brother Brian did earlier in Mt. Holly.
“Bordentown has some tough kids; they can hurt you in some areas,” said Bowker, whose team had easily won the Ewing Tournament over the weekend.
After Bordentown upperweight destroyer Jaqaun Hayes (second at regions last year) drew his team to within 36-27 with a pin at 220 pounds, RV heavyweight Christopher Kilpatrick locked it up with an 11-4 over Billy Costner. Kilpatrick wrestled a smart match by beating his opponent on his feet while greatly minimizing the chance of getting rolled into a potential pinning position.
RV 106-pounder Anthony LaSala then finished it up with a pin to put an 18-point spread on a match in which RV led by only three points after the ninth bout at 170 pounds. The fact this match was competitive was also reflected in the fact in that ninth bout Bowker bumped Ethan Craft away from Joe Levach.
The move worked to perfection because after Levach pinned at 170 pounds, Craft countered with a fall at 182. The third part of sort of a murderers’ row that also includes Daequan Jackson-Swoope at 160, Drew Bowker then also pinned at 195 pounds to put RV in a strong 36-21 position.
“Levach is a tough kid and we really don’t have a 195-pounder,” said Bowker. “Who knows what would have happened (if Craft had wrestled Levach), but it was better at that point to take the safe route.”
After RV’s strong set of lightweights quickly established a 15-0 lead, Bordentown had stayed in the match on a technical fall by Billy Moore (132), a major by freshman Austin Raynor (145) and a first-period pin by Matt Potash at 152. For the record, there were four starters in the Bordentown lineup who are from Florence High. The program is a co-op.
In the end, however, it wasn’t enough because RV is the more balanced team.
“We’re getting there,” said Bowker. “We’re at the point now where we can move some guys around and make some moves.”
Rancocas Valley 45, Bordentown 27
113-Kozlowski (RV) d. Ermi, 6-1; 120-Dollard RV) p. Guarino, 2:24; 126-Malone (RV) p. Bektas, 1:29; 132-Moore (B) t-fall Curtain, 18-1; 138-Gannone (RV) d. Clemens, 17-5; 145-Raymor (B) d. Labrose, 10-2; 152-Potash (B) p. Schmiel, 1:33; 160-Jackson-Swoope (RV) t-fall Badshah, 4:41; 170-Levach (B) p. Smith, 1:13; 182-Craf (RV) p. Baldarossi, 3:43; 195-Bowker (RV) p. Paul, :51; 220-Hayes (B) p. Hernandez, 2:17; Hvy-Kilpatrick (RV) d. Costner, 11-4; 106-LaSala (RV) p. Ambrose, 3:41.